The painted image of the late Henry Loeb was mostly ignored Tuesday, May 22, at City Hall as the Memphis City Council honored surviving city sanitation workers from 1968 with its 25th annual Humanitarian of the Year Awards.

2. 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.

3. Two New Distribution Facilities, Southaven ‘Town Square’ In the Works - Monday, January 8, 2018

2481 Appling Road, Memphis, TN 38133: Salt Lake City, Utah-based aftermarket auto body parts distributer Certifit Inc. is planning to construct a 604,800-square-foot distribution facility at the southwest corner of Appling and Reese roads.

4. DHL Buys 55 Acres In Southeast Memphis - Saturday, January 6, 2018

DHL Supply Chain has purchased a 55-acre tract of land in southeast Memphis from Belz Enterprises for more than $1.6 million.

Morris Thomas signed the deed on behalf of the sellers, according to documents filed with the Shelby County Register on Dec. 28.

5. DHL Buys 55 Acres In Southeast Memphis - Wednesday, January 3, 2018

DHL Supply Chain has purchased a 55-acre tract of land in southeast Memphis from Belz Enterprises for more than $1.6 million.

Morris Thomas signed the deed on behalf of the sellers, according to documents filed with the Shelby County Register on Dec. 28.

6. DHL Buys Vacant Land in Southeast Memphis from Belz - Tuesday, January 2, 2018

DHL Supply Chain has purchased a 55 acre tract of vacant land in southeast Memphis from Belz Enterprises for more than $1.6 million.

Morris Thomas signed the deed on behalf of the sellers, according to documents filed with the Shelby County Register on Dec. 28.

7. Goodin Joins Hagwood Adelman As Memphis Managing Attorney - Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Michael T. Goodin has joined Hagwood Adelman Tipton PC as managing attorney of the Memphis office. In that role, he provides legal services to HAT’s clients in matters such as medical malpractice and senior housing litigation for health care providers along the continuum of care, including skilled nursing, assisted living, behavioral health, home health and hospice litigation. In addition, he assists in supervising the attorney and paraprofessional teams.

8. Vols, Jackets Each Eager to Make Statement - Friday, September 1, 2017

Enough of the talk. Enough of the speculation. Let’s play some football.

Tennessee starts its fifth season of the Butch Jones coaching era on Monday night against Georgia Tech at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Kickoff is 8 p.m. (TV: ESPN).

9. Looks Like Another 8-4 Season for Tennessee - Friday, August 25, 2017

Oops. I goofed last year. So did lots of other people who thought Tennessee’s football team would win the SEC East Division and go to the league championship game for the first time since 2007.

10. Wolf, Offense Look To Prove Predictions Wrong - Friday, August 18, 2017

It’s championship or bust for Tennessee senior tight end Ethan Wolf.

Bowl victories are nice. So are nine-win seasons. But Wolf wants a lot more in his final season with the Vols.

“Our goal here at Tennessee every single year is to win a championship, and that’s going to remain the goal,” Wolf says. “Yeah, there may have been a little bit of excitement the first year, maybe the second year winning the bowl game. It’s always exciting, but that’s the bare minimum right now.”

11. City Council Pushes Back at Administration - Thursday, June 22, 2017

Sometimes there are seven votes. Other times there aren’t. But Memphis City Council debates increasingly point to different thoughts about the city’s course as outlined by the administration of Mayor Jim Strickland.

12. Spring Lessons: Here’s Who Vols Will Start - Friday, April 28, 2017

Tennessee football coach Butch Jones isn’t big on naming starters and divulging depth charts. Not until he has to. So it comes as no surprise the Vols enter summer workouts and fall camp with junior Quinten Dormady and redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano still competing for the starting quarterback’s job.

13. Impasse Ordinance Changes, Passes on Final Vote - Thursday, March 23, 2017

No more lottery balls for the Memphis City Council in the spring.

The council approved Tuesday, March 21, an overhaul of the city’s impasse procedures – the rules for the council settling stalled contract talks between the city and its municipal unions.

14. Bill to Create Criminal Trespassing at Apartment Complexes Could Face Legal Challenges - Wednesday, March 15, 2017

NASHVILLE – Two Memphis lawmakers are pushing legislation designed to clear apartment complexes of trespassers, in some cases to ensure that emergency personnel avoid intimidation and threats when they answer calls dealing with shootings.

15. March 10-16, 2017: This week in Memphis history - Saturday, March 11, 2017

1835: A letter from Mayor Marcus Winchester reads in part: “We are involved in another lawsuit involving important interests in relation to the John Rice grant. You are aware that since 1828 a mud bar has been accumulating in front of this town. During last summer two warrants were located upon this bar, in the name of J.D. Martin, amounting together to 44 1/2 acres, for which a grant has actually been obtained from the state.”

16. City Unions Pan Proposed Impasse Changes - Thursday, February 9, 2017

Unions representing city of Memphis employees gave a rough reception Tuesday, Feb. 7, to a proposal to revamp the city’s impasse proceedings for stalled contract talks between the unions and the city administration.

