It’s past time to rethink the old 60/40 notion of investing, say a wide range of Memphis financial professionals, as the ground continues to shift beneath the feet of investors in this low-yield world of investing dominated by unprecedented action from the Federal Reserve.

2. Growing Push to Halt Workplace Bullying - Monday, March 04, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Margaret Fiester is no shrinking violet, but she says working for her former boss was a nightmare.

"One day I didn't do something right and she actually laid her hands on me and got up in my face and started yelling, 'Why did you do that?'" said Fiester, who worked as a legal assistant for an attorney.

3. Message from the DOC - Thursday, February 28, 2013

The voice mail message on my private office line went like this: “This is (name omitted) at (address omitted). Recycling gave me this number. I’m trying to get a trash barrel for my house. It’s been three months since we had one, and I’m using my neighbor’s. Someone get in touch with me as soon as possible at (phone number omitted).”

4. Filmmakers Tap Public for Documentary Funding - Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Two independent Memphis filmmakers are days away from their deadline to crowd-fund a portion of the $50,000 budget for “The Keepers,” their documentary that takes viewers behind the scenes at the Memphis Zoo.

5. Commission Debates Post-Hostess Bread Prices - Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Shelby County Commissioners approved a $251,958 contract with a Batesville, Ark., bakery that at least for now has a perceived monopoly on baking and distributing large amounts of bread in the region.

6. Due Process - Saturday, January 26, 2013

One at a time. That is the most noticeable change so far at Memphis-Shelby County Juvenile Court as a result of a landmark settlement in November with the U.S. Justice Department. The children before the court come before the court magistrates one at a time. No more groups of juvenile defendants waiting for their case to come up as other cases are being heard.

7. Jobs Push Made for State’s Veterans - Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Hundreds of thousands of veterans will be coming home in the near future, as the U.S. downsizes its presence in the Middle East.

Many of those veterans will need jobs. And employers across Tennessee, with help from state government, are going on a major hiring push to put them to work.

8. 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.

9. Gov't Watchdog Urges Stronger Air Safety Oversight - Wednesday, May 09, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Federal Aviation Administration has repeatedly lagged in responding to whistleblower complaints about urgent safety problems, including takeoff and landing procedures at one airport that have caused planes to nearly collide, a government watchdog said Tuesday in an unusually harsh public rebuke.

10. A Look at Bills Passed by Tenn. Lawmakers in 2012 - Friday, May 04, 2012

Here is a list of some of the legislation that has been approved by the Legislature this year:

ABORTION DOCTORS: Requires physicians to have hospital privileges in the home or adjacent county of woman seeking abortion. HB3808.

11. Fresh Approach - Friday, April 13, 2012

The days of mystery meat, syrupy fruit cups and rubbery cheese pizza are a thing of the past at Memphis City Schools Nutrition Services, where, each school day, 20,000 salads are prepared from scratch using fresh, locally grown, mixed field greens.

12. Conspiracy Theory - Thursday, April 12, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tennessee joined 14 other states along with the U.S. Justice Department in suing Apple Inc. and major book publishers Wednesday, alleging a conspiracy to raise the price of electronic books they said cost consumers more than $100 million in the past two years by adding $2 to $5 to the price of each e-book.

13. 100 Years of Design - Thursday, March 15, 2012

Evans Taylor Foster Childress, which celebrates its centennial in March, can trace its origins to two distinguished Memphis architectural firms.

14. Commission’s Redistrict Debate Moves to Chancery - Wednesday, March 14, 2012

It is now up to a court to decide on a new set of district lines for the Shelby County Commission.

And Chancellor Arnold Goldin is not being asked to approve a simple tweaking of district boundaries that will essentially keep the commission as it is.

15. Petties Case Court Documents Suggest Post Conviction Plans - Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Toward the end of the prosecution’s case last week in the Craig Petties drug organization trial, jurors heard a corrections officers say that Clinton Lewis, one of the two defendants, told Carlos Whitelow, another member of the organization, to keep quiet and not tell prosecutors anything about the organization.

16. Prosecution Rests in Fed Drug Trial - Friday, March 09, 2012

The prosecution in the Craig Petties drug organization trial rested in case in chief Thursday, March 8, after four weeks of testimony.

