WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration de-escalated a confrontation with China on Wednesday, dropping plans to impose strict limits on Chinese investment in U.S. technology companies and instead urging Congress to strengthen existing laws that apply to all foreign countries.

2. Penny Mania - Saturday, May 19, 2018

Derek Jett was coming home from a business trip on the West Coast and making a connection at the airport in Dallas. It was football season, and because it was football season (and not basketball season), he was wearing his University of Memphis cap.

3. Tom Wolfe, Pioneering 'New Journalist,' Dead At 88 - Wednesday, May 16, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) – Tom Wolfe, the white-suited wizard of "New Journalism" who exuberantly chronicled American culture from the Merry Pranksters through the space race before turning his satiric wit to such novels as "The Bonfire of the Vanities" and "A Man in Full," has died. He was 88.

4. Hardaway's First Memphis Recruiting Class a Winner - Monday, April 23, 2018

The latest recruiting rankings from 247sports.com for the college basketball Class of 2018 has the University of Memphis ranked No. 27 and first among American Athletic Conference teams, 23 spots ahead of No. 50 Wichita State.

5. Candidates Lined Up for Four Open Judicial Seats on the August Ballot - Saturday, April 21, 2018

The Shelby County primary elections are in the early voting period and nearing the May 1 election day, but candidates in the August state and federal primaries are also campaigning. The August ballot includes four special elections for nonpartisan judicial positions – two Circuit Court judges, a Criminal Court judge and a General Sessions Criminal Court judge will be elected on the August ballot to fill vacancies in each of the divisions.

6. Trump, Abe to Meet Despite Strain Over North Korea, Tariffs - Wednesday, April 18, 2018

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Top Trump administration officials say that major concessions, including a possible exemption from steel and aluminum tariffs, could be on the table for Japan as President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meet in Florida to discuss trade issues and Trump's potential meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

7. Around Memphis: April 16, 2018 - Monday, April 16, 2018

The Daily News offers a weekly roundup of Memphis-related headlines from around the web, adding context and new perspectives to the original content we produce on a daily basis. Here are some recent stories worth checking out…

8. 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.

9. One Last Play? - Thursday, March 8, 2018

American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco was talking about the league being on an upswing, having three certain NCAA Tournament teams in regular season champion Cincinnati, and Wichita State and Houston. With the conference tournament then just a few days away – it starts on Thursday, March 8, in Orlando, Florida, – Aresco noted that the league could be even better if traditionally strong programs such as Memphis, Connecticut and Temple also took steps forward.

10. Distillers Struggle to Comply With Water Quality Regulations - Monday, January 29, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – As the whiskey industry continues to grow, Tennessee's two largest distilleries struggled to comply with water quality regulations last year.

Jack Daniels and George Dickel exceeded their limits for chlorine and other pollutants that can harm aquatic wildlife. After investigating the violations, the distilleries traced the problems to broken or inadequate machinery and faulty testing. State officials say the companies have fixed the problems and are now back in compliance.

11. Amid the Tumult, a Vol Legacy Finally Gets His Call - Friday, December 22, 2017

Jacob Warren got one of the best phone calls of his life a couple of weeks ago. The senior tight end at Farragut High School was relieved to hear what new Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt told him.

12. Events - Thursday, December 21, 2017

Starry Nights at Shelby Farms Park will be open nightly through Tuesday, Dec. 29 (including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). Drive through the annual holiday light display, then stop by Mistletoe Village to meet Santa, visit the Starry Petting Zoo, shop local artisans and more. Visit shelbyfarmspark.org for hours and tickets. 

13. Events - Wednesday, December 20, 2017

The Memphis Animal Services advisory board will hold a public meeting Wednesday, Dec. 20, from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave. The public is invited to attend to hear the latest MAS news and ask questions. Visit memphisanimalservices.com.

14. Events - Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Remington College will hold a 3 Lives Blood Drive and a campus open house Tuesday, Dec. 19, at its Memphis campus, 2710 Nonconnah Blvd. The blood drive (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.) is part of a national effort to recruit minority blood donors, with Remington Memphis’ donations going to Lifeblood. The open house (4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) gives prospective students the opportunity to tour labs, chat with instructors and see demonstrations from hands-on training porgrams. Visit remingtoncollege.edu.

15. The Week Ahead: December 18-24 - Monday, December 18, 2017

Good morning, Memphis! Winter officially begins this week, and Santa’s making one last pass on his naughty-or-nice list (though we know you’ve all been good this year). Check out a couple of ways you can give back – plus more fun happenings you need to know about – in The Week Ahead...

16. Events - Monday, December 18, 2017

Remington College holds a 3 Lives Blood Drive and campus open house Tuesday, Dec. 19, at its Memphis campus, 2710 Nonconnah Blvd. The blood drive (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.) is part of a national effort to recruit minority blood donors, with Remington Memphis’ donations going to Lifeblood. The open house (4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) gives prospective students the opportunity to tour labs, chat with instructors and see demonstrations from hands-on training programs. Visit remingtoncollege.edu.

17. Events - Tuesday, October 3, 2017

The Stax Music Academy will present Six Decades of Funk: Honoring the Bar-Kays Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, 926 E. McLemore Ave. The academy will perform several Bar-Kays hits to honor retiring lead singer Larry Dodson and original member James Alexander. Arrive early for a discussion with Dodson, Alexander and Stax Museum executive director Jeff Kollath. Cost is free. Visit staxmuseum.com.

18. Events - Monday, October 2, 2017

Novel will host Otis Sanford for a discussion and signing of “From Boss Crump to King Willie: How Race Changed Memphis Politics” Monday, Oct. 2, at 6 p.m. at the bookstore, 387 Perkins Road Extended. Visit novelmemphis.com.

19. Events - Saturday, September 30, 2017

The Junior League of Memphis will hold an Antiques on the Lawn Sale Saturday, Sept. 30, starting at 9 a.m. at the Community Resource Center, 3475 Central Ave. Items for sale include fine furniture, china, crystal, rugs, collectibles, artwork, cookware and more; all proceeds benefit JLM’s Repeat Boutique. Visit jlmemphis.org.

20. Stax Museum Plans Anniversary Events - Saturday, September 2, 2017

The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is planning to host a slate of concerts and education programs this fall to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Stax Records.

The museum will host three concerts that highlight the post-1968 catalog of Stax Records. On Sept. 21, Memphis’ Booker T. & the MGs tribute band, The MDs, will cover the entire “McLemore Avenue” album, which is patterned after the Beatles’ masterpiece “Abbey Road.”

21. Stax Museum Plans Anniversary Events - Tuesday, August 29, 2017

The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is planning to host a slate of concerts and education programs this fall to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Stax Records.

