A pair of shoes are set aflame with a cigarette lighter, captured on video and shared widely online to protest a political statement made by the manufacturer.

The New Balance shoes were burned by their owners two years ago after a spokeswoman indicated the company's support for President Donald Trump's trade policies.

2. Memphis Sports Hall of Fame Will Be One-of-a-Kind - Friday, July 27, 2018

To get an idea of what the future Memphis Sports Hall of Fame might look like, you can travel Interstate 40, stop in at Bridgestone Arena on Broadway in downtown Nashville, and see the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. But you can also go just around the corner, to 421 S. Main St., and visit the Blues Hall of Fame.

3. Building Heritage - Saturday, April 28, 2018

The basement of the Universal Life Insurance building, a Memphis landmark at Danny Thomas Boulevard and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, is still defined by the intersection of overhead ventilation shafts and pipes.

4. Duran Arrest Highlights Uncertain Immigration Nexus - Monday, April 9, 2018

Nine people were arrested by Memphis Police last week during MLK50 protests. One of those arrests has focused new attention on the nexus between federal immigration policies and local law enforcement.

5. Activist Lawson Presented Honorary Humanities Degree from Rhodes - Monday, April 9, 2018

Rhodes College on April 5 awarded longtime civil rights activist Rev. James Lawson an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.

6. Strickland Jeered Over Duran Arrest During MLK50 Event - Saturday, April 7, 2018

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland was jeered Saturday, April 7, and called a “coward” and “liar” at a rally as part of a “Cathedral to City Hall” MLK50 event outside City Hall.

7. MLK 50 Years Later - Saturday, March 31, 2018

Bernard Lafayette remembers being in Memphis April 3, 1968, and a dejected Martin Luther King Jr. being roused from his room at the Lorraine Motel to speak at Mason Temple on a rainy night.

8. Members of Congress Lay Wreath at Site of King Assassination - Monday, March 5, 2018

MEMPHIS – About a dozen Democrats and Republicans prayed and sang "Amazing Grace" during a solemn ceremony Friday at the site where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated nearly 50 years ago, marking the start of a three-day congressional "pilgrimage" to sites with ties to the civil rights era in the South.

9. The Metrics Mayor - Saturday, February 10, 2018

At times in the last two years, political supporters of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland have been worried. They agree with what got him elected, his “brilliant at the basics” philosophy that makes basic services and fundamental play-it-safe financial strategies the priority at City Hall.

10. Hidden King - Friday, February 9, 2018

The LeMoyne-Owen College concert choir reprised the song Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. requested 50 years ago in one of his last conversations just before he was killed on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel.

11. Civil Rights Song 'We Shall Overcome' Part of Public Domain - Thursday, February 1, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome," which has been quoted by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and was made popular by folk singer Pete Seeger, has been declared a part of public domain.

12. Events - Tuesday, January 30, 2018

The Shelby County Office of Resilience will gather public input on the creation of the Mid-South Regional Resilience Plan at three workshops: Tuesday, Jan. 30, at Memphis Leadership Foundation, 1548 Poplar Ave.; Wednesday, Jan. 31, at the Baker Community Center, 7942 Church St. in Millington; and Thursday, Feb. 1, at the Southaven Public Library, 8554 Northwest Drive. All meetings run from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Workshops offer an opportunity for residents to share their opinions on the best strategies to mitigate effects of and manage recovery efforts for future weather-related incidents. Learn more at resilientshelby.com.

13. Events - Saturday, January 27, 2018

Novel will host Wintrell Pittman, author of the “Children of the World” book series, for a discussion and book signing Saturday, Jan. 27, at 2 p.m. at 387 Perkins Road Extended. The 12-book series uses crayon characters to teach children basic morals and values while enhancing reading and comprehension skills. Visit novelmemphis.com.

14. Weekend Monuments Protests, Response Suggest Shift - Monday, January 8, 2018

Memphis Branch NAACP president Deidre Malone may have had the most concise description of what has changed since the city’s two most visible Confederate monuments came down Dec. 20.

