Memphis City Council members delayed Tuesday, March 5, final votes on an ordinance to put a half-percent sales tax hike to Memphis voters sometime before Sept. 30 and a resolution outlining how the estimated $47 million in revenue from the tax hike would be used.

2. Council Delays Sales Tax Votes - Thursday, March 07, 2013

Memphis City Council members delayed Tuesday, March 5, final votes on an ordinance to put a half-percent sales tax hike to Memphis voters sometime before Sept. 30 and a resolution outlining how the estimated $47 million in revenue from the tax hike would be used.

3. Sales Tax Hike Headed to Ballot - Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Memphis City Council members take final votes Tuesday, March 5, on a half-percent city sales tax hike referendum and the use of the estimated $47 million in revenue the tax hike will produce.

The council, which meets at 3:30 p.m. at City Hall, 125 N. Main St., is expected to pass the referendum and send it to voters this year.

4. City Council Approves Fairgrounds TDZ Request - Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Memphis City Council members approved Tuesday, Feb. 19, plans for a tourism development zone to capture sales tax revenue in a large area for a renovation of the Fairgrounds property at first.

The boundaries of the zone go to the state for approval and city Community and Housing Development division director Robert Lipscomb said such a proposal could be at the state building commission in Nashville in April.

5. Payne Joins Fulton CPAs as Senior Accountant - Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Tarasha Payne has joined Fulton CPAs PLLC as a senior accountant in the areas of taxation, compilation and reviews, and client services. Payne has more than 15 years’ experience in the field and is working toward CPA certification. The announcement comes on the heels of big changes at the accounting firm, including new ownership and a name change from Polsgrove & Fulton. (See The Daily News’ Monday, Dec. 17, edition for more information.)

6. Solar Energy Gets Boost With Two New Arrays - Monday, April 16, 2012

April is proving to be a banner month for alternative energy as two solar arrays formally opened within days of each other last week.

The West Tennessee Solar Farm in Haywood County is the largest in the state with 21,000 panels.

7. State Cuts to Medicaid Affect Patients, Providers - Wednesday, December 28, 2011

ATLANTA (AP) – Just as Medicaid prepares for a vast expansion under the federal health care overhaul, the 47-year-old entitlement program for the poor is under increasing pressure as deficit-burdened states chip away at benefits and cut payments to doctors.

8. Council Cautious About City Finances - Thursday, December 08, 2011

Memphis City Council members set the tone for the beginning of a new four-year term of office at their next to last meeting of 2011.

And the message is the council intends to be an equal partner with Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. in setting the city’s fiscal priorities, not waiting and then voting his proposals up or down.

9. Orpheum Looks South For Expansion Plans - Monday, November 07, 2011

The show must go on even if the stage isn’t big enough, but The Orpheum Theater hopes to change that very soon.

Executive director Pat Halloran has announced plans to buy a Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division parking lot adjacent to the historic theater as the site for its new Performing Arts and Leadership Academy.

10. City Council Delays MLGW Insurance Contract - Monday, September 26, 2011

A fight for a $122 million health insurance contract that began last year continued last week as the Memphis City Council delayed approval of the contract between CIGNA and Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division.

11. Let There Be Light - Monday, August 29, 2011

This fall, a group of 1,000 Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division customers move deeper into a three-year, futuristic-sounding “Smart Grid” test project that began this past January.

They volunteered last year to get new automated meters for their homes, and half of them got a wireless digital counter top readout for inside their homes that allows them to watch their electricity usage. With a computer dashboard readout they can also follow trends for energy usage over time, and the device even suggests scenarios for cutting costs.

12. Harding's Convocation to Inaugurate New Name - Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The 10th annual convocation celebration at Harding School of Theology is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 22, when area leaders are scheduled to help inaugurate the school’s name change.

Prior to July 1, the school was called Harding University Graduate School of Religion. Harding School of Theology is associated with Churches of Christ.

13. Mayors Launch Office of Sustainability - Tuesday, May 24, 2011

When Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell launch their joint office of sustainability this week, it will be the latest move in a continuing realignment of both local governments.

14. MLGW's Collins Receives U of M Engineering Award - Monday, March 21, 2011

Jerry R. Collins Jr., president and chief executive officer of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division, was honored with the Herff Honor Award for Distinguished Service in Engineering by the University of Memphis Herff College of Engineering.

