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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. This Week In Memphis History: March 23-29 - Saturday, March 24, 2018

2010: Groundbreaking for the Salvation Army Kroc Center at the Mid-South Fairgrounds after a five-year effort that included the local Salvation Army chapter raising $25 million to trigger $60 million in matching funds from the estate of Joan Kroc.

5. August State and Federal Primary Ballot Taking Shape - Thursday, March 15, 2018

With less than a month to file for the August state and federal primary elections, there are still a few decisions to be made by would-be candidates working in the shadows of those running in the May 1 county primary elections.

6. Last Word: Soccer Returns, Confederate Reprisals and Megasite Politics - Tuesday, January 9, 2018

So much going on off the field and on parts of the field in Atlanta Monday evening as Alabama beat Georgia – a clothesline, a punch thrown on the field and an attempt to throw another punch on the sidelines at an Alabama coach and all of that from a single Alabama player. So a lot of speculation after the College Football Playoff National Championship about how that will be resolved. Alabama over Georgia 26-23 in overtime.

7. Akbari Pulls Petition To Run for State Senate - Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Democratic state Rep. Raumesh Akbari has decided to run for the District 29 state Senate seat being vacated by Lee Harris in the Shelby County legislative delegation.

8. This week in Memphis history: Jan. 5-11 - Saturday, January 6, 2018

2008: First Memphis City Council meeting of the four-year term for the council members elected the previous October. During the oath of office ceremony New Year’s Day at the Cannon Center, council chairman Scott McCormick promises a new era at City Hall. While Mayor Willie Herenton is starting his fifth term in office, the council elections the previous year saw a turnover in nine of the 13 council members – the largest turnover in the history of the mayor-council form of government.

9. Last Word: Changes Behind Highland Row, Lee Harris Opens and Ron Olson Moves - Friday, November 3, 2017

Shelby County Commission chairwoman Heidi Shafer says the commission, through its attorneys, is in ‘the final stages of launching litigation” against big pharma over the opioid problem locally. And in a written statement Thursday she said she believes the litigation “will result in significant recovery for hundreds of millions of dollars that Shelby County has spent trying to heal, save, nurse and otherwise deal with the opioid crisis.” Shafer specifically announced the hiring on a contingency basis of a national law firm.

10. Tanney Hopes Nashville is Not His Last Stop - Friday, September 1, 2017

By the time you read this, it is possible that Alex Tanney might have already thrown his last pass as a member of the Tennessee Titans.

But Tanney, even if he doesn’t make the 53-man roster in Tennessee, says he won’t stop pursuing his dream. As the Titans closed out the preseason in Kansas City on Thursday, the dread of impending roster cuts turned into reality this weekend around the NFL.

11. Last Word: Primary Care, Weirich On Twitter and Tigers Offense - Friday, August 4, 2017

Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich has been responding by Twitter for the last two days to the New York Times Magazine article about the Noura Jackson case that went up online earlier this week. Using the hashtag “ProCrimeNYTimes,” Weirich @ShelbyCountyDA -- tweeted Wednesday that the long read is “a blatant effort to create sympathy for the defendant while demonizing prosecutors.”

12. Spice Maker to Open Marshall County Warehouse, Hiring 48 - Wednesday, March 29, 2017

BYHALIA, Miss. (AP) – McCormick & Co. will open a distribution center in north Mississippi, investing $6 million in equipment and hiring 48 workers.

13. New Director Wants to Raise Memphis Botanic Garden’s Profile - Thursday, December 22, 2016

The Memphis Botanic Garden long ago ceased being a place to just stop and smell the roses. While a rose garden is one of 28 specialty gardens spanning 96 acres, events and promotions have more recently provided MBG’s identity to the community, especially The Live at the Garden concert series.

14. Memphis Botanic Garden Names New Director - Saturday, November 26, 2016

Michael D. Allen is the new executive director of the Memphis Botanic Garden, the nonprofit institution’s board of directors announced Tuesday, Nov. 22.

Allen comes to MBG after six years as president and CEO of Catholic Charities of West Tennessee and nearly 25 years with International Paper before that. Allen also serves as director of the Memphis Land Bank.

