VOL. 126 | NO. 133 | Monday, July 11, 2011
Residential sales during the second quarter of 2011 proved to be an improvement from the previous quarter but still shy of totals during the same period last year.
Peabody’s electric vehicle station speaks to rising tide of sustainability
A row of four electrical outlets with cords in the Peabody Place garage Downtown are a first for the city’s hospitality industry and retailers in general – charging stations for electric vehicles.
A coalition of labor unions representing city employees has filed a lawsuit in Memphis federal court over the recently approved 4.6 percent cut in city employees pay and a $13 million voluntary buyout of city sanitation workers.
General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson has been indicted on four state charges of official misconduct.
DALLAS (AP) – Federal officials are seeking a $689,800 fine against Federal Express Corp., saying the company violated rules on shipping hazardous materials.
Paul Young has been very busy and very visible in the last three months.
At a young age, Rusty Bloodworth knew he wanted to be an architect. As he matured, that passion morphed to an interest in handling more than the arrangement of buildings, but rather the design of the environment.
Tioga Environmental Consultants Inc., based in Memphis, has been providing common sense solutions to government regulation standards for public and private sectors in Tennessee and Mississippi since early December 2009, when Maggie Strom and Mike Donohoe opened the business.
The redistricting proposal required by the once a decade census was submitted Friday evening, July 8, by council attorney Allan Wade.
The detailed TCAP test results are in, broken down by school district and by grade level.
Orion is the name of one of the most famous and easily visible constellations found in the evening sky.
Shelby County Commissioners settle the simmering political question of who will lead the 13-member body for another year at their Monday, July 11, meeting.
GOVERNMENT AGENDA
The Shelby County Commission will meet today at 1:30 p.m. in the Shelby County Administration Building, 160 N. Main St. Click on the meeting icon for a full agenda.
LOCAL COLUMNISTS
As a rookie sales rep for IBM, a company known to sell a ton of business, I recall a learning experience doled out by my manager about qualifying potential new sales reps. I was in his office, and a call came inquiring about openings for a sales rep. “We do not have any openings,” was his response. The caller hung up. But just that week our branch manager said he wanted to hire a few reps and to recommend anyone that may be promising.
Last week we offered an example of how corporations can leverage their marketing power to benefit nonprofits, like ePaymentAmerica’s “Swing for the Stars” promotion benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-South. This week let us spotlight a holistic program that is connecting under-resourced neighborhoods with the resources and services needed to help create a more nurturing environment for children and families: the Powerlines Community Network.
THE MEMPHIS NEWS
Re-entry Court provides second opportunities for federal offenders
Sean Summerall was late. He had a sick child to take to a doctor. There was little time to worry about the day’s schedule or getting dressed up. Recovering somewhat, he almost made the bus transfer to get Downtown but not quite.
The odds for rehabilitation are long for those who do federal prison time, just about as long for those who do state prison time.
Revolution is the subject of an expansive new exhibition at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, but there’s not a battle scene in site.
I was surprised to hear – from a friend in the wine business, which is how a great deal of restaurant news travels – that Karen Ross had left Erling Jensen: The Restaurant after serving as chef de cuisine for four years. Ross and executive chef and owner Erling Jensen made a good team and worked together extremely well in that kitchen.
Those with a literary turn of mind may recall that Gascony was the home of d’Artagnan, the “fourth Musketeer” in Alexander Dumas’ novel, and of Cyrano de Bergerac, the ballad-spouting romantic loser of Edmund Rostand’s play. Gascony, which lies to the south and east of Bordeaux, is an ancient land that once had its own language and culture more tied to the Basques of Spain than to the rest of France. It’s also the land of foie gras, of that rustic yet noble brandy called Armagnac and of a host of small wineries that quietly produce enjoyable and reasonably priced wines.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) – Results from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program shows students in grades third- through eighth-grade made improvements in science and social studies.
NASHVILLE (AP) – No news is not good news to hundreds of political figures who have quit receiving a popular daily roundup of state media reports e-mailed by Gov. Bill Haslam's office.
REGIONAL
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Yarnell's Ice Cream Co. experienced financial problems for a decade before its sudden closure late last month, a newspaper reported Friday.
TUPELO, Miss. (AP) – Tupelo Regional Airport is getting some financial assistance for its runway extension.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) – Americans took on more debt in May and used their credit cards more for only the second time in nearly three years. Consumers stepped up their borrowing just as the economy began to slump and hiring slowed.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Hiring slowed to a near-standstill last month, raising doubts that the economy will rebound in the second half of the year.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said Friday the nation's employment picture will improve significantly once residential housing construction rebounds.
NATIONAL POLITICS
NASHVILLE (AP) – Republican Bob Corker raised $2.6 million in the second quarter and has a $5.3 million balance on hand for bid to be re-elected to the U.S. Senate.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Beset by a weak jobs report, President Barack Obama on Friday called for swift action by Congress to raise the nation's borrowing limit, saying the uncertainty over the debt ceiling has hindered hiring in the private sector.
HEALTH CARE
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Medical device maker Medtronic is warning patients about a rare problem with its SynchroMed drug pumps that can cause them to lose battery power and fail.