Where and when to hold early voting has been such a low-grade political tug of war in the scheme of low-turnout Memphis elections that it hasn’t caused much of a ripple in the city’s deep political waters.

2. Early Voting Schedule Changes Again as Court Order Signed - Wednesday, July 11, 2018

UPDATE: The court order governing early voting in advance of the Aug. 2 election day changed again Tuesday, July 10, as Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins amended his Monday order to permit all 27 early voting sites to open Tuesday -- keeping the previous plan to open five of those sites Friday when the 14-day early voting period begins this Friday.

3. Jenkins Orders Changes to Early Voting Roll Out - Tuesday, July 10, 2018

The day after Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins ordered a rearrangement of early voting scheduled to begin Friday, the attorney for the Shelby County Election Commission was contemplating an appeal of the ruling.

4. Going Global - Saturday, June 9, 2018

Over the past two years, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has extended its global reach in a variety of ways, forging new partnerships and alliances to further research efforts for pediatric cancer and blood disorders while investing more than $1 billion to substantially grow its Memphis headquarters.

5. Ensor: Vol Baseball Has Hurdles to Overcome - Friday, May 11, 2018

Knoxville’s Rusty Ensor still hasn’t gotten baseball out of his system.

The 1978 Bearden High School graduate was one of the best power hitters in University of Tennessee history in just two seasons after two years of baseball at Motlow State Community College.

6. Memphis Site of One of Golf’s Greatest Events - Friday, April 13, 2018

The hugs, the handshakes, the slaps on the back, the big smiles and loud, lengthy applause. All things normally saved in the golf world for that moment when a 75-foot eagle putt settles in the bottom of the hole.

7. Last Word: SCS Plans For $15, IRIS Matinees and The Hard Hit Fund - Wednesday, March 21, 2018

“From a financial standpoint, we need our fans back and we need them back now.” University of Memphis president David Rudd breaking the university’s silence on the basketball coaching change that was made formal Tuesday with the announcement that Penny Hardaway is indeed the new coach. And Hardaway had a lot to say that Tigers fans and Memphians wanted to hear.

8. Last Word: Fred's Troubles, Indigo Comeback and Selling MCA - Tuesday, February 6, 2018

During Monday’s record Wall Street drop, Memphis-based Fred’s was among those taking it on the chin. But the retailer’s stock was already taking a beating from more turmoil since it got cut-out of a purchase of Rite Aid stores by Walgreens in 2017. Fred’s third chief financial officer in seven months is getting a $100,000 hiring bonus.

9. Trump to Nominate Memphis Attorney to Federal Utility Board - Tuesday, February 6, 2018

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – President Donald Trump plans to nominate Memphis attorney John L. Ryder to serve on the Tennessee Valley Authority's board.

A news release from the White House says Ryder would serve a term expiring in May of 2020 if he's confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

10. Rent Like a Champion Carving Niche as Sports World’s Airbnb - Saturday, January 20, 2018

Good business ideas can happen anywhere. This one happened in 2006 in South Bend, Indiana, where three Notre Dame students listed a vacant apartment on Craigslist and eBay as a weekend rental for football games.

11. Election Commission Goes To Court In RCV Controversy - Thursday, December 14, 2017

The Shelby County Election Commission is going to court to settle a conflict over ranked-choice voting. The five-member commission voted unanimously Tuesday, Dec. 12, to file suit against the state election coordinator and the city of Memphis in Davidson County Chancery Court.

12. Last Word: Grizz Troubles Deepen, Germantown Kroger Enigma and The Strikers - Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Tigers over Great Danes Tuesday at the Forum 67 – 58. The Grizz are in Washington Wednesday to play the Wizards and some of the attention around the Grizz is shifting away from what happens on the court. What would you call the place that the Grizz are at this mile marker past Grit & Grind? It is more than a losing streak, says Don Wade in his Press Box column.

13. Election Commission Goes to Court in RCV Controversy - Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Shelby County Election Commissioners are going to court to settle a conflict over ranked-choice voting.

The five-member commission voted unanimously Tuesday, Dec. 12, to file suit against the state election coordinator and the city of Memphis in Davidson County Chancery Court.

14. State Elections Coordinator Says Ranked-Choice Voting Not Permissible - Wednesday, November 15, 2017

The Tennessee elections coordinator has told Shelby County election officials that it is illegal to use ranked-choice voting in an election because there are no state guidelines and procedures in place for counting second- and third-preference votes.

15. Tennessee Elections Coordinator Says Ranked-Choice Voting Not Permissible - Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The Tennessee elections coordinator told Shelby County’s administrator of elections in September that it is illegal to use ranked-choice voting anywhere in the state because there are no state guidelines and procedures for counting the second and third preferences of voters to avoid a runoff election.

16. Last Word: Bonus For the Head Tiger, Brooks Downtown? and Harris Runs - Thursday, October 5, 2017

A $100,000 bonus from the University of Memphis board of trustees for U of M president David Rudd at Wednesday’s trustees meeting. The bonus is from private funds raised by the university foundation. The board also approved a paid parental leave policy – specifically the funding for that policy. And it reviewed scaled-back plans for the $30 million new rec center for students that will incorporate some of the existing rec center.

