Retirees considering where to spend their golden years might want to consider Tennessee.

That’s according to Bankrate.com, the personal finance website, which this week ranked Tennessee at the top of its list of the 10 best states for retirement. The site’s analysts crunched numbers in several categories, including cost of living, taxes, health care, crime and climate.

2. Apperson Crump Expands in Triad III - Friday, March 15, 2013

Memphis’ oldest continuously practicing law firm is expanding its presence in Triad III.

Apperson Crump PLC added 2,037 square feet to its seventh floor space in a vacant adjacent area between Silverleafe Capital Partners LLC.

3. Olymbec USA LLC Buys Again in Memphis - Saturday, March 02, 2013

Olymbec USA LLC has acquired 40,000 square feet of land and three small shed buildings totaling 12,000 square feet at 373 W. Brooks Road through a January auction from the Estate of George E. Smith for $50,600.

4. Olymbec USA LLC Buys Again in Memphis - Friday, March 01, 2013

Olymbec USA LLC has acquired 40,000 square feet of land and three small shed buildings totaling 12,000 square feet at 373 W. Brooks Road through a January auction from the Estate of George E. Smith for $50,600.

5. Victory Packaging Relocates to Memphis - Friday, January 18, 2013

Victory Packaging soon will relocate its entire Southaven branch operation to the Southeast Memphis industrial submarket.

The Houston, Texas-based industrial packaging supplier and distributor inked 158,333 square feet in Shelby Air Park Building 1, 4500 Malone Road. The 475,000-square-foot building also houses Terminal Warehouse Inc.

6. Gammon Joins Methodist in Business Development - Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Myra Gammon has joined Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare as a business development account manager for Community Care Associates. In her new role, Gammon is responsible for the development and management of the Occupational Health and Wellness Services program.

7. Local Logistics Firms Expand Medical Real Estate Offerings - Monday, December 03, 2012

Memphis area industrial brokers are reporting an increase in activity with third-party and proprietary logistics companies involved in distribution of medical/pharma-related product.

During the second half of this year, several local companies have inked new leases that will expand their overall space in the Memphis area, creating new jobs in the process.

8. Commercial Advisors Hires Ewen as Controller - Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Erika Ewen has joined Cushman & Wakefield/Commercial Advisors Asset Services LLC as controller. Ewen will direct the accounting department in all accounting functions and financial reporting of Commercial Advisors Asset Services as well as all property management clients.

9. Levine Named President of Southern Growth Studio - Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Mark Levine has joined Southern Growth Studio as president. In his role, Levine leads the firm’s Strategic Analysis team and plays a key part in the company’s culture, business development and client relationship management.

10. Commission To Put Pera On FedExForum Lease, Appoint Election Reform Panel - Monday, September 24, 2012

Shelby County Commissioners take up a new name on the lease for FedExForum at their Monday, Sept. 24, meeting.

On the agenda is a resolution replacing Hoops LP, the Memphis Grizzlies ownership group headed by Michael Heisley, with RJP Group LLC, the ownership group headed by Robert Pera.

11. Election Commission Admits Ballot Problems - Thursday, July 26, 2012

Challenges to the conduct of the Aug. 2 election may have reached a peak Tuesday, July 24.

The Shelby County Election Commission admitted a “limited number” of voters in some precincts got early voting ballots that included the wrong district races.

12. AIRfair? - Monday, June 11, 2012

Two frequent-flyer businessmen booked side-by-side seats on Delta Air Lines flights from Minneapolis to St. Louis last month, with one of them getting charged a higher price than the other each time they tried booking it.

13. Aerotropolis Brand Slow To Catch On - Monday, April 30, 2012

The president of the company that helped give Alliance, Texas, the country’s first 100 percent cargo airport said he and others in the project had the advantage of working with a relatively blank slate.

14. Baker Donelson Elects New Shareholders - Monday, April 23, 2012

Four attorneys in the Memphis office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC have been elected shareholders.

They are Adam Baldridge, Christopher Coats, Richard Mattern and Stacie Smith Winkler.

15. Law Career Event Planned for U of M - Monday, April 16, 2012

Students from area high schools, colleges and youth organizations will get an opportunity to learn about the legal profession from a diverse group of professionals April 24 at “Legal Careers Forum: The ABCs – Advocates, Barristers and Counselors.”

