Memphis has enjoyed a bumper crop of barbecue restaurant news in recent weeks, from tweaks to some business’ existing locations and plans by others to expand. And that trend isn’t letting up anytime soon.

2. Wrestling Ring to Political Ring: WWE Star Runs for Mayor - Monday, March 27, 2017

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Glenn Jacobs, better known as the towering WWE villain Kane, is stepping into the political ring with a bid for mayor in Tennessee.

3. Looking Forward - Friday, December 30, 2016

SEEDS OF SURVIVAL. I know Cary Fowler, a quiet, unassuming high school classmate and Rhodes graduate whose forward-thinking worldview might very well save the planet. At the very least, what he’s doing gives the world something to look forward to in the new year and beyond.

4. Domestic Violence Charges Dropped Against Lawler, Fiancee - Monday, July 04, 2016

Court records show domestic violence charges have been dropped against wrestler Jerry Lawler and his fiancee in Tennessee.

5. Judge Orders Wrestler Jerry Lawler, Fiancee to Stay Apart - Tuesday, June 21, 2016

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – A Tennessee judge on Monday ordered famed wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler and his fiancee to stay away from one another following their arrest on domestic violence charges.

6. WWE Suspends Lawler After Arrest - Monday, June 20, 2016

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – World Wrestling Entertainment said it has suspended Jerry "The King" Lawler after he and his girlfriend were arrested Thursday night on charges of domestic violence.

7. The Week Ahead: March 21-27 - Monday, March 21, 2016

How was your weekend, Memphis? Here’s our weekly roundup of local happenings you need to know about, from the first Great River Indoor Food Truck Festival to a celebration of late Memphis wrestler Sputnik Monroe.

8. Graffiti Green Light - Saturday, January 09, 2016

Brandon Marshall is a full-time artist, making a living painting commissioned murals for clients. He’s also well-versed in the graffiti world of Memphis, a small but determined group of artists who tag properties around the city.

9. Memphis Creatives Walk Through Recent Branding Projects - Wednesday, December 02, 2015

Ben Fant and Andrew Holliday are principals at two Memphis creative firms that each undertook similar projects recently – crafting brand messaging for clients in the restaurant industry.

10. Roundhouse Revival 2 Features Mayoral Trash Talk - Tuesday, October 06, 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.

11. Coliseum Fans Push for Roundhouse Reconsideration - Friday, May 29, 2015

The city’s effort to either restart or reconfigure its plan for the Mid-South Fairgrounds began Saturday, May 23, on the steps of the south entrance to the Mid-South Coliseum.

And it continues Monday and Tuesday, June 1-2, with a set of four town hall meetings – two each evening.

12. Dream Season - Saturday, February 07, 2015

The Grizzlies had just defeated the rival Oklahoma City Thunder before a loud sellout crowd in The Grindhouse and Jerry “The King” Lawler had defended his Memphis championship wrestling belt, albeit with an assist from the Grizzlies’ crack game operations staff.

13. Size of Mayoral Field Shadows Race - Tuesday, February 03, 2015

Nobody running for election on the Oct. 8 ballot can even pull a qualifying petition to get on the ballot until April, yet February is shaping up as the month when it is determined what kind of challenge and how many challengers incumbent Mayor A C Wharton Jr. will face.

14. Events - Friday, November 21, 2014

Downtown Memphis Commission will kick off the holiday season with the Flip-the-Switch tree-lighting party Friday, Nov. 21, at 4:30 p.m. on Beale Street at Rufus Thomas Boulevard. The event will include hot chocolate and donuts, plus special appearances by Jerry Lawler, Grizz and the Claw Crew, the Memphis Grizzline and Santa. Visit downtownmemphis.com.

15. Events - Thursday, November 20, 2014

The Downtown Memphis Commission board will meet Thursday, Nov. 20, at noon in the commission conference room, 114 N. Main St. Visit downtownmemphiscommission.com.

16. That’s Entertainment - Saturday, January 25, 2014

It was late in Game 6 of the Grizzlies’ 2013 playoff series with the Los Angeles Clippers. Already, FedExForum was abuzz with anticipation. The hated Clippers were about to go down. Grizz, the team’s chest-thumping mascot, scaled a ladder inside the arena and unfurled a banner:

17. Former Memphis Wrestling Promoter Dies in Accident - Saturday, August 03, 2013

Former Memphis wrestling promoter Corey Maclin has died in motor vehicle accident in Mississippi.

