His team had just overcome a 17-point first-half deficit and beaten Oklahoma City in overtime to win Game 4 and take a commanding 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series. So someone asked Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins if he was impressed.

2. Smith's Role Central to City's History - Friday, April 26, 2013

Memphis civil rights icon Maxine Smith died Thursday evening at her South Memphis home at the age of 83.

3. Apostrophe Yes or No? - Thursday, April 18, 2013

Henry Chu of the Los Angeles Times reported in late March that “To grammarians’ delight, officials in southwest England who had considered expunging apostrophes from street signs threw out the idea … and vowed to follow the rules of proper English.” Ha! Good luck with that!

4. Tigers Prepare for Life After Black, Thomas - Friday, April 12, 2013

Wading in with some thoughts on several topics, starting with Adonis Thomas and Tarik Black leaving the University of Memphis basketball program:

• First off, the Tigers will be fine without them. The No. 2-ranked recruiting class in the country is on the way and while the Tigers still want another big man to replace Black, the truth is that both Thomas and Black were disappointments this past season. This is also why I wish Adonis and Tarik were staying; odds are it would be better for them if they stayed.

5. Administration Advances Brown for TVA Board - Tuesday, March 26, 2013

The Obama administration has angered Tennessee’s U.S. senators by again nominating energy-efficiency expert Marilyn Brown for a full term on the Tennessee Valley Authority board.

6. Masson Named Senior Director at Caissa - Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Rick Masson has joined Caissa Public Strategy as senior director. Masson, former chief administrative office for the city of Memphis, was also recently named special master to oversee the city-county schools merger. (For details, see the Monday, March 11, edition of The Daily News.) In his new role at Caissa, Masson will provide consultation and leadership on business development and project management.

7. Haslam Opposes at Least 22 Proposed Bills - Tuesday, March 12, 2013

A proposal that would allow school faculty and staff to carry guns is one of at least 22 proposed bills Gov. Bill Haslam is against this legislative session.

In response to a recent request from the Knoxville News Sentinel, the governor’s office provided copies of all “philosophical flag” letters that have been sent to legislators this year as of last Friday.

8. 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.

9. School Board Meets as Budget Debate Grows - Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Countywide school board members meet Tuesday, Feb. 12, in special session to send a still-forming budget for the first fiscal year of the consolidated school system to the Shelby County Commission.

10. Commission to Vote on Teacher Residency - Monday, February 11, 2013

Shelby County Commissioners agree on an issue having to do with the coming merger of schools in Shelby County.

At least nine of the 13 commissioners favor giving Memphis City Schools teachers and other system staff who live outside Shelby County five years to move within the county and keep their jobs with the new consolidated school system that takes effect July 1.

11. Funding Film - Wednesday, February 06, 2013

A prominent Republican state senator recently asked the state Department of Economic and Community Development to make sure and take the call if the department gets a ring from Molly Mickler Smith, the daughter of FedEx founder Frederick W. Smith.

12. Smith & Nephew Tax Break in Jeopardy - Monday, February 04, 2013

Smith & Nephew Inc. could be in danger of losing some or all of the 15-year tax incentive the company received in 2009 as part of its $42 million investment to convert a Memphis office complex into a centralized hub for research, marketing and medical education.

13. It’s Personal - Friday, February 01, 2013

IT’S NOT BUSINESS ANYMORE. IT’S PERSONAL. This is our town, and you’re not welcome here.

So pack a plane with all your meaningless spin, all your lackeys and suck-ups, all your apologists, all your legal but unethical tactics, all your eye popping price gouging, all your cold and calculated manipulation of lives, your own employees’ lives, and a city’s pride and get the hell out. There’s so much of all of that in the massive fuel dump you just dropped on Memphis that I’m sure it’ll take more than one plane to haul it all off and we may never be rid of the stench it’s leaving behind.

