Memphis City Council members fill a vacancy on the 13-member body Tuesday, May 22.

The Super District 9 seat was vacated earlier this month by the resignation of first-term council member Philip Spinosa, who resigned to become senior vice president of the Greater Memphis Chamber’s Chairman’s Circle.

2. Seven Apply For Appointment to Open City Council Seat - Thursday, May 17, 2018

Seven citizens have applied for an interim appointment to the Memphis City Council Super District seat Philip Spinosa resigned from earlier this month.

The council will make the appointment at its May 22 meeting with the person getting the appointment serving until the results of a special council race on the Aug. 2 ballot are certified by the Shelby County Election Commission.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. County Primary Ballot Includes Partisan Match-Ups, Automatic Wins - Monday, February 19, 2018

Two Democratic county commissioners effectively won re-election to new terms of office at the Thursday, Feb. 15, filing deadline for candidates on the May 1 county primary ballot. And a third faces independent opposition in the August county general election.

6. Two County Commissioners Re-elected At May Ballot Filing Deadline - Friday, February 16, 2018

Two Democratic county commissioners effectively won re-election to new terms of office at the Thursday, Feb. 15, filing deadline for candidates on the May 1 county primary ballot. And a third faces independent opposition in the August county general election.

7. Four County Commissioners Unopposed As May Ballot Filing Deadline Approaches - Thursday, February 15, 2018

With a noon deadline Thursday, Feb. 15, to make the May 1 Shelby County primary ballot, four incumbent county commissioners had no opposition filed in their re-election bids.

Five Republican primary races on the ballot for 23 county offices, including the 13 commission seats, were one-candidate affairs with two or more Democrats running in the competing primaries as of Tuesday. Two Democratic primary races were also one-candidate races against a field of multiple Republican contenders in the companion primary.

8. Caldwell and Miller File for August Ballot - Saturday, January 27, 2018

District 88 state Rep. Larry Miller and Shelby County Schools board member Chris Caldwell have filed for re-election on the August ballot.

9. Last Word: Eureka Education, Confederate Monuments in Court and Dillon Brooks - Friday, January 26, 2018

Supermarkets are hard. That is the tag line in every discussion about getting a supermarket or grocery store for a given part of town that doesn’t have one. And once a new supermarket goes up somewhere else, there is inevitably word that a competitor or two is going to build nearby. The discussion always includes the mandatory recitation of the 3 to 4 percent profit margin stores operate on, which even knowledgeable critics of the decisions about where to locate and not to locate stores acknowledge is accurate.

10. Caldwell and Miller File for August Ballot - Thursday, January 25, 2018

District 88 state Rep. Larry Miller and Shelby County Schools board member Chris Caldwell have filed for re-election on the August ballot.

11. Final Goodbye: Roll Call of Some Who Died in 2017 - Monday, January 1, 2018

They made music that inspired legions of fans. Rock 'n' roll founding fathers Chuck Berry and Fats Domino, rockers Tom Petty and Gregg Allman, grunge icon Chris Cornell, country superstar Glen Campbell and jazz great Al Jarreau were among the notable figures who died in 2017, leaving a void in virtually every genre of music.

12. Leatherwood Files For Circuit Court Clerk - Thursday, December 21, 2017

Shelby County Register Tom Leatherwood has filed to run in the May Republican primary for Circuit Court clerk.

13. The Next Four Years - Saturday, November 18, 2017

A week before candidates for the 2018 Shelby County elections could pull qualifying petitions to run, Shelby County Commissioner David Reaves was thinking out loud on Facebook.

“Next four years,” was how it began.

14. What are the Odds? Blackburn is Still the Favorite - Friday, January 27, 2017

Tennessee has its search firm and its search committee is in place to find the replacement for Dave Hart as the university’s athletic director.

Hart announced last August he would retire June 30, and with Tennessee undergoing a transition in its chancellor’s position, the search for Hart’s replacement was put on the back burner.

15. Last Word: MemphisWorks App, Tyler Talks and Millington Home Sales - Thursday, December 8, 2016

A busy annual Greater Memphis Chamber Chairman’s Circle luncheon Wednesday topped by the debut of a jobs app that is more than ye olde classified ads reformatted on a digital device.

MemphisWorks is several parts of the jobs search and filling jobs all put together.

