NEW YORK (AP) — Burt Reynolds, the handsome film and television star known for his acclaimed performances in "Deliverance" and "Boogie Nights," commercial hits such as "Smokey and the Bandit" and for an active off-screen love life which included relationships with Loni Anderson and Sally Field, has died at age 82.

2. Player-Coach Bond May Have Saved Lives in Thai Cave Ordeal - Friday, July 13, 2018

The day-to-day pearls of wisdom imparted by coaches to players — from youth sports, to high school, to college and even the pros — are well-known: Try your hardest, don't lose focus, support your teammates, keep your chin up.

3. Opioid Litigation, FedExForum NonCompete Top Local Law Developments - Saturday, April 21, 2018

Here are some of the legal issues making news in recent months.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery says lawsuits by local prosecutors over the opioid epidemic are complicating his efforts to reach a multistate settlement with drug companies. In response, the prosecutors, who represent about half of Tennessee's counties, say local communities lose out when lawsuits like theirs are rolled into one settlement.

4. Football Can’t Arrive Soon Enough for Vols Fans - Friday, March 30, 2018

Thank goodness Tennessee spring football is here. Vol Nation needs a diversion with all that’s happened the past couple of weeks, like the men’s basketball team losing to Loyola-Chicago in the NCAA Tournament’s second round, and Loyola advancing to the Final Four.

5. Last Word: Hardaway Day, 'Our Turn' and Elvis Documentary Takes on Col. Parker - Tuesday, March 20, 2018

By the time Penny Hardaway is formally announced as the new Tigers basketball coach Tuesday morning at 11 a.m. the reaction could make you wonder what is going to be left by the time the first Tigers team led by Hardaway takes the court next season. Among those reacting Monday to the word of a contract agreement between Hardaway and the University was none other than LeBron James tweeting about the Tigers possible choices of footwear.

6. Judge Dismisses Tennessee Lawsuit Over Refugee Resettlement - Tuesday, March 20, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A judge has dismissed the state of Tennessee's lawsuit against the federal government over the refugee resettlement program.

The Republican-led Tennessee General Assembly filed the lawsuit in March 2017, arguing the refugee program is forcing the state to spend money on additional services, including health care and education.

7. The Week Ahead: March 12-18 - Monday, March 12, 2018

Good morning, Memphis! Go green and capture the luck of the Irish as both Cooper-Young and Beale Street celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in style this week. Maybe you’d prefer to explore the universe with a Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist? We’ve got details on those, plus more local happenings you need to know about in The Week Ahead…

8. 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.

9. Pay for No Play: Paying Millions to Former Coaches - Friday, December 8, 2017

Tennessee’s bungled search for a football coach will come at a cost for the university. A big cost.

There are buyouts everywhere. A potential lawsuit looms. And a rift between boosters caused by the botched search may be the costliest item of all for the university long term.

10. Jim Nabors, TV's Homespun Gomer Pyle and Singer, Dies at 87 - Friday, December 1, 2017

HONOLULU (AP) – Jim Nabors, the Alabama-born comic actor who starred as TV's dim but good-hearted Southern rube Gomer Pyle and constantly surprised audiences with his twang-free operatic singing voice, died Thursday. He was 87.

11. Perfect Game, Then No-Hitter for North Carolina Little Leaguers - Wednesday, August 23, 2017

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — At the Little League World Series, the question now is not whether anyone can beat the team from Greenville, North Carolina.

It's whether anyone can get a hit.

12. Last Word: Alexander and Corker Differ, Instant Runoff React and Kroger On Hold - Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Tennessee’s two U.S. Senators split their votes Tuesday in Washington on the vote that followed the vote to open debate on a repeal and replacement of Obamacare. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker both voted yes on the debate motion. But then Corker was one of the nine Republican Senate votes that killed the Obamacare replacement plan known as BCRA, while Alexander voted for it.

13. Wood Helps Memphis National Keep Business in the Fairway - Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Brian Wood is head golf professional at Memphis National Golf Club, a role in which he oversees a variety of functions related to the club's operations. Wood, a PGA professional and member of the Tennessee Section of the PGA of America, previously served as assistant golf professional at Windyke Country Club.

14. ‘Fifth Wave’ of Federal Judicial Appointments Comes with Political Undercurrents - Monday, July 17, 2017

The White House called it the “fifth wave” of federal judicial nominees. Among the 11 nominees announced by President Donald Trump Thursday, July 13, were two for the Memphis federal court bench. And the wave comes with a few political undercurrents.