The museum will host three concerts that highlight the post-1968 catalog of Stax Records. On Sept. 21, Memphis’ Booker T. & the MGs tribute band, The MDs, will cover the entire “McLemore Avenue” album, which is patterned after the Beatles’ masterpiece “Abbey Road.”

22. HealthChoice Promotes Henning To Director of Population Health - Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Sarah Henning has been promoted to director of population health programs at HealthChoice. Henning previously served as manager of the department. In her new role, Henning is responsible for designing, implementing and managing population health and wellness initiatives and programs for the HealthChoice network.
She also collaborates with stakeholders to promote and support these programs and to ensure they meet the needs of the affected populations and adapt with the changing health care environment.

23. The Week Ahead: July 31-August 6 - Monday, July 31, 2017

Hello, Memphis! It's time to wave goodbye to July and hello to August, and there's plenty to keep you busy this week. Check out our top picks, plus more you need to know about in The Week Ahead...

24. Vols Need a Good Spring With So Many No. 1 Players Gone - Friday, March 17, 2017

Butch Jones is about to embark on his most crucial of five seasons as Tennessee’s football coach, and it begins with spring practices starting Tuesday, March 21.

Jones is coming off back-to-back 9-4 seasons capped by bowl wins, but has fallen short of the SEC East Division title both years. He was the preseason favorite to win the East in 2016, and the previous year had a team with potential to win the division.

25. Markel Crawford Finally Arrives In His Redshirt Junior Year - Friday, January 20, 2017

It’s a distinguished list of alumni that have gone from Melrose High School to play basketball at the University of Memphis: William Bedford, Larry Finch, Ronnie Robinson and Adonis Thomas. And yes, Markel Crawford planned to uphold that legacy.

26. Final Goodbye: Roll Call of Some of Those Who Died in 2016 - Monday, January 2, 2017

Death claimed transcendent political figures in 2016, including Cuba's revolutionary leader and Thailand's longtime king, but also took away royals of a different sort: kings of pop music, from Prince and David Bowie to George Michael.

27. Wyatt Aiken, Accomplished Memphis Commercial Real Estate Broker, Dies - Saturday, November 19, 2016

Widely known and highly respected Memphis commercial real estate broker Wyatt Aiken died Friday morning after an extended illness.

Aiken was executive vice president/CEO of Cushman Wakefield-Commercial Advisors. Among his many professional achievements, Aiken served as president of the SIOR (Society of Industrial and Office Realtors) Memphis Chapter in 2007-2008.

28. Speaker Ramsey, Retired Gen. Luck Named to University Boards - Wednesday, October 12, 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Gov. Bill Haslam on Tuesday named state Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey and retired Army Gen. Gary Luck to newly independent university boards.

29. Last Word: After The Fire, Hard Changes at Fred's and Durham Doesn't Go Quietly - Wednesday, September 14, 2016

The immediate questions have simple answers. It was a short in an air conditioner cord that caused the fire that killed 9 people – three adults and six children – before dawn Monday morning in South Memphis.

30. What Would It Take for Trump to Lose Tennessee Voters? - Thursday, August 11, 2016

Murfreesboro Realtor Larry Sims almost closes his ears when Donald Trump speaks.

“He gets out of bounds. Of course, the press, they love it because they get to exploit his sayings and doings,” says Sims, who traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, as a Trump delegate for the Republican National Convention. 

31. Joerger and Grizzlies Both had the Itch - Monday, May 9, 2016

If Dave Joerger and the Memphis Grizzlies had been a married couple, they would have been those unsettled spouses forever undercutting each other in dinner party conversations, rolling their eyes, and smiling fake “we really do love each other smiles” while checking out all the other guests.

32. Butch Jones Builds for Championship Run With Staff Tweaks - Friday, January 22, 2016

Tennessee football coach Butch Jones got serious about taking the next step with his football program not long after his team’s 45-6 victory over Northwestern in the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl.

Jones fired defensive coordinator John Jancek on Jan. 6, and three days later hired his top candidate for the opening, Bob Shoop of Penn State.

33. Summer Avenue Nightclub Closed As Nuisance - Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Just before the start of the Memorial Day weekend, authorities closed a Summer Avenue nightclub as a public nuisance.

The James Lounge Club, 3172 Summer Ave., was closed Thursday, May 21, under terms of a temporary injunction signed by General Sessions Environmental Court Judge Larry Potter.

34. Fundraising and Basketball, Part 1 - Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Part one of a two-part series. Recent columns have focused on questions for employers to ask prospective fundraising employees and questions for interviewees to ask their interviewers. Our goal: to help all parties understand the critical role of fundraising professionals and what it takes for them to be successful.

35. St. Jude Adds Chair of Radiation Oncology - Monday, March 23, 2015

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has a new chair for its Department of Radiation Oncology, a key position at a time when the hospital has increasingly taken steps to bolster its radiation therapy programs.

36. Williams Says Mayoral Bid Based On Change - Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Saying there is a pulse in the city for change, Memphis Police Association President Mike Williams announced Monday, Feb. 23, he will run for Memphis mayor in the October city elections.

37. Fairgrounds TDZ Agreement Getting Closer - Thursday, January 22, 2015

The deal to win Shelby County government’s backing of Memphis Mayor A C Wharton’s plan for a Fairgrounds Tourism Development Zone is getting more complex.

The latest version outlined Tuesday, Jan. 20, at City Hall still includes a city guarantee to make up any sales tax revenue that would normally go to fund local public schools that might be lost to financing the reconfiguration of the Fairgrounds.

38. Council Approves Schools Deal, Appoints Boyd - Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Two weeks after they ignored a proposed $43.1 million settlement of the six-year old schools funding legal standoff, Memphis City Council members Tuesday, Jan. 20, approved a $41.8 million settlement with Shelby County Schools.

39. Court Order Details Spread of Violent Gang - Friday, December 12, 2014

Fourteen years ago, a group of eight teenagers who lived on Burnham Street in Frayser tried to join the Vice Lords street gang and were rejected.

They became the FAM Mob street gang.

And according to a petition filed in Shelby County Environmental Court this week by the Multi-Agency Gang Unit to secure the city’s two latest no-gang zones, the rejection fueled violence that gang unit officers say have been a large part of the gang since its founding.

40. Latest No-Gang Zones Target FAM Mob - Thursday, December 11, 2014

Two Frayser apartment complexes are the latest no-gang safety zones in Memphis under court orders the district attorney general’s office sought from Shelby County Environmental Court.

The Ridgecrest Apartments on Rangeline Road and the Greenbriar Apartments on Dellwood Avenue are areas where members of the FAM Mob gang named in the court order signed by Judge Larry Potter are specifically prohibited from gathering together in public for any reason.

