The old adage “loaded for bear” is fitting for a new full-service branding agency that’s emerged on the Memphis advertising landscape.

“We came up with Loaded for Bear after stepping back and looking at the Memphis creative landscape and what our goals were, which are to prove that great creative can happen in a ‘creative wilderness’ such as Memphis, but also to help our clients be prepared for anything,” said managing director Joel Halpern. “That is where the term came from, an old hiker’s saying that means going off in the prepared for the worst case scenario, or a bear.”

2. Brothers to Open Brewery on Broad - Tuesday, February 19, 2013

A new craft brewery is coming to one of Memphis’ up-and-coming areas – the Broad Avenue Historic District.

Wiseacre Brewing Co., a concept from brothers Kellan Bartosch and Davin Bartosch, has leased 13,000 square feet at 2783 Broad Ave. and is planning to open by late 2013. They chose the old warehouse for its “big open space” and the Binghampton neighborhood for its community appeal.

3. Creative Space - Thursday, January 31, 2013

By the time Crosstown Arts occupies space in the 1.5 million-square-foot Sears Crosstown building, it will have completed a solid test run of promoting arts-based community and economic development in Midtown.

4. MemShop Latest Boon for Overton Square - Wednesday, December 05, 2012

A year ago, Loeb Properties Inc. was granted the green light from Memphis City Council for the funds necessary to construct a parking lot and detention pond west of Cooper Street – the last component in the more than $30 million public/private partnership to revitalize the once thriving Overton Square district.

5. 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.

6. Food Awareness - Tuesday, September 18, 2012

On a recent humid September morning, a group of casually dressed students sat cross-legged in a field on the Rhodes College campus, deeply engaged in a discussion about the various preparation methods and cultural associations of yams.

7. Planning Continues for Broad, Binghampton - Thursday, August 23, 2012

As after-school traffic made its way north and south on Tillman Street last week, a crossing guard whistled children across one of the narrow streets by Lester Community Center.

The traffic was mostly cars, but the occasional bicycle from the nearby western terminus of the Shelby Farms Greenline whizzed by as well.

8. Federal Funds to Aid Efforts in Binghampton, Frayser - Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Two Memphis neighborhood revitalization efforts will split $225,000 in federal funds awarded Monday, Aug. 6, to the Greater Memphis Partnership – a coalition of local agencies.

The grants are through the Building Neighborhood Capacity Program, a White House initiative directed at distressed neighborhoods. The Greater Memphis Partnership will match the federal funding for a total of $450,000 that goes for technical assistance on revitalization plans in Binghampton and Frayser.

9. City Kicks Off Neighborhood Innovation Effort - Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.’s administration is set to begin a concerted effort to bring back neighborhood retail in three parts of the city.

Wharton and his Innovation Delivery Team, funded by the Bloomberg Philanthropies of New York, rolled out the first moves Monday, July 2, for parts of South Memphis, Binghampton and the Madison and Cleveland area.

10. Granting Wishes - Monday, May 28, 2012

Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-South plans to grant 220 wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions this year.

On Thursday, May 24, the Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council was able to witness one of those wishes being granted firsthand at Windyke Country Club, as well as donate enough funds to share the power of three additional wishes.

11. Access to Healthy Foods Center of HMCT Meeting - Thursday, May 24, 2012

Healthy Memphis Common Table held its annual meeting Tuesday, May 22, at the University of Memphis to discuss health-related challenges facing citizens.

The organization is a nonprofit, regional health collaborative working to improve the quality of primary care; empower patients and caregivers; fight childhood obesity; reduce the rate of chronic diseases; and eliminate food deserts in low-income neighborhoods.

12. MED Forms Committee to Examine Minority-Owned Biz Dealings - Friday, May 04, 2012

The board governing The Regional Medical Center at Memphis has formed an ad hoc committee to review and make recommendations regarding the amount of business the hospital conducts with minority-owned companies.