17. Back-to-Back Dak? Dobbs Shines at Senior Bowl - Friday, February 3, 2017

To say Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs might be the next Dak Prescott is a stretch. Or is it? Prescott, the former Mississippi State quarterback, caught the eye of the Dallas Cowboys with his MVP performance in the 2016 Senior Bowl. The Cowboys chose Prescott in the fourth round (No. 135 overall pick) of the 2016 NFL Draft, and it proved a fruitful pick.

18. Vols Get Midterm B Despite Back-to-Back Losses - Friday, October 21, 2016

Tennessee’s football team is spending this week’s open date trying to get healthy after a rugged four-game stretch of SEC football in which they defeated Florida and Georgia and lost to Texas A&M and Alabama.

19. Hospitable Market - Saturday, September 17, 2016

The Memphis area hotel market continues on its solid run of the past few years, led by the Downtown submarket with strong occupancy and room rates. The pipeline for new Downtown hotel projects is loaded, with as many as 15 projects in various stages of development and hotel construction picking up in other parts of the county.

20. High-Scoring Ohio Good Warmup for Florida Game - Friday, September 16, 2016

Tennessee football returns to normalcy this week, if you call a noon EDT kickoff normal.

The Vols survived a Thursday night scare in the season opener against Appalachian State in Neyland Stadium. Then they roared from behind last Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway and beat Virginia Tech 45-24 in the Pilot Flying J. Battle at Bristol before a college football record crowd of 156,990.

21. Last Word: Rallings on Protests, New Home Sales Numbers and Special Session Over - Thursday, September 15, 2016

$10 million goes a long way toward establishing a new school.

But Crosstown High School was not among the new high schools that garnered grants Wednesday from the XQ Super School Project.

22. Vols Offensive Line Rushing Into Much-Anticipated Season - Friday, August 19, 2016

Jalen Hurd knows right where he stands among Tennessee’s running backs of the past and wants to be No. 1 in career rushing yards at the end of the 2016 season.

The junior from Hendersonville Beech High School needs 892 yards to surpass Travis Henry as UT’s career rushing leader.

23. Northwestern Defense Tough, But Give Edge to UT - Saturday, December 26, 2015

There’s nothing like spending the Christmas holidays in Florida, and Tennessee’s football team will savor every minute of it for the second consecutive year.

The Vols (8-4) board a flight Saturday morning to Tampa, Fla., where they will spend almost a week before the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl against Northwestern (10-2).

24. Here’s How Vols Grade Going Into Second Half - Saturday, October 17, 2015

Order has been restored in Vol Nation, at least for now.

Tennessee’s football team restored it with a 38-31 victory over then-No. 19 Georgia last Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

UT’s rally from a 24-3 deficit has much of the fan base back on board with Vols coach Butch Jones and his staff after a precarious week leading up to the game.

25. Wharton’s Accomplishments Weighted With Controversy - Wednesday, September 30, 2015

It’s a set of events just about any incumbent would envy during a re-election bid.

Overnight riverboat cruises on the Mississippi River picked up just as Beale Street Landing opened in mid-2014. In late April, the long-dormant Pyramid reopened as a Bass Pro Shops megastore with a hotel and other attractions.

26. Memphis City Council Approves Retirement Freeze, Debate on Impact Continues - Thursday, September 17, 2015

Memphis City Council members gave final approval Tuesday, Sept. 15, to a freeze on the city’s deferred retirement program in an effort to bolster police ranks and keep the force from dropping below 2,000 officers.

27. Rocky Top In Nashville: Good For City, Bad For Vols - Saturday, September 5, 2015

I can’t help but get fired up for a college football game between Tennessee and Virginia Tech in front of 150,000 people at Bristol Motor Speedway.

28. Memphis Mayoral Endorsements Split - Wednesday, August 26, 2015

The first wave of endorsements in the 2015 Memphis elections finds no mayoral contender with a sweep, one of the four major contenders without an endorsement so far and two of the big three municipal unions backing different mayoral candidates.

29. Vols Nearly Set on Offense as Season Approaches - Saturday, August 22, 2015

With Tennessee’s football team three weeks into fall camp, the offensive depth charts are set at some positions, while others remain open.

UT coach Butch Jones enters the 2015 season with no questions at quarterback or running back. His has plenty of receivers and all should get their share of playing time.

30. Scott Sharpe Named CAO Of District Attorney General’s Office - Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Scott Sharpe recently was named chief administrative officer of the Shelby County District Attorney General’s office following the departure of longtime CAO Priscilla Campbell.

31. Memphis Ends Budget Season, But the Arguments Aren't Over - Thursday, June 25, 2015

The end of the budget season at City Hall can be a festive occasion.

Weeks of line-item detail and swapping one amount with another in the budget, as well as the pressure of revenue and other projections that amount to moving targets in the fiscal year, give way to approved operating and capital budgets as well as a property tax rate.

32. Wanda Halbert to Run for City Court Clerk - Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Memphis City Council member Wanda Halbert will not seek re-election in this year’s city elections and will instead run for City Court Clerk.

Halbert planned to pull a petition Monday, April 20, for the challenge of incumbent clerk Thomas Long.

33. Halbert Passes on Council Re-election Bid To Go For City Court Clerk - Saturday, April 18, 2015

Memphis City Council member Wanda Halbert will not seek re-election in this year's city elections and will instead run for City Court Clerk.

