The Memphis Police Department is zeroing in on an exact number of officers it should have with a “zero-based” study to be completed in the fall.

“There is pretty much a consensus that we need at least about 2,300 officers,” Bill Gibbons, president of the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, said on the WKNO-TV program “Behind The Headlines.”

2. Last Word: Early Voting Guess, V Live Memphis Closed and Grit and Grind Redux - Friday, June 29, 2018

The Shelby County Election Commission meets Friday afternoon to talk about early voting locations for the Aug. 2 ballot – the county general election and state and federal primary elections as well as a special Memphis City council race. And if I had to guess, I would say the odds are pretty good that the commission will vote to open all 26 early voting sites on July 13, the start of the 14-day early voting period. That would be a change from the original plan of having just the Agricenter location open for the first four days of the voting period.

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

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

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

4. Back to School Fair July 29 At Miss. Boulevard Church - Saturday, July 29, 2017

Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church and local partners will offer services to families and children in preparation of the first day of school during a Back to School and Community Health Fair on Saturday, July 29.

5. Back to School Fair Saturday at Miss. Blvd. Church - Friday, July 28, 2017

Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church and local partners will offer services to families and children in preparation of the first day of school during a Back to School and Community Health Fair on Saturday, July 29.

6. Last Word: Collierville Cold Feet, William Bell's Return and SCOTUS Rules - Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Grizz beat the 76ers 96-91 Tuesday night at the Forum as Zach Randolph makes an emotional return to the court.after the death of his mother.

Don Wade has an NBA notebook with various stops around the league including the hardship rule that brought Toney Douglas to Beale Street. And Luke Walton came to town last weekend with the Lakers and Walton talked about his time working for Josh Pastner at the U of M.

7. Memphis-Area Leaders Unveil Five-Year Crime-Fighting Plan - Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland is anticipating a “net increase” in the size of the Memphis Police Department a year from now, as officers complete training and the city can begin to address a department he says is “hundreds of officers short.”

8. New, More Compact 5-Year Anti-Crime Plan to Be Unveiled - Monday, November 14, 2016

When local law enforcement and criminal justice system leaders unveil a new five-year plan Tuesday, Nov. 10, for reducing crime and making Shelby County safer, it will be more focused than their previous effort.

9. Last Word: Early Vote Numbers, Crime Q&A and School Suspensions in Memphis - Monday, October 31, 2016

The last weekend of early voting is done and now we get the early vote surge through Thursday, which is the last day for early voting at the 21 polling places across Shelby County.

Through this past Friday, 161,239 early votes had been cast in Shelby County. That compares to 156,645 to the same point in 2008 and 151,809 in 2012.

10. Crime Commission Leaders Talk About Focused Five-Year Plan - Friday, October 28, 2016

The new Operation: Safe Community five-year anti-crime plan should be released in November and it will likely be a more focused set of goals and objectives. That’s what we heard as The Daily News Editorial Board talked with Memphis-Shelby Crime Commission president Bill Gibbons and crime commission vice president for Social Engagement Harold Collins.

11. Last Word: Stop & Frisk, Council Day and The Big 12 Holds What It's Got - Tuesday, October 18, 2016

We had quite the conversation with the two leaders of the Memphis-Shelby Crime Commission about “stop and frisk” and what will be in the upcoming draft of a new Operation: Safe Community plan for Memphis.

12. Last Word: T-STEM At East High, Casinos Off the Ballot and Dylan Gets A Nobel - Friday, October 14, 2016

About six years ago, the current cycle of change in public education within Shelby County starting moving. And the changes have been nothing short of historic. Since then at least one piece of a very complex mechanism driving the change has been whirring away. The hope in the last year or so has been that all of this is at a place where some long term plans can start to emerge that are more than reaction to what another cog in the system is doing.

13. Hickory Hill Teen Center Focused On New Heroes - Wednesday, September 21, 2016

On the western end of Hickory Ridge Mall in the corner of a space that was once a video game arcade, there is a super hero’s outfit – a stylized W in the center of the brick-red armored top.

14. Blue-Collar High School - Saturday, July 30, 2016

For all of the changes in public education Memphis has seen in the past six years, there is at least one more big one still on the way.

