There was a point Thursday morning during the troubled TNReady testing at some Tennessee school districts when there was a “brief” slow down in the online testing, according to the Tennessee Education commissioner’s office. By noon that had been resolved and more than 250,000 completed tests had been submitted since testing began Monday. One can only imagine what some of the thoughts were in the office during the slow down and the gap between how long the slow down seemed and how long it actually was.

2. Last Word: Failed Test, Trolley Back Story and Violent Crime Down City and County - Wednesday, April 18, 2018

The state’s third problem with online student achievement testing in three years is gathering political force in Nashville. And that force is aimed for the most part at testing in general and the role it plays in evaluating teachers and students.

3. Three Incumbents Unopposed at August Primary Ballot Deadline - Monday, April 9, 2018

Three incumbent Democratic state House members in the Shelby County delegation to the Tennessee Legislature were effectively re-elected Thursday, April 5, at the noon deadline for candidates in the Aug. 2 state and federal primaries to file their qualifying petitions.

4. Three Incumbents Unopposed at August Primary Ballot Filing Deadline - Friday, April 6, 2018

Three incumbent Democratic state House members in the Shelby County delegation to the Tennessee Legislature were effectively re-elected Thursday, April 5, at the noon deadline for candidates in the Aug. 2 state and federal primaries to file their qualifying petitions.

5. Events - Monday, February 26, 2018

The Voices of the South Writing Cabaret will meet Monday, Feb. 26, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at TheatreSouth, 1000 S. Cooper St. (in the First Congregational Church basement). At the start of the evening, participants receive a writing prompt and write for an hour, then everyone is given the opportunity to share what they have written. Cost is free; one drink minimum. Visit voicesofthesouth.org.

6. Events - Saturday, February 24, 2018

Hattiloo Theatre will perform “Selma: A Musical Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” Friday, Feb. 23, through March 18 at Hattiloo, 37 S. Cooper St. The dramatic musical captures prominent moments such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Visit hattiloo.org for showtimes and tickets.

7. Akbari Pulls Petition To Run for State Senate - Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Democratic state Rep. Raumesh Akbari has decided to run for the District 29 state Senate seat being vacated by Lee Harris in the Shelby County legislative delegation.

8. Candidates in August State and Federal Primaries Start Pulling Petitions Friday - Thursday, January 4, 2018

Contenders for the May Shelby County primaries are still coming out of the political woodwork. And starting Friday, Jan. 5, candidates in the August state and federal primaries can begin pulling qualifying petitions for the second of three elections in 2018.

9. May Primary Ballot Continues to Fill Up - Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Floyd Bonner, chief sheriff’s deputy for Shelby County, is among the latest candidates to file for a place on the May 2018 primary elections ballot. Bonner filed Friday, Dec. 8, in the Democratic primary for sheriff. He is expected to run against sheriff’s office supervisor and 2014 Democratic nominee for sheriff Bennie Cobb in the primary.

10. December 8-14, 2017: This week in Memphis history: - Saturday, December 9, 2017

1978: The Democratic National Committee meets for a midterm convention in Memphis. The centerpiece of the gathering is a call by U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy for health care reform that will become the major goal for the rest of his political career. The midterm convention brings President Jimmy Carter to the city. Kennedy and Carter will face each other two years later in a bitter fight for the party’s presidential nomination.

11. Run Women Run - Thursday, November 2, 2017

In 2018, Shelby County voters will be presented with a long ballot as candidates compete for most county offices, many school board and suburban government positions and congressional and legislative seats.

12. Council OKs Multifamily Project Near Overton Park - Thursday, July 27, 2017

The key element in selling the Overton Gateway project compromise to Midtown homeowners turned out to have little to do with the height of the apartment buildings or the number of parking spaces.

The mixed residential development by Makowsky Ringel Greenberg LLC at Sam Cooper Boulevard and East Parkway drew the concern of a lot of Midtown neighborhoods with historic status because its apartment buildings exceed the guidelines of the Lea’s Woods historic area on the eastern edge of Overton Park.