Halbert plans to pull a petition Monday, April 20, for the challenge of incumbent clerk Thomas Long.

34. Vols’ Dobbs Embraces the Role of ‘CEO Quarterback’ - Saturday, April 4, 2015

Joshua Dobbs enters his junior season as Tennessee’s undisputed No. 1 quarterback and team leader, the player most responsible for the Vols’ relevance again in SEC football.

35. Big Hit and Some Misses From Vols’ 2014 Early Enrollees - Saturday, January 17, 2015

KNOXVILLE – Recruiting is anything but an exact science. Experts are everywhere. Star ratings rise and fall. Player projections are widely varied.

One thing is certain: Only time will tell if coaches hit or miss on a recruit.

36. City Council Approves Pension Changes - Thursday, December 18, 2014

Memphis City Council members put to rest Tuesday, Dec. 16, at least the City Hall portion of the debate about city employee benefits and the liability of those benefits by approving changes to the city’s pension plan.

37. City Council Approves Pension Changes - Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Memphis City Council members put to rest Tuesday, Dec. 16, at least the City Hall portion of the debate about city employee benefits and the liability of those benefits by approving changes to the city’s pension plan.

38. City Council to Consider Pension Alternative - Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Memphis City Council members again have final votes pending Tuesday, Dec. 16, on several possible sets of changes to the city’s pension plan.

The last meeting of 2014 for the council again finds the body poised to make final decisions on the last in a set of two changes this year to the benefits city employees and retirees receive.

39. Pension ‘Concept’ Flips Council Script - Thursday, December 4, 2014

For most of her seven years on the Memphis City Council, Wanda Halbert has been the most outspoken member when it comes to last-minute items added to the council’s agenda for a vote.

So, when Halbert rolled out a compromise plan on the city’s pension changes Tuesday, Dec. 2, she took some heat from other council members.

40. Council Embraces New Pension 'Concept' - Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Memphis City Council members are still weighing their options on pension plan changes after another alternative emerged Tuesday, Dec. 2, and the “concept” got eight votes on the council.

41. Voters Approve Wine, Amendments - Thursday, November 6, 2014

Shelby County citizens voted 2-to-1 Tuesday, Nov. 4, against a proposed amendment to the Tennessee Constitution that gives the Tennessee Legislature the power to regulate abortion, including in cases of rape or incest.

42. Voters Approve Wine, Constitutional Amendments - Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Shelby County citizens voted 2-to-1 Tuesday, Nov. 4, against a proposed amendment to the Tennessee Constitution that gives the Tennessee Legislature the power to regulate abortion, including in cases of rape or incest.

43. Haslam Reaches End of Campaign Trail in Memphis - Tuesday, November 4, 2014

On his last campaign event on the last full day of the 2014 campaign season, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam was surrounded by whimsy and cookies in a decidedly pink East Memphis shop.

Haslam supporters packed the Whimsy Cookie Company, a boutique cookie bakery on Poplar Avenue Monday, Nov. 3, just before the afternoon rush hour.

44. City Hall Opens Enrollment on Changing Health Plan - Saturday, October 18, 2014

City of Memphis employees just emerged from the open enrollment period for the still-evolving changes in health insurance benefits for 2015. And city retirees are about to enter their open enrollment period for the same benefits plans that take effect in January.

45. After Florida, How Do Vols Get Excited About UTC? - Saturday, October 11, 2014

Look around the University of Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium about mid-afternoon Saturday.

No more human orange-and-white checkerboard in the stands. Some empty seats, for sure. The most diehard of UT football fans will turn out to cheer for their beloved Vols against Tennessee-Chattanooga.

46. Retirees, City Attorneys Spar Over Lifetime Subsidies - Wednesday, October 8, 2014

The move by city retirees to block the end of a 70-percent subsidy of their health insurance premiums by the city of Memphis drew heavy fire Monday, Oct. 6, in Shelby County Chancery Court.

Several retirees testified before Chancellor Walter Evans that they were promised the subsidies for the rest of their lives when they were hired by city government.

47. Evans Hears Arguments Over City Health Insurance Benefits - Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Chancellor Walter Evans won’t rule until later this month on a move by city retirees to at least temporarily halt the city’s plan to end a 70 percent subsidy of health insurance premiums for city retirees.

48. Vols Hope to Snap 20-Game Road Slump vs. Ranked Opponents - Saturday, September 27, 2014

KNOXVILLE – It doesn’t get much easier for the University of Tennessee’s football team.

The Sept. 20 open date has come and gone. UT’s coaches and players had ample time to digest and dissect details of the 34-10 loss to No. 4-ranked Oklahoma on Sept. 13 and a week to prepare for a challenge just as formidable.

49. Door Remains Open on City Health Insurance Changes - Thursday, September 18, 2014

The political struggle to close the door and lock in changes to city health insurance coverage is proving to be a challenge for the Memphis City Council.

The council voted Tuesday, Sept. 16, to adjust the health insurance changes it approved in June to grandfather in for a year approximately 300 retirees and their spouses when it comes to the 70 percent subsidy on insurance premiums they currently get from the city.