And it is coming from the city’s post-recession economic development effort.

15. Last Word: Highlander, Aretha's House and When The Old Daisy Was New - Friday, July 1, 2016

There is Highland Row and Highland Strip and they do not meet, although they are just a short walk from one another near the University of Memphis.

That is going to be a handy point of reference because the area in general – called the University District – is coming along so well that you are going to be reading more about it.

16. Weekend Crime Rampage Frames Criminal Justice Debate - Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Now what? The two-word question was one of many reactions as the week began to a Downtown crime spree Saturday night in which a Memphis Police officer died and three people were shot and wounded – two in critical condition Sunday at Regional One Health center.

17. Last Word: ServiceMaster's Choice, Democrats Regroup, Oprah Goes To Church - Friday, June 3, 2016

The ServiceMaster headquarters search is over and the pick is a real surprise as office spaces goes – Peabody Place – not the office building but the shuttered mall south of the Peabody hotel.

18. Last Word: Cubits Anyone, The G-Word and The TV News Crime Block - Thursday, March 10, 2016

How long is a cubit? After a day in which many of you got about four to five inches of rain and more to come Thursday, it seems an appropriate and timely question.
And yes, there is a cubit conversion chart on line for converting that and other really old units of measurement no longer in use like the mina, drachma or the synodic month.
So the average cubit, which is supposed to be the length of a forearm, is 18 inches or a foot and a half. That’s 0.4572 of a meter, which might as well be an ancient unit of measurement.
Someone had to say it.
According to biblehub.com – I’m not making up websites – the book of Genesis sets God’s instructions to Noah as an arc with the dimensions of 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits tall. And it was to be made out of gopher wood and covered inside and out with pitch.
The New Living Translation and Holman Christian Standard Bibles convert that to an arc 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high.

19. Collins to Help Develop Plan For Crime Commission - Saturday, March 5, 2016

Former Memphis City Council member Harold Collins will lead the Memphis-Shelby Crime Commission in developing a new long-range plan for Operation Safe Community.

20. Collins Joins Crime Commission - Monday, February 29, 2016

Former Memphis City Council member Harold Collins will lead the Memphis-Shelby Crime Commission in developing a new long-range plan for Operation Safe Community.

21. Last Word: Presidents Day In An Election Year, Minority Business and Spring Training - Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Presidents Day in a presidential election year.
Consider the political kaleidoscope of a foggy office-bound or home-bound Monday in Memphis with former President George W. Bush on the tube in the late afternoon defending his brother’s presidential campaign without once uttering the word Trump.
No further word of a Trump appearance promised for Memphis and some of Donald Trump’s own statements Monday suggested that by the time Memphis is on his schedule, he might be running as an independent.
Then there is the obsession in one corner of social media with Supreme Court history in rich detail.
And heads were turned Monday evening by the excerpt on the Grammys from the Broadway musical about Alexander Hamilton – a founding father born in the West Indies who established the nation’s financial system and the Federalist party. He never became a president, in part, because the vice president killed him. Hamilton wasn’t the only one who had been talking bad about Aaron Burr. The top of the ticket, President Thomas Jefferson, had decided to dump Burr from the ticket in the next election and Burr was trying to transition to become governor of New York.

22. Crime-Ridden, Neglected Apartments Come Under Fire - Thursday, January 14, 2016

Several Memphis apartment complexes with long records of neglect and crime issues are the targets of a renewed political and bureaucratic push to improve conditions.

The efforts are a new front in the recent city movement to tackle Memphis’ blight problem. And it’s a front that invites skepticism.

23. Strickland Takes Office Promising Change - Friday, January 1, 2016

Things move quickly once it is decided the incumbent mayor will not be returning to City Hall.

The political spotlight shifts quickly to the new mayor who has about two months and two weeks to make some important decisions about his inner circle, set some priorities and figure out what needs to wait for more deliberation.

24. Memorable Events of 2015 will Spill Into 2016 - Saturday, January 2, 2016

When you really get down to it, history is a collection of moments, moments that, when they fall one after the other over the long arc of time, eventually form the tapestry representing who we are.