18. Former Memphis Wrestling Promoter Dies in Accident - Thursday, August 01, 2013

Former Memphis wrestling promoter Corey Maclin has died in motor vehicle accident in Mississippi.

19. Lawler to Appear at Mid-South Fair - Friday, September 28, 2012

Memphis wrestler and television personality Jerry Lawler will put in an appearance Friday, Sept. 28, at the Mid-South Fair in Southaven.

20. Wrestling Film Now Available on iTunes - Thursday, May 24, 2012

Local wrestling film “Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin’” is now available for download on iTunes.

The film documents the “wild and wooly history” of wrestling in the Memphis area. It encompasses everything from the days of cult hero Sputnik Monroe to midgets, tag teams, female wrestlers, Jerry “The King Lawler” and Jimmy “Mouth of the South” Hart and more.

21. Artistic Support - Friday, January 27, 2012

Jerry “The King” Lawler, Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell, District Attorney General Amy Weirich and Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy are just a few of the local celebrities who’ve channeled their inner Renoirs to raise money in support of local victims of domestic violence.

22. City’s Story Recounted in ‘Memphis 101’ - Thursday, November 10, 2011

A cross-section of native Memphians and Memphians by choice spent the afternoon of Tuesday, Nov. 9, exploring the stories that shaped the city during “Memphis 101,” a free, public event held biannually at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library.

23. Celebrities to Sling Cocktails for CLC - Thursday, October 27, 2011

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr., television personality and former professional wrestler Jerry Lawler, and longtime Fox 13 news anchor Mearl Purvis are among the celebrity bartenders who’ll serve up cocktails Thursday, Oct. 27, at Strut Memphis, a benefit for the Community Legal Center.

24. Flea Market as Business Incubator - Monday, April 11, 2011

There are MBA programs to make you a business Jedi, business degrees to educate you, incubators to learn from other businesses. And then there is the Tennessee Flea Market. More like the Flea Mall. It opened last week and is the largest indoor flea market in Tennessee.

25. Enjoying the Ride - Thursday, September 16, 2010

From Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck zipping past the Colosseum in “Roman Holiday” to vintage photographs of suit-wearing mods cruising the streets of 1960s London, the word ‘Vespa” evokes a stream of iconic pop culture images.

26. Charting a True Course - Friday, September 10, 2010

The charter is good reading. No lie.

I’m tired of being lied to, how about you?

With the birth of the 24/7 news cycle and the growth of the technology to spin endlessly within it, truth has been challenged as never before. Even in the face of truth, those threatened by it continue to lie – even as their pants burn brightly. We even lie about lies, euphemistically calling them such soft and fuzzy things as misconceptions, misstatements, misinterpretations, fabrications, exaggerations – you know – just a little fib.

27. Lawler, Cooper ‘Divorce’ Over Deli Plans - Thursday, August 12, 2010

The King has given up the corner of Adams and Main Street.

Plans for a new wrestling-themed deli on the ground floor of The Claridge House at Main and Adams using the name of wrestler and announcer Jerry “The King” Lawler have been called off. Lawler was going to lend his name to the venture to be owned by Joe Cooper.

28. CCC Says ‘No’ to King’s Sign - Monday, August 02, 2010

Center City Commission staff have recommended the agency’s Design Review Board reject Jerry “The King” Lawler’s application for signage for the new business the wrestling icon is opening on the ground floor of the Claridge House.

29. Events - Friday, July 23, 2010

The Orpheum Theatre will host Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons September 18 and Jerry Seinfeld September 24 at the theater, 203 S. Main St. Tickets for both events will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. For more information, call 525-3000 or visit www.orpheum-memphis.com.

30. Events - Thursday, July 22, 2010

Christian Brothers University will host a child art therapy training workshop Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Cooper-Wilson Center for Life Sciences, room 105, on the CBU campus. To register, visit www.paintedchild.com.

31. ADDY Awards Grapple With Bad Economy - Tuesday, March 02, 2010

A fight between the emcee and a performer interrupted the 2009-2010 Addy Awards ceremony Saturday night, and the fight itself was then interrupted when a man drove a motorcycle through the crowd of Memphis’ creative elite.