15. Brooks’ 100 New Acquisitions Mark End of Centennial, Start of Other Changes - Tuesday, June 6, 2017

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art has 100 new works of art in its permanent collection to mark its centennial. But the 100 items, grouped together through Aug. 27 in “Unwrapped! 100 Gifts for 100 Years,” point to a rethinking of the Brooks that began with a major renovation that debuted last year. The exhibition marks an end of centennial observances.

16. Events - Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Rotary Club of Memphis will meet Tuesday, March 21, at noon at the University Club of Memphis, 1346 Central Ave. Dr. Keith G. Anderson, a cardiologist at Sutherland Cardiology Clinic and president of the Tennessee Medical Association, will discuss numerous health care topics, including how federal health care reform could impact Tennessee. Cost is $20 at the door. Email taylor@memphisrotary.org to register.

17. Events - Monday, March 20, 2017

Aspen Dental, in partnership with Alpha Omega Veterans Services, will provide free dental care for Memphis veterans via its MouthMobile mobile dental office Tuesday, March 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Civic Center Plaza, 170 N. Main St. Appointments are required and can be made by contacting AOVS at 901-729-2345.

18. Events - Saturday, March 18, 2017

The Stax Museum of American Soul Music will open its “A Century of Funk: Rufus Thomas at 100” exhibition with a reception Thursday, March 23, at 7 p.m. at the museum, 926 E. McLemore Ave. Join the Stax Music Academy Rhythm Section and Thomas’ friends and family for a special concert and panel discussion. Cost is free. The exhibition will be on display through Aug. 31. Visit staxmuseum.com.

19. New Tennessee Chancellor Vows to Move 'Quickly' in AD Search - Thursday, February 16, 2017

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – New Tennessee chancellor Beverly Davenport says the school plans to move "very quickly" in hiring an athletic director but isn't specifying a target date on making the selection.

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

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

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

21. 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.

22. Low Inventory Hits Home Sales, Pushes Prices Up - Thursday, August 11, 2016

For the second month in a row, Shelby County home sales dipped below 2015 volume.

There were 1,585 home sales recorded in July averaging $179,446, compared to 1,817 sales recorded last July averaging $159,050. The increase in sale prices wasn’t enough to exceed last year’s home sales revenue. July 2016 brought in $284 million in home sales revenue, which was down 2 percent compared to $289 million recorded last July, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, chandlerreports.com.

23. City Settles Police Promotions Lawsuit - Wednesday, August 10, 2016

On the day Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland introduced his choice for police director, the city announced the settlement of a 12-year-old federal lawsuit over police promotions.

24. Shelby County Home Sales Up in March, Inventory Growing Slowly - Thursday, April 14, 2016

In March, Shelby County home sales rose 4 percent year-over-year with 1,347 recorded for the month compared to 1,295 in 2015.

“It looks like the number of sales are up dramatically,” said Thomas Murphree, principal of Birch Tree Realty Resources. “For the number of sales, that’s a healthy increase.”

25. Bipartisan Skeptics Doubt Haslam’s Outsourcing Plan - Thursday, March 17, 2016

Poor timing and questionable numbers: That’s how legislators are viewing a business justification plan for outsourcing facilities management across Tennessee.

The Office of Customer Focused Government tells state senators, if all departments opt in, the state could save $35.8 million by the second year of a contract under study for building operations and services – without laying off state workers or cutting pay and benefits.

26. Salinger Lawsuit Dismissed By Publishers - Saturday, December 12, 2015

The Memphis independent book publishers who sued the trust of the late author J.D. Salinger last March over three Salinger short stories published in 2014 have dismissed the federal lawsuit.

The decision by the Devault-Graves Agency came after U.S. District Judge Thomas Anderson transferred the case in October to a federal court in New Hampshire.

27. Five City Council Races Destined for Runoffs - Friday, October 9, 2015

The identity of the Memphis City Council that will take office in January with six new members was still in flux at the end of a very long and frustrating Oct. 8 election night.

The races for four of those six open seats and the seat now held by an appointee to the council are going to a Nov. 19 runoff election – one week before Thanksgiving.

28. Trezevant Hires Resident Services Head - Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Kimberly O’Donnell has joined Trezevant as director of resident services. In her new position, she will be responsible for managing a variety of programs and functions while serving as liaison to the residential community.

29. Dr. J, a Luxury Car Dealer and a Swindle - Thursday, July 30, 2015

The day before he pleaded guilty to fraud charges in Memphis federal court, Michael G. Brown got a phone call from Julius “Dr. J” Erving.

Erving wanted Brown’s advice on a Rolls Royce Wraith the NBA legend had test driven at an Atlanta luxury car dealership.

30. High-End Car Salesman Sentenced for Fraud - Thursday, July 30, 2015

A luxury automobile salesman has been sentenced to 80 months for “operating a scheme that defrauded individuals of more than $2 million,” according to the office of the U.S. Attorney for West Tennessee.

