St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will host free tours of the St. Jude Dream Home Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 45 Dalton Cove in Eads. The house will be raffled June 23; tickets are $100. Visit dreamhome.org.

2. Unique Projects Bolster Zellner in Rough Times - Saturday, May 11, 2013

Zellner Construction Services LLC is a third-generation commercial construction company that has built a solid reputation for quality over quantity.

3. Whole Foods Files Permit for Expansion - Tuesday, May 07, 2013

5014 Poplar Ave. Memphis, TN 38117

Permit Cost: $3.1 million

Project Cost: TBA

Permit Date: Applied April 2013

4. Stonebridge Golf Club Sells for $1.5 Million - Friday, May 03, 2013

The Stonebridge Golf Club at 3049 Davies Plantation Road between U.S. 64 and Interstate 40 in Lakeland has sold for $1.5 million.

5. Events - Saturday, April 27, 2013

ArtsMemphis will present the Stax to the Max music festival Saturday, April 27, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. outside the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, 926 E. McLemore St. Admission to the festival is free; discounted museum tickets are $2 between noon and 5 p.m. Visit staxmuseum.com.

6. Four-Way Self Storage Facility Sells for $1.3 Million - Tuesday, April 23, 2013

6780 Country Park Drive Memphis, TN 38134

Sale Amount: $1.3 million

Sale Date: April 9, 2013

7. Landings Apartment Owner Files $8.7 Million Loan - Friday, April 19, 2013

The owner of the 292-unit Landings apartments at 3550 Brownbark Drive in Hickory Hill has filed an $8.7 million loan on the property.

8. Kelsey: State Confirms Six-Year Auto Inspection Timeframe - Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown says he is confident Shelby County vehicle owners outside Memphis won’t have to go through auto inspections for another six years.

9. Boyle Celebrates 80 Years, Sponsors Art Exhibit - Monday, March 18, 2013

Boyle Investment Co. turns 80 this year, and has partnered with the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art to celebrate.

10. Events - Saturday, March 09, 2013

The Brew Movement Against Multiple Sclerosis will hold the fourth annual Beauty in the Eye of the Beer Holder fundraiser for the Mid South Chapter of the National MS Society Thursday, March 14, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Memphis Pink Palace Museum, 3050 Central Ave. Attendees can sample unique homebrews created for the event, craft beers and microbrews. Tickets are $30. Visit msbrewmovement.org.

11. Obama Presses On With GOP Charm Offensive - Friday, March 08, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama pressed on with his Republican charm offensive Thursday, holding a White House lunch with House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan in an effort to soften the ground for potential talks on a long-term deficit reduction deal.

12. Lower Property Values Sink Revenues - Wednesday, March 06, 2013

The first formal notices of 2013 Shelby County property values in the once-every-four-years reappraisal for taxation purposes were mailed Monday, March 4, to owners of commercial and industrial cost properties as well as homeowners in Hickory Hill, Whitehaven and parts of Southwest Memphis.

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

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

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

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

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

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

15. Back to Work - Friday, January 11, 2013

The Shelby County legislative delegation to Nashville returned to the capital Tuesday, Jan. 8, with three fewer members – one state senator and two state representatives – all Democrats – but with no new faces.

16. Sandy Hook Lives to Be Remembered - Saturday, December 22, 2012

The 26 children and adults who died at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut will be remembered locally Friday, Dec. 21, with several ceremonies.

17. Sandy Hook Lives to Be Remembered - Friday, December 21, 2012

The 26 children and adults who died at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut last week will be remembered locally Friday, Dec. 21, with several ceremonies.

18. As 'Fiscal Cliff' Looms, Voter Angst is Palpable - Wednesday, December 12, 2012

HOOKSETT, N.H. (AP) – Five hundred miles from Washington, the lunch crowd at Robie's Country Store and Deli is filled with angst over America's elected leaders and their latest struggle to prevent a fiscal crisis.

19. Obama's Health Care Overhaul Turns Into a Sprint - Friday, November 09, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The long slog has turned into a sprint. President Barack Obama's health care law survived the Supreme Court and the election; now the uninsured can sign up for coverage in about 11 months.

20. Housing, Voting, Power: Problems Abound Post-Sandy - Wednesday, November 07, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – From trying to figure out where people would live to how they would be able to vote and when all the lights will finally come on, government officials are still facing multiple fronts in the efforts to recover from Superstorm Sandy. All that, and there's another storm coming.

21. Nissan to Add Shift, 800 Jobs at Tennessee Plant - Monday, October 22, 2012

Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. announced Friday it will add a third shift at a vehicle assembly plant in Tennessee, adding more than 800 jobs.

22. Levine Named President of Southern Growth Studio - Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Mark Levine has joined Southern Growth Studio as president. In his role, Levine leads the firm’s Strategic Analysis team and plays a key part in the company’s culture, business development and client relationship management.

23. Engineering Firms Find Growth With New Markets - Monday, October 08, 2012

Local engineering firms are extending their reach with new offices in niche markets that not only better serve their clients but also their employees.

EnSafe Inc., a Memphis-based environmental remediation engineering firm, has expanded this year into Pleasant Hill, Calif., to put resources close to a large project cleaning up an old rocket fuel plant “in order not to be flying people in all of the time,” said Phil Coop, EnSafe president and CEO.