17. Bates Gold-and-Silver Fraud Case Includes Big Numbers - Wednesday, May 10, 2017

At the end of a five-week trial in Memphis federal court this month, a jury convicted a former Tennessee state representative turned religious prophet and gold-and-silver broker on 46 counts of fraud.

18. Last Word: Watching the Masthead, Dunavant Award Winners and Gin Blossoms - Thursday, March 30, 2017

Jones Lang LaSalle says it can save the University of Memphis and by extension the state 12.5 percent of the cost of running its facilities. That’s included in a statewide higher education facilities contract the Haslam administration appears poised to award in a fast-moving return to privatization proposals. But the administration is encountering resistance from legislators who cite a letter from the Tennessee Comptroller that calls into question the cost savings estimates.

19. Norris Plans White House Trip To Discuss Refugee Resettlement - Friday, February 10, 2017

NASHVILLE – State Sen. Mark Norris is planning a White House visit to discuss the direction of refugee resettlement despite a federal judge’s ruling blocking President Trump’s immigration and refugee moratorium.

20. Trump’s Turn - Saturday, January 7, 2017

If the election of Donald Trump was a mystery, there are even more questions about what will he do once he takes office Jan. 20. The clues may or may not be in the conduct of his campaign.

“Donald Trump campaigned without being tied to the traditional parameters of conservative-liberal dialogue that we’ve come to know over the past 20 or 30 years,” said Memphis attorney John Ryder, who is legal counsel to the Republican National Committee. “The hopeful part about that is that allows him to move past those divisions and enter new territory.”

21. Last Word: Electoral College Day, North Cordova Comes Back and Roy Harrover - Monday, December 19, 2016

What was that? Someone left the door to spring ajar Saturday just to blow things around some. Put a little tropical hint in your Christmas season.

Most of us had that moment Saturday when you might have bundled up to go out and discovered you didn’t need a coat … at that point in a very windy day. Maybe you even went Christmas shopping in the spring-like weather just to watch the trappings of Christmas blowing in the wind.

22. RNC Counsel Says Russians Probed But Didn’t Hack System - Monday, December 19, 2016

Russian computer hackers did not hack the Republican National Committee during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to the Memphis attorney who serves as the RNC’s legal counsel.

Attorney John Ryder commented on the claims reported in recent weeks during a Thursday, Dec. 15, forum at the Memphis chapter of The Federalist Society.

23. Election Commission Completes Halbert Recount - Saturday, December 3, 2016

As Shelby County Election Commissioners certified the results of the Nov. 8 elections this week, they also talked about the Chancery Court case over the results of the 2015 race for City Court Clerk more than a year ago.

24. Election Commission Completes Halbert Recount - Thursday, December 1, 2016

As Shelby County Election Commissioners certified the results of the Nov. 8 elections this week, they also talked about the Chancery Court case over the results of the 2015 race for City Court Clerk more than a year ago.

25. Hawes Takes on New Role At ACE Awareness Foundation - Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Kiersten Hawes has been promoted to task force liaison and education coordinator at the Memphis-based ACE Awareness Foundation, which works to inform the community about the negative impact of adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs. Hawes will also continue to serve as a therapist at Universal Parenting Place’s Knowledge Quest location.
As the task force liaison, Hawes will engage the foundation board and task force in ongoing dialogue to build awareness around ACEs. Operating in a dual role as a therapist and education coordinator, she says, allows her the opportunity to speak to the impact that toxic stress and intergenerational ACEs have on a family system if not mitigated.

26. Last Word: Z Bo and the Second Unit, Gannettized and the Electoral College - Thursday, October 6, 2016

Zach Randolph will not be starting for the Grizz this season as the post-Grit & Grind era enters the “Second Unit” chapter.

It will be interesting to see fan reaction Thursday at the Forum when the Grizz play Atlanta in another pre-season game. Randolph did not start Monday night’s pre-season opener against Orlando either.

27. Electoral College Scenarios Emerge Early in 2016 - Thursday, October 6, 2016

More than a month after all of the votes are counted in the Nov. 8 presidential general election, the real decision is made on who will be the next president.

Dec. 19 is when the Electoral College meets in state capitals across the nation including in Nashville where Tennessee’s 11 electors will put an end to an election in which former Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper says Tennessee voters have been “bystanders.”

28. The Week Ahead: October 3-9 - Monday, October 3, 2016

Well, Memphis, it’s a new month and your Grizzlies return to the court for another season of thrills under a new head coach, David Fizdale. The week starts off with a presidential visit – no, not one of the frontrunners, but a Green Party candidate who will be stumping in Crosstown. Here's what else you need to know in The Week Ahead...