32. Events - Friday, February 26, 2010

The Memphis Gavel Club will hold a luncheon today from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Holiday Inn-University of Memphis, 3700 Central Ave. Yvonne Madlock, director of the Shelby County Health Department, will speak. For more information, call 754-3569.

33. Events - Thursday, February 25, 2010

The Memphis Bar Association will host a continuing legal education seminar today from 1:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. at the MBA office, 80 Monroe Ave., Suite 220. Kathy Story of Story Consulting will speak on “Managing Change and Transforming Your Legal Career.” To register, visit www.memphisbar.org.

34. Council Chairman Collins Readies For New Regime - Monday, October 26, 2009

Memphis City Council Chairman Harold Collins will have a very good seat for today’s swearing-in ceremony of Memphis Mayor-elect A C Wharton Jr.

35. The Vote Count - Friday, October 16, 2009

A total of 109,339 Memphians voted in the Memphis mayor’s race, a 25 percent turnout of the city’s 423,049 voters.

Here is the unofficial final vote tally for the 25 candidate field for Memphis Mayor:

36. The Vote Count - Thursday, October 15, 2009

A total of 109,339 Memphians voted in the Memphis mayor’s race, a 25 percent turnout of the city’s 423,049 voters.

Here is the unofficial final vote tally for the 25 candidate field for Memphis Mayor:

37. Mayoral Hopefuls Make Last-Minute Play for Votes - Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Jerry Lawler is pitching his campaign for mayor from interstate overpasses and a wrestling ring he’s set up in the parking lots of the city’s shopping centers.

38. A Mayor’s Race to Remember: Candidates pump up the drama as election nears - Monday, September 21, 2009

The field is set at 25 candidates and Memphians start voting Sept. 25 in a mayor’s race that has been neither a surprise nor the expected.

But there’s no guarantee the election will settle what the post-Willie Herenton era will look like. Too many other events still have to be decided.

39. Mayor's Race Set at 25 Candidates - Friday, September 11, 2009

The Shelby County Election Commission has approved a field of 25 candidates for the Oct. 15 special election for Memphis mayor.

The vote came hours after the Thursday deadline for any candidates to withdraw.

40. 25 In Final Field For City Mayor - Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Shelby County Election Commission has approved a field of 25 candidates for the Oct. 15 special election for Memphis mayor.

The vote came hours after the Thursday deadline for any candidates to withdraw.

41. Herenton Heats Up Young Republican Gathering - Friday, September 11, 2009

The cooks at Central BBQ on Summer Avenue provided the ribs and other entrees for a gathering of the Shelby County Young Republicans this week.

But it was former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton who contributed the spice and a side order of political insight.

42. Field of 28 For Mayor Meets Filing Deadline With Enough Signatures - Thursday, September 03, 2009
 

A field of 28 candidates had filed petitions with enough valid signatures to run in the Oct. 15 special election for Memphis mayor by today’s noon deadline.

Shelby County Election Commission administrator Richard Holden told The Daily News several contenders had their petitions rejected once election commission staff checked the signatures.

Each person signing must be a registered voter in the city of Memphis and list the address that is on their voter registration record.

A total of 33 petitions were filed by the noon deadline. But several candidates were disqualified for not having enough signatures. And then three were returned to the list of candidates after a second check of their petitions. Those who returned to candidate status included Memphis school board member Sharon Webb.

Those who made today's cut have until noon Sept. 10 to withdraw from the race. The field will then become final.

The candidates include: 

• Leo Awghowhat
• Kenneth Baroff
• Joe Brown, Memphis City Council member
• Randy L. Cagle
• Charles Carpenter, attorney
• Carol Chumney, former City Council member
• Dewey Clark, former aide to and witness against jailed Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell
• James M. Clingan
• Menelik Fombi, a candidate for Memphis City Schools Board in past elections
• Wanda Halbert, chairwoman, City Council budget committee
• Johnny Hatcher
• Robert “Prince Mongo” Hodges  
• Constance Houston
• Dewayne Jones
• E.C. Jones, former City Council member
• Jerry Lawler, entertainer and former professional wrestler
• Myron Lowery, Memphis mayor pro tem
• Ernie Lunati
• Harrel C. Moore  
• Mary T. Shelby-Wright, perennial candidate for numerous offices
• Detric W. Stigall
• Silky Sullivan, restaurant owner and entrepreneur
• David Vinciarelli
• Vuong Vaughn Vo
• Sharon Webb, Memphis school board member
• Kenneth T. Whalum Jr., pastor of New Olivet Baptist Church and Memphis school board member
• A C Wharton Jr., Shelby County mayor
• John Willingham, former Shelby County commissioner

