Sir Mick Jagger and Jerry Lee Lewis walk into Sun Studio Wednesday. That’s not the start of a joke. Variety has reported that Jagger’s film company has signed on to the Elvis biopic being made from Peter Guralnick’s definitive two volume biography of the king. You connect the dots or don’t – who knows if there is a connection? Yes, but they aren’t talking.

2. Council Approves Conditional Return of Beale Street Cover - Thursday, September 13, 2018

After much debate and consultation with attorneys, the Memphis City Council voted Tuesday, Sept. 11, to allow Memphis Police and the Downtown Memphis Commission to reinstate a cover charge for the Beale Street entertainment district.

3. Council Approves Conditional Return of Beale Cover - Wednesday, September 12, 2018

After much debate and consultation with attorneys, the Memphis City Council voted Tuesday, Sept. 11, to allow Memphis Police and the Downtown Memphis Commission to reinstate a cover charge for the Beale Street entertainment district.

4. Last Word: Gun Group Endorsements, Kirby Complexities and Purple Haze Closes - Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Two races on the Nov. 6 ballot within the Shelby County legislative delegation to Nashville getting some attention as our Nashville correspondent Sam Stockard takes a look at “gun sense” ratings from the group Moms Demand Action, which has called for stricter gun laws.

5. De-Annexation Votes, MATA Utility Fee on City Council Agenda - Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Memphis City Council members take final votes Tuesday, Sept. 11, on ordinances that would de-annex two parts of Memphis.

The ordinances would shave off the Rocky Point area and the Southwind-Windyke neighborhoods, effective in 2020. The de-annexation proposal follows council approval earlier this year to de-annex the city’s portion of Eads and a flood plain area in southwest Memphis that is uninhabited.

6. Last Word: Graceland Opens Vigil, Hunt-Phelan For Sale and Southern Heritage - Thursday, September 6, 2018

After two years of making the Elvis candlelight vigil more about who paid and getting people in line, Graceland said Wednesday the vigil will return to being a free event next August – no admission, no buying packages that include the vigil. The timing on this is interesting coming about two weeks after the 2018 edition of the vigil.

7. Last Word: New Council Smell, Harris's First Pick and Detroit's Comeback - Wednesday, August 29, 2018

After months of renovation work, the new Memphis City Council committee room was ready for the council Tuesday on the fifth floor of City Hall. The council had been meeting in its chambers on the ground floor for the seven hours of committee meetings that precede the council’s main voting meeting at 3:30 p.m. two Tuesdays a month. The council room has that new council smell -- kind of ironic for a body that is about to get three new members by the end of the year.

8. Council Approves TDZ Financing for Second Convention Center Hotel - Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Memphis City Council members approved the use of Tourism Development Zone revenues Tuesday, Aug. 28, to finance the construction of a second convention center hotel as they delayed any decisions on long-term crowd control and safety measures in the Beale Street entertainment district.

9. Memphis City Council Considers Surface Parking Lot at Main and Beale - Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Memphis City Council members vote Tuesday, Aug. 28, on a special-use permit to turn the land on the northeast corner of South Main Street and Beale Street into a surface parking lot with landscaping.

10. Last Word: Police Surveillance on Trial, Elvis Alternatives and Firestone's Dilemma - Monday, August 20, 2018

In Memphis Federal Court Monday morning, Memphis Police surveillance of protesters over the last two years is on the docket of U.S. District Judge Jon P. McCalla. McCalla ruled earlier this month in advance of the nonjury trial that police conducted “political surveillance” of protesters in violation of a 1978 federal court consent decree.

11. Historic District Compromise Tabled Over State 'Threats' - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

After months of discussions, compromises and amendments, the city council member sponsoring an ordinance giving the council more oversight of the local Landmarks Commission tabled the measure on third and final reading.

12. Historic District Compromise Tabled Over State 'Threats' - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

After months of discussions, compromises and amendments, the city council member sponsoring an ordinance giving the council more oversight of the local Landmarks Commission tabled the measure on third and final reading.

13. Historic District Compromise Tabled Over State 'Threats' - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

After months of discussions, compromises and amendments, the city council member sponsoring an ordinance giving the council more oversight of the local Landmarks Commission tabled the measure on third and final reading.

14. Last Word: Bigger Goodlett, Collierville's Dilemma and Ronnie Grisanti's at Regalia - Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Shelby County Schools officials breaking ground Monday evening on the new Goodlett Elementary School to open a year from now on the grounds of the current Goodlett Elementary at 3001 S. Goodlett. The bigger Goodlett will allow for nearby Knight Road Elementary to close and its students to attend the new Goodlett. GOODLETT.