16. Laffer Rails Against Tenn. Estate Tax - Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Art Laffer, a former economic adviser to President Ronald Reagan, once sketched a diagram on a cocktail napkin for a staffer in Gerald Ford’s administration – named Dick Cheney – to showcase what’s now known as the Laffer Curve.

17. Finard Wraps First Phase of Poplar Plaza Renovation - Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Finard Properties LLC has completed the first of many phases in redeveloping Poplar Plaza at Poplar Avenue and South Highland Street – a multimillion-dollar project undertaken to ultimately prepare the center for a new Kroger.

18. Benz Repair Shop to Open On Cooper St. - Friday, March 09, 2012

A high-end automobile maintenance and repair shop soon will be added to Cooper-Young’s booming portfolio of local businesses.

Shane Herbers, founder of Midtown Motor Werks, has leased 5,000 square feet at 795 S. Cooper St. from Richard Sullivan.

19. CK’s Moves Into Jackson as Part of Expansion - Friday, March 02, 2012

A longtime Memphis diner chain is expanding its presence into the Jackson, Tenn., market.

CK’s Coffee Shop has signed a five-year lease for 1,390 square feet of the existing 4,900-square-foot Old Medina Market Gas Station at 2800 Old Medina Road.

20. Applying Pressure - Monday, February 20, 2012

On Super Bowl Sunday, a group of 20 people huddled near a set of about as many tents on the Civic Center Plaza – the part of the Main Street Mall that is home to City Hall as well as the county, state and federal buildings.

21. That's a Wrap - Monday, January 02, 2012

If the grand sweep of 2011 could be captured on celluloid and presented to an audience on the big screen, all the components of a great film would be readily apparent.

There was drama, in the form of a deluge and historic flooding that led the Mississippi River to crest at nearly 48 feet early in the year. One of the year’s big surprises saw President Barack Obama give the commencement address for the Booker T. Washington High School class of 2011 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

22. Touch and Go - Monday, December 19, 2011

In the aviation industry, Memphis International Airport is considered a fortress hub, an airport where a single airline – in Memphis’ case, Delta Air Lines Inc. – handles 70 percent or more of the passenger flights.

23. Event Spotlights Growing India-Memphis Relationship - Thursday, November 03, 2011

The purchasing power of India’s growing middle class has American businesses racing to expand into that nation, and on Tuesday, Nov. 1, Memphis Bioworks Business Association hosted an event offering local bioscience and related companies insight into the tools and information they need to develop a presence in a market that’s moving from exporting to importing.

24. Former C’ville Fitness Center Sells For $2.7M - Friday, October 21, 2011

Memphis-based Hackmeyer Properties has bought the former Prairie Life Fitness Center at 3690 S. Houston Levee Road in Collierville from Prairie Life Fitness LLC for $2.7 million and is leasing the 57,264-square-foot facility to a new fitness company.

25. Morgan Keegan Sees Recent Exit of Advisers - Thursday, September 22, 2011

Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc. has lost some advisers over the last several days, some of them taking a big volume of business with them while the investment banking firm continues to try and resolve the future of its ownership.

26. Morgan Keegan Advisers Leave Firm - Wednesday, September 21, 2011

In recent days, teams of Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc. advisers either are talking about leaving or have already begun departing the Memphis-based investment firm, for which sale talks continue to drag on.

27. MC Ionic Solutions US Begins Work on Fite Rd. Site - Tuesday, July 19, 2011

2665 Fite Road
Memphis, TN 38127
Permit Amount: $1.3 million

Permit Date: Applied July 2011

28. CrescoAg Inks Lease for New Downtown HQ - Friday, July 15, 2011

Downtown Memphis has landed another corporate headquarters. CrescoAg LLC, an independent information management company, has signed a new lease on 4,594 square feet at 88 Union Ave.

29. Leadership Memphis Announces Board Members - Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Leadership Memphis has announced new board members and officers for its new fiscal year.

The officers and executive committee include Eric Robertson, chair; Beverly Jordan, vice chair; Bryan Ford, treasurer; Veronica Coleman Davis, secretary; Chris McLean, immediate past chair; Jeff Gaudino, alumni chair; Christine Munson, development chair; Lemoyne Robinson, program chair; and Jeane Chapman, marketing chair.

30. Wal-Mart: A Year of Taking Stock to Regain Footing - Friday, June 03, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Wal-Mart is in a race against time to give the people what they want before they get comfortable shopping elsewhere.

Shoppers who switched to other stores when Wal-Mart decided to ditch best-selling toothbrush brands, craft supplies and bolts of fabric may be hard to win back.