13. Last Word: The Overton Park Split, Democrats Help The Gas Tax Bill and LaVar Ball - Thursday, March 23, 2017

The city's tallest building, the fenced-off, derelict, 38-story 100 N. Main Building, cited in the past by fire officials for code violations including fire alarms that don't work -- had a small fire Wednesday 34 floors up.

14. Two Memphis Democrats Help Move Amended Fuel-Tax Bill Along - Thursday, March 23, 2017

NASHVILLE – Two Memphis legislators helped move the governor’s IMPROVE Act and fuel-tax increases out of the House Transportation Committee Tuesday, March 21, saying they support a section allowing local governments to raise funds separately for mass transit.

15. House Committee Delays Haslam's Transportation Bill - Thursday, March 9, 2017

NASHVILLE – A split House Transportation Committee slammed the brakes Tuesday on Gov. Bill Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, even though it contains a measure to use the sales tax for transportation funding instead of raising fuel taxes.

16. DMC Seeks Longer-Term Management of Beale - Saturday, March 4, 2017

The Downtown Memphis Commission’s board of directors voted Friday, Feb. 24, to allow DMC president Terence Patterson to enter into negotiations with the city of Memphis to manage Beale Street on a longer-term basis.

17. DMC Seeks Longer-Term Management of Beale - Tuesday, February 28, 2017

The Downtown Memphis Commission’s board of directors voted Friday, Feb. 24, to allow DMC president Terence Patterson to enter into negotiations with the city of Memphis to manage Beale Street on a longer-term basis.

18. DMC Seeks Longer Term Management of Beale - Saturday, February 25, 2017

The Downtown Memphis Commission’s Board of Directors voted Friday, Feb. 24, to allow DMC president Terence Patterson to enter into negotiations with the City of Memphis to manage Beale Street on a longer-term basis.

19. DMC Seeks Longer Term Management of Beale - Saturday, February 25, 2017

The Downtown Memphis Commission’s Board of Directors voted Friday, Feb. 24, to allow DMC president Terence Patterson to enter into negotiations with the City of Memphis to manage Beale Street on a longer-term basis.

20. DMC Seeks Longer Term Management of Beale - Saturday, February 25, 2017

The Downtown Memphis Commission’s Board of Directors voted Friday, Feb. 24, to allow DMC president Terence Patterson to enter into negotiations with the City of Memphis to manage Beale Street on a longer-term basis.

21. DMC Seeks Longer Term Management of Beale - Saturday, February 25, 2017

The Downtown Memphis Commission’s Board of Directors voted Friday, Feb. 24, to allow DMC president Terence Patterson to enter into negotiations with the City of Memphis to manage Beale Street on a longer-term basis.

22. DMC Seeks Longer Term Management of Beale - Saturday, February 25, 2017

The Downtown Memphis Commission’s Board of Directors voted Friday, Feb. 24, to allow DMC president Terence Patterson to enter into negotiations with the City of Memphis to manage Beale Street on a longer-term basis.

23. Sexual Harassment Takes Stage in State Capitol Again - Monday, February 20, 2017

NASHVILLE – Saying she was a victim of sexual harassment when she entered the Legislature, state Rep. Barbara Cooper is calling on tougher rules to stop inappropriate behavior toward women.

“When I first got here I was violated and disrespected by one or two of the legislators. And of course I did get an apology, but that’s all that was done. And I feel like if we have some strong measures in place, these kinds of things will not continue,” Cooper says.

24. Opponents of Gas-Tax Hike Push Alternative Plans - Monday, February 6, 2017

NASHVILLE – Amid legislative strife over Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposal to raise gas taxes and reduce business taxes, Rep. Barbara Cooper says she is inviting the governor to “sell” his plan to her Memphis constituents.

25. Opponents of Gas-Tax Hike Push Alternative Plans - Friday, February 3, 2017

NASHVILLE – Amid legislative strife over Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposal to raise gas taxes and reduce business taxes, Rep. Barbara Cooper says she is inviting the governor to “sell” his plan to her Memphis constituents.

