Terry Brimhall, founder and president of Brimhall Foods Co. Inc., has been named entrepreneur of the year by the Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce.

2. Wright Joins Magna Bank as Senior Vice President - Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Andy Wright has joined Memphis-based Magna Bank as senior vice president and manager of commercial banking. Wright, who previously held senior vice president positions at Iberiabank and First Tennessee Bank, has experience working with a variety of industries, with in-depth expertise in the transportation and logistics industries.

3. Broadcasters Worry About 'Zero TV' Homes - Tuesday, April 09, 2013

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Some people have had it with TV. They've had enough of the 100-plus channel universe. They don't like timing their lives around network show schedules. They're tired of $100-plus monthly bills.

4. Memphis March Honors Slain Civil Rights Leader King - Friday, April 05, 2013

MEMPHIS (AP) – Hundreds of union members and their supporters marched in Memphis on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s murder, calling for a new commitment to the human rights causes he died for.

5. Changeover - Saturday, February 16, 2013

It was almost 40 years ago, but Nancy Smith remembers the one year the men’s pro tennis tournament was held at the Mid-South Coliseum; her father had box seats. But even more memorable is that not long after the tournament moved to The Racquet Club of Memphis, a young and unknown Czech player came to town and, in that far simpler time, stayed at her parents’ house.

6. Events - Thursday, February 07, 2013

The Association of Fundraising Professionals will meet Thursday, Feb. 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Thomas Center at Christian Brothers University, 650 East Parkway S. The topic covers building meaningful relationships. Cost is $15 for members and $25 for nonmembers. Visit afpmemphis.org.

7. Filling the Voids - Saturday, February 02, 2013

Last year was a banner year for adaptive reuse projects in Midtown and Downtown.

Developers announced plans for the Sears Crosstown building, Overton Square, Hotel Chisca, James Lee House and old United Warehouse in the South Main Historic Arts District. Construction began on The Pyramid, turning it into a 220,000-square-foot mega-Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World, and Memphis in May moved into its new headquarters at 56 S. Front St., a 14,600-square-foot building that’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

8. Union Backers Say Nissan Threatens Plant Closure - Thursday, January 31, 2013

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Pro-union workers said Tuesday that Nissan Motor Co. has threatened to close its Canton assembly plant if workers vote for the United Auto Workers to represent them, though the company denies such threats.

9. Gowen Named Marketing Head at Renshaw Property Management - Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Kellyn Gowen has joined Renshaw Property Management as marketing coordinator. In her new role, Gowen manages social media, marketing and communications for the company’s 800 Mid-South rental properties, serves as a liaison for property owners and real estate agents, and spearheads marketing efforts for vacant properties.

10. Leading in New Times - Friday, January 25, 2013

Keith Norman has heard the discussions about the generation gap and the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, the NAACP.

11. McLain Joins Counterpart in Copywriting Role - Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Rebekah McLain has joined Counterpart Communication Design as copywriter. In her new role, McLain will write copy for print and websites, with areas of expertise including higher education, security and disability law, neuropsychology and hospitality.

12. Poll: Fight Obesity Crisis but Keep the Junk Food - Monday, January 07, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Everyone could use a little help keeping those New Year's resolutions to slim down. But if it means the government limiting junk food, the response is an overwhelming, "No."

13. Nonprofit Tech Innovators Inspire New Philanthropy - Monday, December 31, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Scott Harrison knows his charity has funded nearly 7,000 clean water projects in some of the poorest areas of the world in the past six years. How many of those wells are still flowing with drinking water months or years later, though? That's a tough question to answer.

14. Payne Joins Fulton CPAs as Senior Accountant - Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Tarasha Payne has joined Fulton CPAs PLLC as a senior accountant in the areas of taxation, compilation and reviews, and client services. Payne has more than 15 years’ experience in the field and is working toward CPA certification. The announcement comes on the heels of big changes at the accounting firm, including new ownership and a name change from Polsgrove & Fulton. (See The Daily News’ Monday, Dec. 17, edition for more information.)

15. Christmas Spirit - Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Through Friday, Nov. 30, Memphians will be dropping off toys and cash donations at Bud Davis Cadillac in East Memphis for a special purpose.

It’s part of the 2012 WRVR Toy Truck, presented by BancorpSouth Inc., and it’s one of the largest events and fundraisers each year benefiting Porter-Leath, an organization that focuses on at-risk children and families.

16. Scharff Elected to Legal Roles at Buckman, Bulab Holdings - Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Jonathan Scharff has been elected vice president, legal and general counsel for Buckman and corporate secretary for Bulab Holdings Inc., Buckman’s parent company. Scharff has more than 22 years’ experience in the legal industry, including positions at Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale PC in St. Louis and Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh PLLC in Memphis. In his new position, he will oversee legal needs in U.S. and global operating companies and work with associates in preventing and managing legal risks.

17. Aiken: The Study Brings Accountability to Tutoring - Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Entrepreneurs are by nature risk-takers, but it’s not everyday that you see a 24-year-old putting his livelihood on the line to pursue his calling.

In mid-October, James Aiken launched a professional tutoring business called The Study in East Memphis at 5179 Wheelis Drive. The company offers private tutoring in one-on-one and group settings, standardized test preparation and education consulting.

18. Obama Carries Shelby, Cohen Over Flinn and Two Tax Hikes Defeated - Wednesday, November 07, 2012

President Barack Obama carried Shelby County in unofficial Nov. 6 election returns as his Republican challenger Mitt Romney took the state’s 11 electoral votes.

Voter turnout in the most popular election cycle among Shelby County voters was 61.9 percent, about the same percentage as four years ago. But the 371,256 voters is fewer than 2008 when more than 400,000 Shelby County voters cast ballots. The percentage is about the same because there are fewer registered voters in Shelby County than there were four years ago after a purge by election officials.

