For some candidates summer heat is a campaign tradition that they thrive on. Governor Ned McWherter was one of those candidates. But for most of those running for political office in an election year, it amps up the grueling pace immeasurably, especially the pace of a statewide campaign in a state whose northeastern most point is closer to Canada than it is to Memphis. That is the atmospheric setting for Friday’s first day of the early voting period. And a look at the past turnout for this election cycle shows the statewide primaries on the ballot will likely tell a good part of the story.

2. Russell Reappointed Chancery Court Clerk - Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Donna L. Russell has been reappointed clerk and master of Chancery Court by Shelby County’s three Chancellors, Walter L. Evans, Jim Kyle and JoeDae L. Jenkins.

3. Defining Transparency - Saturday, August 20, 2016

When Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland was finally ready to tell the public who he was appointing as Memphis’ next police director – the culmination of one of the most consequential decisions he’s faced so far during his more than seven months in office – the first word of that choice didn't come via a news outlet. Nor did the mayor call a press conference, at least not immediately.

4. City Appealing Court Order Requiring Vendor To Reveal All Candidates for Police Director - Tuesday, August 2, 2016

The city of Memphis is appealing a Chancery Court order issued Friday, July 29, requiring it or the International Association of Chiefs of Police to make public everyone who applied for the job of Memphis Police director.

5. Court Rules Police Director Applicants List Must Be Made Public - Saturday, July 30, 2016

The city of Memphis and the International Association of Chiefs of Police have been ordered to make public the names of everyone who applied this summer for the job of Memphis Police director.

Chancellor Walter Evans ruled Friday, July 29, in the lawsuit filed by The Commercial Appeal against the city of Memphis and the IACP. The IACP fielded the applications for the city and then sent a list of six finalists it recommended to Mayor Jim Strickland.

6. Police Director Lawsuit Moves to Discovery - Tuesday, July 12, 2016

A Chancery Court lawsuit seeking to make public the list of applicants for Memphis Police director is moving toward a July 20 hearing before Chancellor Walter Evans.

7. Mayor Strickland Defends Anonymity Of Memphis Police Director Applicants - Friday, July 1, 2016

Releasing the names of everyone who has applied for the job of Memphis Police Director would have “a chilling effect” on good candidates for the critical public safety post and “hurt public safety,” Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland says.

8. The Week Ahead: May 9-15 - Monday, May 9, 2016

Alright, Memphis, grab your calendars! Whether you want to book it over to the Ruby Bridges Reading Festival or just baste in the scent of barbecue, there’s plenty to do this week. Here’s our roundup...

9. Outbid on Your Dream House? Just Wait for Deal to Fall Through - Saturday, August 8, 2015

The real estate market remains frenzied with every passing week, with multiple-offer scenarios on numerous listings. As has been noted in this column, these spontaneous sales have often led to buyer’s remorse and, as a result, more terminated contracts than ever before.

10. Southwind Annexation Moves Past Two New Judges - Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Chancellor Oscar Carr has been on the bench in Chancery Court four months and he’s already had the kind of case his judicial colleagues warned him about at his formal swearing-in ceremony last week.

11. Council to Vote on New Pension Proposal - Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Memphis City Council members start all over Tuesday, Nov. 4, in their votes on pension reforms.

A pair of ordinances representing a revised pension proposal by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. are on Tuesday’s agenda for the first of three readings. They replace another set of ordinances that had been set for final votes at the last council meeting in October.

12. Evans Rules City Health Insurance Cuts Can Proceed - Friday, October 31, 2014

Chancellor Walter Evans has denied a move by city government retirees to stop the city from enacting changes to health insurance coverage effective Jan. 1.

13. Commission Chair Sued by Seven Members - Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Seven Shelby County Commissioners are suing commission chairman Justin Ford for stopping them from adding items to the body’s agenda.

14. Restoration of Midtown Landmark Days Away - Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Renovation of the historic Nineteenth Century Club building on Union Avenue in Midtown will begin in a matter of days, according to a local preservation group.

Crews from Archer Custom Builders will soon begin restoring the historic mansion to its previous glory, according to Memphis Heritage. LRK Inc. is the architect.

15. Council Wades Into Pension Reform - Tuesday, October 21, 2014

For the second time in three weeks, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. has made major changes to the overall plan to right the city’s financial condition by changing employee and retiree benefits.

Late Friday, Oct. 17, Wharton proposed a “hybrid” retirement plan for employees that would allow new hires and those with less than 10 years on the job to enroll in a two-part plan that includes a professionally managed market-based fund as well as a 401(k)-like plan.