26. Opponents of Proposed Gas-Tax Hike Push Alternatives - Friday, February 3, 2017

NASHVILLE – Amid legislative strife over Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposal to raise gas taxes and reduce business taxes, Rep. Barbara Cooper says she is inviting the governor to “sell” his plan to her Memphis constituents.

27. State Targets Refugee Program; Lollar to Lead Delegation - Tuesday, January 17, 2017

The state Legislature is likely to file a complaint before the end of January challenging the legality of the Refugee Resettlement Program in Tennessee, according to Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris.

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

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

29. Akbari Proving to be Worthy Successor to Iconic DeBerry - Friday, May 6, 2016

Those who wondered how Raumesh Akbari would do in following legendary Memphis legislator Lois DeBerry now have a much clearer picture.

30. Last Word: The Bible Veto Override Vote, Grizz Nostalgia and Kroger Goes Online - Thursday, April 21, 2016

The Tennessee Legislature hoped to end its 2016 session Wednesday at the end of an eventful day that included a failed attempt to override Gov. Bill Haslam’s veto of the bill that would have made the Bible the official state book.
But into Wednesday evening, the state House was still debating the Hall tax on dividends – specifically further roll backs of it. And the Senate had gone home for the night.
So Thursday looks like a good bet for the adjournment for the year and the formal start of the election season for incumbents.

31. Most Political Hopefuls Follow Through in August Elections - Monday, April 18, 2016

Shelby County election commissioners meet Tuesday, April 19, to set the ballot for the Aug. 4 state and federal primaries and county general elections.

Of 99 qualifying petitions for the ballot pulled in Shelby County, some by the same citizen pondering multiple races, 65 were filed by the April 7 qualifying deadline and four of those 65 petitions had been withdrawn by the April 14 withdrawal deadline.

32. Three Withdraw From August Ballot At Thursday Deadline - Friday, April 15, 2016

Three contenders in the Aug. 4 state legislative primaries in Shelby County withdrew from the races by the Thursday, April 14, withdrawal deadline including two would-be challengers of veteran Democratic state House members from Memphis.

33. August Primaries Feature Intra-Party Challenges - Monday, April 11, 2016

Two years after a disastrous slate of races for countywide offices, there is a move among younger Democratic partisans in Memphis to shake up the Democrats who represent the city in the Tennessee Legislature.

34. 8th Congressional District Primaries Draw 22 Contenders, 13 Republican - Friday, April 8, 2016

The Republican primary race to fill the 8th District Congressional seat Republican incumbent Stephen Fincher is giving up drew a field of 13 contenders – seven from Shelby County and four from Jackson, Tennessee – at the Thursday, April 7, noon filing deadline for the Aug. 4 ballot.

35. Bona Fide - Thursday, September 10, 2015

When the Bona Fide Blues Festival takes a set of stages in Overton Square and the Cooper-Young neighborhood next month, it will mark a return that’s been a long time coming.

But it also will offer something new.

36. Events - Monday, November 24, 2014

Chickasaw Council of the Boy Scouts of America will honor Barbara and J.R. “Pitt” Hyde with a Distinguished Citizens Award at a ceremony Monday, Nov. 24, with a reception at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. Visit chickasaw.org/distinguishedcitizensawarddinner for tickets and more information.

37. Sen. Summerville Charged With Public Intoxication - Thursday, September 18, 2014

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Outgoing state Sen. Jim Summerville, whose behavior has often drawn the ire of his Republican colleagues, has been charged with public intoxication.

38. Events - Saturday, May 31, 2014

The Circuit Playhouse will present the dark comedy “The Lyons” Friday, May 30, through June 22, at the theater, 51 S. Cooper St. Buy tickets at playhouseonthesquare.org.

39. 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.

40. Events - Saturday, January 18, 2014

The Daily News and In-Synk will host a Leadership Lunch and Learn discussing Marcus Buckingham’s book “The One Thing You Need to Know” Friday, Jan. 17, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in the Triumph Bank boardroom, 5699 Poplar Ave. Tickets are $20. Visit lnltheonething.eventbrite.com.