17. Petties Jury Hears of 2007 Arrests of Defendants and Plea Talks - Thursday, March 08, 2012

When they were arrested separately within months of each in 2007, neither Clinton Lewis nor Martin Lewis went quietly.

18. Chancery Court Clerk Job Takes Russell ‘Full Circle’ - Thursday, January 05, 2012

The new clerk and master of Shelby County Chancery Court is returning to the world of court administration.

Donna Russell was appointed to the position late last year by the court’s three chancellors following the sudden resignation of clerk and master Dewun Settle in September.

19. Fed Drug Case Defendant Wants New Atty. - Monday, January 02, 2012

Just two and a half weeks before he goes on trial for racketeering, drug conspiracy and murder-for-hire charges, Clinton Lewis wants a new attorney.

20. Holiday Shopping Season is Strong - Thursday, December 22, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – The holiday shopping season is wrapping up to be bigger than anyone expected. Now, retailers are holding their breath and hoping consumers will keep spending in the final days before Christmas.

21. Rules for Federal Drug Case Still Being Formed - Thursday, December 15, 2011

The words “inordinate” and “extraordinary” keep coming up in the court documents for the largest drug case ever brought in Memphis federal court, even though the case is now down to two defendants who are scheduled to go to trial next month.

22. Prison Stories Lends Ear to Women Behind Bars - Friday, November 11, 2011

Elaine Blanchard has a reputation in the Memphis community as a gifted storyteller, but her greatest gift seems to lie in her willingness to listen, particularly to those who are listened to least.

23. A Primer on Recessionary Market Behavior - Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Counterpoint A few positive countertrend economic data points, a big Buffet Bank of America buy and a Bernanke bounce inspired markets last week, moving the S&P 500 higher by over 4 percent. The durability of the move warrants skepticism, but the rally appeared amidst oppressive pessimism. Who’s buying?

24. County Commission Approves City Convention Center Buyout - Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Shelby County Commissioners have approved selling county government’s share of the Memphis Cook Convention Center to the city of Memphis for $75 million.

The commission vote Monday, Aug. 22, came after city Housing and Community Development director Robert Lipscomb fielded a lot of questions from several commissioners about the Bass Pro Shops renovation of The Pyramid.

25. The Burger Joint Joins Ridgeway Trace - Friday, August 19, 2011

Another national burger chain is setting up shop locally, except this one selected Memphis as its entrance into the Tennessee market.

BGR The Burger Joint is the latest tenant to join Ridgeway Trace Center, the 347,358-square-foot development at Poplar Avenue and Interstate 240 anchored by Target, Best Buy, PetSmart and Sports Authority.

26. Literacy Mid-South Aims to Combat Local Illiteracy - Monday, August 15, 2011

Literacy Mid-South executive director Kevin Dean and his staff stay busy spreading the word about the identity and mission of the nonprofit organization, the result of a merger last year between Memphis Literacy Council and Mid-South Reads.

27. Pondering Procrastination - Monday, July 04, 2011

I have been putting off addressing this topic for quite a while for some reason. Just kidding! Technically, to procrastinate means to postpone doing something. Procrastination is not all bad. Sometimes it is a good idea to postpone certain things. For example, it is usually beneficial to postpone making a snap judgment about something or someone. And sometimes when you postpone so-called important things, they miraculously disappear or no longer matter. Procrastination only becomes dysfunctional behavior when it begins to negatively impact your life – when it prevents you from living the life you desire.

28. AP EXCLUSIVE: Power Grid Change May Disrupt Clocks - Monday, June 27, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Our power supply has been so precise that we've set our clocks by it. But time may be running out on that idea.

A yearlong experiment with the electric grid may make plug-in clocks and devices like coffeemakers with programmable timers run up to 20 minutes fast.

29. New Green Jail Opening in Nashville - Tuesday, June 21, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – A new detention center being built to house female inmates in Nashville will be Tennessee's first green jail.

The facility will hold 256 beds when it opens in September and features solar panels, a geothermal heat pump system, parking for alternative fuel vehicles, low-flow plumbing fixtures and a recycling program.

30. Commission Delays Final County Budget Vote - Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Shelby County Commissioners cut several million dollars across county government Monday June 6 with a resolution suggesting all county employees making over $100,000 a year take a 10 percent pay cut. They also slashed $300,000 from the county’s office of early childhood and youth and moved $250,000 in funding for a sickle cell clinic from the general fund to the fund balance.

