Just under 1,000 provisional ballots cast on Nov. 6 but not counted until almost three weeks later will be the center of attention on Monday, Nov. 26, as the Shelby County Election Commission certifies the results of the last election of 2018 in Shelby County.

A federal judge already has ruled the city of Memphis violated a consent decree when police officers conducted surveillance on protesters in recent years. This summer, another non-jury trial will be held after the city asked the court to modify the 40-year-old consent agreement.

Freshman state Rep. Jesse Chism is ready to ride a bit of a learning curve in his first year in the state House, yet he’s going in with strong convictions for more health care coverage and better backing of public schools.

In his sixth bid for elected office in Germantown, Mayor Mike Palazzolo says he didn’t take challenger John Barzizza for granted.

Memphis police are investigating after a 22-year-old man was injured when he was grazed by a bullet during a fight outside Oak Court Mall in East Memphis Thanksgiving night.

Two Memphis state legislators are vying to become leader of the House Democratic Caucus in an effort to help the minority party regain stature in the Legislature. Reps. Karen Camper of District 87 and Joe Towns of District 84, both Memphis Democrats, are running for the top leadership position in the caucus along with Reps. Johnny Shaw of Bolivar and Bo Mitchell of Davidson County, a late entrant into the race.

The Metal Museum proposes to spend $21 million to renovate Overton Park’s Rust Hall and make it a “world class museum and educational center." The museum board approved what it calls the “expansion plan" in September as part of its campaign to win the keys to Rust Hall. The 78,000-square-foot headquarters of Memphis College of Art becomes available after the school closes in May 2020.

The Memphis City Council’s deadlock over filling a vacancy on the body began to read like a political whodunit, even while the council was in the process Tuesday of taking more than 100 votes on the appointment. The usual suspects of race, political power and political deals were all mentioned and hinted at during the standoff between council members backing Raleigh Community Development Corp. executive director Rhonda Logan and Flinn Broadcasting sales manager Lonnie Treadaway.

Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings led a chorus this week of the law enforcement agencies who have an agreement with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to investigate fatal shootings by police: Leave the agreement as it is.

Gov. Bill Haslam set a special election Wednesday for the District 32 seat formerly held by Mark Norris after the Collierville Republican resigned to take a U.S. District judgeship in West Tennessee.

Tennessee netted the nation’s highest score for child trafficking laws from a national advocacy group for the second straight year, an area state Rep. Jim Coley makes a priority in the Legislature.

Memphis City Council members took more than 100 separate votes on an interim council member Tuesday in a meeting that stretched past midnight before chairman Berlin Boyd recessed the meeting and the decision until the Dec. 4 council session.

Dorsey Hopson announced Tuesday that he is resigning as superintendent of Shelby County Schools to take a newly created national role at Cigna in January.

Two of the three suspects accused in the fatal shooting of Greater Memphis Chamber CEO Phil Trenary waived their rights to a preliminary hearing Tuesday and now their case will be sent to the grand jury for possible indictment on the murder charges.

State Rep. Glen Casada vaulted to victory Tuesday in a three-way House Speaker race, giving Williamson County a bit more power in Tennessee politics.

The Shelby County Commission approved the food services contract between the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Aramark Correctional Services for its three correctional facilities – despite several commissioners and competing vendor CBM Managed Services asking that the contract be rebid.

Sources report that Superintendent Dorsey Hopson will resign after five years of leading Shelby County Schools. Rumors of Hopson’s departure have been flying for months.

Shelby County has reached an agreement with its inmate telephone services vendor, Global Tel, to eliminate charges on all phone calls made by juveniles to their parents or guardians and vice-versa, Mayor Lee Harris announced Monday.

A state panel approved Memphis’ request Monday for a Fairgrounds Tourism Development Zone to help fund an estimated $150 million project complete with a youth sports and events complex that will depend on construction of a privately developed hotel.

University of Tennessee President Joe DiPietro is leaving the system on a high note – amid strong financial reports and growth of facilities – after surviving some bumps and bruises, mainly dealing with student diversity.

Memphis City Council members will fill a vacancy at their Tuesday session and elect a new chairman and vice chairman for 2019.

The Provisional Counting Board, which meets once following every election, began counting provisional ballots Monday, Nov. 19.

A dispute between two potential vendors for a food management services contract from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office for its three correctional facilities was reignited at the Shelby County Commission’s committee meeting Wednesday afternoon.

With finances in good shape, key positions filled and building projects reshaping the Memphis campus, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is wrapping up a strong 2018 and looks toward long-term major improvements such as a Biotech Research Park.

More than 60 women ran for elected office in 40 races throughout Shelby County during the 2018 election cycle, resulting in several historic firsts and government representation being a little more reflective along both gender and racial lines in the county.