Memphis coach Mike Norvell isn’t a big fan of season openers. The mysteries tend to bother him. “I really don’t like first games,” Norvell said during his first weekly luncheon press conference of the season on Monday, Aug. 27. “There’s so many unknowns.”

2. Harris, Lenoir to Battle for County Mayor - Thursday, May 3, 2018

Republican David Lenoir and Democrat Lee Harris will meet in the Aug. 2 county general election to decide who will be the next Shelby County mayor. Lenoir and Harris won their respective primaries easily Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

3. Lenoir and Harris Advance in County Mayor's Race - Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Republican David Lenoir and Democrat Lee Harris will meet in the Aug. 2 county general election to decide who will be the next Shelby County Mayor. Lenoir and Harris won their respective primaries easily Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

4. Local Charter Group Signals Intent to Take Over Catholic Jubilee Schools - Monday, February 5, 2018

A Memphis charter school group led by the president of Christian Brothers University is preparing paperwork to apply with the state and Shelby County Schools to convert nine Catholic schools to charter schools.

5. Last Word: Closing the Loophole, Skeleton Hotel Update and Jubilee Conversion - Friday, February 2, 2018

The state legislator who sponsored the most recent version of the law making it much more difficult to remove Confederate monuments acknowledges that the city of Memphis found a legitimate loophole in the 2016 law he crafted. Republican Steve McDaniel, of Parkers Crossroads, tells our Nashville correspondent Sam Stockard that he has a bill in the House to close the loophole. But it won't undo what happened here. Although there is still a court fight over that taking shape.

6. Local Charter Group Signals Intent to Take Over Catholic Jubilee Schools - Friday, February 2, 2018

A Memphis charter school group led by the president of Christian Brothers University is preparing its paperwork to apply with the state and Shelby County Schools to convert nine Catholic schools in the city to charter schools.

7. Last Word: Risks by Race, ASD Changes in Frayser and Binghampton Style - Thursday, January 25, 2018

African-American children are more likely to die after surgery than white children, according to a new study by researchers at UTHSC and Le Bonheur. The researchers found that in every category that goes into determining the chance of dying, the risk for white children was overestimated and underestimated for black children. And the dynamics of the risk work differently by race. The conclusion is race-specific models on the issue work better than non race specific models.

8. ASD Proposes Shifting Memphis Middle School to Charter Group - Thursday, January 25, 2018

After years of dwindling enrollment, the only middle school in Memphis that’s run directly by Tennessee’s turnaround district could be switching hands.

The proposed change would keep Westside Achievement Middle School in the state-run Achievement School District but take it out of the district’s direct management. The plan would be to move Westside to Frayser Community Schools, a Memphis-based charter network that already operates two ASD schools.

9. Roland Pulls Petition For Mayor, Running As ‘Uniter’ - Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Shelby County commissioner Terry Roland has been campaigning for Shelby County mayor since last year.

When he pulled his qualifying petition Thursday, Jan. 11, to formally enter the May Republican primary for mayor, Roland did so with a slogan of bringing “positive change to Shelby County.”

10. 'F' is for Fraud - Saturday, January 13, 2018

Just before the winter break, Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen had a lot of questions for the Shelby County Schools system. She had just read a 258-page report from an independent investigation of the school system’s grade-changing scandal at Trezevant High School.

11. Memphis Sound at 60 - Saturday, December 23, 2017

As Stax Records and Royal Studios both wrap up a year of celebrating their 60th anniversary, The Memphis News looks back at the creators and purveyors of the Memphis sound and its significance, both in its heyday and today.

12. Fats Domino Dies at 89; Gave Rock Music a New Orleans Flavor - Thursday, October 26, 2017

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Fats Domino, the amiable rock 'n' roll pioneer whose steady, pounding piano and easy baritone helped change popular music while honoring the traditions of the Crescent City, has died. He was 89.

13. Trump Orders More Cash, Industry Input, for Apprenticeships - Friday, June 16, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered more money and a bigger role for private companies in designing apprenticeship programs meant to fill some of the 6 million open jobs in the U.S.

14. Southwest Tennessee Community College Moves Toward Change - Friday, May 12, 2017

Kenyatta Lovett, the executive director of the nonprofit education advocacy group Complete Tennessee, says there is an old joke in higher education that sometimes comes to the surface when change is promised or pledged.

15. Events - Thursday, May 11, 2017

Mothers of the Nile will hold its ninth annual banquet Thursday, May 11, at 5:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church Broad, 2835 Broad Ave. Those sharing their perspectives include state Rep. Raumesh Akbari, Hope Academy principal Michael Smith and essay contest participants from Hope Academy, whose students are in detention at Juvenile Court. Visit mothersofthenileinc.org for details.