“What we want happened. The monuments are down,” Malone said Friday, Jan. 5, as the NAACP and other groups called on Memphians to ignore plans for protests in the city the next day by groups opposed to the removal of the monuments.

15. Attorney, Former Political Activist Lewis Donelson Dies at 100 - Thursday, January 4, 2018

In a century of life that began in Memphis, Lewis Donelson was many things including an attorney, politician and strategist. In all of those pursuits and others, he was one of the city’s most influential citizens and a force in some of the most historic moments in the city’s history as well as the state’s history.

16. Final Goodbye: Roll Call of Some Who Died in 2017 - Monday, January 1, 2018

They made music that inspired legions of fans. Rock 'n' roll founding fathers Chuck Berry and Fats Domino, rockers Tom Petty and Gregg Allman, grunge icon Chris Cornell, country superstar Glen Campbell and jazz great Al Jarreau were among the notable figures who died in 2017, leaving a void in virtually every genre of music.

17. Mayor’s Critics Have Their Own Plans for Strike Anniversary - Wednesday, December 13, 2017

When the 1968 sanitation workers strike ended in April 1968, Cleophus Smith didn’t feel like the formal city recognition and a minimal pay raise he and other sanitation workers had gained was something to be celebrated.

18. New Memphis Promotes Dakin to Pilot ‘Launch’ Initiative - Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Frankie Dakin has been promoted to director of strategic initiatives at New Memphis, a role in which he’ll pilot the organization’s new Launch: Campus to Career program. The initiative, which builds on New Memphis’ Summer Experience, connects college students with professional opportunities and networks to inspire them to launch careers in Memphis. Dakin will lead the program, encouraging area students to find and prepare for internships with local employers.

19. Rev. Jesse Jackson Discloses Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis - Monday, November 20, 2017

CHICAGO (AP) – The Rev. Jesse Jackson disclosed publicly Friday that he has been seeking outpatient care for two years for Parkinson's disease and plans to "dedicate" himself to physical therapy to slow the progress of the disease.

20. Comedian, Telethon Host Jerry Lewis Dies at 91 - Monday, August 21, 2017

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Jerry Lewis, the manic, rubber-faced showman who jumped and hollered to fame in a lucrative partnership with Dean Martin, settled down to become a self-conscious screen auteur and found an even greater following as the tireless, teary host of the annual muscular dystrophy telethons, has died. He was 91.

21. The Week Ahead: Aug. 14-20 - Monday, August 14, 2017

Hello, Memphis! School was the big opening last week, but this week it’s the majestic Crosstown Concourse, the 1.5 million-square-foot tower on Cleveland Street at North Parkway. It is hosting a six-hour extravaganza of tours, music, food and the arts. Check out the details, plus more Elvis Week events and other need-to-know happenings in The Week Ahead...

22. Kelly, Legacy Teammates Ready for Final Season With Vols - Friday, August 11, 2017

Todd Kelly Jr. can’t believe it’s his last hoorah. The senior safety from Webb School of Knoxville enters his final season at Tennessee with thoughts of how it all started in fall of 2014.

23. Saturday Legal Aid Clinic To Celebrate 10 Years - Saturday, July 8, 2017

A ceremony and reception will be held Saturday, July 8, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2nd Saturday Legal Aid Clinic, or 2SLAC, serving the Memphis community.

The event will be from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave.

24. Spring Lessons: Here’s Who Vols Will Start - Friday, April 28, 2017

Tennessee football coach Butch Jones isn’t big on naming starters and divulging depth charts. Not until he has to. So it comes as no surprise the Vols enter summer workouts and fall camp with junior Quinten Dormady and redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano still competing for the starting quarterback’s job.

25. Who Will Grab the Spotlight in Vols' Spring Game? - Friday, April 21, 2017

Tennessee completes its fifth spring practice under head coach Butch Jones on Saturday, April 22, at 4 p.m. with the DISH Orange & White Game at Neyland Stadium.