25. Departing City Council Members Remembered at Last Session - Thursday, December 17, 2015

Before the Memphis City Council’s final session of 2015 on Tuesday, Dec. 15, the 13 council members got around to something they should have done four years ago: take a group picture in the Hall of Mayors at City Hall.

26. New Beale Street Lease Gets Last-Minute Council Amendment - Thursday, December 17, 2015

One last amendment was filed before the city’s new Beale Street lease was a done deal Tuesday, Dec. 15. But as the Memphis City Council approved the agreement with the Beale Street Tourism Development Authority, the widow of the Beale Street Development Corp.’s former director pushed her claim that the city still hasn’t settled the old 52-year lease with the BSDC that the new authority replaces.

27. City Council Ends Year With Busy Agenda - Wednesday, December 16, 2015

The last Memphis City Council meeting of 2015 came with few speeches from departing council members and a crowded agenda as well as a few leftovers the new council will have to deal with. It was a mix of a new Beale Street lease, seat backs for some Liberty Bowl bleachers, parking meters and the next phase of Graceland's expansion.

28. Conrad: Mike Williams ‘Should Be Fired’ - Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Incoming Memphis City Council chairman Kemp Conrad thinks the city should consider firing Mike Williams, president of the Memphis Police Association, for helping recruiters from other police forces set up job fairs in Memphis.

29. Last Election of 2015 Decides Five Council Races - Thursday, November 19, 2015

The last election of 2015 in Shelby County will fill in the blanks in a changing of the political guard at City Hall.

Six weeks after Memphis voters ousted incumbent Mayor A C Wharton and replaced him with Jim Strickland and elected two new members to the 13-member City Council – Martavius Jones and Philip Spinosa – voters will decide who gets five more council seats.

30. Memphis City Council Heads For Rocky End Of Term - Thursday, November 19, 2015

With only two meetings left, Memphis City Council members are on their way toward what looks to be a rocky end of their four-year term of office together.

And the council’s annual election of a new chairman Tuesday, Nov. 17, for the coming calendar year didn’t help matters.

31. Council Delays Central Station and Graceland West Votes - Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Memphis City Council members delayed approval Tuesday, Nov. 17, of the lease agreement and financing of the Central Station redevelopment project for two weeks. And it also delayed a vote on the Graceland West renovation and expansion.

32. Strickland Vows to Grow Memphis’ Minority Contract Percentage - Friday, November 13, 2015

Memphis Mayor-elect Jim Strickland says the next month may be the most important of his administration, even though he won’t take office until Jan. 1.

33. Memphis Democratic Committee Calls For City Primaries - Monday, November 9, 2015

There weren’t any party designations on the Oct. 8 Memphis election ballot, yet some local Democratic party leaders say their party lost in the set of 15 races.

So on its way to the Memphis City Council is a resolution from the Shelby County Democratic Party’s executive committee. It urges the council to put a city charter amendment on the 2016 ballot that would permit partisan primaries in city elections.

34. Wharton’s Transition Reveals Lighter Mood - Friday, October 23, 2015

The incumbent’s advantage in Memphis politics often keeps playing out after all of the votes are counted – even if the winner isn’t the incumbent.

A version of that is happening now as Memphis Mayor A C Wharton serves out the rest of his term after losing a re-election bid to challenger Jim Strickland in the Oct. 8 city elections.

35. New Mayor in Town - Saturday, October 17, 2015

Jim Strickland has some big decisions to make.

At the top of the list: make sure the toilets are flushing, the lights are coming on at night and the stoplights are flashing red, yellow and green.

36. Precinct Breakdown Maps Mayoral Race Battlefield - Friday, October 16, 2015

A precinct-by-precinct breakdown of the vote in the Memphis mayor’s race shows Mayor-elect Jim Strickland carried eight of the 10 highest turnout precincts, five of them with better than 65 percent of the vote.

37. Memphis Mayoral Transition Begins - Monday, October 12, 2015

The transition at City Hall begins this week from Mayor A C Wharton to Mayor-elect Jim Strickland.

Strickland won’t take office until January.

38. Memphis City Council OKs One Beale Garage Financing - Saturday, October 10, 2015

The Memphis City Council approved Tuesday, Oct. 6, $10 million in financing for a public parking garage at the $160 million One Beale development Downtown.