16. Neighborhood Preservation Awards $10K to MLK Prep - Saturday, April 29, 2017

Neighborhood Preservation Inc. has awarded Frayser Community Schools, the charter school company that operates Martin Luther King Jr. College Preparatory High School in Frayser, a $10,000 grant to improve the baseball field and other athletic and recreational facilities on the high school’s campus, 1530 Dellwood Ave.

17. Neighborhood Preservation Awards $10K to MLK Prep - Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Neighborhood Preservation Inc. has awarded Frayser Community Schools, the charter school company that operates Martin Luther King Jr. College Preparatory High School in Frayser, a $10,000 grant to improve the baseball field and other athletic and recreational facilities on the high school’s campus, 1530 Dellwood Ave.

18. Parkinson Calls for Elimination of Achievement School District - Tuesday, April 25, 2017

State Rep. Antonio Parkinson is renewing his call for an end to the Achievement School District amid revelations a charter school operator hired a convicted felon to run Lester Prep.

19. Dunbar Elementary Gets Reprieve, But Carnes Closing - Thursday, February 2, 2017

Dunbar Elementary School will remain open next August, while Carnes Elementary will close its doors forever at the end of the current school year.

The Shelby County Schools board voted unanimously Tuesday, Jan. 31, to close Carnes after SCS superintendent Dorsey Hopson withdrew his recommendation to close Dunbar.

20. Hopson Says Violence Shows 'Desperation and a Lack of Hope' - Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Shelby County Schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson wants the school system to find a way to combat violence outside the borders of school campuses as well as within.

Hopson expressed concern Tuesday, Jan. 31, about violent crime in the city after a spike in January in which there were five homicides in one weekend across the city. Two of the five people who died were each 15-years old and both Shelby County Schools students.

21. Last Word: Humes Next, Top ZIPs in Residential and Payback in the Legislature - Friday, January 13, 2017

Add Dave & Buster’s to the list of "it" retail hot spots. The restaurant-arcade has inked a lease in Cordova by Wolfchase Galeria with plans to open later this year, probably fourth quarter.

22. Frayser Charter Seeks to Take Over Humes Prep Academy - Friday, January 13, 2017

Bobby White admits Humes Preparatory Academy is a “challenging situation.”

“But it’s a situation that is manageable,” he told a group of 40 people in the auditorium of the North Memphis school Wednesday, Jan. 11.

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

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

24. Three Closing ASD Charter Schools Signal Larger Changes - Monday, December 26, 2016

KIPP Memphis Collegiate Schools plans to close a middle school it operates under the state-run Achievement School District at the end of the current school year.

And the ASD is nearing an early January deadline for organizations to run two other Memphis schools currently run by the Gestalt Community Schools charter organization until the end of the current school year.

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

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

26. 50 Years Later, Black Panthers Look Back at Party's Founding - Monday, October 24, 2016

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Black Panthers emerged from this gritty Northern California city 50 years ago, declaring to a nation in turmoil a new party dedicated to defending African-Americans against police brutality and protecting the right of a downtrodden people to determine their own future.

27. Local Teachers Receive Training in ‘Culturally Responsive’ Teaching - Monday, September 19, 2016

In the weeks before school began, every teacher and staff member at Martin Luther King Jr. College Preparatory High School went through a new training.

28. Hogue Aiming for $125K Payday At World Long Drive Championship - Friday, July 8, 2016

He is in a crisp shirt and pants, nice golf shoes, and of course there’s that cool Callaway golf bag sitting nearby. The guy looks serious. And at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Will Hogue is more than just a picture of fitness. He’s cut.

29. ‘Critical Mass’ - Saturday, June 4, 2016

Shelby County Schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson calls it “a brave new world” after four years of unprecedented changes: the merger and demerger of the county’s public schools systems, the rise of charter schools, the formation of both the state-run Achievement School District and locally run Innovation Zone model, and declining SCS enrollment.

30. Wilson Urges Family Philanthropic Efforts at Dunavant Awards - Friday, May 13, 2016

When most people think of the Kemmons Wilson family, there is an image that comes to mind. It’s a black and white photo from the 1950s of the five children – three boys and two girls – of the Holiday Inn founder cutting the ribbon on the very first Holiday Inn at 4925 Summer Ave.

31. The Week Ahead: May 9-15 - Monday, May 9, 2016

Alright, Memphis, grab your calendars! Whether you want to book it over to the Ruby Bridges Reading Festival or just baste in the scent of barbecue, there’s plenty to do this week. Here’s our roundup...

32. Bertelkamp Made Right Call in Going with the Vols - Saturday, January 30, 2016

Bert Bertelkamp would be the first to tell you he’s pulling for Tennessee when calling basketball games as color commentator for the Vol Network.

And why wouldn’t he?

Bertelkamp is Big Orange to the bone. His father Hank played for the Vols (1951-53), was a team captain and remains a big supporter of UT.