31. Memphis Mayoral Field Set at 10 - Friday, July 24, 2015

Shelby County Election Commissioners have certified the Memphis election ballot for Oct. 8.

These are the names to appear on that ballot for the 15 elected offices.

The commission met hours after the noon Thursday, July 23, deadline for candidates to withdraw from the ballot if they wished.

32. Salinger Lawsuit Reflects Larger Issues of Literature - Saturday, April 25, 2015

When 22 of his short stories and other writings were published in 1974, J.D. Salinger broke a 20-year public silence and explained his feelings about his early works before he wrote “The Catcher in the Rye.”

33. Businessman Pleads to Anabolic Steroid Charge - Wednesday, January 28, 2015

A New Orleans businessman selling dietary supplements entered a guilty plea Monday, Jan. 26, in Memphis federal court to conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids and intentionally misbranding what was billed as a dietary supplement.

34. $1 Million-Plus Sales Reach New Heights in 2014 - Saturday, December 27, 2014

As 2014 comes to a close, the “Where does it end?” question is becoming more and more a part of the conversation.

And based on the past, it is a logical concern as buyers are being forced to pay more and more for houses with demand high and inventory low.

35. Court Injunction Bars Trio as Tax Preparers - Saturday, December 27, 2014

U.S. District Judge Thomas Anderson has ordered three tax preparers with ties to the Mo’ Money tax refund scandal from working as tax preparers or having anything to do with the preparation and filing of federal tax returns in any way.

36. Court Injunction Bars Trio as Tax Preparers - Wednesday, December 24, 2014

U.S. District Judge Thomas Anderson has ordered three tax preparers with ties to the Mo’ Money tax refund scandal from working as tax preparers or having anything to do with the preparation and filing of federal tax returns in any way.

37. Hill to Lead MIFA’s COOL Program - Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Andrea Hill has been named manager of Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association’s COOL (College Offers Opportunities for Life) program, which provides higher education counseling, life skills training and mentorship opportunities to 11th- and 12th-graders from G.W. Carver and Booker T. Washington High Schools. Hill previously worked as director of volunteer services for Cool Girls Inc. in Atlanta.

38. Everyone Wants Locker to Succeed, But Can He? - Saturday, September 27, 2014

Perhaps the best thing that Jake Locker has going for him right now is Coach Ken Whisenhunt’s profession of faith.

There is no question that virtually everyone at St. Thomas Sports Park is pulling for Locker to make good in his final chance to be the Titans long-term answer at quarterback.

39. Stepherson Named Chair-Elect of Grocers Association - Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Randy Stepherson has been named 2014-2015 chairman-elect of the Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association board of directors. Stepherson is president of Stepherson Inc., the family- and employee-owned parent company of Superlo Foods, which has five Memphis-area locations, and Stepherson’s.

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

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

41. Events - Monday, June 23, 2014

Stax Music Academy, Stax Museum and Memphis Public Library will host Vaneese Thomas for a Soul & Blues Brown Bag Series concert and Q&A Monday, June 23, at noon in the amphitheater behind the academy, 926 E. McLemore Ave. The series continues each day through Friday, June 27. Visit staxmuseum.com for a lineup.

42. Judge: East Tennessee City Can Change Name to Rocky Top - Friday, May 30, 2014

NASHVILLE (AP) – A federal judge has given a former coal mining town in East Tennessee the go-ahead to change its name to Rocky Top – a move that developers have said is needed to entice them to build a massive tourist complex in the town of 1,800 people.

43. Jones Seeks Recount in Commission Race - Tuesday, May 20, 2014

By his count, Martavius Jones believes he and Reginald Milton are tied in their Democratic primary race for Shelby County Commission District 10. That is without adding in the five provisional ballots cast in the race.

44. 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.

45. Federal Court Ruling Ends Consolidation Quest - Monday, March 24, 2014

The last unresolved issue of the 2010 attempt to consolidate city of Memphis and Shelby County governments ended quietly last week in Memphis federal court.

The 2010 federal court lawsuit over the failed consolidation attempt – the most serious attempt in 39 years – ended with an order Wednesday, March 19, from U.S. District Judge Thomas Anderson granting a motion for summary judgment by defendants in the case.

46. Anderson Upholds Dual Majorities Requirement For Metro Consolidation - Friday, March 21, 2014

The 2010 federal court lawsuit over the failed attempt at consolidating the city of Memphis and Shelby County governments has failed as well with an order Wednesday, March 19, from U.S. District Judge Thomas Anderson granting a motion for summary judgment by defendants in the case.

