Thursday marked the withdrawal deadline for contenders in the August election, with several developments in the nonpartisan judicial races that are a major part of that ballot.

Incumbent Mayor Lee Harris wants to continue a sea change in what issues the county mayor focuses on. His challenger in the May Democratic primary, Ken Moody, says that focus isn’t immediate or local enough.

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Early voting starts slow at Election Commission offices

There are plans by several organizations to boost the turnout Thursday. Meanwhile, there is free parking around the only early-voting site Downtown open Wednesday and Thursday.

Early voting for the Shelby County primaries is April 13-28. Here is everything to know the ballot, the basics of early voting and what turnout in this election cycle has looked like in the past.

The Democratic primary race for district attorney is about to turn from general calls for change to who can upset incumbent Republican Amy Weirich.

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Ballot basics: Early voting begins

The MATA funding has also become an issue in the May Republican primary for commission District 4. 

County Commission Chair Willie Brooks denied that the meeting was called to try to hide the 8-0 vote on emergency funding for the project. 

In addition to advancements on Northside and Soulsville TIFs, the commission approved on second reading an ordinance keeping in place a residency waiver for prison guards. But some commissioners may try to kill it on third reading next month.

The pairing is among the police reforms discussed nationally in the wake of the March 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis Police custody.

The County Commission Monday approved the agreement with Grizzlies to keep the team in Memphis through at least 2029.

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Calkins: Grizzlies aren’t leaving Memphis — now or in 2029

The commission agenda also includes a call on County Clerk Wanda Halbert for a corrective plan to clear up some problems in a recent audit of her office’s financial statements.

Billy Orgel decided not to file the petition for re-election he pulledin February. That left Amber Huett-Garcia as the only candidate in the race and effectively elected to the District 6 MSCS board seat at the Thursday filing deadline. There were other surprises at the deadline in other races.

With some petitions still out ahead of the Thursday, April 7, noon deadline, there is a chance some contenders will have no opposition on the August ballot. Here’s a run down of the filing developments.

Shelby County Commissioner Brandon Morrison defends her conservatism while opponent Jordan Carpenter targets what he calls “dangerous ideologies” and “perversion.”

Steve Mulroy said the ethnic makeup of the Shelby County District Attorney’s office does not reflect the city. Dist. Atty. Amy Weirich disputed this, saying her office has made an effort to increase diversity. 

The Daily Memphian readers chime in to share their experiences, which sometimes involve mail delivery issues. But County Clerk Wanda Halbert says there are other problems within county government. 

Former Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell is the new chairman of the Shelby County Election Commission.

The $13 million in additional funding found from a group of seven county budget line items brings the total cost of the project to around $30 million including the $3 million the county paid for the Old Getwell building that is being renovated.

The County Commission Scorecard chronicles the three rounds of votes that made Charles Everett of Westwood the newest Memphis-Shelby County Schools board member representing District 6.

The funding would provide for notices to Shelby County voters about changes to precincts and polling places. 

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Renovation costs for juvenile detention center more than double

Democrat Ken Moody and Republican Worth Morgan have words of criticism for incumbent Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris as they campaign for his job. 

Shelby County Commissioners pick from seven contenders to fill the vacant seat on the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board. The commission also returns to a move to fund Election Commission notices to voters for the May elections. 

The 51-member panel held its first meeting Thursday, March 17.

The issue of crime — violent crime in particular — is center stage in the race for Shelby County Mayor, where the first stop is the May Democratic primary.

Bipolar ionization devices, manufacturers say, attack and deactivate certain bacteria, pathogens, airborne particles, and volatile organic compounds. But the CDC, EPA, an industry standards association, and even a medical journal beg to differ.