16. Carr Appointed to Chancery Court Vacancy - Monday, October 20, 2014

Attorney Oscar C. Carr III is the newest Shelby County Chancery Court judge. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced Thursday, Oct. 16, his appointment of Carr to the vacancy on the court created when Chancellor Kenny Armstrong was appointed to the Tennessee Court of Appeals earlier this year.

17. 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.

18. Carr Appointed to Chancery Court Vacancy - Friday, October 17, 2014

Attorney Oscar C. Carr III is the newest Shelby County Chancery Court judge.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced Thursday, Oct. 16, his appointment of Carr to the vacancy on the court created when Chancellor Kenny Armstrong was appointed to the Tennessee Court of Appeals earlier this year.

19. Commission’s First Partisan Challenge Lingers - Monday, October 13, 2014

Shelby County Commissioners appeared last week to be on the way to putting behind them their first political controversy of their term of office.

Six of the seven Democratic commissioners along with Republican commissioner Steve Basar voted last month to delay the slate of committee assignments made by new chairman Justin Ford.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. Wellness Clinic Part of City’s Insurance Changes - Wednesday, October 1, 2014

A new “wellness clinic” for city of Memphis employees and retirees opens Wednesday, Oct. 1, in Midtown and takes its place in City Hall’s summer to fall political tempest over changes in health insurance coverage approved by the Memphis City Council in June.

23. Chancery Court Vacancy Down to 3 Finalists - Saturday, September 13, 2014

Three Memphis attorneys, including two who ran for other divisions of Shelby County Chancery Court in the August general elections, have been recommended for the Chancery Court judge vacancy.

Oscar Carr, Jim Newsom and Mike Richards are the finalists recommended Wednesday, Sept. 10, to Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam by the Governor’s Commission on Judicial Appointments. They were among the 15 attorneys who applied for the vacancy and were interviewed by the state commission.

24. Chancery Court Vacancy Down to 3 Finalists - Friday, September 12, 2014

Three Memphis attorneys, including two who ran for other divisions of Shelby County Chancery Court in the August general elections, have been recommended for the Chancery Court judge vacancy.

Oscar Carr, Jim Newsom and Mike Richards are the finalists recommended Wednesday, Sept. 10, to Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam by the Governor’s Commission on Judicial Appointments. They were among the 15 attorneys who applied for the vacancy and were interviewed by the state commission.

25. Carr, Newsom and Richards Finalists for Chancery Court Judge - Thursday, September 11, 2014

Three Memphis attorneys including two who ran for other divisions of Chancery Court on the August county general election ballot have been recommended for the Chancery Court Judge vacancy.

Oscar Carr, Jim Newsom and Mike Richards are the finalists recommended Wednesday, Sept. 10, to Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam by the Governor’s Commission on Judicial Appointments. There were among the 15 attorneys who applied for the vacancy and were interviewed by the state commission.

26. Memphian Walter Nominated to TVA Board - Saturday, September 6, 2014

The Tennessee Valley Authority board would include two Memphians with the appointment of Ron Walter to the board.

27. Nine Losing Candidates Challenge August Vote - Thursday, September 4, 2014

Nine losing candidates from the August elections are contesting the results in a Shelby County Chancery Court lawsuit.

The lawsuit was filed Sept. 2 by Democratic candidates Joe Brown, Henri Brooks and Wanda Halbert; judicial candidates Mozella Ross, Kim Sims, Kenya Brooks, J. Nathan Toney and Alicia Howard; and Doris Deberry-Bradshaw, who ran in a state House Democratic primary.

28. Walter Nominated to TVA Board - Monday, September 1, 2014

The Tennessee Valley Authority board would include two Memphians with the appointment of Ron Walter to the board.

29. Juvenile Court Judge Race Remains Hard-Fought - Tuesday, July 8, 2014

The candidates are counting down the days to the July 18 start of early voting in advance of the Aug. 7 election day.

With one more weekend of campaigning until early voting dictates a shift in tactics, the sizeable cast of the longest ballot of any Shelby County election cycle is searching at events for crowds comprised of mostly voters rather than other candidates and their campaign workers.

30. Southwind Annexation Ruling Hinges on Timing - Friday, July 4, 2014

The city of Memphis can collect property tax revenues from two parts of Southwind whose annexation was stopped in 2013 just days before the areas were to become part of the city.