47. Attorney Pierotti Joins Thomas Family Law Firm - Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Nicholas J. Pierotti has joined Thomas Family Law Firm PLC as an attorney, marking the firm’s expansion to include probate issues. Pierotti, a third-generation attorney, joins founder Justin K. Thomas in the Memphis-based practice and will work with clients on both family law and probate matters, including wills and estates.

48. Consolidation Voting Case Still Complex in 3rd Year - Monday, January 6, 2014

Three years after all the votes were counted in dual votes on an attempt to consolidate city and county governments, the federal lawsuit over the dual-vote requirement in state law continues.

And a look at the depositions and other written statements in the case file from the experts for each side shows the issues in the federal court case remain complex.

49. Airlines Promise a Return to Civility, For a Fee - Tuesday, October 1, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – Airlines are introducing a new bevy of fees, but this time passengers might actually like them.

Unlike the first generation of charges which dinged fliers for once-free services like checking a bag, these new fees promise a taste of the good life, or at least a more civil flight.

50. Mo’ Money Taxes Barred From Operating - Friday, September 20, 2013

MEMPHIS (AP) – A federal judge has issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the owners and a former manager of a tax preparation service from running such a business and from preparing tax returns for other people.

51. Mo’ Money Fraud Sparks Fed Shutdown Effort - Friday, April 12, 2013

Less than a week before the April 15 federal tax-filing deadline, U.S. Justice Department attorneys from Washington went to Memphis federal court seeking to shut down a Memphis-based company that operates five tax preparation companies.

52. Chamber Prepares to Celebrate 175 Years - Monday, April 8, 2013

Despite arriving this year at the ripe old age of 175, the Greater Memphis Chamber still has a spring in its step.

When the chamber blows out the candles, so to speak, during its milestone bash Friday, April 12, at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, the event will underscore the organization’s storied history, which predates the Civil War. This year also sees the continuation of the chamber’s push to be more of a civic force in the community, helping to bring together government and private businesses.

53. Senior Care Management Solutions Promotes Williams - Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Darla Williams has been promoted to health care administrator at Senior Care Management Solutions. In her new role, Williams will play a critical role in overseeing and customizing clients’ daily care plans to fit their specific needs.

54. Lease Takes Appling Farms to Capacity - Friday, September 28, 2012

A distributorship of Pella Corp. has inked 11,300 square feet in Appling Farms Corporate Park, 6972 Appling Farms Parkway.

55. Appeals Court Rules on Employee Lawsuit - Wednesday, September 26, 2012

A federal appeals court has reversed part of a decision to dismiss a wrongful termination lawsuit filed against the city of Memphis by the city’s former public records coordinator.

Bridgett Handy-Clay sued the city for being fired in August 2010 after she filed an open records request for the payroll, leave and personnel files of employees in the city attorney’s office, including then-City Attorney Herman Morris.

56. Election Winners Take Oaths of Office - Wednesday, September 5, 2012

The Labor Day weekend served as a political marker for past and future events in Memphis politics.

The four Shelby County general election winners from the Aug. 2 vote are officially in office as the weekend ends and the workweek begins.

57. Ruling Alters Fayette County Education Landscape - Friday, August 24, 2012

A court case, school closings, attendance zone changes as well as school system and county government differences.

The familiar sounding elements of a school system in transition, in this case, apply not to Shelby County Schools but to Fayette County Schools.

58. Events - Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Attorneys from AutoZone Inc., Bass, Berry & Sims PLC and Memphis Area Legal Services will hold the fourth annual free legal clinic for Memphis-area seniors Tuesday, July 10, from 10 a.m. to noon at Orange Mound Senior Center, 2590 Park Ave. The pro bono clinic offers seniors essential legal advice and helps in the preparation of wills, advanced care plans and more. Call Linda Warren Seely of MALS at 523-8822.

59. Schools Consolidation Foes Meet in Court - Monday, July 9, 2012

When Memphis Federal Court Judge Hardy Mays convenes a status conference Monday, July 9, in the schools consolidation case, attorneys for at least three of the suburban towns and cities trying to form municipal school districts will be there.

60. Baker Donelson’s Bogard Honored for Pro Bono Work - Thursday, June 7, 2012

Kate Bogard is one of a group of five attorneys at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC recently named by the firm as its Memphis Pro Bono Attorneys of the Year.

61. Settlement Brings Milestone in Wells Fargo Case - Monday, June 4, 2012

The announcement that Wells Fargo & Co. has agreed to settle a three-year-old lawsuit filed by Memphis and Shelby County governments over the company’s lending practices – with the settlement including certain local lending commitments on Wells’ part – was certainly a denouement in the case.

62. Court Docket Sees 2 Notable Drug Cases - Thursday, January 26, 2012

For now, Federal Judge Hardy Mays has decided that the last two defendants in the biggest drug case ever brought in Memphis federal court will not be shackled when the jury begins hearing the case.

