The Shelby County commission dipped its toes in the roiling waters of the Graceland-Grizzlies arena flap with a vote Monday, June 4, to conditionally endorse the idea of a 6,200-seat Whitehaven arena built by Elvis Presley Enterprises on the Graceland campus.

2. From Distillers to Farmers, Trade War Would Cause Casualties - Monday, June 4, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) – If a trade war is coming, the cheesemakers of Wisconsin are standing in the line of fire. So are the farmers of the Great Plains and the distillers of Kentucky. And the employees of iconic American brands like Harley-Davidson and Levi Strauss.

3. Commission Reappoints Bolton As Adviser, Questions His Role - Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Shelby County commissioners reappointed former commissioner Julian Bolton as their legislative policy adviser Monday, May 14, sending his reappointment, effective to the end of September, to Mayor Mark Luttrell, who vetoed an earlier version of the appointment in April.

4. Commission Reappoints Bolton As Advisor Amid Questions About His Role - Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Shelby County commissioners reappointed former commissioner Julian Bolton as their legislative policy advisor Monday, May 14, sending the reappointment to the end of September to county mayor Mark Luttrell who vetoed an earlier version in April.

5. Commission Races Feature Basar Upset, Lowery is Newest Commissioner - Thursday, May 3, 2018

The 13-member Shelby County Commission will have eight new faces when all of the votes are counted in the Aug. 2 county general election.

Five of the current incumbent commissioners are term-limited from seeking re-election this year and two other incumbents chose not to seek a second term.

6. Commission Races Feature Basar Upset - Wednesday, May 2, 2018

The Shelby County Commission will have eight new faces when all of the votes are counted in the Aug. 2 county general election.

Five of the current incumbent county commissioners are term-limited from seeking re-election this year and two other incumbents chose not to seek a second term on the 13-member body.

7. County Commission Urges Haslam to Veto Immigration Bill - Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Shelby County commissioners approved a resolution Monday, April 30, urging Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam to veto a bill that would require local and state law enforcement agencies to work with federal immigration and customs enforcement agents on immigration matters.

8. County Commission Urges Haslam Veto of Immigration Bill - Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Shelby County commissioners approved a resolution Monday, April 30, urging Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam to veto a bill that would require local and state law enforcement agencies to work with federal immigration agents on immigration matters.

9. First Primaries Kick Off Busy Election Year - Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Shelby County voters go to the polls Tuesday, May 1, in the first of three elections this year that will take in county, state and federal offices by the time the last vote is counted in November.

The primary elections Tuesday for 23 Shelby County government offices are being watched closely by local Republican and Democratic leaders. They are watching the turnout and what the results say about the political temperament and activism of a county Hillary Clinton carried with 60 percent of the vote in the November 2016 presidential general election won by Republican Donald Trump.

10. 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.

11. Luttrell Says County Pre-K Funding Source Likely to Differ From City’s - Friday, April 13, 2018

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell probably won’t follow the city’s blueprint for funding universal prekindergarten in Shelby County.

12. Early Voting Opens for May County Primaries - Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Early voting in the first of three 2018 elections in Shelby County opens Wednesday at 21 sites across the county and runs through April 26.

The primaries are led by contests for county mayor, all 13 seats on the county commission and most of the county’s elected offices. The remainder are in the other even-year election cycle or have an eight-year term of office that comes around next in 2022.

13. Funding Plans - Friday, March 30, 2018

The subject of county government’s $18 million to $25 million projected revenue surplus didn’t surface once this week as the Shelby County Commission’s budget committee continues to prepare for budget season. The Wednesday, March 28, committee session was the first since County Mayor Mark Luttrell’s administration said it is estimating the surplus for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, because of better-than-expected county property tax collections and fewer appeals of property tax reappraisals.

14. A Look Back At UT’s History In NCAA Tourney - Friday, March 16, 2018

Basketball coach Rick Barnes was fired by Texas in late March of 2015 when he refused to fire members of his coaching staff.

15. Clark Tower, Primacy Parkway Ink New Tenants - Monday, March 12, 2018

5100 Poplar Ave.
Memphis, TN 38137

Lease Amount: 1,830 square feet

Tenant: Accurate Communications Corp.

16. Digest - Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Memphis Grizzlies Suffer 15th Consecutive Loss

The Grizzlies lost their 15th straight game, 119-110 at Chicago, on Wednesday, March 7.