29. Last Word: Prince, Violent Crime Numbers, and a Parkside Post Script - Friday, April 22, 2016

Prince. It’s hard to think of a musician with a more complete knowledge of music as a social and cultural force and the ability to let that force inhabit his music and what he wanted to accomplish.
It is that knowledge and its use from obscurity to the pinnacle of fame and acclaim to his own journey for personal fulfillment that, to me, defines what has been lost.
Music mattered to Prince unlike it had ever mattered before. All of the influences analyzed and synthesized by someone born in rock and roll’s first wave pushed forward in a sound that combined rock and roll and rhythm and blues and funk with purpose and confidence.
It wasn’t a denial or downplaying of any of those music categories – all were present sonically and culturally. No juggling or quick changes.
That was his talent and it’s hard to think of anyone who has been as knowledgeable, intentional and successful -- commercially and artistically – in that combination.
Prince is remembered here for not only playing the city’s largest arenas but for his legendary after shows on Beale Street that brought an entertainment insider cachet the district has rarely seen since its early 1980s reopening.
His was an intensity and sense of purpose rarely seen and possessed in such a way in the 60 years since rock and roll started in this very city, kicked off by both Rocket 88 and That’s Alright Mama.
So why couldn’t the city’s rock radio stations do more than talk about Prince into commercial breaks after another Nickelback rock block and actually play some of his music to acknowledge such a huge genre crossing artist?
Not cool.

30. Last Word: A Dog Named Elvis, Soulville's Change and Highlander Politics - Monday, April 18, 2016

For those who stopped watching in the fourth quarter, The Grizzlies lost to the Spurs 106-74 in San Antonio Sunday to open the NBA's second season. If you put together the second and fourth quarters it would have been close. But oh the first and third quarters.

31. Last Word: Pro Day, Hardwood Patios in C-Y and Memphis' Contested Convention - Thursday, April 7, 2016

It was a windy Pro Day Wednesday at the University of Memphis for Tigers quarterback Paxton Lynch. And if the wind wasn’t for you, you could watch Lynch work out for NFL teams and their representatives on the NFL network.
Don Wade was there to watch in person.

32. Bohannon to Chair Junior Achievement Board - Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Morgan Bohannon has been named chairman of the board of director of Junior Achievement of Memphis & the Mid-South Inc. Bohannon, the regional market manager for iHeartMedia, became engaged with Junior Achievement when iHeartMedia sponsored the “Broadcast Center” at JA BizTown in 2012. He joined the board soon thereafter and has been involved ever since.

33. Confusion Rampant on Judicial Selection Issue - Monday, October 13, 2014

The only real controversy locally about the proposed amendment to the Tennessee Constitution on judicial selection is confusion about how the race for Tennessee governor on the same Nov. 4 ballot is connected to the votes on that and three other amendments.

34. Bible Joins Shea Moskovitz & McGhee - Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Kirkland Bible has joined family law firm Shea Moskovitz & McGhee as an associate. In her new position, Bible will represent clients in a variety of family law matters, including divorce, post-divorce and child custody matters.

35. May County Primary Results Certified - Friday, May 23, 2014

The closest race in the May Shelby County primary elections turned into a tale of the tape Wednesday, May 21, as the Shelby County Election Commission certified the results of that and all of the other races on the ballot.

36. Methodist University Hospital Names Liebman New CEO - Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Jeff Liebman has joined Methodist University Hospital as chief executive officer. In his new role, Liebman said, he will ensure the hospital continues to be a community resource providing the highest possible quality of care to the community while following the guidelines of the Methodist LeBonheur mission.

37. Election Commission Hopeful for School Board Ruling - Tuesday, March 11, 2014

John Ryder, an attorney for the Shelby County Election Commission, capped a week of cryptic court filings in the case by quoting a line from “Macbeth” as he made the Election Commission’s point that Judge Samuel “Hardy” Mays should rule soon.

38. Election Commission Urges School Board Ruling - Saturday, March 8, 2014

The Shelby County Election Commission isn’t taking a stand on the Shelby County Commission’s plan to convert the Shelby County Schools board to a nine-member body.

But the commission will file a brief urging U.S. District Judge Samuel “Hardy” Mays to rule soon on the plan.

39. May County Primary Ballot Set - Friday, March 7, 2014

The ballot for the May Shelby County primary elections was completed Wednesday, March 5, as the Shelby County Election Commission disqualified a County Commission candidate whose attorney argued that she intended to but never did live in the district she hoped to represent.

40. Election Commission Hears Ballot Challenges - Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Shelby County Election Commissioners could complete the ballot for the May Shelby County primary elections Wednesday, March 5, by deciding on challenges to the residency of three candidates in the Democratic primaries.

41. Election Commission Urges School Board Ruling - Monday, March 3, 2014

The Shelby County Election Commission isn’t taking a stand on the Shelby County Commission’s plan to convert the Shelby County Schools board to a nine-member body.

But the commission will file a brief urging U.S. District Judge Samuel “Hardy” Mays to rule soon on the plan.

42. Election Commission Approves All But Three Names For May Primaries - Friday, February 28, 2014

Shelby County Election Commissioners certified all but three names Thursday, Feb. 27, for the May county primary ballot and will meet March 5 to consider challenges to the residency of candidates Edith Ann Moore, M. Latroy Williams and E. Jefferson Jones.

43. Contested Judicial Elections Spark Debate - Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Memphis attorneys John Ryder and Gary Smith both think it is a bad idea to have contested elections for state appeals court judges.

44. Basar Looks to 2014 County Commission Election - Tuesday, October 15, 2013

It may be the first time that a Shelby County Commissioner has given public notice of a barbecue.

