The Metro Nashville City Council is “just worn out,” councilman Robert Swope says.

“All of us are completely beat up. We’ve had more elections in the last three months than we’ve had in the last five years. We’re all sick of it,” Swope says. “We’ve got the MLS soccer stadium thing going crazy. Look at it, transit, property taxes, budget. This is a part-time gig for us. I’m spending 70 hours a week working on my part-time gig.

2. What Do Statewide Candidates Say About Education in Tennessee? - Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Gov. Bill Haslam and the General Assembly have invested in education during the last eight years. Has that been a good investment and should it continue? What do the candidates propose for the next four to eight years?

3. Enthusiasm Not Enough to Turn Tennessee Blue - Thursday, June 21, 2018

Tennessee’s legislative Democrats are eternally optimistic. They don’t have much choice but to look on the bright side with 75-24 and 28-5 deficits in the House and Senate.

So when they put a nearly full slate of candidates on the ticket for November’s general election – about 110 districts – and say they’ve got a good chance of picking up seats, they almost have to be taken with the proverbial grain of salt.

4. Midstate Transit Future is Paved With Tired Ideas - Thursday, June 14, 2018

If you ask state Rep. William Lamberth, Davidson County voters gave a resounding answer on the future of mass transit in this region. Based on their overwhelming defeat of an early May referendum, they don’t want to raise taxes for mass transit, preferring to be more like Atlanta and Los Angeles and less like New York.

5. Last Word: Bar-B-Foo, Grizz Draft Prospects and The Hampline - Friday, May 18, 2018

Alleged sightings of Dave Grohl at the barbecue contest Thursday in Tom Lee Park and a photograph from a distance that might or might not be the head Foo Fighter. This does happen at the barbecue contest – celebrities quietly coming in with a team. Sometimes not so quietly as when Vice President Al Gore returned in the 1990s to a contest he had a booth at during his time as a U.S. Senator.

6. Lack of Paper Trail a Concern Amid Fears of Election Hacking - Friday, May 18, 2018

ATLANTA (AP) – As the midterm congressional primaries heat up amid fears of Russian hacking, roughly 1 in 5 Americans will be casting ballots on machines that do not produce a paper record of their votes.

7. Waffle House Hero Raises More Than $225,000 for Victims - Tuesday, May 8, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A man being hailed as a hero for wrestling an assault-style rifle away from a gunman at a Tennessee Waffle House has raised more than a quarter of a million dollars for the victims.

8. What Statewide Candidates Say About Opioid Crisis, Public Safety - Saturday, April 14, 2018

The spread of opioid abuse claimed over 1,600 lives in Tennessee in 2016, and it is getting worse. Methamphetamine abuse, while not getting the headlines, has increased. Gun violence and murder is increasing. What proposals do our candidates have to help Tennesseans address these public safety issues?

9. What Do Statewide Candidates Say About Infrastructure Investment? - Saturday, March 24, 2018

Is investment in public infrastructure important? And should Tennessee have more dedicated revenue sources to pay for construction and maintenance of infrastructure across the state, or is the existing tax structure – primarily the state tax on fuel, and wheel taxes – sufficient to pay for what Tennessee needs to sustain and grow its economy?

10. Bill Making It a Felony for Unauthorized Monument Action Dies for the Session - Thursday, March 15, 2018

NASHVILLE – One of several bills considered retribution against the city of Memphis for the removal of Confederate statues died in a House committee today amid questions about its constitutionality.

11. Last Word: Forrest and Slavery, The Tariff Blitz and Angus McEachran - Tuesday, March 6, 2018

The report on poverty in Memphis over the last 50 years is on its way to a Greater Memphis Chamber breakfast meeting Thursday. And Terri Lee Freeman, the president of the National Civil Rights Museum and Elena Delavega, the University of Memphis lead researcher of the report, say their message is that as goes Memphis in this regard so goes the nation. And if employers start with lower pay at hiring with percentage raises across the board they feed the racial income gap and bonuses do as well.

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

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

13. Are Achievement Schools a Problem or the Solution? - Thursday, September 21, 2017

Forgiveness or farewell: What should be the fate of the Achievement School District?

