It was a victory for nearby residents, who had rallied against Graceland Solar and its parent company, RWE Renewables, since the beginning.

Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert sent a memo Monday, Feb. 26, blaming the bad revenue numbers from her office on the county’s bad system for reporting the financial numbers.

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County delays action on first appointment to MATA board

County Mayor Lee Harris has nominated Meggan Kiel to be the first county appointee on the board of the city bus system. But the MATA board hasn’t been expanded yet. County Commissioners balked at moving ahead without an agreement by the city to expand the board.

If county officials know where waste comes from and where it ends up, they can send less of it to Shelby County’s five landfills and meet local climate goals. 

Trustee Regina Newman has “unposted” inaccurate revenue figures from County Clerk Wanda Halbert. The revenue figures, including those for last year’s wheel-tax hike, are needed to build next year’s county budget.

Because of a combination of “hard fiscal decisions in the past” and lower water demand, MLGW delayed installing new wells even as old wells aged out.

A Nashville facility has cut recidivism among the mentally ill from 90% to 20%. Shelby County leaders are hoping to build a similar mental health center here. 

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. knows the area has a lot of needs, but he says 201 Poplar is showing its age — and Shelby County should start thinking about a new jail. 

There is no safe amount of lead exposure on people and, even in small amounts, it can cause hyperactivity, behavioral issues and learning problems, especially in young children.

Under current zoning rules for solar, a resident of unincorporated Shelby County who put five solar panels in their backyard would be regulated the same as a company with a 1,500-acre solar farm. 

The Tennessee General Assembly passed a law in 2023 taking the power away from local DAs in collateral review of death penalty convictions and instead putting the authority in the hands of the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. 

The DA’s office will now receive $991,178 for the remainder of the fiscal year 2024, which comes out of the general fund balance. Each following fiscal year, the DA’s office will receive $2.98 million.

The assessment of Shelby County’s requirements for solar farms stemmed, in part, from the pushback against a 1,500-acre project planned in Millington.

The commission may put off immediate funding for the prosecutors office until budget season. Meanwhile, commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. continues to threaten legal action against other commissioners — the second time in less than a week.

Last year, the Tennessee General Assembly gave a 20% raise to most of state prosecutors and state public defenders. But the raise for Shelby County is capped at 5%. 

Tennessee Republican Party chairman Scott Golden talks in an “On The Record” podcast about the presidential primaries and general election races.

“There are tires everywhere,” business owner Corteney Mack said. “They’re everywhere because you have so many tire shops.”

Participating gyms will provide free, 50-minute group fitness classes that are beginner-friendly and suitable for residents ages 16 and up. 

The County Commission is considering switching the Shelby County Land Bank into a Shelby County Real Estate Department and giving the new office additional responsibilities. 

Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. said Monday, Jan. 29, that he plans to ask local election officials how to recall another county commissioner.

Children selected for the center will be awaiting juvenile court decisions or adjudications of their cases; the minors will come in groups of 16, with six cohorts a year at the facility. The County Commission also approved a Citizen Law Enforcement Review Committee. 

Topping the commission agenda Monday, Jan. 29, are final votes on a review board to hear complaints of misconduct by Sheriff’s deputies and deputy jailers as well as changing the county Land Bank to a “real estate department.”

Shelby County commissioners and about 40 other people including county finance and other division leaders met at Shelby Farms ahead of Mayor Lee Harris’ budget proposal.

Commissioner Mick Wright has a number of directives in mind for the coming year, including reducing crime and getting Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert’s office in line.

Judy Martin retired from the health department in 2020 after more than 1,500 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine expired; her lawsuit alleged Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris damaged her reputation with a social media post.