31. Orthopedic Infection Growing Concern - Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Dealing with infection is a complex problem facing orthopedic surgeons, and a growing concern as the first of the baby boomer generation turns 65 – increasing the number of artificial hips, knees and other orthopedic devices implanted in patients.

32. Events - Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The Institute of Real Estate Management Memphis Chapter will join the Apartment Association of Greater Memphis for a meeting Tuesday, May 24, at noon at the Holiday Inn University of Memphis, 3700 Central Ave. For reservations, email irem20@bellsouth.net.

33. Events - Monday, May 23, 2011

Indie Memphis will present its Dance Film Series Monday through Wednesday at the Evergreen Theatre, 1705 Poplar Ave. “William Shatner’s Gonzo Ballet” will make its Memphis premiere Wednesday at 7 p.m. Other films include “Rumba,” playing Monday at 7 p.m. and “NY Export: Opus Jazz” Tuesday at 7 p.m. Award-winning short films will precede the three features. For more information, visit www.indiememphis.com.

34. Nominees Selected for EDGE Board - Friday, April 15, 2011

Several nominees have emerged for Economic Development Growth Engine, the new economic development board created to guide the city and county’s efforts.

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell and Memphis Mayor AC Wharton Jr. will seek approval to appoint the following:

35. Aviation Summit - Wednesday, April 13, 2011

FedEx Corp. founder Frederick W. Smith told several hundred attendees of the Airport Cities World Conference & Exhibition Tuesday that the U.S. is a leader in aviation.

36. FedEx's Smith, Delta's Anderson Tout Aviation Strength - Tuesday, April 12, 2011

FedEx founder Frederick W. Smith told several hundred attendees of the Airport Cities World Conference & Exhibition held in Memphis this morning that the U.S. is a leader in aviation. But he said aviation “has reached a point where it is a bit taken for granted.”

37. Conference Pits MEM At Center of Aviation World - Tuesday, April 12, 2011

For five years Memphis International Airport executives and other civic leaders have worked on developing the city’s aerotropolis – the concept of an airport serving as a region’s economic engine.

The idea will be as public as ever – at least here – Tuesday, the second day of the Airport Cities World Conference & Exhibition at The Peabody hotel. That’s when FedEx Corp. founder Frederick W. Smith and Delta Air Lines Inc. CEO Richard Anderson share the stage with University of North Carolina professor John Kasarda, the originator of the aerotropolis concept.

38. On Display - Tuesday, April 12, 2011

More than 300 airport industry professionals from around the world loaded onto six buses outside The Peabody hotel Monday morning for a unique trip around the city.

It was a lead-in event for the three-day Airport Cities World Conference & Exhibition, the largest airport industry event to be held in Memphis and which will bring in excess of 600 people from more than 40 countries to the city.

39. Paris Trade Pact Comes As Conference Begins - Monday, April 11, 2011

The Airport Cities World Conference & Exhibition begins its three-day run Monday at The Peabody with Memphis and Paris leaders signing a trade pact.

The economic development part of the agreement links businesses around Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport to businesses around Memphis International Airport now and in the future.

40. Leaders Embrace Aerotropolis as Conference Nears - Friday, April 08, 2011

A group of 30 people gathered Wednesday evening in what used to be a church just across Airways Boulevard from a runway at Memphis International Airport.

The town hall meeting by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. was for airport employees, some still wearing uniforms from their jobs less than a mile away.

41. Brand Strategy - Tuesday, April 05, 2011

It was two years ago at a Five Guys Burgers and Fries franchisee conference when license rights to Memphis were up for grabs.

Mark Moseley, director of franchising for the Lorton, Va.-based burger chain and friend of FedEx Corp. founder Fred Smith, approached Alabama franchisee Seth Hargett about putting together a package and asked him if he wanted Memphis.

42. Myers Tire Finds ‘Ideal’ Spot in Miss. - Friday, April 01, 2011

Airways Distribution Center at 8474 Marketplace Drive in Southaven is nearly at capacity with a new lease.

43. Gaining Altitude - Friday, April 01, 2011

April should be a busy month for officials with Memphis International Airport and the logistics industry as they promote the city’s transportation assets as a vital part of the local economy.

44. Sustainable Real Estate to be Subject of Conference - Thursday, March 17, 2011

Planners of an upcoming conference are hoping to put Memphis on the map even more so than it already is.

