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. 4 Dead, Including Gunman, in Cincinnati Bank Shooting - Friday, September 7, 2018

CINCINNATI (AP) —  A gunman opened fire early Thursday in the heart of Cincinnati in an attack that left him and three other people dead, police said.

The shooting sent people scrambling across the city's Fountain Square amid cries of "shooter!"

3. Trump Disputes Book's Portrayal of White House Dysfunction - Thursday, September 6, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump unloaded Wednesday against an explosive new book from journalist Bob Woodward, labeling the tell-all memoir "a work of fiction" as West Wing staff scrambled to rebut its vivid depictions of White House dysfunction.

4. Tell-All Book by Watergate Reporter Roils Trump White House - Wednesday, September 5, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — An incendiary tell-all book by a reporter who helped bring down President Richard Nixon is roiling the White House as current and former aides of President Donald Trump are quoted as calling him an "idiot" and admitting they snatched sensitive documents off his desk to keep him from taking rash actions.

5. Accounting for Music - Wednesday, August 29, 2018

For veteran accountant and accomplished musician Steve Dunavant, balancing his two passions – music and accounting – is easy. For more than 20 years, he has maintained music as a side gig, playing multiple instruments around town, recording albums, and creating a music label and recording studio to help showcase Memphis musicians. During his weekdays, he crunches numbers as CBIZ senior managing director.

6. Hurricane Lane Soaks Hawaii's Big Island With Foot Of Rain - Friday, August 24, 2018

HONOLULU (AP) — Hurricane Lane soaked Hawaii's Big Island on Thursday, dumping 12 inches of rain in as many hours as residents stocked up on supplies and tried to protect their homes ahead of the state's first hurricane since 1992.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. University of Memphis, Slider Inn Projects Move Forward - Monday, July 30, 2018

1115 E. Getwell Loop St., Memphis, TN 38152 - Turner Construction Co. is beginning the first phase of a $10.6 million expansion and renovation of the University of Memphis’ athletic training facility on its Park Avenue campus. 

10. Last Word: T.O. Jones, One Beale's Launch and De-Annexation in Trouble - Wednesday, July 25, 2018

You might call it the final act of the MLK 50 observances around our city this year. With very little fanfare at the start of Tuesday’s city council session, the council honored T.O. Jones, the leader of the union representing city sanitation workers and the leader of the 1968 strike by those workers. Jones was a pivotal figure in the strike who soon after lost his position with the local union in the internal politics of AFSCME as the local became a powerful political symbol.

11. LSU Job Requirements: Taking Down Alabama - Wednesday, July 18, 2018

ATLANTA – In his three years as head coach at Ole Miss, Ed Orgeron had problems – basic problems, such as winning more than two SEC games in a season and getting to .500.

Now Orgeron starts his second full season as head coach at LSU and he has a team with enough talent to be judged on the cusp of the Top 25 nationally. But it’s also a team with enough questions that the Tigers could finish toward the bottom of the SEC West.

12. 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.

13. Last Word: The Commutation, Tuition Freeze and Blackburn and Sundquist - Thursday, June 7, 2018

Alice Marie Johnson walked out of a federal prison in Alabama Wednesday after serving 21 years of a life prison sentence for dealing drugs and laundering money as part of a Memphis drug ring with Texas connections in the 1990s. Johnson’s release came the same day that President Donald Trump commuted her life sentence less than a week after he met with reality television personality Kim Kardashian West who appealed for Johnson’s release. Here is the Associated Press story.

14. Garcia Blisters Final Racing Segment to Claim His First Victory - Monday, June 4, 2018

They got heat. They got history. But for most of 3,000 or so fans who made their way to steamy Memphis International Raceway Saturday, they got a welcome dose of NASCAR. And they want more.

As the 95-degree temps faded into twilight, Ruben Garcia Jr. of Mexico went from patience to pounce mode in his Max Spiegel Toyota to capture the Memphis 150 presented by AutoZone.

15. Blockchain Tech ‘is the Shiny New Penny’ - Monday, May 28, 2018

During the General Assembly session that just ended legislators debated a number of hot-button issues: guns, abortion, Confederate statues and medical marijuana.

But tucked among the headline-grabbers was a brief bill, less than 300 words long, that attracted no controversy whatsoever.