19. Milestone Celebration - Friday, October 26, 2012

In a few weeks, a quirky Midtown coffeehouse that brims over with culture, from the poetry readings to the bric-a-brac inside to the owner who loves a good poem and the J.J. Abrams TV series “Lost,” will celebrate a milestone.

20. Porter Launches Music Mentorship Program - Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Songwriter, producer, hit-making machine and Memphis native David Porter is moving into the Falls Building Downtown in a few weeks to launch a national music mentorship venture.

21. David Porter Launches Music Mentorship Program - Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Songwriter, producer, hit-making machine and Memphis native David Porter is moving into the Falls Building Downtown in a few weeks to launch a national music mentorship venture.

The Consortium MMT (Memphis Music Town) will be housed in the Greater Memphis Chamber offices and will seek to connect young musicians with music industry veterans.

22. Kennedy to Discuss Latest Book on Memphis Visit - Friday, September 28, 2012

She came to Memphis 35 years ago as a young would-be reporter, an intern for the New York Daily News and looking to cover the death of Elvis Presley.

Caroline Kennedy returns to Memphis next month in the capacity for which she’s more widely known – as the daughter of former President John F. Kennedy and a keeper of the storied Kennedy legacy on the national stage.

23. Mathews Keeps Focus on Eyes Through Various Positions - Friday, September 21, 2012

Some say the eyes are the window to the soul, but Dr. Dennis Mathews will tell you that they can also open doors to a world of information about the entire body. It’s what keeps him fascinated with his profession.

24. CCDC Passes Two Downtown Projects - Thursday, September 20, 2012

Two Downtown Memphis projects were propelled Wednesday, Sept. 19, by the Center City Development Corp. while the board was briefed on several of the area’s businesses that are in flux.

25. Events - Friday, September 14, 2012

Families of Incarcerated Individuals Inc. will hold its small-business startup fair for ex-offenders Friday, Sept. 14, at 11 a.m. at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave. Visit familiesofincarcerated.org.

26. Events - Thursday, September 13, 2012

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America will hold a panel discussion about its “Research in Your Backyard” report on Tennessee clinical trials Thursday, Sept. 13, at 11:30 a.m. at Memphis Bioworks Foundation, 20 Dudley St. Cost is free. Visit phrma.org.

27. McBroom Joins Indie Memphis as Director of Operations - Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Mandy McBroom has been named director of operations for Indie Memphis, the first full-time staff member to hold the position. In her new role, she will oversee festival operations, shorts programming, volunteer opportunities and membership growth.

28. Gatewood Named Marketing Dir. At Methodist Healthcare - Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Megan Gatewood has been promoted to marketing director at Methodist Healthcare. In her new role, Gatewood is responsible for developing and overseeing marketing strategies for Methodist’s adult hospitals, outpatient services and physician practices.

29. Hinte Expands Role At Second to Nunn - Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Lowell Hinte has been promoted to account manager and designer at website- and branding-design company Second to Nunn Design. Hinte has served as a designer at S2N since 2009. In his expanded role, Hinte will ensure clients’ expectations are met on key projects regarding strategy, vision, quality and schedule.

30. B&B Could Spark Victorian Village - Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Following years of due diligence, the James Lee House in Downtown Memphis could soon be the centerpiece of the Victorian Village master plan.

31. B&B Development Could Spark Victorian Village - Monday, August 06, 2012

Following years of due diligence, the James Lee House in Downtown Memphis could soon be the centerpiece of the Victorian Village master plan.

32. Magna Bank Taps Stewart To Lead SBA Division - Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Tom Stewart has been named senior vice president and manager of the small business administration division at Magna Bank. Since joining Magna in March, Stewart has led the bank in obtaining national preferred lending provider status. In his new role, Stewart will oversee all business development activities for the Mid-South along with portfolio management and loan servicing.

33. East Joins Carriage Crossing As Marketing Coordinator - Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Kendra East has joined Carriage Crossing as marketing coordinator. East’s new responsibilities include creating and implementing the lifestyle center’s yearly marketing budget, spearheading onsite events and leading merchant communication.

34. Events - Monday, June 25, 2012

The Tennessee Beta Unit of Parliamentarians will hold its monthly meeting and education program Monday, June 25, at 5:45 p.m. at the Poplar-White Station branch library, 5094 Poplar Ave. Call Jennifer Thompson at 324-5184.

35. Strike up the Band - Monday, May 21, 2012

For anyone who finds themselves in conversation with Mei-Ann Chen about the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, its big plans for the year and major guest performers who’ve been lined up, be prepared to get an earful on a topic about which Chen will evangelize, her smile broad and voice brimming with cheer.

36. Grizzlies Must Answer Many Difficult Offseason Questions - Friday, May 18, 2012

In the world of sports talk radio, improving the Grizzlies would be easy. As easy as, say, “Eddie from East Memphis” calling in and suggesting the Grizzlies ship Dante Cunningham, Jeremy Pargo and Quincy Pondexter to the Oklahoma City Thunder for James Harden.

37. Civil Rights Icon Smith Donates Papers to Library - Friday, May 18, 2012

Maxine Smith pointed out that the wheelchair she used to enter the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library was borrowed – and she also made a point of walking from the doorway of the Memphis and Shelby County Room at the library to her seat in the room.

38. Aging Transit Systems Grapple With Repair Backlog - Tuesday, April 17, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Driven by high gas prices and an uncertain economy, Americans are turning to trains and buses to get around in greater numbers than ever before. But the aging transit systems they're riding face an $80 billion maintenance backlog that jeopardizes service just when it's most in demand.