33. City Hall Shuffle Moves Into Christmas Eve With 8 Positions Cut - Thursday, December 24, 2015

Memphis-Mayor elect Jim Strickland announced on Christmas Eve that he will eliminate eight positions in the current administration, one of them vacant. And a ninth positon will become a part-time position. Strickland will also follow through on his long-held desire to end the city’s involvement in and funding of the Memphis-Shelby County Music Commission.

34. The Week Ahead: Nov. 16, 2015 - Monday, November 16, 2015

How was your weekend, Memphis? Here’s our weekly rundown of local happenings you need to know about, from a Stax lecture on music and the Vietnam War to Hillary Clinton’s visit…

35. Real Deal - Saturday, August 15, 2015

They were tossing around numbers, trying to guess the win total for the 2015 University of Memphis football season.

In the not-too-distant past, the two Highland Hundred members and longtime season-ticket holders might have been able to add their guesses together and still come up short of the six victories needed for their favorite team to be bowl-eligible.

36. Welcome Back - Friday, August 7, 2015

When Shelby County’s public schools open for the first day of the 2015-16 school year, it will mark the first time in three years that there will be no historic, structural changes to the systems themselves.

37. Humble Grilled Cheese Gets Royal Treatment From Nashville's Top Chefs - Saturday, April 4, 2015

If you were looking to celebrate National Whipped Cream Day, then you’ll have to wait until next year on Jan 5.

National “I Want Butterscotch Day” has also passed.

And National Frog Legs Day? It only comes around every four years to celebrate Leap Day.

38. Achievement School District Changes Frayser Leadership - Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Tim Ware says if you want to get a quick idea about the tenor of a school, visit the cafeteria during a lunch period.

39. Wharton's City Hall Shake-Up Has Ripples - Wednesday, March 4, 2015

The political timing of Memphis Mayor A C Wharton’s shake-up of his leadership team could have been worse – closer to the October city elections in which he is seeking a second full term.

40. Hopson Parses Charter School Strategy and Agenda - Monday, February 16, 2015

There is the strategy of charter schools and there is the agenda of charter schools. And Shelby County Schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson talked about the difference last week as he spoke to a group of about 100 in a part of the city where charter schools and schools run directly by the state compete heavily with conventional Shelby County Schools.

41. Clean Pathways Revives City Anti-Blight Effort - Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The city’s anti-blight contracts with nonprofit groups are back under new terms.

City Public Works division grants of $75,000 each went to Lifeline to Success and Freedom From Unnecessary Negatives to remove blighted conditions in a two- to four-block radius of schools across the city twice a month for four months.

42. Exhibiting Soul - Tuesday, November 18, 2014

For more than a year, award-winning photographer and New York native Thom Gilbert has been shooting portraits of oil drillers in Texas, fishermen in Alaska, coal miners, cowboys, Detroit auto assembly workers – a group of people he refers to as “iconic Americans.”

43. School’s In - Monday, August 4, 2014

When public schools open Monday, Aug. 4, for the academic year across Shelby County, the merger of public education into one school system will give way to the demerger into seven separate public systems.

44. ‘Clothier to the King’ Lansky’s Back on Beale - Monday, July 21, 2014

You don’t have to get very far inside the door of the new Hard Rock Café at Second and Beale streets to find a reminder of the old Lansky’s clothing store. That is, if you don’t notice the large historical marker outside the building at 126 Beale St.

45. White House Wants Delay in DOD Immigration Plan - Tuesday, June 3, 2014

The White House has asked the Department of Defense to delay a plan that would allow some immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally as children to obtain a limited path to citizenship by serving in the military.

46. Alexander Touts Importance of Political Role Models - Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Among the crowd of 500 who gathered Monday, April 21, for the 11th annual Dunavant Public Servant Awards were fourth- and fifth-graders from White Station Elementary School.

Although they were by a wall on the far side of the ballroom at the Holiday Inn University of Memphis, they drew the attention of U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, the keynote speaker for the Rotary Club of Memphis East event sponsored by The Daily News and the University of Memphis.

47. 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.

48. High Court Loosens Reins on Big Campaign Donors - Thursday, April 3, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court's conservative majority voted Wednesday to free wealthy donors to give to as many political candidates and campaigns as they want, further loosening the reins on giving by big contributors as the 2014 campaign moves into high gear.

49. Common Core Spawns Widespread Political Fights - Tuesday, March 25, 2014

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — More than five years after U.S. governors began a bipartisan effort to set new standards in American schools, the Common Core initiative has morphed into a political tempest fueling division among Republicans.

50. Governors Erupt in Partisan Dispute at White House - Tuesday, February 25, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) – The nation's governors emerged from a meeting with President Barack Obama on Monday claiming harmony, only to immediately break into an on-camera partisan feud in front of the West Wing.

51. Achievement School District Prepares for Third Year - Monday, December 16, 2013

It was already official before Achievement School District superintendent Chris Barbic made the formal announcement last week.