Among Memphis legislators, it just depends.

State Rep. Mark White calls the task to pull Shelby County’s poorest performing schools out of the state’s bottom 5 percent a “heavy lift.”

14. Last Word: Doubling Down at City Hall, Karl Dean in Collierville & Your Credit Report - Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Memphis City Council chairman Berlin Boyd doubling down right at the start of a Monday morning meeting of the Beale Street Task Force on that conflict of interest issue involving his company’s contract with the Beale Street Merchants Association. Meanwhile, it is council day at City Hall Tuesday and lots to discuss on several fronts including the Bicentennial Gateway and Convention Center projects and the move of Golden India just off Overton Square.

15. Intriguing Story Playing Out Off The Football Field - Friday, September 8, 2017

Anybody got an extra billion dollars lying around? If so, you can own one-third share of an NFL franchise plus a handful of other assorted business ventures.

That’s the situation involving the Tennessee Titans as they head into what could be a very eventful season. Susie Adams Smith, one of three children of the late franchise founder Bud Adams, is attempting to divest herself of one-third interest in KSA Industries, the business conglomerate built by her father.

16. Nashville Revisits $100M Flood Protection After Harvey - Thursday, August 31, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A Tennessee city will revisit flood protection plans following flooding in Texas from Tropical Storm Harvey, which came ashore last week as a hurricane.

WPLN-FM reports the Nashville Metro Council will meet next month to consider building a floodwall system, a proposition that had been effectively tabled earlier this year. The first batch of funding for the $100 million barrier and pumping system was pulled from Mayor Megan Barry's construction budget in June on a 24-10 vote, over concerns that the plan was too focused on Nashville's urban core.

17. South City Redevelopment Activity Heating Up - Tuesday, August 22, 2017

The up-and-coming South City neighborhood is enjoying a resurgence of redevelopment activity lately, with the restoration of several historic properties, new multifamily construction and talk of bringing in a grocery store. The city and the Downtown Memphis Commission have been instrumental in the renewed interest, with noteworthy projects including the Clayborn Temple, the Universal Life Building and the demolition of Foote Homes.

18. South City Redevelopment Heats Up With Renovations, New Construction - Saturday, August 19, 2017

The up-and-coming South City neighborhood is enjoying a resurgence of redevelopment activity lately, with the restoration of several historic properties, new multifamily construction and talk of bringing in a grocery store. The city and the Downtown Memphis Commission have been instrumental in the renewed interest, with noteworthy projects including the Clayborn Temple, the Universal Life Building and the demolition of Foote Homes.

19. Need For Speed - Saturday, July 8, 2017

Access to high-speed broadband is a growing issue in Tennessee as technological advances in business and education become more digitally based. For the rural areas around Memphis and across the state, it is becoming a matter of disparity both on the workforce-training front and in classrooms. And the two are inextricably linked.

20. Tennessee, Left Coast a World Apart on Immigration - Thursday, June 29, 2017

San Francisco resident Terry Karlsson relishes her hometown’s reputation for embracing “multi-cultural diversity.”

The wife of a Swedish immigrant, Karlsson says she believes San Francisco’s status as a sanctuary city, one in which it refuses to participate in the enforcement of federal immigration law, reflects a nation born of people who moved here, a land of immigrants from many countries.

21. Medicaid Cuts Could Hit Rural Children Hardest - Thursday, June 15, 2017

As Congress fiddles with an Obamacare replacement, one likely to cut billions in Medicaid spending, health care experts warn a decrease in funding could be hard on Tennessee.

During a recent forum in Jackson, Andy Schneider of the Georgetown Center on Children and Families reported that 50 percent of Tennessee’s children in small towns and rural areas are covered by Medicaid, a higher percentage than the rest of the nation, and more than in Tennessee’s urban areas where 39 percent have Medicaid.

22. Amid Trump Orders, Nashville Mulls Sanctuary City-Like Rules - Friday, June 2, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Nashville officials are pushing to adopt sanctuary city-like standards in response to President Donald Trump's policies on immigration.