41. Current Elections Merge With Future Campaigns - Tuesday, October 29, 2013

The campaigns for elections in 2013 are beginning to overlap with campaigns on the ballot in 2014.

The set of 11 elections in three months ends with the Nov. 21 special general election for state House District 91 and a citywide referendum on a half percent sales tax hike.

42. Events - Thursday, October 17, 2013

National Hispanic Professional Organization-Memphis will meet Thursday, Oct. 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hilton Memphis, 939 Ridge Lake Blvd. Barbara Prescott, executive director of PeopleFirst, will speak. Cost is $20 for nonmembers. RSVP to info@nhpomemphis.us or 466-6476.

43. Akbari Takes District 91 Democratic Primary - Thursday, October 10, 2013

As fewer than 2,000 voters participated in the latest of 11 elections in Shelby County in a three-month span, the independent candidate in the Nov. 21 special general election for state House District 91 filed suit against state election officials in U.S. Federal Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

44. Akbari Wins Democratic State House Primary - Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Raumesh Akbari, an attorney making her first bid for elected office, won the Democratic primary State House special election Tuesday, Oct. 8 in a low turnout contest featuring seven contenders and an unofficial voter turnout of 5.4 percent.

45. Voters to Decide Nominee for DeBerry’s Seat - Tuesday, October 8, 2013

For the first time in 41 years, Lois DeBerry’s name will not be on a Shelby County ballot for a state House seat.

46. Early Voting Opens in State House Primary - Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Early voting opens Wednesday, Sept. 18, in the Democratic primary special election for State House District 91.

From Wednesday through Sept. 26, early voting is limited to the Shelby County Election Commission office at 157 Poplar Ave.

47. Back to Work - Friday, January 11, 2013

The Shelby County legislative delegation to Nashville returned to the capital Tuesday, Jan. 8, with three fewer members – one state senator and two state representatives – all Democrats – but with no new faces.

48. Opponents of School Closings Raise Concerns - Wednesday, November 28, 2012

The first of three of the most politically challenging decisions the countywide school board has to make about the consolidation of public schools probably won’t happen this week.

Instead of taking a first preliminary vote Thursday, Nov. 29, to close 21 schools by the August merger date, Memphis City Schools superintendent Kriner Cash is asking the board to start a set of “impact studies” and schedule public hearings for closing five elementary schools.

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

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

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

50. Shelby Early Vote Shows Cohen Winning - Two Tax Questions Losing - Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Early vote totals from Shelby County were released just before 10 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 6, after the vote count was delayed in part by long lines of voters waiting to vote at the 7 p.m. closing of polls.

51. Workforce Preparation - Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has been hearing the same thing as he travels across the state holding forums on higher education.

Tennessee’s technology centers don’t have the equipment that employers want to see their workers trained on before they hire them.

52. No Regrets as Kernell Exits 38 Years in Nashville - Tuesday, August 7, 2012

When Mike Kernell first took his seat in the House chamber in Nashville he had just turned and he was a political newcomer inspired to run for office in the wake of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. just six years earlier.

53. Election Eve Prep And A Surprise - Thursday, August 2, 2012

When the polls open across Shelby County Thursday, Aug. 2, election officials will be watching closely in several areas for continuing election problems.

The problems began during the early voting period that ended Saturday with more than 1,000 getting ballots that had the wrong district races for the Tennessee Legislature and the U.S. House.

54. Conspiracy Theory - Thursday, April 12, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tennessee joined 14 other states along with the U.S. Justice Department in suing Apple Inc. and major book publishers Wednesday, alleging a conspiracy to raise the price of electronic books they said cost consumers more than $100 million in the past two years by adding $2 to $5 to the price of each e-book.

55. New District Lines Lead to New Races - Monday, April 9, 2012

“This time I waited to be sure,” Ian Randolph said just before the Thursday, April 5, deadline for candidates to file in the Aug. 2 elections.