Months ago, Barbic had confirmed that former Westside Middle School principal Bobby White would be leading the state-run school district’s effort at Frayser High School in the 2014-2015 school year.

52. New Achievement School District Schools Announced - Friday, December 13, 2013

The Achievement School District will expand in its third school year to five Memphis schools, all of them to be run for the district by charter school companies.

Leaders of the state-run district for the bottom 5 percent of the state’s public schools in terms of student achievement announced Thursday, Dec. 12, that:

53. MRG Sees Flurry of Activity at Marion Center - Friday, December 13, 2013

In 2008, Memphis-based Makowsky Ringel Greenberg LLC developed The Shops of Angelos Grove retail center in Marion, Ark.

54. White to Oversee Frayser High School - Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Former Westside Middle School principal Bobby White will lead Frayser High School into the Achievement School District.

55. White Ready to Take on Frayser High - Monday, September 16, 2013

Bobby White is so close that he sometimes has to remember that the decision about who will run Frayser High School won’t be made until December.

56. Mean Streets - Saturday, August 31, 2013

Alabama’s Nick Saban can walk anywhere he wants in the Southeastern Conference – college football’s roughest neighborhood – and no one can lay a finger on him.

His teams have won the national championship in three of the last four years. Overall, SEC teams have won the title seven consecutive years and the league is a dream destination for head coaches – until it turns into a grinding, weekly nightmare.

57. High School Addition - Monday, June 24, 2013

Three weeks before the first school year of the Achievement School District ended in May, parents and students at Westside Achievement Middle School began to prepare for the addition of a separate ninth-grade academy at the Frayser school opening this August.

58. Educators Stress Consistency Amid Change - Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Three educators who have led schools inside and outside the conventional public school system locally say consistency at the school level will be important in a school year that will see a lot of change.

59. Achievement District Plans Include Two High Schools - Tuesday, June 4, 2013

The state-run Achievement School District has identified nine charter school operators that will run failing Memphis schools in the 2014-2015 school year including, for the first time, two high schools.

60. Achievement District Plans Include Two High Schools - Monday, June 3, 2013

The state-run Achievement School District has identified nine charter school operators that will run failing Memphis schools in the 2014-2015 school year including, for the first time, two high schools.

61. Achievement District Plans Include Two High Schools - Monday, June 3, 2013

The state-run Achievement School District has identified nine charter school operators that will run failing Memphis schools in the 2014-2015 school year including, for the first time, two high schools.

62. Justice Department to Investigate IRS Targeting of Tea Party - Wednesday, May 15, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department is opening a criminal investigation into the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of tea party groups for extra scrutiny over whether they qualified for tax exempt status, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Tuesday.

63. Obama Urges Congress to Compromise on Cuts - Tuesday, February 26, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Facing an end of the week deadline, President Barack Obama said Monday that Congress can avert sweeping across-the-board cuts with "just a little bit of compromise," as he sought to stick lawmakers with the blame if the budget ax falls.

64. County’s Early Vote Total: 38.9 Percent - Monday, November 5, 2012

Nearly 40 percent of Shelby County’s 598,803 voters cast ballots during the early voting period that ended Thursday, Nov. 1.

But the 232,690 early voters – which accounts for 38.9 percent of the total number of registered voters – is fewer than four years ago when 254,362 early votes were cast.

65. First and Ten, First Ever - Friday, August 24, 2012

MOVING THE CHAINS. Georgia scored again while I was throwing up. Georgia and I had already done these things several times in the preceding three hours. Like Tennessee, I didn’t think I had anything left. Very late in the fourth quarter, our offense had gone ice cold and we were down by eight – and my temperature was red hot, up by two. Millions were watching on TV and even ABC’s super-saccharine Chris Schenkel thought Uga had this one all wrapped up.

66. Musicians Remember Elvis' Talent, Character - Tuesday, August 14, 2012

MEMPHIS (AP) – Elvis Presley left behind hit songs, epic performances, some so-so movies and an image as a handsome, rebellious, talented and sometimes-troubled artist that remains indelibly marked in America's pop culture psyche 35 years after his death.

67. ASD Welcomes Students, Parents With Block Party - Wednesday, July 25, 2012

The organizers of the Achievement School District chose the middle ground on a hot Saturday afternoon in Frayser.

The parking lot between Frayser High School and Frayser Elementary School, the school the state-run district will oversee starting next month, had inflatable slides, a climbing wall, video dance games, mobile dental and eye care clinics, and plenty of ice and water.

68. ASD Makes Debut at Three Frayser Schools - Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Summer school for teachers is under way this week at three Frayser schools that are critical to the state’s Achievement School District

Teachers selected by the state to teach at Corning and Frayser elementary schools as well as Westside Middle School report Wednesday, July 11, for the coming school year and the new methods they will be using under state control.

69. Westside School Looks for New Legacy - Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Bobby White knows how many people identify Westside Middle School. And it goes back to the school’s existence as a high school.