The Conference On Sustainable Real Estate is slated for March 24 to 26 at the University of Memphis. The conference – modeled after a similar program offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – brings to Memphis internationally recognized leaders on sustainable real estate, land economics, land planning and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, construction procedures.

45. French Delegation Looks to Memphis for Biz Strategy - Monday, March 14, 2011

A trio of visitors to Memphis from France last week spiced their conversation with words instantly familiar to a group of Memphians working to promote the medical and biosciences sector of the Memphis economy.

46. Aerotropolis Initiative to Develop Master Plan - Friday, February 04, 2011

The Greater Memphis Chamber’s Dexter Muller has often said the word “aerotropolis” sounds like the place where Superman was born.

47. Inaugural Seminar to Focus on CRE Issues - Thursday, February 03, 2011

Despite commercial real estate’s doldrums, local brokers are seeing signs of resurgence.

Commercial real estate investments – such as malls, office buildings and industrial properties – reached $316 billion nationwide in 2010, according to Thomas Reuters. That represented a 50 percent jump from an eight-year low in 2009 of $209 billion.

48. Apperson Crump Continues Legacy With Growth - Thursday, January 06, 2011

These days, there’s a lot that’s new at the city’s oldest continuously operating law firm.

Developments within the past few weeks at Apperson Crump, a venerable firm founded the same year the U.S. Civil War ended, include new attorney hires, the acquisition of another law firm and the development of an affiliation for referral work with yet another firm.

49. Apperson Crump Acquires Smith-Kimbrough & Assoc. - Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Apperson Crump PLC – the oldest continuously operating law firm in Memphis – has announced its acquisition of Smith-Kimbrough & Associates PC.

Cecil Smith, founder of Smith-Kimbrough & Associates, will become a partner at Apperson Crump, and in turn, Apperson Crump will inherit Smith-Kimbrough’s offices in Nashville and Oxford, Miss.

50. Airport Closes Books On Stellar 2010 - Wednesday, December 22, 2010

A challenging year in transportation proved to be a banner year for Memphis International Airport, home to shipping giant FedEx Corp. and a hub for Delta Air Lines Inc.

51. FedEx Returns as PGA Event Sponsor - Friday, December 03, 2010

FedEx is returning as title sponsor of the St. Jude Classic for 2011.

Memphis’ PGA Tour event will be called the FedEx St. Jude Classic. FedEx served as the title sponsor for 21 years, from 1986-2006.

52. MMBC Honors Minority Business Achievements - Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The new chairman of the Greater Memphis Chamber told attendees at the annual Mid-South Minority Business Council awards luncheon that minority business is about more than “the spend.”

The term came up frequently at last week’s luncheon where the organization presented the 25th annual Robert R. Church Achievement Awards.

53. MMBC Honors Minority Biz Achievements - Monday, November 22, 2010

The new chairman of the Greater Memphis Chamber told those at the annual Mid-South Minority Business Council awards luncheon that minority business is about more than “the spend.”

The term came up frequently at Friday’s luncheon where the organization presented the 25th annual Robert R. Church Achievement Awards.

54. Greenbrier Gets Loan for Downtown Project - Tuesday, October 12, 2010

436 S. Front St.
Memphis, TN 38103
Loan Amount: $2.1 million

Loan Date: Sept. 30, 2010
Maturity Date: n/a
Borrower: Greenbrier Partners LLC
Lender: Southern Bancorp Bank

55. Business Leaders Back Consolidation Charter - Monday, September 27, 2010

Several dozen of the best known corporate leaders in the city turned out Friday afternoon to go public with their support of the consolidation charter.

The “Charter Means Business” campaign includes Gary Shorb, CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, philanthropist and AutoZone founder J.R. “Pitt” Hyde, Leigh Shockey, chairman and CEO of Drexel Chemical and Southern Heritage Classic founder Fred Jones as well as 65 others.

56. Kennedy Gives Back to U of M School of Law - Thursday, September 16, 2010

When it comes to his inspiration for entering the legal profession, David S. Kennedy, chief judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee, gives a nod to his father and to Atticus Finch, Harper Lee’s stalwart symbol of fairness for a generation in her novel “To Kill A Mockingbird.”

57. St. Jude Classic Close to Securing Title Sponsor - Friday, September 10, 2010

The St. Jude Classic could have a new title sponsor soon, said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., the chief executive officer of ALSAC.