41. Spillyards Leads Community Advisors Launch - Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Greg Spillyards has joined the brokerage team at Cushman & Wakefield/Commercial Advisors to launch the firm’s Community Advisors service line.

Community Advisors is focused on the Memphis city core, with a goal to provide real estate advisory services to assist in the revitalization of the city’s underserved areas with passion, creativity and entrepreneurship, and with service to those already living and leading in their neighborhoods.

42. Lang Brings One-Man Show to Orpheum - Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Hollywood star Stephen Lang is a familiar presence on the silver screen, most famous for his roles in movies like “Avatar,” in which he plays Colonel Quaritch, and “Tombstone,” which includes his turn as Ike Clanton.

43. The American Athletic Conference - Saturday, November 15, 2014

Coming in the Door: East Carolina, Tulane and Tulsa. Going out the Door: Louisville and Rutgers.

New faces on the sideline: Orlando Antigua (South Florida), Frank Haith (Tulsa), Kelvin Sampson (Houston)

44. Events - Saturday, October 25, 2014

RiverArtsFest 2014 will be held Friday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Oct. 26, in the South Main Historic Arts District. The festival will feature a juried artist market, 50 musical acts, food courts, interactive art stations and more. Admission is free on Friday and $5 on Saturday and Sunday. Visit riverartsmemphis.org for hours and more information.

45. HopeWorks Starts Series Aimed at Fighting Poverty - Saturday, October 18, 2014

HopeWorks is initiating a new educational series that aims to educate and equip community members actively seeking to join in the fight against poverty.

The “Understanding Poverty” series will feature a variety of guest speakers who are specially trained in particular levels of poverty and will lend advice on developing individual worth and becoming financially independent.

46. HopeWorks Starts Series Aimed at Fighting Poverty - Monday, October 13, 2014

HopeWorks is initiating a new educational series that aims to educate and equip community members actively seeking to join in the fight against poverty.

The “Understanding Poverty” series will feature a variety of guest speakers who are trained in particular levels of poverty and will lend advice on developing individual worth and becoming financially independent. The first HopeWorks UP session, which is free and open to the public, will feature Larry James, president and CEO of CitySquare in Dallas, Oct. 26 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at White Station Church of Christ, 1106 Colonial Road.

47. No Gang Zone Targets Legends Park Area - Wednesday, October 8, 2014

In June a group of 100 gang members lined both sides of Mosby Avenue between Dunlap and Ayers Streets, shutting down the area, as they celebrated the birthday of a fellow gang member, according to the local Multi-Agency Gang Unit.

48. Memphis Bar Judicial Poll Released - Tuesday, July 1, 2014

The Memphis Bar Association poll of attorneys on the judicial races on the Aug. 7 ballot shows 16 percent to as high as 38 percent of the attorneys participating have no opinion in many of the judicial races.

49. ‘Pop’ at Top of His Game One More Time - Friday, June 20, 2014

Numbers rarely lie, and in Gregg Popovich’s case they finally piled up in a way too compelling to ignore.

Five NBA titles spread over 15 years is a dynasty, even – maybe especially – in this era of short attention spans. It’s long past time Popovich got the credit he deserves.

50. Tech Giants Seek to Halt Overseas Snooping by US - Tuesday, June 17, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) – Microsoft Corp. and four other large American technology companies are using a Manhattan court case to draw a line in the cloud, saying the U.S. government has no right to seize computer data stored outside the country.

51. NBA Fuels Fans’ Suspicion of Game Fixing - Friday, May 9, 2014

Just so there is no misunderstanding, let me answer this question first:

Do I believe NBA Playoff games are actually fixed?

No, I do not. I don’t think that Commissioner Adam Silver now, or David Stern before him, is sitting in the rafters of NBA arenas and pulling strings that make puppets, er, officials, blow whistles when someone deigns to breathe on LeBron James or Kevin Durant.

52. Harris Files Ford Challenge at Deadline - Thursday, April 3, 2014

Memphis City Council member Lee Harris is challenging Democratic state Sen. Ophelia Ford in the August primary for District 29, the Senate seat held by a member of the Ford family since 1975.

53. High School Hoops Tourney Coming to FedExForum - Saturday, February 8, 2014

Some of the best high school basketball teams from Shelby County will compete at FedExForum for bragging rights in the SCIAA Fever Basketball Tournament Sunday, Feb. 9.

Formerly known as the MIAA City Championships, 2014 will mark the inaugural SCIAA Fever tournament, a winner-take-all style tournament dating back to the 1960s. Past stars of the MIAA City Championships include Memphis’ own Larry Finch, Larry Spicer, John Gunn, James Bradley, Andre Turner, Todd Day, Cedric Henderson, Penny Hardaway and Elliot Perry.

54. High School Hoops Tourney Coming to FedExForum - Monday, February 3, 2014

Some of the best high school basketball teams from Shelby County will compete at FedExForum for bragging rights in the SCIAA Fever Basketball Tournament Sunday, Feb. 9.

Formerly known as the MIAA City Championships, 2014 will mark the inaugural SCIAA Fever tournament, a winner-take-all style tournament dating back to the 1960s.

55. Combined Net Worth of America's Richest Rises - Tuesday, September 17, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – Life is good for America's super wealthy.

Forbes on Monday released its annual list of the top 400 richest Americans. While most of the top names and rankings didn't change from a year ago, the majority of the elite club's members saw their fortunes grow over the past year, helped by strong stock and real estate markets.

56. Director Says He Wants to Grow Mississippi Film Industry - Wednesday, September 4, 2013

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Director Tate Taylor says he wants to make his native Mississippi a place where people can build careers with steady work in the movie business.

He filmed "The Help" in the state in 2010 and announced Aug. 26 that he will make a feature film about the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, with the intention of shooting "every frame" in Mississippi.

57. Change of Scenery - Saturday, July 20, 2013

After spending years or decades in their current form, longtime staples of the local real estate scene are about to disappear or undergo major changes that will forever alter the city’s built landscape.

58. Brimhall Named Bartlett Entrepreneur of Year - Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Terry Brimhall, founder and president of Brimhall Foods Co. Inc., has been named entrepreneur of the year by the Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce.

59. Bioventus Inks Deal for 40,000 Square Feet - Thursday, November 22, 2012

A Durham, N.C.-based biologics company is relocating its Memphis presence, signifying a boon to the Northeast office submarket.

Bioventus LLC has inked 38,880 square feet of office and manufacturing space in Goodlett Farms Business Campus, 1900 Charles Bryan Road, in Cordova.

60. Obama Carries Shelby, Cohen Over Flinn and Two Tax Hikes Defeated - Wednesday, November 7, 2012

President Barack Obama carried Shelby County in unofficial Nov. 6 election returns as his Republican challenger Mitt Romney took the state’s 11 electoral votes.

