Edmund Ford Jr. is pushing for a dedicated revenue stream for the Memphis Area Transit Authority and road projects while holding seats on the Memphis City Council and the Shelby County Commission.

And it could take him through the 90 days he has before he must give up the council seat, Ford said this week.

2. City Balks at Forrest Descendants’ Proposed $30M Settlement - Wednesday, September 12, 2018

The city of Memphis is balking at a $30 million settlement demand by descendants of Nathan Bedford Forrest and Sons of Confederate Veterans in connection with the removal of the Confederate general’s statue from Health Sciences Park.

3. Last Word: Gun Group Endorsements, Kirby Complexities and Purple Haze Closes - Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Two races on the Nov. 6 ballot within the Shelby County legislative delegation to Nashville getting some attention as our Nashville correspondent Sam Stockard takes a look at “gun sense” ratings from the group Moms Demand Action, which has called for stricter gun laws.

4. Van Turner to Lead Shelby County Commission in First Year of New Term - Tuesday, September 11, 2018

The Shelby County Commission on Monday elected commissioner Van Turner as chairman and commissioner Mark Billingsley as vice-chairman for the 2018-19 year in its first meeting of their four-year terms in office.

5. Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, New County Commissioners Sworn In - Friday, August 31, 2018

New Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and the 13 members of the Shelby County Commission were sworn in together – to show unity between the two bodies of government – Thursday afternoon at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts.

6. Building on Momentum - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Though I did not move to Memphis from New Orleans until 2005, I consider myself a proud Memphian.

The momentum that Memphis is feeling and fighting for cannot be matched. I witnessed its energy upon my arrival, and upon becoming engaged with New Memphis’ Fellows program. I realized my potential to harness and contribute my personal and professional experiences to my new hometown of Memphis. I am honored to continue adding to this energy through my role on Memphis Greenspace’s Board of Directors.

7. Bluff Park - Friday, August 3, 2018

Four replicas of Civil War-era cannons placed in then-Confederate Park six years ago were removed from the riverfront site this week, part of the revamping of the property by Memphis Greenspace.

The removal on Wednesday, Aug. 1, by private work crews for the nonprofit owners of the park, symbolizes the ongoing changes to the property, including renaming the parcel Memphis Park. Memphis Greenspace bought the park as well as Health Sciences Park last December – a major step in eliminating Confederate markers from the two parcels.

8. Last Word: Election Day, Inland Bails Early and Cannons Out - Thursday, August 2, 2018

The TV breaks are wall to wall with political ads. The campaign robo-calls have crowded out the hang-up clone calls to your landline phone. Your mailbox has no fewer than three mailers a day. And all of the parties set for Thursday night are “victory” parties at least until the polls close. Here comes election day.

9. Civil War Replica Cannons Returned To Sons of Confederate Veterans - Thursday, August 2, 2018

Memphis Greenspace turned over four cannons from Memphis Park to Sons of Confederate Veterans Wednesday, Aug. 1, as the nonprofit continued the process of removing Confederate symbols and markers from the Downtown park.

10. Election Verdict - Thursday, August 2, 2018

A week into the early voting period, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen was quizzing Democratic nominee for Shelby County mayor Lee Harris about the path of Harris’ campaign to election day. The race between Harris and Republican nominee David Lenoir was already getting dicey, with Lenoir’s attacks on Harris continuing at their debates and moving into mailers, including a controversial mailer featuring a picture of Harris that was noticeably darker than Harris is in real life.

11. Shelby County Commission, Mayor Still Waging Legal Battle - Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Shelby County commissioners set the stage Monday, July 23, for a final showdown with Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell over who represents what part of county government in legal matters.

12. County Commission, Mayor To End Terms at Odds Over Legal Representation - Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Shelby County commissioners set the stage Monday, July 23, for a final showdown with Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell over who represents what part of county government in legal matters.

13. Early Opening - Friday, July 13, 2018

Early voting in advance of the Aug. 2 Election Day opens Friday, July 13, at five locations across Shelby County. On Tuesday, 22 additional sites will be open through July 28. Between the Shelby County Election Commission and Chancery Court there were three other sets of early-voting locations and hours in a three-week period before Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins signed off Tuesday afternoon on a fourth set.

14. Size of Memphis Police Force Study Weighs Numbers in Ranks and How to Use Them - Tuesday, July 3, 2018

The Memphis Police Department is zeroing in on an exact number of officers it should have with a “zero-based” study to be completed in the fall.