14. Memphis Higher Education Included in Budget Proposal - Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has included funding in his budget proposal for a $62 million renovation at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and a $45 million center for the University of Memphis’s nursing and audiology programs.

15. Johnson Blends Law, Love of Writing at QP Legal - Thursday, January 24, 2013

As a student at Central High School and the University of Miami, Tiffany Johnson enjoyed writing more than anything.

16. County Commission to Vote on Wage Theft Ordinance - Monday, January 14, 2013

Shelby County Commissioners take a final vote Monday, Jan. 14, on a “wage theft” ordinance to set up a process of local complaints from employees that would go through the General Sessions Environmental Court.

17. Forecasting 2013 in Sports - Friday, January 04, 2013

2013 Sports Forecast by the numbers: 1. The Grizzlies swing a deal before the trade deadline but are fined by the NBA when, out of habit, they try to trade O.J. Mayo.

2. The Memphis Airport is invited to join the Big East.

18. Wage Theft Ordinance Causes Concern - Monday, December 17, 2012

Shelby County Commissioners take what is expected to be their next-to-last vote Monday, Dec. 17, on a “wage theft” ordinance that will probably be amended as it faces organized resistance from the local restaurant and hospitality industries.

19. Uniquely Creative - Monday, December 10, 2012

The freshly painted walls at Paradigm Marketing & Creative include the definition of creativity spelled out to serve as a constant reminder of the 20-year old firm’s mantra.

“The ability to transcend traditional ideas and to create meaningful new ideas,” the wall leading into the newly refurbished kitchen area reads.

20. FedEx Sets Terms for Buyouts - Thursday, December 06, 2012

FedEx Corp. took another step Tuesday, Dec. 4, in its reaction to a slow growth global economy as well as its own desires to make major changes to the oldest division of the Memphis-based global corporate giant.

21. FedEx Unveils Terms of Employee Buyouts - Wednesday, December 05, 2012

FedEx executives announced terms Tuesday, Dec. 4, of an employee buyout expected to run from June 2013 through May 2014.

Employees in the Corporate, Express, Services and TechConnect divisions of FedEx in the U.S. with at least five years of continuous service at FedEx as of Nov. 30 will get buyout packets. Preference would go to those with the most seniority in their section if more employees in a section accept the offer than there are slots.

22. 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.

23. Commission to Vote on Industrial Land Sale - Monday, December 03, 2012

Shelby County Commissioners take up the proposed sale Monday, Dec. 3, of 33.6 acres of land in the Frank C. Pidgeon Industrial Park in southwest Memphis.

Carolyn Hardy, owner of the Hardy Bottling Co. and consultant to the Blues City Brewery operation that later bought the plant, wants to buy the last available roadside acreage in the industrial park for a business to store and stage modular containers.

24. Entrepreneurs, Create Your Own Maps - Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Entrepreneurialism is the last frontier – an uncharted region with unprecedented, unforeseen, unknown dangers, challenges and rewards.

All adventures begin with a new map, just like the territory you charted in your business plans. You drafted this plan in the ardor of a visionary impulse, tempered with a will to thrive as you grow.

25. 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.

26. Connecting Tenants With Space Keeps Acker Robison Thriving - Monday, October 29, 2012

For 11 years now, Acker Robison Realty has been helping businesses around the Memphis area with their commercial real estate needs.

The boutique firm, founded by Michael Robison in 2001, handles the full gamut of commercial brokerage services, representing landlords and tenants, purchasers and sellers in the office, industrial and retail sectors.

27. Senior Care Management Solutions Promotes Williams - Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Darla Williams has been promoted to health care administrator at Senior Care Management Solutions. In her new role, Williams will play a critical role in overseeing and customizing clients’ daily care plans to fit their specific needs.

28. Shelby County Redistricting Process to Formally End - Monday, October 08, 2012

Shelby County Commissioners will vote Monday, Oct. 8, on putting a formal end to the redistricting process, 10 months after the new district lines were due.