24. Report: US Health Care System Wastes $750 Billion a Year - Friday, September 07, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. health care system squanders $750 billion a year – roughly 30 cents of every medical dollar – through unneeded care, byzantine paperwork, fraud and other waste, the influential Institute of Medicine said Thursday in a report that ties directly into the presidential campaign.

25. Focus Shifts Back to the US - Wednesday, July 25, 2012

After China’s deluge of economic information took the spotlight last week, investors this week shifted their gaze back to the United States for a couple of big ticket items.

First, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke made his way to the place that is held in high esteem by the American public: Capitol Hill. He provided his semi-annual testimony to the legislators on Tuesday and Wednesday.

26. StyleCraft Signs Lease At Airways Building E - Friday, July 13, 2012

Home decor company StyleCraft Home Collection Inc. has signed a 167,600-square-foot lease at Industrial Developments International’s Airways Distribution Center Building E.

27. Exeter Closes On Acquisition Of ProLogis Properties - Friday, June 15, 2012

Pennsylvania-based Exeter Property Group has closed on its acquisition of 10 Memphis-area industrial buildings for $40 million from San Francisco-based ProLogis Inc.

28. CEVA Logistics Renews in Southeast Memphis - Monday, June 11, 2012

CEVA Logistics U.S. Inc. renewed a 648,750-square-foot lease at 5166 Pleasant Hill Road in Southeast Memphis.

29. Commercial Advisors Lists Former Hamilton Beach Site - Thursday, June 07, 2012

Cushman & Wakefield/Commercial Advisors LLC has been awarded listing and management of the 900,000-square-foot industrial space at 5461 Davidson Road, the largest vacancy in the Memphis market.

30. Commercial Advisors Awarded Industrial Listing - Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Cushman & Wakefield/Commercial Advisors Asset Services LLC has been awarded listing and management of the 900,000-square-foot industrial space at 5461 Davidson Road, the largest vacancy in the Memphis market.

31. Experience Helps Harckum Lead Versant, CSCMP - Monday, April 30, 2012

When supply chain executives from different businesses in Memphis get together, they talk about each other, said Glen Harckum, chairman of the local Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.

32. Reactions to Schools Legislation Changing in Nashville - Friday, April 13, 2012

Tennessee legislators from outside Shelby County got a look at where the Shelby County schools reformation discussion was in January this week on Capitol Hill in Nashville.

And they didn’t like the idea that their counties could be living with Shelby County rules.

33. McKesson VP: Slowness Cost Memphis - Thursday, March 29, 2012

When McKesson Pharmaceutical Co. went looking for another redistribution center, it wanted 70 acres of land for what wound up being a $135 million investment, the largest capital investment made in the history of the health care software, automation and services company.

34. McKesson VP: ‘Slow Walk’ Cost City $135M Plant - Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Doug Pace, vice president of operations for McKesson Corp., came to East Memphis to talk about the quality of employees at the company’s Memphis redistribution center and how its new plant is coming along in Olive Branch.

35. Events - Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Lipscomb Pitts Breakfast Club will host an executive lunch with Doug McGowen Tuesday, March 27, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Napa Café, 5101 Sanderlin Ave., suite 122. McGowen will discuss starting new businesses, growing existing businesses and how to use commercial blight as an opportunity. Email Jeremy Park at jeremyp@lpinsurance.com for reservations.

36. Events - Monday, March 26, 2012

The Tennessee Solar Institute will offer a free course in the basics of solar installation and photovoltaic technology Monday, March 26, through Friday, March 30, at the University of Memphis Fogelman Conference Center, 330 Innovation Drive. The 40-hour course will be held each day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and lunch will be provided. At the conclusion of the course, an entry-level certificate of knowledge exam will be given. For more information, contact Patricia Wells at patricia.wells@tennessee.edu or 615-253-6371.

37. Georgia Drug Dealer Turns Up in Fed Case - Thursday, February 23, 2012

When Torrance Hill testified in Memphis Federal Court this week about his role as a major drug dealer from Columbus, Ga., and the Atlanta area, it was new to the jury in the Petties drug organization trial.

38. Events - Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Cannon Wright Blount certified public accounting firm will continue its series of seminars about QuickBooks accounting software Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the firm, 756 Ridge Lake Blvd. Each two-hour class costs $75. Seating is limited. To reserve a place, visit www.cannonwrightblount.com/resources, and for more information, call Debbie Bossé or Cathy Russell at 685-7500.

39. Grays Creek Annexation on City’s Agenda - Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Memphis City Council members take up the first of three readings Tuesday, Feb. 7, of an ordinance to annex the Grays Creek area that is in the city’s annexation reserve area.

The ordinance is a reaction to pending state legislation in Nashville that would remove part of the area from the Memphis annexation reserve.

40. Grinding it Out - Monday, February 06, 2012

After most recessions, real estate bounces back.

But the Great Recession has been notably different – long, deep and very prolonged.

That’s the message Dr. John Gnuschke, director of the Sparks Bureau of Business and Economic Research and co-director of the Center for Real Estate at the University of Memphis, delivered in December at the Urban Land Institute’s Real Estate Outlook for the Mid-South.

41. Former FedEx Exec to Head New PR Office - Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Global public relations and communications firm Burson-Marstellar is opening a new division, Burson Campaigns, which will be based in Memphis.