Metro Councilmen Bob Mendes and Colby Sledge were surrounded by immigrants, some of whom are in the country illegally, as they made a case for their legislation Wednesday during a news conference in the liberal-leaning capital of Tennessee, a red Southern state.

23. Dean Brings Business Focus to Nonprofit Alliance as Interim CEO - Thursday, March 16, 2017

In 1995 when Nancy McGee became executive director of what is now known as the Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence, it was just a small grant-writing center. It grew into a holistic nonprofit support organization that offers management services to more than 200 members.

24. Tennessee Fusion Center Monitored July Protests In Memphis, Emails Reveal - Tuesday, March 14, 2017

A state “fusion center” that coordinates information among local law enforcement has been keeping a detailed list of legal protests in Memphis and other Tennessee cities, according to emails from last July requested by a student researching “predictive policing” efforts in Memphis.

25. Palazzolo Urges Slower Phase-Out of Hall Tax, More Revenue for Local Governments - Friday, February 10, 2017

Germantown Mayor Mike Palazzolo wants Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam to take his foot off the gas pedal when it comes to phasing out the Hall tax on dividend and investment income. And in a Wednesday, Feb. 8, letter to Haslam, Palazzolo makes a case for local governments getting a greater share of Hall tax revenues as the income tax is phased out.

26. Palazzolo Urges Governor to Keep Hall Tax Phase-Out at 5 Years - Thursday, February 9, 2017

Germantown Mayor Mike Palazzolo wants Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam to take his foot off the gas pedal when it comes to phasing out the Hall state tax on dividend and investment income. And in a letter Wednesday, Feb. 8, to Haslam, Palazzolo makes a case for local governments getting a greater share of Hall tax revenues as the income tax is phased out.

27. Last Word: Football Comes Back, Snuff on Front Street and Pot Is Short of Seven - Tuesday, December 6, 2016

I have a question that some of you may not care for? Is football making a comeback in this basketball town for a more prominent place in the conflicted and diverse hothouse that is Memphis culture?

28. Pot Ordinance, County Ambulance Service Top County Commission Agenda - Monday, December 5, 2016

There are seven no votes on the Shelby County Commission against an ordinance allowing Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies to write a civil summons with a $50 fine for possession of a half ounce or less of marijuana.

29. Pot Vote Seen as Foothold in Memphis Criminal Justice Changes - Thursday, October 6, 2016

There were two gateway debates in Memphis City Council chambers Tuesday, Oct. 4, as it debated and then approved an ordinance that gives Memphis Police the discretion to write a ticket with a $50 fine for possession of a half ounce or less of marijuana.

30. Legislator: Marijuana Law Has Problems - Thursday, September 29, 2016

State Rep. William Lamberth balks at the notion Memphis and Nashville are softening the punishment for simple pot possession.

31. Pot Decriminalization Nears Final Vote - Thursday, September 22, 2016

One of the state’s two largest cities has decriminalized possession of less than a half ounce of marijuana. And the other city set the stage for a final vote on a similar measure next month.

The final vote Tuesday, Sept. 20, by the Metro Nashville Council could be one of several factors influencing the final vote Oct. 4 by the Memphis City Council.

32. Council Sets Stage for Final Pot Ordinance Vote - Wednesday, September 21, 2016

With no debate, Memphis City Council members approved Tuesday, Sept. 20, the second of three readings of an ordinance that would allow police officers to write a ticket with a $50 fine for possession of less than a half ounce of marijuana.

33. Nashville Sues State, Says K-12 Funding Inadequate - Monday, September 5, 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Nashville is suing the state over what it says is inadequate funding of public education, in violation of the Tennessee Constitution.

Shelby County and a cluster of seven counties that includes Hamilton have each filed lawsuits over the state's funding of the Basic Education Program, or BEP. That's the method the state uses to meet its constitutional obligation to provide free K-12 public education.

34. Haslam Says Special Session Likely Without Federal Compromise - Friday, August 26, 2016

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said $60 million in federal roads funding is too much for the state to lose because of a law the Tennessee Legislature passed that federal officials have a problem with.