15. Hybrid Luxury - Thursday, February 24, 2011

With gas selling at $3 a gallon, the staff at Lexus of Memphis gathered earlier this month for a training session.

The East Memphis dealership had just taken delivery of a first for the luxury carmaker – a five-door hybrid hatchback Lexus. The CT200h is the fifth hybrid Lexus has offered, but the first hybrid car classified as a luxury car that promises to top 40 miles per gallon of gas.

16. Memphis Closer to Electric Vehicle Technology - Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division should have 10 locations up and running by September for public charging stations for electric vehicles.

And Tennesseans who buy a Nissan Leaf, the all-electric vehicle coming to the market in 2012, will get a free home charging station as part of federal government incentives in six states and Washington as well as state government incentives in Tennessee.

17. Business Sense - Monday, November 01, 2010

Mark Luttrell has a little more than eight weeks under his belt as Shelby County mayor, and he’s spent much of that time on things that shouldn’t come as a surprise.

18. City Council Gives UDC Green Light - Thursday, August 12, 2010

It is complex. It is tedious. Some of its proponents even call it boring. And it took six years to create.

This week the Memphis City Council gave final approval to a new Unified Development Code that won final approval the day before by the Shelby County Commission.

19. BBB of the Mid-South Elects New Officers, Directors - Tuesday, April 06, 2010

The Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South has elected officers and new directors for 2010.

Pierre T. Landaiche III of SMG Management and the Memphis Cook Convention Center has been re-elected chairman of the board.

20. Events - Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South will present a breakfast series session titled “Classifying & Paying Your Employees” today from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Better Business Bureau, 3693 Tyndale Drive. For reservations, contact Nancy Crawford at 757-8627 or ncrawford@bbbmidsouth.org.

21. Events - Monday, March 15, 2010

The University of Memphis will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening of the new University Center today at 10 a.m. The day will include the opening of Tiger Dining’s Union Food Court and later, music and entertainment from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

22. Only Remaining Avenue in Miss. Water Case is to Sue Tenn. - Wednesday, January 27, 2010

If Mississippi wants to pursue its water rights lawsuit against Memphis, it will have to sue the state of Tennessee.

That’s the effect of this week’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear an appeal by Mississippi’s attorneys. The nation’s highest court passed on hearing the case against Memphis and Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division without comment.

23. MLGW to Restore Power In Light of Frigid Temps. - Thursday, January 07, 2010

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr., interim Shelby County Mayor Joe Ford and Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division President Jerry Collins have announced that power will be restored to residents in Memphis whose utilities have been cut off for lack of payment.

24. Council Chairman Collins Readies For New Regime - Monday, October 26, 2009

Memphis City Council Chairman Harold Collins will have a very good seat for today’s swearing-in ceremony of Memphis Mayor-elect A C Wharton Jr.

25. Artists, Events Announced For Broad Avenue Art Walk - Monday, September 21, 2009

The Historic Broad Avenue Arts District has announced the lineup for this year’s Art Walk, which will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 2.

The event will take place in the area bounded by Sam Cooper Boulevard and Broad Avenue, between Hollywood and Collins streets.

26. Lee Fees Caught in Legal Loop - Tuesday, July 28, 2009

With the predictability of a boomerang, Joseph Lee’s legal fee situation never seems to go away and keeps coming back to where it started.

At the Memphis City Council meeting Aug. 18, the body is scheduled to approve Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division’s payment of more than $426,000 to the city of Memphis. That amount from the city-owned utility company is to reimburse the city what it recently paid to settle a lawsuit the former MLGW president and CEO filed last year.

27. Here Comes the Sun: Memphis’ cut of the state’s solar energy plan - Monday, July 20, 2009

The Sharp Manufacturing plant in Hickory Hill has always been a symbol as much as a working part of the city’s economic infrastructure.

The plant on South Mendenhall Road represents the city’s first truly international big business presence. It opened in 1978 after Japanese executives came to Memphis to negotiate directly with city leaders. And once the deal closed, a now-legendary picket line was thrown up by local union leaders. The picketing symbolized organized labor’s determination to have a voice in local economic development.

28. City Poised to Pay Lee’s Legal Expenses - Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Joseph Lee appears set to get the six-figure sum he’s long awaited to cover his legal expenses incurred during a 2007 federal corruption investigation.

