Here comes Trader Joe’s with a Friday opening in Germantown after lots of mystery and delays and changes for what is a pretty simple concept. For so many of us, this has been a long-hoped for goal. It’s kind of up there with smuggling in Coors beer from the west in the 70s before it became available everywhere and Coors had a brewery here.

2. Last Word: Gun Group Endorsements, Kirby Complexities and Purple Haze Closes - Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Two races on the Nov. 6 ballot within the Shelby County legislative delegation to Nashville getting some attention as our Nashville correspondent Sam Stockard takes a look at “gun sense” ratings from the group Moms Demand Action, which has called for stricter gun laws.

3. Last Word: Graceland Opens Vigil, Hunt-Phelan For Sale and Southern Heritage - Thursday, September 6, 2018

After two years of making the Elvis candlelight vigil more about who paid and getting people in line, Graceland said Wednesday the vigil will return to being a free event next August – no admission, no buying packages that include the vigil. The timing on this is interesting coming about two weeks after the 2018 edition of the vigil.

4. Leadership Holes in State Legislature - Thursday, September 6, 2018

With apologies to Robert Zimmerman, “the times they are a-changing.”

Unlike Bob Dylan’s 1964 song of rebellion, Capitol Hill isn’t turning into a bed of liberals, although someday the first could be last. In fact, it could turn more conservative this fall before things take a different direction. But leadership down the line in both parties is due for a big turnover.

5. Karl Dean Pledges Commitment to Completing Megasite - Thursday, September 6, 2018

Pointing at the need to bolster distressed West Tennessee counties, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Karl Dean is pledging to complete the Memphis Regional Megasite and appoint an adviser to oversee the project.

6. Karl Dean Pledges Bigger State Role in Memphis Economic Development - Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Karl Dean, the Democratic nominee for governor, says each of the 61 days he has campaigned in Memphis, someone has complained that the city has “been cut adrift by the state of Tennessee.”

7. Democratic Nominee for Governor Pledges Bigger State Role in Memphis Economic Development - Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Karl Dean, the Democratic nominee for governor, says each of the 61 days he has campaigned in Memphis, someone has complained that the city has “been cut adrift by the state of Tennessee.”

8. County Mayor-elect Harris Resigns State Senate Seat - Thursday, August 30, 2018

County Mayor-elect Lee Harris announced his resignation from the state Senate on Wednesday, a day before he is sworn-in for the county post he won earlier this month.

9. Dean, Lee Differ on Many Tennessee Topics - Wednesday, August 29, 2018

On first blush, gubernatorial candidates Bill Lee and Karl Dean appear to be cast in a similar mold – business-friendly moderates.

10. Last Word: End of Term, After The Testimony and John McCain - Monday, August 27, 2018

Shelby County commissioners meet Monday for what is the last regularly scheduled meeting of their four-year term of office. Eight of the 13 commissioners are leaving the body of 13 at the end of this month as is Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell.

11. Panel Dismisses GOP Governor’s Race Campaign Finance Complaints - Friday, August 24, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee panel has dismissed campaign finance complaints against two Republican gubernatorial candidates that preceded the Aug. 2 primary election.

The Registry of Election Finance on Wednesday dismissed a complaint about GOP gubernatorial nominee Bill Lee from June. The complaint claimed Lee used his businesses to supplement his campaign without disclosure and beyond limits.

12. It’s Lee’s to Win Unless He Makes a Rookie Mistake - Thursday, August 23, 2018

When Bill Lee drove a tractor through tiny Eagleville last October, hardly anyone noticed. Only a handful of supporters milled around in the parking lot of the Farmers Co-op in southwest Rutherford County that morning where Lee spent a few minutes talking to people inside the store before emerging to ride to another town as part of a statewide tour, a precursor to an RV ride he would take later in the Republican primary race.

13. David Hawk Seeks Speaker post - Monday, August 20, 2018

Republican state Rep. David Hawk, an opponent of the 2017 IMPROVE Act and gas-tax increase, delivered the second shot for the House Speaker’s post, entering a race expected to hotly contested as the 111^th General Assembly prepares to convene.