15. Memphis Botanic Garden Names New Director - Thursday, November 24, 2016

Michael D. Allen is the new executive director of the Memphis Botanic Garden, the nonprofit institution’s board of directors announced Tuesday, Nov. 22.

Allen comes to MBG after six years as president and CEO of Catholic Charities of West Tennessee and nearly 25 years with International Paper before that. Allen also serves as director of the Memphis Land Bank.

16. The Rest of the August Ballot - Saturday, July 9, 2016

If all goes according to plan on the Aug. 4 election day, Linda Phillips hopes the result is that you don’t see her in any of the reporting on election night.

17. SCS Board Closes Northside High Immediately - Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Northside High School has graduated its last class.

Shelby County Schools board members voted Tuesday, June 21, to close the North Memphis school effective with the academic year that ended in May.

18. Carver High Closing Likely Not Last - Monday, June 13, 2016

Over the last 30 years, there have been proposals to close Carver High School. The nearly 60-year-old South Memphis high school survived them all until last week when Shelby County Schools board members voted to close it effective immediately.

19. Carver High School Closes Permanently - Friday, June 10, 2016

Shelby County Schools board members voted Thursday, June 9, to close Carver High School effective the school year that ended last month.

Meeting in special session Thursday, the board acted on the final item on a list of closings and changes that included closing three charter schools as well as creating a Whitehaven Empowerment Zone linking five elementary and middle schools to Whitehaven High School in a more coordinated curriculum and structure for running all of the schools together.

20. Carver High School Closes Permanently - Friday, June 10, 2016

Shelby County Schools board members voted Thursday, June 9, to close Carver High School effective the school year that ended last month.

Meeting in special session Thursday, the board acted on the final item on a list of closings and changes that included closing three charter schools as well as creating a Whitehaven Empowerment Zone linking five elementary and middle schools to Whitehaven High School in a more coordinated curriculum and structure for running all of the schools together.

21. Carver High School Closes Permanently - Friday, June 10, 2016

Shelby County Schools board members voted Thursday, June 9, to close Carver High School effective the school year that ended last month.

Meeting in special session Thursday, the board acted on the final item on a list of closings and changes that included closing three charter schools as well as creating a Whitehaven Empowerment Zone linking five elementary and middle schools to Whitehaven High School in a more coordinated curriculum and structure for running all of the schools together.

22. Only One School Board Seat Contested - Saturday, April 16, 2016

It’s usually filing too close to the deadline that ends up shedding potential candidates from local election ballots.

That is the case with two would-be challengers to a pair of Shelby County Schools board incumbents on the Aug. 4 ballot.

23. Two More August School Board Races Go Uncontested - Thursday, April 14, 2016

It’s usually filing too close to the deadline that ends up shedding potential candidates from local election ballots.

That is the case with two would-be challengers to a pair of Shelby County Schools board incumbents on the Aug. 4 ballot.

24. August Primaries Feature Intra-Party Challenges - Monday, April 11, 2016

Two years after a disastrous slate of races for countywide offices, there is a move among younger Democratic partisans in Memphis to shake up the Democrats who represent the city in the Tennessee Legislature.

25. 8th Congressional District Primaries Draw 22 Contenders, 13 Republican - Friday, April 8, 2016

The Republican primary race to fill the 8th District Congressional seat Republican incumbent Stephen Fincher is giving up drew a field of 13 contenders – seven from Shelby County and four from Jackson, Tennessee – at the Thursday, April 7, noon filing deadline for the Aug. 4 ballot.

26. Bartlett Judicial Races Shifted To August Ballot - Thursday, March 24, 2016

The two municipal judges in Bartlett learned this week that they have races to run on the August ballot, not the November ballot they were scheduled to run on.

The addition of two races to the Aug. 4 Shelby County ballot comes two weeks before the April 7 filing deadline for the nonpartisan local races as well as the state and federal primary contests.

27. Candidates Already Gearing Up For August Elections - Friday, January 8, 2016

The ballot for the March 1 Tennessee presidential primaries and county primaries for General Sessions Court Clerk was set while many voters were focused on the holidays and preparations for the new city leaders taking office in January.

28. Uber's Popularity Surges; Business Travelers Avoiding Taxis - Wednesday, April 8, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) – Business travelers are bypassing the taxi queue with greater frequency, choosing instead ride-hailing services like Uber Technologies.