During a Thursday, Aug. 25, visit to Memphis, Haslam said his administration is talking with federal transportation officials to work out a compromise in which the legislature would change the drunken driving statute when it returns to session in January. If there is no compromise, Haslam indicated he will likely call a special session of the Legislature by the end of current year to change the statute.

35. Coliseum, Residency Rules Top City Council Day - Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Memphis City Council members talk about possible lease terms for the Mid-South Coliseum Tuesday, Aug. 23, during their executive session.

The item – “discussion of Coliseum lease terms” – was added to the committee session agenda on Monday. It comes two weeks after the owners of Wiseacre Brewing Co. outlined to council members a general concept of moving the brewery into the Coliseum and greatly expanding their operations.

36. Last Word: Using the ACT, Murmuration and We Grow - Tuesday, August 2, 2016

The superintendents of the Bartlett and Germantown school systems say they have a remedy to the testing complaints state education officials are grappling with.

David Stephens and Jason Manuel, of Bartlett and Germantown respectively, tell us on WKNO's Behind The Headlines that they support using the college ACT test for high school students in place of the end-of-course exams.

37. Senator Seeks Reconvening of Congress Over Zika Virus - Saturday, July 30, 2016

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The Latest on the Zika virus in Florida (all Eastern times):

4 p.m.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is asking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to reconvene Congress so lawmakers can pass an emergency spending bill to fight the spread of the Zika virus.

38. Red State, Blue Mayors - Thursday, July 28, 2016

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, a Democrat in Tennessee’s sea of red, finds herself adapting to the control Republicans hold over the state Legislature.

39. Last Word: Back On, EDGE and Diversity and Jungle Room Sessions - Friday, June 17, 2016

Are your lights on yet? How is your air conditioning? First came the rain Wednesday night and then came the power outages that stretched into Thursday.

So the last Twitter update from Memphis Light Gas and Water at 8 p.m. Thursday shows 248 outages in the MLGW service area with 2,746 customers still in the dark and the worst heat of the year so far. Those numbers translate to 95 percent of the customers impacted having their power restored Thursday evening.

40. Station to Station - Saturday, May 14, 2016

Even now, Explore Bike Share founder Doug Carpenter does not try to pretend that the initiative will cure all that ails Memphis. 

It won’t wipe out poverty. It can’t cure cancer. It won’t eliminate diabetes and obesity, solve all of the city’s transportation problems or totally bridge cultural and racial gaps that predate the bicycle’s invention.

41. Memphis' Startup Accelerators Teaming Up This Summer - Thursday, April 21, 2016

For several years now, Memphis hasn’t been home to a unified hub of startup companies and activities so much as a collection of startup archipelagos, the disparate factions of activity sometimes duplicating the work of other groups.

42. Memphis Fights Back: Senate Poised To Do Real Damage via De-Annexation - Thursday, March 24, 2016

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland makes a persuasive argument against de-annexation legislation now being considered by the state Legislature, providing a long list of figures to show it would devastate the Bluff City.

43. County Commission Approves Hacks Cross Contract, New Health Director - Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Shelby County Commissioners approved Monday, Jan. 11, a $223,600 contract for engineering and environmental work on the Hacks Cross Road widening.

The contract with Powers Hill Design LLC is to make Hacks Cross a seven-lane road from Shelby Drive south to Stateline Road, a span of 1.8 miles.

44. Memphis Legislators Sound Off On State-Run School District - Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Armed with a Vanderbilt University study showing Shelby County schools that were taken over by the state’s Achievement School District are showing little to no improvement, Memphis legislators are nearly ready to kill the experiment.

45. Refugees, Regents, Privatization On Tap for New Session - Friday, January 1, 2016

State Sen. Ken Yager isn’t quite ready for the state of Tennessee to reclaim the Refugee Resettlement Program from Catholic Charities.

46. Civil Asset Forfeiture: 'It's a State License to Steal' - Saturday, December 5, 2015

The drugs in Kathy Stiltner’s car were over-the-counter antacids. The $12,000 in cash was from an inheritance. Still, police took the money – quite legally – and are still fighting to keep it, even after the drug charge was dropped.