63. Charity Finds Use For Unspent Gift Cards - Thursday, January 26, 2012

Emily Thomas wants the neglected gift cards that have been languishing for months in your wallets, desk drawers and purses.

64. Thomison Joins PGM/Trumbull - Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Dr. John Thomison has joined Pathology Group of the Mid-South/Trumbull Labs LLC.

Hometown: Nashville

65. Memphis Metro CCIM Announces Designees - Friday, November 18, 2011

Memphis Metro Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) leaders recently pinned five new chapter designees after the participants passed a comprehensive exam.

The latest additions to CCIM are J. Max Hamidi with RE/MAX Elite, Cathy Anderson with Crye-Leike Commercial, James Rasberry with Rasberry CRE, Ed Thomas with Colliers International and Van Watkins with InSouth Bank.

66. Consolidation Fight Lives On in Court - Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Next month will be one year since the rejection of a metro government charter by voters that would have consolidated Memphis city and Shelby County governments.

Meanwhile, the federal court case challenging the constitutionality of the ground rules for the vote continues to move in Memphis federal court, tentatively set for a trial sometime next spring.

67. Gov Consolidation Suit Slow In Federal Court - Friday, September 23, 2011

As the issue of schools consolidation moves toward the mechanics of a merger, a federal court case over Memphis and Shelby County government consolidation has been moving slowly.

The lawsuit, which eight citizens filed last October against the state of Tennessee and the Shelby County Election Commission, challenges the state law that requires any consolidation plan to win dual majorities in separate referenda in the city and in the county outside the city.

68. 4 Council Members - All 3 City Court Judges To Run Unopposed In Oct. Elections - Friday, July 22, 2011

Four incumbent Memphis City Council members and all three incumbent City Court Judges were effectively re-elected at the Thursday, July 21, noon deadline for candidates to file their qualifying petitions for the Oct. 6 Memphis ballot.

69. Wells Fargo Rebukes Lending Lawsuit - Monday, June 6, 2011

Wells Fargo has fought for about 18 months to keep allegations about its lending practices, leveled by Memphis and Shelby County governments, from being heard in court.

But last month, a federal judge denied Wells’ motion to dismiss the joint city-county federal lawsuit that alleges Wells aggressively pursued black borrowers to offer them high-cost, predatory home loans.

70. Ewing Named Partner at Tactical Magic - Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Susan Akil Ewing has been named partner at Tactical Magic. Ewing joined the firm as a marketing strategist in 2010 after 18 years in the field, where she held executive positions at local advertising agencies, including Thompson & Co. and inferno.

71. Handy-Clay Re-Files Job Dismissal Lawsuit - Thursday, May 12, 2011

The former public records coordinator for the city of Memphis is still challenging in court her dismissal from the job late last year.

Bridgett Handy-Clay has filed a lawsuit against the city in Shelby County Circuit Court, and she’s appealing U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson’s dismissal of the federal lawsuit she filed over the same matter in December.

72. Federal Judge Denies Local Wells Fargo Suit Dismissal - Thursday, May 5, 2011

One week after a federal judge in Baltimore denied an effort by Wells Fargo to dismiss that city’s mortgage discrimination lawsuit against the lender, a federal judge in Memphis has done the same thing.

73. Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss City-County Suit Against Wells Fargo - Wednesday, May 4, 2011

U.S. District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson has denied a motion by Wells Fargo to dismiss the mortgage discrimination lawsuit filed against the lender in late 2009 by Memphis and Shelby County.

74. Baltimore Wells Fargo Ruling Helps Local Cause - Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The city of Baltimore’s mortgage discrimination lawsuit it filed three years ago against San Francisco-based Wells Fargo can go forward now that it has survived Wells’ motion to dismiss the case.

The federal judge presiding over the case published an opinion Friday that gave the green light to Baltimore’s fourth iteration of its suit.

75. Crye-Leike Honors Top Performers, Longevity - Friday, April 22, 2011

Crye-Leike Realtors Inc. honored its brokers working in the residential and commercial sectors Tuesday at its annual awards gala.

76. Schools Referendum Certification Set for March 28 - Friday, March 18, 2011

The Shelby County Election Commission certified election results this week.

But it was the metro charter referendum results from Nov. 2 instead of the March 8 schools consolidation results.

And the Election Commission is now scheduled to certify the March 8 results on March 28, the same day the Shelby County Commission is set to make appointments to a 25-member countywide school board.

77. Electrolux Officials Sign Downtown Office Lease - Friday, March 4, 2011

Before it builds a new manufacturing plant at Frank C. Pidgeon Industrial Park, Electrolux will set up shop in Memphis with a Downtown office.