The $10 million comes out of rental payments or payment-in-lieu-of-taxes extension fees paid by business property owners to the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. The money is being transferred from the CCRFC to the Downtown Parking Authority. Both entities are part of the Downtown Memphis Commission.

39. Strickland Upsets Wharton In Memphis Mayor's Race - Friday, October 9, 2015

Not even close. Mayoral challenger Jim Strickland rolled up a wide margin over incumbent Mayor A C Wharton in the early-vote totals in advance of the Oct. 8 election day count.

And based on that and other election indicators, Wharton conceded the election shortly after 10 p.m. to Strickland after the vote count was long delayed by computer glitches.

40. Memphis City Council OKs One Beale Garage Financing - Thursday, October 8, 2015

The Memphis City Council approved Tuesday, Oct. 6, $10 million in financing for a public parking garage at the $160 million One Beale development Downtown.

The $10 million comes out of rental payments or payment-in-lieu-of-taxes extension fees paid by business property owners to the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. The money is being transferred from the CCRFC to the Downtown Parking Authority. Both entities are part of the Downtown Memphis Commission.

41. Election Day Beckons In Hard-Fought Memphis Mayor’s Race - Thursday, October 8, 2015

The most competitive Memphis mayor’s race in 24 years goes to the city’s 403,227 voters Thursday, Oct. 8, along with races for all 13 seats on the Memphis City Council and the race for City Court clerk.

42. Memphis City Council Votes on One Beale Garage Financing - Tuesday, October 6, 2015

The last Memphis City Council meeting before Thursday’s Memphis election day should be a short one given the campaign blitz underway by candidates in the 13 council races as well as the races for Memphis mayor and City Court clerk.

43. Roundhouse Revival 2 Features Mayoral Trash Talk - Tuesday, October 6, 2015

On the last day of the Mid-South Fair Sunday, Oct. 4, several hundred people gathered at the Mid-South Fairgrounds to listen to live music, watch roller derby, buy souvenirs, cheer on a wrestling exhibition or two and, of course, eat.

44. Finance Reports Detail Wharton's, Strickland's Priorities - Monday, October 5, 2015

Since the end of 2014, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton and challenger Jim Strickland have each passed the half-million-dollar mark in what they’ve raised in their respective mayoral campaigns, which culminate on election day Thursday, Oct. 8.

45. Controversial Taser Contract Canceled - Friday, October 2, 2015

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton announced Thursday, Oct. 1, that a controversial contract between Taser International and The Carter Malone Group has been canceled by “mutual consent” of both parties.

46. Taser Contract Controversy Endures As Election Day Nears - Friday, October 2, 2015

As the city of Memphis closed in on buying body cameras and other associated technology for its police department, the inner circle around Memphis Mayor A C Wharton was concerned.

They were concerned that Taser International, the camera supplier the city had picked, wasn’t getting close to the goal the city had set of at least 10 percent participation by minority- and women-owned business enterprises – MWBEs – in the total project spend.

47. Wharton’s Accomplishments Weighted With Controversy - Wednesday, September 30, 2015

It’s a set of events just about any incumbent would envy during a re-election bid.

Overnight riverboat cruises on the Mississippi River picked up just as Beale Street Landing opened in mid-2014. In late April, the long-dormant Pyramid reopened as a Bass Pro Shops megastore with a hotel and other attractions.

48. Police Body Cameras Contract Controversial on Several Levels - Tuesday, September 29, 2015

The Memphis Police Department’s $4.5 million contract with Taser International for body cameras, dashboard cameras and other related equipment is drawing fire on several fronts, including an $880,000 community engagement/public relations contract that is part of the overall price tag.

49. Last-Minute Negotiations Secure $30 Million Foote Homes Grant - Tuesday, September 29, 2015

The Foote Homes public housing development is still standing with word Monday, Sept. 28, that the city of Memphis has secured a $30 million federal grant to convert it to a mixed-use, mixed-income development.

50. Memphis Nabs $30 Million South City Grant After Last-Minute Negotiations - Friday, September 25, 2015

The Foote Homes public housing development is still standing with word Monday, Sept. 28, that the city of Memphis has secured a $30 million federal grant to convert it to a mixed-use, mixed-income development.