A new report by expense management system provider Certify shows that 47 percent of the ground transportation rides by its users in March were through Uber. That's more than tripled from the 14 percent of rides that Uber had just over a year ago in January 2014. In a few cities, Uber now tops taxi rides for business travelers.

29. Wharton Eyes City Hall Shake-Up - Monday, March 2, 2015

Facing specific criticism from political challengers that his administration is disorganized and hasn’t focused on priorities much past initial press conferences, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. acted this week to shake up his office starting at the top.

30. Coming Up Roses - Thursday, February 26, 2015

Back in the 1970s, Scott McCormick was taking pictures of the Memphis Botanic Garden for the White Station High School yearbook.

31. Botanic Garden Names New Executive Director - Saturday, February 14, 2015

Scott McCormick has been named the new executive director of the Memphis Botanic Garden Foundation.

32. Botanic Garden Names New Executive Director - Monday, February 9, 2015

Scott McCormick has been named the new executive director of the Memphis Botanic Garden Foundation.

33. Memphis Botanic Garden Names New Executive Director - Friday, February 6, 2015

Scott McCormick has been named the new executive director of the Memphis Botanic Garden Foundation.

34. Democratic Divide Widens in Election Results - Friday, August 8, 2014

Democrats have retained their seven-vote majority on the new single-district Shelby County Commission that takes office Sept. 1.

That and the re-election victory of Democratic incumbent Cheyenne Johnson in the race for Shelby County Assessor of Property were the only bright spots for a divided local Democratic Party that lost every other countywide partisan elected position to Republicans in the Aug. 7 county general election, just as they lost every countywide position to Republicans four years earlier.

35. Cohen Prevails, Incumbents Dominate - Friday, August 8, 2014

Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen held off Thursday, Aug. 7, the most serious electoral challenge he’s faced since winning the Congressional seat in 2006, in the form of attorney Ricky E. Wilkins.

36. Volkswagen to Build New SUV in Tennessee, Add 2,000 Jobs - Monday, July 14, 2014

NASHVILLE (AP) – Volkswagen plans to build a new seven-passenger SUV at its factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, adding about 2,000 factory jobs as it tries to reverse U.S. sales that have fallen for the past two years.

37. Tate Uncontested in Tenn. Senate Race - Saturday, April 12, 2014

The day after the filing deadline for the August state and federal primaries, Democratic state Sen. Reginald Tate became an uncontested incumbent, winning another four-year term representing District 33.

38. Tate Uncontested in Tennessee Senate Race - Monday, April 7, 2014

The day after the filing deadline for the August state and federal primaries, Democratic state Sen. Reginald Tate became an uncontested incumbent, winning another four-year term representing District 33.

39. 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.

40. Grant Supports Optometry College’s Campaign - Monday, September 17, 2012

Southern College of Optometry has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the Plough Foundation to support a construction project that will provide the college’s 500 students with new classroom facilities and state-of-the-art instructional space at its Midtown campus.

41. MED Forms Committee to Examine Minority-Owned Biz Dealings - Friday, May 4, 2012

The board governing The Regional Medical Center at Memphis has formed an ad hoc committee to review and make recommendations regarding the amount of business the hospital conducts with minority-owned companies.

42. VW Conducting National Search to Fill Tenn. Jobs - Tuesday, April 10, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – Volkswagen is conducting a national search to fill the most specialized of 1,000 new jobs at its Chattanooga plant.

The German automaker said Monday that it is using a national print and online advertising campaign to fill specialty positions, including maintenance technicians, manufacturing engineers and logistics supervisors.

43. City Elections Withdrawal Deadline Nears - Thursday, July 28, 2011

Noon Thursday, July 28, is the deadline for candidates who filed for the Oct. 6 Memphis elections to withdraw their names from the ballot if they wish.

And one candidate has already dropped out of a City Council super district race to endorse another candidate.

44. The MED Approves $20 Million in Upgrades - Monday, June 20, 2011

The board governing The Regional Medical Center at Memphis approved its fiscal year 2012 budget, including roughly $20 million in capital improvements, during a Thursday, June 16, meeting at the Adams Pavilion, 842 Jefferson Ave.

