All MATA services will be free to ride on Thursday, April 28.

“Regardless of where you live in Tennessee, you should have a say in who represents you,” writes Tequila Johnson and Charlane Oliver.

“What is troubling here ... is the narrative around crime is so strong, so in your face all the time.”

Grand jury alleges Miracle Renee Rutherford was driving recklessly and crashed into the home of Leslie Galen Young, former basketball standout at Hillcrest High School.

The Scorecard attempts the math on the new FedExForum deal keeping the Grizzlies at the Forum and on the renovated Shelby Training Center that is to become the new juvenile detention center with more funding from the county.

Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired and its partner, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad, showed its members that Easter egg hunting is possible, using beeping eggs.

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.

Related story:

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.