Commissioner Steve Basar has held four at his house in the year that he’s been on the elected body. And he told political supporters at a fundraiser last week that he has “sunshined” all of them, a shorthand term to describe the public notice required by Tennessee’s open meetings law – or Sunshine Law – for any deliberative gathering of two or more commissioners.

45. Three-Month Period Sees Spate of County Elections - Friday, August 23, 2013

Some of the early voting periods and election days will overlap in the set of 11 elections – special and regularly scheduled – in Shelby County this year.

Those elections would take place in less than a three-month period.

46. Armstrong Hears Whalum-Woods Election Dispute - Thursday, May 23, 2013

On his way this week to hearing and later deciding the case of a disputed election for a countywide school board seat, Chancellor Kenny Armstrong got a feel for the complexities voters faced in the 2012 election and beyond.

47. Mays Ponders Changes in Merger Terms - Tuesday, April 30, 2013

U.S. District Judge Samuel “Hardy” Mays is considering whether he should change the terms of the 2011 consent decree that so far has governed the path to consolidation of Shelby County’s two public school systems.

48. Schools Merger Saga Faces Busy Day - Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Countywide school board members will discuss and vote Tuesday, April 30, on starting the process of closing 11 more schools, one agenda item during what promises to be a busy day in the schools consolidation saga.

49. Special Elections Take Shape in Suburbs - Wednesday, April 24, 2013

It looks like 2013 will be an election year in the six suburban towns and cities in Shelby County.

But Memphis may not join the forming set of special elections until very late in the year if at all, according to one estimate by the Shelby County Election Commission.

50. Hopson Eliminates All But One Executive Director's Position - Tuesday, April 23, 2013

The still forming central office of the consolidated school sytem will include only one executive director -- the executive director of safety and security.

Interim schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson has reposted central office positions following his decision last week to eliminate all of one of the executive director positions from the city and county school systems in the front office of the new school system to come.

51. Ryder Up to Challenge as Counsel for RNC - Thursday, February 21, 2013

John Ryder of Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh PLLC was recently appointed general counsel of the Republican National Committee.

52. Memphis Attorney Ryder Named Republican National Committee Counsel - Saturday, February 9, 2013

Memphis attorney and veteran Republican National Committeeman John Ryder is the new general counsel to the Republican National Committee.

53. Memphis Attorney Named Republican National Committee Counsel - Friday, February 8, 2013

Memphis attorney and veteran Republican National Committeeman John Ryder is the new general counsel to the Republican National Committee.

54. Election Certified Amid Continued Complaints - Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Shelby County Election Commissioners certified the results Monday, Nov. 26, of the Nov. 6 election.

But they offered different verdicts on how the election was conducted.

“Overall we had a good election,” said commissioner Dee Nollner.

55. Election Commission Certifies Nov. 6 Vote Results - Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Shelby County Election Commissioners certified the results Monday, Nov. 26, of the Nov. 6 election.

The certification sets in motion the swearing-in of members of the six suburban municipal school boards. And the boards, one for each of the suburban towns and cities in Shelby County, are expected to move quickly on a process for selecting superintendents for each school system by the end of the year.

56. ‘Behind the Headlines’ Explores Fixes for County’s Election Woes - Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Some early voters in Shelby County are snapping pictures of their completed ballots with their phones to verify their votes. Other voters are delaying their trip to the polls because they anticipate problems in the opening days of the voting period that ends Nov. 1.

57. Dispute Arises Over School Board Race - Thursday, October 11, 2012

The Shelby County Election Commission has identified 837 disputed votes in the Aug. 2 election for the District 4 countywide school board seat.

The information disclosed last week as part of a legal challenge of the results in the district race prompted a delay of a trial in the case before Chancellor Kenny Armstrong until some time after the Nov. 6 elections.

58. Ramsey Aide Recommended for GOP Convention Role - Friday, August 24, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – State Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey's top aide has been recommended for an official role at next week's Republican National Convention.

59. Despite Ruling Schools Case Far From Over - Monday, July 16, 2012

The day after U.S. District Court Judge Hardy Mays ruled the suburban municipal schools referendums will go ahead as planned, most of the 20 attorneys in his courtroom for the ruling were back before him.

60. Grisham Joins Growing Jackson Lewis Office - Thursday, May 3, 2012

When Greg Grisham joined the Memphis office of workplace law firm Jackson Lewis LLP as a partner a few weeks ago, it marked the fourth new attorney arrival in the firm’s Memphis office since December.

61. Muni School District Votes on Hold - Friday, March 23, 2012

At week’s end, the move to municipal school districts had slowed for a possible pit stop in Shelby County Chancery Court.

And efforts in the Tennessee Legislature to check a possible legal challenge of the state law that allows the suburban school districts specifically in Shelby County encountered some vocal non-Memphis resistance in the House Education Subcommittee.

62. Election Commission Says No To Municipal Schools Referenda - Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Shelby County Election Commission says requests to put referenda on the ballot May 10 to create municipal school districts are “procedurally defective.”

The unanimous voice vote by the commission Wednesday, March 21, sets the stage for a possible legal challenge of the decision by suburban leaders in Chancery Court.