The commission meets at 1:30 p.m. at the Vasco Smith County Administration Building, 160 N. Main St.

29. Speculation Mounts for FedEx Changes - Friday, September 21, 2012

The annual FedEx Corp. meeting with investors next month will be watched closely for what happens to FedEx Express, the oldest division of the Memphis-based company.

30. Evans Joins American Esoteric as Vice President - Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Dr. Jess Evans has joined American Esoteric Laboratories as vice president of technical operations. In his new role, Evans is responsible for instrumentation, personnel, operational performance and quality assurance for the Memphis laboratory.

31. A Tasteful List 2012 - Friday, September 07, 2012

A LIST YOU CAN SINK YOUR TEETH INTO. So many of you seemed to salivate over last year’s Tasteful List, I’ve updated it for 2012. While reduced some, make no mistake, there’s nothing dietary about it.

32. Commission to Vote on Overriding Veto - Monday, August 27, 2012

Shelby County Commissioners will probably vote Monday, Aug. 27, on whether to override a veto by County Mayor Mark Luttrell.

33. Back to the Gridiron - Monday, August 27, 2012

It was the last day before fall practice would begin. First-year University of Memphis football coach Justin Fuente couldn’t wait to get started.

“This is the longest day of the year,” he said.

34. Moore Tech Graduates 83 in Record Class - Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Moore Tech held its 72nd commencement exercises with the largest graduating class in the history of the college, according to college president, Don Smith.

35. Cohen Talks About Opponents, Schools, Race and His Political Past - Monday, July 23, 2012

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen is running for a fourth term in Congress starting with the Aug. 2 primary, in which he is being challenged by countywide school board member Tomeka Hart.

36. FedEx Cost Reduction Gains Attention - Friday, June 22, 2012

A few minutes into this week’s earnings conference call with analysts, FedEx Corp. founder and CEO Fred Smith used three words that came to define much of the rest of the nearly hour-long conversation – “cost reduction program.”

37. 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.

38. Commission Tries Again at Redistricting - Monday, June 11, 2012

Shelby County Commissioners will see if they have all 13 commissioners present before they see if there are nine votes to pass a redistricting plan.

Third and final reading of a redistricting ordinance is on the commission’s agenda for Monday, June 11. The commission meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Vasco Smith County Administration Building, 160 N. Main St.

39. Inventions: Empty Cupboards Before New Rules Apply - Thursday, June 07, 2012

The U.S. patent system is preparing to change its existing protection system from a first-to-invent system to a first-inventor-to-file system – a switch made possible by the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, which was signed into law eight months ago.

40. Moore Tech Trustees Promote Director to First College Pres. - Monday, May 28, 2012

Don Smith, director and chief administrative officer of Moore Tech for the past 13 years, has been named by the college board of trustees to be the first president of the vocational college in its 92-year history.

41. Downtown Apts. Finally Under Way - Tuesday, May 22, 2012

After two years and some inevitable development hurdles, Greenbrier Partners LLC’s mixed-use development at 436 S. Front St. is quickly taking shape.

42. ‘Different Avenue’ - Monday, May 07, 2012

Rudy Williams always knew she wanted to work in a hospital, but after a short stint in community college and a few years in the workforce, the path to her goal was looking like a long haul.

So a little more than a year ago, she gave it another try, enrolling in the 60-week medical assisting program at Vatterott Career College’s campus near her home in Bartlett. Now, she’s getting ready for an externship in a local clinic that could lead to a job in her field.

43. Harnessing Strategic Business Growth - Thursday, May 03, 2012

If you’re not growing, you’re dying anonymous. Growth: That Crazy Talk. Call it the entrepreneurial instinct, innovation, business savvy, whatever you want: strategic growth is how business prospers.

44. Plantation Setting for Fundraiser - Monday, April 30, 2012

The glory of the past and the art of the present collide along the Mississippi River as West Memphis-based DeltaARTS unveils a first-time event.