The city of Memphis within the past few days sent him an agreement styled as an “offer of judgment” for $426,422.33.

29. Events - Tuesday, April 07, 2009

The Greater Memphis Chamber will host the Metro Business Council Breakfast today from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at The Racquet Club of Memphis, 5111 Sanderlin Ave. Terrance Reed, vice president of human resources for Buckeye Technologies, and Paul Morris of law firm Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston PC will speak. Cost is $20 for members. For reservations, contact Ericka Milford at emilford@memphischamber.com or 543-3518.

30. Events - Monday, April 06, 2009

The Musculoskeletal Quarterly Lecture Series will be today at 5 p.m. at the University of Memphis’ FedEx Institute of Technology. Timothy M. Wright will speak on “Improving the Performance of Elbow Arthroplasty – An Effort in Translational Research.” For reservations, call 271-0000.

31. Council Amends Rental Energy Efficiency Standards - Wednesday, February 04, 2009

The Memphis City Council has given final approval to an ordinance that sets minimum energy efficiency standards for rental property.

The ordinance, approved Tuesday on third reading with a unanimous council vote, came with some amendments. They were worked out in talks between Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division officials and representatives of apartment complex owners as well as owners of smaller and single-family rental properties.

32. Council Approves Apartment Energy Efficiency Standards - Tuesday, February 03, 2009

The Memphis City Council has given final approval to an ordinance that sets minimum energy efficiency standards for rental property.

The ordinance, approved today on third reading with a unanimous council vote, came with some amendments. They were worked out in talks between Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division officials and representatives of apartment complex owners as well as owners of smaller and single-family rental properties.

33. Council to Discuss Employee Buyouts - Tuesday, February 03, 2009

The Memphis City Council today is to begin discussing the terms of a buyout for city employees.

A resolution setting out the terms is on the agenda for an 11:30 a.m. committee session. The full council will vote on the resolution later this month.

34. Lee Files Suit Against Council Members, City - Wednesday, December 17, 2008

When the Memphis City Council declined earlier this month to approve the payment of a six-figure legal bill incurred by former Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division president and CEO Joseph Lee, some council members worried they’d soon have a lawsuit on their hands.

35. Lee’s Decision to Sue Probably Inevitable - Friday, December 05, 2008

Former Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division president and CEO Joseph Lee decided late Wednesday afternoon, after talking with his lawyer for more than an hour, to file a lawsuit over $426,422 in legal fees he incurred last year.

36. Lee To Announce Next Step In Legal Fees Flap - Wednesday, December 03, 2008
The Memphis City Council Tuesday affirmed its vote in Oct. to reject paying the legal fees of former Memphis Light Gas & Water Division president Joseph Lee.

The bill for Lee’s legal defense in a grand jury probe that led to his indictment as well as a hearing before the council came to $426,422. The corruption charges were later dropped by federal prosecutors.

The 7-6 vote came at the end of a day in which MLGW president Jerry Collins told council members talks between the utility and Lee’s attorney, Robert Spence, failed to reach any terms for a lesser amount.

Spence told The Daily News an announcement on a decision by Lee about pursuing the legal fees in a lawsuit against the city could be made as early as today.

The council has also given final approval Tuesday to an ordinance regulating the location of financial services, payday loan and title loan businesses.

The council vote was unanimous on third and final reading. Third and final vote before the Shelby County Commission is scheduled for Dec. 8.

The council passed an amended version that emerged as a compromise during this week’s council session.

The ordinance bans the businesses from being with 1,000 feet of each other. The compromise worked out by council member Bill Morrison, with agreement from the payday loan industry, deals with a 90 day grace period for existing businesses to apply for a waiver.

Council member Barbara Swearengen Ware argued the location of the businesses isn’t the problem. It’s the high interest rates the companies charge – up to 264 percent annually.

“We need to deal with the root of the problem,” she said. “And if we could regulate how much (of an) interest rate is charged or how much the fees are, then we would be doing a service to the community,” Ware said. “I know we mean well here, but it’s supply and demand that is driving these businesses.”

But usery rates are regulated by the state and not the city council.

Morrison said the businesses cluster in his district which covers Frayser and Raleigh. Frayser is among the areas of the city hardest hit by home foreclosures.

Council member Harold Collins, whose district includes Hickory Hill – also hit hard by home foreclosures – said there is a connection. He counted at least 20 pay day lenders along one stretch of Winchester.