63. School Board Petitions Held Up by District Squabble - Tuesday, January 24, 2012

After they went after each other in a big way last week, Shelby County Commission members had a private attorney-client meeting with their attorneys in the federal schools consolidation lawsuit of 2011.

64. Wacky Rules Complicate Race for GOP Delegates - Thursday, December 29, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Look out for some wacky results in the race for delegates in the Republican presidential primaries and caucuses. There might even be a state or two where the second-place candidate gets the most delegates, starting with Tuesday's caucuses in Iowa.

65. Jeter Joins Accounting Firm Cannon Wright Blount - Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Andrew Jeter has joined Cannon Wright Blount as director of assurance and accounting services.

66. Tenn. GOP Panel Rejects Call for Closed Primaries - Tuesday, April 19, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – The executive committee of the state Republican Party on Saturday voted down a proposal to require party registration to vote in Tennessee primaries.

The policy panel rejected the proposal sponsored by committee member Mark Winslow, a former executive director of the state GOP, on a voice vote.

67. GOP Panel to Weigh Tenn. Party Registration Plan - Friday, December 3, 2010

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The executive committee of the state Republican Party is expected to consider a proposal Saturday to require party registration to vote in Tennessee primaries.

Committee member Mark Winslow, a former executive director of the state party, said the proposal already has the support of 12 of the committee's 66 members.

68. Shelby County Court Filings See Sharp Dropoff From Q2 - Monday, October 18, 2010

Court filings in Circuit, Chancery and Probate Courts for the third quarter of 2010 were relatively unchanged from the same quarter of 2009 and down significantly from the second quarter of this year

69. Goldin Dismisses Election Challenge Suit - Friday, October 8, 2010

Shelby County Election Commission chairman Bill Giannini said he learned some things from the Chancery Court lawsuit challenging the results of the Aug. 5 election.

70. Beale Street Chaos - Friday, October 1, 2010

Four months after Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. announced the city was settling a Chancery Court fight over control of Beale Street with Performa Entertainment Real Estate Inc., Performa is in control of the daily business of the entertainment district.

71. Added Protection - Monday, September 27, 2010

Shelby County Commissioners wade into the continuing controversy over the Aug. 5 election results Monday with a resolution to change the standards for protection of whistle-blowers.

The County Commission meeting at the Vasco Smith County Administration Building, 160 N. Main St., begins at 1:30 p.m. An agenda is on page 10.

72. Ground Zero on Beale Closes - Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Ground Zero Blues Club on Beale Street has closed and faces an uncertain future.

The club is apparently the victim of a civil court battle over past due rent and ownership of the recently opened club in the building on the northeast corner of Beale and Hernando that was once Pat O’Brien’s.

73. Challengers Move Closer to Election Hearing - Friday, September 17, 2010

All sides in the legal dispute over the Aug. 5 election results will meet with Chancellor Arnold Goldin Friday to begin wading through a series of motions and ultimately a hearing on the dispute.

Ten candidates who lost in the Aug. 5 county general elections filed two lawsuits – one before the election results were certified and the other after they were certified. Both are before Goldin and are likely to be combined, a decision that is up to Goldin.

74. County Commission Settles in for Partisan Tenure - Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The new Shelby County Commission will settle down a bit as more time passes. But the 13-member body with six new members will probably remain more partisan than its predecessors of the last four years.

75. County Commission Off To Partisan, Lively Start - Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Shelby County Commissioners found plenty to debate during their first meeting as a body since six new commissioners took office Sept. 1.

Monday’s session saw the election of Democrat Sidney Chism as the chairman of the 13 member body for the next year.

76. GOP Urged Not to Overreach on Redistricting Plans - Thursday, September 9, 2010

NASHVILLE (AP) – Republicans were cautioned not to overreach on redistricting plans should they gain more solid control of the state Legislature in this year’s elections.

Memphis attorney John Ryder, chairman of the Republican National Committee’s redistricting committee, said Tuesday that straying from a fair redistricting plan could have both political and legal consequences.

77. Election Results Saga Not Over Yet - Monday, August 23, 2010

The Aug. 5 election results are certified. But the events of the coming week will determine whether that’s the final word on who won and who lost.

With the results approved by the Shelby County Election Commission, the local Democratic Party and several Democratic candidates who lost must decide if they want to go back to Chancery Court. They have five days to make a decision to file.

78. Charter Commission Dissolves, Awaits Election Day - Wednesday, August 11, 2010

The Metro Charter Commission goes out of business Wednesday.

Copies of the 49-page consolidation charter drafted by the group were delivered Tuesday as required by state law to the proper government clerks of Memphis, Shelby County and the six suburban municipalities.

79. Last-Minute Legal Opinion Changes Big Charter Provision - Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The Metro Charter Commission has approved a consolidation charter for voters on the Nov. 2 ballot, but the last day of work on the charter was anything but ceremonial. A last-minute legal opinion caused a rewrite of a major provision.

80. Last-Minute Legal Opinion Affects Big Provision of Proposed Charter - Monday, August 9, 2010

The Metro Charter Commission has approved a consolidation charter for voters on the Nov. 2 ballot, but the last day of work on the charter was anything but ceremonial. A last-minute legal opinion caused a rewrite of a major provision.