15. Memphis City Council Could Take Final Vote On Historic Districts Oversight - Tuesday, August 14, 2018

After a two-and-a-half-month delay, Memphis City Council members may be ready Tuesday, Aug. 14, to take a final vote on new rules for historic districts including more oversight by the council.

A vote on third and final reading of the ordinance was delayed in June so the sponsor, council member Kemp Conrad, could meet with all sides of the issue to come up with a compromise. The ordinance follows council votes to grant historic district status, with guidelines enforced by the Landmarks Commission, for the Cooper-Young and Speedway Terrace neighborhoods.

16. Last Word: Election Day, Inland Bails Early and Cannons Out - Thursday, August 2, 2018

The TV breaks are wall to wall with political ads. The campaign robo-calls have crowded out the hang-up clone calls to your landline phone. Your mailbox has no fewer than three mailers a day. And all of the parties set for Thursday night are “victory” parties at least until the polls close. Here comes election day.

17. Commercial Appeal Looking at New Spot Downtown - Thursday, August 2, 2018

The Commercial Appeal building was a nexus of local news coverage for Memphis and the Mid-South for nearly a half-century, but The CA won’t be operating out of its 495 Union Ave. location for the first time since the Ford Administration.

18. The CA Looking at New Spot Downtown - Thursday, August 2, 2018

The Commercial Appeal building was a nexus of local news coverage for Memphis and the Mid-South for nearly a half-century, but The CA won’t be operating out of its 495 Union Ave. location for the first time since the Ford Administration.

19. Editorial: One Beale’s New Course Mirrors Same Ambition - Saturday, July 28, 2018

The One Beale development isn’t what we thought it would be – a skyline-reorienting vertical thrust of glass and steel ambition – and there is nothing wrong with that.

In the move from high-rise to mid-rise, the project spreads to the east, creating more evidence of a riverfront that aspires to connect to the rest of Downtown.

20. Carlisle to Partner with Highwoods, Hyatt on One Beale - Tuesday, July 24, 2018

For more than a decade the Carlisle family’s dream of their One Beale development becoming a reality always seemed just out of reach. 

But when a visibly emotional Chance Carlisle finally announced Tuesday, July 24, that the on-again, off-again project first envisioned by his late father would finally break ground in January, that dream seemed as close to reality as it ever has. 

21. Big Attraction Not Key to Remaking Mud Island River Park, N.Y. Expert Tells Memphis Group - Thursday, July 19, 2018

Mud Island River Park doesn’t need a master plan or a new big attraction, the former director of Governors Island in New York City told a Memphis group this week.

Leslie Koch said she had neither during her tenure as president and chief executive of the Trust for Governors Island, the organization created to manage the former military base that was turned over to the city of New York as park land.

22. The Week Ahead: July 16-22 - Monday, July 16, 2018

Good morning, Memphis! The popular Roundhouse Revival at the Mid-South Coliseum returns this weekend, along with a retro skate night against the scenic backdrop of the Mississippi River at sunset. Check out those events and more happenings you need to know about in The Week Ahead...

23. Downtown Board Approves Tax Breaks for South Main, Beale Projects - Thursday, July 12, 2018

A pair of potentially place-changing projects were approved for PILOTs by the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. on Tuesday, July 10.

24. Downtown Board Approves Tax Breaks for South Main, Beale Projects - Wednesday, July 11, 2018

A pair of potentially place-changing projects were approved for PILOTs by the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. on Tuesday, July 10.

25. Last Word: The Jenkins Ruling, No More City Court Clerk and Harwell's Quest - Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Making your early voting plan for Friday’s debut of the voting period in advance of the Aug. 2 election day? Well, you might want to hold off until after Tuesday morning. That’s when the latest changes could get set in stone … or not.

26. Beale Hotel, South Main Mixed-Use Top Busy Week In Development - Tuesday, July 10, 2018

It’s a busy week for the city of Memphis when it comes to economic development. The Downtown Memphis Commission has two of its affiliate boards, the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. and the Design Review Board, in action this week, while the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County is holding a meeting for its Economic Development Finance Committee.

27. New Beale Street Hotel, A Vehicle ‘Vending Machine,’ and New Life on Former Buccaneer Site - Monday, July 9, 2018

380 Beale St.
Memphis, TN 38103

Project Cost: $16 million

Application Date: July 10

Owner: Miller Memphis Inc.