That is the effect of a ruling Wednesday, July 2, from the Tennessee Appeals Court reversing the

31. State Appeals Court Greenlights Southwind Annexation - Thursday, July 3, 2014

The Tennessee Appeals Court ruled Wednesday, July 2, that the city of Memphis can move ahead with plans to annex Southwind because a recently enacted moratorium on annexation by the state legislature does not apply to the earlier annexation decision.

32. 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.

33. Brooks’ Residency Hearing Delayed in Chancery Court - Tuesday, July 1, 2014

A Shelby County Chancery Court hearing on the residency lawsuit filed by County Commissioner Henri Brooks against the commission was delayed Monday, June 30, before Chancellor Walter Evans.

34. Brooks' Residency Hearing Delayed in Chancery Court - Monday, June 30, 2014

A Shelby County Chancery Court hearing on the residency lawsuit filed by County Commissioner Henri Brooks against the commission was delayed Monday, June 30, before Chancellor Walter Evans.

35. Armstrong Appointed to Appeals Court - Saturday, June 21, 2014

Shelby County Chancellor Kenny Armstrong has been appointed to the Tennessee Court of Appeals by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.

36. Armstrong Appointed to Appeals Court - Friday, June 20, 2014

Shelby County Chancellor Kenny Armstrong has been appointed to the Tennessee Court of Appeals by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.

37. 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.

38. Wells Joins Evans Petree as Associate - Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Julie Wells has joined Evans Petree PC as an associate in the East Memphis office, focusing her practice in health care law and general business matters. She previously worked at Baptist Medical Group, where she played an integral role in physician practice acquisitions and contractual-related matters.

39. Fields Begin to Gel for May and August Ballots - Friday, February 7, 2014

With two weeks to the filing deadline for candidates in the May Shelby County primary elections and two months to the deadline for those in the August state and federal primaries and county nonpartisan elections, the fields have solidified enough that some political players are weighing their prospects for a late entry before the filing deadlines.

40. Dueling Election Databases Make Tracking Difficult - Monday, January 13, 2014

If ever the political axiom of needing a scorecard to keep up with the players applied to an election cycle, it would be the set of three elections in 2014 across Shelby County.

The middle election of the three – the August ballot of county general elections and state and federal primary elections – is expected to be one of the longest in the county’s political history, if not the longest.

41. Nineteenth Century Club Bond Posted - Monday, November 4, 2013

Plaintiffs seeking to stop planned demolition of the Union Avenue mansion once home to the Nineteenth Century Club haven’t cinched a deal with the property’s new owner, but they have closed on a court appeal that could take years to play out.

42. Nineteenth Century Club Case Bond Posted - Friday, November 1, 2013

Plaintiffs in the Chancery Court Case seeking to stop planned demolition of the Union Avenue mansion that had been home to the Nineteenth Century Club posted an additional $50,000 bond Thursday, Oct. 31, as they appeal a Chancery Court decision.

43. Nineteenth Century Club Case Bond Posted - Friday, November 1, 2013

Plaintiffs in the Chancery Court Case seeking to stop planned demolition of the Union Avenue mansion that had been home to the Nineteenth Century Club posted an additional $50,000 bond Thursday, Oct. 31, as they appeal a Chancery Court decision permitting the demolition of the mansion to make way for a retail shopping center.

44. Nineteenth Century Club Case Bond Posted - Friday, November 1, 2013

Plaintiffs in the Chancery Court Case seeking to stop planned demolition of the Union Avenue mansion that had been home to the Nineteenth Century Club posted an additional $50,000 bond Thursday, Oct. 31, as they appeal a Chancery Court decision permitting the demolition of the mansion to make way for a retail shopping center.

45. Nineteenth Century Club Case Bond Posted - Friday, November 1, 2013

Plaintiffs in the Chancery Court Case seeking to stop planned demolition of the Union Avenue mansion that had been home to the Nineteenth Century Club posted an additional $50,000 bond Thursday, Oct. 31, as they appeal a Chancery Court decision permitting the demolition of the mansion to make way for a retail shopping center.

46. Nineteenth Century Club Case Shifts to Fundraising - Friday, October 18, 2013

Opponents of the still-pending demolition of the Midtown mansion known as the Nineteenth Century Club are in the fundraising mode.

They have until Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. to raise $50,000, the additional court bond Shelby County Chancellor Walter Evans ordered Wednesday, Oct. 16, to stay demolition as his September ruling that demolition can proceed is appealed.

47. Another Deadline Issued in Nineteenth Century Club Case - Thursday, October 17, 2013

The court case over the future of the Midtown mansion known as the Nineteenth Century Club has been issued another deadline.