14. County Mayor-Elect Harris Starts Transition to Office - Saturday, August 18, 2018

Shelby County Mayor-elect Lee Harris told 35 members of his transition team that they will probably continue working through the end of October, two months after he takes office as mayor.

15. County Mayor-Elect Harris Starts Transition to Office - Thursday, August 16, 2018

Shelby County Mayor-elect Lee Harris told 35 members of his transition team that they will probably continue working through the end of October, two months after he takes office as mayor.

16. County Mayor-Elect Harris Starts Transition with Long- and Short-Term Tasks, List of 142 Positions - Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Shelby County Mayor-elect Lee Harris told 35 members of his transition team that they will probably continue working through the end of October, two months after he takes office as mayor.

17. Last Word: Tunica Makes Book, The McCalla Ruling and Bush's Exit as Defender - Monday, August 13, 2018

Monday may be the biggest day in Tunica since the dawn of riverfront casinos in the early 1990s. Sports betting opens Monday morning in Tunica with Mississippi officialdom on hand at Horseshoe Tunica along with NFL and Tigers football star DeAngelo Williams who will be among those making the ceremonial first bets at The Book at Horseshoe Tunica.

18. Last Word: MIM Numbers, Feeding 700 Teenagers and Elvis Week Arrives - Friday, August 10, 2018

The honored country tradition of the Memphis In May International Festival is one of those things that gets called into question whenever there is some thought about changes to the city’s biggest party. And the keepers of the festival’s flame always defend the tradition against the notion that they should just go straight to the party and not worry about anything profound.

19. Outgoing County Register Tom Leatherwood Will Vie for Lollar’s Seat - Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Outgoing Shelby County Register Tom Leatherwood is the Republican nominee for the state House seat held by the late Ron Lollar.

20. Leatherwood Fills Republican Vacancy in State House Race - Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Outgoing Shelby County Register Tom Leatherwood is the Republican nominee for the state House seat held by the late Ron Lollar.

21. Last Word: DEB Comes to Memphis, Collierville's New School and Lamar Avenue - Monday, August 6, 2018

At the end of an eventful week on several fronts, two of those fronts met Saturday evening in Memphis Park. The park, cleared of all remaining Confederate monuments and markers earlier in the week, was the site of the first Le Diner en Blanc in the city. This is an event that takes place in other cities with the Paris DEB 30 years old and still running.

22. Harris Claims County Mayor, Democrats Sweep Other Countywide Offices - Monday, August 6, 2018

State Sen. Lee Harris easily beat County Trustee David Lenoir to become the next Shelby County mayor in the Thursday, Aug. 2, county general election, leading a Democratic resurgence in county politics.

23. Harris Elected County Mayor, Bonner as Sheriff - Friday, August 3, 2018

State Sen. Lee Harris easily beat County Trustee David Lenoir to become the next Shelby County mayor in the Thursday, Aug. 2, county general election, leading a Democratic resurgence in county politics.

24. Last Word: Election Day, Inland Bails Early and Cannons Out - Thursday, August 2, 2018

The TV breaks are wall to wall with political ads. The campaign robo-calls have crowded out the hang-up clone calls to your landline phone. Your mailbox has no fewer than three mailers a day. And all of the parties set for Thursday night are “victory” parties at least until the polls close. Here comes election day.

25. Hard To Find an ‘Adult In The Room’ in This Year’s Ads - Thursday, August 2, 2018

Television executives, ad reps and political consultants will hate to see this governor’s primary race end. But they can take solace from all the pain they’ve helped dole out while dining on caviar and grilled halibut while in the Caribbean Islands this fall, if they like fish eggs.

26. Election Verdict - Thursday, August 2, 2018

A week into the early voting period, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen was quizzing Democratic nominee for Shelby County mayor Lee Harris about the path of Harris’ campaign to election day. The race between Harris and Republican nominee David Lenoir was already getting dicey, with Lenoir’s attacks on Harris continuing at their debates and moving into mailers, including a controversial mailer featuring a picture of Harris that was noticeably darker than Harris is in real life.