70. Planning Commission Endorses School Freeze - Monday, April 16, 2012

There will be another vote probably next month. But the schools consolidation planning commission has endorsed the general idea that students in the merged Shelby County Schools system will have the same school assignments for at least the first two years of the merger.

71. ASD Head, MCS Discuss Reforms - Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The head of the state run Achievement School District that will run a set of low-performing schools across the state is beginning specific discussions with Memphis City Schools officials about decisions to come after the new year.

72. City Pride - Tuesday, October 18, 2011

“Memphis,” the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, took New York by storm where it started a successful run two years ago.

In Memphis, the popular musical’s namesake city where this weekend at the Orpheum Theatre it kicked off an 80-week tour, it may have to work a little harder to resonate with audiences.

73. Leadership Memphis Announces Board Members - Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Leadership Memphis has announced new board members and officers for its new fiscal year.

The officers and executive committee include Eric Robertson, chair; Beverly Jordan, vice chair; Bryan Ford, treasurer; Veronica Coleman Davis, secretary; Chris McLean, immediate past chair; Jeff Gaudino, alumni chair; Christine Munson, development chair; Lemoyne Robinson, program chair; and Jeane Chapman, marketing chair.

74. Events - Monday, April 25, 2011

Rhodes College will host Memphis historian Jimmy Ogle who will present a continuing education class titled “Historic Memphis and its Highlights” Monday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Dorothy King Hall on campus. Seating is limited so reservations should be made by calling 843-3965.

75. Former U.S. Attorney Greenlee Discusses Big Cases - Thursday, March 3, 2011

The former U.S. Attorney for North Mississippi during the prosecution of North Mississippi attorney Dickie Scruggs for bribing a judge says there were some fears the powerful attorney or his friends might destroy the government’s case by talking some key witnesses out of cooperating.

76. Menlo Deal Tops Noteworthy Leases - Thursday, December 30, 2010

The Daily News in September launched a new weekly column called “Inked” to spotlight Memphis’ commercial leasing landscape.

Despite tough times, local commercial real estate firms were able to ink plenty of deals in the past four months. Here’s a rundown of some of the most noteworthy commercial leases since Inked’s debut:

77. New Fest Looks to Inspire Memphians to Make Green Choices - Friday, October 29, 2010

Going green isn’t an individual proposition. It takes individuals to get the process started, but it’s only when those individuals morph into a wider, collective whole that their efforts begin to make a real environmental impact.

78. GOP Carries Countywide Offices - Friday, August 6, 2010

The only thing Republican candidates in Shelby County were denied in the Aug. 5 elections was a majority on the Shelby County Commission. The local GOP slate swept every countywide partisan race on the ballot with Thursday’s election results.

Voter turnout – early and Election Day – was almost 30 percent of Shelby County’s 600,000 voters. All election returns will be audited and must be certified by the Shelby County Election Commission.

Republican Bill Oldham, the former chief deputy of the Sheriff’s Department under outgoing Sheriff Mark Luttrell, beat Democrat Randy Wade in the race for sheriff.

The unofficial returns with all precincts reporting were:

Oldham: 89,613 (52%)

Wade: 82,981 (48%)

Wade, who was the Democratic nominee for sheriff in 2002, linked his 2010 campaign to the re-election bid of Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen. Wade, a former sheriff’s deputy, is Cohen’s district director.

Oldham campaigned on continuing the policies of Luttrell. But his campaign faltered when Oldham was forced to resign his job as chief deputy – the No. 2 position in the department – following a complaint to the U.S. Justice Department that his candidacy violated the Federal Hatch Act.

The civil complaint investigated by the Justice Department’s Office of Special Counsel left Oldham with the choice of either quitting the job or quitting the race. To keep both could have jeopardized federal funding the department receives.

The complaint was unique because deputies and high-ranking officers running for sheriff has been a regular feature of the sheriff’s race for decades. It wasn’t until 2002 that those in the department were required to take a leave of absence if they ran.

In other general election races, challenger Ken Hoover lost to Shelby County School Board Chairman David Pickler in the race for the District 5 seat on the seven-member board.

Pickler has been chairman for 11 of the 12 years the school board has been an elected body. Pickler ran on his record as chairman. Hoover also ran on Pickler’s record, saying his leadership style was too autocratic and not transparent enough.

The unofficial results were:

Pickler: 5,123 (51%)

Hoover: 4,956 (49%)

In the two other contested school board races, former Bolton High School principal Snowden “Butch” Carruthers beat Millington parent Charlene White in District 1. And political newcomer David Reaves beat fellow newcomer Lara A. McIntyre, both of Bartlett, for the District 3 seat.

White and McIntyre both called for change in school board methods during their campaigns.

District 7 school board member Ernest Chism ran unopposed.

The even-numbered district school board seats are on the 2012 county ballot.