39. Gibbs, KnoCo Bring Education to Gaming - Friday, April 06, 2012

Editor’s note: This is the third in a six-part series on entrepreneurs in the current round of Seed Hatchery’s “cohort” boot camp.

Memphians of a certain age – say, late 20s and early 30s – probably remember some of the computer games they played in school.

40. Cooper-Young Growth - Tuesday, March 06, 2012

When Bert Smythe decided to launch new restaurant concept Alchemy last summer in the Cooper-Young district, the 5,200-square-foot space formerly occupied by Grace and Au Fond Farmtable seemed about 25 percent larger than was needed.

41. America Still Waiting For Next Great Tennis Champ - Friday, February 24, 2012

Before last year’s U.S. Open, GQ asked a question with John McEnroe-like bluntness: “Why does America suck at tennis?”

It’s an offensive question to American Ryan Sweeting, 24, playing at this week’s Regions Morgan Keegan Championships at The Racquet Club of Memphis, and ranked 78th on the ATP World Tour.

42. Logan New Director Of AHA Heart Ball - Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Sarah Logan has joined the American Heart Association as director of the Heart Ball.

Hometown: Hernando, Miss.

43. Vandy Holds Last Practice Before Heading to Memphis - Friday, December 23, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – The Vanderbilt Commodores know how to wrap up a final practice in style. Just ask senior linebacker Chris Marve.

His teammates lifted him up onto their shoulders Wednesday and carried him off the practice field, while defensive back Sean Richardson got the same treatment himself. Marve says it's been a tradition to carry off the senior linebackers at least since he was a true freshman.

44. Census: Population Slowing in Large Portions of US - Thursday, December 22, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Many states that posted big population gains in the 2010 census are now seeing their decade-long growth fizzle, hurt by a prolonged economic slump that is stretching into larger portions of the South and West.

45. Sumlin: Remembering a Memphis Musical Great - Monday, December 19, 2011

Recent headlines shouted “Chicago Blues Great Hubert Sumlin Dies at 80.” The stories released about the death of Hubert Sumlin were almost correct, but the headlines should have read “Memphis Guitar Great Hubert Sumlin Dies.”

46. MULYP Awards Honor ‘Agents of Change’ - Friday, December 02, 2011

Memphis Urban League Young Professionals celebrates its second annual Agents of Change Awards Saturday, Dec. 3, honoring individuals and organizations that have made contributions to the community.

47. Poetry Collection Worth a Look - Thursday, November 17, 2011

Unlike a day, a year, a month or a season,/ A week hasn’t a name; what is the reason? No quotation marks. The couplet is mine. Almost deep, but not quite. Consider the work that inspired the above (warning: it’s deeper):

48. Chickasaw Council to Honor Two at Awards Luncheon - Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Charles C. Gerber and R. Andrew Taylor of Gerber/Taylor Capital Advisors will be honored Wednesday, Nov. 2, at the Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award Luncheon held by the Chickasaw Council, Boy Scouts of America’s Scoutreach Division.

49. Girls Inc. Expands With 2 Centers in Frayser - Monday, October 31, 2011

Girls Inc. of Memphis, a nonprofit that this year celebrated 65 years of bettering the lives of Memphis girls, recently announced the opening of two new after-school centers for girls in the Frayser area.

50. TDN’s Seminar Touts Sustainability - Monday, October 10, 2011

Green is the buzzword in business these days. From economic development to real estate construction, public and private initiatives focused on sustainability are reshaping the way business is conducted.

51. Green Seminar to Cover Efficiency, Sustainability - Thursday, October 06, 2011

The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. on Thursday, Oct. 6, hosts The Daily News Green Seminar, part of the 2011 Seminar Series, focusing on sustainability and green issues.

52. Daily News Seminar to Focus on Green Issues - Monday, September 26, 2011

In business these days, it’s all about the green. From economic development to real estate construction, public and private initiatives focusing on sustainability are reshaping the way business is conducted.

53. Sneed Promoted At Humane Society - Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Kerry Sneed has been promoted to community outreach and humane education coordinator at the Humane Society of Memphis.

54. Mrs. Obama Applauds Olive Garden 'Healthier Food' Announcement - Friday, September 16, 2011

HYATTSVILLE, Md. (AP) — Michelle Obama said Thursday that a pledge by the Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants and their sister chains to serve healthier meals is a "breakthrough moment" for the industry.

55. Need Not Apply - Monday, August 22, 2011

If America’s busted housing market is the ghost of recession past, then teenagers flipping burgers, selling clothes at the local mall or filling internships are in danger of becoming the ghosts of that downturn’s future.

56. Rock for Love: A Benefit With Edge - Monday, August 15, 2011

Five years ago, Marvin Stockwell and Jeff Hulett, the Church Health Center’s guitar-swinging public relations duo, decided to throw a benefit concert featuring local and regional bands.

57. Arlington Gears Up for Mayor’s Race - Friday, August 05, 2011

Before Memphis voters go to the polls this October to decide a mayor’s race, voters in Arlington will decide a four-way race for mayor in the Sept. 15 elections there.

The Memphis field of 10 includes candidates like incumbent Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and challenger James Harvey, who are relying on sophisticated computer software and lots of volunteers to turn out tens of thousands of people in early voting and on Election Day.

58. Lesser-Known Miss. Gov Candidates Offer Platforms - Monday, August 01, 2011

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Democratic and Republican primaries this coming Tuesday will narrow the field of candidates for Mississippi governor.

Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant of Brandon and commercial building contractor Dave Dennis of Pass Christian are spending the most in the five-person race for the Republican nomination, while Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree and Clarksdale businessman and attorney Bill Luckett are grabbing the most attention on the Democratic side.