45. The MED to Vote on 2012 Budget - Thursday, June 16, 2011

On Thursday, June 16, the board overseeing The Regional Medical Center at Memphis will vote on its fiscal year 2012 budget, including a capital improvements plan approved last week by The MED’s Finance, Budget and Audit Committee.

46. Qualifying Period for City Races Opens - Monday, April 18, 2011

Here come the city elections. Monday is the first day candidates in the Oct. 6 Memphis elections can begin picking up and filing qualifying petitions for mayor, all 13 seats on the Memphis City Council, City Court clerk and the three divisions of City Court.

47. In Blow for BofA, Fed Rejects its Dividend Plan - Thursday, March 24, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – It was one more blow for Bank of America: the Federal Reserve didn't allow nation's largest bank to increase its dividends.

The decision by the Fed makes Bank of America Corp. the only one of the four largest U.S. banks that wasn't able to raise its dividend, something shareholders have been clamoring for.

48. New Members Appointed to MED Board - Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Three new board members were recently appointed to the board of the Shelby County Health Care Corp. by Mayor Mark Luttrell.

49. Plough Awards UTHSC $4.5 Million Grant - Thursday, March 25, 2010

The new UT College of Pharmacy Building, currently under construction in Memphis Medical District, has received a $4.5 million grant from the Plough Foundation.

The grant will fund the establishment of the Plough Center for Sterile Drug Delivery Systems on the sixth floor of the building. The $65 million structure is being built in the UT-Baptist Research Park, which is adjacent to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center main campus.

50. Plough Foundation Awards $4.5M to UTHSC - Wednesday, March 24, 2010

The new UT College of Pharmacy Building currently under construction in downtown Memphis has received a $4.5 million grant from the Plough Foundation.

The grant will fund the establishment of the Plough Center for Sterile Drug Delivery Systems on the sixth floor of the building. The $65 million structure is being built in the UT-Baptist Research Park, which is adjacent to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center main campus.

51. Stanley’s Rise – and Fall - Monday, August 17, 2009

Paul Stanley is a political result of the conservative backlash that with the 1994 mid-term elections gave the GOP majorities in the U.S. House and Senate for the first time since Dwight Eisenhower was president.

52. Herenton-Lowery Transition Under Way in Choppy Waters - Monday, July 13, 2009

He is serving his fifth term in office, having come to political power in the historic 1991 city elections. He became a politician after a career in which he was already in the public eye. He is outspoken and intense and he is not Willie Herenton.

53. City CAO Resigns to Pursue Other Interests - Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Herenton administration’s No. 2 man announced Wednesday he is leaving City Hall.

Keith McGee, the city’s chief administrative officer, plans to retire effective July 4.

McGee, 47, sent the written notice to Mayor Willie Herenton the day after the City Council completed action on a city budget and tax rate for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

54. UPDATE: McGee To Retire As City CAO - Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The Herenton administration’s No. 2 man announced Wednesday he is leaving City Hall.

Keith McGee, the city’s chief administrative officer, plans to retire effective July 4.

McGee, 47, sent the written notice to Mayor Willie Herenton the day after the City Council completed action on a city budget and tax rate for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Along with the city finance director, the CAO traditionally shepherds the administration through council deliberations on the city budget.

“My pastoral ministry and other consulting interests are calling me to transition at this time,” wrote McGee who has been pastor of St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Tipton County since 1992. “I am excited about the chance to explore some unique opportunities that require my time and attention. … I plan to continue my service to this great community through civic activities.”

McGee was a consultant to the U.S. Justice Department’s National Institute of Corrections before going to work for the city in 1993. He oversaw personnel training for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department and worked in the Shelby County jail in various positions.

But late Wednesday afternoon, McGee told The Daily News he is pursuing other consultant possibilities outside corrections.

No successor has been named for McGee.

In announcing McGee’s retirement, Herenton described McGee’s service as “exemplary.”

The CAO is responsible for the day to day running of all divisions of city government and reports directly to the mayor.

McGee became chief administrative officer in 2003 at the beginning of Herenton’s fourth term of office. Before that he had served four years as director of the division of Human Resources. He went to work for the Herenton administration in 1993 as the deputy director of human resources.

McGee figured prominently in Herenton’s brief flirtation with resigning the mayor’s office in 2008. City Charter provisions at the time would have made McGee the mayor after a 20-day tenure by then-council chairman Scott McCormick.