It’s the firm’s new corporate issues management unit that will help corporations manage issues around corporate reputation, business operations and development.

42. Former FedEx Exec to Head New PR Office - Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Global public relations and communications firm Burson-Marstellar is opening a new division, Burson Campaigns, that will be based in Memphis.

It’s a new corporate issues management unit of the firm that will help corporations manage issues around corporate reputation, business operations and development. And the firm has tapped former FedEx PR exec Maury Lane to run it.

43. All 2011 Unemployment Insurance Benefits Taxable - Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The jobless rate is dipping, but millions of people are still out of work. And that could have implications when they file their income tax returns.

Collecting unemployment insurance benefits? All that you received in 2011 is taxed as income. Unless you requested that federal taxes be withheld, you could be in for a big surprise when you calculate taxes owed.

44. Multiple Reasons Behind Drop in Foreclosures - Thursday, January 19, 2012

This time last year, Corky Neale was forecasting that the Memphis area had already hit its peak – for the time being – when it comes to foreclosure activity.

A look at the numbers for 2011 shows Neale, research director of the RISE (Responsibility, Initiative, Solutions, Empowerment) Foundation, was pretty much on target.

45. Online-Gambling Fight Now About When, Who – Not If - Wednesday, January 04, 2012

LAS VEGAS (AP) – The fight to fully legalize online gambling in the U.S. is now less about whether Americans will be able to play and more about who will bring the action to them – and when.

46. Prolonged Recession - Monday, December 26, 2011

In the words of Phil Woodard, an owner of multiple residential and commercial properties in Downtown Memphis, breaking even is the new profit.

Or as national real estate expert Jonathan Miller said earlier this month at the Urban Land Institute’s Real Estate Outlook for the Mid-South, “We cannot expect to make money the way we did a few years ago.”

47. Tubing Maker Doubles Space in Willow Lake - Friday, December 16, 2011

A Memphis-based tubing supplier is renewing its lease and more than doubling its space in a distressed Hickory Hill industrial park.

Jacob Tubing LP – the U.S. subsidiary of European modular tubing manufacturer Jacob Soehne – has renewed its 10-year lease for 20,232 square feet and expanded into an additional 30,000 square feet at Willow Lake Business Park, 3948 Willow Lake Blvd., in the Southeast industrial submarket.

48. For Westminster’s Baker, Teaching is an Art Form - Friday, December 02, 2011

Clint Baker, an upper school art teacher at Westminster Academy, hasn’t always been an educator.

Baker started his career in graphic design at small firms. He eventually worked his way to The Discovery Channel before starting his own graphic design firm, Baker & Hill LLC, in the Washington, D.C., area.

49. Events - Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Talk Shoppe will present “The Mastermind Principle: Based on the book ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill” Wednesday, Nov. 30, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Better Business Bureau, 3693 Tyndale Drive. For more information, call Jo Garner at 482-0354.

50. Events - Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Talk Shoppe will present “Open Microphone Discussing Hot Business Topics” Wednesday, Nov. 23, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Better Business Bureau, 3693 Tyndale Drive. For more information, call Jo Garner at 482-0354.

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

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

Hometown: Memphis

52. Events - Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Talk Shoppe will present “The Mastermind Principle: From the Book ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill” Wednesday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Better Business Bureau, 3693 Tyndale Drive. For more information, call Jo Garner at 482-0354.

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

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

54. Kroger Buys Eight Schnucks To Reopen - Friday, September 02, 2011

Eight Memphis area Schnucks supermarkets will become Kroger stores in a purchase of the rival stores announced Friday, Sept. 2.

Executives of Kroger’s Delta Division announced the purchase, saying the eight stores will re-open under the Kroger name within weeks after a temporary closing.

55. Kroger Buys Eight Schnucks To Reopen - Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Eight Memphis area Schnucks supermarkets will become Kroger stores in a purchase of the rival stores announced Friday, Sept. 2.

Executives of Kroger’s Delta Division announced the purchase, saying the eight stores will re-open under the Kroger name within weeks after a temporary closing.

56. CRE Sales Increase 20 Percent In June - Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Local commercial real estate sales improved in all categories last month, strongly aided by two big-ticket multifamily sales.

Shelby County saw 53 CRE sales in June, a 20 percent increase from 44 sales in June 2010, and a 4 percent boost from 51 in May, according to the latest information from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

57. Events - Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Memphis Mid-South Chapter of the Federal Bar Association will present “Summer Seminar: Federal Discovery Practice” Thursday, July 28, at 1:15 p.m. at the Clifford David and Odell Horton Federal Building, 167 N. Main St., 11th floor, Jury Assembly Room. To register, visit www.fedbar.org/memphis and print out the registration form and mail it to the address provided.

58. Events - Wednesday, July 27, 2011

The Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council will serve as host for a breakfast Wednesday, July 27, at 8:15 a.m. at One Commerce Square Annex. Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. will speak. Cost is $5. For reservations, call 818-2400.

59. FDA Reaches Out to Small Businesses - Monday, July 18, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The head of the Food and Drug Administration pledged Friday, July 15, to work more closely with small medical technology companies, which have spent the last year alleging that the agency is needlessly slowing approvals of new drugs and devices.

60. Brighter Day - Wednesday, June 22, 2011

With the flip of a switch Tuesday, June 21, at the corner of South Mendenhall and East Raines roads, the Sharp Manufacturing Co. Memphis plant upped its solar power generating capacity.