47. Memphis College Prep Renovating Former Dunn Avenue Elementary - Tuesday, October 6, 2015

1500 Dunn Ave.
Memphis, TN 38106

Permit Amount: $1.4 million

Application Date: Sept. 30

48. Commission Confirms Orgel Appointment to DMC - Saturday, September 19, 2015

Shelby County commissioners confirmed Monday, Sept. 14, county mayor Mark Luttrell’s appointment of Benjamin Orgel to the Downtown Memphis Commission board.

49. County Commission Confirms Orgel Appointment to DMC - Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Shelby County commissioners confirmed Monday, Sept. 14, county mayor Mark Luttrell’s appointment of Benjamin Orgel to the Downtown Memphis Commission board.

50. Roland Claims County Commission Chairmanship - Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Three weeks after Steve Basar was elected – and an hour later un-elected – as chairman, the Shelby County Commission settled the discussion of who would be its leader next year by electing commissioner Terry Roland.

51. Got A Dream? Launch It With Help From Crowdfunding - Saturday, May 16, 2015

One friend helped Annie Klaver get into her corporate job, and 131 helped her get out. More specifically, 131 people pledged a total of $15,556 on Indiegogo, enabling Klaver to launch her new outdoor company, River Queen Voyages, this month.

52. Hopson Urges Caution in Joining Funding Lawsuit - Saturday, March 28, 2015

Shelby County Schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson wants to take another 30 to 45 days to examine a lawsuit filed Tuesday, March 24, against the state of Tennessee by seven public school systems in the Chattanooga area over state funding of the Basic Education Program.

53. Knox County Superintendent 'Surprised' By Hamilton Co. Suit - Thursday, March 26, 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The superintendent of Knox County Schools said Wednesday that he's surprised Hamilton County and six Chattanooga-area school systems filed a lawsuit against the state over funding after what he thought was a productive meeting with the governor.

54. Dorsey Hopson Urges Caution in Joining Funding Lawsuit - Thursday, March 26, 2015

Shelby County Schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson wants to take another 30 to 45 days to examine a lawsuit filed Tuesday, March 24, against the state of Tennessee by seven public school systems in the Chattanooga area over state funding of the Basic Education Program.

55. Sparking Change - Thursday, March 26, 2015

Memphis is not Silicon Valley. And the nonprofit sector is not the tech industry. But nonprofits could perhaps learn something from companies large and small that make Silicon Valley the tech epicenter.

56. Hopson Discussing Return of Northaven Students to Millington Central - Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Shelby County Schools and Millington Municipal Schools leaders met this week to talk over the possibility of teenagers in Northaven attending Millington Central High School next school year.

Shelby County Schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson said Tuesday, March 24, that it is just an idea as the school system walks back its tentative plans to create a Woodstock High School that the Northaven children would have attended.

57. Haslam to Meet Educators Next Week in School Funding Dispute - Wednesday, March 18, 2015

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam says he'll meet with the leaders of the state's four largest school districts next week to discuss an ongoing dispute over education funding.

58. Haslam to Talk Funding With School Districts - Saturday, March 14, 2015

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam says he will try to meet with the state’s four largest school districts as early as next week to discuss education funding.

The move comes as three of the four districts are actively considering a lawsuit against the state to get more funding for schools. Districts in Shelby, Knox and Hamilton counties are gathering information for a possible lawsuit. Metro Nashville Public Schools decided on Tuesday to wait at least 30 days before actively considering a lawsuit.

59. Haslam Wants to Talk Funding With State School Districts - Friday, March 13, 2015

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam says he will try to meet with the state’s four largest school districts as early as next week to discuss education funding.

The move comes as three of the four districts are actively considering a lawsuit against the state to get more funding for schools. Districts in Shelby, Knox and Hamilton counties are gathering information for a possible lawsuit. Metro Nashville Public Schools decided on Tuesday to wait at least 30 days before actively considering a lawsuit.

60. Haslam Wants to Talk Funding With School Districts - Thursday, March 12, 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam says he will try to meet with the state's four largest school districts as early as next week to discuss education funding.