Before abandoning the idea of resigning, Herenton’s plan relied heavily on McGee continuing Herenton’s political agenda.

In addition to overseeing the administration’s budget priorities, McGee has also been involved in the administration’s attempt to recover from a growing list of problems at the Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center (MSARC).

Herenton admitted there were problems but added fuel to the political fire with an appearance before the City Council earlier this month in which he declared MSARC would remain a city agency as long as he was mayor.

Herenton said McGee had counseled him not to go into problems at the center, which included a staffing shortage as well as a lack of administrative oversight. And McGee had also helped Herenton craft a prepared statement for the council that Herenton left unused for the most part.

Less than a week later, Herenton and Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton Jr. announced MSARC would become a part of the county-led Health Department.

55. Merck to Buy Schering-Plough - Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The company that Abe Plough founded in Memphis no longer will bear his name under terms of a $41.1 billion merger announced Monday between Merck & Co. Inc. and Schering-Plough Corp.

56. Green Neighborhood Closer to Reality - Monday, December 22, 2008

Habitat for Humanity’s goal of launching its first entirely “green” neighborhood in Memphis has moved a step closer with a $263,060 infrastructure grant from the Plough Foundation.

The money will be used for development costs and the construction of a community resource center at Trinity Park, a $3.1 million, 38-home neighborhood that Habitat will launch next year on 8.6 acres at Winchester and Tchulahoma roads near Memphis International Airport.

57. Herenton Makes Headlines, Backpedals in ’08 - Friday, December 19, 2008

The city’s most fascinating politician in 2008 was also its most unpredictable – Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton.

58. Stretch In MPD Residency Requirement Rejected By Council On 6-7 Vote - Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Memphis City Council members Tuesday voted down a proposed loosening of residency requirements for police officers.

The 6-to-7 council vote rejected a resolution which would have allowed the police department to hire applicants who live within 20 miles of Shelby County.

The department is currently able to hire applicants who live within Shelby County including Memphis under a provision that allows the council to waive the requirement that all city employees must live in Memphis. The Shelby County waiver expires in February.

The council vote, which was along racial lines, came after four hours of debate among council members and citizens who filled the chambers. Most of the citizens who filled out cards to speak, over 70, were in favor of hiring outside Shelby County. But opponents, including several retired Memphis police officers, were also vocal in their opposition.

Council member Wanda Halbert argued that Memphians who apply for jobs as police officers are being rejected because they are being discriminated against.

Council member Bill Boyd termed Halbert's comment "trash".

Other council members said they respected council members with opposing viewpoints. But the disagreements were over issues other than the need to hire more police officers. They were over the best way to do that.

Those voting yes were: Boyd, Kemp Conrad, Shea Flinn, Reid Hedgepeth, Bill Morrison and Jim Strickland.

Those voting no were: Halbert, Joe Brown, Harold Collins, Edmund Ford Jr., Janis Fullilove, Myron Lowery and Barbara Swearengen Ware.

Read more about the issue in Thursday's edition of The Daily News.

In other action, the council elected Myron Lowery as its chairman for 2009. Lowery has been chairman since the resignation of chairman Scott McCormick.

Council member Harold Collins was elected vice chairman for the coming year.

Tuesday was also the first council meeting for Kemp Conrad who was elected on the Nov. 4 ballot to fill the vacancy created by McCormick's resignation.

59. Lee’s Legal Fees Suit Could Surface Again - Thursday, October 9, 2008

It was one year ago this week that nine new members were elected to the Memphis City Council.

It was the largest turnover of seats on the 13-member body in its 40-year history.

This week, the council had its most serious difference of opinion to date over a controversy that began onthe watch of the previous council. And it was one of the previous council members that made the difference in the outcome.

60. Sammons Picked For Temporary Council Post - Thursday, September 11, 2008

Jack Sammons had been off the Memphis City Council for eight months when he returned to the elected body this week. And at the end of his first session back, Sammons joked that he might have made a mistake.

61. City Council to Pick Interim Member - Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Memphis City Council members will pick an interim council member today to fill their ranks until the Nov. 4 election.

The November ballot includes a special election for the Super District 9 Position 1 council seat given up by Scott McCormick last month. McCormick stepped down to become executive director of the Plough Foundation.