“Maybe they’re not contributing to the fact that many of the people in my district are losing their homes. But they are sure out there,” he said. “There needs to be some kind of line drawn that will keep the people in Hickory Hill from losing their homes.”

Steve Lockwood, head of the Frayser Community Development Corporation, said the close proximity of the lenders allows people in desperate financial straits to get around a limit of two loans totaling $500 from a particular lender by simply going to the payday lender next door.

He termed the location limits “an opening shot across the bow.” He said his organization’s financial counselors see a connection between the lenders and foreclosures.

“I think that the neighborhoods that are really going to benefit from this are in Cordova,” Lockwood said. “If you want Cordova to look like Winchester or Frayser, don’t pass this.”

In other action, a Fairgrounds development agreement is tentatively set to have the first of three Memphis City Council votes in two weeks.

The city picked Fair Ground LLC to develop a master plan for the property that includes the Mid-South Coliseum, The Liberty Bowl and The Children’s Museum of Memphis. What is still being worked out is a contract with the terms for drawing up that master plan.

There are still several formidable obstacles to putting a development agreement in writing.

Shelby County government owns some of the Fairgrounds land including some of the land under The Liberty Bowl.

City Housing & Community Development director Robert Lipscomb told City Council members he will again pursue an agreement in which the county would sell its share in The Fairgrounds as well as The Pyramid.

The Shelby County Commission rejected such a sell-off by the county during consideration of a development agreement for The Pyramid involving Bass Pro Shops.

The commission eventually approved the development agreement after the agreement won approval from the city council.

Without a sell-off, the Fairgrounds development agreement appears on its way to the same dual track debate and voting process.

Lipscomb also told The Daily News there are conflicting legal opinions on the amount of public infrastructure financing the city would have to put up to leverage private investment.

He said the amounts vary from $75 million to $200 million. The city is seeking legal opinions on the public amount required under terms of Tourism Development Zone (TDZ) financing. If the amount is $200 million or close to it, Lipscomb said it makes the Fairgrounds renovation much harder to accomplish.

Henry Turley, one of several developer partners in Fair Ground LLC, said he considers the city’s contribution to be $75 million. Turley was instrumental in drafting the state legislation that allowed for the Tourism Development Zones.

The TDZs allow for financing of bonds through sales tax revenue generated in the designated area or zone.

Turley wants to include a big box retail store on the site and possibly a hotel according to tentative plans that are fluid on the location of those and other parts of an overall plan. The sales tax revenue from the store would go to pay off the TDZ bonds. No local government general fund revenue would be used.

37. Council Again Rejects Lee Legal Fees - Tuesday, December 02, 2008

The Memphis City Council this evening affirmed its vote in Oct. to reject paying the legal fees of former Memphis Light Gas & Water Division president Joseph Lee.

The bill for Lee’s legal defense in a grand jury probe that led to his indictment as well as a hearing before the council came to $426,422. The corruption charges were later dropped by federal prosecutors.

The 7-6 vote came at the end of a day in which MLGW president Jerry Collins told council members talks between the utility and Lee’s attorney, Robert Spence, failed to reach any terms for a lesser amount.

Council members voting against the proposed settlement were: Bill Boyd, Kemp Conrad, Shea Flinn, Reid Hedgepeth, Myron Lowery, Bill Morrison and Jim Strickland. Those voting for it were: Joe Brown, Harold Collins, Edmund Ford Jr., Janis Fullilove, Wanda Halbert and Barbara Swearengen Ware.

Spence told The Daily News an announcement on a decision by Lee about pursuing the legal fees in a lawsuit against the city could be made as early as Tuesday.

The council has also given final approval this evening to an ordinance regulating the location of financial services, payday loan and title loan businesses.

The council vote was unanimous on third and final reading. Third and final vote before the Shelby County Commission is scheduled for Dec. 8.

The council passed an amended version that emerged as a compromise during today’s council session.

The ordinance bans the businesses from being with 1,000 feet of each other. The compromise worked out by council member Bill Morrison, with agreement from the payday loan industry, deals with a 90 day grace period for existing businesses to apply for a waiver.

Council member Barbara Swearengen Ware argued the location of the businesses isn’t the problem. It’s the high interest rates the companies charge – up to 264 percent annually.