13. Awards Just One Facet Of Comm. Council - Tuesday, April 17, 2012

This year marks a decade of existence for the Memphis Area Association of Realtors’ Commercial Council, the trade organization for the commercial real estate profession and its related sectors.

The council has about 325 members whose professions include commercial developers, brokers, property managers and other related CRE careers. Two of the council’s main events each year are the Commercial Property Forecast Summit, held in February, and the Pinnacle Awards, which honor the highest-producing commercial brokers each spring.

14. Kobernus Takes Reins of MAAR Commercial Council - Monday, April 02, 2012

When Aubrie Kobernus goes home at night, she has a new hat to hang by her door. The 33-year-old was recently promoted to director of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors’ Commercial Council.

15. Spring Break Service - Friday, March 23, 2012

Like many college students, Annie Marcum and Lisa Stockdale of South Carolina’s Clemson University had planned to spend spring break enjoying the beach.

16. GrowMemphis to Award Garden Project Grants - Friday, December 30, 2011

Nonprofit GrowMemphis has teamed up with Memphis Housing and Community Development to grant $5,000 to new community garden projects in 2012. Applications for the grants will be accepted through Jan. 31. New garden projects can apply for as much as $1,500 in equipment and supplies and as much as $1,500 for site improvements.

17. City of Memphis Adopts Overgrown Lot Pilot Program - Wednesday, October 05, 2011

The city of Memphis has a $50-a-lot strategy for mowing vacant lots in eight parts of the city through community development corporations in those parts of town.

The city’s Division of Community Enhancement began working with neighborhood associations across the city this summer to identify more than 300 overgrown lots. Each association identified such lots in a 25-square-block area to clear them in one concentrated effort.

18. Schutt Excels As Volunteer, Outdoorsman, Businessman - Wednesday, August 03, 2011

When Peter Schutt bought The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. from his father John Paul “Jack” Jones in 1994, it marked the fourth generation of ownership for the family-run business whose story dates back more than a century.

19. Open Door - Monday, July 25, 2011

By 2050, it’s projected all minorities combined will represent more than 50 percent of the U.S. population, and as the United States moves closer to becoming a minority-majority nation, the growing Hispanic population is increasingly becoming a major power player in the new economy.

20. Faith-Based Orgs Revitalize Binghampton - Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Operation: Safe Community, launched by the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, began in 2006 with a goal to decrease blight and increase neighborhood restoration. That goal is now being reached after replacing dilapidated buildings and opening a farmers market in an abandoned gas station. Organizations such as First Baptist Church – Broad, led by Pastor Keith Norman, have also played an important role in Binghampton’s transformation.

21. Greenhouse Donated to Urban Farms - Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Stringer Nursery and Garden Center has donated its 23,000-square-foot greenhouse to Urban Farms in Binghampton. The greenhouse was scheduled to be disassembled and transported to the Urban Farms’ location on 198 Wills St. Saturday, July 16, according to Urban Farms’ Facebook page. Barnhart Crane and Rigging provided equipment to help volunteers and project management move the greenhouse to its new location.

22. Advocates Push Overton-Greenline Link - Tuesday, July 12, 2011

When the group of architects and planners working on a bicycle-pedestrian path connecting the Shelby Farms Greenline with Overton Park went beyond the end of the Greenline onto Tillman Street recently, they had a Memphis Police bicycle escort.

23. Hyde Takes Reins Of Alco Management - Friday, July 08, 2011

After starting at Alco Management Inc. in 2002, Robert Hyde has been named president of the company that has become a national leader in affordable housing during the past 35 years.

24. A New Home - Thursday, May 26, 2011

On a humid late May afternoon that signaled the imminent arrival of a sweltering Memphis summer, Burundi native Sedekia Imanairakiza seemed to be in his element, skillfully nurturing the soil and sowing the seeds that will yield fruitful summer crops at Urban Farms, a community garden in the heart of the city.