It’s merely the beginning as the Vols prepare for the 2017 season.

26. March 24-30, 2017: This week in Memphis history - Saturday, March 25, 2017

2012: Guilty verdicts in the federal court trials of Clinton Lewis and Martin Lewis, the only two members of the Craig Petties drug organization to go to trial in the largest drug and racketeering case ever brought in Memphis federal court. Each is convicted of multiple drug conspiracy, racketeering and murder-for-hire charges and sentenced to life in prison.
The Lewises are relatively low-ranking members of a multistate drug organization whose center is the Riverside neighborhood of South Memphis. They are assigned to kill rival drug dealers and those within the organization suspected of cooperating with authorities. The trial testimony paints a vivid picture of the larger organization and its disintegration.
Petties, along with his childhood friends, builds an organization that deals directly with the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico, importing tons of cocaine and marijuana into the city via truck trailers and sending millions of dollars in drug money back to Mexico. Petties flees to Mexico in 2002 after police discover him in a house with 600 pounds of marijuana. It puts Petties and his organization on the radar of federal drug agents. Petties runs the drug organization from exile for six years before he is captured in Mexico and returned to the U.S. as the cartel splinters violently.
A year before the trial, Petties pleads guilty to federal charges in a sealed court hearing and is later sentenced to multiple life sentences. His attorneys argue that Petties did offer some cooperation short of testifying. But prosecutors say he never provided any significant information they didn’t already know and that he feared for his life if he cooperated in any significant way.

27. 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.

28. Dobbs Had a Great Run, But Manning is Still No. 1 - Friday, January 6, 2017

Tennessee senior Joshua Dobbs has created a quarterback controversy. Dobbs finished his college career Dec. 30 when UT beat Nebraska 38-24 in the Music City Bowl in Nashville. He accounted for 409 total yards – 291 passing and 118 yards rushing – and was chosen the game’s MVP.

29. What Lies Ahead for UT Athletics in 2017 - Friday, December 30, 2016

Hey Vols fans, Happy New Year. May your 2017 year in Tennessee sports be better than your 2016 year in Tennessee sports. Perhaps, a fresh start is what we all need. Let’s face it. The Music City Bowl wasn’t where Tennessee wanted the 2016 football season to end. The Vols were picked to win the SEC East Division in preseason and floundered to an 8-4 record in the regular season, 4-4 in the SEC. Their football season was about the norm for most UT sports in 2016: average. Here are some dates to mark in hope of better things ahead in 2017...

30. Last Word: New Rhodes President, Billy Hyman and the Fast Track - Tuesday, December 13, 2016

The biggest political betting pool of the post-election season ends Tuesday as President elect Donald Trump said Monday by Twitter that he would name his nominee for Secretary of State Tuesday morning.

31. Eric Clapton Sued by Musician's Estate Over Iconic Song - Monday, October 31, 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The heirs of a Mississippi blues musician claim rock guitarist Eric Clapton gave a songwriting credit to the wrong artist.

A lawsuit filed in Nashville federal court says Eric Clapton attributed the song "Alberta" to Huddie Ledbetter – better known as Lead Belly – in the 2013 re-release of Clapton's "Unplugged" album, when the credit should have gone to Bo Carter, The Tennessean reported (http://tnne.ws/2e3xcEY).

32. Vols Get Midterm B Despite Back-to-Back Losses - Friday, October 21, 2016

Tennessee’s football team is spending this week’s open date trying to get healthy after a rugged four-game stretch of SEC football in which they defeated Florida and Georgia and lost to Texas A&M and Alabama.

33. Could This Be the Year the Crimson Tide Rolls Out With a Loss at Tennessee? - Friday, October 14, 2016

Tennessee defensive end LaTroy Lewis was raised in Akron, Ohio, and recalls a special Saturday of football each fall when he was a youth: Ohio State vs. Michigan.