16. November 4-10, 2016: This week in Memphis history - Saturday, November 5, 2016

2005: Baptist Memorial Hospital comes down in a controlled demolition in which the four wings of the 18-story, 924,000-square-foot reinforced concrete hospital building collapse in a heap of rubble 49 years after the original two wings opened to the public. The other two wings of the structure were added in 1966. Also demolished earlier as part of the project was the adjoining Physicians and Surgeons Building, which had been built in 1912 as the original Baptist Hospital.

17. October 14-20, 2016: This week in Memphis history - Saturday, October 15, 2016

2015: The University of Memphis Tigers football team beats Ole Miss 37-24 at a sold-out Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in a game televised on ABC. It’s a big day in the city. Some tailgaters showed up the night before, anticipating a colossal traffic back-up around the fairgrounds. The evening of the game, a smaller, sold-out crowd gathers at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts for the induction of the latest class to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. Among those in attendance is late-night TV talk show host Jimmy Fallon, who is inducting Justin Timberlake. Keith Richards is present to induct Scotty Moore.

18. Former Democratic State Rep. George Fraley Dies at 85 - Friday, August 26, 2016

WINCHESTER, Tenn. (AP) – George Fraley, a former state representative and mayor of Franklin County, has died. He was 85.

19. Guitarist Scotty Moore Dies at 84 - Saturday, July 2, 2016

Scotty Moore, the pioneering rock guitarist whose sharp, graceful style helped Elvis Presley shape his revolutionary sound and inspired a generation of musicians that included Keith Richards, Jimmy Page and Bruce Springsteen, died Tuesday. He was 84.

20. Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley's First Guitarist, Dies At 84 - Thursday, June 30, 2016

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Scotty Moore, the pioneering rock guitarist whose sharp, graceful style helped Elvis Presley shape his revolutionary sound and inspired a generation of musicians that included Keith Richards, Jimmy Page and Bruce Springsteen, died Tuesday. He was 84.

21. Timberlake Remarks Show Generational Change in Music Heritage - Monday, October 19, 2015

Memphis music heritage, and the remembrance of it, turned an important corner Saturday, Oct. 17, when Justin Timberlake walked on stage at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts.

Timberlake, 34, is the youngest inductee into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.

22. Timberlake Sings a Little, Dances a Little at Memphis Event - Monday, October 19, 2015

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Justin Timberlake sang and strutted his way through his induction into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame on Saturday, doing vocal impersonations of soul singers Al Green and Otis Redding, performing on stage with Sam Moore of Sam & Dave, and joking with buddy Jimmy Fallon.

23. Fallon, Richards to Attend Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction - Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Jimmy Fallon, host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards will be among the attendees at this weekend’s Memphis Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts.

24. Fallon, Richards to Attend Music Hall Of Fame Induction in Memphis - Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Jimmy Fallon, host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards will be among the attendees at this weekend’s Memphis Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Downtown Cannon Center on Saturday, Oct. 17.

25. Buying a House? Here’s 12 Things You Must Do - Saturday, July 4, 2015

Anyone buying any home anywhere should have a checklist of things to do. In this area, there are several.

• Get a home inspection. Old or new, things may not be what they seem. As attorney Jean Harrison says of new homes, “Passing codes means they got at least a D-.” A home that has been pre-inspected could have serious flaws undiscovered by the seller’s inspector.

26. Crone Promoted at Trane Mid-South - Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Jim Crone has been promoted to comprehensive solutions business development manager with Trane Mid-South. In his new role, Crone will work with large commercial, industrial and institutional customers throughout the Mid-South to develop performance-based comprehensive solutions for capital improvements and operational efficiencies.

27. Democratic Chairman Apologizes as Party Parses Defeats - Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Democrats don’t consider it a successful campaign season unless there is some kind of intra-party dust up, the political axiom goes.

That conventional political wisdom loses its validity the more Republicans win, and it suggests that when the differences within the party aren’t mended by a Democratic victory, a bigger skirmish is likely on the horizon.

28. Memphis Bar Reveals Judicial Candidate Poll - Wednesday, July 2, 2014

All but three of the 24 local judicial incumbents on the Aug. 7 ballot came out on top in the Memphis Bar Association poll of judicial candidates released Monday, June 30.

Attorneys were asked by the bar to select candidates based on who they felt was best qualified to hold the office.

29. Memphis Bar Judicial Poll Released - Tuesday, July 1, 2014

The Memphis Bar Association poll of attorneys on the judicial races on the Aug. 7 ballot shows 16 percent to as high as 38 percent of the attorneys participating have no opinion in many of the judicial races.