The team has not won since defeating the Phoenix Suns at FedExForum on Jan. 29.

17. Council and Commission Talk Pre-K and Workforce Development - Monday, March 5, 2018

When 20 of the 26 Memphis City Council members and Shelby County Commissioners got together Thursday, March 1, at Beale Street Landing, the idea of county government providing funds to expand access to prekindergarten got resistance on the county side.

18. Council and Commission Talk Pre-K and Workforce By The River - Friday, March 2, 2018

When 20 of the 26 Memphis City Council members and Shelby County Commissioners got together Thursday, March 1, at Beale Street Landing, the idea of some kind of county government funding for expanding access to pre-kindergarten ran into some resistance on the county side.

19. Local Political Partisans Begin Looking Beyond Trump - Tuesday, February 27, 2018

The founder of one of the city’s Trump “resistance” groups is among those looking for something beyond the resistance.

“We don’t want to resist Trump forever,” Emily Fulmer, the founder of Indivisible Memphis, told a gathering of 50 Friday, Feb. 23, at the National Civil Rights Museum under the “Take Back Tennessee” banner. “The goal is not to be in a state of resistance forever.”

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

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

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

21. Shelby County Joins Memphis in Landfill Moratorium - Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Shelby County commissioners approved a six-month moratorium on any new construction landfills in unincorporated Shelby County on Monday, Jan. 22.

The resolution is the companion to a Memphis City Council resolution passed earlier this month that imposed a six-month moratorium on such landfills within the city of Memphis.

22. Commission Adds County Landfill Moratorium to City Ban - Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Shelby County commissioners approved a six month moratorium Monday, Jan. 22, on any new construction landfills in unincorporated Shelby County. The resolution is the companion to a Memphis City Council resolution passed earlier this month that imposed a six-month moratorium on such landfills within the city of Memphis.

23. Last Word: The Snow Split, Amazon Post-Mortem and Intermodal Comeback - Friday, January 19, 2018

A split verdict on Snow Day 4. Some school systems and colleges and universities are out again Friday, others are not and still others are opening later in the day. Shelby County Schools, which is out, says it has 13 extra days built into its schedule for just such an event or events – that is 13 days extra beyond the 180 days the state requires as the bare minimum for a school year.

24. Battling Opioids - Friday, January 5, 2018

Later this month, Shelby County government will roll out a public health effort led by the Shelby County Health Department to battle opioid addiction. “We’re taking a very long view of this. It’s not going to be a quick fix,” Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell told Shelby County Commission members Wednesday, Jan. 3, during committee sessions.

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

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

26. Democrats Look to Cooperate on Key Issues - Thursday, December 28, 2017

With the state’s budget projected to be tight and lawmakers lining up to run for re-election in 2018, the coming legislative session isn’t expected to yield many surprises.

But the 110th General Assembly still has a long row to hoe as the session starts Jan. 9 with new legislative offices and committee rooms in the renovated Cordell Hull Building in downtown Nashville.

27. Last Word: The Day After, Frayser Bauhaus and Gasol & Fizdale - Friday, December 22, 2017

Less than 24 hours after the Forrest statue in Health Sciences Park was taken down and away, Memphians were taking selfies with what’s left of the very considerable base in the background. And this is only going to become more prevalent when the weather improves and you will probably see folks out there who have some very different views on the removal of the statues.

28. County Primary Filing Opens With Paperwork Flurry - Monday, November 20, 2017

A total of 37 prospective candidates in the May 2018 county primaries pulled qualifying petitions last week on the first day of the filing period Friday, Nov. 17.

And the first contenders through the doors at the Shelby County Election Commission in a period that extends to a February deadline confirms a few trends.

29. County Commission Ratifies Opioid Lawsuit Decision - Thursday, November 9, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners ratified Wednesday, Nov. 8, the decision of commission chairwoman Heidi Shafer to hire a law firm for a possible county lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies over the nation’s opioid addiction problem.

30. County Commission Ratifies Opioid Lawsuit Decision - Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners ratified Wednesday, Nov. 8, the decision of commission chairwoman Heidi Shafer to hire a law firm for a possible county lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies over the nation’s opioid addiction problem.

31. 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.

32. Shelby County Commission Short of Votes for Pay Raises - Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Proposed pay raises for 19 of Shelby County government’s top elected positions don’t appear to have the nine votes necessary to pass on third and final reading in two weeks.