Voter turnout in the most popular election cycle among Shelby County voters was 61.9 percent, about the same percentage as four years ago. But the 371,256 voters is fewer than 2008 when more than 400,000 Shelby County voters cast ballots. The percentage is about the same because there are fewer registered voters in Shelby County than there were four years ago after a purge by election officials.

61. Commission Approves Bartlett Senior Facility - Wednesday, November 7, 2012

If an expansion of an assisted-living facility at Baylor and Brunswick roads stays on schedule with votes next month by the Memphis City Council, the planned development should win final approval less than a month before the area it is in is annexed by the city of Bartlett.

62. Housing, Voting, Power: Problems Abound Post-Sandy - Wednesday, November 7, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – From trying to figure out where people would live to how they would be able to vote and when all the lights will finally come on, government officials are still facing multiple fronts in the efforts to recover from Superstorm Sandy. All that, and there's another storm coming.

63. Work Pushes Ahead on Madison Ave. Building - Wednesday, June 6, 2012

The process of shoring up a wall shared by a Downtown building on Madison Avenue and another on Court Avenue began this week even as the owner of the building on Court Square sought an injunction Monday, June 4, to stop the work.

64. City Hopes to Reopen Madison Avenue by Fall - Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The wall shared by two Downtown buildings will be stabilized before one of the structures is demolished by the city of Memphis.

Part of the roof at 118 Madison Ave. collapsed in March 2011 and since then part of Madison Avenue, including the sidewalk, has been blocked by barriers to protect the public.

65. Ask Yourself What Would Goethe Do? - Monday, May 28, 2012

If you take the time to read about the German writer, artist, biologist, physicist, and all-around highly productive guy Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, you will find that he accomplished quite a bit during his 80-plus years on the planet Earth. And since he lived in the late 1700s and early 1800s, he did it all without a cell phone, iPad, Bluetooth, spell check or any of our modern technological conveniences and so-called necessities.

66. Building Owner Moves for Demolition Delay - Friday, May 25, 2012

The owner of a building on the south side of Court Square on Thursday, May 24, in Environmental Court moved for a delay in the demolition of an adjoining building at 118 Madison Ave.

67. Civil Rights Icon Smith Donates Papers to Library - Friday, May 18, 2012

Maxine Smith pointed out that the wheelchair she used to enter the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library was borrowed – and she also made a point of walking from the doorway of the Memphis and Shelby County Room at the library to her seat in the room.

68. Revolving Door: Yahoo Ushers Out Another CEO - Tuesday, May 15, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Yahoo still has credibility issues, even after casting aside CEO Scott Thompson because his official biography included a college degree that he never received.

69. Building Owner’s Lawyer Disputes Delay Claims - Friday, May 11, 2012

The attorney for the owners of the building at 118 Madison Ave. facing demolition said Wednesday, May 9, his client is waiting on a city plan for the demolition and is not intentionally trying to delay a resolution that would bring down the barricades blocking a sidewalk and part of the street.

70. Vandy Proves That Winning Is Possible - Friday, December 30, 2011

Hope has come to town in the form of the Vanderbilt football team and its first-year head coach James Franklin.

Vanderbilt, where the academic requirements are a bit steeper than at the University of Memphis. Vanderbilt, where competition in the SEC is a tad tougher than in Conference USA. Vanderbilt, often called the hardest college football coaching job in America.

71. Appraisal Institute Installs Officers - Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Memphis chapter of the Appraisal Institute held its annual officer installation Dec. 8, during its holiday celebration at the historic Daisy Theatre Downtown. The organization’s 2010 National President Leslie Sellers conducted the ceremony.

72. Deadline Looms For Candidates In March Primaries - Thursday, December 8, 2011

There is the paperwork and there are the deadlines in politics. And then there are the campaigns that begin long before the paperwork or deadlines.

One group of candidates in the 2012 election cycle is approaching its first deadline Thursday, Dec. 8, at noon – the filing deadline for the March 6 county primaries.

73. Chism Vying With Jackson for Court Clerk - Thursday, December 1, 2011

With one week to the filing deadline, the race for General Sessions Court Clerk is the busiest of the four races to be decided next year in the March 6 county primaries and the Aug. 2 general elections.

74. Chism Vying With Jackson for GS Court Clerk - Wednesday, November 30, 2011

With one week to the filing deadline, the race for General Sessions Court Clerk is the busiest of the four races to be decided next year in the March 6 county primaries and the Aug. 2 general elections.

75. Peppers Joins Lifeblood To Grow Donor Base - Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Jeanie Peppers has joined Lifeblood as senior donor relations account manager.

Hometown: Drummonds, Tenn.

76. New Eateries Coming to Midtown - Friday, July 15, 2011

Midtown has a reputation for one of Memphis’ most eclectic areas, adorned with vintage houses, international cuisine and funky entertainment venues.

In the coming weeks, it will broaden its portfolio even more with three Memphis eateries: Gigi’s Cupcakes, The Slider Inn and a yet-to-be named concept in Cooper-Young.

77. Inaugural Seminar to Focus on CRE Issues - Thursday, February 3, 2011

Despite commercial real estate’s doldrums, local brokers are seeing signs of resurgence.

Commercial real estate investments – such as malls, office buildings and industrial properties – reached $316 billion nationwide in 2010, according to Thomas Reuters. That represented a 50 percent jump from an eight-year low in 2009 of $209 billion.

78. House Democrats Reject Tax Plan Without Changes - Friday, December 10, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Democrats voted Thursday to reject President Barack Obama's tax deal with Republicans in its current form, but it was unclear how significantly the package might need to be changed.

79. TSA: Some Gov't Officials to Skip Airport Security - Friday, November 26, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – Cabinet secretaries, top congressional leaders and an exclusive group of senior U.S. officials are exempt from toughened new airport screening procedures when they fly commercially with government-approved federal security details.

80. Oldham Fills Top Sheriff's Positions - Monday, October 4, 2010

Shelby County Sheriff Bill Oldham has named William S. Cash as his chief deputy and Robert L. Moore as interim director of the Shelby County Jail.

81. Judge Disallows Videotaped Confession in Slayings - Wednesday, July 7, 2010

MEMPHIS (AP) — A judge in the case of a Memphis man accused of killing six people will not allow a videotaped confession that aired on the crime reality show "First 48" to be used at trial.

82. Economic Fair Focuses on Inner City - Monday, June 28, 2010

The Mid-South Minority Business Council’s third annual Economic Development Fair begins Monday with three days of seminars and networking events at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

More than 220 exhibitors are taking part. This year the fair focuses on how corporations and economic development agencies are working to bring opportunities to businesses located in inner-city neighborhoods, said Luke Yancy III, executive director of the MMBC.

