After a four-decade existence, the Morgan Keegan name has been retired.

The announcement Raymond James Financial Inc. is dropping the Morgan Keegan name was made during Raymond James’ first quarter earnings conference call last month. Raymond James CEO Paul Reilly was giving analysts listening to the call an update on the firm’s acquisition of the Memphis investment firm last year and its integration since then.

2. Events - Saturday, February 16, 2013

The Booksellers at Laurelwood will host former Vice President Al Gore, signing “The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change,” Monday, Feb. 18, at noon at the bookstore, 387 Perkins Road Extended. Visit thebooksellersatlaurelwood.com.

3. Soul Fish to Open in Wolf Camera Spot on Poplar - Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Soul Fish Café has selected a prime piece of real estate in East Memphis for its third location.

The catfish and Southern-inspired restaurant has signed a lease for the old Wolf Camera space in the Poplar Avenue/Perkins Road corridor. The 3,100-square-foot freestanding building at 4720 Poplar Ave. will mark Soul Fish’s third location in Memphis, behind its original spot in Midtown’s Cooper-Young district and its Germantown location near Forest Hill-Irene Road.

4. Soul Fish to Open in Old Wolf Camera at Poplar and Perkins - Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Soul Fish Café has selected a prime piece of real estate in East Memphis for its third location.

The catfish and Southern-inspired restaurant has signed a lease for the old Wolf Camera space in the Poplar Avenue/Perkins Road corridor. The 3,100-square-foot freestanding building at 4720 Poplar Ave. will mark Soul Fish’s third location in Memphis, behind its original spot in Midtown’s Cooper-Young district and its Germantown store near Forest Hill-Irene Road.

5. Why Geithner's Treasury Leadership Proved Divisive - Friday, January 25, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama has saluted the outgoing Timothy Geithner as one of the best U.S. Treasury secretaries ever. He's surely been among the most contentious.

Not since the Great Depression had an administration inherited so many grave financial threats at once. To many, Geithner deserves credit for helping steady the banking system and helping restore investor confidence. Yet his toughest critics say Geithner's policies consistently favored big banks over ordinary struggling Americans.

6. Portrait Unveiling Scheduled for Longtime Judge - Thursday, November 08, 2012

George Brown, who graduated from Booker T. Washington in 1956, grew up in a Memphis that still was years away from stamping out the last vestiges of segregation.

7. 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.

8. Commission Approves Bartlett Senior Facility - Wednesday, November 07, 2012

If an expansion of an assisted-living facility at Baylor and Brunswick roads stays on schedule with votes next month by the Memphis City Council, the planned development should win final approval less than a month before the area it is in is annexed by the city of Bartlett.

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. Grassroots Effort - Thursday, October 04, 2012

Approaching the second anniversary of “New Face for an Old Broad” and the Historic Broad Avenue Business Association’s painting of its own bike lanes, the Binghampton district has seen activity increase exponentially on several fronts.

11. Growth Streak - Monday, September 10, 2012

Andrew Holliday and Daniel Brown, the founding partners of Memphis-based branding and marketing firm Harvest Creative, used to joke about one day making the Inc. 500|5000, the list published each year by Inc. Magazine that honors the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.

12. Leaders Lay Ground Work for Municipal Districts - Tuesday, August 28, 2012

With the Aug. 2 referendums behind them, most of the suburban leaders in Shelby County are moving toward a rapid transition to establishing school districts. And it has gone largely unnoticed.

There are plenty of distractions. The transition to the merger of the Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools has cast a long shadow. There is also the ongoing legal battle in Memphis federal court where a possible outcome includes voiding the results of the suburban referendums and at least delaying the start date of the municipal schools.

13. Suburban School Board Races Almost Set - Friday, August 17, 2012

Races on the Nov. 6 ballot for six sets of suburban school boards took shape Thursday, Aug. 16, at the noon filing deadline for candidate qualifying petitions.

The candidates that made the deadline have another week to withdraw from the races if they wish.

14. Biz Owners Weighing Health Care Law Impact - Monday, August 13, 2012

So far, it’s not easy to get a clear picture of how President Barack Obama’s health care law will affect Memphis-area small businesses.

That’s mainly because there are lots of business owners – including both supporters and even strident critics of the Affordable Care Act – who themselves don’t know what impact the law will have.