Tenant: TCH Memphis LLC

28. Hotel Planned For Fourth and Beale Vacant Nightspot - Friday, July 6, 2018

Plans for a five-story 120-room hotel on the northeast corner of Fourth and Beale Street go to the Center City Revenue Finance Corporation Tuesday, July 10, seeking a 15-year tax break for the $16 million project.

29. Review of Mud Island Museum Begins as River Museum Closes Early for Season - Friday, July 6, 2018

The former director of Governors Island in New York and the head of a Colorado company that helps develop outdoor adventure businesses are coming to Memphis this month as part of the process of rethinking the 36-year-old Mud Island Mississippi River Museum.

30. Hotel Planned For Fourth and Beale Vacant Nightspot - Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Plans for a five-story, 120-room hotel on the northeast corner of Fourth and Beale Street go to the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. Tuesday, July 10, seeking a 15-year tax break for the $16 million project.

31. Last Word: Draft Done, New Beale Moves and New Elvis - Friday, June 22, 2018

Well, this is off to a rocky start. Jaren Jackson Jr. indicated he didn’t want to come to Memphis until minutes before the Grizz used their number 4 pick in Thursday evening’s NBA draft to select him and reverse years of bad history in draft selections. That was a lot to ask for in the pick of the youngest player in the draft at 18 years of age. But that’s what drafts in the NFL and NBA have come to be about – big moments, declaring victory and celebrating all before anything pans out.

32. Changes Coming Quickly to Riverfront - Thursday, June 14, 2018

Changes are coming fast, if tentatively, to the most identifiable part of the Memphis riverfront – the part between Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid and the southern end of Tom Lee Park.

33. Tentative Tom Lee Park Plan Adds Trees and Festival Infrastructure - Tuesday, June 12, 2018

There is a plan to add more trees to Tom Lee Park and other amenities and still keep the park as the home of the Memphis In May International Festival with some of the festival infrastructure becoming permanent.

34. Council Drops Referendum From November Ballot - Saturday, June 9, 2018

There will be no referendum question on the Nov. 6 election ballot that would change a basic structural feature of city government.

The Memphis City Council rejected on third and final reading Tuesday, June 5, a referendum question that, if approved by city voters, would have required council approval of city contracts.

35. Events - Saturday, June 9, 2018

Hattiloo Theatre performs “Raisin,” a musical adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun,” Friday, June 8, through July 1 at 37 S. Cooper St. Visit hattiloo.org for showtimes and tickets.

36. Council Drops Referendum From November Ballot - Thursday, June 7, 2018

There will be no referendum question on the Nov. 6 election ballot that would change a basic structural feature of city government.

The Memphis City Council rejected on third and final reading Tuesday, June 5, a referendum question that, if approved by city voters, would have required council approval of city contracts.

37. City Council Approves $685M City Budget, Takes City Tax Rate to $3.19 - Wednesday, June 6, 2018

The Memphis City Council gave final approval Tuesday, June 5, to a $685 million city operating budget, an $87 million capital budget and a $3.19 city property tax rate.

The votes ended City Hall’s budget season with few changes by the council to the budget proposed by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

38. Last Word: One for Graceland, Randy Boyd in Millington and Green Eyeshades - Tuesday, June 5, 2018

From the distance of 50 years – half a century – it’s hard to relate what it was like to grow up in the 1960s – in particular the year 1968 in a city that figured prominently in the year’s turbulent trajectory.

39. City Council Faces Final Vote on Tax Rate - Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Memphis City Council members could start to wrap up the budget season Tuesday, June 5, with third and final-reading votes on the city property tax rate and a resolution approving the city’s capital budget.

40. Revamped One Beale Plans Get City Board Approval - Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Carlisle Corp.’s revamped plans for One Beale received unanimous approval from the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. on Tuesday, May 29.

41. Last Word: One Beale Changes, Treedom and Motel Mirrors in Cooper Young - Thursday, May 24, 2018

For all of the expectation and ambition present in a Memphis where Crosstown Concourse is almost a year old, Shelby Farms Park is an institution and the local economy in general has shaken off a lingering recession that wanted a rent to own deal – there may be some limits to our ambition. At least the scope of some of our ambition, which brings us to the One Beale project at Beale and Riverside.