“Art on the Levee at Waverly Plantation” will showcase one of the few remaining Antebellum homes on the Mississippi River levee in Eastern Arkansas, on Saturday, April 28.

45. MBBA Panel Puts Focus on Sustainability - Monday, April 30, 2012

Members of the region’s corporate, academic, government and nonprofit sectors seeking more knowledge about best practices in sustainability packed the ballroom of The University Club, 1346 Central Ave., on Thursday, April 26, for a luncheon panel discussion hosted by Memphis Bioworks Business Association.

46. County Weighs Balanced Budget Proposal - Monday, April 23, 2012

The budget season is under way in Shelby County government, but there will be few signs of it Monday, April 23, as the County Commission meets.

The commission meeting at the Vasco Smith County Administration Building begins at 1:30 p.m. The short agenda featuring several appointments and the sale of some tax delinquent parcels is the ideal lead-in to what is normally the most complicated time of the year for the commission.

47. Commission Considers Jury Space Upgrades - Monday, April 09, 2012

Shelby County Commissioners will consider a $250,000 upgrade of the Shelby County Jury Commission space at 157 Poplar Ave. during their Monday, April 9, meeting.

48. (Daily) Deal or No Deal? - Monday, April 09, 2012

The anatomy of a deal has become a fascinating study these days among businesspeople, grappling as many of them do with coupons, daily deals, special offers – whatever magic ingredient will bring customers through the door.

49. Spring Brings Viewer Mail - Thursday, March 29, 2012

The Beatles sang, “It’s been a long, cold, lonely winter,” but that is not what we’ve had here in the Natural State. It’s been warm and anything but lonely. Lots of viewer mail makes me a happy columnist.

50. Cherokee Arms Undergoes Rehab - Tuesday, March 27, 2012

It wasn’t long ago that the Cherokee Arms Apartments complex in Midtown was on the market with a note of “in need of repair.”

But thanks to Memphis native and current Los Angeles resident Dana Gabrion, the three-story complex will soon breathe new life to 1508 Madison Ave. Under the entity Gabrion Properties LLC, she acquired the 30-unit, Class C investment-grade multifamily building for $455,000 in fall 2010 and hopes to have it ready for occupancy come June.

51. County Redistricting Battle Continues - Monday, March 26, 2012

Shelby County Commissioners will meet privately with their attorneys Monday, March 26, to see whether they have any options left in a redistricting scrap that is now firmly in the courts.

The commission meets in formal open session Monday at 1:30 p.m. at the Vasco Smith County Administration Building, 160 N. Main St.

52. FedEx Reports 126 Pct. Earnings Increase - Friday, March 23, 2012

Memphis-based FedEx Corp. reported net earnings for its third quarter of $521 million or $1.65 a share compared with $231 million in earnings a year ago or 73 cents a share.

53. 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.

54. Orpheum Theatre Names New Board Members - Friday, March 16, 2012

The Orpheum Theatre and its parent organization, the Memphis Development Foundation, has announced 10 members joining the Orpheum board of directors. The new members are: Chuck Treadway, Thomas & Betts president and chief operating officer; Don Young, Smith and Nephew senior vice president, corporate sustainability; Andy Taylor, Gerber/Taylor Capital Advisors Inc. partner; Gary Smith, Apperson Crump PLC attorney; Alan Mullen, Crew Training International president; Scott Hennessy, True Temper Sports Inc. president; Keri Gage, SunTrust private wealth management/senior vice president; Robert Cox, Glassman, Edwards, Wyatt, Tuttle & Cox PC attorney; Bo Allen, First Tennessee executive vice president; and Sara Adams, community volunteer.

55. 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.

56. White House Initiative Aims to Unite Asian Community - Wednesday, February 15, 2012

The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders will stop in Memphis for a two-day forum aimed at drawing out the community’s local leadership.