50. Council Could Close Door on Alternative Health Plans - Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Memphis City Council members could put to rest alternatives to the health care insurance benefits cuts they approved in June when they meet Tuesday, Sept. 16.

The question is whether they would do that with some kind of vote or indication through discussion or whether they will simply let the June decision stand and take no further votes.

51. Young Volunteers Face Long Odds at Oklahoma - Saturday, September 13, 2014

Two games into the 2014 season, and it’s time for the University of Tennessee to play some big-boy football.

The Vols (2-0) took care of business at Neyland Stadium in the first two games against Utah State and Arkansas State.

52. Council Bogs Down in Health Insurance Numbers - Thursday, September 11, 2014

When Memphis City Council members meet Tuesday, Sept. 16, they will still be considering alternatives to the health care insurance plan changes they approved in June.

And they probably still will be trying to make sense of a mind-numbing array of conflicting numbers.

53. Council To Review Conflicting Health Insurance Numbers - Wednesday, September 3, 2014

City government’s open enrollment period for health insurance begins in October and new details of health insurance benefit cuts approved in June go in the mail later this month. Yet Memphis City Council members meet in a special committee session next week to again review conflicting numbers from actuaries on the coverage.

54. Vols Among NCAA’s Youngest Headed Into Sunday Opener - Saturday, August 30, 2014

KNOXVILLE – For better or worse, University of Tennessee football coach Butch Jones won’t need to wait long to see the talent level of his highly touted freshman class.

Jones will find out Sunday night at 7 when the Vols play host to Utah State at Neyland Stadium. The Aggies will be an underdog – probably by a touchdown or so – and a trendy pick for some as an upset special.

55. City Union Presents Alternative Plan on Benefits - Thursday, August 21, 2014

Memphis Fire Fighters Association president Thomas Malone takes the union’s plan for reversing city employee and retiree health insurance coverage cutbacks to a city oversight committee Thursday, Aug. 21, on employee issues.

56. PILOT Critics Push for Fuller Accounting - Monday, August 18, 2014

One of the most vocal critics of payment-in-lieu-of-taxes economic development incentives – or PILOTs – says he intends to make them an issue in the 2015 Memphis elections.

Rev. Kenneth Whalum Jr. said his problem with the property tax abatements is the lack of disclosure about their details and how companies getting them have met the goals of creating jobs for Memphians.

57. Pressure Builds to Grant More Tax Breaks - Monday, August 11, 2014

The head of the Economic Development Growth Engine organization says there is another side to the controversy over granting property tax abatements through payments-in-lieu-of-taxes that isn’t heard in the current civic discussion about the incentives.

58. Sales Tax Push Continues in City Debate - Thursday, July 24, 2014

The idea of a sales tax hike referendum in November to fund a restoration of cuts in city health care insurance benefits keeps rolling.

The Memphis chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference came out in favor of the citywide local option sales tax hike Tuesday, July 22, after a closed luncheon attended by leaders of municipal unions and Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.

59. Council Moves to Bridge Gaps in Health Coverage Changes - Thursday, July 17, 2014

The ad hoc committee that gathered municipal union leaders, city retirees and Memphis City Council members at the same table to talk about city health insurance meets Thursday, July 17, for the first time since the council approved health insurance plan changes that have drawn vocal protests from city employees and retirees.

60. Budget Reality Informs Response to Sick-Outs - Thursday, July 10, 2014

For about a year, Memphis Fire Department Director Alvin Benson has been taking ladder trucks out of service to deal with firefighters on vacation and on sick leave at much lower levels than those that surfaced Wednesday.

61. Chamber Head: Hard Choices on City Benefits Necessary - Thursday, July 10, 2014

The president and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber says efforts by municipal union leaders to boycott business members of the chamber and get those businesses to drop their chamber membership is having only a minimal effect.

62. Blue Flu Tops 550 Cops Out - Wednesday, July 9, 2014

As Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong has watched the number of police officers on sick leave grow and top 550, so has much of the city.

Armstrong and the administration of Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. have gone public in not just talking about the impact but putting numbers to it.

63. Economic Development Growth Engine Looks to Make PILOTs More Effective - Tuesday, July 8, 2014

For years, the payment-in-lieu-of-taxes incentive used to recruit or retain jobs in Memphis and Shelby County has been a lightning rod for criticism, particularly from municipal labor unions who view the incentives as corporate welfare that erodes the tax base.

64. Benefits Debate Goes Larger Than City Hall - Thursday, June 26, 2014

When several hundred firefighters, police officers and other city employees and retirees formed a picket line around City Hall Tuesday, June 24, it signaled the beginning of an escalating political dispute bigger than the City Council’s decision a week earlier to cut health insurance benefits for employees and retirees.

65. Fire, Police Union Brass Say Lawsuit is Coming - Tuesday, June 24, 2014

The leaders of the Memphis police and fire unions say they will sue the city over changes in employee health insurance approved this month and are prepared to add pension changes to the litigation if the council approves those changes next month.

66. Battle Lines - Friday, June 20, 2014

The city’s operating and capital budgets are just about set for the new fiscal year next month. Hard decisions made about health insurance for city employees and retirees Tuesday, June 17, are unlikely to be revisited by the Memphis City Council.