So Shelby County commissioner Van Turner is looking for a compromise that might put the double-digit percentage raises to voters in a 2018 referendum or tie future raises to any pay increases other county government employees get.

33. County Pay Raises Short of Votes, In Search of Compromise - Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Proposed pay raises for 19 of Shelby County government’s top elected positions don’t appear to have the nine votes necessary to pass on third and final reading in two weeks.

So Shelby County commissioner Van Turner is looking for a compromise that might put the double-digit percentage pay raises to voters in a 2018 referendum or tie future pay raises to any raises that county government rank and file employees get.

34. Mickell Lowery Uses Lessons From Council Race in Commission Bid - Thursday, October 26, 2017

Two years to the month after he conceded defeat in his first political outing, Mickell Lowery is returning to the local political arena – albeit a different part of the arena.

Lowery is running in the May Democratic primary for Shelby County Commission District 8, the seat held by Democrat Walter Bailey, who is term-limited and cannot seek re-election in 2018.

35. Pinnacle Sees Major Growth in 2017 - Tuesday, October 24, 2017

There’s not usually much in the way of big change reflected in the bank deposit market share report that comes out once a year from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. This year for the Memphis metropolitan statistical area, though, there was.

36. County Commission Votes on Big Pay Raises - Monday, October 16, 2017

The pay of 19 Shelby County government elected officials would go up in September 2018 for those elected in the August 2018 county general elections under proposals the county commission considers Monday, Oct. 16, on the first of three readings.

37. First Tennessee, Pinnacle Settle Legal Dispute - Saturday, September 30, 2017

A dispute between First Tennessee Bank and Pinnacle Financial Partners stemming from Pinnacle’s recruitment of a group of First Tennessee employees when it first arrived in the Memphis market back in 2015 appears to have been resolved.

38. First Tennessee, Pinnacle Settle Legal Dispute - Friday, September 29, 2017

A dispute between First Tennessee Bank and Pinnacle Financial Partners stemming from Pinnacle’s recruitment of a group of First Tennessee employees when it first arrived in the Memphis market back in 2015 appears to have been resolved.

39. First Tennessee, Pinnacle Financial Partners Settle Legal Dispute - Thursday, September 28, 2017

A dispute between First Tennessee Bank and Pinnacle Financial Partners stemming from Pinnacle’s recruitment of a group of First Tennessee employees when it first arrived in the Memphis market back in 2015 appears to have been resolved.

40. County Delays Convention Center Funds - Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Shelby County commissioners again delayed passage Monday, Sept. 25, of a resolution that would allow the city of Memphis to use surplus hotel-motel tax revenue for Memphis Cook Convention Center renovations.

41. Commission Again Delays Convention Center Hotel-Motel Tax Flow To City - Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners again delayed passage Monday, Sept. 25, of a resolution that allows the city of Memphis to use surplus hotel-motel tax revenue to go toward Memphis Cook Convention Center renovations.

42. Last Word: The Brooks Question, Boyd's Answer and Tigers In the Polls - Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Art as a real estate consideration. One of the more unusual of many considerations as the Brooks search for a new site – a possible new site, I should add, becomes the city’s favorite topic. So from the CRE vantage point – here are two more possible sites to think about if you haven’t already – Cossitt Library and the Fairgrounds, as well as right where it has been for the last century.

43. Pinnacle Named Among Best Banks to Work For - Saturday, September 2, 2017

Pinnacle Financial Partners is one of the nation’s Best Banks to Work For, ranking No. 6 on the annual list compiled by American Banker magazine and Best Companies Group. It is the firm’s fifth appearance on the list.

44. Pinnacle Named Among Best Banks to Work For - Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Pinnacle Financial Partners is one of the nation’s Best Banks to Work For, ranking No. 6 on the annual list compiled by American Banker magazine and Best Companies Group. It is the firm’s fifth appearance on the list.

45. Commission Votes Down Health Coverage Change - Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners voted down a switch Monday, Aug, 28, of the county’s health insurance administration contract from Cigna to an $11 million, two-year contract with two one-year renewal options with Aetna.

46. County Commission Votes Down Health Coverage Change - Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners voted down a switch Monday, Aug, 28, of the county’s health insurance administration contract from Cigna to Aetna in an $11 million two-year contract with two renewals of one year each.

47. 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.

48. 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.