61. Few Jobs Added in May; Unemployment Up to 9.1 Pct - Monday, June 06, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. employers in May added the fewest jobs in eight months, and the unemployment rate inched up to 9.1 percent. The weakening job market raised concerns about an economy hampered by high gas prices and the effects of natural disasters here and abroad.

62. House Votes 3-Week Stopgap Federal Spending Bill - Wednesday, March 16, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House Tuesday passed a measure blending $6 billion in budget cuts with enough money to keep the government running for an additional three weeks.

The measure would buy additional time for talks between Capitol Hill Republicans and the Obama administration on a bill to fund the day-to-day operations of the government through the end of September. Those negotiations haven't gotten very far yet and House GOP leaders haven't shown much flexibility.

63. Obama Talks Jobs With Jobs, Other Tech Leaders - Friday, February 18, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama is assembling the biggest names in Silicon Valley to confer on jobs and innovation, trying to get leaders from companies like Google and Apple behind his push to keep spending on high-tech initiatives even as Republicans are out to slash the budget.

64. Mt. Zion Upgrades to Larger Church in Frayser - Friday, February 18, 2011

Two Memphis area churches have closed on a deal that’s been in the pipeline for about a year and a half.

Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 1280 Stonewall St., bought the 36,000-square-foot church at 1621 Dellwood Ave. in Frayser from Schoolfield United Methodist Church Inc. for $500,000.

65. Conservative Radio Launches in Memphis - Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Two years before the next national election and with fervor for conservative activism, Memphis-based MPS Broadcasting Monday announced the launch of WMPS “The Point” simulcast on 87.7 FM and 1210 AM.

66. Benfield Pulls From Naval Experience - Thursday, January 20, 2011

Mark Benfield says his training with the Judge Advocate General corps while in the U.S. Navy helped ready him for a civilian career as a plaintiff’s lawyer in medical malpractice, catastrophic injury and nursing home neglect cases with Apperson Crump PLC. Founded in 1865, it is the oldest continuously operating law firm in Memphis.

67. Projects Seeking IDB OK Need More Time - Monday, December 13, 2010

All of the items on the Memphis-Shelby County Industrial Development Board’s special meeting Friday were lacking one major detail: time.

The board granted U.S. Foodservice Inc. more time for the presentation of its seven-year, $14.3 million payment-in-lieu-of-taxes request for expanding a distribution warehouse it now leases a portion of at 5900 E. Holmes Road.

68. More Time Needed for Projects Seeking IDB Approval - Friday, December 10, 2010

All of the items on the Memphis-Shelby County Industrial Development Board’s special meeting Friday were lacking one major detail: time.

The board granted U.S. Foodservice Inc. more time for the presentation of its seven-year, $14.3 million payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) request for expanding a distribution warehouse it now leases a portion of at 5900 E. Holmes Road.

69. Bell-Ringers Poised to Begin Holiday Season - Thursday, November 18, 2010

Jingle bells and silver bells aren’t the only sounds gearing up for the season.

The Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Campaign has bell-ringers manning storefronts across Shelby County all hoping to hear the sweet jingle of coins.

70. Stalemate in Congress Might Not be Bad for Economy - Thursday, November 04, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – Fresh off sweeping gains in Tuesday's elections, Republicans vowed to shrink government and repeal President Barack Obama's health care law.

Yet despite their capture of the House and near-takeover of the Senate, there's little chance they can summon the votes to enact their own prescriptions for the ailing economy. Democrats, with their own economic ideas, will likely fight them to a draw.

71. Cargill $72 M PILOT Gets IDB Green Light - Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Industrial Development Board of Memphis and Shelby County has unanimously granted Cargill Inc. a $72 million retention payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) to renovate and expand its Presidents Island corn-milling facility.

72. Business License Filings Down 15 Percent in Q3 - Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Entrepreneurship in Shelby County dipped in the third quarter from the same period a year ago with the number of business privilege licenses decreasing by 15 percent.

There were 1,173 licenses that were either issued by new startups or renewed by existing businesses, according to The Daily News Online, www.memphisdailynews.com. That compares to 1,386 during the same period a year ago.

73. Soccer, Music Fest Adds to Mike Rose Complex Offerings - Friday, August 27, 2010

Stranger combinations have come off well – chocolate and peanut butter, poodles and golden retrievers, for example – but organizers of this week’s Soccer Rocks Festival and Copa Memphis soccer tournament hope to add soccer and rock music to the list of successful hybrids.

74. Events - Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Small Biz Memphis will host the Cordova/Bartlett and East Memphis/Midtown Business Builders Circle meetings Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, from 7:45 a.m. to 9 a.m. at 1661 International Drive, suite 400. The Germantown/Collierville meeting will be Thursday at 7:45 a.m. at 2176 West St., suite 110. For more information, call 205-9303.

75. IDB to Discuss Consolidation At September Meeting - Friday, August 20, 2010

In other IDB news, members of the Memphis-Shelby County Industrial Development Board will talk over the proposed consolidation charter at their September meeting.

The board wants to talk over the part of the charter that would make economic development a city department with a director who reports directly to the metro mayor.