59. Roth Forges Own Path with Alchemy in C-Y - Monday, August 01, 2011

Ben Vaughn has some advice for Karen Roth:

60. GCT Brings Dahl’s ‘Craziness’ to Stage - Monday, July 25, 2011

Germantown Community Theatre will finish off its summer children’s productions with a celebration of magic, insects and childlike whimsy.

Roald Dahl’s “James and the Giant Peach,” opening July 29, offers a family-friendly look into the imaginations of children and the way child actors manage a show all their own.

61. New Eateries Coming to Midtown - Friday, July 15, 2011

Midtown has a reputation for one of Memphis’ most eclectic areas, adorned with vintage houses, international cuisine and funky entertainment venues.

In the coming weeks, it will broaden its portfolio even more with three Memphis eateries: Gigi’s Cupcakes, The Slider Inn and a yet-to-be named concept in Cooper-Young.

62. Auto Industry, Seeing New Life, is on Hiring Spree - Thursday, July 07, 2011

DETROIT (AP) – Volkswagen opened a plant in Tennessee last month with 2,000 workers. Honda is hiring 1,000 in Indiana to meet demand for its best-selling Civic. General Motors is looking for 2,500 in Detroit to build the Chevy Volt.

63. 'Skills Gap' Leaves Firms Without Worker Pipeline - Friday, July 01, 2011

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – John Russo's chemical lab in North Kingstown has been growing in recent years, even despite a deflated economy, and he expects to add another 15 to 20 positions to his 49 employees over the next year.

64. Tenn. has Troubled History With Medical Examiners - Wednesday, June 01, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – The court battle to get records of beleaguered former Knox County medical examiner Sandra Elkins provides another glimpse into Tennessee's storied history with some of its top death investigators.

65. Noffsinger Receives Leadership Award - Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Mike Noffsinger, sales manager for the Memphis location of the RJ Young Co., has received the John T. Crunk Leadership Award, an honor given to an employee who exhibits outstanding leadership traits and performance during the year.

66. Spring Fever, Flavors Hit Memphis Kitchens - Monday, April 04, 2011

March came in like a lion and it didn’t exactly go out like a lamb, but the contradictory month still spells the beginning of spring, when young men’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love, and chefs in restaurant kitchens begin considering changes to their menus that reflect a more buoyant season. In fact, chefs get pretty darned excited about this momentous change of seasons.

67. A Bridge to Cross - Monday, March 28, 2011

Martyrs Park sits atop the Chickasaw Bluff and overlooks the Mississippi River, its lone modern sculpture a memorial to victims of the 19th century Yellow Fever epidemics that devastated Memphis from the 1850s through the 1870s.

68. Metamorphoses Targets Memphis’ At-Risk Boys - Friday, March 04, 2011

When the national news media early this year zeroed in on reports of high rates of pregnancy among Memphis’ adolescent girls and the programs being implemented to address the issue, many Memphians asked, “So, what about the boys?”

69. Bridge Deal Could Bring 600-Mile River Bike Trail - Tuesday, February 08, 2011

If plans materialize for a pedestrian and bicycle boardwalk on the north side of the Harahan rail bridge, the access areas on both sides of the Mississippi River near the bridge would change rapidly.

70. UP City Agree to Work on Bridge Path - Monday, February 07, 2011

Union Pacific Railroad officials have agreed to work with the city of Memphis and Crittenden County, Ark. officials toward the goal of a bicycle and pedestrian path on the Harahan rail bridge across the Mississippi River.

71. UP Exec, Local Group to Meet About Harahan Wagonway - Friday, February 04, 2011

Union Pacific Railroad CEO James Young meets at the company’s headquarters in Omaha, Neb., Friday with a group from Memphis and West Memphis to talk about biking and hiking.

72. Local Group, UP to Discuss Harahan Bridge - Wednesday, January 26, 2011

A delegation from Memphis led by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. will be in Omaha, Neb., next week to talk with Union Pacific railroad executives about a bicycle and pedestrian path across the Mississippi River.

73. Gibson Honored as Part of ‘30 Under 30’ List - Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Andre Gibson, chair of the Memphis City Beautiful Commission and vice president of the Memphis Urban League Young Professionals, has been named among Rosewood Hotels’ national 30 Under 30 campaign.

74. B.I.G. Idea - Monday, November 15, 2010

With crime on a downward spiral in Memphis, a new initiative seeks to amplify this trend by forging partnerships between business leaders and police precincts.

Business Interest Group (B.I.G.) Uniting for a Better Memphis is asking people to step outside their office walls to learn what’s really happening in nearby neighborhoods. Likewise, precinct commanders are coming into conference rooms to present crime statistics and answer questions.

75. Baker Donelson Attorneys Named Super Lawyers - Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Twenty-two attorneys from the Memphis office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC have been named to the 2010 Mid-South Super Lawyers.

The attorneys are Ben C. Adams, Mary L. Aronov, Leo M. Bearman Jr., Sam B. Blair Jr., Michael B. Chance, E. Franklin Childress Jr., Angie C. Davis, Robert J. DelPriore, Gregory G. Fletcher, William H.D. Fones Jr., Grady M. Garrison, Stephen D. Goodwin, James R. “Josh” Hall Jr., Matthew S. Heiter, George T. “Buck” Lewis III, Robert C. Liddon Jr., Eugene J. Podesta Jr., Jackie G. Prester, Jill M. Steinberg, Buckner Wellford, Maurice Wexler and Edward R. Young.

76. A New Era - Monday, October 25, 2010

As the Grizzlies mark their 10th season in Memphis, whispers of “contender” and “dark horse” can be heard in the halls of FedExForum.

