First-term Tennessee legislators Heidi Campbell, John Gillespie, Torrey Harris and Eddie Mannis say they’ve learned to be tough but find friends across the aisle as well.

When Mike Glenn retired from FedEx at the height of his career in 2016, the news release said it was to “transition his focus full time to his family.” This is the story behind that decision, one that is hard and beautiful all at once.

Hundreds gathered at Health Sciences Park for the second day of the weekend-long celebration. Juneteenth events were also scheduled at Fourth Bluff Park, Orange Mound Tower and LeMoyne-Owen College.

Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner and Bartlett Mayor Keith McDonald talked on “Behind The Headlines” about property tax hikes passed and up for a final vote, respectively, in the cities they lead and why the estimated share of federal ARPA funds in each of their cities took a tumble in the latest estimates.

LeMoyne-Owen welcomed back students — prospective or current — for the first since the campus closed last March at the COVID-19 pandemic’s beginning; a moment that brought joy and excitement to staff and faculty at Memphis’ only HBCU.

Two Memphis nonprofits — Collage Dance Collective and Memphis Music Initiative — recently received grants from MacKenzie Scott, billionaire philanthropist and ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. 

If it all comes together the undeveloped intersection of Elvis Presley Boulevard and Holmes Road in Whitehaven could be home to the second-largest Black-owned film studio in the U.S. within a few years.

Justin Timberlake is listening to local students’ songs, Bartlett is blowing up over inflatables and the Delta variant does not seem to be contained here. 

David Boone, a Shelby County teacher and alderman in Brighton, has been indicted after he was accused of fondling a juvenile in an incident that occurred in Southaven, Mississippi. 

“For reasons still under investigation, three officers fired at the man, fatally wounding him,” the TBI said in a press release. The victim had multiple firearms, the release said, and would not drop them.

“When we look at modeling based on expected reproductive rate, right now it suggests that by the end of July more than 50% of (coronavirus) disease here could be because of Delta,” said David Sweat, deputy director of the Shelby County Health Department.

The Shelby County Health Department also reported an average of 1,410 vaccinations per day over the past seven days.

West Cancer is literally bringing the receipts, the County Commission could get sued for a penny and local suburbs may feel shortchanged by rescue funds. 

West says it provided no services for the $16 million contract and provides records that show how much its physicians’ salary pool increased during the “partnership.”

Juneteenth celebration this weekend moves from Robert R. Church Park to Health Sciences Park only days after remains of Nathan Bedford Forrest are removed.

Overton High School’s class of 2021 walked across the stage during an in-person graduation after the pandemic took away months of in-person learning and senior celebrations. 

Doug Emhoff will be in Birmingham today, delivering a similar message as part of the Biden Administration’s “We Can Do This” campaign ahead of July 4th goal of vaccinating 70% of U.S. population.

Republican state lawmakers floated the idea of “dissolving and reconstituting” the Tennessee Department of Health Wednesday, June 16, because of vaccine messaging they said amounted to “coercion.”

EDGE awarded a $100,000 grant focusing on Whitehaven as part of a large effort to work with local economic development partners throughout the county.

The legal opinion will be about the chain of events at the June 7 session that led to the first approval of the $3.46 county tax rate.

Shelby County Schools officials say the Head Start contract with Porter-Leath is unprecedented in terms of its autonomy. A Porter-Leath representative says the relationship started to go bad two years ago.

Plus, a landmark conflict in Evergreen, the DMC is aiming high and budget season continues. 

The current Frayser library, located at 3712 Argonne Street, has been a community staple for more than 50 years. While it’s been important for allowing children and adults alike for book access and computer use, it’s also a vital community space for the neighborhood.

A move for a 31-cent tax hike never got to a vote, with a council majority voting down a rule suspension to consider going up on the tax rate. That and other votes Tuesday, June 15, closed out the city’s budget season.