31. County Commission to Decide New Budget - Monday, June 06, 2011

Shelby County commissioners reach the World Series of their annual budget season Monday, June 6, with a final vote scheduled on a county government operating budget.

The budget is for the new fiscal year that begins July 1.

32. Luttrell, Weirich Win Dunavant Awards - Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell and Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich are the winners of the eighth annual Bobby Dunavant Public Service Awards.

33. Agricenter Gives Region’s Ag Biz Place to Call Home - Tuesday, March 29, 2011

In the daily hustle and bustle of city life, it’s easy for Memphians to forget that the urban pocket they call home sits amid one of the nation’s richest agricultural regions.

And the world’s largest urban farm, nonprofit Agricenter International at 7777 Walnut Grove Road, is continually working to create more awareness about farming through educational programs and to advance agricultural technologies through research and trials.

34. Haslam Finds Money for Private Prison Amid Cuts - Tuesday, March 22, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – Republican Gov. Bill Haslam has found nearly $31 million in recurring money to keep open a privately run prison in West Tennessee while making deep cuts to other areas like TennCare and higher education.

35. Bill to Cut Certain Oversight Committees - Wednesday, March 16, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) — A proposal to streamline the Tennessee General Assembly's legislative process is advancing in the Senate.

The measure sponsored by Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey of Blountville passed the Senate State and Local Government Committee 6-3 on Tuesday. The companion bill is scheduled to be heard this week by the same committee in the House.

36. Architecture Report Brings Cautious Optimism - Monday, January 17, 2011

For two years, architects have dealt with a sluggish construction market that’s kept projects from moving off the boards and employees in a constant struggle for their jobs.

A recent industry report paints a more hopeful picture for the profession as it moves through 2011 and into 2012.

37. Wharton and Luttrell Revamp Programs as Crime Rate Drops - Tuesday, January 04, 2011

There were 93 homicides in the city of Memphis in 2010, the lowest murder rate in 30 years.

And Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. is attributing the drop to more citizens reporting crimes overall to Memphis police. Wharton was careful in talking about the drop in the most violent of crimes and the drop in the city’s overall crime rate for 2010 to emphasize that his administration is not declaring an end to crime problems.

38. Gibbons Tapped for Haslam’s Cabinet - Friday, December 10, 2010

Bill Gibbons began his political journey as an aide to Lamar Alexander when Alexander was governor.

Thirty years later, Gibbons is returning to Nashville again to work for another Republican governor – Bill Haslam.

39. Rotary Seeks Nominations for Dunavant Award - Monday, November 29, 2010

The Rotary Club of Memphis East is seeking nominees for its 8th annual Bobby Dunavant Public Service Award, an event that honors distinguished work by public officials.

40. Lifeblood Elects Board Members - Monday, November 15, 2010

Lifeblood has elected new members to its board of directors.

New board members include Bill Appling, president of Watkins Uiberall Healthcare Consulting Group; Al Bright Jr., attorney at Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens and Cannada PLLC; Sam Cole, attorney; Dr. Lawrence Madlock, medical director at University Health Services; Jim Martin, retired from the Shelby County Division of Corrections; Kem Mullins, chief executive officer at St. Francis Hospital Bartlett; and Dr. Ted Strom, blood bank medical director and director of the hematology section, pathology and laboratory medicine services at the Memphis Veteran Affairs Medical Center.

41. What Remains: Grab Bag of Charter Provisions - Friday, October 29, 2010

Writing a government charter isn’t simply creating a new government out of thin air. In drafting the consolidation charter on the Nov. 2 ballot, the Metro Charter Commission had to weigh the impact of state law, court rulings on state law and the Tennessee constitution as well as what exists now.

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

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

43. New County Commission, Mayor Go to Work - Thursday, September 09, 2010

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell took his first batch of appointees to the Shelby County Commission Wednesday in the first committee sessions of the commission’s new term of office.

44. Charter 411 - Monday, August 30, 2010

The metro government charter, to be voted on Nov. 2, would combine the Memphis and Shelby County governments into one new local government.