49. Political Differences Endure After $4.11 Shelby County Tax Rate Compromise - Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Shelby County commissioners were still calculating Monday, July 17, after they passed a compromised, $4.11 county property tax rate that appears will stay put long enough for the commission to take a final vote Wednesday at a special meeting.

50. County Commission Leans Back to $4.13 Tax Rate - Thursday, July 13, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners took a step Wednesday, July 12, toward taking back a 3-cent cut in the county property tax rate.

And in the budget committee session, commissioners favoring the tax cut to a $4.10 tax rate said they would reopen this week’s contentious budget debate if the $4.13 tax rate appears to have traction when the full commission meets Monday, July 17.

51. Commission Goes Back to $4.13 County Property Tax Rate - Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners took a step Wednesday, July 12, toward taking back a three-cent cut in the county property tax rate.

And in the budget committee session, commissioners favoring the tax cut to a $4.10 tax rate said they would reopen this week’s contentious budget debate if the $4.13 tax rate appears to have traction when the full commission meets Monday, July 17.

52. Arkansas Panel Approves Temporary Ban on Herbicide - Monday, June 26, 2017

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas took the first steps Friday toward temporarily banning the sale and use of an herbicide that has prompted hundreds of complaints and a federal lawsuit from farmers who say it has caused widespread damage to crops.

53. Shelby County Commissioners Question Ending DOJ Agreement - Friday, June 23, 2017

The first reviews from Shelby County Commissioners Wednesday, June 21, of the idea of dropping Justice Department oversight of Memphis-Shelby County Juvenile Court were highly critical.

In committee sessions Wednesday afternoon, June 21, commissioners complained of not being consulted before county Mayor Mark Luttrell, Juvenile Court Judge Dan Michael and Sheriff Bill Oldham made the request to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

54. Last Word: Cyber Attacks, Second Farmers Market Downtown and The Council Way - Thursday, June 22, 2017

It’s on. Shelby County commissioners coming out Wednesday in committee against the idea of ending Justice Department oversight of Juvenile Court. And the discussion was, as always, an interesting one including not only critics like commissioner Van Turner but commissioner Terry Roland and County Mayor Mark Luttrell.

55. Juvenile Court Settlement Meets Resistance on County Commission - Thursday, June 22, 2017

The first reviews from Shelby County Commissioners Wednesday, June 21, of the idea of dropping Justice Department oversight of Memphis-Shelby County Juvenile Court were highly critical.

In committee sessions Wednesday afternoon, commissioners complained of not being consulted before County Mayor Mark Luttrell, Juvenile Court Judge Dan Michael and Sheriff Bill Oldham made the request to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

56. Juvenile Court Settlement Meets Resistance on County Commission - Thursday, June 22, 2017

The first reviews from Shelby County Commissioners Wednesday, June 21, of the idea of dropping Justice Department oversight of Memphis-Shelby County Juvenile Court were highly critical.

In committee sessions Wednesday afternoon, commissioners complained of not being consulted before County Mayor Mark Luttrell, Juvenile Court Judge Dan Michael and Sheriff Bill Oldham made the request to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

57. Pinnacle, BNC Shareholders Approve $1.9B Merger - Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Shareholders of Pinnacle Financial Partners and BNC Bancorp have both approved a $1.9 billion merger of the two banks, which is expected to close soon.

Nashville-based Pinnacle, parent company of Pinnacle Bank, currently is building its Memphis headquarters in Boyle Investment Co.’s new Class A office building in Ridgeway Center in East Memphis. Pinnacle will be the building’s anchor tenant with signage rights, and plans to occupy 35,000 square feet in the 155,000-square-foot facility, along with two drive-thru banking lanes and an ATM lane on the ground floor.

58. First Tennessee Bank Complaint vs. Pinnacle Financial to Go to Trial - Wednesday, June 7, 2017

A legal fight brought in the wake of Pinnacle Financial Partners’ arrival into the Memphis market appears set for a jury trial.

Shelby County Chancellor Jim Kyle on Tuesday, June 6, denied a motion for partial summary judgment made by Memphis-based First Tennessee Bank, which filed its complaint against Pinnacle in February 2016.  First Tennessee originally brought the action in 2015 only against Damon Bell, a First Tennessee executive vice president recruited to be Pinnacle’s Memphis president.

59. County Certified Property Tax Rate Comes In At $4.13 - Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners set the certified county property tax rate at $4.13 Monday, May 22, a 24-cent drop from the current tax rate of $4.37.