“That’s what I was taught my whole life,” Lewis says, “and then I got down here in the South, and it was kind of like: ‘Is there any other game beside Tennessee and Alabama?’”

34. The Week Ahead: June 6-12 - Monday, June 6, 2016

Time to get this week started, Memphis! There’s plenty to keep you busy in this week’s roundup of need-to-know happenings, from the 50th anniversary of a seminal civil rights moment to a blast from the '80s-movie past...

35. Harvey Joins Family Safety Center - Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Mia Harvey has joined the Family Safety Center as community outreach specialist, a newly created position. In that role, she recruits and trains volunteers, and organizes outreach and other special events that create greater visibility for the center. She also develops presentations on domestic violence, showcasing the many Family Safety Center programs that serve victims and their families.

36. Events - Monday, January 18, 2016

National Civil Rights Museum will host King Day 2016 on Monday, Jan. 18, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the museum, 450 Mulberry St. This year’s theme is “Speaking Truth to Power,” and activities will include family entertainment, youth-centered learning, Mid-South Food Bank and Lifeblood drives, and more. Admission is $5 for all ages, $3 with food bank donation, or free with blood donation. Visit civilrightsmuseum.org.

37. Events - Saturday, January 16, 2016

National Civil Rights Museum will host King Day 2016 on Monday, Jan. 18, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the museum, 450 Mulberry St. Activities will include family entertainment, youth-centered learning, Mid-South Food Bank and Lifeblood drives, and more. Admission is $5 for all ages, $3 with food bank donation, or free with blood donation. Visit civilrightsmuseum.org.

38. Events - Friday, January 15, 2016

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis will host the 14th annual Valero Memphis Refinery Tool Box Bash on Friday, Jan. 15, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Memphis Botanic Garden, 750 Cherry Road. The event will include live and silent auctions, whiskey tasting, live music and more. Tickets are $60 at toolboxbash.com or 901-322-3532.

39. Northwestern Defense Tough, But Give Edge to UT - Saturday, December 26, 2015

There’s nothing like spending the Christmas holidays in Florida, and Tennessee’s football team will savor every minute of it for the second consecutive year.

The Vols (8-4) board a flight Saturday morning to Tampa, Fla., where they will spend almost a week before the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl against Northwestern (10-2).

40. Despite Personnel Losses, UT’s Defense Should Be Much-Improved - Saturday, August 29, 2015

John Jancek begins his third season as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator under head coach Butch Jones, and thanks to two solid recruiting classes should have his best defense with the Vols.

UT is bigger and faster on the defensive side than the previous two seasons, when the Vols showed improvement from the 2012 season by shaving more than 100 yards and 11 points per game allowed.

41. Events - Wednesday, May 27, 2015

B.I.G. for Memphis, a business interest group that connects Memphis Police colonels and business leaders, will meet Wednesday, May 27, from 9:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Phelps Security, 4932 Park Ave. Laura Vaughn of the American Red Cross will discuss emergency preparedness. RSVP to bigformemphis@phelpssecurity.com or 901-365-9728.

42. Events - Monday, May 25, 2015

Memphis Botanic Garden will continue the 2015 Vine to Wine tasting series with “Ooh, La La! French Wines” Tuesday, May 26, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at MBG, 750 Cherry Road. Each event features eight wines or cocktails and light hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $25 for members or $35 for nonmembers. Visit memphisbotanicgarden.com.

43. LeMoyne-Owen Leadership Search Down to Two - Saturday, May 16, 2015

A search committee looking for the next president of LeMoyne-Owen College has recommended two finalists to succeed outgoing president Johnnie B. Watson.

The finalists being considered by the board of Memphis’ historically black college are Russ Wigginton, vice president of external programs at Rhodes College and Andrea Lewis Miller, chancellor of Baton Rouge Community College.

44. Creative Works Conference to Return in October - Tuesday, May 12, 2015

As a result of last year’s quick sellout, a three-day conference for Memphis’ creative community is returning later this year, this time in a larger space.