27. Primaries For Governor Move to Contentious End - Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Randy Boyd has heard the saying about a race for elected office being a marathon and not a sprint. And he agrees. The Republican contender for Tennessee governor is also a marathon runner who has run 36 of the races.

28. In His Final Months as Tennessee Governor, Haslam Reflects on His Education Legacy - Monday, July 30, 2018

While Gov. Bill Haslam entered office as an education-minded leader intent on reforms, much of his administration’s K–12 public school work has focused on holding the line on sweeping policies launched under his predecessor.

29. US Government: Over 1,800 Migrant Kids Reunited by Deadline - Monday, July 30, 2018

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Shy children were given a meal and a plane or bus ticket to locations around the U.S. as nonprofit groups tried to smooth the way for kids reunited with their parents following their separations at the U.S. Mexico border.

30. Effort Aims to Help State's Undereducated, Underemployed - Monday, July 30, 2018

CORINTH, Miss. (AP) — When empty, the B&B Concrete trucks with white cabs and yellow spinning drums weigh 30,000 pounds. With a full load of water, sand, coarse aggregate and cement mixing together, they reach 60,000. Over smooth highways, it's a comfortable ride. Driving over Mississippi's back roads is much bumpier.

31. Last Word: Early Voting Tea Leaves, More Sunflowers and Marketing the Airport - Friday, July 27, 2018

The blitz is on to the last weekend of campaigning as early voting finishes up Saturday and election day awaits next Thursday. Some of the contenders on the ballot have their second wind. Others are waiting for their political sails to fill. All of them are still moving at various speeds in the Memphis summer of unrelenting heat, sun screen, three changes of campaign t-shirts per day, 100-foot markers at early voting sites, robo-calls, replaced yard signs, new direct mail pieces and voters who swear they voted for you even if they have no idea what you are running for.

32. Turnout Growing With 2 Days to Vote Before Aug. 2 - Friday, July 27, 2018

With two days left in the early voting period, 63,244 citizens had cast ballots in Shelby County in advance of the Aug. 2 election day. The last day of the early voting period is Saturday, July 28.

33. Tennessee GOP Governor's Race Turns to Spat Over Trump, Immigration - Thursday, July 26, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Loyalty to President Donald Trump tops the Republican checklist in the governor's race in Tennessee, right up there with championing gun rights and low taxes and decrying abortion.

34. 2 Dems Give Final Debate Pitch Before Tennessee Gov Primary - Tuesday, July 24, 2018

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Two leading Democratic candidates for Tennessee governor were largely in agreement on the issues during their final debate Sunday night before the Aug. 2 primary.

35. Harwell Backs Medical Marijuana in GOP Tennessee Governor's Race Ad - Monday, July 23, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — State House Speaker Beth Harwell is running a TV ad about supporting medical marijuana as she tries to separate herself from the Republican field for Tennessee governor before the Aug. 2 primary.

36. Pence Touts Conservative Credentials of Blackburn, Black - Monday, July 23, 2018

CLEVELAND, Tenn. (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence touted Republican tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks Saturday, using a visit to Tennessee to also heap praise on the conservative credentials of two GOP congresswomen waging tough campaigns for statewide offices.

37. Last Word: MemFix 4's Big Weekend, Early Voting Six Days In and Grizz Moves - Friday, July 20, 2018

A big weekend to avoid the interstate with a rare closing of I-240 between the 385 split and the I-40 split and Poplar over I-240 also closed in both directions. This kicks in Friday evening and runs up to Monday morning’s rush hour as TDOT crews work to replace four bridges in East Memphis using a relatively new process in which parts of the bridges are assembled in advance and then moved into place. The bridges are both Poplar bridges, the Park Avenue bridge and the Norfolk Southern rail bridge. And this will happen all over again in about a week’s time using the same schedule, weather permitting. Weekenders on the interstate already have some experience with a milder version of this with the interstate projects on the south leg

38. Democrats, Republicans Release Endorsement Ballots - Friday, July 20, 2018

A group of Democrats including former U.S. representative Harold Ford Sr. is preparing to mail and distribute at the polls 60,000 endorsement ballots at no cost to the Democratic contenders on the ballot.

