The Shelby County primaries are here, with early voting already ongoing, and election day coming fast and furious on Tuesday, May 5.

In part two of our podcast about the takeover, reporter Laura Testino returns to talk about how churn factors in, what we can take from the school system takeover in Houston and what role school closures and land sales might play. 

Who will the new board members be? And is former superintendent Marie Feagins expected to get her job back? 

The Shelby County Commission welcomed a new member to the group that determines defendants’ bail and other conditions for release and also approved emergency Sheriff’s Office funding.

A procedural vote Monday, April 27, killed a maneuver to fund a legal challenge by Memphis-Shelby County Schools to the state’s takeover of the school system. But there could be a second try.

With Election Day around the corner, it was a busy week in Shelby County. Mayoral contenders hit forums across the area to talk with voters one-on-one. Meanwhile, early voting turnout is higher than the pivotal 2018 County primaries.

Over the weekend, two Shelby County officials talked about the possibility of commissioners considering taking legal action to stop the school district takeover.

Two contenders in the Democratic primary for Shelby County Mayor, Mickell Lowery and Harold Collins, each said private talks could surface to get around a state law that prevents school boards from using public money to fight a school system takeover by the state.

G.A. Hardaway, a longtime public servant and state representative, died Friday, April 24. 

The status of inactive voters comes up regularly during an election year, but inactive status does not mean the voter is ineligible to vote.

Most of the opening day voters were Democrats, whose ballot boasts a race with the largest field of candidates.

Monday’s resolution could eventually result in a list of basic questions and cost options — but it probably won’t be until a new county mayor and commission take office.

Shelby County commissioners meet Monday to consider a resolution calling a professional study for a new jail and justice center.

Suburban representation on the MLGW board is a long-standing debate tied to a bunch of intertwined issues. But about a third of the customers who live outside of Memphis have no voting voice on that body.

Wanda Halbert’s office did not provide the auditing firm reviewing county finances with an annual financial statement or a reconciliation of funds collected by the clerk and deposited into the county’s bank account.

The new plan is a part of Memphis 3.0, which has received local pushback.

The Tennessee Supreme Court decided not to hear Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert’s appeal of the second attempt to remove her from office. This means the County Attorney’s office could move ahead with a private attorney.

The suit says Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. and Mayor Lee Harris “have engaged in an extraordinary public campaign of mutual finger-pointing ... while people continue to die.” 

A Shelby County Board of Commissioners vote signaled the subtle progress local governments are making toward a long-term lease with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The new rule allows the body to possibly remove a disruptive commissioner from discussion with a two-thirds vote. The Commission also approved an increase in funding for a UTHSC contract and voted down a $65,000 grant by Commissioner Henri Brooks.

Memphis Mayor Paul Young announced that the city will investigate police actions at a No Kings march in Downtown Memphis.

Before the violent end of the No Kings march, Democrats talked about holding elected officials accountable. Meanwhile, a Republican candidate on this year’s ballot is pointing to state takeovers.

Amid the phase-out of the penny, a resolution seeks help from the Tennessee Legislature to change state laws that don’t allow court clerks to round up or down the amounts they collect in court fines and fees.

The appraisals for the two data centers help to determine how much Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company will pay in property taxes.

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Ray Lepone sentenced Julio Hernandez, 21, to five years in prison for vehicular homicide.