Shelby County News

" Shelby County Sheriff's Deputies continue their search for a man who raped and robbed a woman at her Cordova apartment last weekend.

The father of a man shot to death by an off-duty sheriff's deputy last year in an East Memphis karaoke bar has filed a complaint in Shelby County Circuit Court seeking workers' compensation benefits for his son.

The Shelby County Commission has approved the proposal, but the chair of the Shelby County School Board, David Pickler, says the plan is unfair to the county's suburban residents.

MEMPHIS, TN a ' The Shelby County Medical Examinera TMs Office has confirmed two more heat-related deaths.

" Starting July 1, 2009 child support services will no longer be handled at the Juvenile Court Downtown Memphis, instead at its brand new office in Hickory Hill.

" A 44-year old Cordova man was indicted last week and arrested on Saturday, June 27 in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud the federal and state government out of more than $150,000 in public assistance benefits.

The Shelby County Medical Examiner reports three more heat-related deaths, bringing to four the number of heat-related deaths in Memphis this year.

A state employee in Shelby County is suspected of creating dozens of fake welfare cases to steal money from government assistance programs.

A Memphis news organization last month requested financial disclosures from local elected officials including city and county mayors and members of the Memphis City Council.

Shelby County Charter says Commission Chairman would take over as Mayor Pro-Tempore. On July 13th County Commissioners will elect a new chairman.

Tennessee's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May 2009 was released last week at 10.7 percent, 0.8 percentage point higher than the April rate of 9.9 percent.

With Dr. Herenton soon to be out of the picture, the field of potential mayoral candidates is crowded.

The governor is expected to sign into law a bill that will allow more charter schools in Tennessee, but not before Webb helped hash out an amendment with legislators and charter school lobbyists that will make it a bit harder to open the schools in Shelby County.

A case that spotlighted problems at the Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center has been sent to a Shelby County grand jury.

TAXING ISSUES: The Memphis City Council this week approved a tax rate of $3.19 for the fiscal year that begins July 1. -- PHOTO BY LANCE MURPHEY Most property owners whose appraisals increased this year will end up paying more in property taxes, based on tax rates approved this week by Memphis and Shelby County governments.

A Memphis woman has been charged with first-degree murder in the neglect-related death of her 11-month-old son burned in a "suspicious" fire, according to police.

Two men have been indicted by a federal grand jury on child pornography charges, authorities said Wednesday.

Emergency Management Agency Director Bob Nations says there's no shortage of volunteers in Shelby County.

Sheriff's detectives say a man broke into a home near Millington early Wednesday and shot two acquaintances.

Cohen, noting that it's been five days since the storm, asked the governor to request a preliminary damage assessment from FEMA and to make use of the agency's Public Assistance Grant Program for debris removal and restoration of "disaster-damaged and publicly owned facilities." "As you are aware, 140,000 Memphis and Shelby County residents lost ...