Sullivan showed up at the Election Commission in a white Rolls Royce wearing a white suit.

“When you see this white suit, you know I’m coming at you,” he told reporters as he outlined a plan to turn The Pyramid over to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital instead of the proposed lease to Bass Pro Shops.

“It’s going to be a dogfight,” Sullivan said of the mayor’s race.

When someone asked if he would still be in the race after next week’s withdrawal deadline, Sullivan said he was in “to the violent end.”

“You know you can’t win,” political blogger and radio talk show host Thaddeus Matthews said to Sullivan.

“Why not?” Sullivan replied.

Anthony Willoughby, the last candidate to file before noon, told reporters he was a Realtor-broker who played a role in the development of Banneker Estates in southwest Memphis, the subdivision developed by former Mayor Willie Herenton.

“I’m not a politician,” Willoughby said. “I’m going to run on that statement.”

Willoughby didn't have enough qualified signatures, though. So he won't be running.

Daniko Flowers, a construction worker still wearing his safety vest, showed up at five minutes before noon and checked out a petition. He returned at three minutes past noon and was not allowed to file. Flowers only had 18 signatures on the petition anyway.

43. Lawler Laments Being Typecast As He Runs for Mayor - Thursday, August 20, 2009

He’s a successful businessman of nearly four decades. He had finished a respectable third the last time he ran for Memphis mayor, which was the first time he ran for elected office. He has enough name recognition that people he doesn’t know ask for his autograph. And he can’t make campaign signs, buttons and T-shirts fast enough to satisfy the demand.

44. Halbert Mulls Run for City Mayor - Thursday, July 30, 2009

Another potential mayoral candidate is considering stepping into the fray.

With the release of a brief statement Wednesday afternoon, Wanda Halbert floated her interest in October’s special election to choose someone to fill the rest of Willie Herenton’s mayoral term, which ends in 2011.

45. Halbert Mulls Run for City Mayor - Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Another potential mayoral candidate is considering stepping into the fray.

With the release of a brief statement Wednesday afternoon, Wanda Halbert floated her interest in October’s special election to choose someone to fill the rest of Willie Herenton’s mayoral term, which ends in 2011.

46. Wrestling Promoter Preps For County Clerk Run - Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Wrestling promoter and television personality Corey Maclin is the latest Democratic candidate to announce his intentions for the 2010 countywide elections.

Maclin on Monday told members of the local Democratic Executive Committee that he will be a candidate in the 2010 Democratic primary for Shelby County clerk.

47. Sisson Remembered For Spunk, Humor - Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Thomas E. “Pete” Sisson’s political career in Memphis and Shelby County spanned more than 50 years in which he witnessed more change than most politicians.

Sisson, who died last week at age 81, was remembered this week at a funeral service in Cordova.

48. Memphis Promoter Files Suit Against WWE - Friday, January 11, 2008

It's the back story that counts in professional wrestling. The matches and interviews advance story lines and rivalries that lead to more matches with more hype and thus more fans in the seats and watching on pay-per-view television.

49. Gloves On, Gloves Off - Thursday, September 27, 2007

Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton has run for the same elected office five times.

He's won four and he'll know about the fifth try one week from today.

Herenton said he'll be glad when the week is over. He's been on a charm offensive for about the last month, which has included submitting to a series of one-on-one television interviews that have replaced the home-stretch candidates forums of past election seasons.

50. Archived Article: Calendar - Monday, August 16, 1999
Aug Aug. 16 The Memphis Songwriters Association will meet at 7 p.m. in Room 101 of the Harris Music Building at the University of Memphis. For more information, call 577-0906 or e-mail mporter@vantek.net. Consumer Credit Counseling Service will offe...