30. Malone to Challenge Luttrell In August Mayoral Showdown - Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Former Shelby County Commissioner Deidre Malone will challenge incumbent Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell in the August county general election after winning the Tuesday, May 6, Democratic mayoral primary.

31. 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.

32. Shelby County Party Heads Look Ahead to Primaries - Tuesday, March 11, 2014

As Shelby County Democrats try to improve on losing every countywide office to Republicans in the 2010 county elections, party leaders are also warning political figures who identify as Democrats not to cross party lines.

33. Roland ReElected At Filing Deadline, Two Countywide Races Set For August - Friday, February 21, 2014

One of the six Shelby County Commission incumbents seeking re-election this year was effectively elected to a new four-year term in a new district with the noon Thursday, Feb. 20, filing deadline for candidates in the May county primaries.

34. 2 County Commissioners, Clerk Seek Re-Election - Saturday, January 18, 2014

Circuit Court Clerk Jimmy Moore has pulled a qualifying petition to seek re-election this year, starting with the May Republican primaries.

35. 2 County Commissioners, Clerk Seek Re-Election - Friday, January 17, 2014

Circuit Court Clerk Jimmy Moore has pulled a qualifying petition to seek re-election this year, starting with the May Republican primaries.

36. Home Builders Association Presents Lifetime Awards - Saturday, December 22, 2012

Memphis Area Home Builders Association presented lifetime achievement awards to Jim Reid, Dudley Schaefer Sr., Monroe Pointer and Tommy Cox at the trade organization’s annual holiday gala earlier this month.

37. Home Builders Association Presents Achievement Awards - Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Memphis Area Home Builders Association presented lifetime achievement awards to Jim Reid, Dudley Schaefer Sr., Monroe Pointer and Tommy Cox at the trade organization’s annual holiday gala earlier this month.

38. Moore Wins 2012 VESTA People's Choice Award - Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Dave Moore of The Dave Moore Cos. was the winner of the 2012 VESTA People’s Choice Award presented at the Memphis Area Home Builders Association’s “3rd Thursday” mixer, Thursday, Nov. 15, at Quantum Showrooms.

39. Q2 Court Filings Remain Consistent - Monday, July 23, 2012

Court filings in Chancery, Circuit and Probate courts remained constant for the most part in the second quarter of 2012.

The consistency came as Circuit and Chancery began a shift to an e-filing system that should change the way both offices process filings.

40. Active Builders - Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Local homebuilders filed 54 percent more new home permits during the second quarter compared with the same period last year.

Shelby County homebuilders filed 247 permits during the quarter (April to June), compared with 160 filed during Q2 2011, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

41. Building Blitz - Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Some of the city’s prominent homebuilders huddled up at McDonald’s on Winchester and Tchulahoma roads around 4:30 a.m. on Monday, June 4, trying to decide what the weather had in store for the first morning of the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis/Memphis Area Home Builders Association Home Builders Blitz.

42. Court Filings Steady for First Quarter - Monday, April 23, 2012

Filings across three of the four civil courts in Shelby County were steady for the first three months of 2012 with a new category again showing up among the top three categories in Chancery Court.

And attorneys in all courts prepared for the coming of electronic filing – or e-filing – during the second quarter in Circuit and Chancery courts.

43. Circuit, Chancery Make Move to Paperless - Thursday, March 29, 2012

The day-to-day business of Shelby County’s Circuit and Chancery courts is on the way to going paperless after more than 150 years of ink on paper.

The Circuit and Chancery courts clerks’ offices will go to electronic, or e-filing, of all court records in June.

44. Housing Market Slowly Improving - Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Memphis last month was named as one of 29 metropolitan areas to be included on the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index, which is now nearing 100 cities.

The index identifies metro areas that have shown improvement from their respective troughs in housing permits, employment and house prices for at least six consecutive months. Other notable new entrants to the list in February were Miami; Boston; Detroit; Kansas City, Mo.; Portland, Ore.; and Salt Lake City.

45. Sumlin: Remembering a Memphis Musical Great - Monday, December 19, 2011

Recent headlines shouted “Chicago Blues Great Hubert Sumlin Dies at 80.” The stories released about the death of Hubert Sumlin were almost correct, but the headlines should have read “Memphis Guitar Great Hubert Sumlin Dies.”

46. Permit Increase Implies ‘False Hope’ - Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Local homebuilders filed 75 percent more new home permits during November compared to the same month last year, but there are several underlying factors in those artificially high year-over-year totals.