The resolution approved reflects the state-approved estimate of a tax rate that will produce the same amount of revenue for county government as the current tax rate once new property values from the 2017 countywide property reappraisal are factored in.

60. Luttrell: Mend Issues That Divide Region - Thursday, May 18, 2017

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell says his hope for a more civil national political discourse may be “a little Alice in Wonderland.” And there are times when he sees local discussions veering in the direction of “Nashville and Washington,” he told the Memphis Rotary Club Tuesday, May 16.

61. Last Word: Veep Visit, Women and Baseball and Civil Rights Cold Cases - Friday, March 24, 2017

Game time at FedExForum for the NCAA South semifinals and Vice President Mike Pence is expected to be here to cheer on the Butler Bulldogs. The Butler mascot – a live bulldog – was already in town Thursday making the rounds. I think March Madness requires that all involved up their mascot game if they get this far. So UCLA, we expect to see a live bear roaming Beale Street. You might be able to work a deal with the zoo on this. But if there’s a cost split make sure you nail down those percentages.

62. Commission Debates Interim Appointment to State House - Monday, March 20, 2017

Shelby County commissioners have to decide Monday, March 20, whether or not to appoint someone to the vacant state House District 95 seat until special primary and general elections are decided in three months.

63. Last Word: There Goes the Off-Election Year, Pinch Plans Move and No Permit - Thursday, March 9, 2017

Here we go again. When the new year began, 2017 looked to be an off-election year in most of Shelby County. Some Arlington aldermen and school board races were the only elections on tap for the year. But the months leading up to the September elections in Arlington are filling up.

64. County Commission Approves Planned Parenthood Grant - Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners approved a $115,000 grant Monday, Feb. 6, to Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region on a 7-5 party line vote.

The vote on funding for a free condom distribution program that is a federal grant passed through the state drew a capacity crowd in commission chambers Downtown. Some of the partisans in the audience saw the controversy as a reflection of the country’s post-election political divide.

65. 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.

66. Commission Sets Meeting On Minority Business - Saturday, December 10, 2016

Shelby County Commissioners have set a special meeting for Dec. 14 to vote on the second reading of two ordinances that would change county purchasing procedures to both enhance the amount of locally owned small businesses that get county contracts and establish a minority and women business enterprise (MWBE) program.

67. Commission Sets Meeting On Minority Business - Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Shelby County Commissioners have set a special meeting for Dec. 14 to vote on the second read-ing of two ordinances that would change county purchasing procedures to both enhance the amount of locally owned small businesses that get county contracts and establish a minority and women business enterprise program.

68. Shelby County Commission Votes Down Pot Ordinance - Wednesday, December 7, 2016

The Shelby County Commission voted down Monday, Dec. 5, an ordinance that would have matched a city of Memphis ordinance allowing police the option of writing a civil summons or ticket with a $50 fine for possession of half an ounce or less of marijuana.

69. Commission Votes Down Pot Ordinance - Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Shelby County Commissioners voted down Monday, Dec. 5, an ordinance that would have matched the city of Memphis ordinance allowing police the option of writing a civil summons or ticket with a $50 fine for possession of half an ounce or less or marijuana.

70. Pot Ordinance, County Ambulance Service Top County Commission Agenda - Monday, December 5, 2016

There are seven no votes on the Shelby County Commission against an ordinance allowing Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies to write a civil summons with a $50 fine for possession of a half ounce or less of marijuana.

71. Commissioners Clash on Pot and PILOT - Wednesday, November 2, 2016

A pot ordinance for unincorporated areas of Shelby County got only four votes Monday, Oct. 31, from the county commission but still advanced to second reading, and commissioners could not agree on a resolution opposing a Nov. 8 ballot question that would shift MLGW funds to the city of Memphis.

72. Burgess New Chairman Of County Commission - Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Melvin Burgess is the new chairman of the Shelby County Commission.

The second-term Democratic commissioner ran unopposed for the leadership post and was elected by the body at its Monday, Aug. 15, session.

73. Pinnacle Keeps Ramping Up in Memphis - Friday, July 29, 2016

Pinnacle Financial Partners has been steadily ramping up its presence in Memphis since entering the market last year via its acquisition of Memphis-based Magna Bank.

74. Shelby County Schools Budgets – Past and Present – Amended - Thursday, July 28, 2016

The final numbers are in for Shelby County Schools and the quest for funding of the county’s largest public school system.