83. Springdale Fights Back - Monday, June 21, 2010

In the mile of Springdale Street between Chelsea and Jackson avenues there are five churches. That’s not counting the churches on side streets.

On Eldridge Avenue, one of those side streets, between two tiny churches is a pair of identical small houses – both boarded up.

The one closest to the corner has faded blue spray paint stenciled across the plywood.

In inner-city Memphis, the stenciling is as familiar as gang graffiti. It’s the mark of the Memphis Police Department’s Blue CRUSH campaign.

Five years into the crackdown guided by a devotion to crime statistics, crime is down in Memphis.

But the statistical drop in crime has come with lingering questions and concerns in Springdale and other neighborhoods with Blue CRUSH houses.

“Once we board them up, we really have to depend on the community to let us know if drug dealers have broken back into them,” Shelby County District Attorney General Bill Gibbons said. “If we don’t know about it, sometimes drug dealers can get right back in there.”

In the neighborhoods, homeowners lament that street level dealers are easily replaced and soon released from jail to resume their place in the neighborhoods – now with a criminal record that makes a move away from drug dealing even more unlikely.

Last year, a team from Memphis that included a police officer, a state prosecutor, a federal prosecutor, a University of Memphis researcher, the head of the Memphis Leadership Foundation and the pastor of one of those five churches along Springdale went to several cities to get training in a new anti-drug strategy.

“We were really interested in changing people’s lives, not locking them up,” Springdale Baptist Pastor Derrick Hughes told The Memphis News. Hughes wasn’t sure at first if he would be part of the Drug Market Intervention (DMI) program.

“It sounded as if possibly it was just another program that was going to possibly just put criminals in jail without rehabilitation,” he said. “And I wanted to make sure that if we were going to be a part of something that it was going to look at rehabilitating the person, changing lives, changing them from a holistic point of view as well as a spiritual point of view.”

Gibbons said some of his prosecutors and some police brass also had their doubts as they looked for an area to test out DMI Memphis style.

“It was based primarily on looking at crime patterns and in particular drug activity in that area,” he told The Memphis News. There was plenty of open drug dealing in the Springdale area.

Drug Market Intervention is picking several street level drug dealers in a community, confronting them with the evidence against them and telling them they have one more chance to get out of the business. The police are involved in making a decision not to prosecute a few as they target dozens of others in an area.

Others on the team are community leaders from the neighborhood. And some are with proven programs to provide job training and other help in getting a legitimate job.

High Point, N.C., was the first stop for the Memphis group because it is the birthplace of DMI. It seems an unlikely example for Memphis with a population of fewer than 100,000. But in 2003, High Point had several open air drug markets. The city’s new police chief, James Fealy, attacked them using what became the DMI strategy.

David Kennedy, director of the Center for Crime Control and Prevention at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, replicated DMI in other cities with money from the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance. The BJA funded the training of the Memphis team and came here.

Kennedy’s philosophy is specific to open air drug markets. It doesn’t pretend to eliminate all drug dealing.

“Open air drug markets are found primarily in our cities and in African-American neighborhoods,” Kennedy wrote in a 2008 article for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Journal. “Although we are loathe to admit it, this issue is soaked in race.”

Kennedy said police complained to him that the families of the drug dealers and others in the surrounding communities knew they were selling drugs, did nothing to stop it and profited from it.

But Kennedy said those living in the communities countered that police were only interested in locking up as many people as they could as part of a conspiracy to destroy the community.

Kennedy said each side had a point and each side was wrong.

“The crime is real and overwhelmingly the arrests are legitimate. But we are destroying the village in order to save it,” he wrote. “And none of this gets rid of the crime. The drug markets and violence continue to exist.”

Kennedy didn’t try to tackle the long-standing racial issues and their lengthy back story. The conversations that formed the basis for the DMI strategy were about drug markets.

It was hard for some on the Memphis team to believe that hardened drug dealers would respond when the threat of arrest, prison time, drive-by shootings and gang turf tripwires hadn’t discouraged them from the life.

Nevertheless, when they returned to Memphis, the planning began for several months of undercover drug buys in the Springdale area by the police Organized Crime Unit. For months, the officers bought repeatedly from dozens of street dealers in a two-mile radius of Springdale. And they recorded the drug buys on video – not just one buy but multiple buys.

Prosecutors reviewed the cases against more than 60 men and women and prosecuted 51 of them. Five were indicted on federal drug charges. Six others – five men and a woman – were the first candidates for the Memphis DMI program.

“It was taking a look at individuals who obviously were involved in drug trafficking, but a little more on the periphery – not an extensive drug record,” Gibbons said.

A few days after New Year’s Day, police descended on the Springdale area serving the arrest warrants and putting up a fresh crop of plywood with blue stenciling on the drug houses in the area. The neighborhood grapevine buzzed anew about the heavy police presence.

It was still buzzing when on the coldest day of the year – Jan. 8 – the Memphis group knocked on six doors in the Springdale area. The temperature never got near freezing and was in single digits part of the day.

No one inside the six houses knew they were coming. No one approaching the doorsteps knew what the reaction inside would be.

It was the first indication the six people involved and inside those homes had that they had sold drugs to undercover Memphis police officers and had been recorded on video making multiple drug sales to the officers.

The father of one of the six was among those who had been arrested.

When the DMI team knocked on his door, his grandmother answered.

“He did not want his grandmother to know why we were standing at the door,” Peggie Russell, the DMI coordinator and a University of Memphis researcher and community resource specialist, said. “He said, ‘It’s OK grandmother.’”

Howard Eddings, president of the Memphis Leadership Foundation, said the young man didn’t deny he was a drug dealer.

“He wanted to basically shut the door,” Eddings told The Memphis News. “She might not have known exactly what he was doing. She was an older lady. He didn’t like the fact that we were knocking on her door.”

He and the other five got a letter asking them to come to Springdale Baptist Church a few days later. If they came, the letter from Police Director Larry Godwin said they would not be prosecuted this time.

For Hughes the pledge was crucial. He wanted to be able to say, “I give you my word, you will not be arrested,” with certainty and conviction.

Five of the six showed up at Hughes’ church where the congregation and other community leaders were waiting in the sanctuary. On the walls were posters of the 51 defendants who weren’t getting the chance they were about to get. The posters included the possible prison sentences those defendants faced.

The five “guests” sat in a reserved front row with a friend or family member.

Their faces blurred in a video of the event, they listened as Assistant District Attorney Amy Weirich told them, “We’ve had it,” and called their names individually. “The Memphis Police Department is tired of picking up dead bodies in the street.”