The move comes as three of the four districts are actively considering a lawsuit against the state to get more funding for schools. Districts in Shelby, Knox and Hamilton counties are gathering information for a possible lawsuit. Metro Nashville Public Schools decided on Tuesday to wait at least 30 days before actively considering a lawsuit.

61. Achievement School District Wants to Recruit Students - Tuesday, February 3, 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee's Achievement School District, the agency charged with turning around Tennessee's lowest performing schools, wants to start recruiting students.

It would be a big change for the district, which was formed in 2010 with grant money from the federal Race to the Top program and charged with turning around Tennessee's lowest performing schools without bringing in new students.

62. Immigrants Find Room to Grow in Nashville's Public Gardens - Saturday, December 20, 2014

With the growing season wrapped up for winter and the temperature hovering at 45 degrees on a recent Sunday, the community garden off Wedgewood Avenue looked to be draped in a brown afghan with just a few patches of green peeking through.

63. After the Campaign - Saturday, November 22, 2014

The 2014 election year began in January with dissent from the floor.

At the end of the Shelby County Democratic Party’s annual Kennedy Day fundraiser in January, former Memphis City Council member and state Rep. Carol Chumney, who was not among the speakers, challenged the party establishment from her table to do more to support women running for office.

64. Not Closing on Time? Little Issues Can Lead to Big Snags - Saturday, November 1, 2014

Here is a scary Halloween tale: Many real estate transactions do not close on the actual date specified by the legally binding contract.

This is not a recent phenomenon and has occurred since the time buyers required funding by third parties to purchase homes.

65. Ballot Questions Highlight November Election - Friday, October 3, 2014

When Shelby County voters begin making their choices in a week and a half in the last election of 2014, a good number of the choices won’t be among candidates but rather a choice between yes or no.

66. HipD: Donelson Finds Its Cool Side - Saturday, September 27, 2014

The tag “Hip Donelson” evoked plenty of snickers, eye rolls and snarky comments when it first appeared. After all, the local joke goes, Donelson’s known for hip replacements – not hipsters.

67. Road to Better Mass Transit - Saturday, September 20, 2014

Picking a new transit chief is critical for a city in transition.

Next year, Nashville residents will elect a new mayor and turn over its large Metro Council.

Davidson County also expects some 200,000 new residents over the next 20 years, and much of the success of future development will depend on the ease of navigating around Nashville – already the nation’s second-worst area for sprawl, according to Smart Growth America.

68. Greenprint Advocates Tout Range of Benefits - Thursday, August 28, 2014

After being lampooned for years as one of the worst metro areas in the country for bicyclists and pedestrians, the Memphis region is poised to make a huge leap forward in developing a regional greenway and trail system.

69. Belmont Welcomes Largest-Ever Freshman Class - Saturday, August 23, 2014

If you graduated from Belmont 20 years ago, you might not recognize the campus today.

Near ceaseless on-campus construction and a huge spike in enrollment has changed the once-sleepy little school into a major player in Nashville and in national collegiate circles.

70. House GOP Unveils Bill Slashing Highway Grants - Wednesday, May 7, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans controlling the House unveiled legislation on Tuesday that proposes a huge cut to a transportation grant program championed by President Barack Obama that funds road and bridge projects, light rail networks, port construction and bike paths.

71. Panel Begins Study of State's Funding Formula - Tuesday, March 25, 2014

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A task force appointed by Gov. Bill Haslam has begun studying the state's school funding formula.

The panel held its first meeting on Monday. It was formed amid criticism that the Basic Education Program, or BEP, is not adequately funding districts statewide. The program hasn't been fully funded since it was overhauled about seven years ago under then-Gov. Phil Bredesen.

72. Richmond Honan Buys Quince Centre for $10 Million - Tuesday, March 18, 2014

6555 Quince Road
Memphis, TN 38119
Sale Amount: $10.4 million
Sale Date: March 7, 2014

73. Hall Tax Proposal Would Affect City Budgets - Monday, February 10, 2014

Tennessee municipalities are keeping a close watch on proposed legislation to eliminate or reduce the Hall tax.