16. UT/West Institute’s Hayes Plays Critical Role in The Cancer Genome Atlas - Saturday, May 19, 2018

The Cancer Genome Atlas, a comprehensive map of the key genomic changes in 33 types of cancer, wrapped up a decade-long, $300 million national science project in April, with Dr. D. Neil Hayes, scientific director of the University of Tennessee/West Institute for Cancer Research, playing one of only a handful of leadership roles. 

17. Last Word: Veto Override Drama, Iran Reaction & Rise of the Rest Meets Soundways - Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Shelby County Commissioners have a busy committee day Wednesday with a budget presentation – county mayor Mark Luttrell’s final one as the county’s chief executive, more discussions about the Graceland plan and a veto override.

18. AutoZone Liberty Bowl to be Played on New Year’s Eve - Monday, May 7, 2018

The 60th AutoZone Liberty Bowl will be played at 2:45 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31, and carried on ESPN. Last season, the University of Memphis appeared in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl for the first time after winning the West Division of the American Athletic Conference, but losing to UCF in the league title game.

19. Waffle House Suspect: Erratic Behavior Years Before Shooting - Thursday, April 26, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Travis Reinking's erratic behavior began years before police say he showed up without pants at a Waffle House restaurant and killed four people with an assault-style rifle.

20. Leading Memphis Transplant Surgeon: Almost Everyone Can Donate Something - Thursday, April 26, 2018

Earlier this month, a flag-raising ceremony was held in front of Methodist University Hospital to recognize National Donate Life Month in April and raise awareness about organ and tissue donation.

Dr. James Eason, in a sense, raises that flag every day of every month – he and the team of surgeons and doctors around him at the Transplant Institute at Methodist University Hospital.

21. Police: Waffle House Suspect Was Armed When Arrested - Tuesday, April 24, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The mentally unstable gunman suspected of opening fire at a Waffle House restaurant in the middle of the night was arrested not far from his apartment Monday after hiding from police for more than a day following the attack that killed four people, authorities said.

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. Mueller Examining Cambridge Analytica, Trump Campaign Ties - Friday, March 23, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) – Special counsel Robert Mueller is scrutinizing the connections between President Donald Trump's campaign and the data mining firm Cambridge Analytica, which has come under fierce criticism over reports that it swiped the data of more than 50 million Facebook users to sway elections.

25. Director Chosen For New UTHSC Sickle Cell Disease Center - Wednesday, March 14, 2018

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center has launched a new Center for Sickle Cell Disease in the College of Medicine and tapped a leader for it who will come on board in July.

Dr. Kenneth Ataga will direct the center, which is a collaborative effort between UTHSC, West Cancer Center, Methodist University Hospital and Regional One Health. Ataga is also being named the Methodist Endowed Chair in Sickle Cell Anemia. Adding to the list of job titles that await him in Memphis, Ataga – a native of Nigeria – also will serve as a professor of internal medicine, director of Non Malignant Hematology in the Division of Hematology/Oncology and the director of the Memphis Consortium for Sickle Cell Disease and Non Malignant Hematology Research.

26. Civil War Re-Enactor Outflanked On Statues, Medicaid Expansion - Friday, March 9, 2018

When state Rep. Steve McDaniel was a youngster he often read the historical marker at the intersection of Highway 22 and Wildersville Road detailing Confederate Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest’s first West Tennessee raid in the Battle of Parker’s Crossroads.

27. Notebook: Memphis WR Anthony Miller Creating a Buzz - Saturday, February 24, 2018

Anthony Miller, the walk-on who became a record-setting receiver at Memphis, is listed as the seventh-best wideout available for the upcoming NFL Draft, according to walterfootball.com.

28. No. 23 Houston Major Test for Tigers; Memphis WR Miller Creating a Buzz - Thursday, February 22, 2018

Employing a zone defense, Tubby Smith’s Tigers have won two straight games to get the University of Memphis back to .500 (7-7) in the American Athletic Conference. But their defense will have to reach a new level if the Tigers are to stay with the No. 23 Houston Cougars at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22, at FedExForum.