The Swedish appliance maker has signed a 14,000-square-foot lease at One Commerce Square, 40 S. Main St., where it will occupy the building’s entire 24th floor.

78. Metro Consolidation Case Stays Alive - Friday, February 18, 2011

The Shelby County Election Commission can certify the results of the Nov. 2 referendum on the metro consolidation charter.

But U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Anderson also ruled Thursday that he will not dismiss the federal court case that challenges the requirement that the charter had to win approval in two referenda – one in the city of Memphis and the other in Shelby County outside Memphis.

79. Motion Hearing Expected in Consolidation Case - Thursday, February 3, 2011

The case of the metro consolidation charter vote count from November begins to move Thursday in Memphis federal court. And what happens might affect the coming March 8 referendum on school consolidation.

80. Legalities Continue to Surround Consolidation - Wednesday, December 29, 2010

As the question of a Memphis City Schools charter surrender heads for a February date with Memphis voters, the lawsuit over the Nov. 2 referendum on a metro consolidation charter continues in Memphis federal court.

81. Consolidation Lawsuit Fight Moves to Rhetorical Battlefront - Friday, December 17, 2010

The votes have been counted for six weeks in the twin votes on consolidation.

But the results still haven’t been certified in the votes on the consolidation charter that voters rejected on Nov. 2.

82. Moving County Lines Involves Heavy Lifting - Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Votes come and go. But partisans on each side of this year’s consolidation referendum have found new ways to keep the political tug of war going.

The latest pull is from consolidation opponents who succeeded in voting down a County Commission resolution this week that would have put the commission on record as favoring the concept of consolidation.

83. Motion to Dismiss Election Count Suit Filed - Friday, November 12, 2010

Attorneys for the Tennessee attorney general, the Tennessee secretary of state and the Shelby County Election Commission have followed through on their earlier pledge to seek dismissal of the federal lawsuit challenging the way votes were counted in the Nov. 2 consolidation referendum.

84. Election Results Portend Coming Battles in County - Thursday, November 4, 2010

The metro consolidation charter proposal crushed by county voters Tuesday goes to Memphis federal court Thursday.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Tu Pham holds a telephone conference call status conference that is the first court meeting of all sides in the lawsuit to challenge the separate vote counts for the charter.

85. Split Vote Takes Down Metro Charter Proposal - Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The metro consolidation charter won a narrow victory with Memphis voters Tuesday but was crushed by Shelby County voters outside Memphis.

The first consolidation charter to go to voters in 39 years had to win both in Memphis and outside Memphis in order to consolidate the city of Memphis and Shelby County governments.

86. Bailey: Consolidation Voting Challenge Likely to Falter - Friday, October 22, 2010

In April, attorney and retired Circuit Court Judge D’Army Bailey and Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy began publicly questioning whether it was right for the still forming consolidation charter’s fate to rest on two votes – one in the city of Memphis and the other in the county outside the city.

87. Consolidation Certification Vote Awaits Court Ruling - Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Shelby County Election Commission will not certify the results of the Nov. 2 consolidation referendum until there is some kind of ruling from Memphis federal court on the lawsuit challenging the way the votes are to be counted.

88. Consolidation Vote Certification Will Await Court Ruling - Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The Shelby County Election Commission will not certify the results of the Nov. 2 consolidation referendum until there is some kind of ruling from Memphis federal court on the lawsuit challenging the way the votes are to be counted.

89. Consolidation Referendum Plaintiffs Seek To Delay Nov. 2 Vote Count - Friday, October 15, 2010

The plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit seeking to change the way votes are counted in the Nov. consolidation referendum want a delay in the certification of the referendum results and the preservation of the election information until U.S. District Judge Thomas Anderson rules on the case.

90. Out of the Gate - Friday, October 15, 2010

On the first day of early voting, Jack Sammons and Keith McDonald were together again.

91. Early Voters Face Slate of Local, Statewide Races - Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Shelby County voters begin making their choices Wednesday as early voting in advance of the Nov. 2 Election Day gets under way.

Early voting sites, 21 in all, open Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. – all at the same time and with the same hours through Oct. 23, the end of the early voting period.

92. Metro Charter Case Moves to Federal Court - Monday, October 11, 2010

The move to federal court less than a week before early voting begins on a consolidation charter isn’t a surprise to the most vocal proponents and opponents of consolidation.

It’s been a possibility since before the charter was drafted.

93. Circa Slated for Regalia Space - Friday, October 1, 2010

Circa by John Bragg restaurant plans to open its East Memphis location at Regalia shopping center, Boyle Investment Co. recently announced.