15. NFIB Endorses State Sen. Norris - Wednesday, July 11, 2012

The National Federation of Independent Business has endorsed Mark Norris, R-Collierville, in the 32nd Senate District, which has a primary scheduled for Aug. 2 and the general election to be held Nov. 6.

16. Luttrell Weighs in On Commission’s Motion - Friday, June 29, 2012

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell termed the basis for a legal motion by the Shelby County Commission seeking to stop the Aug. 2 suburban referendums on municipal school districts inflammatory.

17. Country Songwriters Event Benefits St. Jude, Le Bonheur - Monday, June 25, 2012

The Darryl Worley and Friends Songwriters’ Event featuring country music songwriters Darryl Worley, Mark D. Sanders, Rob Crosby and Jim “Moose” Brown will take place Tuesday, June 26, at 7 p.m. at Bumpus Harley-Davidson, 325 S. Byhalia Road in Collierville.

18. Harris Named Payroll Specialist At New Patrick Payroll Div. - Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Tammy Harris has been named the payroll specialist at Patrick Payroll, a newly branded division of the certified public accounting firm Patrick Accounting and Tax Services PLLC. Patrick Payroll is housed in Patrick Accounting’s office in Germantown.

19. WLOK Celebrates 35 Years With Dinner - Tuesday, May 15, 2012

WLOK 1340 AM, the first black-owned radio station in Memphis, is hosting an anniversary dinner this week to celebrate its 35th anniversary.

The dinner, which will be held May 18 at the Marriott East, 2625 Thousand Oaks Blvd., will bring together gospel celebrities, dignitaries and listeners to pay tribute to the radio station, which today is a leading source of gospel music and news.

20. Groups Voice Support Of Effectiveness Initiative - Thursday, April 12, 2012

As Shelby County’s two school systems moved from a consolidation question to a consolidation process and then a reformation that includes the possibility of municipal school districts, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been consistent.

21. Cohen-Hart in Congressional Race at Filing Deadline - Friday, April 06, 2012

The chairman of the countywide school board, Billy Orgel, was effectively elected to his District 7 school board seat without opposition at the Thursday, April 5, filing deadline for candidates on the Aug. 2 primary and general election ballot in Shelby County.

22. Bynum, Bryant Help Lakers Beat Grizzlies in 2 OTs - Wednesday, March 14, 2012

MEMPHIS (AP) – It took two overtime periods, but the Los Angeles Lakers eventually made sure the Memphis Grizzlies stayed behind them in the Western Conference standings.

Andrew Bynum had a season-high 37 points and 16 rebounds, Kobe Bryant scored 22 of his 34 points after halftime, and the Lakers beat Memphis 116-111 in double overtime on Tuesday night.

23. NLRB Faces Heightened Scrutiny in 2012 - Thursday, January 05, 2012

President Barack Obama made a series of recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board Wednesday, apparently staving off what would have been an inability for the board to function in 2012.

24. Council Weighs In on Electrolux Incentives - Thursday, January 05, 2012

Some Memphis City Council members want to at least slow the appropriation of local government funding to Electrolux North America Cooking Products if the company isn’t more responsive to hiring local for the construction of its Memphis manufacturing plant.

25. ‘Santa Claus’ Makes 100th Visit to Kids at St. Jude - Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis celebrated Christmas in the lobby of the Chili’s Care Center Monday, Dec. 19, with crafts, holiday treats and a special visit from Old St. Nick.

26. Millington Board to Pick New Mayor - Wednesday, November 09, 2011

The Millington Board of Aldermen will select the next mayor of the city in February or March following the retirement of Mayor Richard Hodges on Jan. 13.

27. Memphian Cobb Joins MIFA As Meals on Wheels Director - Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Trentwood Cobb has joined Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association as director of MIFA Meals on Wheels, which provides hot meals to senior citizens in the greater Memphis area.

Hometown: Memphis

28. Two Tenants Join Ridgeway Center - Monday, October 10, 2011

Boyle Investment Co. has inked a pair of new office leases at 999 S. Shady Grove Road in Ridgeway Center, building on its longevity with two local companies.

