Off the Wall

Germantown Community Theatre names a new executive producer, Artists' Link plans a portfolio show, and other news.

• by Chris Davis

My Girl

Baby talk all grown up.

• by Walter Jowers

HOW IT LOOKS

• by Ed Weathers

EVERYTHING CHANGED...

EVERYTHING CHANGED...

• by Chris Davis

Personal Best

The Best of Memphis 2003

GIBBONS: CHALLENGES TO SMITH 'RED HERRING'

In what sounded like a fairly strong defense of beleagured Shelby County medical examiner O.C. Smith, District Attorney General Bill Gibbons said Saturday that the Phillip Workman defense team's efforts to impugn Smith's judgment constituted a "red herring."

• by Ed Weathers

THE WEATHERS REPORT

IS WESLEY THE ANSWER? So let us now consider Wesley Clark.

• by Ed Weathers

GARDEN PAR -TAY

GARDEN PAR -TAY

• by Chris Davis

On the Orange Side

A visitor gets a perspective on Southern culture.

• by Paul Gerald

FROM MY SEAT

COLLAPSE OF THE CARDS The Chicago Cubs are champions of the National League's Central Division. Despite suiting up the most dangerous offensive bunch this side of Atlanta, the St. Louis Cardinals are on the golf course today. What happened to end the Cards' three-year streak of postseason appearances?

• by Frank Murtaugh

Full Ostrich

For the Bush administration, up is down, peace is war -- and Clear Skies are dirty.

• by Molly Ivins

CITY BEAT

LOOKING OUT FOR NUMBER ONE In an unprecedented tax grab, downtown's power elite plans to corral as much as $250 million in property taxes over 30 years for the exclusive benefit of downtown at the expense of the rest of Memphis.

• by Ed Weathers

FOLLOW THE MONEY!

Perhaps President Bush should bring the former Wisconsin Democratic Senator William Proxmire, now 87, out of retirement, and ask him to scrutinize the nuts and bolts of this Administration's whopping $87 billion budgetary request for funds to "reconstruct" Iraq. For surely, this request deserves Golden-Fleece-level scrutiny.

• by Ed Weathers

JOE BROWN SPEAKS

JOE BROWN SPEAKS

• by Chris Davis

City Reporter

Pamela Davis looks for changes in laws, and other news.

• by Flyer Staff

CITY BEAT

O.C. SMITH RECONSIDERED When he nominated Dr. O. C. Smith as chief medical examiner in 2000, Shelby County Mayor Jim Rout praised him for being "accessible and available." Right. And he's a natty dresser with an expensive haircut. Smith, who favors hospital scrubs and a crewcut, is the focus of one of the biggest cases confronting the medical examiner's office since the death of Elvis Presley. But lately he's been more invisible than accessible, handing off cases to an assistant and answering no questions about the bizarre bomb-and-barbed-wire attack on him on June 1, 2002 or the attempted bombing of his office three months earlier.

• by John Branston

'THE SHAME OF AMERICAN JOURNALISM'

I've been in this business for the best part of thirty years now, and for most of that time, I've been proud to be a tiny, relatively inconspicuous part of something called the "American news media." I was not very proud last night.

• by Kenneth Neill

Short Cuts

Paint It Black: Snakes and Lips hit Hi-Tone.

• by Chris Herrington

STRICKLAND, MCCORMICK SCORE WITH STRAW-POLLERS

For what it's worth, the attendees at District Attorney General Bill Gibbons' annual fundraising fish fry, held at the Catholic Club on Saturday, have signaled their druthers in the forthcoming Memphis city election. A straw poll shows that if Gibbons' boosters -- a middle-of-the-road crowd with moderate Republican tendencies -- had their way, the mayoral victor would be incumbent Willie Herenton; the elected councilmen would include incumbents E.C. Jones (District 1) and Myron Lowery (Super-district 8, Position 3), Scott McCormick (Super-district 9, Position 1), and Jim Strickland (District 5); and incumbent City Court clerk Thomas Long would be re-elected.

• by Jackson Baker

Gloves Off

With the October 9th election approaching, candidates begin to get a bit frisky.

• by Jackson Baker

POLITICS: Gloves Off

With early voting now under way, some of the candidates for city office are not making nice. Some of them are throwing punches, and a few are even throwing bombs.

• by Jackson Baker

Love & Death

A.R. Gurney's tragic romance, Love Letters, opens at Sleeping Cat.

• by Chris Davis

Scare Tactics

Thirteen: It's not easy being teen.

• by Chris Herrington

Postscript

Flyer readers respond.

• by Flyer Readers

Amateur Hour

For novices, running for office is easier than having to govern.

• by Richard Cohen