The plaintiffs in the Chancery Court case, which is now on appeal, have until Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. to raise an additional $50,000 in a court bond if they hope to stay demolition pending appeal.

48. Nineteenth Century Club Remains in Limbo - Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The deal to prevent the demolition of the Nineteenth Century Club building in Midtown is still tentative. But it has more time from Chancellor Walter Evans for the prospective new owners to put up $40,000 in earnest money.

49. Nineteenth Century Club Demolition Appealed - Saturday, September 28, 2013

The planned demolition of the Nineteenth Century Club building on Union Avenue has been halted by an appeal of a Chancery Court decision upholding the sale of the historic property.

Preservationists and former club members filed an appeal Friday, Sept. 20, challenging Chancellor Walter Evans’ ruling to uphold the sale of the property.

50. Nineteenth Century Club Demolition Appealed - Tuesday, September 24, 2013

The planned demolition of the Nineteenth Century Club building on Union Avenue has been halted by an appeal of a Chancery Court decision upholding the sale of the historic property.

Preservationists and former club members filed an appeal Friday, Sept. 20, challenging Chancellor Walter Evans’ ruling to uphold the sale of the property. While Evans upheld the sale, he left in place until Sept. 20 a temporary injunction that prevented demolition of the building and froze the cash involved in the sale in order to give plaintiffs in the civil case time to appeal.

51. Nineteenth Century Club Prepares to Fade Away - Wednesday, September 11, 2013

No matter what happens to the old mansion that has been home to the Nineteenth Century Club for most of the 20th century and all 13 years of the 21st century, the club itself is about to go out of existence.

52. Evans Upholds Nineteenth Century Club Sale, Demolition - Friday, September 6, 2013

Chancellor Walter Evans upheld the sale of the Nineteenth Century Club building on Union Avenue by the club to a private company and denied a request to permanently stop any demolition of the historic building.

53. Court Case Shows Time’s Effect on Nineteenth Century Club - Monday, September 2, 2013

There was a time when the outgoing president of the Nineteenth Century Club got a silver tea service at the end of her tenure.

That time lasted into the mid-1990s, when the custom became too expensive for a philanthropic organization whose membership had dwindled.

54. Nineteenth Century Club Hearing Continues - Thursday, August 29, 2013

Testimony continued for a third day Wednesday, Aug. 28, in the Shelby County Chancery Court hearing on the sale of the Nineteenth Century Club building.

At issue in the case before Chancellor Walter Evans is whether the sale to Union Group LLC was valid. Plaintiffs, some of whom are members of the nonprofit organization, are contesting it.

55. Attorney General Reopens Nineteenth Century Club Review - Friday, August 9, 2013

The state attorney general has reopened a review of the sale of the Nineteenth Century Club property on Union Avenue just as efforts by current and former club members to challenge the sale face a critical Monday fundraising deadline.

56. Memphis Demolition Moratorium Delayed - Thursday, August 8, 2013

A plan by some on the Memphis City Council to declare a four-month moratorium on all demolitions of Memphis properties on the National Register of Historic Places was put off this week after questions about the legality of the moratorium.

57. Judge Stops Nineteenth Century Club Work - Friday, August 2, 2013

A Shelby County Chancery Court Judge has issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the owners of the historic Nineteenth Century Club building on Union Avenue from doing any work on the property for 10 days.

58. Troubled Beale Nightspot Changes Hands - Tuesday, April 9, 2013

It’s been almost four months since Club Crave, the Beale Street nightspot with a history of violence under several names, was closed as a public nuisance under state law.

As the legal question of whether the building at 380 Beale St. is off limits for any future nightclub leases works its way through Shelby County General Sessions Environmental Court, the ownership of the club has changed in the last four months.

59. Jackson’s Suspension, Lawsuit Point Out State Law Paradox - Monday, August 8, 2011

After he was indicted last month by the Shelby County grand jury on four counts of official misconduct, General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson said voters put him in office and only they could take him out of office.

60. Jackson Sues Judges Over Suspension - Friday, August 5, 2011

General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson is suing the General Sessions Court Judges who suspended him from office earlier this week.

61. Court Limits Banks’ Immunity - Thursday, August 4, 2011

A recent ruling from the Tennessee Court of Appeals has limited the immunity banks in the state once had when it comes to liability for withdrawals of money under powers of attorney.

The July 26 ruling comes in the Memphis case of the estate of Robert Stokes West, which sued Regions Bank in 2008 over the issue.