56. Cohen-Hart in Congressional Race at Filing Deadline - Friday, April 6, 2012

The chairman of the countywide school board, Billy Orgel, was effectively elected to his District 7 school board seat without opposition at the Thursday, April 5, filing deadline for candidates on the Aug. 2 primary and general election ballot in Shelby County.

57. Deadline Looms for Complex Aug. Elections - Thursday, March 29, 2012

The August elections were already going to be more complex than usual. There are the changes from this year’s drawing of new district lines for the Tennessee Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives.

58. All Eyes Look to Nashville in Schools Debate - Monday, March 26, 2012

As Tennessee legislative committees in Nashville prepare to shut down for the year, there are still a few to meet this week.

And one of them on Wednesday, March 28, could be the next curve in the schools reformation saga.

59. School Board Rejects Building Transfer Rules - Friday, March 23, 2012

Countywide school board members rejected Thursday, March 22, an agreement with county government on the possible transfer of school buildings to municipal school districts that would check possible legislation in Nashville on the same general subject.

60. Following Primary, Races Point to August - Monday, March 12, 2012

Two days after all the votes were counted in the Tennessee presidential primary, state Republican Party leaders had already worked out how many of the state’s at-large delegates would go to their top three candidates.

61. Property Value Among School Bills Board is Examining - Tuesday, January 31, 2012

If a charter school rents or buys an existing public school building in Tennessee, it would have to be at fair market value under one of numerous charter school bills expected to be filed in the Tennessee Legislature this year.

62. Memphis Democrats Squeezed in State Redistricting Plan - Thursday, January 5, 2012

Tennessee Senate Democratic leader Jim Kyle of Memphis and Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown are in the same Senate district under a redistricting proposal unveiled by Republican legislative leaders Wednesday, Jan. 4, in Nashville.

63. Memphis Democrats Squeezed in State Redistricting Plan - Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Tennessee Senate Democratic leader Jim Kyle of Memphis and Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown are in the same Senate district under a redistricting proposal unveiled by Republican legislative leaders Wednesday, Jan. 4, in Nashville.

64. Harwell Stops Payment for Some Legislator Travel - Tuesday, July 26, 2011

NASHVILLE – House Speaker Beth Harwell, who donates her own legislative expense payments to charity, has moved to curtail the expense money other state representatives collect for out-of-state traveling.

65. ‘Off Night’ No Excuse For Bad Dining Experience - Monday, June 27, 2011

The mantra seems to be: “Every restaurant has an off night.”

So that excuses everything?

You drop a hundred or two hundred bucks on a meal that never cohered and the service was lackadaisical and the atmosphere sort of not on point and you’re supposed to walk out and say to your companion, “Well, I guess every restaurant has an off night,” and you both shake your heads wisely and ruefully?

66. Events - Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The National Association of Women Business Owners Memphis will meet Tuesday from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Crescent Club, 6075 Poplar Ave. Deidre Malone of the Carter Malone Group will present “What’s New in PR and Marketing.” For more information or to register, contact Barbara Knight at bknight@rrmg-hr.com or Nita Black at 413-1315, or visit www.nawbo.org.

67. No Election Date Yet For MCS Charter Surrender - Thursday, January 6, 2011

The Shelby County Election Commission met Wednesday and adjourned minutes later without putting the Memphis City Schools (MCS) charter surrender on a special election ballot.

The five-member body refused based on a legal opinion from Tennessee Elections Coordinator Mark Goins delivered an hour before the meeting. The opinion says the Memphis City Council must approve having the referendum before the item can go on the ballot.

68. As Calendar Turns to New Year, Recipe for Success Unchanged - Monday, January 3, 2011

It takes a particular poverty of the imagination to quote the opening of “A Tale of Two Cities” every time one writes a story summing up a year, and yet 2010 truly does seem as if it were “the best of times and the worst of times” in the local restaurant business.

69. Memphis Farmers Market Plans $400K Expansion - Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Farmers usually wait until spring to start digging, but on Saturday the Memphis Farmers Market broke ground on an expansion that will mean more local produce in the coming year.