62. Gatewood Stays On School Board Ballot - Thursday, September 4, 2008

Memphis City Schools board member Stephanie Gatewood kept her place on the Nov. 4 ballot, and her only potential challenger lost a last-minute attempt Tuesday to get on the ballot.

Also, the Shelby County Election Commission wants to hear from one of the four candidates in the special City Council race on the same ballot.

63. Council Ballot Whittled to Four - Tuesday, September 2, 2008

When union leader Paul Shaffer and Midtown neighborhood activist Mary Wilder had lunch last week, the two had something in common to discuss.

They both are among the 11 candidates who had filed to run in the Nov. 4 special election for a seat on the Memphis City Council.

64. Council, School Board Withdrawal Deadline Today - Thursday, August 28, 2008

The deadline for Memphis City Council and Memphis City Schools board candidates to withdraw from the Nov. 4 ballot is noon today.

The field in the special election for City Council Super District 9 Position 1 dropped to 10 contenders after the withdrawal this week of attorney Regina Morrison Newman.

65. Eleven File For Council Seat - Friday, August 22, 2008

A field of 11 candidates had filed by Thursday’s noon deadline for an open seat on the Memphis City Council on the Nov. 4 ballot. Four of the contenders ran for the council just a year ago. Also at the deadline, three Memphis school board members were effectively re-elected when they failed to draw any opposition.

66. Eleven File For Council Seat - Thursday, August 21, 2008

A field of 11 candidates had filed by today's noon deadline for an open seat on the Memphis City Council on the Nov. 4 ballot. Four of the contenders ran for the council just a year ago. Also at the deadline, three Memphis school board members were effectively re-elected when they failed to draw any opposition.

67. Special Election Filing Deadline Approaches - Monday, August 18, 2008

The Nov. 4 ballot will move a step closer to completion this week with Thursday’s noon filing deadline for candidates in the special Memphis City Council election and the races for five of the nine Memphis school board positions.

68. McCormick Resigns From City Council - Thursday, August 7, 2008

Memphis City Council chairman Scott McCormick is resigning from the body to become executive director of the Plough Foundation.

His resignation takes effect Aug. 31. Stepping down now, he said, will give the Shelby County Election Commission time to schedule a special election to fill his seat on Nov. 4.

69. Power at the Heart of Charter Commission, Council Debate - Friday, August 1, 2008

The Memphis Charter Commission still has some important legal and political questions to resolve before it sends a list of proposed charter changes to city voters.

The proposed charter amendments will go to voters on the Nov. 4 ballot.

70. City Charter Changes Face Sept. Deadline - Friday, July 18, 2008

The seven elected members of the Memphis Charter Commission have three more meetings left to complete a list of proposed charter changes.

Facing a Sept. 5 deadline to submit proposed city charter changes to the Shelby County Election Commission, the group is still debating some ideas. But it seems to have reached a consensus on how the issues will be presented to voters.

71. Herenton Clarifies Resignation Letter - Monday, June 30, 2008

As he left City Hall on the evening of March 20, Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton told The Daily News that he planned to step down as mayor and was considering a variety of other job opportunities. One of those appeared to be the job of Memphis City Schools superintendent, which he held for 12 years before his election as mayor in 1991.

72. Ex-Mayor Hackett Helps Quash Charter Amendment - Monday, June 23, 2008

Scratch the proposed amendment to the Memphis charter that would require City Council approval of some contracts signed by the mayor.

The Memphis Charter Commission last week took back its earlier decision to include such a proposal on the Nov. 4 ballot. The earlier move was rescinded after current Mayor Willie Herenton and former Mayor Dick Hackett told the group that requiring council approval of contracts over a certain dollar amount would needlessly complicate city government and make it more inefficient.

73. MLGW VP Ward to Resign Effective Sept. 5 - Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Armstead Ward, the human resources vice president of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division, submitted his resignation Tuesday to utility president and CEO Jerry Collins. Collins announced the resignation in a one-line press release that said Ward’s resignation is effective Sept. 5.

74. Tax Hikes A Familiar Refrain In Herenton's World - Thursday, April 17, 2008

Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton has proposed five tax hikes since taking office in 1992, including the 58-cent property tax hike he proposed this week to the City Council.