“We need to deal with the root of the problem,” she said. “And if we could regulate how much (of an) interest rate is charged or how much the fees are, then we would be doing a service to the community,” Ware said. “I know we mean well here, but it’s supply and demand that is driving these businesses.”

But usery rates are regulated by the state and not the city council.

Morrison said the businesses cluster in his district which covers Frayser and Raleigh. Frayser is among the areas of the city hardest hit by home foreclosures.

Council member Harold Collins, whose district includes Hickory Hill – also hit hard by home foreclosures – said there is a connection. He counted at least 20 pay day lenders along one stretch of Winchester.

“Maybe they’re not contributing to the fact that many of the people in my district are losing their homes. But they are sure out there,” he said. “There needs to be some kind of line drawn that will keep the people in Hickory Hill from losing their homes.”

Steve Lockwood, head of the Frayser Community Development Corporation, said the close proximity of the lenders allows people in desperate financial straits to get around a limit of two loans totaling $500 from a particular lender by simply going to the payday lender next door.

He termed the location limits “an opening shot across the bow.” He said his organization’s financial counselors see a connection between the lenders and foreclosures.

“I think that the neighborhoods that are really going to benefit from this are in Cordova,” Lockwood said. “If you want Cordova to look like Winchester or Frayser, don’t pass this.”

In other action, a Fairgrounds development agreement is tentatively set to have the first of three Memphis City Council votes in two weeks.

The city picked Fair Ground LLC to develop a master plan for the property that includes the Mid-South Coliseum, The Liberty Bowl and The Children’s Museum of Memphis. What is still being worked out is a contract with the terms for drawing up that master plan.

There are still several formidable obstacles to putting a development agreement in writing.

Shelby County government owns some of the Fairgrounds land including some of the land under The Liberty Bowl.

City Housing & Community Development director Robert Lipscomb told City Council members he will again pursue an agreement in which the county would sell its share in The Fairgrounds as well as The Pyramid.

The Shelby County Commission rejected such a sell-off by the county during consideration of a development agreement for The Pyramid involving Bass Pro Shops.

The commission eventually approved the development agreement after the agreement won approval from the city council.

Without a sell-off, the Fairgrounds development agreement appears on its way to the same dual track debate and voting process.

Lipscomb also told The Daily News there are conflicting legal opinions on the amount of public infrastructure financing the city would have to put up to leverage private investment.

He said the amounts vary from $75 million to $200 million. The city is seeking legal opinions on the public amount required under terms of Tourism Development Zone (TDZ) financing. If the amount is $200 million or close to it, Lipscomb said it makes the Fairgrounds renovation much harder to accomplish.

Henry Turley, one of several developer partners in Fair Ground LLC, said he considers the city’s contribution to be $75 million. Turley was instrumental in drafting the state legislation that allowed for the Tourism Development Zones.

The TDZs allow for financing of bonds through sales tax revenue generated in the designated area or zone.

Turley wants to include a big box retail store on the site and possibly a hotel according to tentative plans that are fluid on the location of those and other parts of an overall plan. The sales tax revenue from the store would go to pay off the TDZ bonds. No local government general fund revenue would be used.

38. Council Resurrects Utility Assistance Program - Friday, November 21, 2008

About four months after the city of Memphis pulled the plug on a $2.5 million utility assistance program intended to help the working poor pay their power bills, the Memphis City Council has approved another $2.5 million in utility assistance.

39. Lee’s Legal Bills Back on Council Agenda - Tuesday, November 04, 2008

A resolution to pay the legal bills of former Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division President and CEO Joseph Lee is back on the City Council agenda today.

The item was defeated on a 6-6 tie vote at the council’s Oct. 7 meeting and would have become official upon approval of the minutes of that meeting at the council’s Oct. 21 meeting. However, MLGW President Jerry Collins asked that council members pull the item off the minutes and send it back to the council’s MLGW Committee to attempt a compromise one more time, a request the council approved.

40. Council to Reconsider Paying Lee’s Legal Bills - Thursday, October 23, 2008

The Memphis City Council reopened the debate Tuesday night over whether to pay more than $426,000 in legal fees incurred by former Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division president and CEO Joseph Lee starting in early 2007.

41. Q3 Building Permits Plummet - Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Listen to homebuilders’ language and it’s easy to discern their problems. Instead of using terms such as “expanding operations” and “ramping up production” – as they did a few years ago – builders now resort to phrases like “hunkering down” and “scaling back.”