51. Memphis Mayoral Contenders Talk Public Transit - Thursday, September 24, 2015

The four major contenders for Memphis mayor all favor keeping the Mid-South Coliseum in some form and a Memphis Zoo parking garage.

But the positions were limited to yes-or-no answers during the Memphis Rotary Club debate Tuesday, Sept. 22, among Mayor A C Wharton and challengers Harold Collins, Jim Strickland and Mike Williams.

52. Events - Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Downtown Memphis Commission executive search committee will meet Tuesday, Sept. 22, at noon at the DMC office, 114 N. Main St. Visit downtownmemphiscommission.com.

53. Wharton Reintroduces Detroit Specter as Early Voting Begins - Tuesday, September 22, 2015

When the city of Memphis got an unmistakable warning in May 2013 from Tennessee comptroller Justin Wilson to get its financial house in order, Memphis mayor A C Wharton was among those quick to caution against likening the city’s problems to those of Detroit.

54. Events - Monday, September 21, 2015

Downtown Memphis Commission executive search committee will meet Tuesday, Sept. 22, at noon at the DMC office, 114 N. Main St. Visit downtownmemphiscommission.com.

55. Events - Saturday, September 19, 2015

The Metal Museum will host Repair Days Weekend Thursday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Sept. 27, at the museum, 374 Metal Museum Drive. Metalsmiths from around the country will be on hand to repair broken metal objects; all proceeds benefit the museum. Visit metalmuseum.org for a schedule of activities.

56. Editorial: Memphis’ Direction and Your Choices for Mayor - Saturday, September 19, 2015

Fhe Oct. 8 Memphis mayor’s race is about where the city is and where it is going.

A C Wharton’s six-year mayoral tenure has been a mixed bag. There's been a genuine effort to change the nature of local government but also a wandering focus in which slogans are a kind of political fodder.

57. The Field - Saturday, September 19, 2015

The most competitive race for Memphis mayor in 24 years is in the hands of Memphis voters who will determine whether it will be as close as recent polls suggest it could be.

Early voting in advance of the Oct. 8 election day opened Friday, Sept. 18, with all 13 Memphis City Council seats on the ballot as well as the race for the City Court Clerk’s office.

58. Mayoral Contenders Break New Ground In Last TV Debate - Friday, September 18, 2015

Even after numerous debates, including three on television, it turns out the four major candidates for Memphis mayor did have a few new things to say during the last televised debate of the 2015 election year.

59. Final Memphis Mayoral Debate Begins at 8 pm on WKNO - Friday, September 18, 2015

On the road to the last televised debate in the Memphis mayor’s race, the four major candidates know each other well.

They each know the speeches of their rivals, as well as their own, and the ability to catch the other guy off guard becomes more difficult as a result.

60. Memphis Mayor's Race Poised For Close Finish - Friday, September 18, 2015

A political summer dominated by the campaign for Memphis mayor begins turning toward fall Friday, Sept. 18, with the opening of the early voting period in advance of the Oct. 8 election day.

All 16 early voting sites are open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Oct. 3.

61. Memphis Mayoral Candidates to Face Off Thursday in Last Televised Debate - Thursday, September 17, 2015

On the road to the last televised debate in the Memphis mayor’s race, the four major candidates know each other well.

They each know the speeches of their rivals, as well as their own, and the ability to catch the other guy off guard becomes more difficult as a result.

62. High School Students to Host Mayoral Debate Saturday - Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Memphis youth will lend their voices to the city’s mayoral debate by hosting their own forum with the candidates.

The forum will take place Saturday, Sept. 19, at Christ in You Faith Temple, 3414 Reynard Road in Frayser. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and the forum will begin at 5 p.m. Students will have an opportunity to interact with current Memphis Mayor A C Wharton and candidates Harold Collins, Jim Strickland and Mike Williams.

63. Council Voting on Retirement Freeze to Stem Memphis Police Exodus - Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Memphis City Council members take a final vote Tuesday, Sept. 15, on a freeze of the city’s deferred retirement plan that is designed to keep the police force from dipping below 2,000 officers.

The council meets at 3:30 p.m. at City Hall, 125 N. Main St. Follow @tdnpols, www.twitter.com/tdnpols, for live coverage of the meeting and updates from committee sessions earlier in the day.