Once Herenton got 5 cents more on the tax rate than he requested. The other three budget seasons, including his first two as mayor, ended with the council going lower than Herenton wanted.

75. Herenton Wants Schools System Any Way he Can Get It - Thursday, April 3, 2008

Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton will take ideas for changing the Memphis City Schools system to the City Council next month.

City Chief Administrative Officer Keith McGee told council Chairman Scott McCormick Tuesday that Herenton wanted some time and McCormick has scheduled it during May 6 committee sessions.

76. Take Back! Mayoral Resignation Saga Marches On - Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Less than a week after he said he was going to give up the office of mayor in July, Willie Herenton has taken back what originally seemed to be a simple but stunning plan to leave the mayor's office with plenty of notice.

77. Is He or Isn’t He? Herenton Backtracks on Resignation Plans - Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Less than a week after he said he was going to give up the office of mayor in July, Willie Herenton has taken back what originally seemed to be a simple but stunning plan to leave the mayor’s office with plenty of notice.

78. Pyramid Future Remains Unknown Despite Bass Pro Exec Visit - Monday, March 24, 2008

The head of Bass Pro Shops picked an interesting day to visit Memphis.

Bass Pro President and CEO Jim Hagale held a series of private meetings Downtown Thursday with city and county government leaders. The meetings came within an hour of a private luncheon a few blocks away in which Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton announced he is resigning effective at the end of July.

79. What Now? - Monday, March 24, 2008

Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton's three predecessors in office each left for lives far from the intense political spotlight that comes with being the city's chief executive officer.

Herenton has been like Dick Hackett, Wyeth Chandler and Henry Loeb in his status as a political loner who sometimes has been solitary in the pursuit of his goals. It's the nature of the office and a trait that Memphis voters have returned to from election year to election year.

80. Herenton Announces Resignation Effective July, Wants to ‘Pursue Other Options’ - Friday, March 21, 2008

Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton is resigning at the end of July.

Herenton announced the stunning political move at a private Downtown luncheon today and word filtered out late this afternoon. As he left City Hall this evening, Herenton told The Daily News he “wanted to pursue other options.”

81. Bass Pro Shops CEOVisits Memphis - Friday, March 21, 2008
     Bass Pro Shops president and CEO Jim Hagale visited Memphis Thursday for a series of private meetings with local elected leaders. It is Hagale's first direct involvement in the negotiations with the city and county to bu

82. Herenton Announces Resignation Effective July - Thursday, March 20, 2008

Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton is resigning in July. Herenton announced the stunning political move at a luncheon today and word filtered out late this afternoon.

As he left City Hall this evening, Herenton told The Daily News in an exclusive interview that he “wanted to pursue other options.”

83. Attorney General To Defend Strip Club Ordinance - Thursday, March 20, 2008

Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper will help defend the Shelby County ordinance governing Memphis strip clubs in U.S. District Court.

Cooper's office filed a motion Monday to intervene on the side of the city and county in the case filed by seven strip club owners. The suit challenges the constitutionality of the ordinance as well as the state law on which the ordinance is based.

84. Bass Pro CEO to Meet With Local Officials in Memphis Thursday - Wednesday, March 19, 2008

The president and chief executive officer of Bass Pro Shops is coming to Memphis this week to meet with local elected leaders. It is the first meeting Jim Hagale has had with the leaders who will ultimately decide whether the hunting and fishing retailer builds a store and other attractions in The Pyramid.

85. Pyramid Working GroupCould be Back in Mix - Wednesday, March 19, 2008
     The Memphis City Council-Shelby County Board of Commissioners working group on The Pyramid appears to be back on despite earlier word that Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton's administration had nixed the idea.
 &nbs

86. City Council Puts Off Strip Club Ordinance Vote - Wednesday, March 19, 2008

The Memphis City Council has delayed indefinitely a final vote on a new city ordinance governing strip clubs.

87. City Council Puts Off Strip Club Ordinance Vote - Tuesday, March 18, 2008

The Memphis City Council has delayed indefinitely a final vote on a new city ordinance governing strip clubs.

88. Strip Club Ordinance Raises Ire - Thursday, March 6, 2008

It was the last major issue for the Memphis City Council that left office at the end of 2007.