47. Moore Takes Reins of Home Builders Association - Tuesday, December 6, 2011

As a homebuilder, philanthropist and body builder, Jimmy Moore is a well-rounded individual.

And as the newly installed president of the Memphis Area Home Builders Association, he is poised to lead the trade organization by example and with empathy for its members.

48. Exchange Club Announces New Board Members - Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Exchange Club Family Center has announced new board members as well as officers for 2011-2012.

Officers are Dan O’Brien, president; George Goldhoff, vice president; Grant Adams, treasurer; Adrienne Dailey-Evans, secretary; and Lucia Heros, immediate past president.

49. Q1 Court Filings Remain Consistent - Monday, April 18, 2011

The business of Circuit, Chancery and Probate courts remained constant in the first three months of 2011.

Filings for all three courts showed slight increases depending on the types of cases, according to The Daily News Online, www.memphisdailynews.com.

50. Commission Considers IT Consolidation, New Position - Monday, November 22, 2010

Shelby County commissioners take up the issue of consolidation once again at Monday’s meeting of the body.

It’s not consolidation of city and county governments, though. Voters dealt with that on the Nov. 2 ballot.

51. 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.

52. Bar Association Announces Endorsements - Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The first bar endorsements in the August judicial elections are out. A committee of the Ben F. Jones chapter of the National Bar Association has endorsed candidates in all five of the special judicial elections on the Aug. 5 ballot. The committee also endorsed candidates in three of the court clerk races on the ballot.

53. Ben F. Jones Chapter Endorses In Judicial Races - Tuesday, June 29, 2010

A committee of the Ben F. Jones chapter of the National Bar Association has endorsed candidates in all five of the special judicial elections on the Aug. 5 ballot.

The committee also endorsed in three of the court clerk races on the ballot.

54. 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.

55. Clerk Races Generate Plenty of Heat - Monday, April 19, 2010

Seven clerks' positions are on the May 4 primary ballot and incumbents are running for re-election in three of them.

None of the seven elections will be decided with the primaries because Democrats and Republicans are battling hard in the countywide races dominated just four years ago by the GOP.

56. 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.

57. 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)

58. Surprises Possible as Primary Filing Deadline Nears - Thursday, February 18, 2010

Although today marks the filing deadline for the May 4 Shelby County primaries and independent candidates on the Aug. 5 county general election ballot, plenty of political drama remains.

In fact, the filing deadline is often just as important – and surprising – as election day.

59. Byrnes to Take MAHBA Reins - Thursday, December 24, 2009

Tommy Byrnes of Byrnes Ostner Investments Inc. will serve as 2010 president of the Memphis Area Home Builders Association, the group’s executive director, Don Glays, said this week.

60. Once-Embattled Wilbun to Run for Juvenile Court Clerk - Thursday, December 17, 2009

The invitations urged political supporters to “Return Shep Wilbun” to the Memphis-Shelby County Juvenile Court Clerk’s office.

At a club on South Main Street this month as FedExForum began to fill up a few blocks away, Wilbun hosted an evening fundraiser at $100 a head. It drew State Reps. Ulysses Jones, Larry Miller and Joe Towns as well as Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy.

61. County Commission To Fill Vacancy - Monday, February 23, 2009

The Shelby County Board of Commissioners should return to its full complement of 13 members today.

The commission is scheduled to select a replacement for David Lillard, a Republican who resigned from the commission this month following his appointment in January as state treasurer. Whoever wins the appointment will serve the year and a half remaining in Lillard’s four-year term of office.

62. Crossroads Ford Closes Doors - Thursday, February 5, 2009

The Crossroads Ford Memphis auto dealership at 5299 Summer Ave. shuttered its doors Tuesday afternoon, a company employee confirmed this week.

63. Gibbons’ Pressure Tactics Outed G’town Pols - Thursday, November 6, 2008

The controversy over the Germantown ballot endorsing Gary Pruitt, Frank Uhlhorn and Mike Palazzolo in the town’s three alderman races underscores the power the local GOP ballot has in Shelby County outside the Memphis city limits.

64. Officials Mount Fight Against Charter Amendments - Monday, October 27, 2008

Several countywide elected officials are mounting an effort to defeat the two Shelby County charter amendments on the Nov. 4 ballot. The effort has drawn a formal complaint from Shelby County Board of Commissioners member Mike Ritz.