39. Tennessee Republican Governor Race Debate Canceled - Wednesday, July 18, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A Republican debate in the Tennessee governor's race is canceled after three of four leading candidates dropped out.

According to WKRN-TV, on Friday former state economic development chief Randy Boyd announced he was pulling out of the Nexstar debate Sunday night due to a scheduling conflict. Boyd said early voting already started and he will be out visiting with voters.

40. Shelby County Early Voting Tops 4,300 - Wednesday, July 18, 2018

A total of 4,324 citizens had voted early through Monday, July 16, the last day of the 14-day voting period confined to five sites. Early voting expanded Tuesday to 22 additional sites across Shelby County.

41. Last Word: Storm and Early Voting Numbers, Frayser Revival and FCC at Baptist - Monday, July 16, 2018

That was loud and wet. After the storms moved through the city Sunday evening, about 20,000 MLGW customers were without power. That was down to 5,000 by midnight. With that let’s begin with early voting turnout, shall we. Monday being the last day of early-early voting with five of the 27 sites across the county. The others open Tuesday with early voting running through July 28 and election day Aug. 2. Here is the list of early voting sites and their hours from the Shelby County Election Commission.

42. Early Opening - Friday, July 13, 2018

Early voting in advance of the Aug. 2 Election Day opens Friday, July 13, at five locations across Shelby County. On Tuesday, 22 additional sites will be open through July 28. Between the Shelby County Election Commission and Chancery Court there were three other sets of early-voting locations and hours in a three-week period before Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins signed off Tuesday afternoon on a fourth set.

43. Lee: GOP Governor Race Attack Ads 'Not What a Leader Does' - Thursday, July 12, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Bill Lee has released an ad criticizing what he calls dishonest attack ads in the GOP gubernatorial primary, saying he's "not going down that road."

With early voting approaching Friday, Lee's ad argues the attacks aren't what a leader does and show some candidates will say and do anything to get elected.

44. Dozens of Immigrant Children Will be Reunited With Parents - Wednesday, July 11, 2018

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Dozens of immigrant children under the age of 5 will be released from government custody and reunited with their parents Tuesday after being separated at the border under President Donald Trump's zero-tolerance immigration policy.

45. Last Word: The Jenkins Ruling, No More City Court Clerk and Harwell's Quest - Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Making your early voting plan for Friday’s debut of the voting period in advance of the Aug. 2 election day? Well, you might want to hold off until after Tuesday morning. That’s when the latest changes could get set in stone … or not.

46. What Do Statewide Candidates Say About Education in Tennessee? - Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Gov. Bill Haslam and the General Assembly have invested in education during the last eight years. Has that been a good investment and should it continue? What do the candidates propose for the next four to eight years?

47. Late Entry, Different Strategy Set Tone In Harwell’s Run for Gubernatorial Nomination - Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Her campaign got a later start than her rivals seeking for Republican nomination for Tennessee governor.

House Speaker Beth Harwell has also conducted a basic campaign built around her experience in government.

48. Fitzhugh Challenges Dean’s 'Pragmatism' - Monday, July 9, 2018

Democratic contender for Tennessee governor Craig Fitzhugh is challenging the idea of rival Democrat Karl Dean’s “pragmatic” view of coexisting as governor with Republican supermajorities in the state House and Senate.

49. Editorial: Early Voting Review Should Be Bipartisan - Saturday, July 7, 2018

From the outset of early voting in Shelby County 24 years ago, there was never an expectation that going to the polls for two weeks before Election Day would increase the overall turnout.

If that happened it was considered to be an added benefit. But the goal of early voting was convenience and maybe a step or two down the road to a time when we would vote at fewer polling places once this became a habit.

50. Trump Closes in on Supreme Court Pick; 3 Judges Top List - Friday, July 6, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is closing in on his next Supreme Court nominee, with three federal judges leading the competition to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.

51. Diane Black Proud of Unfavorable Ratings With ‘Far Left’ - Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Republican contender for Tennessee governor U.S. Rep. Diane Black drew the endorsement of the American Conservative Union as she spoke at the national group’s Memphis forum Monday, July 2, on jobs and the economy.