The initiative, which is making its way across southern states, hopes to help diverse Asian populations coalesce into one community capable of utilizing their own strengths in business development and other areas.

57. 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.

58. 25 Reasons To Laugh - Friday, February 03, 2012

THE VOICES IN MY HEAD MAY NOT BE REAL, BUT THEY HAVE SOME GOOD IDEAS.

That line, aside from being an apt description of my entire career, is a paraprosdokian – a figure of speech in which the latter part of a phrase causes the reader to reframe the first part. The comedian Steven Wright makes a living off these things, and you probably have some living in your inbox right now.

59. What’s in Store for Restaurant Biz in 2012? - Monday, January 02, 2012

New Year’s Eve! What a scary night! Not only because people have to stand around at midnight with a bunch of so-called friends and sing that dreary “Auld Lang Syne” and put each other’s eyes out with supersonically zooming champagne corks (see Memphis Grapevine for advice on avoiding this), but because this artificially imposed deadline for the ending of one year and the beginning of another sets the scene for trend-spotting galore.

60. Back and Forth in the Courtroom - Thursday, December 29, 2011

I bet more than one of you readers out there heard an upstream relative say to you when you were a kid, “What do you say?” This, of course, was an effort to get you to remember to say the two magic words. Which were … “Thank you.”

61. District Lines on Tap for Commission - Monday, December 19, 2011

Five days is a long time in politics. That’s the gap between the Monday, Dec. 19, meeting of the Shelby County Commission and the special meeting of the commission last Wednesday.

At the special meeting, commissioners again floated a new redistricting plan that would keep the 13-member body at five districts covering all of Shelby County.

62. Squared Away - Monday, December 12, 2011

Not having a storefront hasn’t kept Midtown artisan Colleen Couch-Smith from running her business like someone who does – minus the hefty overhead costs.

A cutting-edge mobile device called Square allows Smith, co-owner of a studio-based small business called Rock Paper Scissors, to accept credit card payments from customers when she sells her wares at artists markets and festivals.

63. Luttrell Proposes Employee Bonuses - Monday, December 05, 2011

A one-time pay bonus for county employees the same year that jobs were cut in county government tops the Monday, Dec. 5, agenda of the Shelby County Commission.

The commission meets at 1:30 p.m. at the Vasco Smith County Administration Building, 160 N. Main St.

64. Throckmorton Ready For Changing Role at St. Mary’s - Friday, November 18, 2011

When the announcement was made during a chapel session to the St. Mary’s Episcopal School student body in mid-October that Albert Throckmorton would be the new head of school, applause broke out once the first syllable of his name was announced.

65. Hackmeyer Buys Fitness Center, Leases to New User - Wednesday, October 19, 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 facility to a new fitness company.

66. EU Approves Microsoft Acquisition of Skype - Monday, October 10, 2011

BRUSSELS (AP) – The European Commission approved Friday the proposed $8.5 billion acquisition of the Internet phone and video communication provider Skype by Microsoft Corp., saying the deal would not significantly impede competition in Europe.

67. Back into the Fold - Monday, October 03, 2011

Before there was South Bluffs, there was French Fort.

Before the Hernando DeSoto Bridge was built and city zoning regulations placed more distance between commercial, industrial and residential areas, this neighborhood by the trio of older Mississippi River bridges south of Downtown survived in one of the most historic and isolated parts of the city.

68. Recession Proves Tough for Medical Device Cos. - Thursday, September 29, 2011

When the Great Recession began in 2008, the health care industry was one of the few said to be recession-proof, but 2011 has proved otherwise, at least for medical device makers.

The prolonged recession, a decrease in procedure volumes and delayed reimbursement are several factors that have led to corporate restructuring – including layoffs – in the medical device industry this year.