Russell remembers some denying they had done anything wrong. Then police showed the video.

They watched video of themselves selling drugs numerous times to undercover police officers.

The woman’s denials stopped.

“She got caught during the first time. I don’t necessarily know that we believed it was the first time,” Eddings remembered. “But she was so embarrassed as a mom who had small kids who was put in the spotlight. … All of her junk is coming to the forefront.”

Russell said some of the others were telling those who came with them that they had no idea why they were summoned to the church.

“You’re sitting there and you’re telling your family member, ‘No, I didn’t do it,’” Russell said. “Then the tape started rolling … and you see yourself. It’s reality. You can’t hide it. I think that was a turning point for most of them.”

Hughes told the group of five that the church cared about them and was willing to help.

Some of his congregants spoke up too.

“Our congregants said, ‘Listen, we’re tired of watching you sell drugs. We’re tired of being afraid of coming in and out of our communities. We want our community back,’” Hughes recalled. “During the call in, some of our residents had an opportunity to look in their faces and say, ‘We are tired of the way you’ve been running down our communities. This used to be a wonderful community where people had pride, where people had hope. … Now a lot of us are afraid.’”

After the tough talk and the confrontation came a commitment to work with the five DMI candidates. Eddings emphasized there are no guarantees.

“We were careful not to promise them that we were going to get them jobs or that even if we could get them a job that it was going to pay them something comparable to what they were making on the street,” he said. ”We said the opposite. We can’t do that at all. But one thing we do know for sure. If you stop doing what you’re doing, you don’t go to jail.”

Russell, who gets much of the credit for pushing to give DMI a try and has become the program’s de facto coordinator, described the response as “something totally new.”

“It’s not about those five,” she said. “They are supposed to stay out of trouble for two years to make the necessary transition in their lives. But it’s really about the Hollywood Springdale community, changing the response of the community to open air drug sales.”

Eddings was surprised by the response.

“Most of these guys’ mamas know what they’re doing. But to know now that other mamas and other grandparents and other church leaders and the community have their eye on you, it has a different motivation,” he said. “Some of these guys are hardened. They’ve been doing it for a while and they’ve been out there on the streets. So, not much embarrasses them. But I could tell by looking at them and even some of the denials.”

The Memphis Leadership Foundation already works with convicted felons trying to make the difficult transition after prison. There are even fewer guarantees for those with a substantial prison record.

Marcus, who didn’t want his last name used, vented about how hard it’s been to find a legitimate job since he did prison time in 2006 for felony drug dealing.

“It’s not like people want to sell drugs,” he began. “On a lot of applications they are saying they don’t discriminate. They’re lying. … They’re ready to end the session right then. They might tear up the application in your face.”

If drug dealers like him bring blight to areas like Springdale and violence and a hard life for law-abiding citizens, Marcus said society has responded with its own brand of hardness.

“They ain’t reaching out anymore,” he said. “They expect for the world to be better because we’re building more jails. We’re putting more cops out. If somebody killed me today – the person who killed me, they want to put him in jail. But why put him in jail when y’all treating this man he killed like he’s a nobody anyway.”

Eddings said with criminal records or without, street level drug dealers have problems as they get older because they have no legitimate work history. He started to say there aren’t transferable skills before thinking about it.

“Actually, some of the skills do transfer. They’ve just got to get access,” he said. “It’s really a reshaping, a little bit more recognition that they need to deal with in terms of how they see themselves and how they can use those skills that they utilize on the streets to do something positive and pursue a legitimate way of life.”

The young man Eddings is working with seems not to have hit the wall that Marcus is at yet.

“He is simply trying to figure out how to put one foot in front of the other. They go from having some source of income to having no source of income,” Eddings told The Memphis News. “We’re convincing him now that getting his GED ought to be a decision that he ought to make. He’s been a little slow in that.”

Hughes said he would get the occasional dope boy showing up at his church before DMI.

“Very rarely. I did hear one or two stragglers you come across who say, ‘Yes, I do want to change.’ Often times, it’s usually because of a pending trial or they are in trouble,” he said. “Since that time, we’ve had a lot of people coming, wanting to change their lives.”

Gibbons is reviewing some neighborhoods where DMI might go next but he’s not saying where because of the undercover police work involved. He wants to see it replicated based on lessons learned in Memphis and he hopes to get a federal grant to hire a full-time coordinator.

The sixth man given a chance in the DMI program didn’t come to the church and was prosecuted. He pleaded guilty to five counts of selling drugs and was sentenced to four years in prison and fined $10,000. But the sentence was suspended and he was put on a diversion program.

Weirich recalled Criminal Court Judge John Fowlkes asking the man why he didn’t respond. He told Fowlkes, “It sounded too good to be true.”

84. Ford Name Plays Into Election Victory - Thursday, May 6, 2010

It didn’t work for Myron Lowery in last year’s special election for Memphis mayor.

But Joe Ford won the Democratic nomination for Shelby County mayor this week by running from the office.

85. Ford Wins Democratic Mayoral Primary - Wednesday, May 5, 2010
 

Interim County Mayor Joe Ford became the Democratic nominee for mayor in the August county general elections Tuesday night.

And the August sheriff’s race will be a contest between Democrat Randy Wade and Republican Randy Wade.

All three were among the winners in Tuesday’s low turnout county primaries.

Approximately ten percent of Shelby County’s nearly 600,000 voters cast ballots in early voting and election day polling.

Ford, who was appointed interim mayor in December, beat County Commissioner Deidre Malone and General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson in the Democratic primary. He will face Republican Mark Luttrell who had only token opposition in the Republican primary from perennial contender Ernie Lunati.

Luttrell has raised more money than all three of the Democratic primary contenders combined and began running television ads in the last week runup to election day.

The final unofficial totals in the Democratic mayoral primary are:

Ford 20,360 57%

Malone 12,916 37%

Jackson 2,168 6%

The pair of primaries for Sheriff featured eight candidates, seven of whom either currently work for the sheriff’s department or are past employees. Only Reginald French, in the Democratic primary was not a former or current department official.

Wade was the 2002 Democratic nominee, losing to Luttrell who is leaving as Sheriff after serving two terms. French was the Democratic nominee in the 2006 elections.

Oldham is Luttrell’s chief deputy, the number two position in the department. He is also a former director of the Memphis Police Department.

The final unofficials totals in the Republican primary are:

Bill Oldham 13,821 48%

Dale Lane 7,981 28%

Bobby Simmons 5,886 21%

James Coleman 943 3%

In the Democratic primary:

Randy Wade 22,643 67%

Reginald French 6,777 20%

Larry Hill 2,738 8%

Bennie Cobb 1,814 5%

Voters in the primary elections decided to return six Shelby County commissioners to new four year terms with Tuesday’s results. They also elected six new commissioners. The winner of the thirteenth commission seat will be decided on the August general election ballot in a contest between district 5 Democratic incumbent Steve Mulroy and Republican challenger Dr. Rolando Toyos. The winner of the match up will determine whether the commission remains majority Democrat or goes majority Republican.