Organizers of the market said that a new canopy structure added to the Central Station property will add badly needed shelter and a sense of permanence.

70. Ware’s Political Future in Balance - Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. opened the city’s newest auto inspection station Monday.

As he did, the political career of one of the Memphis City Council’s most influential members hangs in the balance because of allegations she used her office to avoid the required annual car inspection ritual for city residents.

71. Events - Thursday, November 4, 2010

The Memphis BioImaging Symposium will be held Thursday and Friday at the Fogelman Executive Conference Center, 330 Innovation Drive. For more information, a list of speakers or to register, visit www.membis.org.

72. Events - Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Talk Shoppe will present “Real Estate Appraisals: Factors That Can Affect Your Value” Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Better Business Bureau, 3693 Tyndale Drive. For more information, call 482-0354.

73. Swearengen Ware Faces Council Suspension - Friday, October 29, 2010

For the fifth time in the Memphis City Council’s 42-year history, one of its sitting members has been charged with felony misconduct.

And the charge against council member Barbara Swearengen Ware raises the same questions the other cases did about whether an indicted council member should remain in elected office.

74. Council Approves Midtown Overlay - Thursday, September 30, 2010

The Midtown overlay is a done deal with this week’s approval by the Memphis City Council.

And the final result is a set of development guidelines that now allows the CVS pharmacy at Union Avenue and Cooper Street that wasn’t allowed by the overlay in its previous form.

75. Preservationists Strike Up Battle Hymn - Thursday, August 26, 2010

The Memphis City Council’s 10-2 vote Tuesday to approve plans for a CVS drug store on the corner of Union Avenue and Cooper Street seems to mean the demolition of Union Avenue United Methodist Church.

76. Midtown CVS Approved By Council - Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Memphis City Council member approved a CVS drug store at Union Ave and Cooper St. on a 10-2 vote that followed a two hour debate.

The council also approved an amendment calling on the developers of the store to get as close as they can in their plans to requirements of the advisory Midtown overlay. The two exceptions to that are restrictions on a drive through window for the pharmacy and how far from the street the building can be.

77. Local Reaction Mixed on Health Care Vote - Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Doctors and business groups have divided viewpoints about the health care reform bill that passed a major hurdle Sunday in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Three Democratic congressmen from Tennessee – Steve Cohen, Jim Cooper and Bart Gordon – voted with the majority. The bill passed 219-212.

The American Medical Association praised the vote, but the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA) opposed the bill.

Before the vote, Dr. Richard J. DePersio, president of TMA, sent a letter to the Tennessee representatives asking them to reconsider.

“We, the physicians of Tennessee, believe this legislation is not in the ultimate best interest of Tennesseans,” DePersio wrote. “It will increase health care costs for most Tennesseans, increase bureaucracy and administrative hassles for patients and practices and be detrimental to health care access and personal choice in health care.”

However, not all doctors were in line with the stance of the state organization.

Dr. Barbara Geater, a primary care physician at Rentrop and Geater PLLC in Memphis, wrote a letter supporting the legislation.

“As a working person with insurance, I am for everyone being covered, because the more people that are covered, the cheaper my health care costs are,” Geater wrote. “Those of us with health care coverage and the ability to pay do pay for those without insurance. Our health care costs and insurance costs go up to pay for those uninsured and underinsured patients.”

Dr. J. James Rohack, president of the AMA, called the vote “an important first step toward providing coverage to all Americans.”

Tony Garr, executive director of the Tennessee Health Care Campaign, said he was “thrilled” by the votes of Cohen, Cooper and Gordon.

“THCC has been working toward this moment for 21 years. … Why it took so long is the real question,” Garr said.

The National Federation of Independent Businesses in Tennessee posted a statement on its Web site proclaiming Congress had voted yes for higher costs and no for small businesses.

“Those who chose to vote yes for this bill have chosen to ignore the protests of their job-creating constituents,” said Susan Eckerly, the national senior vice president of the NFIB. “We couldn’t have been clearer how damaging this bill will be to America’s small businesses and the economic recovery of this country.”