“I am very proud to tell you that we are this close to securing a title sponsor,” he said in a Thursday morning speech before the Greater Memphis Chamber. “David McKee, our chief operating officer, and I have a meeting with a company that’s not from the Memphis area that is very, very interested in becoming the title sponsor.”

58. Shadyac: St. Jude Classic Close to Securing Title Sponsor - Thursday, September 09, 2010

The St. Jude Classic could have a new title sponsor soon, said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., the chief executive officer of ALSAC.

“I am very proud to tell you that we are this close to securing a title sponsor,” he said in a Thursday morning speech before the Greater Memphis Chamber. “David McKee, our chief operating officer, and I have a meeting with a company that’s not from the Memphis area that is very, very interested in becoming the title sponsor.”

59. Infection Offensive - Monday, August 23, 2010

Tennessee has lifted a curtain of secrecy, exposing the successes and failures of Memphis hospitals in preventing bloodstream infections.

The likelihood of getting a central line-associated bloodstream infection at some area hospitals is double what it should be. Data compiled by the Tennessee Department of Health in a recent report show some hospitals have a standardized infection ratio (SIR) of 2.0 or more when the national guideline is 1.0.

60. Events - Thursday, August 19, 2010

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC will present “Workforce Expense Reductions” Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Baker Donelson’s office, 165 Madison Ave., 20th floor. For more information or to register, contact Nicolette Thomas at 577-2328 or nthomas@bakerdonelson.com.

61. Metro Charter Backers Begin Campaign - Friday, August 13, 2010

The campaign for a consolidation charter kicked off this week in a stifling heat on the Main Street Mall between City Hall and the County Administration Building.

Leaders of Rebuild Government announced the group has changed from one that provided information on the drafting of the charter to a group that will now campaign for the charter.

62. Last-Minute Legal Opinion Changes Big Charter Provision - Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The Metro Charter Commission has approved a consolidation charter for voters on the Nov. 2 ballot, but the last day of work on the charter was anything but ceremonial. A last-minute legal opinion caused a rewrite of a major provision.

63. Last-Minute Legal Opinion Affects Big Provision of Proposed Charter - Monday, August 09, 2010

The Metro Charter Commission has approved a consolidation charter for voters on the Nov. 2 ballot, but the last day of work on the charter was anything but ceremonial. A last-minute legal opinion caused a rewrite of a major provision.

64. Tough Crowd - Friday, July 30, 2010

The Metro Charter Commission never drew close to a hundred citizens at all but one of its public hearings earlier this month. The exception was the first hearing at Memphis Botanic Garden.

But the group did find an interesting array of opinions even when the numbers were small.

65. Crafton Joins Memphis Goodwill As Director of Marketing, PR - Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Kimberly Crafton has joined Memphis Goodwill Industries as director of marketing and public relations.

66. Parker Joins Management of Semmes-Murphey - Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Dr. Autry Parker has joined the pain management team at Semmes-Murphey Neurologic & Spine Institute. Parker is a board certified, fellowship trained anesthesiologist, specializing in the treatment of severe and chronic pain.

67. Charter Commission Takes Message to the People - Monday, July 12, 2010

The Metro Charter Commission drew a crowd of 200 last week at the first of three public hearings on the consolidation proposal still taking shape.

The two-and-half-hour session at the Memphis Botanic Garden even included something the group hasn’t encountered much in public forums held by other groups – applause for the idea of consolidation.

68. ALBA Enhances Airport Gateway - Wednesday, July 07, 2010

As Bluff City officials continue to push the aerotropolis effort, the Airways Lamar Business Association is doing its part to improve the area just north of Memphis International Airport.

Spearheading that improvement effort is Trennie Williams, who is celebrating two years as president and CEO of the association, a nonprofit alliance of business and community leaders working to strengthen, redevelop and beautify the Airways Boulevard, Lamar Avenue and Park Avenue corridors.

69. Retail Market Posts Solid First Quarter - Wednesday, June 02, 2010

The Memphis metropolitan area’s retail market saw a “significant increase in activity” during the first quarter, according to the latest data from CB Richard Ellis Memphis’ retail division.

With no new construction and declining lease rates, the local retail market enjoyed net absorption of 202,306 square feet as local and regional businesses added to or upgraded their current locations.