64. Poll Shows Wharton With Slim Lead in Mayor’s Race - Saturday, September 12, 2015

A new poll by the Commercial Appeal shows the Memphis mayor’s race likely will be decided with the winner getting less than a majority and a critical percentage of voters undecided.

The poll, commissioned by the newspaper and conducted by Mason-Dixon Research, shows Wharton is the choice of 30 percent of 500 likely voters who were polled by telephone.

65. Mayoral Campaigns Ramp Up Media Presence - Thursday, September 10, 2015

Three of the four major candidates for Memphis mayor are now on TV and radio with ads that reflect the intensity of a hard-fought race up to the Oct. 8 election day.

Memphis City Council member Harold Collins joined fellow council member Jim Strickland and incumbent mayor A C Wharton this week with a schedule of television ads running through Oct. 7.

66. Poll Shows Wharton With Slim Lead in Mayor’s Race - Monday, September 7, 2015

A new poll by the Commercial Appeal shows the Memphis mayor’s race likely will be decided with the winner getting less than a majority and a critical percentage of voters undecided.

The poll, commissioned by the newspaper and conducted by Mason-Dixon Research, shows Wharton is the choice of 30 percent of 500 likely voters who were polled by telephone.

67. MATA Bus Service Begins at Nonconnah Corporate Center - Saturday, September 5, 2015

The Memphis Area Transit Authority began bus service this week between Nonconnah Corporate Center and the transit authority’s Airways Transit Center.

The bus service was inaugurated after months of talks among owners of the center, tenants, city council member Harold Collins, who represents the area, and Mayor A C Wharton’s administration.

68. Memphis Mayoral Contenders Tout Endorsements, Snipe at Rivals - Monday, September 7, 2015

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen endorsed Memphis Mayor A C Wharton’s re-election bid last week on the doorstep of his Midtown home with the incumbent mayor by his side.

69. Retirees Could Shore Up Memphis Police Ranks - Thursday, September 3, 2015

Memphis City Council members are exploring the idea of encouraging retired police officers to get back in uniform on a regular basis as reserve officers to keep the force from slipping to less than 2,000 officers.

70. Council Explores Retirees Return To Police Ranks - Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Memphis City Council members are exploring the idea of encouraging already-retired police officers to get back in uniform as reserve officers to keep the police force from slipping to less than 2,000 officers.

71. MATA Bus Service Begins At Nonconnah Corporate Center - Wednesday, September 2, 2015

The Memphis Area Transit Authority began bus service this week between Nonconnah Corporate Center and the transit authority’s Airways Transit Center.

The bus service was inaugurated after months of talks among owners of the center, tenants, city council member Harold Collins, who represents the area, and Mayor A C Wharton’s administration.

72. Memphis Mayoral Debate Participants Announced - Tuesday, September 1, 2015

The field is set for an upcoming televised Memphis mayoral debate scheduled for the eve of early voting.

The four mayoral contenders who will participate in the Sept. 17 debate, sponsored by The Daily News and Urban Land Institute Memphis, are incumbent Mayor A C Wharton, city council members Harold Collins and Jim Strickland and Memphis Police Association president Mike Williams.

73. Memphis Mayoral Endorsements Split - Wednesday, August 26, 2015

The first wave of endorsements in the 2015 Memphis elections finds no mayoral contender with a sweep, one of the four major contenders without an endorsement so far and two of the big three municipal unions backing different mayoral candidates.

74. Memphis Chamber Backs Wharton in Mayor’s Race - Friday, August 21, 2015

The political action committee of the Greater Memphis Chamber is backing Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. for re-election.

Wharton faces a strong challenge in his re-election bid from Memphis City Council members Harold Collins and Jim Strickland. And a key issue in the hard-fought campaign is the city's pace of economic development during Wharton’s tenure.

75. Mayoral Debate Clash Focuses on City Finances - Thursday, August 20, 2015

Memphis city government’s financial problems and how those problems happened was the flashpoint for the latest meeting of the top mayoral contenders on the Oct. 8 ballot.