76. Memphis Needs Whitehaven - Monday, August 16, 2010

Mention plans for the comeback of Whitehaven and more than a few Memphians who don’t live in the area might not listen very long.

They might assume you are talking about more attractions for the tourists who come in January and August to mark the birth and death, respectively, of Elvis Presley.

77. Job Losses = Vote Losses  - Tuesday, August 10, 2010

First, the good news. The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing index for July came in at 55.5, down from June’s level of 56.2, but still well above the expansion threshold of 50. July’s ISM non-manufacturing index also expanded at 53.8. Additionally, auto sales in July rose 5.1 percent from a year ago. Since September 2008, the only month that has seen a higher surge in sales was August 2009, which was a response to the “cash for clunkers” program.

78. Arbors Of River Oaks Sells for $16.3 Million - Wednesday, June 16, 2010

An out-of-town company has pulled the trigger on the largest multifamily deal of 2010 with the $16.3 million purchase of the Arbors of River Oaks.

Trade Street Capital LLC of Miami bought the 191-unit Class B complex at 6369 Humphreys Blvd. in River Oaks from The Shoptaw Group of Atlanta.

79. Voters Back Anti-DC, Anti-Establishment Candidates - Thursday, May 20, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – With the electorate’s intense anger reverberating across the country, this is all but certain: It’s an anti-Washington, anti-establishment year. And candidates with ties to either better beware.

80. ‘Saved’ MED Hinges On Budget Boundaries - Wednesday, May 19, 2010

When interim Shelby County Mayor Joe Ford debated GOP mayoral nominee Mark Luttrell last week in East Memphis, he couldn’t have been more absolute.

81. Changing Tide - Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The foreclosure crisis took an interesting twist in the past year.

No longer was the problem relegated only to blighted communities like Frayser, Raleigh and Hickory Hill.

Although those areas were still severely afflicted by loan defaults and vacant homes, the biggest foreclosure headlines of the previous 12 months centered on some of the area’s most ambitious projects and most prominent properties.

82. Ford Name Plays Into Election Victory - Thursday, May 06, 2010

It didn’t work for Myron Lowery in last year’s special election for Memphis mayor.

But Joe Ford won the Democratic nomination for Shelby County mayor this week by running from the office.

83. Ford Wins Democratic Mayoral Primary - Wednesday, May 05, 2010
 

Interim County Mayor Joe Ford became the Democratic nominee for mayor in the August county general elections Tuesday night.

And the August sheriff’s race will be a contest between Democrat Randy Wade and Republican Randy Wade.

All three were among the winners in Tuesday’s low turnout county primaries.

Approximately ten percent of Shelby County’s nearly 600,000 voters cast ballots in early voting and election day polling.

Ford, who was appointed interim mayor in December, beat County Commissioner Deidre Malone and General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson in the Democratic primary. He will face Republican Mark Luttrell who had only token opposition in the Republican primary from perennial contender Ernie Lunati.

Luttrell has raised more money than all three of the Democratic primary contenders combined and began running television ads in the last week runup to election day.

The final unofficial totals in the Democratic mayoral primary are:

Ford 20,360 57%

Malone 12,916 37%

Jackson 2,168 6%

The pair of primaries for Sheriff featured eight candidates, seven of whom either currently work for the sheriff’s department or are past employees. Only Reginald French, in the Democratic primary was not a former or current department official.

Wade was the 2002 Democratic nominee, losing to Luttrell who is leaving as Sheriff after serving two terms. French was the Democratic nominee in the 2006 elections.

Oldham is Luttrell’s chief deputy, the number two position in the department. He is also a former director of the Memphis Police Department.

The final unofficials totals in the Republican primary are:

Bill Oldham 13,821 48%

Dale Lane 7,981 28%

Bobby Simmons 5,886 21%

James Coleman 943 3%

In the Democratic primary:

Randy Wade 22,643 67%

Reginald French 6,777 20%

Larry Hill 2,738 8%

Bennie Cobb 1,814 5%

Voters in the primary elections decided to return six Shelby County commissioners to new four year terms with Tuesday’s results. They also elected six new commissioners. The winner of the thirteenth commission seat will be decided on the August general election ballot in a contest between district 5 Democratic incumbent Steve Mulroy and Republican challenger Dr. Rolando Toyos. The winner of the match up will determine whether the commission remains majority Democrat or goes majority Republican.

Mulroy easily defeated Jennings Bernard in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

Republican incumbent Mike Ritz ran unopposed as did new Democratic commissioner Walter Bailey.

In the remaining ten contests, the primaries decided who gets the seats since no one ran in the opposing party’s primary.

The most hotly contested contest among the commission races was for District 4 Position 1. Outgoing Probate Court Clerk Chris Thomas beat John Pellicciotti, appointed to a commission seat last year but running for a different position in the same district. Jim Bomprezzi, the former mayor of Lakeland, was the third contender in the contest.

The final unofficial totals in the Republican primary:

Thomas 7,631 52%

Pellicciotti 4,871 33%

Bomprezzi 2,298 15%

In position 2 of the same district incumbent Republican Wyatt Bunker easily overcame two challengers with former Lakeland alderman John Wilkerson finishing second and Ron Fittes finishing third.

Millington businessman Terry Roland claimed the third position in the district that takes in all six of Shelby County’s suburban towns and cities.

Roland beat George Chism to take the seat Pellicciotti was appointed to but opted not to run for in deference to Roland.