42. Beale Street Bucks Comeback Recommended as Lawsuit Dismissed - Thursday, May 24, 2018

Almost a year after all cover charges to get in the Beale Street Entertainment District were dropped, the cover charge program known as Beale Street Bucks could be making a comeback.

The suggestion is sure to renew a vocal debate about whether charging a cover after 10 p.m. on Saturdays during the summer is an effective security measure or selective crowd control on the street that gave birth to the blues, where Saturday night crowds are a part of its history. 

43. Last Word: Pete & Sam's and Barbecue, Neutral Turf and Ralph Wiley on Penny - Monday, May 21, 2018

Pete & Sam’s, one of the city’s long running restaurants in a vibrant culinary scene, reopens Monday afternoon on Park Avenue following an extensive renovation following a major fire this past December. There should be lots of curiosity about what change looks like in a restaurant devoted to sticking with the past so much so that at times Pete & Sam’s and its reputation have been debated vocally among foodies. Kind of like the debate that occasionally surfaces over the Rendezvous and its place in our local world of barbecue.

44. Last Word: Being Fourth, Barbecue and Davos on the Delta and Steamboat Exit - Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Not. Top. Three. The Grizz got the fourth pick of the NBA draft in Tuesday’s draft lottery in Chicago. Grizz president of business operations Jason Wexler had probably the best reaction on Twitter: “So for the next 5 weeks we are in a window where everyone can be wrong and everyone can be right at the same time.” The memory of Hasheem Thabeet’s arrival in Memphis looms large in this uncertainty and draft day is the only thing that can make that memory fade. At least for now, that image just got a bit sharper. And it becomes more vivid every time between now and the draft in June that you start a sentence with “The Grizz could still…”

45. Week Ahead: May 14-20 - Monday, May 14, 2018

Go hog wild, Memphis! One of the most anticipated community events of the year kicks off this week when Tom Lee Park again becomes ground zero for the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. Teams from around the world will try to win over judges with their savory renditions of all things pig. It will be a lip-smackin’ good time win or lose, though. 

46. Last Word: Making Memphis Easier, Strickland on Graceland and Construction Jobs - Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Some of the BSMF reviews in from this past weekend are thumbs up for the way Memphis In May has ramped up what you might call its infrastructure around Uber, Lyft and little items like muddy boots for the increasing number of Memphians and visitors who are ready to go no matter what the weather is doing. And they may opt for some other way into Downtown beyond driving a car and finding a parking place and walking, especially when there’s a drop off at the northern end of the music festival. Even a fire hydrant water flow to take the mud off your boots. We can make Memphis easier with less effort than we think at the outset.

47. Week Ahead: May 7-13 - Monday, May 7, 2018

Happy Monday. This weekend is the one between the Beale Street Music Festival and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, but there are still Memphis in May International events to attend. Great month to be in Memphis!

48. Events - Saturday, May 5, 2018

The 2018 Beale Street Music Festival takes place Friday through Sunday, May 4-6, in Tom Lee Park on Riverside Drive. The kickoff to the Memphis in May International Festival includes four stages with more than 60 acts spanning every genre. Tickets are $55 each day; three-day passes are $125 if purchased before May 1 and $165 if purchased after. Visit memphisinmay.org for details and a lineup.

49. Last Word: BSMF Opens, Germantown's New Elementary and Links at St. Jude - Friday, May 4, 2018

The Beale Street Music Festival opens Friday and the clouds appear right on cue. But that, in and of itself, doesn’t stop the proceedings in Tom Lee Park. Lightning is another matter, of course. Poncho and boots are a part of the Memphis In May identity. And one day there will be a digital map of the park’s terrain that shows the areas that are the mud pits and those that are largely mud proof. That’s for some of you to avoid them and others among you to find them and “celebrate” them.

50. Memphis Army Depot, CA Building Get New Owners - Monday, April 30, 2018

2028 Memphis Depot Pkwy.
Memphis, TN 38114

Sale Amount: $50 million

51. Events - Monday, April 30, 2018

The Shelby County Mayor’s Office and the Division of Community Services will host a community meeting to gather community feedback on the development of a youth assessment and resource center Monday, April 30, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Knowledge Quest (Universal Parenting Place), 990 College Park Drive, suite 104. Visit shelbycountytn.gov/calendar.aspx for details.

52. 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.

