Mayor Jim Strickland will propose 3 percent raises for commissioned Memphis firefighters and police officers in the budget proposal he takes to the City Council next month.

Shelby County legislators split support Wednesday in a vote sending legislation creating a charter schools commission to the House floor.

The political battle over MLGW rates and calls for upgrades in the utility's infrastructure shows every sign of returning for another budget year.

Memphis City Council member Joe Brown is running for City Court clerk.

The Mississippi River is forecast to rise slightly this week before beginning a drop to below flood stage by the end of the month. But the agencies that watch the flow of the river remain in "flood fight" status, given historic flooding to the north.

The council also delayed the first of three votes on the Memphis 3.0 land use and development guidelines and approved the Poplar Arts Lofts project. And the council got a first hand look at the FedEx "same day bot" to be tested on Memphis streets this summer.

Transportation Committee defeats legislation requiring red-light camera citations to go through courts rather than citations being sent directly to suspected violators.

• Fogelman College places in Tier One category in 2019 Global MBA Rankings list
• Gold Strike to open entertainment grill with sports book this summer
• Memphis comedy series debuts on Kevin Hart’s network

Black Memphians make up a large portion of the people who will qualify for the governor’s proposal, but they are hesitant to trust predominately white private schools.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland spoke to Memphis Rotary Tuesday about his first term in office, emphasizing lowering the violent crime rate, increasing activities for youths and making economic development announcements. 

Gov. Bill Lee’s signature piece of legislation allowing students to use public dollars to enroll in private schools cleared its first hurdle Tuesday.

Assistant Public Defender Phyllis Aluko has been chosen by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris to be the chief public defender, a job recently vacated with the retirement last month of long-time Public Defender Stephen Bush.

Some Tennesseans say the income threshold makes vouchers appealing to families for which private school is within reach, compared to students from low-income families who may be looking to escape low-performing schools.

Memphis City Council member Berlin Boyd has amended his disclosure to include his job with FedEx Logistics on a form dated last week on the council's website.

• Memphis comedy series debuts on Kevin Hart’s network
• U of M's CERI partnering with One Concern
• Memphis Sports Hall of Fame taking nominations for first class

Memphis Democratic senators oppose bill even though it would allow oversight boards to have a private investigator seek subpoenas from a judge.

A Graceland master plan that does not include an arena tops Tuesday's Memphis City Council agenda. Also on the agenda is the Poplar Arts Lofts project and a discussion about urban art.

John Kilzer’s memorial service was Monday in the place where he ministered, St. John’s United Methodist Church. 

Plans to house a University of Memphis-operated middle school at St. Anne Catholic Church have fallen through, but the university says it still hopes to open the school this fall.

Tennessee officials have defended capital punishment, saying it brings justice to victims' families. But at a recent discussion at LeMoyne-Owen College, panelists with personal stories about death row said the system is broken.

Education savings accounts would cost $75 million in first year with projected costs escalating to $125 million after three years.

• Memphis Sports Hall of Fame taking nominations for first class
• St. Jude to undergo $1.6M interior renovation 
• Palladio Garden Center grand opening March 23

The circa-1836 home of Irish immigrant Eugene Magevney is open for tours Fridays through April 12 and has plans as well as a wish list for a more active future.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren drew a crowd of more than 400 in North Memphis for the first Memphis appearance by a presidential hopeful in advance of the Tennessee presidential primaries of March 2020.

An 11-year-old boy has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with fatally shooting a 14-year-old boy and critically injuring the teen’s father.