52. Floodgates Burst On Attacks In Tennessee Gop Governor’s Race - Monday, July 2, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The floodgates have burst on attack ads in Tennessee's Republican gubernatorial primary.

New TV ads keep hitting the airwaves after U.S. Rep. Diane Black's commercial this week that labeled former state economic development chief Randy Boyd and businessman Bill Lee as moderates. All four leading Republican contenders have touted their conservative credentials throughout the campaign, and now Black and Boyd are trying to pick each other's claims apart.

53. Election Commission Reviews Democrats’ Complaints About Early-Voting Sites - Friday, June 29, 2018

The Shelby County Election Commission meets Friday, June 29, to hear complaints from local Democrats about the locations and hours of early-voting sites in advance of the Aug. 2 Election Day.

Corey Strong, chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party, said Wednesday the election commission should apologize for having Agricenter International as the only site for early voting the first four days of the early-voting period.

54. Black Fires First Candidate Attack Ad in Tennessee Governor's race - Friday, June 29, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Congresswoman Diane Black labels businessmen Randy Boyd and Bill Lee moderates in the first Tennessee gubernatorial race attack ad by a campaign.

55. Democrats Cry Foul on Early Voting Sites - Wednesday, June 27, 2018

The chairman of the Shelby County Democratic party says the Shelby County Election Commission should apologize for having Agricenter International as the only site for early voting the first four days of the early voting period in advance of the Aug. 2 election day.

56. Sanders says she was told to leave Virginia restaurant - Monday, June 25, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was booted from a Virginia restaurant because she works for President Donald Trump, setting off a fierce debate about whether politics should play a role in how administration officals are treated in public.

57. Mike Huckabee endorsing Randy Boyd for Tennessee governor - Monday, June 25, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is endorsing Republican Randy Boyd for Tennessee governor.

58. Republican debate for Tennessee governor canceled - Monday, June 25, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Organizers have canceled a scheduled Republican debate for governor because two of the leading candidates said they would not participate.

The Tennessean reports the debate had been scheduled for Tuesday at Belmont University between Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd, House Speaker Beth Harwell and Williamson County businessman Bill Lee. But organizers decided to cancel the debate after Boyd and Harwell withdrew amid negotiations about the event's details.

59. NRA endorses Black in Tennessee governor's race GOP primary - Friday, June 22, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The National Rifle Association has endorsed U.S. Rep. Diane Black in a crowded Republican primary field for Tennessee governor.

60. Last Word: County Budget Compromise, MEM After 5 Years and Elvis - Tuesday, June 19, 2018

There is nothing like the end of a term for those holding elected office. That’s what gets most of the credit for the Shelby County commission’s smooth ending to its budget season Monday. A final reading of the revised county property tax rate of $4.05 still awaits. But the commission went a long way toward locking that in with the approval of everything else at the Monday session.

61. Complaint Targets Tennessee Governor Hopeful's Business Help - Tuesday, June 19, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A campaign finance complaint is questioning how a Republican hopeful for governor is getting political help from his businesses, among other concerns about how he's raising money.

62. Last Word: Bird Is The Word, Governors Quartet and Charlie Morris's Secret - Friday, June 15, 2018

Former Vice President Joe Biden plays the Orpheum Friday evening. Maybe that isn't the right way to put it -- unless there's a drum solo no one is talking about. Free Bird?

I'll take it as further evidence of the new American politics that is evolving and is far from settled at this point. Politicians do paid speaking gigs all the time. And at times it is controversial. But the gigs are usually some kind of speaking fee to make remarks at a corporate function -- not selling individual tickets on line. This is ostensibly to promote Biden's new book and book deals and politicians go way back. But in a lot of cases, those are free events in a book store. When Biden was last here, it was as vice president at the Norfolk Southern intermodal rail yard in Rossville.

63. Morris' Secret Helped Pass Civil Rights Cold Case Laws - Friday, June 15, 2018

Charlie Morris was known for decades as a political operative who defined a brand of grassroots-style campaigning and political involvement in North Memphis. He and his late wife, Alma, operating out of a barber shop in a Quonset hut off Chelsea Avenue, endorsed candidates and worked for them at the polls – going door-to-door in their neighborhood in what was the most basic kind of political organizing.