70. New York Company Buys Gardenwood Apartments - Tuesday, June 01, 2010

4975 Hoover Drive
Memphis, TN 38128
Sale Amount: $2.9 Million

Sale Date: May 17, 2010
Buyer: Gardenwood Apartments LLC
Seller: Bank of America NA
Loan Amount: $2.2 million
Loan Date: May 17, 2010
Maturity Date: N/A
Lender: Bloomfield Capital Partners Fund III LLC

71. How to Build a Government in 71 days - Monday, May 24, 2010

The idea of consolidation is a political perennial in Memphis, but the details of merging Memphis and Shelby County governments are much more elusive.

The Metro Charter Commission’s formation last year represented the most meaningful move toward consolidation in almost 40 years.

72. Gardenwood Apartments Fetch $2.9M From NY Buyer - Monday, May 24, 2010

New York-based Besyata Corp. has paid $2.9 million for the 152-unit Gardenwood Apartments at 4795 Hoover Drive in Raleigh.

73. Committees Not Needed For Creativity - Friday, May 14, 2010

Creativity goes to committee meetings to die.

“In all the towns and all the cities there are no statues to committees.”

Unknown, probably someone shot down by a committee.

“So,” he said to the committee, “I’ll buy a bunch of jets, fill them with cardboard envelopes, and guarantee overnight delivery … and all I need to get started is, oh, about a zillion dollars.” The committee would have absolutely, positively said no to Fred Smith. They would have told Clarence Saunders that schlepping your own groceries would never work. They would have told Kemmons Wilson where to park his motel idea. They would have told Charlie Vergos that nobody is going to get fired up about ribs from a basement off an alley next to a dumpster.

74. Memphians Celebrate City’s Good News Website - Monday, May 10, 2010

Memphians who launched a website extolling the joys of living here because they were tired of their city being bad-mouthed will celebrate on Tuesday the one-year anniversary of MemphisConnect.com.

In that time, the website has attracted visits from people in more than 2,500 cities. It has become a recruiting tool for some of the city’s top employers. And potential tourists are using it as a vacation guide.

The website is an initiative of The Leadership Academy.

The nonprofit organization is hosting a party from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Playhouse on the Square, 51 S. Cooper St.

The only admission charge is a willingness to speak up for Memphis, said Elizabeth Lemmonds, director of communications and marketing for The Leadership Academy.

“Really the idea for the event is to be as uniquely Memphis as the site is, to recognize what’s wonderful about Memphis, the creativity and the Memphis talent,” she said.

The event includes food, Ghost River beer, entertainment and a special announcement.

“We were tapped by Broadway’s ‘Memphis,’ the musical, for a very exciting promotion that will be unveiled at the May 11 anniversary celebration,” Lemmonds said.

The keynote speaker is Tom Schmitt, SVP of FedEx Solutions. CB Richard Ellis and Waddell & Associates Inc. are presenting Tuesday’s event for MemphisConnect.com.

MemphisConnect.com began with a focus group organized by The Leadership Academy.

“We heard over and over again about hidden treasures,” Lemmonds said. “Why do they need to be hidden?”

The group included graduates of The Leadership Academy who had diverse interests.

“People wanted to talk about their favorite locally owned restaurant, but they also wanted to talk about why they love raising a family in the Memphis area and the places they take their kids on the weekend, the way they get involved in nonprofits, their favorite hole in the wall,” Lemmonds said.

The organizers decided that a website would be the best way to showcase the diverse interests of Memphians who love their city.

“In the first year we had over 550 different posts, over 75 voices of diverse Memphians who either had a regular profile or who did guest posts for us here and there,” Lemmonds said.

People from 2,500 cities, including locations outside the United States, went to the site to learn where Memphians liked to hang out.

“We worked with a number of human resources teams and are actually being used as a recruiting tool by companies like International Paper, St. Jude, Smith & Nephew and Pinnacle,” Lemmonds said. “Methodist Le Bonheur even includes us on the recruiting piece of their website.”

To register for the free event, go to www.leadershipacademy.org/event_item-13724/.

75. Looking for Lift - Monday, May 10, 2010

The Memphis Airport Area Development Corp., a nonprofit corporation dedicated to improving corridors and neighborhoods around the airport, has taken an important step toward fulfilling its mission.

76. Charter Commission Gets Advice From Nashville - Friday, April 30, 2010

At some point during every significant discussion about consolidated government in Memphis, those involved have turned to the east and bowed in the direction of Nashville.

The Metro Charter Commission now putting together the charter proposal that goes to voters in November heard this month from a veteran of the metro Nashville government.

77. 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.

78. Civil Rights Icon Hooks Dies at 85 - Friday, April 16, 2010

Right up to the end, the Rev. Benjamin L. Hooks was part of daily life in Memphis.