The 49-page charter is the work of the 15-member Metro Charter Commission, which began in November and completed its work just weeks ago.

45. Luttrell’s Staff Filled With Familiar Faces - Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Shelby County Mayor-elect Mark Luttrell is taking some of his team from the sheriff’s department with him when he switches offices Sept. 1

46. Luttrell Assembles Team - Tuesday, August 24, 2010
As interim Shelby County mayor Joe Ford attended his last County Commission meeting, county mayor elect Mark Luttrell began naming the team he will go into office with on Sept. 1.

47. County’s Top Cop Eyes Top Spot - Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Outgoing Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell arrives this week at the pinnacle of a political rise that began eight years ago.

48. Tenn. Prisons to Use Dogs to Find Contraband Cell Phones - Tuesday, August 03, 2010

NASHVILLE (AP) – The Tennessee prison system is turning to man's best friend for some help sniffing out mobile phones that have been smuggled in to inmates.

Tennessee corrections officers have confiscated 1,684 cell phones at 12 state prisons in the past year. Regularly searching inmates, their cells and their visitors hasn't been enough to stop the contraband.

49. Commission Grants Deputies 1 Percent Pay Raise - Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Now that Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies have secured an extra 1 percent pay raise from the Shelby County Commission, other unions representing county employees are making noise about a similar pay hike.

50. YouthBuild to Hold Groundbreaking Event - Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Interim Shelby County Mayor Joe Ford and officials with the Shelby County Division of Community Services and the Division of Corrections will break ground on a new one-room vocational training facility constructed by incarcerated participants of YouthBuild.

51. Armed Robbery Legislation Among New Tenn. Laws - Friday, July 02, 2010

NASHVILLE (AP) – Legislation that requires people convicted of armed robbery to serve most of their sentences in prison is among a number of measures that became law Thursday.

The measure increases the minimum time served for aggravated robbery with a weapon from 30 percent of the sentence to 70 percent.

52. Confiscated Cell Phones Go to Domestic Violence Victims - Friday, June 18, 2010

Shelby County Interim Mayor Joe Ford and officials with the Shelby County Division of Corrections on Thursday donated more than 100 cell phones that had been confiscated from inmates to the YWCA of Greater Memphis Abused Women’s Services Program.

53. Vermont Inmates on Lockdown in Tenn. Prison - Friday, May 14, 2010

MASON, Tenn. (AP) — Correctional officials say 35 inmates from Vermont being held in a West Tennessee prison are on lockdown after refusing to get into their cells and damaging property.

Corrections Corporation of America, which runs the West Tennessee Detention Facility in Mason, about 35 miles northeast of Memphis, said in a news release that around 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday the male inmates refused to return to their cells for the night and began damaging property inside their housing unit.

54. Ford, Luttrell Show Marked Differences on Major Issues - Thursday, May 13, 2010

The race for Shelby County mayor won’t be a case of two candidates who agree on many issues but differ in style and approach.

Mark Luttrell, the Republican nominee, and Joe Ford, the Democratic nominee, have different styles, different approaches and agree on very little.

55. Commission Begins Considering New Budget - Monday, April 26, 2010

It’s budget season on Civic Center Plaza Downtown.

Shelby County Mayor Joe Ford has already delivered budget details to the Shelby County Commission. He could have more to say about the budget at Monday’s commission meeting, which begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Shelby County Administration Building, 160 N. Main St.

56. 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.

57. House Votes to Boost Prison Time for Robbery - Friday, April 09, 2010

The state House has passed a bill that would require people convicted of armed robbery to serve most of their sentences.

The chamber voted 88-4 Thursday for the measure sponsored by House Democratic Leader Gary Odom of Nashville to increase the minimum time served for aggravated robbery with a weapon from 30 percent of the sentence to 74 percent.

58. Tenn. House Delays Armed Robbery Sentencing Bill - Wednesday, April 07, 2010

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A proposal to boost Tennessee sentencing requirements for armed robberies was delayed in the state House on Monday over an attempt to remove a related measure to reduce prison time for certain nonviolent crimes.

59. First Mayoral Debate Finds Differing Views of MED - Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Interim Shelby County Mayor Joe Ford declared the Regional Medical Center has been “saved.”

Ford made the declaration at a Monday night forum held at the Central Library by the League of Women Voters.