25. Dressing Up Dinner - Friday, May 06, 2011

The emergence of the Broad Avenue Arts District as a hub of arts, culture and community continues to take shape, and the latest focal point is a former abandoned gas station at Broad and Tillman Street.

26. New Farmers Markets Hit Needy Areas - Thursday, April 28, 2011

Farmers markets have typically been seen as the domain of middle-class, college-educated, health-conscious consumers concerned about reducing their carbon footprint, knowing the origin of their food and supporting local farmers committed to sustainable practices.

27. Grant Encourages Food Stamps at Markets - Monday, March 14, 2011

Farmers markets throughout Shelby County have no trouble attracting middle- and upper-class patrons who are health-conscious, but this year the push is to bring poorer populations to the table.

A grant awarded to GrowMemphis will provide economic incentives for food stamp users to buy fresh, local produce.

28. Green Jobs’ Role in Social Justice Topic for MSPJC Gala - Friday, January 14, 2011

A national figure in the growing discussion of the American green economy will speak about green jobs serving all races and classes in Memphis Saturday.

Van Jones, who is best known as the author of “The Green-Collar Economy” and as President Barack Obama’s former green jobs adviser, will give the keynote address at the 29th anniversary gala of the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center (MSPJC) to be held at First Congregational Church at 6 p.m.

29. CCHS, Donlon Help City’s Underserved - Monday, November 22, 2010

When Rick Donlon and three other newly minted doctors came to Memphis in the mid-1990s, they were attracted by circumstances most might not find so attractive: the largest concentration of medically-underserved communities in the state.

30. Broad Ambitions - Thursday, November 18, 2010

Its title may sound like a Woody Allen movie, but an innovative, two-day street festival in a resurging Midtown neighborhood may draw in new businesses via bike traffic.

“A New Face for an Old Broad,” to be held from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, will temporarily exhibit Broad Avenue as a connector between the terminus of the Shelby Farms Greenline and Overton Park.

31. O’Conner Vying for ‘Feeding Dreams’ Honor - Friday, September 03, 2010

Donald O’Conner may not be running for office, but he wants your vote. In fact, he would like your vote every day now through Halloween.

O’Conner, director of Watoto Memphis Performing Arts Academy, is the Memphis nominee for Feeding Dreams, a contest put on by General Mills Corp. to recognize black community leaders who work to create better neighborhoods.

32. Binghampton Farmers Market Prepares for Sept. 4 Opening - Friday, July 30, 2010

The Binghampton Development Corp. needs volunteers to help prepare for the opening of the city’s first farmers market linked to a commercial-scale, community gardening enterprise.

33. City Council Delays UDC Vote Until August - Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Memphis City Council Tuesday put off a third and final vote on a Unified Development Code (UDC) until its first meeting in August.

Several council members said they wanted a full briefing on the rewrite of both the city and county codes. The Shelby County Commission is preparing for its final vote on the same code.

34. Stimulus Funds New Christ Community Dental Clinics - Thursday, July 08, 2010

Federal stimulus money financed the construction of two dental clinics for Christ Community Health Services, but the 24 permanent positions created by the project will carry on after that funding has run its course.

35. City Council Rejects Cap On Tuition Reimbursement - Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Memphis City Council members rejected a plan by the Wharton administration Tuesday to cap tuition reimbursement for city employees at $1,400 per worker.

The council move came after funding for the city’s tuition reimbursement program was cut from $1.4 million last fiscal year to $500,000 in the fiscal year that began July 1.

36. Renaissance Avenue - Monday, June 28, 2010

When Larry Schmitt bought a two-story building on the corner of Broad Avenue and Collins Street in 1993, he knew the place needed some TLC.

37. Farmers Markets Planned for Under-Served Areas - Thursday, June 10, 2010

Two nonprofit organizations will be seeking government approval Thursday to open farmers markets in Binghampton and South Memphis as part of an effort to make city residents healthier.