The national NAACP leader, attorney, Federal Communications Commission commissioner, preacher and judge died Thursday at his Memphis home after a long illness. He was 85.

79. Multifamily Market Records Strong Q1 - Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Memphis’ multifamily market registered a strong first quarter of 2010 as occupancy, rental rates and absorption all showed improvements, according to the latest data from CB Richard Ellis Memphis.

Occupancy rose 0.8 percentage points to 90.1 percent marketwide, with Class A and B (newer and better maintained) properties rising 0.7 percentage points to 91.6 percent.

80. 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.”

81. Diocese Struggled With Approach, Court Docs Show - Thursday, April 08, 2010

The Catholic Diocese of Memphis had, by the mid-1990s, adopted a policy of suspending priests accused of child sexual abuse and sending them for counseling, as well as providing counseling for their victims.

82. 50 Years of Secrets - Thursday, April 08, 2010

Catholic priests accused of child sexual abuse in Memphis moved to different parishes and cities without parishioners or authorities being alerted, according to recently opened Circuit Court records.

83. Consolidated Gov’t to Include New Divisions - Tuesday, April 06, 2010

The list of new departments for a consolidated Memphis-Shelby County government continues to grow as the Metro Charter Commission moves a step closer to writing a consolidation charter.

But much debate is to come on the size of the proposed merger government.

84. Soul Fish Café Owners Buck Economic Trends - Monday, April 05, 2010

When Soul Fish Café opened in the Cooper-Young neighborhood in 2006, few people, including its owners, could have predicted its success.

Now Raymond Williams and Tiger Bryant have opened a second Soul Fish Café in Germantown, an optimistic move that might seem to run counter to the prevailing economy, but Williams said, “Despite the recession, our sales were up 20 percent in 2009,” a year that was rife with the closing of local restaurants.

85. Summer Avenue Hotel Sells for $600,000 - Thursday, April 01, 2010

The 142-room Guest Inn at 5225 Summer Ave. near the Summer interchange with Interstate 240 has sold for $600,000 to a company called Tejoo Inc. The sale closed March 10 and was recorded by the Shelby County Register of Deeds this week.

86. Recession Pushes Looney Ricks Kiss Into Bankruptcy - Thursday, February 25, 2010

Looney Ricks Kiss Architects Inc., one of the city’s most recognizable and renowned architectural and design firms, on Tuesday filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition.

87. Recession Pushes Looney Ricks Kiss Into Bankruptcy - Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Looney Ricks Kiss Architects Inc., one of the city’s most recognizable and renowned architectural and design firms, on Tuesday filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition.

88. New FDA Rules Could Tighten Medical Device Pipeline - Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Memphis makers of medical devices are keeping a close watch on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as it considers tightening the rules that allow a faster approval track for some products.

For almost 35 years, “substantial equivalency” has been the test for what is known as 510k approval. If a product is similar enough to one already on the market and proven to be safe, it can gain approval without clinical trials.

89. Negative Absorption Dings Market - Tuesday, February 23, 2010

The strength of Memphis’ commercial real estate market is its industrial sector, but the city’s bread and butter suffered a rare misstep in 2009, the most recent data show.

Memphis saw negative absorption of 352,797 square feet during the fourth quarter and negative absorption of 913,871 during 2009, according to a year-end report from CB Richard Ellis.

90. Events - Monday, February 22, 2010

The InMotion Orthopaedic Research Center will present another lecture as part of its Quarterly Musculoskeletal Lecture Series today at 5 p.m. at the University of Memphis FedEx Institute of Technology. Richard Coutts will speak on “National Total Joint Replacement Registries.” To register, call 271-0021.

91. Waddells Buy 14 Units In The Edge at Monroe - Wednesday, February 17, 2010

John and Nancy Waddell have paid $1.5 million for 14 units in Downtown’s The Edge at Monroe Condominiums at 437 and 449 Monroe Ave. The Waddells bought the units Feb. 3 from Monroe Properties LLC, financing the transaction with a $1.5 million loan through Financial Federal Savings Bank.

92. NuVasive Files Permit To Renovate Facility - Tuesday, February 02, 2010

NuVasive Inc. has filed a $1.6 million permit application with the city-county Office of Construction Code Enforcement to renovate its building at 4670 E. Shelby Drive in the Oakhaven/Village Parkway area.