“There is pretty much a consensus that we need at least about 2,300 officers,” Bill Gibbons, president of the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, said on the WKNO-TV program “Behind The Headlines.”

15. Last Word: Early Voting Guess, V Live Memphis Closed and Grit and Grind Redux - Friday, June 29, 2018

The Shelby County Election Commission meets Friday afternoon to talk about early voting locations for the Aug. 2 ballot – the county general election and state and federal primary elections as well as a special Memphis City council race. And if I had to guess, I would say the odds are pretty good that the commission will vote to open all 26 early voting sites on July 13, the start of the 14-day early voting period. That would be a change from the original plan of having just the Agricenter location open for the first four days of the voting period.

16. Commission Approves Graceland Resolution in Forum Non-Compete Controversy - Tuesday, June 5, 2018

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.

17. Last Word: Kim Kardashian's Plea, The Duran Stay and Mid-Term Moves - Thursday, May 31, 2018

A drug case from Memphis federal court in the early 1990s was the reason Kim Kardashian West was at the White House Wednesday. Kardashian West is among those pushing for a presidential pardon for Alice Marie Johnson – serving a life sentence on a federal drug and money laundering conviction. Here is the Associated Press story.

18. Draft Prohibits Removed Confederate Monuments to be Relocated in Shelby County - Monday, May 28, 2018

The private nonprofit corporation that had Confederate monuments removed from two city parks last December wants to transfer the statues to a nonprofit that will relocate them somewhere outside Shelby County.

19. Draft Calls for Confederate Monuments' Relocation Outside Shelby County - Friday, May 25, 2018

The private nonprofit corporation that had Confederate monuments removed from two city parks last December wants to transfer the statues to a nonprofit that will relocate them somewhere outside Shelby County.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. 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.

27. Luttrell Vetoes One Resolution, Refuses to Sign Another - Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell has vetoed a resolution for attorney and former County Commissioner Julian Bolton to continue in his role as legislative policy adviser to the commission.

28. Luttrell Vetoes One Resolution, Refuses to Sign Another - Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell has vetoed a resolution for attorney and former county commissioner Julian Bolton to continue in his role as legislative policy advisor to the commission.

29. 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.

30. 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.

31. Luttrell Says He Might Veto Contract And Budget Amendment Moratorium - Thursday, April 5, 2018

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell says placing a moratorium on any contracts or budget amendments through the end of August is “counterproductive” and he is considering, among other reactions, a veto of the measure approved Monday, April 2, by the Shelby County Commission.

32. County Commission Approves Contract Moratorium - Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Shelby County commissioners approved a moratorium Monday, April 2, on all county contracts and budget amendments worth more than $50,000 through the end of August.

The 10-3 commission vote follows concerns some commissioners expressed last week in committee sessions about a multi-year contract worth $20 million for medical services to county corrections center inmates.

33. Memphis Greenspace Plans Spring Park Programming - Saturday, March 31, 2018

The nonprofit Memphis Greenspace has announced a first wave of activation in its current park portfolio of Memphis Park and Health Sciences Park.

In conjunction with the Downtown Memphis Commission and UrbanArt Commission, Memphis Park will host the Truth Booth – an interactive, transmedia global project featuring an inflatable, portable speech bubble recording booth – Tuesday, April 3, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

34. 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.

35. Memphis Greenspace Plans Spring Park Programming - Thursday, March 29, 2018

The nonprofit Memphis Greenspace has announced a first wave of activation in its current park portfolio of Memphis Park and Health Sciences Park.

In conjunction with the Downtown Memphis Commission and UrbanArt Commission, Memphis Park will host the Truth Booth – an interactive, transmedia global project featuring an inflatable, portable speech bubble recording booth – Tuesday, April 3, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

36. Plan to Expand Pre-K Would Leverage Private Funds - Friday, March 23, 2018

After voters defeated two ballot questions in two years for sales tax increases – city and county – to fund an expansion of prekindergarten classrooms primarily in Memphis, the effort is back with a momentum that seemed unlikely five years ago.

37. Strickland Unveils Pre-K Funding Plan Without Tax Hike or Referendum - Saturday, March 17, 2018

The city has a plan to provide $6 million of the $16 million needed to fully fund prekindergarten in Memphis for 8,500 children starting when a federal grant that currently funds 1,000 of the existing 7,000 seats runs out in 2019.

38. 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.

39. 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.