42. Lee’s Legal Fees Suit Could Surface Again - Thursday, October 09, 2008

It was one year ago this week that nine new members were elected to the Memphis City Council.

It was the largest turnover of seats on the 13-member body in its 40-year history.

This week, the council had its most serious difference of opinion to date over a controversy that began onthe watch of the previous council. And it was one of the previous council members that made the difference in the outcome.

43. Committee Recommends Approval of Lee Settlement - Thursday, September 25, 2008

Memphis City Council members set the stage Tuesday for a vote in two weeks on settling the legal bills of former Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division president Joseph Lee.

A council committee voted to recommend the $425,000 settlement of a lawsuit against MLGW filed by Lee. Lee sued to recover money he spent defending himself from a criminal investigation and then a federal corruption indictment. Federal prosecutors later dropped the charges.

44. MLGW Lets Lee off Legal Fee Hook - Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division is poised to pay several hundred thousand dollars in legal fees incurred by its former president and CEO Joseph Lee over the past year.

Yet that decision to pick up the tab for Lee’s attorneys has evolved considerably over the course of a year, ever since Lee became the subject of a federal indictment in the early summer of 2007. Its evolution saw MLGW change, re-think or clarify its position on Lee’s legal fees at least four times.

45. Building Permits Down 72 Percent in Q2 - Wednesday, July 16, 2008

If the county’s new subdivisions sound quieter than usual – free from the cacophony of summer construction – look no further than the most recent data showing how housing starts have come to a screeching halt.

46. MLGW Cutoffs Rise While Customers Scramble to Pay Up - Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Less than three months after the city of Memphis rolled out a $2.5 million utility assistance program, Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton’s office released a terse statement late in the day June 27, saying the program would not be funded in the new fiscal year.

47. MLGW Deal Could Slash Pyramid Upkeep Costs - Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Of the $560,000 Memphis and Shelby County would have paid for Pyramid-related costs during the coming fiscal year, almost half would have gone toward a single item: the empty arena’s power bill.

In the context of the city’s half-billion-dollar operating budget, a five- or six-figure price tag for one item might not seem like much.

48. Events - Thursday, May 29, 2008

The Memphis Regional Chamber will host a breakfast forum today from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at The Hilton Memphis, 939 Ridge Lake Blvd. Jerry Collins, president and CEO of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division, will speak about “EmPowering the City.” The event is $20 for chamber members and $30 for nonmembers. R.S.V.P. to Ericka Milford at emilford@memphischamber.com.

49. City Council To Scrutinize MLGW’s Practices - Thursday, May 29, 2008

For top executives of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division, the political heat at City Hall can be stifling.

Some of those executives are due back before a Memphis City Council committee in the near future to finish a free-flowing discussion that began last week and they might argue took on the character of a withering interrogation.

50. Events - Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Talk Shoppe will meet today from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South, 3693 Tyndale Drive. This week will be “Open Microphone” week. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Jo Garner at 759-7808.

51. Events - Tuesday, May 27, 2008

The Memphis Botanic Garden will host “Tuesdays on the Terrace: Wine Tasting at the Garden” today from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Garden, 750 Cherry Road. Hors d’oeuvres by Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse will be offered, along with a wine bar. The cost is $25 for members and $35 for nonmembers. Reservations are required and may be made by calling 636-4131.

52. Letter at Center of Ward Resignation Controversy - Thursday, May 22, 2008

Armstead Ward, human resources vice president at Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division, is resigning effective Sept. 5 after an internal audit found he does not live within the city limits, even though utility employees are required to do so.

53. MLGW VP Ward to Resign Effective Sept. 5 - Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Armstead Ward, the human resources vice president of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division, submitted his resignation Tuesday to utility president and CEO Jerry Collins. Collins announced the resignation in a one-line press release that said Ward’s resignation is effective Sept. 5.

54. Events - Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Talk Shoppe will meet today from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South, 3693 Tyndale Drive. Julia Barreda Willhite of GoBilingual.com will present "How to do Business in the Latino Market." The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Jo Garner at 759-7808.

55. Events - Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The Memphis Rotary Club will meet today at noon in the Memphis Cook Convention Center, 255 N. Main St. Dr. Pat Wall, chancellor of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, is the featured speaker. The cost is $18 per person and reservations can be made by contacting Taylor Hughes at 526-1318 or taylor@memphisrotary.org.

