Local law enforcement applauds Gov. Bill Lee’s plan to shore up school safety with $30 million in grant funding.

Memphis and Shelby County elected officials and fitness center owners are urging state legislators to repeal the amusement tax or “gym tax,” a 10 percent hike on fitness centers across the state.

The last day of early voting in state Senate District 32 is followed by the March 12 election day for the seat covering eastern Shelby County and all of Tipton County. Early voter turnout appears to be about where it was in the January special primary elections.

Shelby County Juvenile Court has made progress on equal protection but there is still work to be done, according to Department of Justice equal protection monitor Michael Leiber.

Shelby County Republican Party chairman Chris Tutor says his conservative views expressed at a party convention Sunday are his own beliefs but don't reflect the platform of the local party as it rebuilds. 

Local groups are reacting to last week's draft release of rule revisions for the Title X family planning program, changes that some say is a step toward defunding Planned Parenthood.

Rev. Althea Greene is the newest Shelby County Schools board member after the Shelby County Commission appointed her to fill the District 2 vacancy Monday night.

Chris Tutor, the new chairman of the Shelby County Republican Party, says it will be hard to rebuild the local party after a Democratic sweep of county elections last year. 

The Shelby County Commission is expected Monday to appoint a new member to the board of Shelby County Schools to serve until August 2020. 

Shelby County Juvenile Court Judge Dan Michael delivered his State of Court address Friday morning. He vowed to continue his work to improve the court despite critics. 

Shelby County Commissioners hope to receive the final report on equal protection from the DOJ monitor within the next month. 

The Shelby County Schools board position vacancy will be filled by the County Commission at its meeting Monday. 

Early voting is underway in the special general election for state Senate District 32. The district covers eastern Shelby County and all of Tipton County.

The Shelby County Election Commission will not appeal a state order barring the use of instant-runoff voting in the 2019 city elections. It is the last major decision of an election commission that is getting three new members.

County Commission Chairman Van Turner spoke on unity between the commission and mayor's office and several other issues at Memphis Rotary Tuesday. 

Mayor Lee Harris announced plans to present a MATA funding plan to the County Commission later this year. 

The late Carroll T. Dozier, the first bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis, is among 42 priests named this week by the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, as having a "credible and substantiated" allegation of child sexual abuse against him.

County Mayor Lee Harris gave his first State of the County address Friday, calling for a new direction in the economic development discussion. 

Over the past few months, Memphis and Shelby County Office of Re-Entry executive director Harold Collins has restructured the organization with the vision of those released from incarceration having a better chance at obtaining a living wage job.

The County Commission voted 8-1 against Memphis Stone & Gravel's application to build a 173-acre mining site in Rosemark.

The only contender so far for the leadership of the Shelby County Republican Party said the local party needs candidates who are more representative and the party needs to seek out African-American and Hispanic voters.

A proposed sand and gravel mining site has caused concerns for many Rosemark residents, who are expected to be present when county commissioners consider it Monday. 

More than 30 people attended Wednesday's County Commission committee meeting to speak out against a proposed gravel pit. 

The Shelby County results in the special primary elections for state Sen. District 32 are certified and dates for early voting in the special general election are set.

With eight new commissioners and a new mayor, Shelby County government is changing the way it approaches education moving forward.