The second Creative Works design conference will take place Oct. 1-3, and this year it’s moving from Downtown’s Visible Music School to Central Station. It’s the brainchild of Josh Horton, principal and founder at Memphis-based creative firm Hieroglyph, and tickets go on sale June 1.

45. LeMoyne-Owen Leadership Search Down to Two Finalists - Monday, May 11, 2015

A search committee looking for the next president of LeMoyne-Owen College has recommended two finalists to succeed outgoing president Johnnie B. Watson.

The finalists being considered by the board of Memphis’ historically black college are Russ Wigginton, vice president of external programs at Rhodes College and Andrea Lewis Miller, chancellor of Baton Rouge Community College.

46. Donelson Honored With Carnival’s Highest Award - Thursday, May 7, 2015

Nearly 500 law industry leaders filled the Hilton Memphis ballroom for Carnival Memphis’ annual Business & Industry Salute luncheon as part of its 84th anniversary celebration.

King of Carnival John Bobango, chief manager of Farris Bobango PLC, gave honors to four individuals, five locally headquartered law firms, the largest corporate law department in Tennessee and two nonprofit organizations that are vital to the legal industry.

47. Carnival Memphis Set to Honor Legal Heavyweights at Salute Luncheon - Friday, May 1, 2015

Carnival Memphis will bring together leaders in the Mid-South legal industry for its Business and Industry Salute on May 5.

The event, which is part of the celebration of the nonprofit’s 84th anniversary, will honor eight organizations vital to the law industry in the Mid-South and four individuals for their contributions to the community.

48. Kelly, Berry Battle for Safety Spot in Legacy Showdown - Saturday, April 25, 2015

Todd Kelly Jr. concludes his first spring practice with Tennessee’s football team this week in a heated competition for a safety job.

49. Sweet Potato Baby Cooks Up Awards - Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Aryen Moore-Alston, executive chef and owner of Sweet Potato Baby, recently received two honors for the boutique catering and baked-goods company she opened in Memphis last year.

Sweet Potato Baby was named a winner of the American Small Business Championship by SCORE, a national organization that mentors entrepreneurs and small-business owners. It was also named to the Greater Memphis Chamber’s “10 to Watch” in 2015 list, which recognized companies and organizations that stood out in 2014 for their leadership in the community.

50. Events - Monday, January 19, 2015

The Daily News offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Offices will reopen Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 8:30 a.m.

51. Vols Take Plenty of Momentum Into Offseason - Saturday, January 10, 2015

KNOXVILLE – There’s nothing like going into the offseason on a high note. The Vols will be riding the momentum from the resounding 45-28 victory against Iowa in the Jan. 2 TaxSlayer Bowl through the end of recruiting season, winter workouts, spring practices and into the summer months.

52. Lewis Funeral Home Honored With Marker - Tuesday, July 29, 2014

The R.S. Lewis and Sons Funeral Home at 374 Vance Ave. has a historical marker to note the 100th anniversary of one of the city’s longest-running African-American owned businesses.

53. 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.

54. Appellate Judge Appointed to Tennessee Supreme Court - Monday, April 7, 2014

NASHVILLE (AP) – Republican Gov. Bill Haslam on Thursday named Criminal Appeals Judge Jeff Bivins to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Tennessee Supreme Court bench.

Bivins, 53, will replace Justice Bill Koch, who is retiring in July to become dean of the Nashville School of Law.

55. 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.

56. ‘History Has Changed’ - Friday, March 21, 2014

The headquarters for Freedom Summer is still being set up and nearby the stage is almost ready for the March on Washington.

The almost-finished exhibit on the black power movement includes an interactive media table that is as bold as the moments and cultural history it offers.