29. Air Bag Danger: Ford, Mazda Add Pickups to Do-Not-Drive List - Tuesday, February 13, 2018

DETROIT (AP) – Ford and Mazda are adding more than 35,000 pickup trucks in North America to a list of vehicles that should not be driven because they have Takata air bag inflators with a high risk of exploding.

30. Last Word: The Mural Takedown, Corker's Calculation and Beale Crowd Control - Monday, February 12, 2018

Cue the organ music from the old-fashioned television soap operas: As the weekend began, city public works crews had painted over – either completely or partially – a lot of the Paint Memphis program murals on the west side of Willett near Lamar. That would be the ones city council members complained about and others that no one complained about.

31. Cohen, Kustoff Vote for Budget Compromise - Monday, February 12, 2018

The two congressmen who represent Memphis voted for the federal budget compromise that reopened the government Friday, Feb. 9, following a five-hour shutdown after a continuing resolution of 17 days ran out.

32. JNJ Express Enjoys Latest Growth Spurt - Saturday, January 27, 2018

Family-owned and operated JNJ Express is a bona fide Memphis success story. Last year, the asset-based transportation and logistics provider celebrated its 25th anniversary, and the company is set to grow by as many as 100 new trucks this year while also scouting sites for a new facility.

33. Local Reps in D.C. React to Shutdown Along Party Lines - Saturday, January 20, 2018

Reaction among Tennessee’s two U.S. Senators and the two Congressmen whose districts cover Shelby County to the federal government shutdown that began at midnight Saturday, Jan. 20, Washington D.C. time was divided along party lines.

34. Around Memphis | January 22, 2018 - Monday, January 22, 2018

Here’s a look at recent Memphis-related news from around the web…

Doubting MLK During a Strike in Memphis
Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic

35. Pruitt’s SEC-Heavy Staff a Recruiting Coup - Friday, January 19, 2018

It was early December, 2012, and Butch Jones stood in front of a podium after being named Tennessee’s 24th football coach.

“I can assure you,” Jones said at his introductory press conference. “We will put together the best football staff in the country. Not just in the Southeastern Conference, but the entire country.”

36. Despite Need, Expanding Health Care Not in Cards - Thursday, January 18, 2018

Springfield resident Felicity Palma struggled mightily when she moved to Tennessee from Florida two years ago after suffering health problems and losing her job.

The 47-year-old former social worker became homeless for a period when she came here, and now she finds herself in a health insurance coverage gap as she tries to get treatment for ulcers, sciatica, fibroids and thyroid disease. Debt is piling up on her, too, for the care she does receive.

37. Roland Pulls Petition For Mayor, Running As ‘Uniter’ - Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Shelby County commissioner Terry Roland has been campaigning for Shelby County mayor since last year.

When he pulled his qualifying petition Thursday, Jan. 11, to formally enter the May Republican primary for mayor, Roland did so with a slogan of bringing “positive change to Shelby County.”

38. Trump Blasts Bannon Over Book, Says Ex-Aide 'Lost His Mind' - Thursday, January 4, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump returned fire with both barrels Wednesday against criticism leveled at him in a new book that says he never expected – or wanted – to win the White House, his victory left his wife in tears and a senior adviser thought his son's contact with a Russian lawyer during the campaign was "treasonous."

39. Candidates in August State and Federal Primaries Start Pulling Petitions Friday - Thursday, January 4, 2018

Contenders for the May Shelby County primaries are still coming out of the political woodwork. And starting Friday, Jan. 5, candidates in the August state and federal primaries can begin pulling qualifying petitions for the second of three elections in 2018.

40. Last Word: Liberty Bowl Post Mortem, Confederate Protest Plans and Absorption - Wednesday, January 3, 2018

As soon as it was confirmed the Tigers would play in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, there was some concern locally about the impact that would have on tourism at the holidays with only one of the bowl teams – Iowa State – being from out of town. The exact dollar figures aren’t in just yet. But the game was enough of a success out of the box that the executive director of the game is talking about a more constant presence in the bowl game for the Tigers now that they’ve made their first appearance in the 59-year history of the game which began in Philadelphia. And there is some precedent in college football for what Steve Ehrhart is talking about.