After running for Probate Court clerk three other times, Democratic nominee Sondra Becton could not claim the office on her fourth try – even with the incumbent she campaigned against the three other times out of the race. Republican contender Paul Boyd easily beat Becton in the race for the office Chris Thomas gave up to run for and win a seat on the Shelby County Commission.

Becton lost to Thomas by 604 votes four years ago and was among the four Democratic challengers who unsuccessfully challenged the results in Chancery Court. This time she lost by more than 6,500 votes.

The vote totals were:

Boyd: 82,259 (52%)

Becton: 75,702 (48%)

Republican Tom Leatherwood easily defeated Democratic challenger Coleman Thompson to remain Shelby County register. The two faced each other in 2006, with Leatherwood winning.

The results Thursday were:

Leatherwood: 96,531 (58%)

Thompson: 68,784 (42%)

As early voting began, Thompson’s Pyramid Recovery Center was evicted from its longtime South Memphis space that was also an early voting site and an election day polling place. The landlord agreed to leave the voting sites up and running. But the possibility of a change in polling places served to highlight Thompson’s financial problems.

Late publicity about financial problems took a toll on another Democratic contender.

Newcomer Corey Maclin began campaigning early for Shelby County clerk, with incumbent Republican Debbie Stamson not seeking re-election. Maclin lost to Republican nominee Wayne Mashburn, the son of late county clerk Sonny Mashburn.

The unofficial returns were:

Mashburn: 88,619 (55%)

Maclin: 72,651 (45%)

Stamson’s husband, Steve Stamson, retired as Juvenile Court clerk, setting up the race that was won by Republican nominee Joy Touliatos, the chief administrative officer of the clerk’s office. She beat Democratic nominee Shep Wilbun, who won appointment to the clerk’s office in 2000 but lost to Stamson in the 2002 election and was beaten by Stamson again in 2006.

With all precincts reporting, the numbers were:

Touliatos: 85,849 (51%)

Wilbun: 73,345 (44%)

The remaining votes went to independent candidate Julia R. Wiseman.

Also seeking a return to countywide office was Minerva Johnican. Johnican, the Democratic nominee for Criminal Court clerk, lost to Republican nominee Kevin Key, the son of outgoing Criminal Court Clerk Bill Key and an administrator with the Circuit Court Clerk’s office.

The results were:

Key: 79,755 (49%)

Johnican: 74,831 (46%)

Independent candidate Jerry Stamson: 8,581 (5%)

Johnican, also a former Memphis City Council member and Shelby County Commissioner lost the clerk’s job in 1994 when she was upset by the elder Key.

Incumbent Republican Circuit Court Clerk Jimmy Moore easily defeated Democratic challenger Ricky Dixon. Although Dixon was part of the effort by Democratic party leaders to get voters to vote the entire party slate, Moore continued to show up at Democratic functions and make his case for crossover votes.

Regina Morrison Newman, the third Shelby County tustee in four years, lost her bid for a full term in the office to Republican challenger David Lenoir. It was an impressive political debut for Lenoir, who had heavy backing from the local GOP.

The results were:

Lenoir: 77,166 (49%)

Newman: 72,618 (46%)

Independent candidate Derrick Bennett: 6,353 (4%)

Newman was appointed to the office by the Shelby County Commission following the 2009 death of Trustee Paul Mattila. Mattila was appointed to the office and won a special election for the position following the 2008 death of Bob Patterson. Patterson was re-elected to a four-year term in 2006.

In the judicial races:

Attorney Bill Anderson Jr. emerged atop a field of 20 candidates for General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Div. 7 with 15 percent of the vote. Assistant County Attorney Janet Lansky Shipman was second and the only other contender to go into double digit percentages. The 20 candidates were the largest field in any race – primary or general – on the Shelby County ballot.

Prosecutor Bobby Carter, who had the backing of District Attorney General Bill Gibbons and former District Attorney General John Pierotti, was elected judge of Criminal Court Div. 3 in a close race with attorneys Glenn Wright and Latonya Sue Burrow.

Carter got 26 percent of the vote to Wright’s 25 percent and Burrow’s 24.7 percent.

The results in the three other special judicial races saw the three appointed judges rejected by voters.

• Lee Wilson, the appointee to General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Div. 10, lost to former General Sessions Court Clerk Chris Turner by more than 64,000 votes. Turner’s victory was the strongest proof of the strong Republican turnout for races across the general election ballot. Turner had been the General Sessions Court clerk until 2006, when he was upset by Democratic challenger Otis Jackson. He is also a former Republican state legislator.
• Lorrie Ridder, the appointee to Circuit Court Judge Div. 4, lost to attorney Gina Higgins by about 5,000 votes.
• Rhynette Northcross Hurd, the appointee to Circuit Court Judge Div. 8, lost to attorney Bob Weiss by more than 12,000 votes.

