• AutoZone's stock closes above $1,000
• Edwin Watts moving to Ridgeway Trace Center
• 'Restoration Saturday' to help drivers with suspended licenses

Shelby County Commission Chairman Van Turner was a guest on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast to discuss the joint meeting with City Council and other county topics. 

With small gatherings and fundraisers, the 2019 Memphis City Council races are coming to life. But the contenders are still watching each other closely to see which races get crowded before they put it in writing.

A City of Memphis impound lot employee has been fired and eight Memphis police officers suspended or demoted following an internal investigation into why a man’s body was not found in the back of a van for 49 days. 

Gov. Bill Lee's proposed voucher program could provide an average of $7,300 annually to families that make double the annual income under federal eligibility requirements for receiving free and reduced-price lunches.

The Memphis City Council and Shelby County Commission met together for the first time in 2019, the first of two planned meetings to discuss issues affecting both the city and county. 

The biggest difference – and most costly for parents – is that traditional vouchers would have covered all tuition costs. Education savings accounts would not necessarily cover all of a student’s private-school tuition.

In a presentation to Memphis parents this week, Griffin said: “The life of the ASD is at stake. We either fix it and show improvement or it’s not going to exist….”

The state Senate passed legislation Thursday removing an appellate court review from death penalty cases, despite efforts by Shelby County Democrats who opposed it.

City Housing and Community Development director Paul Young says the $1 billion Union Row project is a direct result of the city's efforts to leverage federal and city funding in the South City area, stretching from the south area of Downtown into South Memphis.

An off-duty Memphis police officer was killed in a two-vehicle crash in Raleigh early Thursday morning. 

• AutoZone's stock closes above $1,000
• Edwin Watts moving to Ridgeway Trace Center
• 'Restoration Saturday' event helps drivers get licenses restored

The County Commission is expected to vote on Phyllis Aluko's appointment at its meeting Monday. 

Joshua Greer is walking to 13 locations on a daylong Down syndrome awareness walk in Memphis. 

In a largely symbolic gesture, Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi is taking back its endorsement of Democratic state Representative Joe Towns of Memphis in last year's primary and general elections because of Towns' recent vote in favor of the “fetal heartbeat” bill.

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.