The SCS board approved Tuesday, July 26, the revised operating and capital budgets for the school system for the fiscal year that began 26 days earlier.

75. Reader: Investing in All Students is Overdue, Critical - Friday, July 1, 2016

I’m super-thankful for the commitment of Shelby County Commissioners led by chairman Terry Roland and budget chairman Van Turner to add critically needed funds for the 2017 Shelby County Schools (SCS) budget approved Wednesday, June 29. I’m also very thankful to Superintendent Hopson and the SCS board members along with organizations like Stand for Children, Black Lives Matter and petition signers who advocated for a budget that refused to slash some core academic programs and staff.

76. Herenton Pitches Two New Schools For Juvenile Offenders - Friday, May 6, 2016

Former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton began Wednesday, May 4, with an appeal that got the attention of Shelby County Commissioners. “We don’t want your money,” he told 11 of the 13 commissioners in committee sessions as he pitched two new residential campuses for children in juvenile detention.

77. Shelby County Commission Releases Disparity Study - Wednesday, April 6, 2016

In a unanimous vote, Shelby County commissioners waived their legal privilege Wednesday, April 6, and approved the public release of a disparity study that is expected to show minority businesses get a low percentage of county government contracts.

78. First Tennessee Adds Pinnacle to Complaint - Friday, February 19, 2016

First Tennessee Bank is expanding the scope of a legal action it filed last May in the wake of Nashville-based Pinnacle Financial Group’s entry into the Memphis market.

79. Last Word: TN(not)Ready, Hatiloo Expands and Tax Season Advice - Tuesday, February 9, 2016

So what do you do when the test-makers fail the test?

You go back to the old test in the case of the Tennessee Education Department and the TNReady tests.
These were the new tests for the new statewide student achievement standards that replaced Common Core standards.
They can only be taken online.
But the system crashed Monday, which was the day that all of the preparation in the last year was geared toward. That included two tests locally of the on-line capacity and other technical standards necessary to make this go smoothly.
Here is a good account of what happened statewide and locally with a few other stops across the state to take in the scope of how big a failure this was and what failed.

80. Bertelkamp Made Right Call in Going with the Vols - Saturday, January 30, 2016

Bert Bertelkamp would be the first to tell you he’s pulling for Tennessee when calling basketball games as color commentator for the Vol Network.

And why wouldn’t he?

Bertelkamp is Big Orange to the bone. His father Hank played for the Vols (1951-53), was a team captain and remains a big supporter of UT.

81. County Commission Ends Year With Nonprofit Grants - Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Shelby County Commissioners met for the last time in 2015 Monday, Dec. 7, in an hour-long session void of any arguments about money or attorneys. They focused on a set of grants for local nonprofits instead.

82. Magna Bank Formally Takes Pinnacle Name - Saturday, November 21, 2015

Monday, Nov. 16, marked the first day of business for the institution formerly known as Magna Bank, which unveiled new signage Monday morning reflecting its ownership by Nashville-based Pinnacle Financial Partners.

83. Magna Bank Formally Takes Pinnacle Name - Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Monday, Nov. 16, marked the first day of business for the institution formerly known as Magna Bank, which unveiled new signage Monday morning reflecting its ownership by Nashville-based Pinnacle Financial Partners.

84. Commission Cancels Veto Override Meeting - Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Shelby County Commissioners were set to meet in special session Thursday, Nov. 12, before calling off those plans less than 24 hours later.

The session was to consider overriding Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell’s veto of their plan to hire their own attorney.

85. EDGE Still Explaining Itself To Memphis, Shelby County Elected Leaders - Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Four years into its existence, Reid Dulberger is still explaining the basics of a group created by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton and Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell to streamline local economic development efforts.

86. County Commission to Discuss Fire Coverage - Monday, September 28, 2015

Shelby County Commissioners answer the bell again Monday, Sept. 28, on plans to close a fire station that was resurrected in 2012 after being mothballed in the late 1980s.

Fire Station 60, at 5380 Egypt-Central Road, would be closed as part of a shift in fire services serving unincorporated Shelby County prompted by Millington’s withdrawal from an agreement to man the station for the county.

87. Luttrell Pushes Budget Summit for New Commission Chair - Monday, September 14, 2015

When Shelby County Commissioners meet Monday, Sept. 14, the group will have a new chairman – but not a permanent one – and will try to set a date for a budget summit.