Ridder and Hurd had been appointed to the Circuit Court vacancies by Gov. Phil Bredesen, who picked them each from a list of three finalists from the Judicial Nominating Commission. Bredesen even taped a robo-call on behalf of Hurd, his first robo-call for any candidate in the state.

Wilson was appointed to the General Sessions vacancy by the Shelby County Commission and adopted a domestic violence case docket for the court.

79. It's Either Haley's Comet to 2012 or GOP Kingmaker - Monday, July 12, 2010

BOSTON (AP) — Hurricane Katrina curtailed Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour's presidential aspirations last time around. His response to the devastation from the Gulf oil spill and his work to elect Republican governors this year are stirring talk of a White House bid in 2012.

80. Events - Friday, May 7, 2010

The 52nd Annual Greek Food Festival will be held Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 573 N. Highland Ave. Admission is $3. For more information, visit www.memphisgreekfestival.com.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The final unofficial totals in the Democratic mayoral primary are:

Ford 20,360 57%

Malone 12,916 37%

Jackson 2,168 6%

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

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

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

The final unofficials totals in the Republican primary are:

Bill Oldham 13,821 48%

Dale Lane 7,981 28%

Bobby Simmons 5,886 21%

James Coleman 943 3%

In the Democratic primary:

Randy Wade 22,643 67%

Reginald French 6,777 20%

Larry Hill 2,738 8%

Bennie Cobb 1,814 5%

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

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

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

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

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

The final unofficial totals in the Republican primary:

Thomas 7,631 52%

Pellicciotti 4,871 33%

Bomprezzi 2,298 15%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Ford 7,342 66%

Moore 3,822 34%

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

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

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Johnican 16,381 51%

White 10,170 31%

Johnson 5,954 18%

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

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

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

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

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Lenoir 15,922 58%

Willingham 11,569 42%

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

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Becton 10,929 36%

Dobbins 5,366 18%

Annita Hamilton 4,848 16%

Clay Perry 3,549 12%

Danny Kail 3,120 11%

Karen Tyler 2,782 9%

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

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

83. Events - Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence will hold its annual conference “The New Nonprofit Sector: Redefined, Retooled and Resilient” Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. at the Clark Opera Memphis Center, 6745 Wolf River Blvd. Sonal Shah, head of the White House’s Domestic Policy Council’s Office of Social Innovation and Civil Participation, will speak. Cost is $99 for members, $150 for nonmembers and $65 for students. For reservations, call 684-6605 or visit www.npexcellence.org.

84. Oil Leak Could Hurt Gulf Coast - Tuesday, April 27, 2010

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Oil leaking from a sunken drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico oozed slowly toward the coast Monday, endangering hundreds of miles of marshes, barrier islands and white sand beaches in four states from Louisiana to Florida.

85. Events - Friday, April 23, 2010

The Small Business Chamber Breakfast Club will meet Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Parmasters, 888 S. White Station Road. For more information, call 867-7171.

86. Events - Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Leadership Academy will hold the 2010 Celebrate What’s Right Luncheon Thursday from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn-University of Memphis, 3700 Central Ave. Barbara Hyde will be the keynote speaker. For more information, call 527-4625.

87. FBI Warns Extremist Letters May Encourage Violence - Monday, April 5, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - The FBI is warning police across the country that an anti-government group's call to remove governors from office could provoke violence by others.

A group that calls itself the Guardians of the free Republics wants to "restore America" by peacefully dismantling parts of the government, according to its Web site.

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

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

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

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

Luttrell faces only token opposition from perennial candidate Ernie Lunati.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

D-Democrat

R- Republican

I- Independent

Shelby County Mayor:

Deidre Malone (D)

Joe Ford (D)

Otis Jackson (D)

Mark Luttrell (R)

Ernest Lunati (R)

Leo Awgowhat (I)

Shelby County Sheriff:

James Coleman (R)

Bobby Simmons (R)

Bill Oldham (R)

Dale Lane (R)

Larry Hill (D)

Bennie Cobb (D)

Randy Wade (D)

James Bolden (D)

Elton Hymon (D)

Reginald French (D)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 1

Mike Ritz (R) (incumbent)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 2

Albert Maduska (R)

Heidi Shafer (R)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 3

Mike Carpenter (R) (incumbent)

Joe Baire (R)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 1

Walter Bailey (D)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 2

Henri Brooks (D) (incumbent)

David Vinciarelli (D)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 3

Eric Dunn (D)

Norma Lester (D)

Tina Dickerson (D)

Melvin Burgess (D)

Reginald Milton (D)

Freddie Thomas (D)

County Commission Dist 3 Pos 1

James Harvey (D) (incumbent)

James Catchings (D)

County Commission Dist. 3 Pos 2

Sidney Chism (D) (incumbent)

Andrew "Rome" Withers (D)

County Commission Dist. 3 Pos 3

Edith Moore  (D) (incumbent)