The positive outlook is an encouraging sign for a team that sat at the bottom of the league just two seasons ago and has endured a bumpy ride during its decade-long tenure in Memphis.

77. Oldham Fills Top Sheriff's Positions - Monday, October 04, 2010

Shelby County Sheriff Bill Oldham has named William S. Cash as his chief deputy and Robert L. Moore as interim director of the Shelby County Jail.

78. Andrasik Named Chair of UM Psychology Dept. - Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Frank Andrasik has been named chairman of the University of Memphis Department of Psychology.

Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
Education: Received Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Ohio University in 1979 after completing an internship at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (Department of Psychiatry) at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Family: My wife, Candy; three daughters, Meghan, Kelly and Holly; one son, Dodge; and two young granddaughters, Harper and Rhiley.
Favorite quote: From my now deceased father: “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.”
Activities you enjoy outside of work: Several. Dining out and going to movies, plays, or concerts. We’ve already been to see Sheryl Crow at Mud Island. Anything outside and exercising. Before hip surgery I enjoyed running, but now I am confined to walking.
Who has had the greatest influence on you? I need to mention two. First would be my father, from whom I received my strong work ethic. Second would be professor Kay Deaux, who helped me find my way in psychology.
Why did you pursue a career in psychology? Like many undergraduates, I struggled to find my niche. I took a class with professor Kay Deaux, a well-known social psychologist, and afterwards she invited me to work in her laboratory.
In seconds, I was hooked on psychology. I needed only to find the right area of specialization, which for me was clinical psychology.
What attracted you to the University of Memphis? Many things. The quality of the faculty, students and staff. The exciting projects being pursued. The many possibilities to collaborate with folks on and off campus. The opportunity to help make a very strong program even more so.
What do you consider your greatest professional accomplishments? Contributing to the knowledge base of psychology and the professional development of students and more junior colleagues.
What do you most enjoy about your work? Working with students and seeing their eyes light up when they get excited by psychology.

79. FedEx Focused on Future - Wednesday, September 29, 2010

FedEx Corp. announced its goal to increase earnings per share by 10 to 15 percent yearly over the long-term and achieve 10 percent plus operating margins at this week’s annual stockholders meeting.

80. FedEx CIO Carter to Highlight Leadership Academy Luncheon - Tuesday, August 31, 2010

In May, longtime FedEx CIO and executive vice president of information services Rob Carter joined the likes of pop star Lady Gaga, fashion designer Tom Ford and Oscar-winning director James Cameron on Fast Company’s 2010 list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business.

81. Head of VA Center Oversees Facility Improvement - Thursday, August 19, 2010

James L. Robinson III, the CEO of the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, thinks often of the men who had his name before him.

The son and grandson of veterans, Robinson saw firsthand how they depended upon hospitals like the one he now leads. Robinson keeps their photographs in his office, looking to them for inspiration as he charts a future course for a hospital that serves a changing population of veterans.

These days, many of the veterans are young enough to be his children.

“There was a time when you would go to VA and all you would see for recreation was a bingo board,” he said. “That doesn’t cut it any more.”

During the hospital’s 2010 fiscal year, 2,944 out of the 5,385 patients served were veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (second gulf war).

They accounted for 55 percent of the total veterans seen. Their number has increased 6 percent so far this year. These new patients have different needs and expectations, and they also include a larger percentage of women.

“I’ll tell you one big challenge,” Robinson said. “Because body armor and battlefield medicine are a lot better, there are a lot of people surviving things that they may not have survived in the past.”

A psychologist, Robinson took the helm of Memphis VA facility last November. Having been with the Department of Veterans Affairs for 18 years, he has worked at five VA hospitals and served as CEO of the one in Dublin, Ga., prior to coming to Memphis.

His original intention was leave the VA system after he completed the clinician hours to be a licensed psychologist.

“Somewhere along the line, you kind of fall in love with the mission and you think about the people you are serving,” he said. “It’s like ‘How can I do anything else?’”

Robinson has noticed this same commitment among the more than 2,000 people who work at the VA, 60 percent of whom are veterans themselves.

The demands upon them have increased steadily because the nation has now been at war for a decade.

The local VA center has had to expand its rehabilitation therapy services, but some of the worst scars on patients are not physical. The hospital has also had to devote more space to psychiatric services.

“We have renovated one of our in-patient psychiatric units and we are renovating a second one,” Robinson said. “We will be opening it in September.”

One big change under Robinson’s leadership has been the introduction of hospitalists, doctors who function as primary care physicians during patient stays and work with specialists to coordinate care.

“We’ve added five of them, which really gives us incredible continuity of care,” he said. “I think it’s going to jump start our satisfaction because you have a group of people who know the patients they are dealing with. They will build up practice patterns that are more consistent.”

The Memphis hospital is in the class of VA Medical Centers that offer the most complex level of services. Other facilities send patients to the center.

However, Robinson said that doesn’t mean the hospital has its market cornered.

“We do have to compete because we serve a number of veterans who have private health care insurance,” he said. “We have to compete for those guys.”

He plans to start touting the successes of world-class researchers who work at the center so the hospital can better recruit medical staff.

Robinson also wants to improve patient satisfaction scores. One priority is better parking services at the facility. A longer-term goal is the addition of more private rooms.

“Probably one of the first things we are looking at is starting valet parking,” he said. “We realize parking is a problem. There are actually plans for two lots. One is a deck. The reason why it is not a certainty is because with projects like that you have to compete nationally.”

The center is also considering providing golf carts shuttles to transport patients across the parking lot.

“I draw a direct nexus between parking and satisfaction,” he said. “I’m going to make a strong case that we need to be considered highly for this.”