62. Malco Loses Franchise Tax Court Battle - Monday, May 2, 2011

Malco Theaters Inc. lost an important court battle over state franchise taxes last week at the state appeals court level.

63. Cooper Files Lawsuit Related to Cordova Restaurant - Thursday, March 10, 2011

The strip club owner who opened – then abruptly closed – a restaurant in Cordova, which he’s insisted he’s not turning into a strip club, has filed a lawsuit related to his application for a compensated dance permit for the business.

64. Cooper Files Lawsuit Related to Cordova Restaurant - Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The strip club owner who opened – then abruptly closed – a restaurant in Cordova, which he’s insisted he’s not turning into a strip club, has filed a lawsuit related to his application for a compensated dance permit for the business.

65. IBERIABANK Files $2.5 Million Permit - Tuesday, February 22, 2011

4894 Poplar Ave.
Memphis, TN 38117
Permit Amount: $2.5 million

Project Cost: Applied January 2011
Completion: Fall 2011
Owner: IBERIABANK
Tenant: IBERIABANK
Contractor: Webb Building Corp.
Architect: Chrestia Staub Pierce Inc.

66. CVS/Pharmacy Buys Former Union Ave. United Methodist Land - Monday, February 21, 2011

CVS 4992 TN LLC, an affiliate of Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS/pharmacy drug store chain, has officially bought Union Avenue United Methodist Church property at 2117 Union Ave., at the southwest corner of Union Avenue and South Cooper Street. CVS paid $2.3 million to St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, formerly known as Union Avenue United Methodist Church Inc.

67. School Election to be Held in 45 to 60 Days - Friday, January 14, 2011

The lawsuit is over and the election is on in the fast-moving, ever-changing schools standoff.

A day after a citizens group filed suit seeking a court order to put the Memphis City Schools (MCS) system charter surrender on the ballot, all sides in the lawsuit agreed there would be a referendum election sometime in March.

68. March Charter Surrender Referendum Agreement Made - Thursday, January 13, 2011

There will be a citywide referendum on a Memphis City Schools system charter surrender sometime no later than March 14 under terms of a consent order entered Thursday morning in Shelby County Chancery Court.

69. Evans Denies CVS, Church Injunction - Friday, December 17, 2010

Chancellor Walter Evans denied a motion Thursday that would have stopped work on Union Avenue United Methodist Church as the site of a new CVS drug store.

70. Evans Denies CVS, Church Injunction - Thursday, December 16, 2010

Chancellor Walter Evans denied a motion Thursday that would have stopped work on Union Avenue United Methodist Church as the site of a new CVS drug store.

71. Higgins Takes Long Road to the Bench - Monday, September 27, 2010

Gina Higgins thought 2006 was the year she would run for judge in the once-every-eight-year races known by politicians as the “big ballot.”

72. Challengers Move Closer to Election Hearing - Friday, September 17, 2010

All sides in the legal dispute over the Aug. 5 election results will meet with Chancellor Arnold Goldin Friday to begin wading through a series of motions and ultimately a hearing on the dispute.

Ten candidates who lost in the Aug. 5 county general elections filed two lawsuits – one before the election results were certified and the other after they were certified. Both are before Goldin and are likely to be combined, a decision that is up to Goldin.

73. Election Challenge Lawsuits Back In Court Friday - Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Both sides in the two lawsuits over the Aug. 5 election results are due in Chancery Court Friday for a scheduling conference.

Both cases have been assigned to Chancellor Arnold Goldin after Chancellors Walter Evans and Kenny Armstrong recused themselves.

74. Losing Candidates File Suit Over Election Results - Thursday, August 26, 2010

Before the polls closed Aug. 5, a clearly dismayed Shelby County Election Commission chairman Bill Giannini talked about the inevitability of some aspect of holding an election going wrong.

75. Election Results Saga Not Over Yet - Monday, August 23, 2010

The Aug. 5 election results are certified. But the events of the coming week will determine whether that’s the final word on who won and who lost.

With the results approved by the Shelby County Election Commission, the local Democratic Party and several Democratic candidates who lost must decide if they want to go back to Chancery Court. They have five days to make a decision to file.

76. Memphians Share Legal Expertise with Thai Delegation - Thursday, August 19, 2010

Chancellor Arnold Goldin began a talk last week to a group in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald with a joke.

77. Candidates Wait on Certified Results Before Legal Challenge - Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Before there can be a challenge of the Aug. 5 election results, there has to be a set of certified election results.