41. Could Liberty Bowl Become Regular Destination for Memphis Tigers? - Wednesday, January 3, 2018

The record books will forever note that on Dec. 30, 2017, in the 59th AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Iowa State defeated the University of Memphis 21-20 in the Tigers’ first appearance in the game.

But while the game itself represented the ending to a special season that saw the Tigers go 10-3, win the American Athletic Conference West Division and nearly go undefeated at home (7-1), it also might have marked a beginning.

42. Decade Since Recession: Thriving Cities Leave Others Behind - Tuesday, January 2, 2018

As the nation's economy was still reeling from the body blow of the Great Recession, Seattle's was about to take off.

In 2010, Amazon opened a headquarters in the little-known South Lake Union district – and then expanded eight-fold over the next seven years to fill 36 buildings. Everywhere you look, there are signs of a thriving city: Building cranes looming over streets, hotels crammed with business travelers, tony restaurants filled with diners.

43. Worth the Wait - Saturday, December 30, 2017

A true college football fan’s pain is personal because losing extracts a cost. Food doesn’t taste as good. Sleep doesn’t come as easily. The hurt goes to depths that not everyone can understand.

44. Last Word: Haslam and Cohen on Tax Reform, More than Food and Charles McNutt - Monday, December 11, 2017

For some of you this is not the week before the week before Christmas. It is Star Wars week, as the latest sequel in the sci-fi series begins its run in theaters across the country. Along those lines, there is a social media slide show of 1970s images of George Lucas telling the story of what an uphill climb the original Star Wars was – the making and the distribution. And around Planet Memphis, the premiere certainly wasn’t that big a deal. There was an advance screening at the old Memphian theater – now the Circuit Playhouse – that didn’t draw a whole lot of attention.

45. Last Word: Veto Override, Vince Carter on Fizdale and Corker on Tax Reform - Thursday, November 30, 2017

Signs of life at the old Kroger store on Exeter in Germantown. The new developers for a project that was supposed to be a Trader Joe’s have pulled a $90,000 building permit to remove the façade of the building. But no word on who the new tenant may be and some interesting remarks about recruiting tenants in general who won’t have as many trucks making deliveries in a retail center that borders a residential area.

46. Last Word: 2018 Head Start, Tax Reform Bill Votes and Tigers Basketball in Decline - Friday, November 17, 2017

Can you smell the paper? Friday is the first day that candidates in the 2018 elections can start picking up qualifying petitions for their place on the ballot – in this case the May county primary elections in Shelby County. Here is the scene setter.

47. The Grizzlies’ $3.3 Million Steal, Tyreke Evans, Playing Toward a Payday - Wednesday, November 15, 2017

The Grizzlies didn’t quite score enough points in losing 110-103 in Milwaukee to finish 2-3 on a five-game road stretch. But not because Tyreke Evans didn’t try to carry the Grizzlies to victory yet again.

48. City Lays Out Numerous Options in Confederate Monuments Controversy - Wednesday, October 18, 2017

The city administration and Memphis City Council laid out numerous paths forward in the Confederate monuments controversy Tuesday, Oct. 17, that include closing Health Sciences Park entirely or building a memorial to lynching victims in the park plaza where a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest is now the centerpiece.

49. The Week Ahead: Sept. 25-Oct. 1 - Monday, September 25, 2017

Are you ready to ride into the coming week, Memphis? There are some big two-wheel events and races to take in along with performances, fine dining, even a vintage antique market at Agricenter International. Check out more you need to know about in The Week Ahead...

50. Events - Saturday, September 16, 2017

The 30th annual Cooper Young Festival is Saturday, Sept. 16, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. the Cooper-Young Historic District. The festival is the largest single-day event in Memphis and serves as a fundraiser for the Cooper Young Business Association. This year’s lineup features 17 musical acts, local merchants and 435 artisans from around the country. Visit cooperyoungfestival.com for details.

51. Events - Friday, September 15, 2017

Fourth Bluff kicks off its fall programming with the first of the weekly Friday Night Dance Parties on Friday, Sept. 16, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The themed, outdoor dance parties continue through November and will feature an illuminated dance floor set up just west of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, 1 N. Front St. Food vendors will be on site, and beer and wine are available with valid ID. Admission is free and open to all ages. Visit thefourthbluff.com for a schedule.