56. Events - Monday, April 14, 2008

The Engineers' Club of Memphis Inc. will meet today at noon at the Holiday Inn-University of Memphis, 3700 Central Ave. The cost is $12 and no reservations are required. Mike Glasgow, regional engineer at Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association, will speak about "Deep Burial of PVC Gravity Sewer."

57. Hickory Ridge Sears Ready for Business - Monday, February 11, 2008

It hasn't yet been a week since the storms that wreaked havoc across the Memphis area Tuesday produced a tornado that smashed through the Hickory Ridge Mall and tore out a wall of the mall's Sears store, among other damage it caused.

58. Hickory Ridge Sears Ready for Business - Friday, February 08, 2008

It hasn’t yet been a week since the storms that wreaked havoc across the Memphis area Tuesday produced a tornado that smashed through the Hickory Ridge Mall and tore out a wall of the mall’s Sears store, among other damage it caused.

59. 'Unstable Environments' - Friday, February 08, 2008

It's not repair work. It's rebuilding in Hickory Hill. That's how the team of local emergency responders described the immediate task in the community hit harder by Tuesday evening's storms than any other part of Memphis.

60. Lee Case Twists and Turns - Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Within the past few days, each side in the pending federal corruption case against former Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division president Joseph Lee has considerably upped the ante.

First, prosecutors altered their trial strategy in a major way, returning to the grand jury to procure separate indictments Jan. 7 against Lee and his original co-defendant, former Memphis City Councilmember Edmund Ford. They did so to satisfy a federal judge's ruling last month asserting that bribery and corruption charges against both men had been improperly combined into one 11-count indictment.

61. Several Job Swaps on Tap at Today's Council Meeting - Tuesday, January 08, 2008

The new year formalities are almost completed at City Hall.

The oaths of office have been taken. The written and signed oaths are soon to be filed. Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton barely roiled the political waters with his New Year's Day speech. But he made a more detailed pitch for consolidation than he ever has before on Jan. 2.

62. Evans Elected AsNew MLGW Board Chairman - Monday, January 07, 2008
     Lynn Evans is the new chairman of the Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division board. Evans was elected to the post by fellow board members at Thursday's utility board meeting. William Taylor was elected vice chairman.
&n

63. Herenton to Address Kiwanis Club Today - Wednesday, January 02, 2008
     Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton will deliver his annual State of the City address today at the Memphis Kiwanis Club at The Peabody Hotel.
     The group's regular weekly meeting starts at noon.

64. Herenton To Take Oath Tuesday - Monday, December 31, 2007

Mayor Willie Herenton will kick off his fifth term in office Tuesday.

Herenton and all 13 Memphis City Council members elected this year will begin new four-year terms by taking their respective oaths of office at noon at The Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., will be the featured speaker.

65. Numbers Confirm That '07 Construction Went From High-Octane to Running on Fumes - Monday, December 17, 2007

As president of one of Memphis' largest homebuilders and a 35-year industry veteran, Jerry Gillis of FaxonGillis Homes had no trouble summing up construction activity during the past year: "It started out with a bang and ended with a whimper." Indeed it did.

66. Beale Street Funding, Other Issues Raised At Council Meeting - Thursday, November 08, 2007

Memphis City Council members this week marked the 24th anniversary of the opening of the renovated Beale Street entertainment district with an old question: When does the city get money from the district it owns?

67. Council to Tackle Burning Issues Today - Tuesday, November 06, 2007
     The Memphis City Council will address several items during the group's committee meetings this morning that deal with the on-again, off-again debate over the redevelopment of the Mid-South Fairgrounds.
  &

68. City Council to DiscussCollins' Nomination to MLGW - Monday, November 05, 2007
     The Memphis City Council plans to discuss at its Tuesday meeting Mayor Willie Herenton's nomination of Jerry Collins as president of Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division. Herenton announced his nomination of Collins, who

69. MLGW's Campbell Testifies On Need for Transparency - Friday, September 21, 2007
     Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division assistant manager of energy resources Laura Campbell testified this week before the Federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission on the need for greater transparency in the natural gas

70. Builders, Developers Could Pay Hefty Fines For Not Following New Erosion Rules - Friday, March 02, 2007

April showers bring May flowers, but rain throughout the year brings the potential for tainted waterways.