69. TRA Chief Quits as Haslam Contemplates Reform of Agency - Wednesday, September 14, 2011

NASHVILLE – The announcement of Chairman Eddie Roberson's resignation from the Tennessee Regulatory Authority comes as Gov. Bill Haslam is engaged in a study on how to overhaul the agency that oversees many utilities in the state.

70. ‘We’re OK’ - Wednesday, August 24, 2011

For decades, a residential area called French Fort, near the Metal Museum and Interstate 55, has thrived in isolation and anonymity.

The larger area is now poised to return to its one-time role as a gateway. But the owner of two key pieces of property told homeowners not to expect much movement for several years.

71. Wifflestock Hits New Level for Ronald McDonald House - Friday, August 12, 2011

For 14 consecutive years, the parking lot of Midtown bar and restaurant Zinnie’s East played host to Wifflestock, an annual event organized by a league of Wiffle ball enthusiasts to raise money for Ronald McDonald House of Memphis.

72. What It Means to Be An Executive - Monday, August 08, 2011

Steve Jobs meets with new vice presidents and tells them the difference between them and the janitor. He says that if an area is not clean, he will accept an excuse for why it happened. But once you are a vice president, he tells them, excuses are expected but not accepted.

73. Campbell Clinic Rolls Out New Identity - Wednesday, July 27, 2011

An established brand in Memphis health care has undergone a makeover. Campbell Clinic, a household name in orthopedic care for more than 100 years, is introducing its new brand identity to patients and the health care industry through its website, signage and billboards.

74. Bernanke, Smith Differ on Economy - Friday, June 24, 2011

The same day that the chairman of the Federal Reserve was saying economic problems could persist into 2012, the founder of Memphis-based FedEx was telling analysts growth was on the way and the economy was through a “soft patch.”

75. JA BizTown Shows Biz Ropes to Area Students - Tuesday, June 14, 2011

So what would really happen if kids ruled the world? It happens all the time at Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South Inc.’s JA BizTown where elementary and middle school students tackle the basics of running a business in a widget-free environment.

76. Military Training: A Business Primer - Monday, June 06, 2011

As a Navy veteran and having lived on a ship for two years, I learned lessons in discipline and efficiency that were excellent training for being a business owner. I suggest that such a learning experience, and any like it, while not college, seems as valuable as college, if not more so. Academia has no curriculums in discipline and character-building.

77. Rise of Vegetarianism Means More Choices - Monday, May 30, 2011

According to a study commissioned in 2008 by Vegetarian Times, 3.2 percent of Americans – about 7.3 million people – follow a vegetarian-based diet. About 1 million of those people are vegan, meaning that they avoid eating not only animals but animal products. Another 10 percent, about 22.8 million, said that they “largely follow a vegetarian-inclined diet.”

78. Special Coverage: Mid-South Flooding - Thursday, May 05, 2011

Coverage of the rising waters in the Memphis area

Shuttle Prep Made For Barbecue Fest Attendees
Following Monday’s announcement that the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is moving from Tom Lee Park to Tiger Lane at the Mid-South Fairgrounds, the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau is busy making preparations for shuttle services to accommodate out-of-town attendees and teams staying in Downtown hotels.
The dates of the event will remain the same, May 12 to 14. All other aspects of the event, but the location, will be as scheduled.
Low-cost transportation will run on a continual loop from four Downtown locations to the barbecue contest from late Wednesday afternoon through Saturday evening. The shuttle locations are not yet decided but will be hotel-centric.
“We hear your requests and will definitely make our best efforts to accommodate everyone,” the Memphis In May website reads.
“We are working on shuttle transportation for those of you staying Downtown.”
For more information, visit www.memphisinmay.org.

79. Bryant Joins RedRover - Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Sarah Bryant has joined RedRover Sales & Marketing as a marketing account executive. She previously worked for the Atlanta Falcons.

80. Seminar to Tackle Globalization’s Impact - Friday, April 22, 2011

“The world is flat” is more than just a catchphrase that illustrates the increasing connectivity of the globe’s consumers, markets and economies.