29. Boyle Adds 2 Tenants to Ridgeway Center - Friday, October 07, 2011

Boyle Investment Co. has inked a pair of new office leases at 999 S. Shady Grove Road in Ridgeway Center, building on its longevity with two local companies.

30. Wharton, Fullilove & Conrad Re-Elected -- Harris-Ford to Runoff - Friday, October 07, 2011
Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. won a full four-year term of office as mayor Thursday, Oct. 6, two years after he claimed the mayor’s office in a special election.

And all 12 of the Memphis City Council members seeking re-election won new four year terms in the city election cycle, marking the largest return of incumbents to the 13-member council in the 43-year history of the mayor-council form of government.

31. A Job is Becoming a Dim Memory for Many Unemployed - Friday, October 07, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – For more Americans, being out of work has become a semi-permanent condition.

Nearly one-third of the unemployed – nearly 4.5 million people – have had no job for a year or more. That's a record high. Many are older workers who have found it especially hard to find jobs.

32. Events - Friday, September 09, 2011

Literacy Mid-South, Memphis City Schools and The United Way will present an Advanced Tutor Training Brown Bag Lunch Series Friday, Sept. 9, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Memphis City Schools Teaching & Learning Academy, 2485 Union Ave. Dr. Beverly Cross, Lillian Morrie Moss Chair of Excellence in Urban Education at the University of Memphis, will speak on the topic “Building Effective Tutor/Student Relationships.” For more information or reservations, contact Marilyn Rabinowitz at mrabinowitz@literacymidsouth.org or 327-6000, ext. 1009.

33. Tower Revival - Thursday, August 25, 2011

The reversal of fortune for the Downtown tower at the intersection of Main Street and Monroe Avenue, until recently plagued by falling occupancy and an uncertain future, was set in motion in a private meeting one year ago this month.

34. 4 Council Members - All 3 City Court Judges To Run Unopposed In Oct. Elections - Friday, July 22, 2011

Four incumbent Memphis City Council members and all three incumbent City Court Judges were effectively re-elected at the Thursday, July 21, noon deadline for candidates to file their qualifying petitions for the Oct. 6 Memphis ballot.

35. Perl Represents State Chamber At National Labor Talks - Thursday, July 21, 2011

The National Labor Relations Board this week conducted a hearing in Washington at which dozens of speakers were scheduled to testify over a hotly contested matter: moves sought by labor that could lead to speedier elections for unionization at companies.

36. Senators Concerned by Photo ID Requirement to Vote - Thursday, June 30, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Sixteen Democratic senators want the Justice Department to look into whether voting rights are being jeopardized in states that require photo identification in order for people to vote.

37. Conrad’s City Budget Plan Offers Balance - Friday, June 03, 2011

At week’s end, Memphis City Council members and Shelby County commissioners were each moving toward final votes next week on budgets for both local governments.

And each body is debating whether to do what’s necessary to balance their respective budgets before the July 1 start of the new fiscal year or to dig deeper for long-term shifts in the scope of their governments.

38. 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.

39. Day of Reckoning - Friday, April 22, 2011

Memphis and Shelby County governments are in the process of taking a hard look at the benefits they’ve promised to start paying their several thousand employees once they retire – payments the employees will then get for the rest of their lives.

40. Crye-Leike Honors Top Performers, Longevity - Friday, April 22, 2011

Crye-Leike Realtors Inc. honored its brokers working in the residential and commercial sectors Tuesday at its annual awards gala.

41. Memphis and Shelby County Getting an EDGE - Thursday, April 14, 2011

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell told a gathering of area business leaders Tuesday night at the office of Glankler Brown PLLC that he hopes the new joint city-county economic development program gets rolling by this summer.

42. Who’s Who of Soul to Perform for MED Foundation - Thursday, March 31, 2011

More than a dozen legendary soul artists plan to bring down the house – in this case The Peabody hotel – during a one-night-only, blowout concert benefiting The MED Foundation, the fundraising arm of The Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

43. 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.

44. New Members Appointed to MED Board - Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Three new board members were recently appointed to the board of the Shelby County Health Care Corp. by Mayor Mark Luttrell.

45. Moving Forward - Monday, December 27, 2010

As the commercial real estate market remained soft in 2010, a handful of major deals – including some to close the year – indicated light at the end of the tunnel.