The Tennessean reports that's because cities use funding from the tax in their budgets and losing it would cause a large dent.

74. School Board Pay Raise Returns to Commission - Monday, February 10, 2014

Shelby County Commissioners vote Monday, Feb. 10, on a $20,800 pay raise for Shelby County School board members.

The commission meets at 1:30 p.m. at the Vasco Smith Administration Building.

Follow the meeting @tdnpols, www.twitter.com/tdnpols.

75. University of Memphis' Martin Challenges Dropout Premise - Tuesday, February 4, 2014

University of Memphis interim President Brad Martin says the premise that students coming out of high school are academically unprepared for higher education may not be as prevalent as it’s believed to be. And he adds that the university’s experience indicates students leave without graduating because of other factors.

76. Task Force to Study State's Funding Formula - Wednesday, January 29, 2014

NASHVILLE (AP) – Gov. Bill Haslam has appointed a task force to study the state's school funding formula.

The panel is being formed amid criticism that the Basic Education Program, or BEP, is not adequately funding districts statewide.

77. Study Finds Medicaid Expansion Drove Up ER Visits - Friday, January 3, 2014

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A new study has found that people enrolled recently in Medicaid went to the emergency room 40 percent more frequently than others, often seeking help for conditions that could be treated less expensively in a doctor's office or an urgent care clinic.

78. The Year That Was - Saturday, December 28, 2013

2013 brought plenty of unique and out-of-the-ordinary moments, as well as the launch of new events, businesses and civic ventures that collectively made the Memphis experience richer.

Much of it was covered in these pages, including in recent days a U.S. Supreme Court justice eliciting chuckles from and sharing his constitutional philosophy with an audience of Memphis lawyers.

79. Building Capacities - Saturday, December 21, 2013

Major road and highway projects like the Interstate 269 loop, I-40/240 and the Mallory Road interchange near Frank Pigeon Industrial Park made substantial progress during 2013, with several phases of important transportation corridors wrapping up and new projects planned for 2014 and beyond.

80. Commission Votes Down School Board Pay Raise - Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The issue of how much to pay elected officials was settled Monday, Dec. 16, by the Shelby County Commission on one front.

But the debate will still be around in another form in the new year.

81. Attorney General: Tennessee Charter School Law Constitutional - Wednesday, September 11, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper has rendered a legal opinion that the state's charter school funding law is constitutional.

82. Council to Tackle Budget Leftovers - Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Meeting for a third consecutive Tuesday, Memphis City Council members take up a few budget leftovers Tuesday, July 2, but also get to some items delayed because of the unusual budget deliberations.

83. Commission Approves Certified Tax Rate As Prelude To Tax Debate - Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Shelby County Commissioners established a certified county property tax rate of $4.32 Monday, May 20, after much debate about what the calculation means in a reappraisal year where reappraisal values went down instead of up or staying roughly even.

84. Turner’s Political Role Honors His Lineage - Friday, March 29, 2013

State Rep. Mike Turner, D-Nashville, has a political lineage of which he is proud.

As a 4-year-old, he recalls sitting on his father’s shoulders and campaigning for former U.S. Sen. Albert Gore Sr.

85. Koury’s Success Defined by Partnerships, Programming - Friday, March 8, 2013

Heather Baugus Koury has been executive director of the American Institute of Architects Memphis chapter for more than a decade, and although she was just named to the distinguished status of Honorary AIA, she’s never considered becoming a practitioner.

86. Merger Again Intersects With Nashville - Monday, February 18, 2013

For a third consecutive year in Nashville, the Shelby County schools merger and the suburban reaction to it are on the calendar of the Tennessee legislature.

As the General Assembly finished its legislative week Thursday, Feb. 14, state Senate Republican leader Mark Norris of Collierville introduced several bills, some of them captions to be added to as needed that would make suburban municipal school districts possible.

87. Memphis Charter School Growth Ranks Nationally - Thursday, November 15, 2012

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools ranks Memphis City Schools as having the ninth-highest growth rate for charter school enrollment in the country.