82. Pie Factory Lofts Sell Out at Auction - Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The developer of the Pie Factory Lofts, which occupy a block of Young Avenue between New York and Philadelphia streets in the Cooper-Young neighborhood, sold its remaining 18 condos at auction last weekend.

83. Developer Hopes Condos Go Like Hotcakes at Auction - Tuesday, July 20, 2010

A condo development in a historic Midtown neighborhood where pies used to be made is now focusing on making lemonade out of lemons.

The Pie Factory Lofts, occupying a block of Young Avenue between New York and Philadelphia streets will auction off 18 available units Saturday at 11 a.m.

84. Lux to Reopen in New Cooper-Young Locale - Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Lux owner Tadd Feazell is reopening his clothing store right after ending a going-out-of-business sale.

He swears the sale was not a marketing ploy. The store is coming back to life because he was offered a new location he couldn’t pass up, Feazell said.

85. Judge Disallows Videotaped Confession in Slayings - Wednesday, July 07, 2010

MEMPHIS (AP) — A judge in the case of a Memphis man accused of killing six people will not allow a videotaped confession that aired on the crime reality show "First 48" to be used at trial.

86. Springdale Fights Back - Monday, June 21, 2010

In the mile of Springdale Street between Chelsea and Jackson avenues there are five churches. That’s not counting the churches on side streets.

On Eldridge Avenue, one of those side streets, between two tiny churches is a pair of identical small houses – both boarded up.

The one closest to the corner has faded blue spray paint stenciled across the plywood.

In inner-city Memphis, the stenciling is as familiar as gang graffiti. It’s the mark of the Memphis Police Department’s Blue CRUSH campaign.

Five years into the crackdown guided by a devotion to crime statistics, crime is down in Memphis.

But the statistical drop in crime has come with lingering questions and concerns in Springdale and other neighborhoods with Blue CRUSH houses.

“Once we board them up, we really have to depend on the community to let us know if drug dealers have broken back into them,” Shelby County District Attorney General Bill Gibbons said. “If we don’t know about it, sometimes drug dealers can get right back in there.”

In the neighborhoods, homeowners lament that street level dealers are easily replaced and soon released from jail to resume their place in the neighborhoods – now with a criminal record that makes a move away from drug dealing even more unlikely.

Last year, a team from Memphis that included a police officer, a state prosecutor, a federal prosecutor, a University of Memphis researcher, the head of the Memphis Leadership Foundation and the pastor of one of those five churches along Springdale went to several cities to get training in a new anti-drug strategy.

“We were really interested in changing people’s lives, not locking them up,” Springdale Baptist Pastor Derrick Hughes told The Memphis News. Hughes wasn’t sure at first if he would be part of the Drug Market Intervention (DMI) program.

“It sounded as if possibly it was just another program that was going to possibly just put criminals in jail without rehabilitation,” he said. “And I wanted to make sure that if we were going to be a part of something that it was going to look at rehabilitating the person, changing lives, changing them from a holistic point of view as well as a spiritual point of view.”

Gibbons said some of his prosecutors and some police brass also had their doubts as they looked for an area to test out DMI Memphis style.

“It was based primarily on looking at crime patterns and in particular drug activity in that area,” he told The Memphis News. There was plenty of open drug dealing in the Springdale area.

Drug Market Intervention is picking several street level drug dealers in a community, confronting them with the evidence against them and telling them they have one more chance to get out of the business. The police are involved in making a decision not to prosecute a few as they target dozens of others in an area.

Others on the team are community leaders from the neighborhood. And some are with proven programs to provide job training and other help in getting a legitimate job.

High Point, N.C., was the first stop for the Memphis group because it is the birthplace of DMI. It seems an unlikely example for Memphis with a population of fewer than 100,000. But in 2003, High Point had several open air drug markets. The city’s new police chief, James Fealy, attacked them using what became the DMI strategy.

David Kennedy, director of the Center for Crime Control and Prevention at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, replicated DMI in other cities with money from the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance. The BJA funded the training of the Memphis team and came here.

Kennedy’s philosophy is specific to open air drug markets. It doesn’t pretend to eliminate all drug dealing.

“Open air drug markets are found primarily in our cities and in African-American neighborhoods,” Kennedy wrote in a 2008 article for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Journal. “Although we are loathe to admit it, this issue is soaked in race.”

Kennedy said police complained to him that the families of the drug dealers and others in the surrounding communities knew they were selling drugs, did nothing to stop it and profited from it.

But Kennedy said those living in the communities countered that police were only interested in locking up as many people as they could as part of a conspiracy to destroy the community.

Kennedy said each side had a point and each side was wrong.

“The crime is real and overwhelmingly the arrests are legitimate. But we are destroying the village in order to save it,” he wrote. “And none of this gets rid of the crime. The drug markets and violence continue to exist.”

Kennedy didn’t try to tackle the long-standing racial issues and their lengthy back story. The conversations that formed the basis for the DMI strategy were about drug markets.

It was hard for some on the Memphis team to believe that hardened drug dealers would respond when the threat of arrest, prison time, drive-by shootings and gang turf tripwires hadn’t discouraged them from the life.

Nevertheless, when they returned to Memphis, the planning began for several months of undercover drug buys in the Springdale area by the police Organized Crime Unit. For months, the officers bought repeatedly from dozens of street dealers in a two-mile radius of Springdale. And they recorded the drug buys on video – not just one buy but multiple buys.

Prosecutors reviewed the cases against more than 60 men and women and prosecuted 51 of them. Five were indicted on federal drug charges. Six others – five men and a woman – were the first candidates for the Memphis DMI program.

“It was taking a look at individuals who obviously were involved in drug trafficking, but a little more on the periphery – not an extensive drug record,” Gibbons said.