60. UPDATE: First Mayoral Debate Draws Crowd and Friction - Monday, March 15, 2010

Interim Shelby County Mayor Joe Ford declared the Regional Medical Center has been “saved.”

Ford made the declaration at a Monday night forum held at the Central Library by the League of Women Voters.

61. Tenn. Moves Execution Time Up to 10 p.m - Tuesday, March 09, 2010

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Department of Correction says its executions will now be carried out three hours earlier.

Corrections Commissioner Gayle Ray said Monday that after June 1 state executions will take place at 10 p.m. instead of 1 a.m.

62. Little Draws on Experiences To Recognize Opportunities - Monday, March 08, 2010

George Little refers to the past two months as “eight weeks since I got out of prison.”

Little was state commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Corrections before he took the job as chief administrative officer to Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.

63. Miss. Budget Restoration Approved, Sent to Barbour - Thursday, March 04, 2010

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi Legislature on Wednesday approved a plan to restore about one-fifth of the money Gov. Haley Barbour had cut from the current state budget.

The plan passed the Senate 47-0 and the House 115-2. Barbour is expected to sign it into law.

64. Unemployment Eclipses Fiscal Jolt - Friday, February 19, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – The jobless got a hand. Taxpayers got tax breaks. And a sinking economy stabilized.

But the public’s response to President Barack Obama’s recession-fighting policies has been increasingly dreary. And the reason is simple: six months of unemployment above 9.6 percent.

65. Ford Remains Coy as Candidate Field Forms - Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Interim Shelby County Mayor Joe Ford continued to weigh his political options over the weekend as other contenders on the May and August ballots prepared to take their campaigns to the streets.

66. Former County Deputy Sentenced for Stealing - Thursday, February 04, 2010

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Memphis has reported a former Shelby County narcotics detective has been sentenced to six months in prison for charges connected to an FBI sting.

According to an affidavit, the sting came after complaints 34-year-old Jeffery McCall, of Arlington, was stealing money from suspected drug dealers.

67. Crimson Tide - Monday, January 25, 2010

Twelve days into the new year, Gov. Phil Bredesen stood in the well of the state House in Nashville and talked about leading the nation in education reform.

Later this year, Bredesen will return to address legislators on a less lofty but more immediate topic – a pool of red ink in the state budget unprecedented at least since the Depression years of the 1930s. For more than a year and a half, Tennessee has failed to meet its monthly revenue projections.

68. Downtown Businesses Brace for Year Of Change - Wednesday, January 20, 2010

2009 was a less-than-stellar year for Downtown Memphis based on several measures of business and financial activity.

During the past 12 months, the area saw a slump in business license and residential sales activity, rising bankruptcies and a spike in foreclosures.

69. 2010 - Monday, January 04, 2010

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

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

70. Bredesen Doesn’t Pull Punches About Last Year in Office - Monday, January 04, 2010

2010 is Phil Bredesen’s eighth and final year as governor of Tennessee.

The year will begin with a special legislative session Jan. 12 and will end with Bredesen preparing for the transition to a new governor.

71. City Council to Consider Wharton’s CAO Appointment - Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The Memphis City Council today is scheduled to approve Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.’s appointment of outgoing Tennessee corrections commissioner George Little to be his new chief administrative officer.

72. Little Ready to Join Wharton Team - Friday, December 04, 2009

George Little has a towering physique and a booming voice. He speaks slowly, intently and with an almost steely gaze.

73. Correction Commissioner To Leave at Month’s End - Thursday, December 03, 2009

Tennessee Correction Commissioner George Little is stepping down at the end of this month to become Memphis Mayor A C Wharton’s chief administrative officer.

74. Update: Wharton CAO Announcement at Hand - Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. appears set to announce his appointment of a chief administrative officer as early as today, with Tennessee Department of Corrections Commissioner George Little as Wharton’s choice.

Speculation originally centered on Shelby County Commissioner Mike Carpenter as Wharton’s pick to replace former Memphis City Councilman and current CAO Jack Sammons. But Carpenter told The Daily News this week he will not be Wharton’s choice for the role, and he declined to elaborate.

Gov. Phil Bredesen appointed Little as corrections commissioner in September 2005. Before that, Little had served as director of Shelby County’s corrections division.