52. Opioid Committee on Right Track, Obstacles Remain - Thursday, September 14, 2017

Smyrna Police Chief Kevin Arnold can remember the first time his detectives brought a heroin case to him three or four years ago.

“Of course, my reaction immediately was, ‘I thought that went away in the late 70s.’ But we’re seeing it. In fact, we are averaging approximately five heroin overdoses a month just in the town of Smyrna,” adds Arnold, whose city about 10 miles southeast of Nashville has a population of nearly 48,600.

53. The Week Ahead: Sept. 11-18 - Monday, September 11, 2017

Hey, Memphis! This week we’re gearing up for the Cooper Young Festival and a packed house at the Tigers vs. UCLA game. Plus, Uptown Funk heads Downtown and The Joker hits East Memphis. Here’s what else you need to know about in The Week Ahead…

54. Big River Crossing Wins International Design Honor - Saturday, September 9, 2017

Big River Crossing has won the top honor among projects receiving 2017 Excellence in Design Awards from the Waterfront Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that helps communities worldwide make wise long-term uses of waterfront resources.

55. Big River Crossing Wins International Design Honor - Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Big River Crossing has won the top honor among projects receiving 2017 Excellence in Design Awards from the Waterfront Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that helps communities worldwide make wise long-term uses of waterfront resources.

56. ICCC Program Attracts Local Business Owners - Thursday, August 31, 2017

More than 100 local entrepreneurs received mentoring and coaching on Tuesday, Aug. 29, to help them grow their small businesses. The Inner City Capital Connections program at the FedEx Institute of Technology on the University of Memphis campus returned after first coming to Memphis in August 2014.

57. Inner City Capital Connections Program Attracts Local Business Owners - Wednesday, August 30, 2017

More than 100 local entrepreneurs received mentoring and coaching on Tuesday, Aug. 29, to help them grow their small businesses.

The Inner City Capital Connections program at the FedEx Institute of Technology on the University of Memphis campus returned after first coming to Memphis in August 2014. The ICCC program was developed by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), a nonprofit research and strategy organization.

58. Trump Ousts Bannon, His Influential, Divisive Strategist - Monday, August 21, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – Steve Bannon, the blunt-spoken and divisive strategist who rose from Donald Trump's conservative campaign to a top White House post, was pushed out by the president Friday, capping a turbulent seven months marked by the departure of much of Trump's original senior staff.

59. Stronger Penalties Alone Won’t Solve State’s Opioid Crisis - Thursday, August 17, 2017

Rep. Bryan Terry deals with patients from every demographic caught up in the web of opiates.

Patients have an array of tolerance to opioids, as well, from those currently addicted to those who are recovering addicts. As a result, each patient requires an “individualized” anesthetic based on their background and the procedure or surgery they’re to have, says Terry, a Murfreesboro anesthesiologist.

60. Last Word: Kustoff at Rotary, Royal's Vibe and The Terms of MEMPOWER - Wednesday, August 2, 2017

The investment group that renovated the Chisca resurfaced Tuesday evening with a plan for the Wonder Bread factory, vacant for the last four years. But don’t look for a return of the bread smell to the Edge area. And if you look at what has started to happen in that particular corridor since Wonder Bread shut down, the mixed-use plan has some precedent. Throw in the move to sell The Commercial Appeal property just a few blocks away and if the economy remains this good, the transformation in this area could be radical in another four years.

61. Kelly Wins Praise Across The Aisle, But Bigger Task is Ahead - Wednesday, August 2, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – Raised voices could be heard through the thick door to the Oval Office as John Kelly – then secretary of Homeland Security – offered some tough talk to President Donald Trump.

62. Commission Tries to Stop Charter School Plan - Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Shelby County commissioners called on a charter school that planned to open in Memphis but instead wants to set up shop in Bartlett to stick by its original plan or put off opening Gateway University Charter School next week.

63. County Commission Calls For Halt to Gateway Charter Plans in Bartlett - Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners called on a charter school that planned to open in Memphis but instead is setting up shop in Bartlett to stick by its original plan or put off the opening of the Gateway University Charter School next week.