Without protective measures, rainwater can flow through a construction site and carry dirt and other debris into storm drains. The muddied water then can enter rivers and streams, contaminating drinking water and wildlife habitats.

71. Storm Water Fund Floods City's Maintenance Coffers - Monday, October 02, 2006

Five months into the city's new Storm Water Enterprise Fund, the new fees are bringing in about $1 million each month, said Jerry Collins, director of public works for Memphis.

The fees became effective May 1, and show up as an extra charge on the Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division bills of both residential and commercial property owners. The fees collected through the storm water fund will pay for $140 million worth of improvements to the storm water drainage system in Memphis.

72. Homeowners' Associations Often Unregulated - Friday, January 13, 2006

Gene Gibson, Robert Lee Browne and Dr. Kitsie Hendrix spared no expense on the upscale gated community they're developing near Poplar Avenue and Cherry Road, a project that will be heavily landscaped with property values at $1 million.

73. Fair Installed as President of State Realtor Group - Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Rosemarie Fair was installed as president of the Tennessee Association of Realtors for 2006. Fair, CEO of Memphis-based One Source Commercial Inc., was named TAR Realtor of the Year in 2004. The Memphis Area Association of Realtors named her Realtor of the Year in 1991.

74. Archived Article: Real - Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Spring Blooms Mean Hot Real Estate Market

Realtors Gear Up for Another Hot Spring

LANCE ALLAN

The Daily News

Whether 2005 can match or surpass the record year Memphis real estate experienced in 2004 is yet to be seen. But one thing is ce...

75. Archived Article: Newsmakers - Wednesday, February 02, 2005
HEADLINE

MAAR Inducts Officers, Names Realtor Award Winners

The Memphis Area Association of Realtors announced the following 2004 award winners: Lee McWaters of McWaters & Associates, Realtor of the Year; Sally Isom of Prudential Collins-M...

76. Archived Article: Trends Focus2 - Monday, August 23, 2004
ANDY MEEK

Officials Study Developments Effect on Water

ANDY MEEK

The Daily News

As commercial real estate development continues to flourish in Metro Memphis, some local developers believe the trend could have an impact, if only a slight ...

77. Archived Article: Great Workplace Ii (lead) - Friday, July 30, 2004
Great Place to Work Impact

Positive Workplace Fosters Productivity

National recognition offers morale boost, financial benefit

ANNE MANNING

The Daily News

Placing nationally as one of Americas top companies apparently goes far beyond ...

78. Archived Article: Newsmakers - Wednesday, May 26, 2004
MLGW EXEC PRESENTED BEST COMMUNICATIONS AWARD

FedEx's Fred Smith Named CEO of the Year
FedEx Corp. chairman, president and chief executive officer Frederick W. Smith was named Chief Executive of the Year for 2004 by Chief Executive magazine....

79. Archived Article: Gov Focus - Friday, April 16, 2004
Five-year, $70 million proposed to fix drainage

Drainage Problems Addressed in Proposed Budget

ANDREW BELL

The Daily News

The congregation at Audubon Park Baptist Church, located at Park Avenue and South Goodlett Street, conjured up a vi...

80. Archived Article: Memos - Wednesday, May 29, 2002
Jill Stem, who leads Lee Hecht Harrison outplacement and career advising practice in Memphis, was part of the team that succes Jill Stem, who leads Lee Hecht Harrison outplacement and career advising practice in Memphis, was part of the team that su...

81. Archived Article: Gray's Creek (lead) - Tuesday, February 06, 2001
Grays Creek sewer extension funds expected to get approval from city council City Council may give OK to Grays Creek sewer funds By MARY DANDO The Daily News A resolution appropriating more than $882,000 from the Capital Improvement Budget for the G...

82. Archived Article: Law Briefs - Thursday, May 20, 1999
The American Law Institute-American Bar Association Committee on Continuing Professional Education will present a video law rev The Memphis Bar Association will present a seminar on medical malpractice from 1:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Friday at 1050 One ...

83. Archived Article: Law Briefs - Thursday, May 13, 1999
District attorney general Bill Gibbons announced his office will begin providing programmed wireless phones to certain witnesse The American Law Institute-American Bar Association Committee on Continuing Professional Education will present a video l...