94. GOP Carries Countywide Offices - Friday, August 6, 2010

The only thing Republican candidates in Shelby County were denied in the Aug. 5 elections was a majority on the Shelby County Commission. The local GOP slate swept every countywide partisan race on the ballot with Thursday’s election results.

Voter turnout – early and Election Day – was almost 30 percent of Shelby County’s 600,000 voters. All election returns will be audited and must be certified by the Shelby County Election Commission.

Republican Bill Oldham, the former chief deputy of the Sheriff’s Department under outgoing Sheriff Mark Luttrell, beat Democrat Randy Wade in the race for sheriff.

The unofficial returns with all precincts reporting were:

Oldham: 89,613 (52%)

Wade: 82,981 (48%)

Wade, who was the Democratic nominee for sheriff in 2002, linked his 2010 campaign to the re-election bid of Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen. Wade, a former sheriff’s deputy, is Cohen’s district director.

Oldham campaigned on continuing the policies of Luttrell. But his campaign faltered when Oldham was forced to resign his job as chief deputy – the No. 2 position in the department – following a complaint to the U.S. Justice Department that his candidacy violated the Federal Hatch Act.

The civil complaint investigated by the Justice Department’s Office of Special Counsel left Oldham with the choice of either quitting the job or quitting the race. To keep both could have jeopardized federal funding the department receives.

The complaint was unique because deputies and high-ranking officers running for sheriff has been a regular feature of the sheriff’s race for decades. It wasn’t until 2002 that those in the department were required to take a leave of absence if they ran.

In other general election races, challenger Ken Hoover lost to Shelby County School Board Chairman David Pickler in the race for the District 5 seat on the seven-member board.

Pickler has been chairman for 11 of the 12 years the school board has been an elected body. Pickler ran on his record as chairman. Hoover also ran on Pickler’s record, saying his leadership style was too autocratic and not transparent enough.

The unofficial results were:

Pickler: 5,123 (51%)

Hoover: 4,956 (49%)

In the two other contested school board races, former Bolton High School principal Snowden “Butch” Carruthers beat Millington parent Charlene White in District 1. And political newcomer David Reaves beat fellow newcomer Lara A. McIntyre, both of Bartlett, for the District 3 seat.

White and McIntyre both called for change in school board methods during their campaigns.

District 7 school board member Ernest Chism ran unopposed.

The even-numbered district school board seats are on the 2012 county ballot.

After running for Probate Court clerk three other times, Democratic nominee Sondra Becton could not claim the office on her fourth try – even with the incumbent she campaigned against the three other times out of the race. Republican contender Paul Boyd easily beat Becton in the race for the office Chris Thomas gave up to run for and win a seat on the Shelby County Commission.

Becton lost to Thomas by 604 votes four years ago and was among the four Democratic challengers who unsuccessfully challenged the results in Chancery Court. This time she lost by more than 6,500 votes.

The vote totals were:

Boyd: 82,259 (52%)

Becton: 75,702 (48%)

Republican Tom Leatherwood easily defeated Democratic challenger Coleman Thompson to remain Shelby County register. The two faced each other in 2006, with Leatherwood winning.

The results Thursday were:

Leatherwood: 96,531 (58%)

Thompson: 68,784 (42%)

As early voting began, Thompson’s Pyramid Recovery Center was evicted from its longtime South Memphis space that was also an early voting site and an election day polling place. The landlord agreed to leave the voting sites up and running. But the possibility of a change in polling places served to highlight Thompson’s financial problems.

Late publicity about financial problems took a toll on another Democratic contender.

Newcomer Corey Maclin began campaigning early for Shelby County clerk, with incumbent Republican Debbie Stamson not seeking re-election. Maclin lost to Republican nominee Wayne Mashburn, the son of late county clerk Sonny Mashburn.

The unofficial returns were:

Mashburn: 88,619 (55%)

Maclin: 72,651 (45%)

Stamson’s husband, Steve Stamson, retired as Juvenile Court clerk, setting up the race that was won by Republican nominee Joy Touliatos, the chief administrative officer of the clerk’s office. She beat Democratic nominee Shep Wilbun, who won appointment to the clerk’s office in 2000 but lost to Stamson in the 2002 election and was beaten by Stamson again in 2006.

With all precincts reporting, the numbers were:

Touliatos: 85,849 (51%)

Wilbun: 73,345 (44%)

The remaining votes went to independent candidate Julia R. Wiseman.

Also seeking a return to countywide office was Minerva Johnican. Johnican, the Democratic nominee for Criminal Court clerk, lost to Republican nominee Kevin Key, the son of outgoing Criminal Court Clerk Bill Key and an administrator with the Circuit Court Clerk’s office.