That’s the bottom line of a possible legal challenge of the recent county general election results that materialized this week.

78. West Memphis Mojo Rises - Monday, May 24, 2010

On the night of the worst civic tragedy in West Memphis’ history, blues stood up and did its thing.

The “Blues Trail to Chicago” concert was briefly canceled before officials decided to go with the show in honor of the two second-generation law enforcement officers who were shot and killed earlier Thursday.

79. Matthews Sues After Radio Ouster - Thursday, May 6, 2010

Thaddeus Matthews’ departure Friday as host of a 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. talk show at KWAM-AM 990 came with something frequently associated with the hot-button radio personality: fireworks.

The host of “Express Yourself” has filed a $500,000 lawsuit in Shelby County Chancery Court alleging KWAM president and general manager George Bryant breached Matthews’ contract with the station when he gave Matthews the boot.

80. City Gives Second Thought to Lee Settlement - Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Shortly before Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton retired in July, the city paid more than $426,000 to settle a lawsuit with the former head of the city-owned utility company.

But the city now wants to recover some or all of the money awarded to Joseph Lee, the former president and CEO of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division.

81. One Week Later: Historic Mayoral Era Turns to New Beginnings - Friday, August 7, 2009

Just more than a week ago, Methodist minister Frank McRae opened a gathering at City Hall that was Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton’s farewell.

McRae talked about what he termed the “passing parade of politicians.”

82. City Attorney Standoff Changes Little With Court Ruling - Thursday, August 6, 2009

Chancellor Walter Evans has ruled Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery did nothing wrong in his move to fire City Attorney Elbert Jefferson.

But at the end of a hearing that took up most of Wednesday afternoon, Evans also ruled that Lowery needs a majority vote from the City Council to replace Jefferson with former U.S. Attorney Veronica Coleman-Davis in the city post.

83. UPDATE: Evans Rules Lowery Needs Majority Council Vote To Oust Jefferson - Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Chancellor Walter Evans has ruled Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery did nothing wrong in his move to fire City Attorney Elbert Jefferson.

But at the end of a hearing that took up most of Wednesday afternoon, Evans also ruled that Lowery needs a majority vote from the City Council to replace Jefferson with former U.S. Attorney Veronica Coleman-Davis in the city post.

84. City Attorney Dispute Moves Into Chancery Court Today - Wednesday, August 5, 2009

A turbulent turn of office at City Hall moves into a courtroom two blocks away this afternoon.

Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery delayed a City Council vote Tuesday on Veronica Coleman Davis as his nominee to be city attorney.

85. UPDATE: Council Vote On City Attorney Delayed - Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery today delayed a City Council vote on Veronica Coleman Davis as his nominee to be city attorney.

Lowery told council members he wanted the delay to let a Chancery Court hearing tomorrow resolve any legal issues.

86. New Mayor Lowery Braces for First Council Battle - Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Memphis Mayor Pro Tempore Myron Lowery goes to the City Council today with a new nominee for city attorney, former U.S. Attorney Veronica Coleman Davis, and lots of questions from some of his former council colleagues about his dismissal Friday of the old city attorney.

87. UPDATE: Lowery Appoints Coleman-Davis Deputy City Attorney - Monday, August 3, 2009
 

Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery has appointed his choice to be city attorney to be deputy city attorney until the City Council can act on her nomination.

The naming of Veronica Coleman-Davis to the number two spot is the latest twist in a controvery that began minutes after Lowery took the oath of office Friday and fired City Attorney Elbert Jefferson.

Jefferson then filed suit in Chancery Court against Lowery contesting Lowery's decision to fire him. Chancellor Walter Evans issued a preliminary injunction preventing Jefferson's dismissal at least until a hearing before Evans Wednesday afternoon.

On the Drake & Zeke Show on radio station 98.1 The Max, Lowery said until the council acts, Coleman-Davis, a former U.S. Attorney, will be deputy director. Her appointment to that position is immediate and does not require council approval.

Meanwhile, Jefferson's attorney, Ricky E. Wilkins, told The Daily News her confirmation Tuesday as City Attorney would have to come after a council vote to back Jefferson's firing.

"We will ask the court to continue to keep that injunction in place throughout the tenure of Myron Lowery as mayor pro tempore," Wilkins said. "If Myron is able to get the necessary votes to terminate Mr. Jefferson and to get the votes to replace him with a substitute city attorney ... then that's what the process calls for and I think Mr. Jefferson understands that. But Myron Lowery cannot ignore and violate the city charter to satisfy his own political means."