Heidi Shafer, an aide to outgoing County Commissioner George Flinn, claimed Flinn’s District 1 Position 2 seat over Albert Maduska.in the GOP primary.

District 1 incumbent Republican Mike Carpenter easily beat businessman Joe Baier.

In the Democratic commission primaries, Melvin Burgess claimed Malone’s District 2 Position 3 seat in a field of six contenders. His closest contender was Reginald Milton. Burgess, a city school system audit manager, had run for the seat before. He brought in 54 percent of the vote.

The other hard fought Democratic commission primary saw Justin Ford, son of the interim mayor, claim his father’s District 3 Position 3 seat.

Ford beat Edith Moore, a retired IBM executive, whom the commission appointed to the seat after the elder Ford became mayor.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Ford 7,342 66%

Moore 3,822 34%

Democratic incumbent commissioners Henri Brooks, Sidney Chism and James Harvey were all re-elected over primary challengers.

The county-wide primaries for seven clerk’s positions saw the return of former Criminal Court Clerk Minerva Johnican 16 years after Republican challenger Bill Key took her job. Johnican decisively beat Ralph White and Vernon Johnson in her first bid for office since the 1994 defeat. She will face Republican Kevin Key, the son of Bill Key in the August general election.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Johnican 16,381 51%

White 10,170 31%

Johnson 5,954 18%

Former Juvenile Court Clerk Shep Wilbun easily won the Democratic primary with 76 percent of the vote to face Republican Joy Touliatos in August for the office being vacated by Republican Steve Stamson. Touliatos was unopposed in the primary.

Democrat Coleman Thompson is back for another go at incumbent Republican Register Tom Leatherwood.

Aside from Leatherwood, Jimmy Moore is the only other of the seven clerks seeking re-election. Moore ran unopposed in the GOP primary. He will face Democrat Ricky Dixon in August.

Trustee Regina Newman was appointed to her office following the death last year of Paul Mattila. Newman easily overcame M LaTroy Williams in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. She will face David Lenoir, who beat former Shelby County Commissioner John Willingham in the Republican contest.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Lenoir 15,922 58%

Willingham 11,569 42%

The other six candidate field on the ballot was in the Democratic primary for Probate Court Clerk. Sondra Becton posted impressive vote totals over her rivals, bringing in 35 percent of the vote with Peggy Dobbins her closest rival. Becton, who is making her fourth bid for the office, will face Republican Paul Boyd, who ran unopposed in his primary.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Becton 10,929 36%

Dobbins 5,366 18%

Annita Hamilton 4,848 16%

Clay Perry 3,549 12%

Danny Kail 3,120 11%

Karen Tyler 2,782 9%

The closest contest of the evening was in the Democratic primary for County Clerk. Wrestling promoter and television personality Corey Maclin won his political debut by less than 1,400 votes over Charlotte Draper and LaKeith Miller. He will face Republican Wayne Mashburn who beat Steve Moore in the companion primary.

Early voting in advance of the Aug. 5 election day begins July 16. The August ballot will also feature state and federal primary elections including the statewide primaries for governor and the primaries for all nine of the state’s Congressional districts.

84. Biz Licenses Down From Year Ago - Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Business licenses issued during the first quarter of this year plunged 31 percent from a year ago – a steep drop that could be an anomaly.

An unusually high number of permits was issued during the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2010.

Desperation and misrepresentation could be factors, according to local experts.

Jeff Jacobs, manager of the business tax division of the Shelby County Clerk’s Office, said he thought several individuals may have obtained permits in the first quarter of 2009 just to claim federal income tax deductions.

However, Mark Taylor, an adviser at the Tennessee Small Business Development Center in Memphis, said many more people were looking to start their own businesses during that period.

“I’m sure for the first quarter of last year there was a big surge in business licenses,” Taylor said. “Everybody was desperate. I think people were just scrambling.”

A total of 1,590 business licenses were issued during the first quarter of this year, according to The Daily News Online, www.memphisdailynews.com.

That compares to 2,316 in Q1 2009.

Taylor said fewer people are inquiring about opening businesses now because of the tight credit market.

Banks are reluctant to loan money for startups.

“Money is still tight,” Taylor said. “We’re not seeing any real big shift on that yet.”

That trend could be changing, said an official from the research division of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

David C. Wheelock, a vice president at the Federal Reserve who is an adviser on financial markets, in a recently published essay said, “Business lending may be poised for a rebound.”

His essay was based on quarterly surveys of banks by the Fed concerning lending activity.

“The percentage of respondents reporting tighter standards has declined in recent surveys,” Wheelock wrote. “In the January 2010 survey, no banks reported tighter standards on loans to large- and medium-sized firms,

while 5.5 percent reported that they had eased terms somewhat.

“This was the first survey by the Fed that reported a net percentage of banks easing terms for loans to large- and medium-sized firms since 2007:Q2.”

However, he also noted that 3.7 percent of banks had tightened standards.

Wheelock found a silver living to this number, pointing out that it was the lowest percentage of bank tightening since the second quarter of 2007.

During the prolonged credit crunch, many people have financed startup endeavors mostly from their own pockets.

Keith and Jill Forrester, the owners of Whitton Farms in Arkansas, are about to expand their operation into Downtown Memphis with the Trolley Stop Market at 704 Madison Ave. Keith Foster said they’ve borrowed only $10,000 and drawn on savings for the rest.