The year ended with the top retail investment sale of the year when Loeb Properties Inc. bought Park Place Centre from Belz Enterprises Inc. for $10.3 million.

46. After Interning at Mayo, Fountain Brings Neurosurgical Skills Home - Friday, December 10, 2010

Memphis surgeon Dr. Todd Fountain jokes that in Rochester, Minn., where he was an intern and resident at the Mayo Clinic, the weather was always 70 degrees and fluorescent.

47. Mark’s Menus Brings Ease to Restaurant, Menu Searches - Monday, November 22, 2010

Scott Brown, head of technology for Microplace.com, eBay’s microfinance initiative, left Silicon Valley in July 2008 and returned to his native Memphis to launch a technology start-up.

48. Perl Takes Reins of Aerotropolis Initiative - Monday, November 08, 2010

Arnold Perl has further committed himself to improving Memphis’ economic and logistics standing.

Perl has been named chairman of the “Memphis: America’s Aerotropolis” initiative, the Greater Memphis Chamber announced Friday morning.

49. Chile and Argentina Foster Carnivore’s Dream Vacation - Monday, October 25, 2010

Vegetarians and vegans may want to think twice before booking those flights to Chile and Argentina, otherwise known as the Lands of Endless Meat. In Chile, the creature du jour tends to be lamb, in Argentina it’s beef, but in both countries, where I sojourned for 12 days recently, I often found my plate heaped with portions of beef, lamb, pork and goat, including various sausages and an inner organ here and there. These are countries where steak is passed as hors d’oeuvres, and some salad or a few vegetables on a plate serve as an excuse for a carnivore’s passacaglia of flesh. They call it barbecue.

50. 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.

51. Unemployed Find Old Jobs Now Require More Skills - Tuesday, October 12, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – The jobs crisis has brought an unwelcome discovery for many unemployed Americans: Job openings in their old fields exist. Yet they no longer qualify for them.

They're running into a trend that took root during the recession. Companies became more productive by doing more with fewer workers. Some asked staffers to take on a broader array of duties – duties that used to be spread among multiple jobs. Now, someone who hopes to get those jobs must meet the new requirements.

52. Downtown Touchdown - Monday, October 11, 2010

Many of the dominoes that fell into place in advance of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. deciding to move its Memphis corporate headquarters to the landmark Downtown tower One Commerce Square happened in the public eye.

53. Pinnacle Chooses One Commerce - Thursday, October 07, 2010

Pinnacle Airlines Corp. has decided to shift its Memphis headquarters from Memphis International Airport to a landmark Downtown tower, capping months of study by Pinnacle and intense lobbying of the regional air carrier by state and local governments.

54. Pinnacle Chooses One Commerce Square - Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Pinnacle Airlines Corp. has decided to shift its Memphis headquarters from Memphis International Airport to a landmark Downtown tower, capping months of study by Pinnacle and intense lobbying of the regional air carrier by state and local governments.

55. AP Analysis: Economic Stress Declined in August - Wednesday, October 06, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – The nation's economic stress eased slightly in August thanks to lower foreclosure rates in the hardest-hit states, according to The Associated Press' monthly analysis of conditions around the country.

56. ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ Production Hits Target - Monday, August 30, 2010

They say in theater that there are no small parts, just small actors. But Theatre Memphis’s season opener shows strength and professionalism in large and small roles alike.

Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun,” running through Sept.12, hits several bull’s-eyes on the theater’s Lohrey Stage.

57. Whalum and Webb Draw Challengers In School Board Races - Friday, August 20, 2010

Memphis school board members Betty Mallott and Martavius Jones were unopposed at Thursday’s filing deadline for the four Memphis school board races on the Nov. 2 ballot. Noon was the deadline for candidates to file their qualifying petitions in the school board races as well as three sets of municipal elections in Bartlett, Collierville and Germantown.

58. Political, Business Leaders Present Plans to Jolt Economy - Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Memphis audiences are getting an earful from businessmen and politicians who want to be seen as modern-day Paul Reveres, sounding alarm bells about taxes, the fragile economy and what’s in store for corporate America.

59. All Hands on Deck - Monday, July 19, 2010

The city of Memphis has “all hands on deck” in an effort to keep Pinnacle Airlines Corp. within the city, according to Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.