Jefferson was at City Hall over the weekend, escorted by City Council attorney Allan Wade, according to Lowery.

After taking the oath of office Friday afternoon from U.S. District Court Judge Hardy Mays, Lowery told reporters he had offered Jefferson a severance and a chance to resign the appointed post. Jefferson refused which apparently surprised Lowery since Jefferson had tendered his resignation to outgoing Mayor Willie Herenton earlier in the month and Herenton refused to accept it.

Lowery met with Jefferson in a City Hall stairwell after the swearing in ceremony. Lowery emerged without Jefferson and told reporters he had fired the attorney. Several sources said later that Jefferson was escorted from the building and his parking pass and other identification taken as he was walked to his car and out of City Hall.

Wilkins termed the forcible exit a "low blow" and a "fairly drastic action."

“The legal department has almost been a black hole for dollars,” Lowery said Friday, minutes after the stairwell meeting. “I think that we spend too much money on attorney fees. I think that our city attorney has allowed this to happen without adequate controls on this. And I’m looking for stronger controls in the city attorney’s office.”

“If the mayor pro tempore doesn’t have the power, who does?” Lowery said. “Of course I do.”

Power play

In addition to Coleman-Davis, Lowery will also take the nomination of former council member Jack Sammons as his Chief Administrative Officer to the council Tuesday.

Herenton CAO Keith McGee had retired effective July 4. But when Herenton moved back his resignation date to July 30, McGee extended his stay on a voluntary basis. McGee is working with Lowery on a transitional basis. Lowery said he had hoped Jefferson would work under the same arrangement.

“He wanted to keep the title and the salary that comes with it. So I had to make a decision,” Lowery said. “I wish he had accepted it. … He’s forced me to take this action.”

Lowery said he wants Coleman Davis to examine past city legal bills and expenses.

“I have heard that several individuals have been hired … in the legal department to fill vacancies who were scheduled to start work Monday. I just found this out,” Lowery told reporters. “I want to make sure that we don’t have cronies of our former legal division director who have been hired.”

Those appointments will be examined.

“I don’t want any friends of the division director receiving dollars or any backroom deals outside the scope of the City Council. You know what I’m talking about,” he told reporters. “That is not going to occur under my administration.”

‘Hard work and enthusiasm’

As Lowery moved into the seventh floor mayor’s office Friday at City Hall, council member Harold Collins moved into the council chairman’s office on the fifth floor as part of the transition in power following Herenton’s resignation. Collins indicated his displeasure with the firing of Jefferson and said he wants Lowery and Jefferson to be at Tuesday's council committee sessions to tell their sides of the story.

“It’s a new day at City Hall,” Lowery told a crowd in the Hall of Mayors the day after Herenton’s farewell address in the same hall. Lowery’s guests at the ceremony were Herenton, former Mayor Dick Hackett and J.O. Patterson Jr., the city’s first African-American mayor who served in the top post for 20 days after the resignation of Mayor Wyeth Chandler in 1982. Patterson was City Council chairman at the time. Like Lowery, Patterson also ran in the special election that followed and lost to Hackett, who lost to Herenton nine years later by 142 votes.

“With new life, new individuals, comes hope and promise,” Lowery said. “As mayor, I will promote a moral philosophy of customer service – customer-driven government. … I’m here also to say that I’m going to promote ethical leadership in government.”

One priority will be a new crime fighting strategy, although Lowery was quick to say he likes the direction the police department and those efforts have taken under current Police Director Larry Godwin. The other immediate priority is a more aggressive city cleanup campaign.

Lowery didn’t refer to Herenton directly in any of his comments, but the contrasts were apparent.

“We will be energetic in city government – more productive There’s a phrase, ‘We need to be workhorses, not showhorses.’” Lowery said. “You will not get a lot of catchy phrases from me. But you will get a lot of hard work and enthusiasm.”

The remark came the day after Herenton’s farewell address and press conference in which Herenton repeatedly invoked what looks to be the campaign slogan “Keep It Real” in his bid for the Democratic congressional nomination in 2010.

“As everyone knows, we’ve lost many people during the past several years. I’m going to say come home to Memphis,” Lowery said.

The remark is in contrast to one of Herenton’s most cited quotes from his 18-year tenure. When asked about citizens moving out of Memphis for the suburbs, Herenton responded by saying he had no problem with that and adding “goodbye.”