53. Last Word: Reading Early Voting Tea Leaves, Corker Qualifies and New Carrot - Monday, April 23, 2018

This should be the week that the Tennessee Legislature adjourns and state Senators and state Representatives return to their districts to begin campaigning in earnest for the August primaries and the November general election beyond that. The only hold-up to adjournment this week would be any more tremors surrounding education policy, specifically the TNReady test debacle of last week.

54. CA Sells Land, CBRE Inks New Office Deal - Monday, April 23, 2018

597 Beale St., Memphis, TN 38103: Gannett Co. Inc., The Commercial Appeal’s parent company, has sold 5 acres adjacent to the CA’s 495 Union Ave. location to a New York-based investment company that specializes in acquiring underperforming and underutilized locations from legacy newspapers.

55. Last Word: Parking Distrust, Early Voting Numbers and Missile Strike Reaction - Monday, April 16, 2018

There is probably no better symbol of the distrust that has been a factor in reaching a compromise in Overton Park to end greensward parking by the Memphis Zoo. It is what happened to the idea of a walkway from the zoo plaza to the greensward with the critical juncture being where the gravel driveway is now that is used by cars to park on the greensward. We examine that and other larger points from last week’s decision by City Hall to change the design and make the amended plan the final plan.

56. The Week Ahead: April 16-20 - Monday, April 16, 2018

Good morning, Memphis! It’s time for Africa in April, which in the minds of many Memphians, is the seasonal kick-off for festivals. The annual Southern Hot Wing Festival comes this weekend on Tiger Lane, so get ready for good times to replace that winter weather. Check out what else you need to know about in The Week Ahead...

57. April 13-19, 2018: This week in Memphis history - Saturday, April 14, 2018

1968: Striking Memphis sanitation workers vote to accept a pay raise of 15 cents an hour from the city, ending their strike after 64 days. Ten cents of the raise will go into effect in May, with the other 5 cents being added on Sept. 1.
The amount has come up before in the negotiations, which are being watched closely by The White House and federal labor officials following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4. Memphis Mayor Henry Loeb balks at the proposal presented by his team, saying he would agree to a raise effective with the new fiscal year beginning July 1 and not before. He also says the raise will be less than 15 cents an hour. Philanthropist Abe Plough secretly agrees to pay the difference needed for the entire pay raise starting May 1, contributing a total of $60,000 to cover the cost. Plough’s role remains a secret until his death in 1984.

58. Last Word: MLK50s Big Day, Hotel Changes and Murica on Capitol Hill - Thursday, April 5, 2018

The peak of the MLK50 events came Wednesday with a chill but some sunshine and lots to consider. Understand -- this isn’t over. There are still a few more events to go through the weekend and even into next week. If nothing else, a lot more Memphians and visitors got a good look at most of South Main in the best way possible – on foot. And if the Beale Street District ever expands east to Danny Thomas, the intersection there makes a really good place for a party.

59. Heritage Trail Loops Open Amidst MLK50 Preparations - Monday, April 2, 2018

As city crews were moving the Mountaintop sculpture into place at the new MLK Reflection Park and the nearby I Am A Man Plaza was getting one last patch of cement Friday, March 30, a tour bus came through as preparations were being made for the city’s MLK50 observances.

60. Last Word: The RDC's New Leader, Potter on 100 North Main and FedEx Moves - Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Is Memphis big enough for FedExForum and some kind of event space on the Graceland campus in Whitehaven? The city administration thinks that could be the case. But it requires an “honest broker” between Graceland and the Grizz – who run the forum for the city and county – to quote city chief legal officer Bruce McMullen – if there is a deal to be had.

61. Events - Wednesday, March 21, 2018

The Project Management Institute Memphis Chapter will meet Wednesday, March 21, at 6 p.m. at the Crescent Club, 6075 Poplar Ave., suite 909. Author and life coach Jasmin Nuhic will present “Create your development plan; no one else should.” Reel 2 Reel Photography will be on hand offering optional professional headshots for $20, so arrive early and dress professionally. Register at pmimemphis.org.

62. Events - Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art hosts its final community engagement session to gather feedback on its Downtown relocation Tuesday, March 20, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Memphis fire headquarters (the site of Brooks’ future home), 65 S. Front St. Museum officials are seeking input as they begin the process of selecting an architect and creating a vision for the new space. Free and open to the public, but RSVPs requested via the Facebook event. See facebook.com/brooksmuseum for details.

63. Olford Ministries Continues to Influence the World - Tuesday, March 20, 2018

The man who reportedly most influenced the Rev. Billy Graham’s ministry left a legacy in Memphis that still impacts people from all over the world.