60. Mississippi Makes Bid For Pinnacle HQ - Friday, July 16, 2010

Add Olive Branch, Mississippi, to the list of locations, along with Downtown and the area around Memphis International Airport, that Pinnacle Airlines is considering for a larger corporate headquarters.

The Memphis-based air passenger carrier is being wooed by the state of Mississippi to consolidate its operations in the same city that just plucked another Memphis business opportunity away from the Bluff City – McKesson, which decided earlier this year to put a distribution facility and 300 jobs in Olive Branch.

“Governor Barbour and the state of Mississippi offered a very generous package of incentives to entice Pinnacle to locate in Olive Branch,” reads a statement from Pinnacle. “We are impressed with their efforts and we continue to give the proposal serious consideration.

“The state of Tennessee and the City of Memphis continue to work very hard to make our continued growth here feasible. It’s no secret that we are looking at locations in downtown Memphis and near Memphis International Airport. The move would have to allow us to consolidate our operations into a single location, and to cut our operating and occupancy costs.”

All parties involved are still far away from hearing the music cued for the closing credits on a deal. An effort has been under way, for example, to woo Pinnacle into Downtown’s One Commerce Square, which took a big blow with word several weeks ago Glankler Brown PLLC is vacating 39,000 square feet there later this year.

Mark Jenkins of Commercial Alliance Management LLC, the firm that leases and manages One Commerce Square, told The Daily News last month there may be hope yet for a deal that brings Pinnacle to the iconic Downtown tower.

“We are very optimistic about the opportunity that we have with Pinnacle as well as some other major users,” Jenkins said.

61. Pension Bomb - Monday, July 12, 2010

For years, government pension liabilities – the lifetime retirement benefits paid to everyone from local cops to garbage collectors – have been the equivalent of ticking time bombs.

They were assembled when governments like Memphis and Shelby County, among many others, mixed together some explosive materials.

62. Gulf Oil Full of Methane, Adding New Concerns - Monday, June 21, 2010

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — It is an overlooked danger in the oil spill crisis: The crude gushing from the well contains vast amounts of natural gas that could pose a serious threat to the Gulf of Mexico's fragile ecosystem.

63. Last Straw? - Tuesday, June 08, 2010

News last week that the law firm Glankler Brown PLLC will vacate 39,000 square feet in One Commerce Square signaled another blow to the embattled 31-story tower, a fixture on the Memphis skyline for the past four decades.

64. Glankler Brown Departs Downtown - Monday, June 07, 2010

Glankler Brown PLLC, a law firm that has been a Downtown mainstay for nearly a century, won’t renew its lease at One Commerce Square and will move to East Memphis.

65. Glankler Brown Departs Downtown - Friday, June 04, 2010

Glankler Brown PLLC, a law firm that has been a Downtown mainstay for nearly a century, won’t renew its lease at One Commerce Square and will move to East Memphis.

The firm on Friday announced a 10-year, 32,000-square-foot lease with Highwoods Properties at Triad Centre I at Poplar Avenue and Shady Grove Road near Interstate 240, in the heart of the most desirable office corridor in town.

66. Midtown Target - Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Two years ago this month, awed silence greeted real estate developer Tom Marsh as he clicked through slides and walked a neighborhood group through his team’s plan.

67. Obama Sends Congress Small Business Lending Bill - Monday, May 10, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration has sent Congress a proposal to create a $30 billion support program to unfreeze credit for the nation's small businesses.

The $30 billion fund would provide support to small and medium-sized banks with assets under $10 billion to encourage them to increase lending to small businesses.

68. Sheriff's Race Attracts Hard-Boiled Veterans - Monday, April 19, 2010

Most of the Democratic and Republican candidates for Shelby County sheriff gathered last month in the office of outgoing Sheriff Mark Luttrell.

69. AP Analysis: Economic Pain Eases in Hard-Hit Areas - Wednesday, April 14, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - Economic stress declined in the nation's most troubled areas in February as unemployment stabilized and the pace of foreclosures eased, according to The Associated Press' monthly analysis of conditions in more than 3,100 U.S. counties.

70. ‘Madame Butterfly’ Gets Twist in Memphis - Monday, April 12, 2010

Giacomo Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” is one of the most performed operas in the world, but Opera Memphis’ upcoming production offers audiences who have “been there, done that” new reasons to enjoy it once again.