The Wednesday, Aug. 19, forum sponsored by The Commercial Appeal at the University of Memphis saw incumbent Mayor A C Wharton Jr. clash with challengers and city council members Jim Strickland and Harold Collins. The fourth debate contender, Memphis Police Association president Mike Williams, argued for different city priorities and a slower move toward economic development goals.

76. Deferred Retirement Freeze Reflects Larger Police Problem - Thursday, August 20, 2015

In response to a police officer shortage, the Memphis City Council on Tuesday, Aug. 18, took its first step toward approving an ordinance that would allow city employees to freeze their retirement plans.

77. Council Gives Final Approval To Forrest Statue Removal - Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Memphis City Council members gave final approval Tuesday, Aug. 18, to an ordinance setting the stage for removal of the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue in Health Sciences Park

78. Collins Knocks 'Puller, Pusher and Picker' Jobs In Whitehaven Opening - Saturday, August 15, 2015

Memphis Mayoral contender Harold Collins opened his Whitehaven campaign headquarters Saturday, Aug. 15, by saying incumbent mayor A C Wharton Jr. has “rendered us a puller, pusher and picker city.”

79. Collins Knocks 'Puller, Pusher and Picker' Jobs In Whitehaven Opening - Saturday, August 15, 2015

Memphis Mayoral contender Harold Collins opened his Whitehaven campaign headquarters Saturday, Aug. 15, by saying incumbent mayor A C Wharton Jr. has “rendered us a puller, pusher and picker city.”

80. Campaign Strategies Shift As Mayoral Debates Begin - Wednesday, August 12, 2015

It’s been a scrap from the start.

But with the first televised debate in the 2015 race for Memphis Mayor Monday, Aug. 10, more citizens got a first-hand look at what the top contenders have agreed is a milestone political race.

81. First Mayoral TV Debate Features Aggressive Contenders - Tuesday, August 11, 2015

The first televised debate of the 2015 race of Memphis Mayor Monday, Aug. 10, saw incumbent Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and city council member Jim Strickland clash repeatedly while fellow council member and mayoral challenger Harold Collins said Strickland and Wharton were “acting like Tom and Jerry.”

82. Wharton Calls Challengers "Thermometer People" - Saturday, August 8, 2015

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. continues to respond more aggressively to criticism from his challengers in the October mayoral election.

At the opening of his East Memphis campaign headquarters Saturday, Aug. 8, Wharton referred to them as “thermometer people.”

83. Preseason Analysis: Vols Will Defeat Oklahoma, Finish 8-4 - Saturday, August 8, 2015

Tennessee’s football team has something to prove as it concludes the first week of preseason practices and moves forward to the 2015 season.

The Vols must prove they belong in the national picture in Butch Jones’ third year as coach.

84. Strickland, Collins Clash on DROP Freeze - Thursday, August 6, 2015

Two political challengers to Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. clashed Tuesday, Aug. 4, over a plan by his administration to keep the city’s police ranks above the 2,000 mark.

City chief administrative officer Jack Sammons approached the council Tuesday in executive session about a plan to freeze the deferred retirement option plan (DROP) for city employees who have set their retirement date up to three years ahead of schedule.

85. Wharton Opens Whitehaven Headquarters as Collins Intensifies Challenge - Tuesday, August 4, 2015

On the broiling parking lot of his Whitehaven campaign headquarters this weekend, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. talked about “still water” after firing up a crowd of 150 supporters in a tent next to Elvis Presley Boulevard.

86. Wharton Opens In Whitehaven - Saturday, August 1, 2015

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. opened his Whitehaven campaign headquarters Saturday, Aug. 1, saying his job as the city’s chief executive is “not yet finished.”

“Have you ever heard me speak a divisive word? Have you ever heard me pit one part of the city against another part of the city?” Wharton asked a group of 150 supporters under a tent outside his campaign headquarters at First Memphis Plaza on Elvis Presley Boulevard in Whitehaven. “No -- haven’t heard it and you won’t hear it.”

87. Wharton Opens In Whitehaven - Saturday, August 1, 2015

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. opened his Whitehaven campaign headquarters Saturday, Aug. 1, saying his job as the city’s chief executive is “not yet finished.”