64. Raised in the projects: San Fran elects black woman mayor - Friday, June 15, 2018

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco's incoming mayor knows the yawning gap between rich and poor firsthand, having been raised by her grandmother in the city's drug- and violence-riddled projects.

65. Last Word: Riverfront Change, Skeleton to Canopy and Summer Camp - Wednesday, June 13, 2018

The two contenders for Shelby County Mayor in the Aug. 2 county general election – Democratic nominee Lee Harris and Republican nominee David Lenoir – meet for the first time in the general election campaign Wednesday at the Memphis Kiwanis Club weekly luncheon. It is the first of several debates between the two. And judging from what Harris and Lenoir have said separately and what we’ve reported from those appearances, this is a highly anticipated debate/discussion about the future of Shelby County on several fronts.

66. Line Between ‘Get Out the Vote,’ ‘Crossover’ Melts In Campaign Heat - Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Get Out The Vote – the plan known among politicos by the shorthand GOTV – has slipped across the line that separates it from “crossover” – the sometimes-controversial act of pushing to get those on the other side of the partisan divide to cross political lines and vote for the other party’s nominee.

67. Trump Revises Comey Firing, Giuliani Blasts 'Lynching Mob' - Friday, June 1, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump declared Thursday that he didn't fire FBI Director James Comey over the Russia investigation, despite previously citing that as the reason. His lawyer, meanwhile, blasted federal investigators as "a lynching mob" the Trump team will "knock the heck out of" in the end.

68. Two Shots Didn’t Phase Lawmakers in Jack Daniel’s Case - Thursday, May 17, 2018

When Van Halen front man David Lee Roth opened a bottle of Jack Daniel’s on stage back in the ’80s, the last thing he thought about was taxes and court appeals when he took a big swig of whiskey.

69. Tom Wolfe, Pioneering 'New Journalist,' Dead At 88 - Wednesday, May 16, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) – Tom Wolfe, the white-suited wizard of "New Journalism" who exuberantly chronicled American culture from the Merry Pranksters through the space race before turning his satiric wit to such novels as "The Bonfire of the Vanities" and "A Man in Full," has died. He was 88.

70. Last Word: Mimeo Move, Food Fight and Sundquist for Blackburn - Monday, May 14, 2018

There aren’t any renderings just yet of what a second convention center hotel with the 100 North Main Building as its centerpiece would look like. That’s probably a good thing for now because some of the specs and the footprint are still in flux. The developers of the proposed convention center hotel said as the weekend began that they plan a 600 room hotel and a complex that includes two 30-story towers in addition to the 37-story tall 100 North Main Building – the tallest building in the city. And the foot print will likely jump Second Street to take in the vacant Jefferson Plaza building. Here is the update and some perspective on how we got to this point.

71. What Do Statewide Candidates Say About Rural Tennessee? - Saturday, May 12, 2018

Like most of America, Tennessee’s metropolitan areas have prospered during the last eight years, while the rural areas have lagged in almost every measure. The state has 19 of its 95 counties classified as “distressed.” What can and should we do to give every Tennessean a chance to succeed?

72. May 11-17, 2018: This week in Memphis history - Saturday, May 12, 2018

1976: An ad in The Daily News by Marx & Bensdorf offers a 170-acre estate at Holmes Road and Center Hill Road, then south of Collierville’s city limits, for sale for $1.1 million. The “picture book” estate is advertised as the one-time home of the state’s most famous walking horse, Carbon Copy, the 1964 world grand champion.

73. Trump Announces US Will Exit Nuclear Accord With Iran - Wednesday, May 9, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump announced Tuesday the U.S. will pull out of the landmark nuclear accord with Iran, declaring he was making the world safer but dealing a profound blow to allies and deepening the president's isolation on the world stage.