71. Local Mock Trial Coaches Prep for State Championship - Thursday, March 18, 2010

A small group of local attorneys is hard at work preparing high school students for trial.

Mock trial, that is.

Two Memphis high schools, St. Mary’s Episcopal School and White Station High School, placed first and second, respectively, in the regional competition Feb. 24 and are moving forward to compete in the state championships Friday and Saturday.

72. What’s Coming Up This Election Season - Monday, March 15, 2010

After a year of turbulence, the Memphis political scene continues to remake itself.

The May 4 and Aug. 5 elections don’t have the focused drama of last October’s special election for Memphis mayor, but they represent new chapters in a story that could end with a new generation of political leaders and at least a passing of the political baton.

73. Senate Approves Tax Breaks for New Hires - Thursday, February 25, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Democrats Wednesday delivered the first of several promised election-year jobs bills, passing a measure blending tax breaks for companies that hire unemployed workers with highway funding eagerly sought by the states.

74. Both Sides Take Tobacco Fight to Supreme Court - Monday, February 22, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to allow the government to seek nearly $300 billion from the tobacco industry for a half-century of deception that "has cost the lives and damaged the health of untold millions of Americans."

75. State Lawmakers Bash Congress to Gain Voter Favor - Friday, February 19, 2010

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - With tax collections tanking and jobless rates at record highs, state legislators hundreds of miles from Washington have found an easy way to appeal to conservative voters: Bash the federal government.

76. Cold-Weather States Lose Heating Aid to South - Friday, February 12, 2010

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The recent cold snap in the Deep South has sucked federal emergency home heating dollars away from traditional cold-weather states, causing heating aid to dry up faster than usual in many northern states.

77. Good Deed Punished - Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Doctors and managers at the Eye Specialty Group can’t help but question their decision to turn in a colleague for Medicare fraud.

Doing the right thing, they said, has been a costly business decision.

78. Where is "Tea Party" Heading? Leaves Are Unclear - Monday, February 08, 2010

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The "tea party" activists all agree: Government is too big. Spending is out of control. Individual freedom is at risk. And President Barack Obama's policies are making it all worse.

79. Not So Easy - Monday, January 25, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – Trimming back the 2,000-page, trillion-dollar Democratic health care bills to the parts that average Americans understand and like may not be as simple as it sounds.

A complete ban on insurance companies denying coverage to people with medical problems would be out of the question. Forget about guaranteed health insurance for all Americans – it costs too much.

80. Gut-Check for Obama and Dems on Health Care - Thursday, January 21, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - Abandoning the health care overhaul is not an option, a senior White House official said Wednesday, after President Barack Obama's top domestic initiative took a devastating hit with the Democratic loss of the Massachusetts Senate seat.

81. Angst Lingers Behind Uptick In Biz Permits - Monday, January 18, 2010

Permits issued for businesses to operate in Shelby County during 2009 indicate a rebound in entrepreneurship, but tight credit and economic angst continue to be a drag on activity.

The number of permits issued for new businesses or renewed for established ones increased 5.7 percent compared to 2008. That’s an easy benchmark for measuring success because that year business permits plunged 11 percent from 2007.

82. 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.

83. Mud Island Makeover - Monday, November 30, 2009

In August 1976, Roy Harrover, the Memphis architect who designed such landmarks as Memphis International Airport, Memphis College of Art and the NBC Bank Building wrote a six-page description of a project then known as Volunteer Park.

84. Expert: Social Media Here to Stay - Tuesday, October 27, 2009

For businesses, the first secret to leveraging Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other networks is not to be afraid of social media.

After all, as social media consultant Glen Gilmore has noted, social media is where a business will most likely find its customers as well as its competition. Social media is simply a fundamental shift in the way businesses communicate, he told about 102 people at a social media conference late last week.

85. Next ‘Conversation’ Tackles Leveraging Social Media - Friday, October 09, 2009

Plenty of businesses and nonprofit organizations have signed up for Twitter and Facebook, but are they using these social media outlets to their fullest potential?

Amy Howell, owner of Howell Marketing Strategies Inc., wants to make sure Memphis companies are getting the most out of their tweets and their profile postings when she hosts “Leveraging the Conversation,” the third in a series of social media discussions.