40. May Primaries Feature More Candidates, Women - Friday, March 2, 2018

The May 1 Shelby County primary ballot is set, with 33 Republicans and 50 Democrats seeking 23 county offices – specifically the right to advance as the nominees of their respective parties to the August county general election.

41. Last Word: Corker & Blackburn, More Frost and Dale Watson's Move to The Haven - Friday, February 23, 2018

It's possible around City Hall these days to get your RFQs mixed up with your RFPs. And there is a difference in requests for qualifications and requests for proposals. Usually RFQs come before RFPs – but there are exceptions – loopholes. The latest RFQ out of City Hall – album title or t-shirt slogan? – is for the adaptive reuse of the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.

42. County Primary Ballot Includes Partisan Match-Ups, Automatic Wins - Monday, February 19, 2018

Two Democratic county commissioners effectively won re-election to new terms of office at the Thursday, Feb. 15, filing deadline for candidates on the May 1 county primary ballot. And a third faces independent opposition in the August county general election.

43. Comptroller: City Obeyed Most Rules in Sale of Parks - Saturday, February 17, 2018

The state Comptroller’s Office has determined the city of Memphis’ Dec. 20, 2017, sale of Health Sciences Park and the easement to Memphis Park to Memphis Greenspace Inc. appropriately followed related laws with the exception of requiring Memphis Greenspace to submit an application so it could gauge the nonprofit’s financial stability.

44. Two County Commissioners Re-elected At May Ballot Filing Deadline - Friday, February 16, 2018

Two Democratic county commissioners effectively won re-election to new terms of office at the Thursday, Feb. 15, filing deadline for candidates on the May 1 county primary ballot. And a third faces independent opposition in the August county general election.

45. Comptroller: City Obeyed Most Rules in Sale of Parks - Thursday, February 15, 2018

The state Comptroller’s Office has determined the city of Memphis’ Dec. 20, 2017, sale of Health Sciences Park and the easement to Memphis Park to Memphis Greenspace Inc. appropriately followed related laws with the exception of requiring Memphis Greenspace to submit an application so it could gauge the nonprofit’s financial stability.

46. 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.

47. Comptroller: City of Memphis Followed Most Rules in Sale of Parks - Wednesday, February 14, 2018

The state Comptroller’s Office has determined the city of Memphis’ Dec. 20, 2017, sale of Health Sciences Park and the easement to Memphis Park to Memphis Greenspace Inc. appropriately followed related laws with the exception of requiring Memphis Greenspace to submit an application so it could gauge the nonprofit’s financial stability.

48. Nashville Court Orders Second Attempt at Mediation on Monuments - Wednesday, January 31, 2018

The Nashville chancellor who Monday ordered a hold on selling or transferring ownership of Confederate monuments removed from two Memphis parks followed up the next day with an order that all sides in the dispute enter mediation.

49. Court Holds Up Sale or Transfer Of Confederate Monuments - Tuesday, January 30, 2018

UPDATE: Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle issued a second court order Tuesday, Jan. 30, that orders all sides in the litigation to enter into mediation on possible new locations for the removed monuments.

50. Memphis Greenspace Plans Upgrades to City Parks - Saturday, January 27, 2018

Memphis Greenspace Inc. has announced a spring activation strategy for its current park portfolio of Memphis Park and Health Sciences Park.

51. Memphis Greenspace Announces Spring Activation of Parks - Thursday, January 25, 2018

Memphis Greenspace Inc. has plans for Health Sciences and Memphis Park with a “spring activation strategy” announced Thursday, Jan. 25, for the two parks that until last month included the city’s two most iconic Confederate monuments.

52. 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.

53. 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.

54. Some Express Interest in Monuments Removed From City Parks - Monday, January 22, 2018

The private nonprofit that had the city’s two most visible Confederate monuments removed from city parks in December says it has fielded numerous offers to take the statues of Nathan Bedford Forrest, Jefferson Davis and a bust of Confederate Capt. Harvey Mathes in Memphis Park where the Davis statue stood.

55. County Commission Moves Toward Minority Business Fixes, Landfill Moratorium - Monday, January 22, 2018

Shelby County commissioners vote Monday, Jan. 22, on a first step toward amending the minority and locally owned business program they approved more than a year ago with great fanfare.

The first step is hiring attorney Ricky E. Wilkins to review proposed fixes that are to follow. Wilkins would be paid up to $50,000 from the commission’s contingency fund.

56. 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.