Another organization, the Small Business Majority, issued a statement with a different viewpoint.

“Small businesses have been waiting for health care reform for decades,” said John Arensmeyer, the chief executive officer of the Small Business Majority. “Their wait is over. The House of Representatives’ passage today of this long-needed legislation means they will finally be able to get some relief from a system that has stifled their growth and ability to innovate for too long.”

The TMA pointed out the bill did not provide a fix for the sustainable growth rate formula, which will cause doctors to take a 21 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements.

78. Couple Opens Up About Restaurant Closure - Monday, February 15, 2010

Richard and Barbara Farmer opened Jarrett’s in 1994.

The restaurant on Quince Road in the Yorkshire Square shopping center served its last meal on New Year’s Eve, a victim of the economic downturn.

79. Events - Thursday, January 21, 2010

The Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence will hold a workshop today from 8:30 a.m. to noon at its office, 5100 Poplar Ave., Suite 502. Dione Alexander, vice president of the Nonprofit Finance Fund, Midwest Region, will speak. Cost is $65 for members, $125 for nonmembers and $55 for those in the Program for Nonprofit Excellence. For more information, call 684-6605 or visit www.npexcellence.org.

80. Restaurants Embrace New Normal - Monday, January 4, 2010

“For 2010, I’d like to see a 20 percent increase in revenue,” said Jeff Dunham, owner and chef at the popular Grove Grill in East Memphis.

81. Beyond Halloween - Monday, October 26, 2009

The signs are already up in some stores around the city – especially those open 24 hours a day. They remind Halloween minded patrons not to wear any kind of masks or face coverings into the stores or risk being mistaken for robbers. What we fear is the basis for Halloween as we know it. What we believe others fear is part of the evolving tradition. Combine the two and you are past Halloween and into a civic discussion that has a season of its own.

82. Fairgrounds Discussion Becomes More Ambiguous - Thursday, April 16, 2009

For two hours this week the lights were dimmed in the theater of the Children’s Museum of Memphis and Memphis City Council members got a review of plans for the Mid-South Fairgrounds renovation.

When the house lights came up and the PowerPoint presentation went dark, many concluded the ambitious Herenton administration plan is “back to square one,” to quote several council members.

83. Attorney General To Defend Strip Club Ordinance - Thursday, March 20, 2008

Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper will help defend the Shelby County ordinance governing Memphis strip clubs in U.S. District Court.

Cooper's office filed a motion Monday to intervene on the side of the city and county in the case filed by seven strip club owners. The suit challenges the constitutionality of the ordinance as well as the state law on which the ordinance is based.

84. Under Oath, Cooper Alleges More Backroom Deals at City Hall - Monday, January 7, 2008

The informant in an FBI undercover probe that led to federal indictments against two Memphis City Council members now has talked about his role in that case – and a related civil matter – under oath.

85. Under Oath, Cooper Alleges More Backroom Deals at City Hall - Friday, January 4, 2008

The informant in an FBI undercover probe that led to federal indictments against two Memphis City Council members now has talked about his role in that case – and a related civil matter – under oath.

86. Fairgrounds Redevelopment Now In Three Flavors - Thursday, December 6, 2007

Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton this week unveiled to the City Council three options for redeveloping the Mid-South Fairgrounds.

Herenton told council members the fate of Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium will depend on a pending decision from the U.S. Department of Justice about what improvements the city must make to the stadium to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

87. Civil Rights Museum's Racial Makeup Ignites Criticism - Tuesday, November 6, 2007

MEMPHIS (AP) - The National Civil Rights Museum, built around the motel where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, is drawing criticism that its governing board is too white and too closely tied to big business to watch over such an important piece of black history.

88. Council Hustles On Tying Loose Ends - Thursday, October 18, 2007

Memphis City Council members, most of them leaving office with the New Year, took several steps this week toward shaping the four-year term of their successors as well as the fifth term of Mayor Willie Herenton.

89. Fifth Term Secured, Herenton Looks To Future Agenda - Monday, October 8, 2007

This is the first week of the rest of Willie Herenton's political life.