“It’s been a hurdle,” he said. “We’ve just been able to piece it together here and there.”

The couple had hoped to have the farm-fresh market and restaurant open by now. The opening depends on how quickly some interior renovations can be completed, such as the installation of a kitchen venting system.

The business will hire 10 to 12 people initially, he said. It could open by the end of April or in May.

In Memphis, lending by banks to small businesses remains tight, Taylor said.

“Here recently, the biggest surge of interest I’ve had in small businesses has been due to the Hickory Ridge Mall reopening,” he said.

“It sounds like the mall may make a goal of it. At least one client quoted a low rental per square foot. They obviously are making some deals.”

The Hickory Hill North ZIP code of 38115 was where the most business permits were issued during the first quarter. A total of 93 permits were issued.

The Oakhaven/Parkway Village ZIP code of 38118 had the second most with 92, followed by the Bartlett ZIP code of 38134 with 85.

85. Brisk 5.9 Percent Growth in Q4 Likely to Fade - Monday, March 01, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – The economy rocketed ahead at a 5.9 percent pace in the final quarter of 2009, stronger than initially estimated. But the growth spurt isn’t expected to carry over into this year.

86. Outlook Unsure - Monday, February 22, 2010

Last week’s Commercial Property Forecast Summit painted a dour picture of the local real estate market, but the January numbers show that the commercial sector has a detectable pulse – at least for now.

87. Candidate Filing List -- The Final Version - Friday, February 19, 2010

Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell appeared on his way to the Republican nomination for Shelby County mayor at Thursday’s noon filing deadline for candidates on the May 4 primary ballot.

88. UPDATE: Mayor's Race Grows At Filing Deadline - Thursday, February 18, 2010

Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell appeared on his way to the Republican nomination for Shelby County mayor at Thursday’s noon filing deadline for candidates on the May 4 primary ballot.

Luttrell faces only token opposition from perennial candidate Ernie Lunati.

Meanwhile, the Democratic primary for mayor grew to three contenders as General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson filed his qualifying petition just before the deadline. He joins interim County Mayor Joe Ford and Shelby County Commissioner Deidre Malone.

Luttrell ruled out a bid for Shelby County mayor last year (2009). But when Harold Byrd decided not to run in the Democratic primary, some local GOP leaders asked Luttrell to reconsider.

The result touched off a scramble of candidates from both parties for the open sheriff’s office. But before the noon deadline, the initial field of over a dozen possible contenders was narrowed to ten – six Democrats and four Republicans.

The other surprise at the filing deadline was the return of attorney Walter Bailey to the District 2 Position 1 seat he gave up in the 2006 elections. Bailey sought re-election then to another term despite a two term limit on commissioners. Bailey lost to J.W. Gibson who decided not to seek re-election. He also lost a court fight to overturn the term limits.

Bailey was the only candidate who had filed for the seat at the Thursday deadline.

Only one incumbent county commissioner – Republican Mike Ritz -- was effectively re-elected at the deadline because he had no opposition.

All but one of the eleven contested County Commission races will be decided with the May 4 primaries. The only general election battle for the August ballot is the district 5 contest between GOP challenger Dr. Rolando Toyos and whoever wins the May Democratic primary between incumbent Steve Mulroy and Jennings Bernard.

Former County Commissioner John Willingham also returned to the ballot among a field of Republican contenders in the primary for Shelby County Trustee.

And former Criminal Court Clerk Minerva Johnican joined the Democratic primary field for her old job. Incumbent Republican Bill Key pulled petition to seek re-election but did not file at the deadline.

Here is the list of races and contenders from The Shelby County Election Commission. All candidate have until noon Feb. 25 to withdraw from the ballot if they wish.

D-Democrat

R- Republican

I- Independent

Shelby County Mayor:

Deidre Malone (D)

Joe Ford (D)

Otis Jackson (D)

Mark Luttrell (R)

Ernest Lunati (R)

Leo Awgowhat (I)

Shelby County Sheriff:

James Coleman (R)

Bobby Simmons (R)

Bill Oldham (R)

Dale Lane (R)

Larry Hill (D)

Bennie Cobb (D)

Randy Wade (D)

James Bolden (D)

Elton Hymon (D)

Reginald French (D)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 1

Mike Ritz (R) (incumbent)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 2

Albert Maduska (R)

Heidi Shafer (R)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 3

Mike Carpenter (R) (incumbent)

Joe Baire (R)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 1

Walter Bailey (D)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 2

Henri Brooks (D) (incumbent)

David Vinciarelli (D)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 3

Eric Dunn (D)

Norma Lester (D)

Tina Dickerson (D)

Melvin Burgess (D)

Reginald Milton (D)

Freddie Thomas (D)

County Commission Dist 3 Pos 1

James Harvey (D) (incumbent)

James Catchings (D)

County Commission Dist. 3 Pos 2

Sidney Chism (D) (incumbent)

Andrew "Rome" Withers (D)

County Commission Dist. 3 Pos 3

Edith Moore  (D) (incumbent)

Justin Ford (D)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 1

Chris Thomas (R)

John Pellicciotti (R)

Jim Bomprezzi (R)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 2

Wyatt Bunker (R) (incumbent)