57. Greenspace Nonprofit Details Offers For Confederate Monuments - Friday, January 19, 2018

The private nonprofit group that had the city’s two most visible Confederate monuments removed from city parks in December says it has had numerous offers to take the statues of Nathan Bedford Forrest and Jefferson Davis as well as a bust of Confederate Captain Harvey Mathes in the same park where the Davis statue stood.

58. County Commission Wants to Firm Up Minority Contract Rules - Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Shelby County commissioners approved a $1.6 million contract Monday, Jan. 8, for mobile data terminals, tablets and wireless routers for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

The contract with Tate Computer Systems Inc. is an entry into a system of body cameras for sheriff’s deputies. Capital funding for the hardware came from a line item for a delayed health clinic that will be built in the next fiscal year, according to county chief administrative officer Harvey Kennedy.

59. McMullen: Legislative Session Influenced Timing in Monuments Removal - Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Several nonprofits approached the city administration about buying Health Sciences and Memphis parks before the Memphis City Council approved the sale of each to Memphis Greenspace last month for $1,000 each. And some of them said no.

60. County Commission Moves Toward More Fixes in Minority Business Rules - Monday, January 8, 2018

Shelby County commissioners meet Monday, Jan. 8, for the first time in 2018 and have a fairly simple agenda along with some longer-range issues to discuss.

Among the more immediate items on Monday’s agenda is a $1.5 million contract for mobile data terminals, tablets and vehicle wireless routers that Tate Computer Systems Inc. of Memphis would provide to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

61. Weekend Monuments Protests, Response Suggest Shift - Monday, January 8, 2018

Memphis Branch NAACP president Deidre Malone may have had the most concise description of what has changed since the city’s two most visible Confederate monuments came down Dec. 20.

“What we want happened. The monuments are down,” Malone said Friday, Jan. 5, as the NAACP and other groups called on Memphians to ignore plans for protests in the city the next day by groups opposed to the removal of the monuments.

62. 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.

63. Mayor Says Memphis 'Will Be Prepared' for Statue Protests - Wednesday, January 3, 2018

If opponents of the removal of the city’s two most visible Civil War monuments follow through on plans for a Memphis protest Jan. 6, Mayor Jim Strickland said city government will be ready.

64. Strickland Touts 'Solidarity' Around Confederate Monuments Removal - Monday, January 1, 2018

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland marked the halfway point in his four-year term of office Monday, Jan. 1, by calling on citizens to make use of the “spirit of solidarity” shown in the removal of the city’s two most visible Civil War monuments just before Christmas.

65. Editorial: Though Statues are Down, Work is Just Beginning - Saturday, December 30, 2017

They may be the most famous pedestals in Memphis – the ones where the horseback image of Nathan Bedford Forrest stood for 113 years and the relatively slender pinnacle where Jefferson Davis stood for a mere 53 years.

66. Monuments Moment Spans Generational Lines - Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Van Turner Sr. celebrated his 73rd birthday Wednesday, Dec. 20, as his son, county commissioner Van Turner Jr., was somewhere near the epicenter of the most significant chapter of the city’s long-running controversy over Confederate monuments.

67. 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.

68. Forrest Down - Saturday, December 23, 2017

It’s hard to know where the equestrian statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest is when there aren’t lights on it.

That was the case Wednesday, Dec. 20, as the spotlights normally illuminating the likeness of the Confederate general, slave trader and Ku Klux Klan grand wizard were doused.

69. Nonprofit Leader: Removal of 2 Memphis Confederate Monuments 'Only the Beginning' - Thursday, December 21, 2017

The morning after the city’s two best-known Confederate memorials came down in a pair of city parks, the attorney and Shelby County commissioner who leads the private nonprofit to whom the city sold the parks said the organization has plans to “liberate” other parks.

70. Forrest and Davis Statues Removed As City Sells Parks - Thursday, December 21, 2017

With a quick vote without debate on a last-minute substitute ordinance, the Memphis City Council set in motion Wednesday, Dec. 20, the removal of Confederate monuments in two city parks.

And four hours later the equestrian statue of Confederate General, slave trader and Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard that has stood for more than 100 years was removed from its base by a crane and taken to an undisclosed location. An hour after that another crane moved into Memphis Park to remove the statue of Confederacy president Jefferson Davis.

71. Commission’s Last Meeting of 2018 Features Pay Raise for Sheriff - Monday, December 18, 2017

At the last Shelby County Commission meeting of 2017, commissioners have an agenda heavy with grants and a return to the issue of how much to pay the next sheriff.