Wharton is expected to announce his choice by the end of the week. Other personnel decisions also may be announced by week’s end, sources say.

Wharton’s choice for CAO will be one of his most closely watched early decisions as the city’s new mayor. The CAO runs city government on a day-to-day basis and is usually the mayor’s link with City Council members.

The CAO also works closely with city division directors on a daily basis.

75. Medtronic Gets FDA Warning on Heart Implant Unit - Thursday, November 19, 2009

NEW YORK (AP) - Medtronic reported Wednesday it is responding to a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about procedures at the Minnesota headquarters of its heart implants division.

76. High Court to Look at Life in Prison for Juveniles - Thursday, November 05, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - Joe Sullivan was sent away for life for raping an elderly woman and judged incorrigible though he was only 13 at the time of the attack.

77. Commissioner of Miss. Prisons Trying to Trim $8.3M - Thursday, November 05, 2009

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps says he's looking for ways to cut $8.3 million out of the $344 million budget for the prison system.

78. Private Prison Reaches $1.3M Settlement with EEOC - Thursday, October 15, 2009

DENVER (AP) - The operators of a Colorado private prison have agreed to pay $1.3 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that male officers forced female workers to perform sex acts to keep their jobs.

79. Corrections Corp. Announces New CEO - Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Corrections Corporation of America has announced that John Ferguson will retire as CEO and be succeeded by current president and chief operating officer Damon Hininger.

80. City CAO Resigns to Pursue Other Interests - Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Herenton administration’s No. 2 man announced Wednesday he is leaving City Hall.

Keith McGee, the city’s chief administrative officer, plans to retire effective July 4.

McGee, 47, sent the written notice to Mayor Willie Herenton the day after the City Council completed action on a city budget and tax rate for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

81. UPDATE: McGee To Retire As City CAO - Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The Herenton administration’s No. 2 man announced Wednesday he is leaving City Hall.

Keith McGee, the city’s chief administrative officer, plans to retire effective July 4.

McGee, 47, sent the written notice to Mayor Willie Herenton the day after the City Council completed action on a city budget and tax rate for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Along with the city finance director, the CAO traditionally shepherds the administration through council deliberations on the city budget.

“My pastoral ministry and other consulting interests are calling me to transition at this time,” wrote McGee who has been pastor of St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Tipton County since 1992. “I am excited about the chance to explore some unique opportunities that require my time and attention. … I plan to continue my service to this great community through civic activities.”

McGee was a consultant to the U.S. Justice Department’s National Institute of Corrections before going to work for the city in 1993. He oversaw personnel training for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department and worked in the Shelby County jail in various positions.

But late Wednesday afternoon, McGee told The Daily News he is pursuing other consultant possibilities outside corrections.

No successor has been named for McGee.

In announcing McGee’s retirement, Herenton described McGee’s service as “exemplary.”

The CAO is responsible for the day to day running of all divisions of city government and reports directly to the mayor.

McGee became chief administrative officer in 2003 at the beginning of Herenton’s fourth term of office. Before that he had served four years as director of the division of Human Resources. He went to work for the Herenton administration in 1993 as the deputy director of human resources.

McGee figured prominently in Herenton’s brief flirtation with resigning the mayor’s office in 2008. City Charter provisions at the time would have made McGee the mayor after a 20-day tenure by then-council chairman Scott McCormick.

Before abandoning the idea of resigning, Herenton’s plan relied heavily on McGee continuing Herenton’s political agenda.

In addition to overseeing the administration’s budget priorities, McGee has also been involved in the administration’s attempt to recover from a growing list of problems at the Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center (MSARC).

Herenton admitted there were problems but added fuel to the political fire with an appearance before the City Council earlier this month in which he declared MSARC would remain a city agency as long as he was mayor.

Herenton said McGee had counseled him not to go into problems at the center, which included a staffing shortage as well as a lack of administrative oversight. And McGee had also helped Herenton craft a prepared statement for the council that Herenton left unused for the most part.

Less than a week later, Herenton and Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton Jr. announced MSARC would become a part of the county-led Health Department.

82. Bill Preventing Jail Decertification Becomes Law - Friday, May 22, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A proposal that would prevent a jail facility from being decertified is now a law.

The measure was signed Wednesday by Gov. Phil Bredesen.