86. City Attorney Dispute Moves Into Chancery Court Today - Wednesday, August 05, 2009

A turbulent turn of office at City Hall moves into a courtroom two blocks away this afternoon.

Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery delayed a City Council vote Tuesday on Veronica Coleman Davis as his nominee to be city attorney.

87. UPDATE: Council Vote On City Attorney Delayed - Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery today delayed a City Council vote on Veronica Coleman Davis as his nominee to be city attorney.

Lowery told council members he wanted the delay to let a Chancery Court hearing tomorrow resolve any legal issues.

88. Opera Memphis Gets Creative In Hard Economic Times - Monday, July 27, 2009

Opera Memphis’ 2009-2010 season is being billed by the organization as offering “tests of fidelity, patience and sacrifice.” Mobility will also be a factor as the company stages two of its three productions in new venues.

89. Events - Wednesday, July 01, 2009

The Mid-South Real Estate Investors Association Inc. will hold a roundtable discussion today from 10:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at Germantown Athletic Club, 1801 Exeter Road. To register, call 751-7101 or e-mail info@midsouthreia.org.

90. Brown Leaving Cammack's Gubernatorial Campaign - Tuesday, June 23, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Democratic strategist Mark Brown is leaving the gubernatorial campaign of Nashville businessman Ward Cammack.

Brown declined to give specific reasons for his departure Monday other than to say: "It was time to move my career in another direction."

91. STIMULUS WATCH: $25 Check May Cost You Food Stamps - Tuesday, June 16, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - When President Barack Obama increased unemployment benefits as part of his economic stimulus, he also made some Americans ineligible for hundreds of dollars a month in food stamps.

92. Bill Would Let Sitting Lawmakers Raise Money - Thursday, May 14, 2009

NASHVILLE (AP) – Tennessee lawmakers running for governor could raise campaign money during the legislative session under a bill advanced by a Senate committee on Tuesday.

The bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Randy McNally of Oak Ridge would also increase maximum campaign contributions by retroactively adjusting for inflation the amounts allowed in a law passed in 1995.

93. U of M’s Preza Receives $740K Award for Research - Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Dr. Chrysanthe Preza has received a more than $740,000 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award for her research to improve live cell imaging. Preza is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Memphis’ Herff College of Engineering.

94. Mixed Signals Abound, But Economy Remains Weak - Monday, April 20, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - A flurry of better-than-expected bank earnings reports this week, coupled with some tentatively encouraging economic data, suggest the economy and the financial system might not be quite as sick as many had believed.

95. Survival of the Fittest - Friday, April 17, 2009

Conventional wisdom has long held that whenever economic troubles arise, companies should quickly slash their advertising and marketing budgets, allowing them to weather whatever storm is raging.

Not surprisingly, plenty of Memphis-area businesses have honored that adage by shelving their rebranding campaigns or reducing their media buys. Even FedEx Corp. broke a 12-year tradition by refusing to advertise during the Super Bowl because of the dreary economic climate.

96. Events - Thursday, April 16, 2009

Christian Brothers University will present the first session of its “Family Business Enrichment Series” today from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in the Spain Auditorium in Buckman Hall. The topic of the lecture is “What Does the New Credit Environment Mean for Your Family Business?” For reservations, call 321-3999 or e-mail rsvp@cbu.edu.

97. Store Specializes in Furnishings for Casual Entertaining - Monday, April 06, 2009

The sexes diverge when couples walk into Ken Rash’s Inc.

Men head toward the grill room, while women walk among the furniture displays. This Berclair neighborhood business specializes in casual furnishings and other necessities for entertaining, such as bistro tables, bar stools, chaise lounges and wine racks.

98. French’s Bankruptcy Follows Steep Revenue Drop - Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The president of a technology firm who is a close political ally of Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton and whose company has performed contract work for the city of Memphis for several years has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

99. Duncan Named Senior VP For Homewood Suites by Hilton - Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Bill Duncan has been appointed senior vice president of brand management for Homewood Suites by Hilton and the newly launched Home2 Suites by Hilton.

100. U of M’s Heath Given Distinguished Teaching Award - Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Dr. Julia Heath, professor of economics at the University of Memphis, has been honored with the Kenneth G. Elzinga Distinguished Teaching Award by the Southern Economic Association.