74. Events - Saturday, May 5, 2018

The 2018 Beale Street Music Festival takes place Friday through Sunday, May 4-6, in Tom Lee Park on Riverside Drive. The kickoff to the Memphis in May International Festival includes four stages with more than 60 acts spanning every genre. Tickets are $55 each day; three-day passes are $125 if purchased before May 1 and $165 if purchased after. Visit memphisinmay.org for details and a lineup.

75. Events - Friday, May 4, 2018

The 2018 Beale Street Music Festival takes place Friday through Sunday, May 4-6, in Tom Lee Park on Riverside Drive. The kickoff to the Memphis in May International Festival includes four stages with more than 60 acts spanning every genre. Tickets are $55 each day; three-day passes are $165. Visit memphisinmay.org for a lineup.

76. Events - Thursday, May 3, 2018

Porter-Leath will host its Books From Birth spring luncheon, “Growing New Readers by Leaps and Bounds,” Thursday, May 3, at noon in the FedEx Events Center at Shelby Farms Park, 415 Great View Drive E. The luncheon will feature a panel discussion with Memphis literacy advocates about the necessity of early literacy. Tickets are $75; tables of 10 are $750. Visit porterleath.org.

77. East Meets West as 2 Legislators Run Out of Time - Thursday, May 3, 2018

It wasn’t quite a constitutional crisis, but when Reps. Micah Van Huss and Joe Towns start teaming up, something is amiss.

78. Events - Wednesday, May 2, 2018

“Toward Justice: A City-Wide Upstanders’ Project” kicks off with a keynote by civil rights leader Bob Zellner on Wednesday, May 2, at 7 p.m. at the Memphis Jewish Community Center, 6560 Poplar Ave. The monthlong “Toward Justice” project is presented by nearly a dozen local organizations and features exhibits, installations and more. All events are free and will be held at MJCC. Visit jccmemphis.org for a schedule.

79. Chicken Processor to Open $40M Mississippi Plant, Hiring 300 - Tuesday, May 1, 2018

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – An Alabama-based chicken processor will open a plant in northeast Mississippi to make and distribute frozen chicken products.

Peco Foods on Monday announced its plan to invest $40 million in West Point, hiring 300 people over the next four years.

80. Events - Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Memphis Opportunity Scholarship Trust (MOST) will host a reception honoring its 17 high-school scholarship recipients from the class of 2018 Tuesday, May 1, at 6 p.m. at Dixon Gallery & Gardens, 4339 Park Ave. Dr. Mary McDonald, a National Education Consultant and columnist for The Daily News, will be the guest speaker. Visit memphisscholarships.org.

81. Last Word: Last Day of Early Voting, Senate Poll and Legislature Goes to Overtime - Thursday, April 26, 2018

The last day of early voting before the May 1 election day is Thursday. And the turnout count through Wednesday has eclipsed the total early voting turnout in this same set of elections in 2010 and 2014. You can find a list of early voting locations and the hours at www.shelbyvote.com, the website of the Shelby County Election Commission. The winners on election night next Tuesday advance to the August county general election.

82. Last Word: The City's Windfall, Chandler Parsons' Knees and Keith Sykes on Flying - Wednesday, April 25, 2018

When you think of economic engines that drive the Memphis economy there are a lot of corporate names past and present that come to mind. One further down the list is the Memphis Defense Depot in southeast Memphis more than 20 years after the Army closed up shop. Along the stretch of Airways near Memphis International Airport are the blue collar neighborhoods built by the hub for Army supplies that located here in the early 1940s on 4.2 million square feet of land.

83. Last Word: TNReady Blinks Again, Gov. Debate Thoughts and Mud Island's Museum - Friday, April 20, 2018

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

84. Last Word: 'Poking The Bear,' National Walk Out Day and McQueen on Capitol Hill - Thursday, April 19, 2018

The state House’s Tuesday action cutting $250k in funding for Memphis from Gov. Bill Haslam’s budget proposal is turning into a cause back here, starting with a GoFundMe page. Elsewhere on social media, you can see the unmistakable outline of a party or parties for the cause beginning to form. This is near the end of session for the Legislature when the budget is the last action before going back to the district to run for re-election. Different timing over here, with multiple crawfish outings leading into Memphis in May.