The concept – brought to the forefront by Thomas Friedman’s 2005 book of the same name – is a foundational element of what Memphis’ economic development game plan needs to be if it’s going to remain competitive in the months and years ahead.

81. 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.

82. Flea Market as Business Incubator - Monday, April 11, 2011

There are MBA programs to make you a business Jedi, business degrees to educate you, incubators to learn from other businesses. And then there is the Tennessee Flea Market. More like the Flea Mall. It opened last week and is the largest indoor flea market in Tennessee.

83. Intellectual Property Grows At Wyatt Tarrant - Thursday, March 24, 2011

This month alone, the intellectual property lawsuits have been flying.

Apple is suing Amazon.com over Amazon’s use of the term “App Store” with customers.

84. Former Interim Chef Kramer Back in Charge - Monday, March 21, 2011

“Interim” – a pause or interval in a succession of events

When the restaurant Wally Joe closed in January 2007, owner Fred Carl Jr., founder, president and CEO of Viking Range Corp., decided to keep a restaurant going while looking for a buyer for the space in the shopping center at South Mendenhall Road and Sanderlin Avenue. Appropriately, the temporary restaurant would be called Interim.

85. Not Through Here - Friday, March 04, 2011

National stop sign.

He’d been down there all alone for hours, his flashlight bouncing off the vaulted ceiling and green-tinted walls far beneath the city, following the course of the old Gayoso Bayou now captured in a gigantic storm drain. You think about history down there. And battery life. You see things few have seen. And you see “no signal” on your cell phone.

86. Lighting the Fuse - Monday, February 21, 2011

Memphis voters have 22 words to weigh as they decide what is to become of Shelby County’s two public school systems.
“Shall the administration of the Memphis City School System, a special school district, be transferred to the Shelby County Board of Education?”
The words seem inadequate to cover what a “yes” or a “no” vote means after a state law and other factors changed the terms of a vote already scheduled for March 8.
Voters for schools consolidation may be against special schools district status but for letting some of the six suburban towns and cities try to go with their own municipal school system.
Voters may be against school consolidation and against special school district status if it includes taxing authority for the county school board, albeit with tax approval required by the Tennessee Legislature.
Some voters may see it as a way of ending reforms driven by MCS superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash. Others may see it as a way of ending Shelby County Schools board chairman David Pickler’s dominance of that school system.
School consolidation advocates are still urging citizens to vote “yes” and school consolidation opponents are still urging citizens to vote “no.”
“The lay of the land has changed, so will people consider the lay of the land or what? That statement stands. It’s on the ballot and everyone knows what it’s designed to do,” said Memphis City Council chairman Myron Lowery. “This occurred after the question was put on the ballot. If someone wants to make that stretch, they’re jumping over a lot of hurdles. This was not in place when this was put on the ballot.”
Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr., along with Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell, sought a transition period even as political positions began to harden. He doesn’t see what’s in the law as a transition period.
“The way it’s structured, there’s every incentive not to reach an agreement. It looks to me like it falls off the face of the earth,” Wharton said. “There was nothing in there that states where do you go if at the end of this (the planning process) there is nothing resolved.”
State Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, disagrees.
“The state has a compelling interest in assuring that the administration of schools is properly discharged,” Norris wrote in an op-ed piece for The Memphis News last week. “To do otherwise defies common sense and common decency.”
Pickler said if voters approve the question, he will quickly move to assemble a team to work on the transition. It’s a transition that Pickler has always emphasized will be controlled by the county school system. That is one point on which the attorneys seem to agree.
“Clearly we understand that this issue is not about educational outcomes,” he said during a WKNO forum last week. “We still do not believe that creating a mega district … doesn’t do anything to improve education.”
MCS board member Tomeka Hart, at the same forum, countered “We do here as an economic issue,” a reference to the University of Memphis study showing special schools district status could cost MCS half of the county property tax base it relies on for funding. “It’s time to rewrite all of this,” Hart concluded.
Here is the timeline – to date – of the ongoing schools showdown:

87. Gone Cold - Friday, February 11, 2011

School children welcomed Jack Frost on Wednesday afternoon and the three to five inches of snow he brought with him, but for business owners, the snow that caused hazardous road conditions and closures across the city also caused dollar signs to melt like icicles in the sun.