67. Council Mulls Pension Liability Numbers - Thursday, May 8, 2014

The leaders of the city’s police and fire unions watched closely Tuesday, May 7, at City Hall as new numbers on the city’s pension liability from a new group of actuaries appeared to reset the ongoing discussion about city finances.

68. Malone to Challenge Luttrell In August Mayoral Showdown - Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Former Shelby County Commissioner Deidre Malone will challenge incumbent Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell in the August county general election after winning the Tuesday, May 6, Democratic mayoral primary.

69. Malone Takes Early Vote In Mayoral Primary - Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Former Shelby County Commissioner Deidre Malone took the early vote in the three-way Democratic primary for Shelby County Mayor.

The first results of the Tuesday, May 6, election night showed Malone leading rivals county commissioner Steve Mulroy and former Shelby County Schools board member Kenneth Whalum Jr.

70. Primary Choices - Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Shelby County voters will begin the process Tuesday, May 6, of electing a majority of new members to a Shelby County Commission that will also change to a set of 13 single-member districts when the winners take office on Sept. 1.

71. Council Questions Five-Year Wharton Plan - Thursday, April 17, 2014

It’s usually a quick bottom line for any local government budget proposal – does it mean a property tax hike?

The $596 million operating budget submitted to the Memphis City Council Tuesday, April 15, by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. does not include a property tax hike.

72. Wharton Outlines $596 Million Budget Plan - Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. warned Tuesday, April 15, that “half measures” in converting city employees to a defined contributions benefits plan would not restore the city’s financial health and resolve an unfunded pension liability of hundreds of millions of dollars.

73. Commission Votes Down Family-Planning Rebid - Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Shelby County commissioners voted down a bid Monday, March 24, to rebid the county’s contract for federally funded family-planning services with Christ Community Health Services.

Some commissioners branded Commissioner Steve Mulroy’s effort to urge County Mayor Mark Luttrell’s administration to rebid the contract as a political effort. Mulroy is taking criticism from former Commissioner Deidre Malone in the three-way Democratic primary race for county mayor for his vote in favor of the contract in 2011.

74. Strickland: Shorten Pension Ramp-Up - Tuesday, February 25, 2014

The Memphis City Council chairman thinks the city shouldn’t take five or six years to ramp up to an annual pension fund contribution of $100 million but instead do it in two fiscal years.

“I think everyone is in uniform support of fully funding our annual contribution,” council chairman Jim Strickland said on the WKNO-TV program “Behind the Headlines.” “In fact, I don’t think we ought to take six years. I think we ought to take two years. Get it fully funded, whether its $60 million or $100 million.”

75. Roland ReElected At Filing Deadline, Two Countywide Races Set For August - Friday, February 21, 2014

One of the six Shelby County Commission incumbents seeking re-election this year was effectively elected to a new four-year term in a new district with the noon Thursday, Feb. 20, filing deadline for candidates in the May county primaries.

76. Whalum, Harvey Pull Petitions for Mayor’s Race - Saturday, January 25, 2014

Shelby County Commission Chairman James Harvey and former Shelby County Schools board member Kenneth Whalum Jr. have pulled qualifying petitions to run in the May Democratic primary for Shelby County Mayor.

77. Whalum, Harvey Pull Petitions for Mayor’s Race - Friday, January 24, 2014

Shelby County Commission Chairman James Harvey and former Shelby County Schools board member Kenneth Whalum Jr. have pulled qualifying petitions to run in the May Democratic primary for Shelby County Mayor.

78. Little Outlines Options for City’s Pension Liability - Thursday, January 9, 2014

Changing retirement and health care benefits for city of Memphis employees going forward is a given, said city Chief Administrative Officer George Little this week.

79. City Council Questions Pension Plan - Thursday, December 19, 2013

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. plans to ask the Memphis City Council sometime in February or March to close the city’s defined benefits pension plan to new hires and those city employees with less than 10 years of service.

80. City Leaders Outline Pension Crisis Talks - Tuesday, September 24, 2013

There still isn’t an agreement on the numbers. But the administration of Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. met late last week with leaders of the unions representing city employees about the conclusion in a consultant’s report that the city’s pension fund liability is unsustainable to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

81. Victory Packaging Relocates to Memphis - Friday, January 18, 2013

Victory Packaging soon will relocate its entire Southaven branch operation to the Southeast Memphis industrial submarket.

The Houston, Texas-based industrial packaging supplier and distributor inked 158,333 square feet in Shelby Air Park Building 1, 4500 Malone Road. The 475,000-square-foot building also houses Terminal Warehouse Inc.

82. Ciaramitaro Joins Grace-St. Luke’s as School Counselor - Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Licensed clinical social worker Courtney Ciaramitaro has joined Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal School as school counselor. She will work primarily with middle school students.

Hometown: Memphis

83. After 21 Rounds of Voting, Still no Commission Chair - Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Shelby County Commissioners put off electing a chairman for the next year’s term Monday, July 16, after 21 rounds of voting in which no one got seven votes.

The commission will try again at its July 30 meeting.