81. Controversy Remains Around City, Performa Settlement - Friday, July 9, 2010

Memphis City Council members critical of the Beale Street court settlement say the Wharton administration was too generous after the city publicly alleged Performa Entertainment founder John Elkington owed the city millions of dollars.

82. Performa Files Bankruptcy After Settlement - Wednesday, June 9, 2010

The same day a settlement was announced between the city of Memphis and Performa Entertainment, Performa filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, according to The Daily News Online (www.memphisdailynews.com).

83. City and Performa Settle Beale Street Lawsuit - Tuesday, June 8, 2010

The city of Memphis and Performa, the company that developed and manages Beale Street, have reached an out of court settlement of an 11 year old lawsuit over the cash flow from the entertainment district.

The settlement’s bottom line is a long talked about exit for Performa and the company's CEO John Elkington, the developer and manager of the district since in opened in October 1983.

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. announced the settlement Monday afternoon, the day before the matter is scheduled to go to trial before Special Chancellor Don Harris.

There was still no settlement as of late Monday afternoon with Beale Street Development Corporation, the third party in the lawsuit and the middleman between the city, which owns Beale Street, and Performa, which runs and developed Beale Street under a 52 year contract starting in 1982.

Performa is no longer the manager-developer of the district once its settlement with the city is signed which is expected to happen this week.

Elkington told The Daily News he is preparing for a 90 day wrap up of Performa's involvement. "If it takes 30 days -- fine," he added.

Wharton told reporters no money will be exchanged between Performa and the city of Memphis as part of the settlement.

But $420,000 in legal bills Elkington has from the dispute will be paid by the Beale Street Merchants Association in the form of rent credits the city will give to businesses on the street, according to Elkington.

Performa will also get any commissions due under the contract for collecting rent from the businesses on the street and common area maintenance (CAM) fees. 

The day to day finances of the street are already being handled by attorney John Ryder, a receiver appointed by Harris last year.

Wharton will appoint a group this week to advise his administration on ideas for future management of the district. Wharton said there would be “no limits” on the ideas and that the goal is a “business model that can be sustained.”

That could include a new management firm. Elkington had talked about letting business owners renting on the street buy their properties. Wharton said he was hesitant to be specific about options the group might present.

That included talks between the city and The Cordish Companies of Baltimore about a plan to run the district during Willie Herenton’s tenure as mayor. The effort was referred to in emails Performa’s attorneys got from the city during the discovery process of the lawsuit.

Whatever future direction the city might chart for the district, leases the businesses have would remain in effect until they expire or unless there is a willingness on all sides to talk new terms.

Because of the leases any new plan for managing the district is unlikely to have an immediate effect on the street as tourists and Memphians experience it on a daily and nightly basis.

The district is 98 percent leased with 38 businesses and offices by Elkington's count.

"No one can say it's not successful as I leave," he told The Daily News. "We've done the best we could. We got it done."

Wharton said the city owes Elkington "a debt of gratitude" despite the hard feelings on both sides from the last years of the legal dispute.

"Pioneers always get bloodied," Wharton said of Elkington.

84. Charter Commission to Examine Metro Mayoral Powers - Thursday, May 20, 2010

The Metro Charter Commission will take a second look at a civil service system for a proposed consolidated government Thursday.

The group drafting a proposed consolidation charter for the November ballot will also discuss what powers a metro mayor should have.

85. Rum Boogie At Heart of Beale’s Growth, Future - Tuesday, May 11, 2010

The oldest bar and restaurant on Beale Street marks its 25th anniversary in June with more of the same – live music.

The stage at Rum Boogie Café has featured live music seven nights a week since it opened on the northwestern corner of Third and Beale streets in 1985.

86. Beale Street Settlement Preferable, Wharton Says - Monday, March 1, 2010

For the third time in a year a Memphis mayor has said settling the legal dispute over Beale Street’s cash flow is a priority.

But there are still signs the dispute won’t be settled easily.

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. told the Memphis Rotary Club last week that he wants the Shelby County Chancery Court lawsuit settled this year.

87. Is 9th District Really Black? Maybe, Expert Says - Wednesday, February 10, 2010
 

One of the most hotly contested issues of the Democratic congressional primary race between Willie Herenton and Steve Cohen may be why the district lines are drawn the way they are.

The 9th Congressional District has been predominantly in Memphis for decades. In recent years it has grown to take in small parts of the suburbs. The lines could change again after the 2010 Census, when the Tennessee Legislature begins its usual reapportioning process.

Herenton and his supporters have repeatedly said the district’s borders were drawn to enhance the possibility of black representation in a congressional delegation that’s all white.

“I want you ... to help us to retrieve for our children what we lost in representation,” Herenton told a predominantly black crowd of 300 people Saturday at an East Memphis campaign rally.

To make the point even plainer, Herenton quoted radio talk show host and political blogger Thaddeus Matthews.

“Think about that. White folks, y’all got all 11. We just want one,” Herenton said to cheers from the crowd.

The legal concept and practice of drawing districts that reflect a majority black population, however, is not that simple. It’s rooted in the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Section II of the act requires that, in certain circumstances, districts be drawn to “give effect to the political preferences of the minority population.”