88. Women Reminded to Care for Hearts - Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Everyone from Memphis television news anchors to cardiologists wore red to work Friday to mark the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign.

Graceland illuminated Elvis’ mansion Friday night and adorned its famous wall with a red banner, which will remain hanging through the end of February to mark American Heart Month, encouraging women to know their risk factors for heart disease.

89. Conway Services Moves to Cordova - Thursday, December 23, 2010

Conway Services Heating, Cooling & Plumbing has signed a new lease to accommodate space for its growing service team.

Conway Services is moving from 6426 Summer Gale Drive in Memphis near Bartlett to a warehouse on 1220 Big Orange Road in Cordova.

90. 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.

91. Profit Down, Revenue Up at FedEx - Friday, December 17, 2010

FedEx Corp., the world’s second-largest package delivery company, said its profit fell 18 percent during the Memphis-based shipper’s fiscal second quarter.

92. Luke’s Tree Brings Holiday Smiles to Le Bonheur Families - Tuesday, November 30, 2010

A Collierville mother who lost her child to a congenital heart defect is channeling her heartbreak into a holiday mission to bring comfort to families of children in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

93. Healthy Industry - Monday, November 22, 2010

Throughout a prolonged recession and anemic recovery, hospitals and health care companies have given Memphis a powerful antidote to an ailing economy.

They have invested more than a billion dollars in new construction and equipment, expanded operations and kept tens of thousands of people working.

94. Attorneys Bring ‘Wealth of Experience’ to Classroom - Friday, November 12, 2010

With a collective 126 years of working legal knowledge among them, three of the top lawyers in the city are pleased to be sharing their experiences with students at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

95. Sweet, Fizzy Muscat Wine Delivers Spark - Monday, November 08, 2010

Don’t panic when I use the word “sweet.”

Instead, think of the immediately appealing sweetness of a taut, crisp Granny Smith apple, followed by the sweetness of a crisp yet mellow and savory Braeburn apple. Those are the first impressions I took from an initial sniff and sip of the Foris Vineyards Muscat Frissante 2009, from Oregon’s Rogue Valley, down in the southern part of the state.

96. Lokion Celebrates 10 Years With ‘10x10’ Music Gift - Friday, October 29, 2010

From offices at 88 Union Ave., high atop Downtown Memphis and overlooking the Mississippi River, Megan Jones feels on top of the world.

97. Carlisle Corp. Continues Work on New Headquarters - Tuesday, July 06, 2010

263 Wagner Place
Memphis, TN 38103
Loan Amount: $2.1 million

Loan Date: June 15, 2010
Maturity Date: June 15, 2014
Borrower: Carlisle Landing LLC
Lender: Regions Bank

98. Less is More - Friday, May 07, 2010

The new David Perry Smith Gallery, a contemporary, destination gallery for collectors looking to buy pieces by local artists, is scheduled to open Friday just off Central Avenue near Midtown’s Cooper-Young neighborhood.

99. Beavers Changes Mind, Will Bid for Senate Return - Friday, March 12, 2010

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Republican state Sen. Mae Beavers said Thursday she's abandoning her bid for Wilson County mayor and will instead seek re-election to the Senate.

100. Byrnes to Take MAHBA Reins - Thursday, December 24, 2009

Tommy Byrnes of Byrnes Ostner Investments Inc. will serve as 2010 president of the Memphis Area Home Builders Association, the group’s executive director, Don Glays, said this week.