The new charter school survey, the seventh annual by the organization, released Wednesday, Nov. 14, shows charter school enrollment in Memphis City Schools grew by more than 21 percent in the 2011-2012 school year compared to the previous school year. Charter schools serve 6,500 students in Memphis by the alliance figures, which is a 6 percent market share.

88. Cash Clashes With State on Charter Schools - Thursday, November 1, 2012

Memphis City Schools Superintendent Kriner Cash warned countywide school board members Tuesday, Oct. 30, of what could be a second front in the clash between local school systems and Gov. Bill Haslam’s administration over charter schools.

89. School Board To Meet On Merger Recommendations Next Month - Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Countywide school board members will begin what several described as the “dirty work” of the schools merger to come at a special meeting Nov. 15.

At that meeting, the board will vote on many if not all of the recommendations from the consolidation planning commission that ended its work in July.

90. Nashville to Lose $3 Million for Rejecting Charter School - Wednesday, September 19, 2012

The state Department of Education is withholding $3.4 million in funding from the public school system in Nashville over a rejected charter school.

The Metro Nashville school board last week defied an order by the state Board of Education to approve the application from Phoenix-based Great Hearts Academies.

91. Nashville to Lose $3 Million for Rejecting Charter School - Tuesday, September 18, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – The state Department of Education is withholding $3.4 million in funding from the public school system in Nashville over a rejected charter school.

The Metro Nashville school board last week defied an order by the state Board of Education to approve the application from Phoenix-based Great Hearts Academies.

92. Redistrict Fight About More Than Map - Monday, May 7, 2012

Shelby County Commissioners begin a fourth effort Monday, May 7, at a redistricting plan that is five months overdue and counting.

But the new effort is more about the Shelby County charter than it is about drawing the district lines for their own districts.

93. MPO Chief Shares Long-Range Transportation Plans - Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Memphis Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization has been providing long-range transportation planning for the region for more than 30 years.

It’s the second largest of 11 MPOs in Tennessee, behind only Nashville. But when MPO administrator Pragati Srivastava is out making presentations or at public hearings, she often comes across a lot of people who are unfamiliar with the organization’s scope.

94. MPO Administrator Recaps Plans to CCIM - Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Memphis Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization has been providing long-range transportation planning for the region for more than 30 years.

It’s the second largest of 11 total MPOs in Tennessee, behind Nashville. But when MPO administrator Pragati Srivastava is out showing presentations or at public hearings, she often comes across a lot of people who are unfamiliar with the organization’s scope.

95. Transportation Boosted to Top of Political Agenda - Wednesday, February 15, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – After years of procrastination, the White House and Congress have suddenly boosted a long-term plan to improve the nation's roads, bridges and transit systems to the top of the political agenda.

96. Negative Hits Keep Coming in 2011 - Friday, December 30, 2011

While some of the Mid-South’s more than 3,000 nonprofit organizations received major gifts and successfully engaged new donor bases, the anemic economic recovery required others to hold a magnifying glass to their bottom lines in 2011.

97. Study: Recession Changing Orgs’ Approach to Service - Friday, December 9, 2011

Less funding, increased operational costs and a growing demand for services continue to beleaguer the Mid-South’s nonprofit sector, according to a new report from the Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence.

98. Safety Net Hospitals Worried About Possible Cuts - Tuesday, November 22, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – TennCare could be in big trouble if Congress decides to decrease or stop providing matching money for provider fees.

Tennessee hospitals began using provider fees to prevent the state from losing federal money when the legislature slashed TennCare's budget, according to The Tennessean (http://tnne.ws/rNsj9v).

99. Casada Weighs In on Anti-Bias Legislation - Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Editor’s Note: This is an occasional series that profiles Tennessee’s state legislators. Credit his friends – and the inspiration of Ronald Reagan – with starting state Rep. Glen Casada on the road to public service.

100. City Hopes Rewards Program Key Out of Poverty - Monday, September 26, 2011

The same month local leaders began an effort to end homelessness in the next decade, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and his administration kicked off a similar effort to reduce the level of poverty in the city by 10 percent over the next 10 years at a rate of 1 percent a year.