65. Home Inventory Reduction Creeps Along - Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Homebuilders continue to shed their inventory of new homes – a crucial step toward housing recovery – although the rate at which they are reducing stock is slow while overall supply remains abundant.

66. AT&T Makes Improvements To South Memphis Facility - Tuesday, May 6, 2008

4787 Weaver Road
Memphis, TN 38109
Permit Amount: $4 million

Project Cost: $4 million
Permit Date: Applied April 2008
Completion: September 2008
Owner: AT&T Inc.
Tenant: AT&T Inc.
Contractor: Vega Corp. of Tennessee
Details: Chattanooga-based contractor Vega Corp. of Tennessee will perform an interior renovation to an AT&T Inc. facility on Weaver Road; the building is south of Shelby Drive and north of South Third Street in South Memphis.
An AT&T public affairs spokesman said the interior renovation at the facility is “part of normal network maintenance. Every time we do any kind of maintenance or upgrades on our network, we file a building permit. It’s part of the normal broadband network upgrade that we do and have been doing across the state.”
Meanwhile, Jimmy Griffin, project manager for Vega, said the renovation is strictly interior work, with network equipment being installed.
“A lot of the big dollar value is the equipment,” Griffin said. He added that his company will mobilize soon to begin demolition on the inside.
Vega is waiting on permit approval and expected to begin work in the next 10 to 15 days for the build-out. Griffin said the projected completion date is Sept. 8. Vega has performed other interior renovations for AT&T, formerly BellSouth. The general contractor needed just six weeks to overhaul 16,000 square feet of office space on the 27th floor of AT&T’s state headquarters building in Nashville.

67. Moore Files Loan ForHomes in Ewing Place - Tuesday, April 29, 2008
     J. Moore and Associates has filed a $1 million construction loan to build three speculative homes in the final phase of Ewing Place Subdivision, a 95.67-acre development in Arlington south of Forrest Street and east of G

68. Briley Addresses House on Drunken Driving Arrest, Alcoholism - Friday, January 25, 2008

NASHVILLE (AP) - State Rep. Rob Briley told his colleagues in the state House of Representatives on Thursday that he is an alcoholic and asked for their forgiveness of his drunken driving conviction.

69. Builders Hand OutAwards at Gala - Tuesday, December 18, 2007
     The Memphis Area Home Builders Association (MAHBA) closed the year - and began looking toward 2008 - late last week at its inaugural gala and awards ceremony, held in the ballroom of the association's Cordova headquarter

70. Habitat and MAHBA Team Up To Make a Mom's Dream Come True - Thursday, April 12, 2007
     LeAndra Felton sounded downright giddy when she found out the frame of her future home had been erected, and that it soon would have a roof. After all, the last time she drove by, it was only a concrete slab in the middl

71. 'Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End' - Friday, December 29, 2006

Each time a modern historical figure dies - Pope John Paul II a couple of Aprils ago, for instance, or Princess Diana of Wales in August 1997 - I can't help thinking of a variety of snippets from popular culture, flickering strobe-light style across my mind's eye or my inner ear.

72. Wassmer Captures Account Exec Spot at Thompson & Berry - Wednesday, June 7, 2006

Katie Wassmer has been promoted to account executive at Thompson & Berry Public Relations, a division of Thompson & Co. Wassmer has been with Thompson & Berry for two years. She joined the company as an intern. Wassmer graduated from the University of Memphis in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in journalism/public relations.

73. First Quarter Court Activity a Mixed Bag - Monday, April 10, 2006

When Margie McMillan took a recent visitor out for a boat ride on the picturesque lake behind her home, her two dogs stood motionless behind her gate and watched.

That's what they always do when they're left behind, she explained. She always laughs when they turn into a prickly pair of angry pups on her return. She doesn't blame them; who wouldn't want to take a ride in her boat, she seems to suggest, drifting soundlessly across a 45-acre lake that's teeming with ducks, geese, mallards, the occasional blue heron and surrounded by rows of trees?

74. Local Resident Named Land Realtor of America - Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Keith Morris of 4M Land Co. in Somerville was honored with the 2005 Land Realtor of America award by the Realtors Land Institute. Morris, current president of the Tennesseen RLI chapter, is the first Tennessean to receive the award. He graduated from the University of Memphis.

75. Archived Article: Newsmakers - Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Shelby County Alumni Honored

MAHBA Announces New Board Members

The Memphis Area Home Builders Association announced the following new members of its board of directors: Tommy Byrnes, Phil Chamberlain III, Ginger Coggins, Michael Matthews and G...