57. Van Vliet Takes on Roles at UT Medical, The MED - Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Dr. Michael M. Van Vliet has joined the department of plastic surgery at UT Medical Group, has been named assistant professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and has been appointed director of burn critical care for the Firefighters Regional Burn Center at The Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

58. Sesley-Baymon Named CEO of Memphis Urban League - Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Tonja Sesley-Baymon has been appointed president and CEO of the Memphis Urban League by its board of directors. Sesley-Baymon, who has worked with the league for eight years, previously served as programs director for the 70-year-old organization. In her new role, she will provide executive leadership to the league and advocate on behalf of social justice and economic issues affecting Memphis.

59. Petties Case Reveals Dark Details - Monday, August 12, 2013

One of the last loose ends in the largest drug case ever brought in Memphis federal court was rounded up last week, with a 15-year prison sentence for a childhood friend of drug kingpin Craig Petties.

60. Petties Associate Draws 15-Year Prison Term - Friday, August 9, 2013

Chris Hamlet didn’t have to spend five years in a Mexican prison.

Federal drug agents in Memphis were interested in a prisoner swap with Mexican authorities to get the childhood friend of Memphis drug kingpin Craig Petties to and across the border.

61. Lewis Gets Life Sentence in Petties Drug Case - Monday, June 17, 2013

Martin Lewis, convicted last year of killing a man in 2007 for the Craig Petties drug organization in a busy restaurant, was sentenced Friday, June 14, to life in prison.

62. Lewis Gets Life in Petties Case - Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Clinton Lewis was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday, May 14, for his role in the multi-state drug organization headed by Craig Petties.

63. Then and Now - Saturday, April 6, 2013

Jay Bailey pictured marching bands and floats when his mother told him he was going on a march.

“We thought of it as a parade,” said Bailey, who was 6 years old in March 1968. “We thought of it as something fun.”

64. Defendant Gets 12 Years in Petties Drug Case - Monday, March 25, 2013

A contract killer for the Craig Petties drug organization who never carried out his job got a 12-year, five-month prison sentence Thursday, March 21, from U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee Judge Samuel “Hardy” Mays.

65. Prosecutors Weigh Cooperation Against Murder - Tuesday, February 12, 2013

For a second time, prosecutors in the largest drug case ever brought into Memphis federal court have decided not to recommend a reduction in the sentence of a high-ranking member of the Craig Petties drug organization who cooperated to some extent.

66. Petties Case: Vaughn Gets 36.5 Year Prison Sentence - Saturday, February 9, 2013

Vacha Vaughn, a high ranking member of the Craig Petties drug organization, was sentenced Friday, Feb. 8, to 36 years and six months in prison on a federal drug conspiracy conviction.

67. Fields Gets 37-Year Sentence in Petties Case - Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Demetrius Fields, a high-ranking member of the Craig Petties drug organization, drew the longest jail term yet as those convicted in the largest drug case ever brought in Memphis federal court continue to be sentenced.

68. Fields Gets 37-Year Sentence In Petties Case - Saturday, February 2, 2013

Demetrius Fields, a high ranking member of the Craig Petties drug organization, drew the longest jail term yet as those convicted in the largest drug case ever brought in Memphis federal court continue to be sentenced.

69. Mays Hears of Cell Phones and Drug Delivery Planned Behind Bars At Mason - Friday, February 1, 2013

Two leaders of the Craig Petties drug organization were caught with cell phones while they were prisoners at the federal prison in Mason, Tennessee last year and a third was suspected of trying to have a kilogram of cocaine delivered to him in prison.

70. Broady Gets 31 Year Sentence In Petties Case - Friday, January 4, 2013

Clarence Broady, who at one time robbed drug dealers, was sentenced to 31 years in prison Thursday, Jan. 3, for being a hit man for the Craig Petties drug organization.

71. More Sentences Expected for Petties Drug Case in 2013 - Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Five years after Memphis drug kingpin Craig Petties was captured in Mexico, the federal court drug case that bears his name is still moving through the courts of the Western District of Tennessee.

72. Petties Drug Runner Draws Eight-Year Sentence - Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Bobby Cole was a professional drag racer and race promoter known as a kind of arbiter of differences among drivers and someone who helped those in financial straits with loans of cash or one of his trailers.