The law prohibits the Tennessee Corrections Institute from decertifying a jail facility based on square footage of a jail cell if the measurement meets the requirements of the American Correctional Association's Manual of Correctional Standards.

83. Associated Press Corrections - Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The Associated Press moved two corrections on stories posted to the Web by The Daily News.

In an April 27 story about legislation to ban reading or sending text messages while driving, The Associated Press, relying on information from the bill sponsor, reported erroneously the status of the measure. The bill has been returned to the Senate to work out minor differences with the House version, not forwarded to the governor for his consideration.

84. Reappraisal Numbers Up Almost 9 Percent Countywide - Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Certified tax rolls released this month by Shelby County Assessor of Property Cheyenne Johnson provide a snapshot of the local real estate market over the past few years – particularly how property values are changing and where those changes are occurring.

An analysis of the tax rolls shows an 8.8 percent gain in the assessed value of property in Shelby County as a result of the 2009 countywide reappraisal, which became official April 20.

The figures also show most of the county’s increase in assessed value – the percentage of property value on which taxes are paid – occurred within the city of Memphis.

Comparing this year’s certified tax rolls to last year’s figures also shows Memphis and Shelby County with roughly the same percentages of the county’s overall tax value in 2008 and 2009. In other words, the 2009 reappraisal did not result in a major shift of the county’s tax burden to taxpayers outside Memphis, as some feared might occur to compensate for declines in the city.

Local governments use the updated figures to guide their budget planning discussions for the coming fiscal year.

Minced words

Memphis officials already have given an idea of the direction they’re going with the tax rate. City finance director Roland McElrath told Memphis City Council members last week the city’s tax rate of $3.25 per $100 of assessed value likely would be lowered.

But Friday, Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton sent the council a letter recommending the council allocate 82 cents of the city’s tax rate to funding for Memphis City Schools.

“My advice to the council is to reinstate the previous 82 (cent) tax rate allocated for schools and let’s move on to other priorities for the city,” the mayor wrote.

Meanwhile, here’s more of what the new certified tax figures show:

• Overall, the county saw a $1.5 billion increase in tax value after the reappraisal. Of that, a little more than $1 billion came from within the city of Memphis, and a little more than $500 million came from outside the city.
• The assessed value within Memphis comprised about 61.4 percent of the county’s overall tax base in 2008. The county outside the city last year comprised about 38.5 percent of the county’s overall tax base.

This year, Memphis comprises 61.8 percent of the county’s overall tax base, and the county outside the city comprises 38.1 percent.

Minced numbers

Those numbers all either reflect or relate to increases in assessed value. The assessed value for residential property owners is 25 percent of their property’s appraisal. For commercial and industrial property owners, the assessment is 40 percent. Property tax rates are applied to each $100 of assessed value.

This year’s figures reflect adjustments from the latest countywide property reappraisal, something that happens once every four years to make sure the local tax burden is spread equally among taxpayers. The adjustments are supposed to ensure an up-to-date property value is identified so taxpayers aren’t paying too much or too little because values are out of line.

The adjustment results in an increase in tax value for some property owners, but the way a reappraisal is conducted in Tennessee means local governments don’t get an increase in revenue from a reappraisal in and of itself.

This month’s certified figures don’t break down how much of the 2009 increases result from new construction and corrections from past errors in value calculations. Those figures will be identified and then set aside before local governments go through the process of identifying the certified tax rates that would bring in the same total tax revenue levied last year.

That process is the way local governments are kept from getting a revenue windfall from the reappraisal.

The certified figures also will be adjusted further as challenges from property owners succeed in knocking some value off the tax rolls, either through the assessor’s office or the county Board of Equalization.

85. Proposal Would Prevent Jail Decertification - Friday, April 10, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A proposal that would prevent a jail facility from being decertified has passed the Senate.

The measure sponsored by Sen. Steve Southerland, a Morristown Republican, unanimously passed the Senate on Thursday.

86. Proposal Would Address Jail Cell Regulations - Wednesday, April 01, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Proposals that would examine or make changes to jail cell regulations are advancing in the Senate.

Both measures sponsored by Sen. Steve Southerland, a Morristown Republican, unanimously passed the Senate State and Local Government Committee on Tuesday.