64. Events - Monday, March 19, 2018

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development brings its apprenticeship listening tour to Memphis Monday, March 19, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Southwest Tennessee Community College’s Bert Bornblum Library art gallery, 5983 Macon Cove. The goal of the tour is to determine the current state and future of area apprenticeship programs. Visit tn.gov/ecd/apprenticeship-tour.html for details and to RSVP.

65. Small Cell Legislation Advancing, But Rural Options More Limited - Monday, March 19, 2018

NASHVILLE – Unable to get cell-phone service at a football game in Nashville or Knoxville? Can’t send a text from a Broadway honky tonk or Beale Street blues bar? Wondering how autonomous cars will ever work?

66. Events - Saturday, March 17, 2018

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art hosts its final community engagement session to gather feedback on its Downtown relocation Tuesday, March 20, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Memphis fire headquarters (the site of Brooks’ future home), 65 S. Front St. Museum officials are seeking input on several topics as they begin the process of selecting an architect and creating a vision for the new space. Free and open to the public, but RSVPs requested via the Facebook event. See facebook.com/brooksmuseum for details.

67. Events - Friday, March 16, 2018

Circuit Playhouse will present “James and the Giant Peach” Friday, March 16, through April 8 at 51 S. Cooper St. Visit playhouseonthesquare.org for times and tickets.

68. Last Word: River Crests, Tigers Post-Season and Library Shift - Monday, March 12, 2018

The slow fall of the Mississippi River begins. The river at Memphis crested at 39.2 feet over the weekend. By Friday it should be below flood stage, which at Memphis is 34 feet. The high river season here was marked mostly by a lot of watching by Memphis public works and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as the river and its tributaries moved into the bottom land it usually occupies at this time of the year.

69. The Week Ahead: March 12-18 - Monday, March 12, 2018

Good morning, Memphis! Go green and capture the luck of the Irish as both Cooper-Young and Beale Street celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in style this week. Maybe you’d prefer to explore the universe with a Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist? We’ve got details on those, plus more local happenings you need to know about in The Week Ahead…

70. Digest - Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Memphis Grizzlies Suffer 15th Consecutive Loss

The Grizzlies lost their 15th straight game, 119-110 at Chicago, on Wednesday, March 7.

The team has not won since defeating the Phoenix Suns at FedExForum on Jan. 29.

71. Last Word: On The EDGE, Tubby Smith and Timing and TVA Keeps Its Wells Off - Thursday, March 8, 2018

Remember when the Memphis City Council and the Shelby County Commission got together a week ago at Beale Street Landing? Here’s a refresher. Among those watching the discussion was Richard Smith, the chairman of the Greater Memphis Chamber, who responded to the criticism of the local approach to economic development this week with an email to members of both bodies that could prompt some changes to the approach and specifically to EDGE.

72. Council and Commission Talk Pre-K and Workforce Development - Monday, March 5, 2018

When 20 of the 26 Memphis City Council members and Shelby County Commissioners got together Thursday, March 1, at Beale Street Landing, the idea of county government providing funds to expand access to prekindergarten got resistance on the county side.

73. Last Word: The Ballot, By the River and The 'Good Ship Ineptitude' - Friday, March 2, 2018

What blooms before spring and after the rains? It is the quest. The quest that must be declared over and over again – in the confidence of homes and the parlors of supporters – across kitchen tables and behind the soundproof doors of conference rooms -- the patios where supporters have gathered and the rented spaces where campaigns are located. Usually with food. Perhaps a corner table or possibly a catered buffet. Maybe just coffee.

74. Council and Commission Talk Pre-K and Workforce By The River - Friday, March 2, 2018

When 20 of the 26 Memphis City Council members and Shelby County Commissioners got together Thursday, March 1, at Beale Street Landing, the idea of some kind of county government funding for expanding access to pre-kindergarten ran into some resistance on the county side.

75. The Week Ahead: February 26-March 4 - Monday, February 26, 2018

Good morning, Memphis! There are plenty of business, government and sporting events to keep your interest this week, along with the annual farm and gin show. And Shakespeare could inspire some Shelby County students to have their works published in a literary magazine.

76. Week Ahead: Feb.19-25 - Monday, February 19, 2018

It seems the only thing consistent about this hot again, cold again weather is the rain. As we enter another week of the waning winter, there are plenty of events to keep you entertained. But don’t forget the umbrellas, Memphis!