84. Brucker Joins McManus Reilly As Investment, Insurance Adviser - Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Edward Brucker III has joined McManus Reilly Financial Foresight as investment and insurance adviser.

Hometown: Tucson, Ariz.

Education: Master of business administration from University of Phoenix

85. Schools Q&A Points to New Merger Issues - Monday, September 12, 2011

With a schools consolidation planning commission and a new countywide school board set to convene next month, some of the very specific issues of the merger are creating their own political gravity.

86. County Commission to Select Leaders - Monday, July 11, 2011

Shelby County Commissioners settle the simmering political question of who will lead the 13-member body for another year at their Monday, July 11, meeting.

On Monday’s agenda is the election of a chairman and a chairman pro tempore for the year-long term that begins Sept. 1.

87. Thomas Seeks No. 2 County Commission Post - Friday, July 1, 2011

Shelby County Commissioner Chris Thomas is running for the No. 2 position on the commission, chairman pro tempore.

88. Nominees Selected for EDGE Board - Friday, April 15, 2011

Several nominees have emerged for Economic Development Growth Engine, the new economic development board created to guide the city and county’s efforts.

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell and Memphis Mayor AC Wharton Jr. will seek approval to appoint the following:

89. Burch Porter Attorneys Named in Best Lawyers - Friday, August 20, 2010

Seventeen attorneys from Burch, Porter & Johnson PLLC have been named to the 2011 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

90. Ford Wins Democratic Mayoral Primary - Wednesday, May 5, 2010
 

Interim County Mayor Joe Ford became the Democratic nominee for mayor in the August county general elections Tuesday night.

And the August sheriff’s race will be a contest between Democrat Randy Wade and Republican Randy Wade.

All three were among the winners in Tuesday’s low turnout county primaries.

Approximately ten percent of Shelby County’s nearly 600,000 voters cast ballots in early voting and election day polling.

Ford, who was appointed interim mayor in December, beat County Commissioner Deidre Malone and General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson in the Democratic primary. He will face Republican Mark Luttrell who had only token opposition in the Republican primary from perennial contender Ernie Lunati.

Luttrell has raised more money than all three of the Democratic primary contenders combined and began running television ads in the last week runup to election day.

The final unofficial totals in the Democratic mayoral primary are:

Ford 20,360 57%

Malone 12,916 37%

Jackson 2,168 6%

The pair of primaries for Sheriff featured eight candidates, seven of whom either currently work for the sheriff’s department or are past employees. Only Reginald French, in the Democratic primary was not a former or current department official.

Wade was the 2002 Democratic nominee, losing to Luttrell who is leaving as Sheriff after serving two terms. French was the Democratic nominee in the 2006 elections.

Oldham is Luttrell’s chief deputy, the number two position in the department. He is also a former director of the Memphis Police Department.

The final unofficials totals in the Republican primary are:

Bill Oldham 13,821 48%

Dale Lane 7,981 28%

Bobby Simmons 5,886 21%

James Coleman 943 3%

In the Democratic primary:

Randy Wade 22,643 67%

Reginald French 6,777 20%

Larry Hill 2,738 8%

Bennie Cobb 1,814 5%

Voters in the primary elections decided to return six Shelby County commissioners to new four year terms with Tuesday’s results. They also elected six new commissioners. The winner of the thirteenth commission seat will be decided on the August general election ballot in a contest between district 5 Democratic incumbent Steve Mulroy and Republican challenger Dr. Rolando Toyos. The winner of the match up will determine whether the commission remains majority Democrat or goes majority Republican.

Mulroy easily defeated Jennings Bernard in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

Republican incumbent Mike Ritz ran unopposed as did new Democratic commissioner Walter Bailey.

In the remaining ten contests, the primaries decided who gets the seats since no one ran in the opposing party’s primary.

The most hotly contested contest among the commission races was for District 4 Position 1. Outgoing Probate Court Clerk Chris Thomas beat John Pellicciotti, appointed to a commission seat last year but running for a different position in the same district. Jim Bomprezzi, the former mayor of Lakeland, was the third contender in the contest.

The final unofficial totals in the Republican primary:

Thomas 7,631 52%

Pellicciotti 4,871 33%

Bomprezzi 2,298 15%

In position 2 of the same district incumbent Republican Wyatt Bunker easily overcame two challengers with former Lakeland alderman John Wilkerson finishing second and Ron Fittes finishing third.

Millington businessman Terry Roland claimed the third position in the district that takes in all six of Shelby County’s suburban towns and cities.

Roland beat George Chism to take the seat Pellicciotti was appointed to but opted not to run for in deference to Roland.

Heidi Shafer, an aide to outgoing County Commissioner George Flinn, claimed Flinn’s District 1 Position 2 seat over Albert Maduska.in the GOP primary.

District 1 incumbent Republican Mike Carpenter easily beat businessman Joe Baier.

In the Democratic commission primaries, Melvin Burgess claimed Malone’s District 2 Position 3 seat in a field of six contenders. His closest contender was Reginald Milton. Burgess, a city school system audit manager, had run for the seat before. He brought in 54 percent of the vote.

The other hard fought Democratic commission primary saw Justin Ford, son of the interim mayor, claim his father’s District 3 Position 3 seat.