Justin Ford (D)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 1

Chris Thomas (R)

John Pellicciotti (R)

Jim Bomprezzi (R)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 2

Wyatt Bunker (R) (incumbent)

John Wilkerson (R)

Ron Fittes (R)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 3

Terry Roland (R)

George Chism (R)

Edgar Babian (R)

County Commission Dist 5

Steve Mulroy (D) (incumbent)

Jennings Bernard (D)

Rolando Toyos (R)

Shelby County Clerk

Charlotte Draper (D)

Corey Maclin (D)

LaKeith Miller (D)

Wayne Mashburn (R)

Steve Moore (R)

Criminal Court Clerk

Vernon Johnson (D)

Minerva Johnican (D)

Ralph White (D)

Michael Porter (R)

Kevin Key (R)

Jerry Stamson (I)

Circuit Court Clerk

Jimmy Moore (R) (incumbent)

Steven Webster (D)

Carmichael Johnson (D)

Ricky W. Dixon (D)

Juvenile Court Clerk

Joy Touliatos (R)

Charles Marshall (D)

Sylvester Bradley (D)

Shep Wilbun (D)

Julia Roberson Wiseman (I)

Probate Court Clerk

Paul Boyd (R)

Sondra Becton (D)

Danny Kail (D)

Annita Sawyer Hamilton (D)

Peggy Dobbins (D)

Clay Perry (D)

Karen Tyler (D)

Shelby County Register

Tom Leatherwood (R) (incumbent)

Coleman Thompson (D)

Lady J. Swift (D)

Carlton Orange (D)

Shelby County Trustee

Regina Newman (D) (incumbent)

M. LaTroy Williams (D)

John Willingham (R)

Jeff Jacobs (R)

David Lenoir (R)

90. Frequent Flier - Friday, January 29, 2010

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. is quickly evolving into a virtual one-man chamber of commerce.

In between putting out political brushfires, mapping out an ambitious city agenda and holding town halls with voters, the mayor also has spent much of his first three months glad-handing national businesses and political leaders.

91. Wharton Goes Straight to the Top With Stimulus Specs - Thursday, December 24, 2009

Around lunchtime Monday, the nation’s attention was fixated on the U.S. Senate’s early morning procedural vote on a health care overhaul.

Away from the heat of legislative battle, meanwhile, Vice President Joe Biden was preparing to dial in to what would be a 45-minute conference call with four big-city mayors, one of whom was Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.

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

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

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

93. County Schools Move on After Desegregation Case - Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Shifting school attendance zones and deciding where to build or close schools will still be controversial for those who lead the Shelby County school system.

But last week’s federal appeals court ruling ending court supervision of the school system will change the process.

94. ‘Prevailing Wage’ Discussion Heats up Commission - Friday, March 27, 2009

The Memphis City Council and Shelby County Board of Commissioners each have passed resolutions urging the Tennessee Legislature to stay away from the issue of a living wage for those who work for companies that get local government contracts.

95. Looking to 2012, GOP Governors Step into Spotlight - Tuesday, February 24, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - With an eye toward the 2012 presidential contest, leading Republicans used this weekend's meeting of the National Governors Association to lay out divergent views of President Obama's stimulus plan – and competing visions of their party's future.

96. District Attorney’s Office Makes New Assignments - Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Shelby County District Attorney General Bill Gibbons has made new assignments for his top assistants effective July 1.

Under the front office shuffle, prosecutor Paul Hagerman will become special assistant for Organized Crime Prosecution. Those duties will include filing nuisance actions in court, which has become a major thrust of local anti-crime strategies. The nuisance closings have included several strip clubs as well as suspected drug and prostitution havens.

97. County School Board Chooses to Fight Desegregation Order - Monday, August 6, 2007

Members of the Shelby County Schools Board of Education wasted little time in answering a stunning federal court ruling that promises to revive court-ordered desegregation of the county school system.

98. Marion’s Dreams of Auto Plant Hurt by Perceived Work Force Problems - Monday, June 11, 2007

MARION, Ark. - Arkansas wants to produce cars instead of cotton in a 1,700-acre field near the Mississippi River, but two recent rejections by Toyota Motor Corp. have raised worries - even by the mayor - that local workers aren't up to the task.

99. Bobby Dunavant Public ServantAwards Honor Man, Legacy - Monday, April 2, 2007
     To those who knew or worked with him, the late Bobby Dunavant was the ideal public servant.
     Retired Probate Judge Donn Southern worked with Dunavant for many years as both a lawyer and

100. 'Gentle Giant' Kelley Leaves Big Boots to Fill, Moves on to Fayette Commission and Barbecue - Thursday, September 7, 2006

Several years ago, a single woman who lived alone asked Fayette County Sheriff Bill Kelley to help her find some way to feel safer at her home at night without resorting to an alarm system.

Kelley offered a simple but effective solution.