A few days after New Year’s Day, police descended on the Springdale area serving the arrest warrants and putting up a fresh crop of plywood with blue stenciling on the drug houses in the area. The neighborhood grapevine buzzed anew about the heavy police presence.

It was still buzzing when on the coldest day of the year – Jan. 8 – the Memphis group knocked on six doors in the Springdale area. The temperature never got near freezing and was in single digits part of the day.

No one inside the six houses knew they were coming. No one approaching the doorsteps knew what the reaction inside would be.

It was the first indication the six people involved and inside those homes had that they had sold drugs to undercover Memphis police officers and had been recorded on video making multiple drug sales to the officers.

The father of one of the six was among those who had been arrested.

When the DMI team knocked on his door, his grandmother answered.

“He did not want his grandmother to know why we were standing at the door,” Peggie Russell, the DMI coordinator and a University of Memphis researcher and community resource specialist, said. “He said, ‘It’s OK grandmother.’”

Howard Eddings, president of the Memphis Leadership Foundation, said the young man didn’t deny he was a drug dealer.

“He wanted to basically shut the door,” Eddings told The Memphis News. “She might not have known exactly what he was doing. She was an older lady. He didn’t like the fact that we were knocking on her door.”

He and the other five got a letter asking them to come to Springdale Baptist Church a few days later. If they came, the letter from Police Director Larry Godwin said they would not be prosecuted this time.

For Hughes the pledge was crucial. He wanted to be able to say, “I give you my word, you will not be arrested,” with certainty and conviction.

Five of the six showed up at Hughes’ church where the congregation and other community leaders were waiting in the sanctuary. On the walls were posters of the 51 defendants who weren’t getting the chance they were about to get. The posters included the possible prison sentences those defendants faced.

The five “guests” sat in a reserved front row with a friend or family member.

Their faces blurred in a video of the event, they listened as Assistant District Attorney Amy Weirich told them, “We’ve had it,” and called their names individually. “The Memphis Police Department is tired of picking up dead bodies in the street.”

Russell remembers some denying they had done anything wrong. Then police showed the video.

They watched video of themselves selling drugs numerous times to undercover police officers.

The woman’s denials stopped.

“She got caught during the first time. I don’t necessarily know that we believed it was the first time,” Eddings remembered. “But she was so embarrassed as a mom who had small kids who was put in the spotlight. … All of her junk is coming to the forefront.”

Russell said some of the others were telling those who came with them that they had no idea why they were summoned to the church.

“You’re sitting there and you’re telling your family member, ‘No, I didn’t do it,’” Russell said. “Then the tape started rolling … and you see yourself. It’s reality. You can’t hide it. I think that was a turning point for most of them.”

Hughes told the group of five that the church cared about them and was willing to help.

Some of his congregants spoke up too.

“Our congregants said, ‘Listen, we’re tired of watching you sell drugs. We’re tired of being afraid of coming in and out of our communities. We want our community back,’” Hughes recalled. “During the call in, some of our residents had an opportunity to look in their faces and say, ‘We are tired of the way you’ve been running down our communities. This used to be a wonderful community where people had pride, where people had hope. … Now a lot of us are afraid.’”

After the tough talk and the confrontation came a commitment to work with the five DMI candidates. Eddings emphasized there are no guarantees.

“We were careful not to promise them that we were going to get them jobs or that even if we could get them a job that it was going to pay them something comparable to what they were making on the street,” he said. ”We said the opposite. We can’t do that at all. But one thing we do know for sure. If you stop doing what you’re doing, you don’t go to jail.”

Russell, who gets much of the credit for pushing to give DMI a try and has become the program’s de facto coordinator, described the response as “something totally new.”

“It’s not about those five,” she said. “They are supposed to stay out of trouble for two years to make the necessary transition in their lives. But it’s really about the Hollywood Springdale community, changing the response of the community to open air drug sales.”

Eddings was surprised by the response.

“Most of these guys’ mamas know what they’re doing. But to know now that other mamas and other grandparents and other church leaders and the community have their eye on you, it has a different motivation,” he said. “Some of these guys are hardened. They’ve been doing it for a while and they’ve been out there on the streets. So, not much embarrasses them. But I could tell by looking at them and even some of the denials.”

The Memphis Leadership Foundation already works with convicted felons trying to make the difficult transition after prison. There are even fewer guarantees for those with a substantial prison record.

Marcus, who didn’t want his last name used, vented about how hard it’s been to find a legitimate job since he did prison time in 2006 for felony drug dealing.

“It’s not like people want to sell drugs,” he began. “On a lot of applications they are saying they don’t discriminate. They’re lying. … They’re ready to end the session right then. They might tear up the application in your face.”

If drug dealers like him bring blight to areas like Springdale and violence and a hard life for law-abiding citizens, Marcus said society has responded with its own brand of hardness.

“They ain’t reaching out anymore,” he said. “They expect for the world to be better because we’re building more jails. We’re putting more cops out. If somebody killed me today – the person who killed me, they want to put him in jail. But why put him in jail when y’all treating this man he killed like he’s a nobody anyway.”

Eddings said with criminal records or without, street level drug dealers have problems as they get older because they have no legitimate work history. He started to say there aren’t transferable skills before thinking about it.

“Actually, some of the skills do transfer. They’ve just got to get access,” he said. “It’s really a reshaping, a little bit more recognition that they need to deal with in terms of how they see themselves and how they can use those skills that they utilize on the streets to do something positive and pursue a legitimate way of life.”

The young man Eddings is working with seems not to have hit the wall that Marcus is at yet.

“He is simply trying to figure out how to put one foot in front of the other. They go from having some source of income to having no source of income,” Eddings told The Memphis News. “We’re convincing him now that getting his GED ought to be a decision that he ought to make. He’s been a little slow in that.”