73. Petties Drug Runner Draws Eight-Year Sentence - Tuesday, October 30, 2012

A professional drag racer and mechanic who used his racing trailers to run money and cocaine for the Craig Petties drug organization was sentenced Monday, Oct. 29, to eight years and one month in prison.

74. International Exposure - Thursday, October 25, 2012

The Memphis hotel industry can thank at least 200,000 of its room nights last year to European visitors booked by tour operators.

European stays in Memphis averaged three nights, with each person spending more than $200 per day.

75. Law School Celebrates 50 Years - Thursday, October 4, 2012

At the end of this month, the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law will celebrate half a century of preparing young legal minds for the future challenges they’ll face in the field of law.

76. Drug Kingpin Petties Moved to New York - Thursday, September 27, 2012

Memphis drug kingpin Craig Petties has been moved from the federal prison in Atlanta to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City.

77. ‘A Different View’ - Wednesday, April 4, 2012

When the Memphis City Council got involved in the 1968 sanitation workers strike it forever changed the relationship between the council and the mayor.

Lewis Donelson, a member of that council and founder and shareholder of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC, writes in his new autobiography, “Lewie,” that the council’s actions have affected every council and mayor since then.

78. Drug Trial Moves Into Sentencing Phase - Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The verdicts are in, and the jurors have been polled and dismissed after more than a month of trial.

The long-awaited and just-completed Craig Petties drug organization trial now gives way to sentencing hearings to come for Martin Lewis and Clinton Lewis and some of those who once belonged to the organization and testified against them.

79. Petties Jury Convicts on All but One Count - Monday, March 26, 2012

The jury in the Petties drug organization trial has convicted the two defendants on all but one of the drug conspiracy, racketeering and murder-for-hire counts they faced.

Clinton Lewis and Martin Lewis were found guilty of 10 of the 11 federal charges they faced. The verdict came after less than a day of deliberation and five weeks of testimony.

80. Fed. Drug Trial Moves to Conclusion - Thursday, March 22, 2012

It may have been one of the more unusual PowerPoint presentations. Closing arguments in the Craig Petties drug organization trial in Memphis federal court began Tuesday, March 20, with the presentations most associated with corporate workshops and seminars adapted to summarize what has been a complex set of events covering seven years.

81. Deliberations to Begin in Petties Org Case - Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Seven weeks ago jury selection began in the largest drug case ever brought in Memphis federal court.

More than 350 exhibits, 70 witnesses and 130 sidebars or bench conferences later, the jury is about to begin deliberations in the trial of Clinton Lewis and Martin Lewis, two members of the drug organization headed and built by Craig Petties.

82. Testimony Ends in Fed Drug Trial - Friday, March 16, 2012

After five weeks of testimony, the last witness testified Wednesday, March 14, in the Petties drug organization trial in Memphis federal court.

He was Vacha Vaughn, a high-level member of the organization who was shot in a 2004 robbery by men dressed as police officers. Three years later, he was a target of the organization itself because he was believed to be cooperating with authorities.

83. Drug Jury Must Choose ‘Whose Truth’ - Thursday, March 15, 2012

Someone has been lying during the trial of two alleged hit men in the Craig Petties drug organization – a trial now ending its sixth week in Memphis federal court.

84. Mistrial Motion Denied In Petties Drug Org Trial - Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Memphis Federal Court Judge Hardy Mays has denied a motion by defense attorneys for a mistrial in the Petties drug organization trial.

The decision by Mays in a 15-page written ruling, clears the way for the defense in the drug conspiracy, racketeering and murder for hire case to begin telling its side of the story Wednesday, March 14.

85. UPDATE: Mays Weighs Mistrial in Petties Case - Tuesday, March 13, 2012

A .45 caliber gun was used to kill Marcus Turner by the side of an Olive Branch road.