“Have you ever heard me speak a divisive word? Have you ever heard me pit one part of the city against another part of the city?” Wharton asked a group of 150 supporters under a tent outside his campaign headquarters at First Memphis Plaza on Elvis Presley Boulevard in Whitehaven. “No -- haven’t heard it and you won’t hear it.”

88. Wharton Maps Continuing Changes on Memphis Police Internal Investigations - Thursday, July 30, 2015

A decisive change in the way Memphis police investigate themselves highlights a week of sudden changes on the broader issue from City Hall.

The Memphis Police Department plans on turning over the investigations of all fatal shootings by Memphis police officers to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

89. Sparks Fly at Cooper-Young Mayoral Forum - Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. was the target of two Memphis City Council members challenging him during most of a Cooper-Young political forum Tuesday, July 28.

It’s what Wharton predicted would happen once the campaign to the Oct. 8 ballot began to throw sparks.

90. Memphis Police Plan to Turn Over All Fatal Police Shooting Cases to TBI - Wednesday, July 29, 2015

The Memphis Police Department plans to turn over all investigations of fatal shootings by Memphis police officers to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. confirmed Tuesday, July 28, that police director Toney Armstrong sent a memo to officers earlier in the day stating that would be MPD policy going forward.

91. Strickland's Memphis Mayoral Bid Heats Up - Friday, July 24, 2015

Just hours after he dropped out of the race for Memphis Mayor, James Harvey endorsed mayoral contender Jim Strickland at the opening of Strickland’s Poplar Plaza campaign headquarters.

92. Memphis Mayoral Field Set at 10 - Friday, July 24, 2015

Shelby County Election Commissioners have certified the Memphis election ballot for Oct. 8.

These are the names to appear on that ballot for the 15 elected offices.

The commission met hours after the noon Thursday, July 23, deadline for candidates to withdraw from the ballot if they wished.

93. One Week Later, Darrius Stewart Shooting Frames Larger Debate - Friday, July 24, 2015

The best indication the public has of how Darrius Stewart died is a YouTube video of his encounter Friday, July 17, with Memphis Police on Winchester Road.

It’s dark, it’s hard to make out key details and there is a lot happening in and out of the frame.

94. Reaction Grows to Stewart Shooting - Thursday, July 23, 2015

The NAACP’s Memphis branch called Wednesday, July 22, for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to go public with the results of its investigation into the shooting death of Darrius Stewart by Memphis Police office Connor Schilling.

95. Redistricting Controversy Shares Political Stage With Council Restructure - Thursday, July 23, 2015

At one point Tuesday, July 21, during the Memphis City Council’s discussion of the complexities and controversies of drawing new district lines, council attorney Allan Wade’s review of events reached the year 1967.

96. Council Redistricting Discussion Yields to Talk of Council Changes - Wednesday, July 22, 2015

A discussion among Memphis City Council members about redistricting Tuesday, July 21, turned into the idea of changing the structure of the council to single-member districts and discarding the multi-member super districts the council has had since 1995.

97. Filing Deadline Shapes Field in Memphis Elections - Monday, July 20, 2015

Now that they’ve made the filing deadline for the Oct. 8 Memphis elections, candidates have until Thursday, July 23, to withdraw if they wish before the ballot is set later that day in the 15 city races.

98. Ford Switches Races at Election Filing Deadline - Thursday, July 16, 2015

Darrell Wright cut it about as close as was possible at the noon Thursday, July 16, filing deadline for candidates in the Oct. 8 Memphis elections.

99. Wharton Issues Feisty Challenge to Mayoral Rivals - Thursday, July 16, 2015

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. filed for re-election Wednesday, July 15, and taunted his challengers the day before the upcoming election’s filing deadline.

Wharton’s filing with several dozen supporters and family members on hand at the Shelby County Election Commission completes the expected field for the mayor’s race.

100. Whalum Chooses Council Super District Race - Wednesday, July 15, 2015

New Olivet Baptist Church pastor and former Shelby County Schools board member Kenneth Whalum Jr. will run for Memphis City Council in the October 8 city elections.

Standing with family, friends and supporters Tuesday, July 14, in Church Park, Whalum settled weeks of speculation by announcing he will run for council Super District 9 Position 2, formerly held by Shea Flinn.