Chairman pro tempore Van Turner will be the acting head as the 13-member body tries to do what it couldn’t at its Aug. 10 meeting: elect a leader for the next year. Outgoing chairman Justin Ford’s one-year term ended Sept. 1.

88. Pinnacle Closes on Magna Bank Acquisition - Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Pinnacle Financial Partners has closed on its merger with Magna Bank, right on schedule.

Pinnacle had said the deal, first announced at the end of April, was headed for a late third quarter completion.

89. Pinnacle Closes on Magna Bank Acquisition - Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Pinnacle Financial Partners has closed on its merger with Magna Bank, right on schedule.

Pinnacle had said the deal, first announced at the end of April, was headed for a late third quarter completion.

90. County Commission Chairmanship Given, Taken Back - Wednesday, August 12, 2015

For a while Monday, Aug. 10, it looked like the Shelby County Commission had shaken off several years of political conflict in the annual selection of its chairman.

As was the case the three previous years, a commission chairman had been elected with most of his or her votes coming from commissioners of the other party. The body currently is made up of seven Democrats and six Republicans.

91. County Commission Takes Back Election of Basar As New Chairman - Tuesday, August 11, 2015

For about an hour Monday, Aug. 10, Steve Basar was the incoming-chairman of the Shelby County Commission, scheduled to take the position in September.

It was the first item on Monday’s agenda. But when the commission completed the rest of the 24-item agenda one of the seven commissioners who voted for Basar flipped.

92. Iberiabank Building New Memphis Branch - Monday, August 10, 2015

Iberiabank is expanding its Memphis footprint with another full-service branch in the works along Poplar Avenue east of Overton Park.

The Louisiana-based bank filed a $750,000 building permit in April for 2504 Poplar Ave., where Iberiabank Tennessee market president Greg Smithers said a standalone branch is planned. Set to open in the fourth quarter, it will mark the bank’s eighth branch in the Memphis area, not counting 10 other offsite ATMs included in the bank’s Memphis footprint.

93. Magna Shareholders Approve Merger with Pinnacle - Saturday, August 1, 2015

Another step towards the merger of Memphis-based Magna Bank with Nashville-based Pinnacle Bank has been checked off the list, with Magna shareholders voting Friday in favor of the transaction.

94. County Commission Friction Continues Beyond Budget Season - Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Put Shelby County government’s budget season in the books for another year.

But the deliberations that ended Monday, July 6, with a stable county property tax rate and county government staying within its $6 million budget surplus weren’t quite as smooth as those decisions might suggest.

95. County Commission Takes Long Way to Budget Approval - Tuesday, June 23, 2015

In the space of five hours Monday, June 22, Shelby County Commissioners voted down an operating budget, a capital budget and an attempt at a continuation budget to keep spending at the same levels past July 1 and into the new fiscal year.

96. Building the Bank of the Future - Saturday, June 6, 2015

When Triumph Bank holds the grand opening ceremony June 16 for its sleek, ultramodern-looking branch in Germantown, at 7550 West Farmington Blvd., it will be the culmination of a wholesale shift in the banking industry that Triumph CEO Will Chase has been thinking about for years.

97. Pinnacle CEO Talks Memphis Plans in Wake of Acquisition - Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Flush from its newly announced acquisition of Magna Bank and the hire of a team from First Tennessee Bank, the newest entrant into the Memphis banking market already is looking down the road, planning more hires and a careful expansion of Magna’s existing footprint.

98. Pinnacle Financial of Nashville Acquires Magna Bank of Memphis - Wednesday, April 29, 2015

When it comes to their newly announced entry into Memphis via an acquisition of Magna Bank, the Nashville leadership of Pinnacle Financial Partners is already thinking big – on everything from workforce to services offered to the bank’s eventual size here.

99. Shelby County Gets Two Summer Jobs Programs - Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Shelby County Commissioners have created their own two-month summer jobs program for 65 teenagers and college-aged adults and voted Monday, April 27, to fund it over two summers with $169,127 from the commission’s contingency fund.

100. Pinnacle Awards Honor Commercial Real Estate Standouts - Monday, April 13, 2015

The local commercial real estate community gathered at the Memphis Botanic Garden Thursday, April 9, for the 14th annual Pinnacle Awards. Every year, the Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council honors its members based on their transactional volume, merit and community activity.