John Wilkerson (R)

Ron Fittes (R)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 3

Terry Roland (R)

George Chism (R)

Edgar Babian (R)

County Commission Dist 5

Steve Mulroy (D) (incumbent)

Jennings Bernard (D)

Rolando Toyos (R)

Shelby County Clerk

Charlotte Draper (D)

Corey Maclin (D)

LaKeith Miller (D)

Wayne Mashburn (R)

Steve Moore (R)

Criminal Court Clerk

Vernon Johnson (D)

Minerva Johnican (D)

Ralph White (D)

Michael Porter (R)

Kevin Key (R)

Jerry Stamson (I)

Circuit Court Clerk

Jimmy Moore (R) (incumbent)

Steven Webster (D)

Carmichael Johnson (D)

Ricky W. Dixon (D)

Juvenile Court Clerk

Joy Touliatos (R)

Charles Marshall (D)

Sylvester Bradley (D)

Shep Wilbun (D)

Julia Roberson Wiseman (I)

Probate Court Clerk

Paul Boyd (R)

Sondra Becton (D)

Danny Kail (D)

Annita Sawyer Hamilton (D)

Peggy Dobbins (D)

Clay Perry (D)

Karen Tyler (D)

Shelby County Register

Tom Leatherwood (R) (incumbent)

Coleman Thompson (D)

Lady J. Swift (D)

Carlton Orange (D)

Shelby County Trustee

Regina Newman (D) (incumbent)

M. LaTroy Williams (D)

John Willingham (R)

Jeff Jacobs (R)

David Lenoir (R)

89. Unified Front Needed to Get Local Interests Served in N'ville - Monday, January 25, 2010

There can be no comfort in noting that virtually every other state faces the same revenue problems as Tennessee. And in our corner of the state, the pain will be piled atop years of unfair and inequitable state funding.

90. Sale Could Bring Improvements To Bella Vista - Friday, January 15, 2010

Like many projects companies launched before the recession hit, the plan for rejuvenating the 432-unit Bella Vista Apartment Homes in Hickory Hill began with such promise.

In March 2007, a newly formed company, Maple Creek Advisors LLC of Dallas, made its first multifamily acquisition with plans to invest $4 million of renovations in the property.

91. 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.

92. Conwood Acquisition Helps Salvage November Commercial Sales - Thursday, December 24, 2009

A single, high-dollar transaction helped salvage November’s commercial sales total, accounting for half of the dollar volume last month. Beyond that, the most noteworthy trend to arise from the most recent data was a dearth of activity as Shelby County nears the end of 2009 – the slowest year for commercial transactions in at least two decades.

93. Commercial Sales See Bump in October - Friday, November 27, 2009

High-dollar transactions involving a wide range of properties – vacant land, a strip center, an apartment complex and a couple of warehouses – helped Shelby County’s commercial market register a relatively decent month by 2009 standards during October.

94. Conwood Buys Hickory Hill Facility For Planned $133 Million Expansion - Tuesday, November 17, 2009

5106 Tradeport Drive
Memphis, TN 38141
Sale Amount: $19.3 Million

Sale Date: Nov. 5, 2009
Buyer: Conwood Co. LLC
Seller: Chickasaw and Goodman Realty Holding Co.
Details: Conwood Co. LLC on Nov. 5 formally acquired the 787,500-square-foot facility at 5106 Tradeport Drive in Hickory Hill South for $19.3 million. Conwood earlier this year announced plans to buy the building, where it will expand its manufacturing operation of the smokeless tobacco products Kodiak and Grizzly.

95. Soul Fish Team Preps for Germantown Expansion - Friday, November 13, 2009

Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans, the old saying goes. And that explains why Soul Fish restaurant co-owners Tiger Bryant and Raymond Williams – who long have wanted to expand into neighborhoods beyond their Cooper-Young location – have skipped a step in their plan.

96. Building Permit Brings Wally Joe Restaurant Closer to Reality - Tuesday, November 03, 2009

690 S. Perkins Road
Memphis, TN 38117
Permit Amount: $800,000

Project Cost: $800,000
Permit Date: Applied October 2009
Completion: Summer 2010
Owner: Wally Joe Realty LLC
Tenant: TBA
Contractor: Day Construction LLC
Architect: Doug Enoch

97. Southeast Shelby County Acreage Sells for $5.1M - Friday, October 30, 2009

Mark and Melinda George, owners of Intermodal Cartage Co. Inc., have bought 609.33 acres of vacant land in Southeast Shelby County for $5.1 million. The land was acquired in three parcels of land that is zoned farm and residential. The largest parcel – of which just a portion was bought – is on the south side of East Holmes Road. The other two are on the west side of Forest Hill-Irene Road.

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

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

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

99. High-Dollar Deal Boosts Commercial Real Estate - Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Following what has become a pattern, the local commercial real estate market in September was salvaged by one large deal that offset an otherwise dreary month.

This time it was Resource Real Estate Inc. to the rescue. The Philadelphia-based company bought the Wyndridge Apartments for $9.5 million Sept. 29 and carried the weight for Shelby County’s commercial activity during the month.

100. Pelosi Makes Case for Government-Run Health Option - Friday, October 16, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that the case is growing stronger for allowing the government to sell health insurance in competition with private companies, contending recent attacks from the industry should dispel any doubts.