The Fourth ended with rockets blazing in the dark and independent bursts in neighborhoods that went late into the night.

With a special session of the Legislature set in late August, state Rep. Jim Coley is calling embattled Rep. David Byrd a “drag” on the Republican Party. An expulsion resolution against Byrd is likely at the session.

Against a backdrop of perfect summer weather and patriotic spirit in the air, an estimated 8,000 people turned out Wednesday night for Bartlett’s annual “Star Spangled Fireworks Extravaganza.”

Shelby County government has $2.5 million waiting for MATA, but only if two county commissioners are given voting seats on the MATA board. One city councilman said what county government is asking for is “unprecedented.”

Three of the 13 council members are term-limited. The other 10 each face potential challengers in the summer campaigns on their way to the Oct. 3 election day.

The Memphis Zoo has added a new VIP Valet parking option for visitors.

A day before the Fourth of July and with an August special session looming, House Democrats are calling for a wide-ranging investigation into the expenses of resigning Speaker Glen Casada.

An Italian lighting company with international reach will soon be opening its first retail store in the United States in Memphis at 3043 Broad Ave.

The debut of instant-runoff or ranked-choice voting in Memphis probably won’t happen with the 2019 Memphis elections.

Smokey Robinson, who has written dozens of compositions that stand the test of time, joins some St. Jude Children's Research Hospital patients in a new endeavor. 

The provisions put to rest nearly five months of changing terms, distrust and behind the scenes bargaining around an $80 million expansion of Graceland.

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis is suspending court activity during a review of its delinquent bill policies and concerns raised by lawmakers.

Monitoring team in MPD surveillance court case announces community forum, launches website where public can get updates on police reform efforts. 

The University of Memphis UMRF Research Park today became the second node in a nationwide consortium of prescription repositories, health care organizations and higher education institutions to reclaim medications and track prescription waste.

House Minority Leader Karen Camper has been re-elected president of the National Organization of Black Elected Women and has been honored by Rainbow PUSH.

Crye-Leike Real Estate Services has partnered with the University of Memphis Athletics to become the Official Real Estate Company of the Memphis Tigers.

The landmark 1962 U.S. Supreme Court ruling Baker vs. Carr, out of Shelby County, is still standing after last week’s ruling by the high court in another redistricting case — Rucho vs. Common Cause, according to Memphis attorney John Ryder.

British-based Pearson took over the student testing program July 1. The contract runs through June 30, 2021, and the state has the option to renew terms annually for up to three years through 2024. The five-year cost would be $93.1 million.

The first Memphis City Council meeting of the new fiscal year Tuesday will feature some high dollar amounts and a couple of nonfiscal items lingering from the old fiscal year.

Neighborhood groups in the greater Whitehaven area will have a chance to get a free SkyCop camera this fall.

Tennessee’s new “hands-free law,” which took effect Monday, seeks to curb distraction-related crashes across the state and particularly in Shelby County, which leads the state in such accidents. The measure is among a number of new state laws that became effective Monday.

The Compost Fairy and Mitchell Heights Neighborhood Association have been recognized with 2019 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards.

School districts will have to follow (or be aware of) many new laws that didn’t grab headlines. Here are 10 such measures that become effective with the new fiscal year.

The environmental group among those urging Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division to look at possible changes to the utility’s relationship with the Tennessee Valley Authority is pushing a $250 million, five-year weatherization program for Memphis. Friends of the Earth launched the “Memphis Save Energy, Save Dollars” program with a rally Saturday.

Robert “Prince Mongo” Hodges is back as a candidate for mayor of Memphis. The candidate, who claims to be from the planet Zambodia, has been running for office since the late 1970s. He joins a field of 15 potential contenders.