Ford beat Edith Moore, a retired IBM executive, whom the commission appointed to the seat after the elder Ford became mayor.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Ford 7,342 66%

Moore 3,822 34%

Democratic incumbent commissioners Henri Brooks, Sidney Chism and James Harvey were all re-elected over primary challengers.

The county-wide primaries for seven clerk’s positions saw the return of former Criminal Court Clerk Minerva Johnican 16 years after Republican challenger Bill Key took her job. Johnican decisively beat Ralph White and Vernon Johnson in her first bid for office since the 1994 defeat. She will face Republican Kevin Key, the son of Bill Key in the August general election.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Johnican 16,381 51%

White 10,170 31%

Johnson 5,954 18%

Former Juvenile Court Clerk Shep Wilbun easily won the Democratic primary with 76 percent of the vote to face Republican Joy Touliatos in August for the office being vacated by Republican Steve Stamson. Touliatos was unopposed in the primary.

Democrat Coleman Thompson is back for another go at incumbent Republican Register Tom Leatherwood.

Aside from Leatherwood, Jimmy Moore is the only other of the seven clerks seeking re-election. Moore ran unopposed in the GOP primary. He will face Democrat Ricky Dixon in August.

Trustee Regina Newman was appointed to her office following the death last year of Paul Mattila. Newman easily overcame M LaTroy Williams in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. She will face David Lenoir, who beat former Shelby County Commissioner John Willingham in the Republican contest.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Lenoir 15,922 58%

Willingham 11,569 42%

The other six candidate field on the ballot was in the Democratic primary for Probate Court Clerk. Sondra Becton posted impressive vote totals over her rivals, bringing in 35 percent of the vote with Peggy Dobbins her closest rival. Becton, who is making her fourth bid for the office, will face Republican Paul Boyd, who ran unopposed in his primary.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Becton 10,929 36%

Dobbins 5,366 18%

Annita Hamilton 4,848 16%

Clay Perry 3,549 12%

Danny Kail 3,120 11%

Karen Tyler 2,782 9%

The closest contest of the evening was in the Democratic primary for County Clerk. Wrestling promoter and television personality Corey Maclin won his political debut by less than 1,400 votes over Charlotte Draper and LaKeith Miller. He will face Republican Wayne Mashburn who beat Steve Moore in the companion primary.

Early voting in advance of the Aug. 5 election day begins July 16. The August ballot will also feature state and federal primary elections including the statewide primaries for governor and the primaries for all nine of the state’s Congressional districts.

91. Commission Races Hinge on Public Issues - Monday, April 19, 2010

Two issues figure in to the 11 competitive races for the Shelby County Commission – the future of the Regional Medical Center and local government consolidation.

Any push card for a credible candidate includes either something about how to save The MED or the candidate’s opposition to consolidation – or both.

92. County Primary Fields Clear Up - Monday, February 22, 2010

The newest candidate for Shelby County mayor is scheduled to talk about his decision later today.

General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson was a last-minute filer in the Democratic primary for mayor at noon Thursday. Jackson’s decision was the biggest surprise at the deadline.

93. Candidate Filing List -- The Final Version - Friday, February 19, 2010

Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell appeared on his way to the Republican nomination for Shelby County mayor at Thursday’s noon filing deadline for candidates on the May 4 primary ballot.

94. UPDATE: Mayor's Race Grows At Filing Deadline - Thursday, February 18, 2010

Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell appeared on his way to the Republican nomination for Shelby County mayor at Thursday’s noon filing deadline for candidates on the May 4 primary ballot.

Luttrell faces only token opposition from perennial candidate Ernie Lunati.

Meanwhile, the Democratic primary for mayor grew to three contenders as General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson filed his qualifying petition just before the deadline. He joins interim County Mayor Joe Ford and Shelby County Commissioner Deidre Malone.

Luttrell ruled out a bid for Shelby County mayor last year (2009). But when Harold Byrd decided not to run in the Democratic primary, some local GOP leaders asked Luttrell to reconsider.

The result touched off a scramble of candidates from both parties for the open sheriff’s office. But before the noon deadline, the initial field of over a dozen possible contenders was narrowed to ten – six Democrats and four Republicans.

The other surprise at the filing deadline was the return of attorney Walter Bailey to the District 2 Position 1 seat he gave up in the 2006 elections. Bailey sought re-election then to another term despite a two term limit on commissioners. Bailey lost to J.W. Gibson who decided not to seek re-election. He also lost a court fight to overturn the term limits.

Bailey was the only candidate who had filed for the seat at the Thursday deadline.

Only one incumbent county commissioner – Republican Mike Ritz -- was effectively re-elected at the deadline because he had no opposition.

All but one of the eleven contested County Commission races will be decided with the May 4 primaries. The only general election battle for the August ballot is the district 5 contest between GOP challenger Dr. Rolando Toyos and whoever wins the May Democratic primary between incumbent Steve Mulroy and Jennings Bernard.

Former County Commissioner John Willingham also returned to the ballot among a field of Republican contenders in the primary for Shelby County Trustee.