“This is actually a fairly technical area and it’s been the subject of a lot of litigation over the years, trying to interpret how Section II applies,” said attorney John Ryder.

Ryder is a Republican National Committeeman and chairman of the RNC’s redistricting committee. He is also the most experienced attorney locally of either party in the law and political effect of drawing district boundaries.

The clearest guideline for the creation of such a district is the 1986 Gingles case from North Carolina, which established three criteria or preconditions to create such a district:

• The minority population must be compact and contiguous.
• The minority population usually votes as a bloc.
• The white population usually votes as a bloc in such a way as to defeat the minority population’s candidate of choice.

Tennessee meets the first condition, Ryder said.

“The problem with the second two … conditions is that it’s hard to argue that the white majority votes in such a way as to defeat the preferred candidate of the minority population’s choice when we’ve elected Barack Obama as president,” he said, adding the 2006 U.S. Senate race in Tennessee in which Harold Ford Jr. got 49 percent of the vote in a statewide race won by Bob Corker.

“You just don’t see the kind of racial bloc voting that existed in 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was originally passed,” Ryder said.

The first black political leader to claim what is now the 9th District seat did so in the 1974 midterm congressional elections, in a district drawn with no overt racial considerations.

Harold Ford Sr. was a Democratic state representative at the time, seeking to unseat Dan Kuykendall, the white Republican congressman from Memphis in what was then the 8th Congressional District.

After the 1970 census, the majority Democrat Tennessee Legislature redrew congressional district lines to cede to Republicans seats in the majority GOP eastern end of the state, Ryder said. They also moved to create more Democratic districts in West Tennessee by splitting the Republicans outside Memphis between the 8th and 7th districts.

“As a result in 1972, those seats elected Republicans,” Ryder said. “They got a little too clever and overreached. What was then the 8th district was drawn to be a Democrat district, not necessarily a black district.”

Ford upset Kuykendall in the year of Watergate, when Republican incumbents were imperiled by the scandal and the tarnished presidency of Richard Nixon. Kuykendall also underestimated Ford, who held the seat for 22 years. His son, Harold Ford Jr., continued for another 10 years.

By then, black voters were considered the majority of registered voters in Memphis. The official numbers from the Shelby County Election Commission by themselves are less conclusive.

Voter registration statistics as of Jan. 31 show there are 412,433 voters in the city of Memphis. Of that number, 183,443 are black and 96,686 are white. Another 132,304 are listed as “other,” meaning they are of another racial group or did not indicate their race on voter registration forms.

The 2000 U.S Census puts the city’s population at 670,902 with 61.4 percent black and 34.4 percent white. Of the total population counted, 27.9 percent were younger than 18.

Ryder said the central question that was already present when Cohen was elected in 2006 and re-elected in 2008 is who is the preferred candidate of the black population.

“Steve Cohen has obviously been successful in obtaining votes from the black population. I think he can make a legitimate claim to be the preferred candidate of choice,” Ryder added. “What it means is the Voting Rights Act certainly led to the creation of a majority black district, and that means that the black population in the 9th District has the opportunity to elect its preferred candidate of choice. In our political system, all players are free to compete to become that preferred candidate.”

Herenton and those putting together his campaign strategy point out that Cohen won the Democratic primary the first time in a large field with numerous black contenders. In 2008, Nikki Tinker returned from that pack for a second try in a smaller field of four challengers. Cohen won easily and Tinker later expressed regret over a controversial campaign strategy that stressed race.

The message to black voters from Herenton’s camp is a tacit admission that Cohen was elected with black votes.

“It’s the only place in Tennessee that you can elect somebody that looks like you,” Shelby County Commissioner Sidney Chism said at Saturday’s rally. “We’ve got to clean up what we messed up. … You should want the same, and if you don’t, something’s wrong.”

88. Consolidation Task Forces Begin Work - Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The Metro Charter Commission will begin a series of task force meetings this week on the various issues a proposed consolidation charter should address.

The task forces, which are smaller groups of commissioners working with citizens not on the commission, will submit ideas to the full body for its consideration.

89. Harris Shelton Attorneys Honored in SuperLawyers - Thursday, December 17, 2009

Five attorneys from Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh PLLC have been selected for inclusion in the 2009 edition of Mid-South SuperLawyers, and four attorneys have been named Rising Stars.

90. Charter Commission Prepares for Nine-Month Mission - Friday, November 13, 2009

The 15 members of the Metro Charter Commission will need some time to get organized before they wade into the details of what a consolidated local government should look like.

The group met for the first time Tuesday in the “historic courtroom” of the Shelby County Courthouse, a third-floor courtroom restored to its original early 20th-century appearance including a rubber-tiled floor.

91. Three Memphis Firms Honored In 2010 Best Lawyers - Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Three Memphis law firms have attorneys who have been honored in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC had four attorneys from its Memphis office honored: Donna K. Fisher, Thomas L. Henderson, Charles V. Holmes and Frederick J. Lewis were named to the list as top lawyers in labor and employment law. All four previously have been recognized by Best Lawyers.