Mulroy easily defeated Jennings Bernard in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

Republican incumbent Mike Ritz ran unopposed as did new Democratic commissioner Walter Bailey.

In the remaining ten contests, the primaries decided who gets the seats since no one ran in the opposing party’s primary.

The most hotly contested contest among the commission races was for District 4 Position 1. Outgoing Probate Court Clerk Chris Thomas beat John Pellicciotti, appointed to a commission seat last year but running for a different position in the same district. Jim Bomprezzi, the former mayor of Lakeland, was the third contender in the contest.

The final unofficial totals in the Republican primary:

Thomas 7,631 52%

Pellicciotti 4,871 33%

Bomprezzi 2,298 15%

In position 2 of the same district incumbent Republican Wyatt Bunker easily overcame two challengers with former Lakeland alderman John Wilkerson finishing second and Ron Fittes finishing third.

Millington businessman Terry Roland claimed the third position in the district that takes in all six of Shelby County’s suburban towns and cities.

Roland beat George Chism to take the seat Pellicciotti was appointed to but opted not to run for in deference to Roland.

Heidi Shafer, an aide to outgoing County Commissioner George Flinn, claimed Flinn’s District 1 Position 2 seat over Albert Maduska.in the GOP primary.

District 1 incumbent Republican Mike Carpenter easily beat businessman Joe Baier.

In the Democratic commission primaries, Melvin Burgess claimed Malone’s District 2 Position 3 seat in a field of six contenders. His closest contender was Reginald Milton. Burgess, a city school system audit manager, had run for the seat before. He brought in 54 percent of the vote.

The other hard fought Democratic commission primary saw Justin Ford, son of the interim mayor, claim his father’s District 3 Position 3 seat.

Ford beat Edith Moore, a retired IBM executive, whom the commission appointed to the seat after the elder Ford became mayor.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Ford 7,342 66%

Moore 3,822 34%

Democratic incumbent commissioners Henri Brooks, Sidney Chism and James Harvey were all re-elected over primary challengers.

The county-wide primaries for seven clerk’s positions saw the return of former Criminal Court Clerk Minerva Johnican 16 years after Republican challenger Bill Key took her job. Johnican decisively beat Ralph White and Vernon Johnson in her first bid for office since the 1994 defeat. She will face Republican Kevin Key, the son of Bill Key in the August general election.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Johnican 16,381 51%

White 10,170 31%

Johnson 5,954 18%

Former Juvenile Court Clerk Shep Wilbun easily won the Democratic primary with 76 percent of the vote to face Republican Joy Touliatos in August for the office being vacated by Republican Steve Stamson. Touliatos was unopposed in the primary.

Democrat Coleman Thompson is back for another go at incumbent Republican Register Tom Leatherwood.

Aside from Leatherwood, Jimmy Moore is the only other of the seven clerks seeking re-election. Moore ran unopposed in the GOP primary. He will face Democrat Ricky Dixon in August.

Trustee Regina Newman was appointed to her office following the death last year of Paul Mattila. Newman easily overcame M LaTroy Williams in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. She will face David Lenoir, who beat former Shelby County Commissioner John Willingham in the Republican contest.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Lenoir 15,922 58%

Willingham 11,569 42%

The other six candidate field on the ballot was in the Democratic primary for Probate Court Clerk. Sondra Becton posted impressive vote totals over her rivals, bringing in 35 percent of the vote with Peggy Dobbins her closest rival. Becton, who is making her fourth bid for the office, will face Republican Paul Boyd, who ran unopposed in his primary.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Becton 10,929 36%

Dobbins 5,366 18%

Annita Hamilton 4,848 16%

Clay Perry 3,549 12%

Danny Kail 3,120 11%

Karen Tyler 2,782 9%

The closest contest of the evening was in the Democratic primary for County Clerk. Wrestling promoter and television personality Corey Maclin won his political debut by less than 1,400 votes over Charlotte Draper and LaKeith Miller. He will face Republican Wayne Mashburn who beat Steve Moore in the companion primary.

Early voting in advance of the Aug. 5 election day begins July 16. The August ballot will also feature state and federal primary elections including the statewide primaries for governor and the primaries for all nine of the state’s Congressional districts.

86. Sheriff's Race Attracts Hard-Boiled Veterans - Monday, April 19, 2010

Most of the Democratic and Republican candidates for Shelby County sheriff gathered last month in the office of outgoing Sheriff Mark Luttrell.

87. Unsung Heroes - Monday, April 19, 2010

It’s often said that Memphis takes its musical talent for granted.

That certainly wasn’t true Thursday night at Studio on the Square, where an overflow crowd celebrated the Bar-Kays, the Stax back-up band and funkmasters who’ve survived tragedy and setbacks during their 40-year career.

88. Candidate Filing List -- The Final Version - Friday, February 19, 2010

Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell appeared on his way to the Republican nomination for Shelby County mayor at Thursday’s noon filing deadline for candidates on the May 4 primary ballot.

89. UPDATE: Mayor's Race Grows At Filing Deadline - Thursday, February 18, 2010

Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell appeared on his way to the Republican nomination for Shelby County mayor at Thursday’s noon filing deadline for candidates on the May 4 primary ballot.

Luttrell faces only token opposition from perennial candidate Ernie Lunati.

Meanwhile, the Democratic primary for mayor grew to three contenders as General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson filed his qualifying petition just before the deadline. He joins interim County Mayor Joe Ford and Shelby County Commissioner Deidre Malone.

Luttrell ruled out a bid for Shelby County mayor last year (2009). But when Harold Byrd decided not to run in the Democratic primary, some local GOP leaders asked Luttrell to reconsider.

The result touched off a scramble of candidates from both parties for the open sheriff’s office. But before the noon deadline, the initial field of over a dozen possible contenders was narrowed to ten – six Democrats and four Republicans.

The other surprise at the filing deadline was the return of attorney Walter Bailey to the District 2 Position 1 seat he gave up in the 2006 elections. Bailey sought re-election then to another term despite a two term limit on commissioners. Bailey lost to J.W. Gibson who decided not to seek re-election. He also lost a court fight to overturn the term limits.

Bailey was the only candidate who had filed for the seat at the Thursday deadline.

Only one incumbent county commissioner – Republican Mike Ritz -- was effectively re-elected at the deadline because he had no opposition.