St. Andrew AME Church and the Binghampton Development Corp. are on the agenda for the 10 a.m. meeting of the Memphis and Shelby County Land Use Control Board.

38. Allen’s Legal Expertise Takes Him Places - Thursday, April 29, 2010

Cannon Allen grew up with an idea that he might end up in the legal field, but a broad range of cases in commercial litigation paved the way for far-reaching experiences in entrepreneurship, transportation and logistics, and community building.

39. Nonprofit Orgs Create Garden for Binghampton - Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Land that lay fallow and forgotten for decades has been cleared and tilled for a garden to nourish Binghampton residents with fresh vegetables and provide them with jobs.

More than 30 volunteers shoveled mulch, planted seeds and built a hoop house on a 1.5-acre plot alongside Cypress Creek on Friday.

40. Back to Basics - Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Urban gardening efforts in Binghampton have prompted city officials to consider revising proposed land use ordinances that could stymie the greening of Memphis.

Planning officials spotted holes in the proposed laws when the Binghampton Development Corp. and Christ Community Health Services approached the city about starting a commercial gardening operation, which would create jobs and provide fresh foods in Binghampton, an area with a high poverty rate and no grocery store.

41. Funding Boost Moves Kroc Center Closer to Reality - Friday, April 24, 2009

No matter what happens with the overall redevelopment of the Mid-South Fairgrounds – a project that could be scaled back in light of the economy – the plan to build the Kroc Center of Memphis is gaining steam.

42. City to Recognize Broad Ave. Arts Area - Monday, March 02, 2009

Business owners and volunteers who have worked to showcase the artists of Broad Avenue are looking forward to Tuesday’s meeting of the Memphis City Council.

City Council member Jim Strickland is sponsoring a resolution to officially recognize the Broad Avenue Arts District.

43. City Program Seeks Minority Developers - Monday, February 23, 2009

Creating more minority developers means getting them to see blight differently.

That’s what the director of a two-year old effort by the city of Memphis to build diversity in the development community said last week about the effort.

44. Federal Reserve Economists Discuss Crime Study - Wednesday, December 10, 2008

A new study by a Federal Reserve economist indicates the common belief that crime increases with recessions may not hold true.

“Generally, we find little evidence that short-run changes in economic conditions induce greater criminal activity,” said Thomas A. Garrett, an assistant vice president for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, whose territory includes Memphis.

45. New Binghampton Senior Facility Planned - Friday, August 08, 2008

Two generations ago, Darrell Cobbins’ grandfather developed one of Memphis’ first black middle-income communities called Lakeview Gardens.

Over the next couple of years, Cobbins, a commercial real estate developer and broker, will bring a 133-unit senior housing facility to Binghampton, and he’ll pay homage to his real estate lineage by calling it Lakeview Estates.

46. Christ Community HealthBuys Former Walgreens - Tuesday, August 21, 2007
     Christ Community Health Services Inc. (CCHS) has bought a 10,000-square-foot former Walgreens at 2595 Central Ave. and plans to consolidate its outreach programs and administrative offices in the building.
 &nbs

47. A Broader Vision - Wednesday, November 08, 2006

On the big screen, the conventional wisdom is that sequels rarely improve on the original.

But in the real world, urban planners, business owners, residents and city officials are working to produce exactly the opposite result for a poverty-scarred Memphis neighborhood.

48. Archived Article - Wednesday, February 22, 2006

TDN: When Sam Cooper was extended to East Parkway, what did that do to the Broad Avenue business community?

DI: Before they changed the expressway, our business was absolutely booming. We were packed. Since they changed that, not only did it affect our business, but a lot of the local businesses have closed down. We've been here 30 years, but some of the other businesses that were here - like the silk-screening place that was nearby, it's gone.