85. Lee, Boyd, Black Talk Confederate Monuments, Oppose Pre-K Expansion - Thursday, April 19, 2018

Three of the four major contenders for governor in the Aug. 2 Republican primary disagree with the removal of Confederate monuments from city parks but also disagree with the state legislature’s decision to cut $250,000 of city funding in retaliation.

86. Republican Contenders for Mayor Say City Paying for Monuments Misstep - Thursday, April 19, 2018

The three Republican contenders for Shelby County Mayor believe the city of Memphis acted improperly in removing Confederate monuments from city parks last year and is, in effect, paying the piper for challenging the Tennessee Legislature.

87. GoFundMe Page Seeks to Reimburse Memphis for State Money Withdrawal - Wednesday, April 18, 2018

NASHVILLE – A GoFundMe page has been started on Facebook to raise funds to make up a $250,000 budget cut the Tennessee Legislature levied against the city of Memphis for removing Confederate monuments from two city parks late last year.

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

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

89. What Statewide Candidates Say About Opioid Crisis, Public Safety - Saturday, April 14, 2018

The spread of opioid abuse claimed over 1,600 lives in Tennessee in 2016, and it is getting worse. Methamphetamine abuse, while not getting the headlines, has increased. Gun violence and murder is increasing. What proposals do our candidates have to help Tennesseans address these public safety issues?

90. Candidates for Governor Give Millions to Their Own Campaigns - Friday, April 13, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee candidates for governor are raising millions of dollars in contributions, but the big money is coming from the contenders themselves.

A state campaign finance disclosure report filed this week shows that Republicans Diane Black and Bill Lee had the most in contributions this quarter – each around $3.3 million.

91. Lots of Noise, But Few Results in Legislature - Thursday, April 12, 2018

Just when you think the Tennessee Legislature is going off the deep end, someone will throw them a bungee cord. Maybe a rope made out of hemp would work better because a bungee cord leaves people bouncing, never quite reeling them in.

92. Sunday Wine, Liquor Sales Passes in Tenn. Senate - Wednesday, April 11, 2018

NASHVILLE – Buoyed by Bible verses and compromise giving liquor stores a head start on Sunday sales, legislation allowing grocery stores to sell wine on Sundays passed the Senate Wednesday on a 17-11 vote.

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

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

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

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

95. MLK50 Observances Come With Appeals, Memories - Friday, April 6, 2018

The way National Civil Rights Museum president Terri Lee Freeman described it as the MLK50 commemorations began this week, the church bells would cascade when they rang Wednesday, April 4, starting at 6:01 p.m. – the moment Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot 50 years ago.

96. MLK50 Events: A Roundup of Memphis Happenings - Saturday, March 31, 2018

Here's a selection of events in Memphis marking the 50th anniversary of the 1968 sanitation workers' strike and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. April 3 is the 50th anniversary of King’s last speech – the “Mountaintop” speech at Mason Temple, while April 4 is the 50th anniversary of his assassination on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel.

97. Davy Crockett’s Fine, But Let’s Not Get Carried Away - Thursday, March 29, 2018

The Tennessee General Assembly is making some monumental decisions these days – literally.

Not only is the Legislature prepared to put a statue of Tennessee folk hero Davy Crockett in front of the State Capitol, replacing obscure Nashville politician Edward Carmack, it’s also likely to erect a monument, or memorial, to unborn children in the ongoing battle against abortion.

98. August Ballot Starts to Fill Out Ahead of April 5 Filing Deadline - Wednesday, March 28, 2018

With contenders in the May county primaries now appearing at various campaign forums, holding their own events and going door-to-door in search of votes, there are still a few gaps to be filled on the Aug. 2 state and federal primary ballot.

99. Children’s Central - Thursday, March 22, 2018

The first career choice a child has in mind isn’t always the right one. Stephanie Butler, who today is the new executive director of the Children’s Museum of Memphis, thought she wanted to be a doctor.

100. Dean: ‘It’s Kind of Our Turn’ in Governor’s Race - Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Democratic contender for governor Karl Dean is pushing hard the idea that Democrats can win one of the two statewide races on the Tennessee ballot this year.