87. State Makes Changes to Figuring Incarceration Cost - Tuesday, March 17, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - State officials are taking steps to more accurately determine incarceration costs in Tennessee.

James White, executive director of the state legislative Fiscal Review Committee, said Monday some lawmakers were concerned about the accuracy in calculating incarceration costs in preparing fiscal notes.

88. TSEA President Demoted from Top Corrections Post - Tuesday, March 03, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The president of the Tennessee State Employees Association has been demoted from a top post at the state Corrections Department following allegations that he billed the state and the employees' group for identical trips.

89. Tenn. Working to Improve Probation and Parole - Tuesday, March 03, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee Correction Commissioner George Little said Monday that the state is taking steps to address issues in a national report that shows the number of offenders on parole and probation across the United States has surged past 5 million.

90. Economy Slowing Tenn. Prison Plans - Tuesday, February 17, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Prisons officials say the sluggish economy is affecting plans for new correctional facilities in Tennessee.

The new 2,400-unit, $155 million Morgan County Correctional Complex will open this summer as the aging Brushy Mountain State Prison is closed.

91. Bredesen: Lawmakers Won't Like Tenn. Budget Cuts - Monday, January 26, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Gov. Phil Bredesen is warning Tennessee lawmakers that deep, difficult budget cuts that include significant layoffs of state employees are coming this legislative session.

92. Fewer Permits Hint at Building Correction - Monday, December 08, 2008

Shelby County’s homebuilders are doing what they can to reduce inventory, as their sales have outpaced starts for the fifth quarter in a row, a key indicator for housing recovery.

But new home supply remains high in Shelby County, meaning builders will need to continue those efforts – perhaps even ramp them up – before the market bottoms out and starts its upward climb.

93. FedEx to Hike Ground, Home Delivery Rates - Monday, November 17, 2008

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - FedEx Corp. said Friday it will raise rates for its ground and home delivery services by an average of 5.9 percent beginning on Jan. 5.

94. Bush Says Government Role Essential to Ease Crisis - Monday, September 22, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Friday asked Congress to approve extensive federal intervention in financial markets that he said is both warranted and essential to halt the worst financial crisis in decades. "We must act now," he said.

95. Fowlkes Seeks Better Way To Treat Criminals in System - Friday, September 19, 2008

When he was an assistant public defender and an assistant district attorney in the 1980s, John Fowlkes used to measure whether it was a busy day by if he could carry all of his case files under one arm. One arm was busy. Two arms meant he was slammed.

96. Full-Time Deputies Responsible For Courtroom Security - Thursday, August 21, 2008

After much debate, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners has decided to keep only full-time sheriff’s deputies in courtrooms to serve as security officers.

A resolution initially proposed by Commissioner Wyatt Bunker would have allowed for the courts to replace some of the full-time deputies with part-time retired deputies. The resolution was offered as a way for the county to save money during the current fiscal year.

97. Charter Vote Hits Logjam - Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Shelby County Commissioners did it the hard way this week on the second of three readings of a new set of proposed charter amendments.

Ultimately, the commission approved the charter amendments Monday for the Nov. 4 ballot. This measure would establish five countywide offices as positions in the county charter instead of the Tennessee Constitution and a separate amendment would limit those holding the five offices to no more than two consecutive terms in office.

98. Events - Wednesday, April 30, 2008

The Rotary Club of Memphis will hold the fifth annual Bobby Dunavant Public Servant Awards today at 11:45 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom of The Peabody, 149 Union Ave. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour will be the featured speaker. For more information, call Lee Hughes at 754-1615.

99. Tenn. Effort to Plug Tax Loopholes Could Net Up to $20M - Tuesday, April 29, 2008

NASHVILLE (AP) - The state Revenue Department's latest effort to close tax loopholes could net the state up to $20 million.

Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr says the annual measure known as the "Technical Corrections Bill," will this year include efforts to keep businesses from avoiding taxes when they sell commercial properties at a profit.

100. Banking Workforce Reduction Ahead, Study Says - Monday, April 21, 2008

The U.S. financial industry could lose 200,000 jobs - or 10 percent of a workforce that's estimated at 2 million - during the next 12 to 18 months because of problems stemming from the recent subprime fiasco, according to a recent study by the research firm Celent LLC.