49. Binghampton: A Model Project - Wednesday, February 22, 2006

The city's model design project for the Broad Avenue area represents a major opportunity for the residents and businesses of Binghampton. The Broad Avenue area has suffered from the flight and blight experienced across the inner-city, but was made worse by the extension of Sam Cooper Boulevard in 2002 and the resulting isolation of the Broad area. However, redevelopment efforts, new artist owners, an active business association and a new elementary school all offer hope that the revitalization of the Broad Avenue area can take hold and improve the surrounding Binghampton community.

50. Full Steam Ahead - Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Road projects often are lauded by civic leaders as catalysts for community development. But don't tell that to citizens in the Broad Avenue corridor.

Residents and business owners in the area have faced myriad problems over the years that were brought about by roadway decisions. First, the Interstate 40 project that was abruptly halted in the 1970s literally split the community. More recently, the extension of Sam Cooper Boulevard shifted traffic from Broad Avenuen in 2002, essentially cutting off the Binghampton neighborhood's livelihood.

51. Vive La France and Broad Avenue Corridor! - Tuesday, January 31, 2006

The next phase of bringing Memphis and Shelby County's development codes up to date hearkens back to the 19th century, when proctors at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris are said to have circulated a cart or charrette into which students would place their artwork.

52. Work Moves Slowly on New School Projects - Friday, November 18, 2005

Proof that the wheels of government often turn frustratingly slow can be found at the corner of Mason and Oak Grove roads in East Memphis.

The Memphis City Schools Board of Education is planning to build a new White Station Middle School on the land, situated behind the school's current location. The project was actually approved by the board a few years ago, and work may - or may not - begin after the first of the year.

53. Archived Article: Lead - Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Bringing Back Binghampton

Binghamton: Ready for its Renaissance

Business, community leaders envision areas comeback

ANNE MANNING

The Daily News

We didnt move; Sam Cooper did, read the flyer Broadway Pizza distributed soon after the ne...

54. Archived Article: Binghampton (lead) - Monday, June 10, 2002
Poplar Ave Poplar shops in Binghampton seeing revival By SUE PEASE The Daily News When John "Booth" Outlan, Midtown Wine and Spirits owner, moved into his store two years ago, he called it a dump. The circa 1940 signage outside and the anc...

55. Archived Article: Comm Focus - Friday, January 18, 2002
By JENNIFER MURLEY Organization finds a place it can call home By JENNIFER MURLEY The Daily News Last spring, Freddie Mae Terrells life was forever changed. It all began with an inquiry about a few much-needed home repairs through a Christian commun...

56. Archived Article: Binghampton (lead) - Tuesday, January 15, 2002
New police precinct on tap for Binghampton New police precinct on tap for Binghampton By MARY DANDO The Daily News The new year started off on a good note for the Binghampton neighborhood. Construction began on a $3.3 million police precinct at 426 ...

57. Archived Article: Broad (lead) - Tuesday, April 17, 2001
New Sam Cooper Parkway plan comes before city council Council to hear new Sam Cooper plan By MARY DANDO The Daily News The final draft of the Midtown Corridor East Redevelopment Plan will be considered by the Memphis City Council at a public hearing...

58. Archived Article: Real Focus (cdc) - Tuesday, March 06, 2001
The stories all have a similar ring to them City CDCs providing many redevelopment needs By JENNIFER MURLEY The Daily News The stories all have a similar ring. "We used to have prostitutes walking up and down these streets." "That pla...

59. Archived Article: Weed (bott) - Tuesday, March 09, 1999
By STACEY PETSCHAUER New designation will plant seeds of hope By STACEY PETSCHAUER The Daily News The city of Memphis is eligible for new funding and resources that will help it fight crime and revitalize neighborhoods through its recognition by the...

60. Archived Article: Hands On Chg - Monday, November 10, 1997
Hands On Memphis is seeking volunteers for its Day of Community Healing on Nov Hands On Memphis seeks volunteers for cleanup project By CAMILLE H. GAMBLE The Daily News Hands On Memphis is seeking volunteers for its Day of Community Healing on Nov. ...