And the Petties drug organization trial in Memphis Federal Court is now focused on two .45 caliber guns and an alleged swap of one of the guns after the 2006 murder

86. Petties Case Court Documents Suggest Post Conviction Plans - Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Toward the end of the prosecution’s case last week in the Craig Petties drug organization trial, jurors heard a corrections officers say that Clinton Lewis, one of the two defendants, told Carlos Whitelow, another member of the organization, to keep quiet and not tell prosecutors anything about the organization.

87. Defense Moves for Mistrial in Petties Case - Monday, March 12, 2012

The defense in the Petties drug organization trial in Memphis federal court won’t start presenting its case at least until Tuesday, March 13.

The delay came as the defense moved for a mistrial because a witness the prosecution planned to call but didn’t has recanted his testimony.

88. Petties Org Trial Defense Opens Case Monday - Monday, March 12, 2012

Defense attorneys in the Petties drug organization trial begin presenting their case Monday, March 12, in Memphis federal court.

Clinton Lewis and Martin Lewis are charged with drug conspiracy, racketeering and murder for hire.

89. Prosecution Rests in Fed Drug Trial - Friday, March 9, 2012

The prosecution in the Craig Petties drug organization trial rested in case in chief Thursday, March 8, after four weeks of testimony.

90. Petties Jury Hears of 2007 Arrests of Defendants and Plea Talks - Thursday, March 8, 2012

When they were arrested separately within months of each in 2007, neither Clinton Lewis nor Martin Lewis went quietly.

91. Violent Acts Take Stage in Fed Drug Trial - Thursday, March 8, 2012

When Mario McNeil allegedly threatened the mother of drug kingpin Craig Petties in 2007, the Memphis drug organization Petties ran from exile in Mexico took it seriously.

92. Fed Drug Case Zeroes in on Defendants - Wednesday, March 7, 2012

For three weeks, federal prosecutors in the Craig Petties drug organization trial have told a jury the wide-ranging story of the organization and dozens of the leaders and other players in it.

93. Petties Drug Trial Testimony Focuses on Defendants - Tuesday, March 6, 2012

After three weeks of detailing a broad conspiracy to sell drugs in the Memphis region and silence those who cooperated with authorities, prosecutors in the Petties drug organization trial began the trial’s fifth week with more specific testimony about the two defendants.

94. Petties Trial Focuses on Turner Killing - Monday, March 5, 2012

The point at which the prosecution ends and the defense begins in the Craig Petties drug organization trial in Memphis Federal Court should be when the 2006 murder of Marcus Turner becomes the center of attention again.

95. Petties Trial Focuses on 2006 Murder - Friday, March 2, 2012

The second witness to testify in the Petties organization drug trial that begins its fifth week Monday, March 5, was Lucy Turner, a police dispatcher from West Memphis, Ark. and the mother of Marcus Turner.

96. Fed Drug Trial Testimony Ends Fourth Week - Friday, March 2, 2012

Martin Lewis jumped Marcus Brandon as soon as Brandon came on the line in May 2007 during a jailhouse phone call three-wayed by Lewis’ girlfriend using another prisoner’s ID number.

97. Witness Recalls Drug Money Accounting Duties - Thursday, March 1, 2012

Dana Bradley remembers the day he went to work for the Craig Petties drug organization.

98. Petties Org Drug Trial Hits Fourth Week - Monday, February 27, 2012

The Craig Petties drug organization trial has settled into some predictable rhythms as it begins its fourth week Monday, Feb. 27, in Memphis Federal Court.

99. Petties Org Drug Trial Ends Third Week - Friday, February 24, 2012

The Craig Petties drug organization trial has settled into some predictable rhythms as it begins its fourth week Monday, Feb. 27, in Memphis Federal Court.

100. Questions Raised About Plea Deals - Friday, February 24, 2012

Shortly after Clarence Broady shot Latrell Small and Kalonji Griffin to death in a car at a Hickory Hill apartment complex in 2004, Demetrius Fields got a new tattoo.