All but one of the eleven contested County Commission races will be decided with the May 4 primaries. The only general election battle for the August ballot is the district 5 contest between GOP challenger Dr. Rolando Toyos and whoever wins the May Democratic primary between incumbent Steve Mulroy and Jennings Bernard.

Former County Commissioner John Willingham also returned to the ballot among a field of Republican contenders in the primary for Shelby County Trustee.

And former Criminal Court Clerk Minerva Johnican joined the Democratic primary field for her old job. Incumbent Republican Bill Key pulled petition to seek re-election but did not file at the deadline.

Here is the list of races and contenders from The Shelby County Election Commission. All candidate have until noon Feb. 25 to withdraw from the ballot if they wish.

D-Democrat

R- Republican

I- Independent

Shelby County Mayor:

Deidre Malone (D)

Joe Ford (D)

Otis Jackson (D)

Mark Luttrell (R)

Ernest Lunati (R)

Leo Awgowhat (I)

Shelby County Sheriff:

James Coleman (R)

Bobby Simmons (R)

Bill Oldham (R)

Dale Lane (R)

Larry Hill (D)

Bennie Cobb (D)

Randy Wade (D)

James Bolden (D)

Elton Hymon (D)

Reginald French (D)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 1

Mike Ritz (R) (incumbent)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 2

Albert Maduska (R)

Heidi Shafer (R)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 3

Mike Carpenter (R) (incumbent)

Joe Baire (R)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 1

Walter Bailey (D)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 2

Henri Brooks (D) (incumbent)

David Vinciarelli (D)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 3

Eric Dunn (D)

Norma Lester (D)

Tina Dickerson (D)

Melvin Burgess (D)

Reginald Milton (D)

Freddie Thomas (D)

County Commission Dist 3 Pos 1

James Harvey (D) (incumbent)

James Catchings (D)

County Commission Dist. 3 Pos 2

Sidney Chism (D) (incumbent)

Andrew "Rome" Withers (D)

County Commission Dist. 3 Pos 3

Edith Moore  (D) (incumbent)

Justin Ford (D)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 1

Chris Thomas (R)

John Pellicciotti (R)

Jim Bomprezzi (R)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 2

Wyatt Bunker (R) (incumbent)

John Wilkerson (R)

Ron Fittes (R)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 3

Terry Roland (R)

George Chism (R)

Edgar Babian (R)

County Commission Dist 5

Steve Mulroy (D) (incumbent)

Jennings Bernard (D)

Rolando Toyos (R)

Shelby County Clerk

Charlotte Draper (D)

Corey Maclin (D)

LaKeith Miller (D)

Wayne Mashburn (R)

Steve Moore (R)

Criminal Court Clerk

Vernon Johnson (D)

Minerva Johnican (D)

Ralph White (D)

Michael Porter (R)

Kevin Key (R)

Jerry Stamson (I)

Circuit Court Clerk

Jimmy Moore (R) (incumbent)

Steven Webster (D)

Carmichael Johnson (D)

Ricky W. Dixon (D)

Juvenile Court Clerk

Joy Touliatos (R)

Charles Marshall (D)

Sylvester Bradley (D)

Shep Wilbun (D)

Julia Roberson Wiseman (I)

Probate Court Clerk

Paul Boyd (R)

Sondra Becton (D)

Danny Kail (D)

Annita Sawyer Hamilton (D)

Peggy Dobbins (D)

Clay Perry (D)

Karen Tyler (D)

Shelby County Register

Tom Leatherwood (R) (incumbent)

Coleman Thompson (D)

Lady J. Swift (D)

Carlton Orange (D)

Shelby County Trustee

Regina Newman (D) (incumbent)

M. LaTroy Williams (D)

John Willingham (R)

Jeff Jacobs (R)

David Lenoir (R)

90. Events - Thursday, February 11, 2010

The Memphis Business Xchange will hold a networking luncheon today from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bonefish Grill, 1250 N. Germantown Parkway. Cost is $30 in advance and $35 on site. To register, visit www.networktn.com.

91. Commissioners to Fill Commission, Legislature Vacancies - Monday, January 11, 2010

Shelby County Commissioners will begin the new year with some familiar chores.

Today’s meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. at the County Administration Building.

It includes the appointment of a new commissioner for District 4 Position 3. And the commission will appoint an interim state representative for District 85.

92. 2009 Year In Review - Monday, December 28, 2009

2009 was a year without a script – and plenty of improvising on the political stage.

It was supposed to be an off-election year except in Arlington and Lakeland.

2008 ended with voters in the city and county approving a series of changes to the charters of Memphis and Shelby County governments. Those changes were supposed to set a new direction for both entities, kicking into high gear in 2010 and ultimately culminating two years later.

93. County Commission To Fill Vacancy - Monday, December 7, 2009

Shelby County Commissioners will fill one vacancy today and make plans to fill another one.

On today’s agenda is the appointment of a new commissioner to fill the eight months left in the term of office of County Commissioner Joe Ford.

94. UTHSC College of Medicine Names Smith Interim Dean - Wednesday, October 21, 2009

J. Lacey Smith has been named interim dean for the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Smith currently serves as the associate dean of clinical affairs for the College of Medicine and the chief medical officer and executive vice president for UT Medical Group Inc.

95. Police Director Larry Godwin - Monday, October 5, 2009

As the contenders for Memphis mayor have been on the road this month, another campaign has been under way.

Memphis Police Director Larry Godwin has been making the case for the signature strategy of his five years as top cop – Blue CRUSH.

96. A River Runs Through Us: Memphis’ once and future connection with the Wolf - Monday, September 7, 2009

A cottonmouth slithers through the marsh. A wolf spider clings to a cypress tree. A white heron soars above the bottomland forest.

Paddle a canoe down the Ghost River section of the Wolf River in Fayette County and you’ll travel through multiple, distinct ecosystems teeming with wildlife. But while animal sightings convey the true spirit of the Wolf, only one creature – the elusive “river rat” – can verbalize why this river and its wetland corridor are so important.

97. Events - Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Talk Shoppe will present “How to Buy Bank-Owned Real Estate Foreclosures” today from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South, 3693 Tyndale Drive. For more information, call Jo Garner at 482-0354.

98. Events - Tuesday, September 1, 2009

The Memphis Rotary Club will meet today at noon at the University Club of Memphis, 1346 Central Ave. Dr. James Eason, a transplant surgeon, will speak. Lunch is $18 per person and reservations are required. For reservations, e-mail Taylor Hughes at taylor@memphisrotary.org.

99. Four Memphis Police Officers Face Sex Charges - Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Authorities say four Memphis police officers have been indicted on sex charges.

The state prosecutor’s office said Monday that the charges filed by a Shelby County grand jury stem from an undercover drug and prostitution investigation.

100. 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.