Hughes said he would get the occasional dope boy showing up at his church before DMI.

“Very rarely. I did hear one or two stragglers you come across who say, ‘Yes, I do want to change.’ Often times, it’s usually because of a pending trial or they are in trouble,” he said. “Since that time, we’ve had a lot of people coming, wanting to change their lives.”

Gibbons is reviewing some neighborhoods where DMI might go next but he’s not saying where because of the undercover police work involved. He wants to see it replicated based on lessons learned in Memphis and he hopes to get a federal grant to hire a full-time coordinator.

The sixth man given a chance in the DMI program didn’t come to the church and was prosecuted. He pleaded guilty to five counts of selling drugs and was sentenced to four years in prison and fined $10,000. But the sentence was suspended and he was put on a diversion program.

Weirich recalled Criminal Court Judge John Fowlkes asking the man why he didn’t respond. He told Fowlkes, “It sounded too good to be true.”

87. United Way Chooses Committee Chairman - Thursday, May 20, 2010

The United Way of the Mid-South has announced a new chairman for its volunteer board of directors.

William J. Logue, president and chief executive officer of FedEx Freight Corp., is the chairman of the board, while Martha Perine Beard of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Memphis Branch is chairman-elect.

88. Elena Kagan Chosen by Obama for Supreme Court - Tuesday, May 11, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama nominated Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court on Monday, declaring the former Harvard Law School dean "one of the nation's foremost legal minds." She would be the court's youngest justice and give it three female members for the first time.

89. Unsung Heroes - Monday, April 19, 2010

It’s often said that Memphis takes its musical talent for granted.

That certainly wasn’t true Thursday night at Studio on the Square, where an overflow crowd celebrated the Bar-Kays, the Stax back-up band and funkmasters who’ve survived tragedy and setbacks during their 40-year career.

90. Inside The Priest Files: Documents reveal 50 years of abuse, cover-ups in Memphis diocese - Monday, April 12, 2010

John Doe and his family watched 1999 change to the year 2000 in Memphis.

They were visitors to the city, here for a family medical emergency.

Looking back on it seven years later, Doe would remember “mentally trying to see if the world was going to end because everybody was scared something was going to happen.”

91. Ex-Klansman Convicted in '64 Slayings Sues FBI - Friday, February 26, 2010

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A former Ku Klux Klansman convicted in the 1964 slayings of three civil rights workers has sued the FBI, claiming the government used a mafia hit man to pistol-whip and intimidate witnesses for information in the case.

92. Events - Thursday, January 28, 2010

The Memphis Advertising Federation will hold a luncheon today from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at the Holiday Inn-University of Memphis, 3700 Central Ave. James Datri, president and chief executive officer of the American Advertising Federation, will speak. Cost is free for members and $25 for guests. For reservations, e-mail info@aafmemphis.org.

93. Events - Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence will hold a workshop today from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at its office, 5100 Poplar Ave., Suite 502. Judith Millesen, an associate professor at Ohio University, will speak. Cost is $99 for members, $150 for nonmembers and $89 for those in the Program for Nonprofit Excellence. For more information, call 684-6605 or visit www.npexcellence.org.

94. Square's History as Varied as it's Buildings - Monday, January 18, 2010

The idea of changing Overton Square may be controversial, but in its 40-year history, the entertainment district has been all about change of one kind or another.

The square's founders – none older than 25 but all with a knowledge of how businesses were financed – undertook a bold transformation of a set of pre-World War II storefronts along the border between the Munson Park and Trimbleton subdivisions.

95. Square Deal Undone - Monday, January 18, 2010

A facelift has been in the works for about a year for a Midtown landmark that long ago succumbed to the real estate equivalent of jowls and wrinkled skin. But after months of planning, it now appears the proposed nips and tucks for Overton Square, a roughly 10-acre hodgepodge of shops, restaurants and a movie theater, won't be happening after all.

96. Surprise Commission Appointee Lays Out Plans, Goals - Monday, December 28, 2009

Edith C. Moore is the newest member of the Shelby County Commission, which appointed her during its last meeting of the year on Dec. 21.

Moore represents District 3 Position 3, the seat vacated by Joe Ford earlier in December when he was appointed interim Shelby County mayor.

97. 2009 Year In Review - Monday, December 28, 2009

2009 was a year without a script – and plenty of improvising on the political stage.

It was supposed to be an off-election year except in Arlington and Lakeland.

2008 ended with voters in the city and county approving a series of changes to the charters of Memphis and Shelby County governments. Those changes were supposed to set a new direction for both entities, kicking into high gear in 2010 and ultimately culminating two years later.

98. An Upset Choice For The County Commission - Tuesday, December 22, 2009

A retired IBM executive who decided to take a political leap at the last minute is the newest Shelby County Commissioner.

Edith C. Moore got seven votes from eleven members of the Shelby County Commission in the sixth round of voting to fill the vacancy created by Commissioner Joe Ford’s appointment as interim Shelby County Mayor.

99. UPDATE: Moore Is Upset Choice For County Commission - Monday, December 21, 2009

A retired IBM executive who decided to take a political leap at the last minute is the newest Shelby County Commissioner.

Edith C. Moore got seven votes from eleven members of the Shelby County Commission in the sixth round of voting to fill the vacancy created by Commissioner Joe Ford’s appointment as interim Shelby County Mayor.

100. AP IMPACT: Some Lawmakers Send Few to Academies - Monday, November 23, 2009

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - As the nation's military academies try to recruit more minorities, they aren't getting much help from members of Congress from big-city districts with large numbers of blacks, Hispanics and Asians.