76. Archived Article: Habitat (lead) - Friday, June 28, 2002
MAHBA begins Habitat house in Uptown

MAHBA begins Uptown Habitat house

By SUE PEASE

The Daily News

In a unique partnership twist, the Memphis Area Home Builders Association is taking on a Habitat for Humanity house in Uptown by completin...

77. Archived Article: Humane (lead) - Tuesday, February 12, 2002
Humane society 3-acre new digs on tap Humane society plans doggone good digs in rural Shelby By MARY DANDO The Daily News Midtowners familiar with the animal murals on the wall of the Memphis Humane Society on Central Avenue will take heart that the...

78. Archived Article: Memos - Wednesday, November 21, 2001
Archer>Malmo announced the following new hires and promotions

Archer>Malmo announced the following new hires and promotions.

Doug Force joined as manager of technology services. He has nearly 15 years experience in information systems an...

79. Archived Article: Memos - Wednesday, November 3, 1999
RFS Hotel Investors Inc RFS Hotel Investors Inc. has announced several management changes. Randy Churchey has been named president and chief operating officer of RFS Hotel Investors Inc. He formerly was senior vice president and chief financial offi...

80. Archived Article: Memos - Wednesday, October 27, 1999
AutoZone Inc AutoZone Inc. has announced the following promotions: Bill Rhodes, previously vice president of finance, was promoted to senior vice president of finance. Mike Broderick, previously regional manager, was promoted to vice president-store...

81. Archived Article: Real Focus - Tuesday, November 24, 1998
Home builders association elects 1999 volunteer leadership team Home builders association elects 1999 volunteer leadership team By DAVID REEL Special to The Daily News David Gribble of Boyle Investment Co. has been elected to serve as 1999 president...

82. Archived Article: Real Briefs - Tuesday, October 20, 1998
The Memphis Area Home Builders Association recently announced the winners of its annual Vesta Home Show The Memphis Area Home Builders Association recently announced the winners of its annual Vesta Home Show. Brook Ferrell of Volunteer Properties wo...

83. Archived Article: Vesta (bott) - Friday, October 2, 1998
By LAURIE JOHNSON Vesta Home Show to open Saturday at Grove Park By LAURIE JOHNSON The Daily News Large, luxurious homes will be the focus of the 1998 Vesta Home Show, the Memphis Area Home Builders Associations annual new home showcase that has evo...

84. Archived Article: Muddy Boots Lj - Friday, August 28, 1998
By LAURIE JOHNSON Vesta behind the scenes tour planned for Saturday By LAURIE JOHNSON The Daily News Home building and design enthusiasts will be able to learn more about quality home construction this weekend at a new behind-the-scenes tour of the ...

85. Archived Article: Marketplace - Monday, June 1, 1998
By DIANNA DEAREN Turning the tide The lack of women in science and engineering will be addressed through a local conference By DIANNA DEAREN The Daily News Despite making gains in recent years, women still do not pursue careers in science and engine...

86. Archived Article: Calendar - Monday, April 21, 1997
April 21 April 21 East Memphis Business and Professional Women will meet at the Lulu Grille, 565 Erin Drive. Networking begins at 6 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m. The speaker will be Laurel Niday, owner of Family Connection. The cost is $15. For rese...

87. Archived Article: New Judge.st - Tuesday, February 18, 1997
At noon on Friday Gov. Don Sundquist announced the name of the new Circuit Court judge appointed by Gov. Don Sundquist to fill the vacancy left when Judge Janice Holder was appointed to the Supreme Court. Third timeís a charm for new circuit ...

88. Archived Article: New Judge - Tuesday, February 18, 1997
At noon on Friday Gov. Don Sundquist announced the name of the new Circuit Court judge appointed by Gov. Don Sundquist to fill the vacancy left when Judge Janice Holder was appointed to the Supreme Court. Third times a charm for new circuit court ju...

89. Archived Article: Satelliteclerksofc - Monday, October 14, 1996
Notes satellite circuit court Satellite Circuit Court office opens today By GABRIELLE C.L. SONGE The Daily News A new Circuit Court Clerk satellite office opening today is designed to save time for attorneys practicing in East Memphis and ease the w...

90. Archived Article: Real Briefs - Tuesday, April 2, 1996
04-02 Real briefs Re/Max of Kentucky/Tennessee announced the top office sales associates for the first two months of 1996. The associates who had the highest total closed sales volume in their office for January and February, respectively, were: Edw...