77. Filing, Fundraising Pace Quickens in County Elections - Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Two of the five major contenders for Shelby County mayor in the May 1 primaries have six-figure campaign war chests and a third is just a few thousand dollars away.

That’s according to campaign finance statements filed last week with the Shelby County Election Commission for the period July 1, 2017, to the end of 2017.

78. Council Reopens MLGW Rate Hike Consideration, Approves Term Limit Referendum - Thursday, January 25, 2018

Memphis City Council members decided Tuesday, Jan. 23, to take a second look at the gas and electric rate-hike proposals they rejected two weeks ago, but put off any new votes on the matter until February.

79. Council Reopens MLGW Rate Hike Consideration, Approves Term Limit Referendum - Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Memphis City Council members decided Tuesday, Jan. 23, to take a second look at the gas and electric rate hike proposals they rejected two weeks ago. But they put off any new votes on the matter until the first council meeting in February after what is expected to be a lengthy discussion in committee earlier that same day at City Hall.

80. Last Word: Shutdown Over?, Glen Farms Plans and Billy Richmond - Wing Guru - Tuesday, January 23, 2018

The federal government shutdown for many of us outside the Beltway amounted to a message on a website saying the agency we were looking up was closed Monday. And Monday was the third and final day of the most recent shutdown. But the immigration policy known as DACA – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – is the issue to be explored by Congress in the three weeks that the continuing resolution covers. It’s an issue that there has been plenty of local discussion about

81. Council Talks With Head of TVA, Votes on Two More Ballot Questions - Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Memphis City Council members talk with Tennessee Valley Authority president Bill Johnson Tuesday, Jan. 23, meet Mayor Jim Strickland’s nominee to replace retiring Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division president Jerry Collins and may renew discussions of electric and gas rate hikes proposed by MLGW that it voted down two weeks ago.

82. Last Word: Mural Madness, Madison Plans and New Judges - Thursday, January 11, 2018

Maybe this discussion was bound to happen in a city where murals have been going up at a pretty good clip for several years now. At first, it was a rather startling form of civic witness in a new kind of Memphis boosterism that was a reaction to years of downing Memphis as the dominant civic monologue. And it rapidly became about how much the murals could speak to the real Memphis – in other words pro-Memphis but with an edge and more than a nod to the city’s reality. That’s a lot for a mural to pull off.

83. Tennessee Vacation Guide to Feature MLK Cover, Highlight Memphis - Thursday, January 11, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The cover of Tennessee's annual vacation guide will feature an illustration of Martin Luther King Jr. in honor of the upcoming 50th anniversary of his assassination in Memphis.

84. Orion, LEO Buy Slice of Wonder Bread - Thursday, January 11, 2018

The Center City Revenue Finance Corp. approved a trio of sales on Tuesday, Jan. 9, including two involving the $73 million Bakery Development in the Medical District and the Beale Street Hampton Inn.

85. New Owners of Downtown Hotel Seeking PILOT Transfer, Bakery Development Project Progressing - Saturday, January 6, 2018

Richmond, Virginia-based Apple Hospitality REIT is seeking an assignment from the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. in order to complete the purchase of the Hampton Inn & Suites Memphis – Beale Street located at 175 Peabody Place in Downtown Memphis.

86. New Owners of Downtown Hotel Seeking PILOT Transfer, Bakery Development Project Progressing - Friday, January 5, 2018

Richmond, Virginia-based Apple Hospitality REIT is seeking an assignment from the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. in order to complete the purchase of the Hampton Inn & Suites Memphis – Beale Street located at 175 Peabody Place in Downtown Memphis.

87. Last Word: Liberty Bowl Sell-Out Prep, Beale's Year and Tubby Talks - Friday, December 29, 2017

The AutoZone Liberty Bowl is a sell out as of Thursday. And while your thoughts may turn to the sight of a full stadium at the Fairgrounds, at least some of you who are going are thinking about what traffic will be like in the area. Here is the parking and shuttle game plan at the outset and a day in advance. The Liberty Bowl Parade on Beale is at 3 p.m. Friday followed by a pep rally in the entertainment district and all are welcome.

88. Beale’s Question Mark - Friday, December 29, 2017

For all of the change in the Memphis landscape announced in 2017 – including the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art’s decision to move to the riverfront and plans for several “gateway” developments around the city – Beale Street was in a holding pattern for most of the year.