The commission meets Monday, Sept. 18, at 3 p.m. at the Vasco Smith Administration Building, 160 N. Main. Follow the meeting @tdnpols, www.twitter.com/tdnpols, for live coverage.

72. 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.

73. Opioid Lawsuit Filed as County Dispute on Legal Action Goes to Court - Wednesday, November 15, 2017

UPDATE: Shelby County Chancellor Jim Kyle ruled Tuesday, Nov. 14, that the Shelby County Commission overstepped its role and powers within county government when the commission hired a law firm and had its own attorney file a lawsuit in Circuit Court against pharmaceutical companies over opioid abuse.

74. The Week Ahead: Nov. 13-19 - Monday, November 13, 2017

Good morning, Memphis. Just like the fall season, basketball is showing its full colors this week as the Grizzlies, Tigers and Hustle will all be playing home games. But there is plenty more to take in, including the culmination of Royal Studios’ 60-year celebration. Enjoy!

75. Commission Takes Final Votes on Pay Raises, Resolution Backing SCS - Monday, November 13, 2017

All 13 Shelby County commissioners are now defendants in a lawsuit filed late last week by Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell after the commission met in special session and voted to ratify a decision by chairwoman Heidi Shafer to hire counsel for possible litigation over the opioid epidemic.

76. 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.

77. 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.

78. County Commission OKs Emissions Fee Hike - Saturday, November 4, 2017

Shelby County commissioners advanced on the first of three readings Monday, Oct. 30, an ordinance that would increase the county’s air pollution emission fee and the major and minimum source permit fees for non-automobile emissions.

79. 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.

80. County Commission OKs Emissions Fee Hike - Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Shelby County commissioners advanced on the first of three readings Monday, Oct. 30, an ordinance that would increase the county’s air pollution emission fee and the major and minimum source permit fees for non-automobile emissions.

81. 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.

82. 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.

83. 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.

84. Last Word: Paying the Piper, Sewer Regrets and The New Incumbent's Strategy - Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Grizzlies over the Rockets 98-90 after being down 12 on the road in Houston. There is just something in the Memphis sports ethos that happens at halftime or between quarters. The Grizz are 3-0 in this young season. And for the second consecutive game some extracurricular action on the court. Mario Chalmers of the Grizz and James Harden of the Rockets scuffled after Chalmers got floored by Harden after Harden got swarmed by him and James Ennis. Harden got the foul and he and Chalmers each got a technical for what followed.

85. 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.

86. 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.

87. 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.

88. 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.

89. Last Word: Midtown Moves, A Spike in Chandler Numbers and Old School Expo - Wednesday, September 13, 2017

The Brooks looking for a place outside of Overton Park is a huge story that broke Tuesday evening. And it is one of those stories that has a lot of dominoes you might say. Our story looks at some earlier options the museum developed mid recession, which is what delayed fuller consideration of this whole question.

90. Monuments Controversy May Mean Long Haul of Lawsuits, Negotiations - Wednesday, September 13, 2017

When the Tennessee Historical Commission votes Oct. 13 on a waiver that would permit the city of Memphis to remove Confederate monuments from two city parks, it won’t be anywhere near the last word on the matter.

91. County Commission Joins City Call to Remove Confederate Monuments - Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners approved a resolution Monday, Sept. 11, backing the city’s efforts to remove Confederate monuments with a waiver from the Tennessee Historical Commission. The resolution by commissioner Walter Bailey also backs the Memphis City Council’s move to an ordinance that could take down the monuments after the Oct. 13 decision if the historical commission does not grant the waiver.

92. 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.

93. 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.

94. 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.

95. 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.

96. 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.

97. 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.

98. 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.

99. Sessions Gets More Opposition to Ending DOJ Memorandum - Thursday, June 29, 2017

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been getting a lot of mail from Memphis lately about Juvenile Court.

100. Last Word: A Second Juvenile Court Letter, Fred Smith's Tax Plan and Memphis Hops - Wednesday, June 28, 2017

A group of 19 organizations including the Memphis Branch NAACP and 28 citizens sent a letter Tuesday to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions urging him to keep in place Justice Department oversight of Juvenile Court. The 12-page letter is a point-by-point detailed response to the June 9 letter from County Mayor Mark Luttrell, Juvenile Court Judge Dan Michael and Sheriff Bill Oldham asking Sessions to end the memorandum of agreement between county government and the Justice Department.