Its members passed a city ordinance on the first of three readings that would regulate strip clubs and other sexually oriented businesses. And then the council delayed the measure until the newly elected council, with nine new members, took office in January.

89. All's Fair in Love and Pyramid Negotiations - Thursday, February 21, 2008

The early reviews are in. And nothing appears certain in plans to let Bass Pro Shops develop The Pyramid.

Even the stability of The Pyramid was in doubt as Memphis City Council members and members of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners got their first look this week at a tentative development agreement between Bass Pro and the local governments.

90. Seismic Concerns Leave Pyramid-Bass Pro Terms Still Shaky - Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The city of Memphis approached Bass Pro Shops in 2005 about developing a store and other attractions in The Pyramid. That was one of the disclosures made Tuesday by Robert Lipscomb, the Herenton administration’s point man on the Pyramid development plan.

91. Seismic Concerns Leave Pyramid-Bass Pro Terms Still Shaky - Tuesday, February 19, 2008

The city of Memphis approached Bass Pro Shops in 2005 about developing a store and other attractions in The Pyramid. That was one of the disclosures made today by Robert Lipscomb, the Herenton administration’s point man on the Pyramid development plan.

92. Several Job Swaps on Tap at Today's Council Meeting - Tuesday, January 8, 2008

The new year formalities are almost completed at City Hall.

The oaths of office have been taken. The written and signed oaths are soon to be filed. Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton barely roiled the political waters with his New Year's Day speech. But he made a more detailed pitch for consolidation than he ever has before on Jan. 2.

93. Herenton To Take Oath Tuesday - Monday, December 31, 2007

Mayor Willie Herenton will kick off his fifth term in office Tuesday.

Herenton and all 13 Memphis City Council members elected this year will begin new four-year terms by taking their respective oaths of office at noon at The Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., will be the featured speaker.

94. Moving Day Approaches For Nine Council Members - Friday, December 14, 2007

Nine Memphis City Council members will begin a transition starting next week. Their pictures will go from one side of the City Council chambers at City Hall to the other side.

The nine are leaving the council in what is the largest turnover of seats in the 40-year history of the 13-member body. Current council members have their pictures on the wall on one side of the chamber. The portraits of former council members line the wall on the other side.

95. Fairgrounds Redevelopment Now In Three Flavors - Thursday, December 6, 2007

Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton this week unveiled to the City Council three options for redeveloping the Mid-South Fairgrounds.

Herenton told council members the fate of Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium will depend on a pending decision from the U.S. Department of Justice about what improvements the city must make to the stadium to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

96. Justice Department Takes Closer Look at Liberty Bowl - Thursday, December 6, 2007

When the University of Memphis football team played East Carolina at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in early November, some special guests took in the homecoming game.

A delegation of U.S. Department of Justice investigators bought tickets to the game. It was part of a low-profile, two-day visit to the stadium by officials from the department's Disability Rights Section.

97. Ribs Served Before Political Heartburn Begins - Friday, November 30, 2007

Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton and all 13 City Council members who begin a new term of office next year met at the Rendezvous this week for ribs with a side order of good intentions. The lunch hour session came with a bit of spice from Herenton and incoming council Chairman Scott McCormick that might make for some political heartburn over the next four years.

98. 'Stall' Tactics in Play During Efforts To Regulate Strip Clubs - Monday, November 26, 2007

The Herenton administration's proposal for regulating strip clubs by permitting them to keep serving beer got off to a rocky start last week before the City Council.

It passed on the first of three readings after council members nearly refused to add it to the agenda. Such a refusal would have left the proposal to the new council that takes office in January, since there are only two more council meetings left in 2007.

99. Council Hustles On Tying Loose Ends - Thursday, October 18, 2007

Memphis City Council members, most of them leaving office with the New Year, took several steps this week toward shaping the four-year term of their successors as well as the fifth term of Mayor Willie Herenton.

100. Fifth Term Secured, Herenton Looks To Future Agenda - Monday, October 8, 2007

This is the first week of the rest of Willie Herenton's political life.

Herenton, who was re-elected as Memphis mayor for an unprecedented fifth term Thursday, won't take the oath of office until January. But he began signaling during the final days of the campaign that a fifth term would see a renewed emphasis on past goals he has not pursued with much vigor in recent years.