93. Delta Posts Small Loss for Fourth Quarter - Wednesday, January 27, 2010

ATLANTA (AP) – Delta Air Lines Inc. sees signs that corporate travel demand is picking up as it closed the books on a turbulent 2009 by posting a $25 million loss for the final three months of the year.

94. Three Attorneys Break Away From Apperson Crump - Wednesday, January 13, 2010

A managing partner of Apperson Crump & Maxwell PLC has left the law firm to start his own firm.

Robert L. Dinkelspiel opened Dinkelspiel, Rasmussen & Mink Monday at 1669 Kirby Parkway. His partners are Robin H. Rasmussen and M. Wayne Mink Jr., both of whom worked at Apperson Crump.

95. 2010 - Monday, January 04, 2010

Is it over yet? That may be the most frequently asked question in the New Year. “It” is the worst national economic recession since the Great Depression.

Accurately reading the indicators will not be easy. Some will predict the recession is about to end, just as new indicators point to continuing economic agony for thousands of Memphians.

96. Plough Blvd. Revamp Closer to Fruition - Tuesday, December 15, 2009

With $1.6 million in public funding approved by the City Council two months ago, the beautification of Plough Boulevard – the road leading into Memphis International Airport – has reached another milestone.

97. Fire Protection Latest Issue For Charter Commission - Monday, December 07, 2009

The Metro Charter Commission has a “project manager” to help meet its tight deadline for a consolidation charter proposal.

The concept is a new one to government undertakings. But at its Thursday meeting, the group agreed to make Lou Etta Burkins, a project manager at FedEx Express, its project manager. The move was suggested by commission Chair Julie Ellis and adopted by the group with no objections.

98. Metro Charter Commission to Choose Chair - Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The first order of business today will be selecting a leader. It’s become a familiar note in political daily planners these days.

The Metro Charter Commission holds its first meeting today on the third floor of the Shelby County Courthouse.

99. Chaotic Council Welcomes Wharton To ‘Land of Fire’ - Thursday, October 22, 2009

Memphis Mayor-elect A C Wharton Jr. got an early welcome to the ways of City Hall in the week before he took the oath of office.

It came from the City Council he will serve with for the next two years.

100. Morris Confirmed As City Atty. - Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Memphis Mayor elect A C Wharton Jr. was put to the test by Memphis City Council members before he even takes office.

The council approved his indirect nomination of Herman Morris as the new city attorney.

And it approved his five indirect nominees to the Metro Charter Commission.

But there was a lot of discussion among council members this afternoon and evening about:

-Morris being paid $140,000 a year as city attorney, $15 thousand more than his predecessor, Elbert Jefferson.

-Whether Morris was the choice of outgoing Mayor Pro Tempore Myron Lowery or Wharton. The answer was Wharton with Lowery making the appointment since he is still mayor.

In another rapid move, Wharton and Lowery teamed up to appoint the five city of Memphis representatives to the Metro Charter Commission. All five nominees were recommended by members of the City Council. Normally, the council votes on such groups of nominees to one body with a single vote on the slate. The council voted separately on all five.

The original five nominees were:

-Damon Griffin, an assistant District Attorney General.

-Carmen Sandoval, an administrative director at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

-Steve Ross, a freelance video and technical director who also has a popular political blog.

-Jim Strickland, attorney and Memphis city council member.

-Rev. Ralph White, pastor of Bloomfield Full Gospel Baptist Church and candidate for Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk in past elections as well as in the 2010 elections.

Strickland was named just this week to Wharton’s transition team. But he is giving up the transition team spot to serve on the charter group. Council members Bill Boyd and Joe Brown voted against Strickland’s appointment saying they considered it to be a conflict of interest for an elected official to serve on the commission. Brown didn’t vote on the other nominations. Council member Wanda Halbert passed on Strickland.

Ross encountered vocal resistance during committee sessions from council members upset with critical comments he has made on his blog about council members. Council member Shea Flinn, who recommended Ross, came to his defense during an emotional committee discussion – clashing with Brown as Lowery and Wharton watched from the end of the council committee table.

“I’m a real man,” Brown told Flinn at the end of the exchange. “I’m a real black man. I hope you are a real white man.”

By the time the council voted, Wharton and Lowery decided to pull his nomination and instead nominated Richard Smith, a FedEx executive and son of FedEx founder Fred Smith. Council member Janis Fullilove was the only no vote. Halbert recused herself because she works at FedEx. Brown and Boyd did not vote.