64. Ex-Tiger Geron Johnson Knows Pro Basketball is Without Borders - Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Former University of Memphis basketball player Geron Johnson knows what it is to have the goal of playing professionally and of reaching the NBA. He has had two NBA Summer League stints (one with Houston, one with the Los Angeles Clippers) and he has played in the NBA Development League.

65. SEC Hot Seat Index: From Saban to Sumlin - Friday, July 21, 2017

When it comes to Southeastern Conference football coaches, there are three kinds of seats – hot, hotter and hottest.

There is, of course, one exception. You guessed it.

Nick Saban. To quote the late ESPN anchor Stuart Scott, Saban’s seat is as cool as the other side of your pillow.

66. Sports Notebook: Grizz Moves Bring Tyreke Evans Back to Memphis - Monday, July 10, 2017

The Memphis Grizzlies continued changing their roster for the upcoming season by agreeing to a one-year contract with free agent guard Tyreke Evans.

Evans, according to ESPN, will make $3.3 million on the one-year deal. Evans, 27, played one year for the University of Memphis and then was the fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft by the Sacramento Kings.

67. Last Word: Vince Carter Leaves, Fairgrounds and Pulling the Plug on Green Tech - Friday, July 7, 2017

Vince Carter joins Zach Randolph with the Sacramento Kings next NBA season with an $8 million one-year pact for Carter. Still no word on Tony Allen’s free agency status as we put this up. The Grizz plan to retire Randolph’s jersey.

68. Last Word: After the Last Hole, Cutting County Property Taxes and A Recycled Gown - Tuesday, June 13, 2017

The story of how the Overton Park Conservancy raised $1 million in two months didn’t go according to the script. It wasn’t large donors, it was a lot of contributions of $250 or less it turns out, many from people who have never been to the park, the zoo or the greensward in particular whether it’s on foot or in a car. There were donations from Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and every state, except South Dakota.

69. County Commission Continues Tax Cut Calculations - Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners approved a three-cent reduction in the county property tax rate Monday, June 12, on the first of three readings but delayed a vote on the operating budget resolution for more discussion about how to account for a cut in the tax rate.

70. Last Word: The Mackin Letter, A County Property Tax Cut and UrbanArts Responds - Friday, June 9, 2017

The Overton Gateway multi-family development on the eastern side of Overton Park looks to be the next development controversy heading for City Hall. The Land Use Control Board voted down the amended MRG plans Thursday that have drawn neighborhood opposition in both versions. The LUCB rejection doesn’t stop the project. It goes to the Memphis City Council at a date to be determined with a negative recommendation that certainly doesn’t do the project any favors.

71. House Committee Postpones Action on Short-Term Rentals - Thursday, May 11, 2017

A day after the House targeted Nashville with a tough bill on short-term rentals, the Senate deferred action on legislation blocking the Metro Council from enacting any prohibitions.

The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee postponed a bill by Sen. John Stevens until January 2018, ending the debate this year on a measure singling out Davidson County efforts to restrict short-term rentals such as Airbnb.

72. Trump Removes Bannon from National Security Council - Thursday, April 6, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has removed chief strategist Steve Bannon from the National Security Council, reversing an earlier, controversial decision to give Bannon access to the group's high-level meetings.

73. Tennessee Fusion Center Monitored July Protests In Memphis, Emails Reveal - Tuesday, March 14, 2017

A state “fusion center” that coordinates information among local law enforcement has been keeping a detailed list of legal protests in Memphis and other Tennessee cities, according to emails from last July requested by a student researching “predictive policing” efforts in Memphis.

74. Real Estate Experts to Talk Market Trends, Projections - Friday, March 3, 2017

With more than 30 years of expertise, second-generation homebuilder James Reid has seen a lot of ups and downs in West Tennessee’s real estate market.  

“While the market has obviously improved tremendously, last year in Shelby County we only pulled about 925 permits, which traditionally we’ve done in the neighborhood of 3,000 to 4,000,” Reid said. “So while we’ve recovered some, we’re still down from a typical year.”

75. Local Democratic and Republican Partisans Already Looking To 2018 - Tuesday, February 28, 2017

U.S. Rep. David Kustoff says former Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey was right in describing his 8th Congressional District as the most Republican of the state’s nine congressional districts.