The results were:

Key: 79,755 (49%)

Johnican: 74,831 (46%)

Independent candidate Jerry Stamson: 8,581 (5%)

Johnican, also a former Memphis City Council member and Shelby County Commissioner lost the clerk’s job in 1994 when she was upset by the elder Key.

Incumbent Republican Circuit Court Clerk Jimmy Moore easily defeated Democratic challenger Ricky Dixon. Although Dixon was part of the effort by Democratic party leaders to get voters to vote the entire party slate, Moore continued to show up at Democratic functions and make his case for crossover votes.

Regina Morrison Newman, the third Shelby County tustee in four years, lost her bid for a full term in the office to Republican challenger David Lenoir. It was an impressive political debut for Lenoir, who had heavy backing from the local GOP.

The results were:

Lenoir: 77,166 (49%)

Newman: 72,618 (46%)

Independent candidate Derrick Bennett: 6,353 (4%)

Newman was appointed to the office by the Shelby County Commission following the 2009 death of Trustee Paul Mattila. Mattila was appointed to the office and won a special election for the position following the 2008 death of Bob Patterson. Patterson was re-elected to a four-year term in 2006.

In the judicial races:

Attorney Bill Anderson Jr. emerged atop a field of 20 candidates for General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Div. 7 with 15 percent of the vote. Assistant County Attorney Janet Lansky Shipman was second and the only other contender to go into double digit percentages. The 20 candidates were the largest field in any race – primary or general – on the Shelby County ballot.

Prosecutor Bobby Carter, who had the backing of District Attorney General Bill Gibbons and former District Attorney General John Pierotti, was elected judge of Criminal Court Div. 3 in a close race with attorneys Glenn Wright and Latonya Sue Burrow.

Carter got 26 percent of the vote to Wright’s 25 percent and Burrow’s 24.7 percent.

The results in the three other special judicial races saw the three appointed judges rejected by voters.

• Lee Wilson, the appointee to General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Div. 10, lost to former General Sessions Court Clerk Chris Turner by more than 64,000 votes. Turner’s victory was the strongest proof of the strong Republican turnout for races across the general election ballot. Turner had been the General Sessions Court clerk until 2006, when he was upset by Democratic challenger Otis Jackson. He is also a former Republican state legislator.
• Lorrie Ridder, the appointee to Circuit Court Judge Div. 4, lost to attorney Gina Higgins by about 5,000 votes.
• Rhynette Northcross Hurd, the appointee to Circuit Court Judge Div. 8, lost to attorney Bob Weiss by more than 12,000 votes.

Ridder and Hurd had been appointed to the Circuit Court vacancies by Gov. Phil Bredesen, who picked them each from a list of three finalists from the Judicial Nominating Commission. Bredesen even taped a robo-call on behalf of Hurd, his first robo-call for any candidate in the state.

Wilson was appointed to the General Sessions vacancy by the Shelby County Commission and adopted a domestic violence case docket for the court.

95. Glankler Brown Names Bradley Chief Manager - Wednesday, March 3, 2010

William R. Bradley Jr. has been named chief manager of Glankler Brown PLLC.

Bradley’s primary practice areas include intellectual property, maintenance and litigation, antitrust counseling and litigation, business litigation, and construction litigation.

96. Yoser Sentenced To 42 Months - Friday, February 19, 2010

Dr. Seth Yoser fainted Thursday, immediately after U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced him to 42 months for mail fraud, wire fraud and selling drugs without a license.

97. UTHSC College of Medicine Names Smith Interim Dean - Wednesday, October 21, 2009

J. Lacey Smith has been named interim dean for the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Smith currently serves as the associate dean of clinical affairs for the College of Medicine and the chief medical officer and executive vice president for UT Medical Group Inc.

98. Airport Authority Files Permit For Parking Garage, Rental Car Facility - Tuesday, October 20, 2009

2491 Winchester Road
Memphis, TN 38116
Permit Amount: $135 Million

Project Cost: $150 million
Permit Date: Applied October 2009
Completion: TBA
Owner: Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority
Tenant: Memphis International Airport
Contractor: TBA
Architect: Walker Parking Consultants

99. Schuermann Elected To Design Review Board - Wednesday, October 14, 2009

David Schuermann has been elected to the Center City Commission’s Design Review board.

Schuermann is a principal at Architecture Inc. He is active with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and currently serves on the Tennessee Board of Architectural & Engineering Examiners.

100. St. Jude, Quest Diagnostics Consider Lawsuit Settlement - Friday, August 28, 2009

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Quest Diagnostics Inc. have begun talks to settle a lawsuit the hospital filed against the company for an alleged patent infringement.

The dispute is over a procedure for checking if children have genetic characteristics that would make them have toxic reactions to certain cancer drugs.