Just before his last meeting on Nov. 20 as a Memphis City Council member, Edmund Ford Jr. was feeling good about his 11-year tenure at City Hall.

Ten schools throughout Tennessee that are academically behind are divvying up $8.25 million in new federal grants for school improvement, the state Department of Education announced Monday.

Had it been a 30-minute game, the Memphis Tigers might have been fine. When Jeremiah Martin split two free throws with 9:09 left in the second half, Memphis still had a double-digit lead, 57-45, over No. 20 Texas Tech.

Memphis (8-5 American Athletic Conference) dropped their fourth game in two seasons to No. 9 UCF (12-0, 9-0 AAC) Saturday afternoon. 

The Grizzlies left their late-game magic somewhere on the New Jersey Turnpike.

For more than two years and possibly closer to three, a black chow roamed Summer Avenue. He visited Walgreens at the corner of Perkins and Summer, hung around in the Aldi parking lot just west of the intersection, and finally settled on Elwood’s Shack as his go-to at meal time.

Former state Rep. Johnnie Turner didn’t participate in Memphis sit-ins during the 1960s in search of glory. Nor did she hear the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or ride the Memphis city buses fearing death during the 1960s thinking she would be recognized someday at a Nashville gala.

Former state Rep. Steve McManus, loaded with money from his previous House service, confirmed Friday he will enter the race for the vacant 32nd District Senate seat to fill two years remaining in the term of Mark Norris, who left the post to take a federal judgeship.

The first renters at a new set of townhomes on E.H. Crump Boulevard south of Mason Temple Church of God in Christ begin moving into their new units in about a week.

Former president George H.W. Bush was a frequent point man in Memphis for Reagan administration policies during his two terms as Ronald Reagan’s vice president. Bush began his “thousand points of light” volunteerism initiative in Memphis less than a year into his presidency.

California-based scooter rental company Lime will launch a fleet of 250 scooters throughout Memphis Monday, Dec. 3.

Tennessee Valley Authority officials have called off the sale of the Bellefonte Plant in northeastern Alabama at Friday’s deadline for Nuclear Development LLC to close on the purchase. TVA officials confirmed they called off the sale of the mothballed electricity-producing plant because Nuclear Development, owned by Chattanooga developer Franklin Haney, did not have the necessary approval from the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to transfer construction permits.

A deal that would have placed FedEx Trade Networks' headquarters in a prominent Downtown location is dead, FedEx officials confirmed Thursday.

Mike Conley brought the Grizzlies home in Brooklyn to end a three-game losing streak, but it was rookie Jaren Jackson Jr., with a career-high 36 points and a breathtaking fourth-quarter flurry, who kept hope alive.

ORLANDO — After the traditional photos with the championship trophy, after the smiles and the shaking of hands, Memphis coach Mike Norvell quietly handed a football to UCF coach Josh Heupel — signed by the Memphis team — to give to UCF’s injured quarterback, McKenzie Milton.

COOKEVILLE – Following his team's loss to Brentwood Academy Friday, Memphis University School coach Bobby Alston drew inspiration from the wise words of that noted philosopher Garth Brooks.

When it comes to sequels, Covington's football team is hoping Saturday afternoon will be more like "The Godfather Part II" and less like "Police Academy 7." The Chargers will play in the Class 3A championship game for the second straight year and will once again face mighty Alcoa. The Tornadoes won their 16th title with a 31-20 victory a year ago. 

Quarterback Brady White and the Memphis offense went three-and-out, leaving punter Adam Williams to punt from the Houston 49-yard line. Williams faced a punt from his "dead zone" – a spot on the field where he may not put the ball anywhere but the end zone. He needed room so the Tigers called a shift and took a delay of game penalty.

Memphians will see the first totems of the St. Jude Memphis Marathon around 10 p.m. Friday, when road closures begin Downtown in preparation for Saturday's races. Organizers expect approximately 70,000 people – from runners to well wishers – to attend the annual fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Lead Grizzlies writer Chris Herrington is joined by Grind City Media and The Ringer’s Chris Vernon to talk about the Grizzlies’ recent three-game losing streak amid a better-than-expected start, the early returns on rookie Jaren Jackson Jr., the crowded Western Conference playoff race, and more.

It’s the end of an era at the corner of Madison and Belvedere. Zinnie’s, called Old Zinnie’s since Zinnie’s East opened a few doors east of the original in the 1980s, has closed.

The Weekly Memphian is a partial guide to things happening in Memphis, recommended by Daily Memphian staff. This week's list covers Nov. 28 to Dec. 4. 

After a lengthy courtship, the Grizzlies appear on the verge of tying the knot with free agent center Joakim Noah.

They come in all shapes and sizes. They come from near and far. Unless a yellow flag flies, you probably won’t hear their names or their numbers. But that’s understood from day one.

Memphis City Council chairman Berlin Boyd says the council was on its way to a partisan and racial divide when it tried to appoint someone to fill the vacant District 1 seat last week.