89. Recording Studio Owner Leaves Nashville for Memphis - Friday, December 29, 2017

A little more than a year ago, Scott McEwen had an epiphany that would end up bringing the Nashville recording studio owner to Memphis.

90. Out-of-Town Investors Buy Gibson Guitar Factory - Monday, December 11, 2017

145 Lt. George W. Lee Ave., Memphis, TN 38103: Investment firms in New York and Miami have purchased the Gibson Guitar Factory property in Downtown Memphis and an additional warehouse Gibson Brands Inc. owns in Nashville.

91. Food Fancy - Saturday, December 9, 2017

Say what you want about the kind of city Memphis is or isn’t for foodies who prefer originality to the chains and knockoffs that are so familiar a sight in suburbia. But let it be known that 2017 was another year of ascendancy for Memphis’ singular, distinctive food scene, with the constant arrival of new concepts and experiences that in turn also says something about the city that patronizes those establishments.

92. Last Word: Bredesen Runs, Germantown Moratorium, Monsanto Fights Dicamba Ban - Thursday, December 7, 2017

The big reveal at the Greater Memphis Chamber’s annual luncheon Wednesday, at least for me – Dale Watson lives in Memphis now. The Americana musician, producer and author was among the performers at the Peabody and he had a bit of trouble getting the group of 700 business and political leaders to sing along with the refrain of one of his most popular tunes – “I Lie When I Drink and I Drink A Lot" -- with at least a dozen video cameras panning the room. But he continued on without audience participation. Other entertainment highlights featured Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland as the voice of Amazon’s Alexa.

93. Outside Investors to Purchase Gibson Factory in Downtown Memphis - Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Investment firms in New York and Miami have purchased the Gibson Guitar Factory property in Downtown Memphis and an additional warehouse Gibson Brands Inc. owns in Nashville.

94. Last Word: Lake District Recycling, The New First and The AAC 'Glass Ceiling' - Friday, December 1, 2017

The U.S. Senate vote on a tax reform plan is now set for 10 a.m. our time Friday morning following more debate in D.C. that began Thursday as the trigger provision to raise tax rates if economic growth from the proposed tax cuts doesn't materialize was ruled out of order by the Senate parliamentarian. This was the provision on which the support of U.S. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee hinged. And Corker is leading a group of deficit hawks whose block of votes is considered crucial in what happens to a proposal that was being reshaped as midnight approached. Here's Politico with comments from Corker as of late Thursday

95. Council Moves Toward Alcohol on Main Street - Thursday, November 23, 2017

Memphis City Council members delayed a final vote Tuesday, Nov. 21, on an ordinance that sets out options for the removal of statues of Nathan Bedford Forrest and Jefferson Davis in city parks, but moved forward on a proposal to allow open alcohol containers and consumption on Main Street.

96. Memphis Could Say Cheers to Main Street Consumption - Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Memphis could open itself up to a new world of tourism and entertainment if the city council toasts an ordinance amendment.

Residents and visitors alike would be able to carry and consume open plastic containers of alcohol along Main Street from AW Willis Drive to the north to Crump Boulevard to the south under the proposed amendment.

97. Council to Take Final Vote on Confederate Monuments Alternatives - Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Memphis City Council members are scheduled to take a final vote Tuesday, Nov. 21, on an ordinance that sets out options for the removal of Nathan Bedford Forrest and Jefferson Davis statues in city parks, and will discuss amending a city ordinance to allow the consumption of alcoholic beverages on Main Street Downtown.

98. County Primary Filing Opens With Paperwork Flurry - Monday, November 20, 2017

A total of 37 prospective candidates in the May 2018 county primaries pulled qualifying petitions last week on the first day of the filing period Friday, Nov. 17.

And the first contenders through the doors at the Shelby County Election Commission in a period that extends to a February deadline confirms a few trends.

99. Beale Hotel Developers Change Site Plans - Saturday, November 18, 2017

The developers of a five-story, 101-room Best Western Vib hotel on Beale Street have changed their plans for the project.

Developers Amil and Kamlesh Patel of Hernando, Mississippi-based KNM Development Group LLC are seeking to modify their special-use permit for 404 Beale St. to add a parking lot fronting Beale and reorient the hotel to the Gayoso Avenue side of the two-acre site, according to a Nov. 1 application filed with the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Planning and Development.

100. Banks Behind Lakeland Residential Developments - Monday, November 20, 2017

4501 Chambers Chapel Road, 
Lakeland, TN 38002 (et. al)

Application Date: Nov. 16, 2017