92. Why the Struggle to Control Beale Street Continues - Monday, June 1, 2009

Eight blocks lie between the Shelby County Courthouse and Beale Street.

The courthouse’s seated representations of wisdom, justice, liberty and authority look southward toward the entertainment district. Sometimes, if the wind is blowing in the right direction, you can hear the band in Handy Park from the courthouse steps.

93. Receiver Tapped To Oversee Beale Street Saga - Friday, April 24, 2009

The new receiver for the Beale Street Entertainment District will oversee an entity with shifting alliances, more than two sides to every story and thousands of pages of records involving hundreds of thousands of dollars.

94. Ryder Is Beale Street Receiver - Thursday, April 23, 2009
 

Attorney John Ryder has been appointed receiver for the Beale Street entertainment district.

Special Chancellor Don Harris appointed Ryder at the end of a day long hearing Wednesday on multiple motions in a lawsuit in which the city of Memphis is seeking access to records from Performa Entertainment, the manager of the district. The city is performing a forensic audit. In two other Beale Street lawsuits, Performa and the Beale Street Merchants Association claim the audit is a front to wrest control of the district from Performa.

The appointment of the receiver was moved by John Candy, attorney for the Beale Street Development Corporation, another party in the lawsuit and the middleman between the city of Memphis, which owns the district, and Performa, which manages the district.

Performa will continue to manage the street, but Ryder will pay the company its monthly 10.5 percent management fee as well as other percentages that are part of its contract. He will also make payroll for Performa employees working in the district. Harris specified that Performa employees in other cities or on other properties could not be paid with the rent collected from tenants.Performa will not be reimbursed for any prior expenses until they are reviewed by the court through the receiver. Any expenses effective with the court order appointing Ryder will be paid by Ryder. There will be no additional fees which is one of numerous issues in dispute in the lawsuit.

“Several months ago, I said I was dedicated to full discovery,” Harris, of Franklin, Tennessee said just before setting the terms for the receivership. Months later, not all of the documents had been turned over according to attorney for the city and the BSDC – a point Performa disputes.

“This is one of the things that concerns me most,” Harris said. “I have an obligation to protect not only the parties in the case, but the taxpayers of Memphis.”

Revenue beyond fees and expenses is supposed to go to the city through the BSDC.

Earlier in the hearing, Harris also granted a motion to bar Performa from paying its attorneys in the case with money earned through the contract it has with the BSDC to manage the district. The motion specifically bars Performa from expensing the legal fees against the gross rental income it gets from the district’s tenant.

“We do not intend to hobble the defense,” said Michael Fletcher, an attorney for the city. “We just do not believe we should finance the defense.”

Performa CEO John Elkington conferred with his attorney, Richard Carter, after Harris set out the terms for the receivership. Elkington attempted to address the court, but was denied by Harris.

“He’s had an opportunity,” Harris said. “He’s drug it out.”

Later, Elkington told The Daily News he welcomed the appointment of Ryder.

“We’re happy,” he said. “It will add some sanity to this situation. All we’ve done is made (Beale Street) a very successful place.”

Read more in Friday’s edition of The Daily News.

95. Receiver Appointed For Beale Street District - Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Attorney John Ryder has been appointed receiver for the Beale Street entertainment district.

Special Chancellor Don Harris appointed Ryder at the end of a day long hearing on multiple motions in a lawsuit in which the city of Memphis is seeking access to records from Performa Entertainment, the manager of the district. The city is performing a forensic audit. In two other Beale Street lawsuits, Performa and the Beale Street Merchants Association claim the audit is a front to wrest control of the district from Performa.

96. Influence 1 Foundation Names Hartsfield COO - Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Felicia Hartsfield has been named chief operating officer of Influence 1 Foundation.

Hartsfield will oversee the continued stability and growth of the foundation’s fiscal, strategic, organizational and operational functions. Her duties also will include building and maintaining relationships with community leaders, as well as creating collaborations, which will enhance the foundation’s strategic model.

97. Events - Monday, December 15, 2008

The Engineers’ Club of Memphis Inc. will hold its weekly meeting and lunch today at 11:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn–University of Memphis, 3700 Central Ave. Leighann Gipson, biologist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District, will present “The Lower Mississippi River Resource Assessment.” Cost is $14. No reservations are required.

98. Events - Friday, December 12, 2008

Amodeo Chiropractic Clinic will hold a vendor fair Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 161 U.S. 72 East in Collierville. Refreshments will be served and door prizes awarded. For more information, call 853-8270.

99. Events - Thursday, December 11, 2008

The Memphis Regional Chamber will hold its annual chairman’s luncheon today from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of The Peabody hotel, 149 Union Ave. Tom Schmitt, chairman of the Memphis Regional Chamber and president and CEO of FedEx Global Supply Chain, will be the keynote speaker. Special features will include speaker University of Memphis basketball coach John Calipari, a tribute to Isaac Hayes and live musical performances. Cost is $125 for members and $150 for prospective members. For reservations, contact Tunga Lee at 543-3571 or tlee@memphischamber.com.

100. UT Medical Group Names Martin VP of Corporate Compliance - Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Linda Martin has joined UT Medical Group Inc. as vice president of corporate compliance.