76. Last Word: Lovell's Aftermath, West Memphis Tourism and Batter Up - Thursday, February 16, 2017

Political turbulence in the state capitol this week centered on one of the newest members of the Shelby County Delegation leaves the politically-minded among us with a lot to take in when you add the Beltway turbulence of the week in D.C.

77. Warriors Get Revenge against Grizzlies 122-107 - Monday, February 13, 2017

Maybe it was as simple as the law of probabilities.

“They weren’t losing three times in a row,” Tony Allen said after the Golden State Warriors came into FecExForum and beat the Grizzlies 122-107 Friday night, Feb. 10.

78. Last Word: The Business of Local Sports, Garrison Leaves MATA and Broadband - Friday, January 27, 2017

Marc Gasol makes the NBA’s Western Conference All Star team as a reserve, the first player in the history of the Grizz to make the All-Star Game three times.

Grizz business operations president Jason Wexler asked about Memphis hosting an NBA All-Star Game one of these days at The Daily News Sports Seminar Thursday at the Brooks. Wexler saying the city doesn’t have enough hotel rooms – the same barrier to drawing bigger conventions and meetings to the city.

79. NBA Writer Sees Gasol, Conley as All-Stars - Thursday, January 26, 2017

At espn.com, senior writer Zach Lowe has made his All-Star reserve picks and he has deemed both point guard Mike Conley and center Marc Gasol worthy of representing the Grizzlies on the Western Conference team.

80. Last Word: The March & Crowd Estimates and Country Records in Memphis - Monday, January 23, 2017

Twice now in the last six months, very different protests have drawn thousands of people to the streets in the largest demonstrations we’ve seen since the 1970s – and more importantly, demonstrations that are an entry point for a new generation to many of these issues.

81. View From the Hill: Taxing Online Sales Not Such an Easy Fix - Thursday, January 12, 2017

Cumberland Transit owner Allen Doty isn’t sure if a rule requiring major out-of-state retailers to collect Tennessee sales taxes will create more equity for his shop.

But Doty, who has been selling everything from bicycles to kayaks and camping gear for 34 years in Nashville, is definitely tired of people shopping in his store for hours, snapping a picture of shoes they like, then going home and buying them online “just to avoid sales tax.”

82. Final Goodbye: Roll Call of Some of Those Who Died in 2016 - Monday, January 2, 2017

Death claimed transcendent political figures in 2016, including Cuba's revolutionary leader and Thailand's longtime king, but also took away royals of a different sort: kings of pop music, from Prince and David Bowie to George Michael.

83. Presidential Election Tops Busy Year for Memphis Voters - Friday, December 30, 2016

2016 was an eventful election year in Shelby County, ending with the most popular voting cycle in Shelby County politics: the U.S. presidential general election in November. Slightly more than 60 percent of the county’s voters cast a ballot either during early voting in October or on the Nov. 8 Election Day.

84. New Year, New Resolutions for Legislators - Thursday, December 29, 2016

Some Tennesseans recall the days when the state Legislature met every other year and wonder if it should revert to that schedule. Considering the General Assembly pushes most of its work into 3 1/2 months, it might be worth a try.

85. Last Word: Fire Recovery, Justice Department Work Begins and Rocky Top Angst - Friday, December 2, 2016

The death toll in the East Tennessee wildfires goes to 10 Thursday as the recovery effort moves beyond a search for those missing. The count of buildings burned in Sevier County is estimated at more than 700 – 300 just in Gatlinburg. And 47 people are injured by the latest count. The count of those who died in the fires includes confirmation that Jon and Janet Summer of Memphis are among the dead recovered so far.

86. Lawmakers Working to Boost Local Logistics, Transportation Sectors - Saturday, December 3, 2016

Lawmakers representing the Memphis area on both the state and federal levels are taking steps to help the area’s transportation and logistics sectors in 2017 – from a second swipe at a federal grant to redevelop Lamar Avenue to the resubmission of a state bill that would incentivize companies for reducing wait times for truck drivers.

87. The Pinch District ‘Vision’ Plan Meets Reality - Thursday, November 24, 2016

A final public meeting Tuesday, Nov. 22, on the still tentative redevelopment plan for the Pinch District came with a call by some property owners and a Shelby County commissioner for the city to end a moratorium on approving parcel-by-parcel redevelopment plans in the nine-block area.