And former Criminal Court Clerk Minerva Johnican joined the Democratic primary field for her old job. Incumbent Republican Bill Key pulled petition to seek re-election but did not file at the deadline.

Here is the list of races and contenders from The Shelby County Election Commission. All candidate have until noon Feb. 25 to withdraw from the ballot if they wish.

D-Democrat

R- Republican

I- Independent

Shelby County Mayor:

Deidre Malone (D)

Joe Ford (D)

Otis Jackson (D)

Mark Luttrell (R)

Ernest Lunati (R)

Leo Awgowhat (I)

Shelby County Sheriff:

James Coleman (R)

Bobby Simmons (R)

Bill Oldham (R)

Dale Lane (R)

Larry Hill (D)

Bennie Cobb (D)

Randy Wade (D)

James Bolden (D)

Elton Hymon (D)

Reginald French (D)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 1

Mike Ritz (R) (incumbent)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 2

Albert Maduska (R)

Heidi Shafer (R)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 3

Mike Carpenter (R) (incumbent)

Joe Baire (R)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 1

Walter Bailey (D)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 2

Henri Brooks (D) (incumbent)

David Vinciarelli (D)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 3

Eric Dunn (D)

Norma Lester (D)

Tina Dickerson (D)

Melvin Burgess (D)

Reginald Milton (D)

Freddie Thomas (D)

County Commission Dist 3 Pos 1

James Harvey (D) (incumbent)

James Catchings (D)

County Commission Dist. 3 Pos 2

Sidney Chism (D) (incumbent)

Andrew "Rome" Withers (D)

County Commission Dist. 3 Pos 3

Edith Moore  (D) (incumbent)

Justin Ford (D)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 1

Chris Thomas (R)

John Pellicciotti (R)

Jim Bomprezzi (R)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 2

Wyatt Bunker (R) (incumbent)

John Wilkerson (R)

Ron Fittes (R)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 3

Terry Roland (R)

George Chism (R)

Edgar Babian (R)

County Commission Dist 5

Steve Mulroy (D) (incumbent)

Jennings Bernard (D)

Rolando Toyos (R)

Shelby County Clerk

Charlotte Draper (D)

Corey Maclin (D)

LaKeith Miller (D)

Wayne Mashburn (R)

Steve Moore (R)

Criminal Court Clerk

Vernon Johnson (D)

Minerva Johnican (D)

Ralph White (D)

Michael Porter (R)

Kevin Key (R)

Jerry Stamson (I)

Circuit Court Clerk

Jimmy Moore (R) (incumbent)

Steven Webster (D)

Carmichael Johnson (D)

Ricky W. Dixon (D)

Juvenile Court Clerk

Joy Touliatos (R)

Charles Marshall (D)

Sylvester Bradley (D)

Shep Wilbun (D)

Julia Roberson Wiseman (I)

Probate Court Clerk

Paul Boyd (R)

Sondra Becton (D)

Danny Kail (D)

Annita Sawyer Hamilton (D)

Peggy Dobbins (D)

Clay Perry (D)

Karen Tyler (D)

Shelby County Register

Tom Leatherwood (R) (incumbent)

Coleman Thompson (D)

Lady J. Swift (D)

Carlton Orange (D)

Shelby County Trustee

Regina Newman (D) (incumbent)

M. LaTroy Williams (D)

John Willingham (R)

Jeff Jacobs (R)

David Lenoir (R)

95. Surprises Possible as Primary Filing Deadline Nears - Thursday, February 18, 2010

Although today marks the filing deadline for the May 4 Shelby County primaries and independent candidates on the Aug. 5 county general election ballot, plenty of political drama remains.

In fact, the filing deadline is often just as important – and surprising – as election day.

96. Once-Embattled Wilbun to Run for Juvenile Court Clerk - Thursday, December 17, 2009

The invitations urged political supporters to “Return Shep Wilbun” to the Memphis-Shelby County Juvenile Court Clerk’s office.

At a club on South Main Street this month as FedExForum began to fill up a few blocks away, Wilbun hosted an evening fundraiser at $100 a head. It drew State Reps. Ulysses Jones, Larry Miller and Joe Towns as well as Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy.

97. Out of Bounds - Monday, November 16, 2009

The August report from the NCAA calls him “student-athlete 1.” Everyone but the NCAA and the University of Memphis calls him Derrick Rose.

98. U of M Names Murrell Assistant Dean of Distance Education - Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Dr. Vicki Murrell has been named assistant dean of distance education for the University of Memphis.

99. Chairmanship Battle a Preview Of Coming Political Landscape - Friday, July 17, 2009

The political fortunes of the Shelby County Democratic Party haven’t been this high in awhile.

Democrats have high hopes for the 2010 county elections. In the 2006 elections, four Democratic challengers of Republican incumbents in countywide offices came within 1,000 votes of wins. Democrats picked up a countywide office in the 2008 elections when Otis Jackson, one of the four Democrats who got close but not close enough two years earlier, upset Republican incumbent Chris Turner in the General Sessions Court clerk’s race.

100. Renasant Names Wiegert VP, Mortgage Production Manager - Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Michael Wiegert has been named vice president and mortgage production manager for Renasant Bank in Memphis.