Herenton, who was re-elected as Memphis mayor for an unprecedented fifth term Thursday, won't take the oath of office until January. But he began signaling during the final days of the campaign that a fifth term would see a renewed emphasis on past goals he has not pursued with much vigor in recent years.

90. Council Passes Buck On 'Disgusting' Warehouse Proposal - Thursday, September 6, 2007

A familiar and decidedly unwelcome name confronted City Council members on Tuesday's agenda. And the council reacted by sending the project for a warehouse near Memphis International Airport back to the Land Use Control Board (LUCB).

91. Networx Becomes Target Of Investigation Request - Friday, August 3, 2007

Seven Memphis legislators formally have requested that the Tennessee Regulatory Authority (TRA) investigate the fiber optics company Memphis Networx and its connection to Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division (MLGW).

92. City Council Races Overflow With 83 Candidates Filing - Monday, July 23, 2007

It's the year of the open seat on the Memphis City Council.

With seven incumbents not running for re-election and the resignation last month of an eighth, it is already the biggest turnover of council seats in the 40-year history of the mayor-council form of government.

93. Things Go From Hot To Smoking Hot In Election Contests - Thursday, July 12, 2007

With one week to the filing deadline for the Oct. 4 Memphis city elections, 124 citizens have thought seriously enough about running for the 15 offices on the ballot to check out qualifying petitions. Nearly 40 had filed by the end of the first week.

94. Memphis Awarded $750,000 FastTrack Infrastructure Grant - Thursday, March 8, 2007
     Gov. Phil Bredesen and Economic and Community Development (ECD) Commissioner Matthew Kisber recently approved a $750,000 FastTrack Infrastructure Development Program (FIDP) grant for the city of Memphis. The grant will h

95. Events - Friday, February 9, 2007

The Animal Protection Association is holding its annual Feral February event. This program offers services such as spaying, neutering and rabies shots for feral (alley) cats. The cost is $25. For more information, or to donate, call Barbara Standing at 210-1328 or visit www.spaymemphis.com.

96. In Pursuit of L.I.F.E. - Friday, October 27, 2006

Editor's Note: The following stories comprise the second part of a special series on the state of children in Memphis and Shelby County. To read yesterday's pieces, visit www.memphisdailynews.com.

97. Banned Books Take Center Stage at U of M - Monday, September 25, 2006

Today

In observance of the National Library Association's Banned Books Week, the University of Memphis' Ned R. McWherter Library hosts readings through Sept. 29 beginning at 11:30 a.m. in the library's rotunda. The readings will be from books that were considered controversial at some time in American history. Selections will include "The Rights of Man" by Thomas Paine, "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding and "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. A virtual panel discussion to introduce Banned Books Week will be held today from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Room 226 of the library. All related events are free and open to the public. For more information, call Tom Mendina at 678-4310.

98. Legal Administrators Group Hosts Legal Services Expo - Monday, October 24, 2005

Oct. 25

The University of Memphis' River City Writer's Series hosts a reading by author Jill McCorkle at 7 p.m. at Dixon Gallery & Gardens, 4339 Park Ave. McCorkle also will offer an interview session and writing workshop Wednesday on the University of Memphis campus. For more information, call 678-2651 or visit www.memphis.edu/rivercitywriters.

99. Archived Article: Newsmakers - Wednesday, December 15, 2004
MBA Elects Officers

Memphis Bar Names 2005 Officers, Directors

The Memphis Bar Association announced the election of the following 2005 officers: Susan M. Clark, president; Barbara Zoccola, vice president; David Cook, treasurer; and Amy Amunds...

100. Archived Article: Newsmakers - Wednesday, August 11, 2004
e-photo) Rebecca DeRousse was named assistant administrator of Baptist Rehabilitation-Germantown

Kiwanis Club Names Luttrell Lawman of the Year

The Kiwanis Club named Shelby County Sheriff Mark H. Luttrell Jr. as Lawman of the Year for the Lou...