88. Pinch "Vision" Plan Moves to Funding Reality - Wednesday, November 23, 2016

A final public meeting Tuesday, Nov. 22, on the still tentative redevelopment plan for the Pinch came with a call by some property owners and a Shelby County Commissioner for the city to end a moratorium on approving parcel-by-parcel redevelopment plans in the nine-block area. It also included some general ideas about and renderings of Overton Avenue becoming a walkable well-lit and more heavily developed east-west corridor between the campus of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid.

89. Kustoff, Cohen Win Seats in Congress And the Rest of Shelby County's Ballot - Saturday, November 12, 2016

Shelby County voters re-elected all but six incumbents seeking re-election on the Nov. 8 election ballot.

And the biggest upset on the local ballot gave Democrats a gain of one seat in the state House delegation from Shelby County.

90. 'Excellent' First Meeting for Obama, Trump - Friday, November 11, 2016

WASHINGTON (AP) – In a cordial beginning to their transfer of power, President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump met at the White House Thursday. Obama called the 90-minute meeting "excellent," and his successor said he looked forward to receiving the outgoing president's "counsel."

91. Last Word: Underperforming At the Polls, Tenoke Plans and Poverty in Cordova - Thursday, November 10, 2016

Still parsing election numbers, although 24 hours after the polls closed in Shelby County, the Election Commission was still counting absentee ballots.

Here is a statewide perspective from Associated Press.

92. County Has Lowest Voter Turnout in 12 Years - Thursday, November 10, 2016

Voter turnout in Shelby County for the 2016 presidential general election was 59.7 percent, according to unofficial returns posted by the Shelby County Election Commission early Wednesday, Nov. 9. That marks the lowest showing since the 2004 presidential general election, when turnout was 57 percent.

93. Shelby County Vote Count Stalls For Third Presidential Contest - Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump won Tennessee’s 11 electoral votes Tuesday, Nov. 8, in unofficial statewide election returns while Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton carried Shelby County in the popular vote.

94. Election Day Ends Contentious Presidential Contest - Tuesday, November 8, 2016

In a contentious national campaign for president that has tested the boundaries of what is considered proper political discourse and what should be public, local Democratic and Republican partisans have mostly been spectators as the 2016 presidential campaign comes to an end Tuesday, Nov. 8.

95. Events - Saturday, November 5, 2016

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen will hold his annual Federal Procurement Fair for Small-Business Owners in Memphis on Monday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the University of Memphis FedEx Institute of Technology, 365 Innovation Drive. Business owners will learn about contracting with the federal government and can meet one-on-one with procurement officials from state and federal agencies. RSVP to cohen.procurement@mail.house.gov by Friday, Nov. 4.

96. Events - Friday, November 4, 2016

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen will hold his annual Federal Procurement Fair for Small-Business Owners in Memphis on Monday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the University of Memphis FedEx Institute of Technology, 365 Innovation Drive. Business owners will learn about contracting with the federal government and can meet one-on-one with procurement officials. RSVP at cohen.procurement@mail.house.gov by Friday, Nov. 4.

97. Last Word: Election Impact, Fun with Election Cross Tabs and DeSoto vs. Marshall - Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Now, about the idea being discussed starting late last week that when the Feds are looking at someone running for office or holding office they have to take into consideration how close the next election is for that person.

98. Residents Embracing Big River Crossing - Tuesday, October 25, 2016

On the first Saturday morning in which it was consistently autumn by the weather conditions as well as the calendar, political leaders on both sides of the Mississippi River walked from Memphis and West Memphis to meet in the middle of the Big River Crossing.

99. Big Crowds Follow Formal Opening of Big River Crossing - Saturday, October 22, 2016

The Big River Crossing across the Mississippi River opened Saturday, Oct. 22, with a whistle blast from a restored Union Pacific railroad steam engine and delegations from each side of the pedestrian and bicycle boardwalk -- Memphis and West Memphis – meeting in the middle.

100. Early Voting Opens with Raw Election Appeals - Wednesday, October 19, 2016

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen’s choice of cap usually has some logo related to the University of Memphis or the Grizzlies and, occasionally, to baseball legend and childhood inspiration Minnie Minoso.