88. Commercial Real Estate Still Dropping, Stanton Says - Thursday, February 19, 2009

Janice Stanton, managing director of investment research for Cushman & Wakefield in New York, discussed the global financial crisis and how it has impacted commercial real estate at Wednesday’s Commercial Property Forecast Summit, at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre and sponsored by the Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council.

89. BlueHippo to Set Aside $1M in Tennessee - Friday, January 9, 2009

BlueHippo, a company that markets computers nationwide to people with poor credit, was ordered Wednesday to set aside $1 million to cover potential claims from unhappy Tennessee residents.

The Tennessee attorney general’s office is suing BlueHippo, accusing the company of misleading customers with confusing advertising claims and financial arrangements.

90. Middle Eastern Visitors Get Look At Memphis Law System - Thursday, May 1, 2008

Saud y Al Sanea has seen temptation in the form of an iPod. It's not the iPod itself. The temptation is the card needed to upload music from iTunes to fill the iPod.

It can take two weeks to get one of the cards in Kuwait City where he is a public prosecutor at Kuwait's Ministry of Justice. But you can buy a knock-off version on the streets and some stores of Kuwait City much sooner.

91. GMAC Dismissed From Hyneman-Bud Davis Cadillac Suit - Thursday, April 3, 2008

GMAC Financial Services Corp., the auto loan company sued late last year along with Bud Davis Cadillac Inc. by wealthy Memphis real estate developer Rusty Hyneman, has been dismissed as a defendant in the case.

92. Coin Toss Sparks Complaint Against Judge - Wednesday, February 20, 2008

A coin toss was performed during a recent hearing in Shelby County Chancery Court that was intended to solve a logistical dispute in a high-profile case brought late last year by real estate developer Rusty Hyneman.

93. Kwanzaa Tussle Neutralized in Court - Friday, December 28, 2007

It began as a routine announcement at the end of the last Shelby County Board of Commissioners meeting of 2007.

County Commissioner Henri Brooks announced her annual Kwanzaa program would be held the day after Christmas in the County Commission chambers. There was some concern immediately. Commission Chairman David Lillard thought workers would be installing a new document management and voting system in the chambers - work involving some major disruptions, including drilling holes in the floor.

94. Great Kwanzaa Caper Ends in Court - Thursday, December 27, 2007

The great Shelby County Building Kwanzaa controversy ended Wednesday at the Shelby County Courthouse with a ruling by Chancellor Walter Evans that County Commissioner Henri Brooks could hold a Kwanzaa program in the commission chambers.

95. Great Kwanzaa Caper Ends in Court - Wednesday, December 26, 2007
The great Shelby County Building Kwanzaa controversy ended earlier today at the Shelby County Courthouse with a ruling by Chancellor Walter Evans that County Commissioner Henri Brooks could hold a Kwanzaa program in the commission chambers.

96. Edmund Ford Files SuitAgainst His Landlord - Wednesday, July 25, 2007
     Former Memphis City Council member Edmund Ford on Monday filed a lawsuit in Shelby County Chancery Court against the landlord of his mortuary business at 3390 Elvis Presley Blvd., according to The Daily News Online, www.

97. Sills Appointed To AANS Bulletin Advisory Board - Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Dr. Allen K. Sills Jr., medical director of the Neuroscience Institute at Methodist University Hospital, associate professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and neurosurgeon at Semmes-Murphey Neurologic & Spine Institute, has been appointed to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons' (AANS) Bulletin advisory board. Sills will contribute articles to the AANS' quarterly publication, "The Bulletin."

98. Open Trustee Position Causes Speculation in Bankruptcy Circles - Friday, July 28, 2006

Two new judges recently have donned black robes and begun hearing bankruptcy cases in West Tennessee, though one important position in the local bankruptcy establishment remains to be filled.

It's the Chapter 13 trustee job that was vacated in June when George Emerson Jr. left the post to fill one of those two spots on the bankruptcy court bench.

99. Bankruptcy Changes to Hit at Tough Time - Thursday, September 15, 2005

The waiting room on the sixth floor of 200 Jefferson Ave., known among bankruptcy attorneys as the "bus stop," can be a chaotic place. There, rows of debtors wait to speak with their lawyers and meet with the Bankruptcy Court's trustees - a process that has grown so exponentially over the years that a new bankruptcy judge will be named soon to help with the caseload.

100. Archived Article: Lead - Monday, January 31, 2005
2004 Courts

Local Courts See Declines in Case Filings

Circuit, Chancery Courts see drop, but Probate filings rise

LANCE ALLAN

The Daily News

Representatives of several local courts were busy in 2004, but they were given somewhat of a ...