VOL. 127 | NO. 89 | Monday, May 7, 2012
SPECIAL EMPHASIS: Education
Vocational-technical schools experience growth as learning alternative
Rudy Williams always knew she wanted to work in a hospital, but after a short stint in community college and a few years in the workforce, the path to her goal was looking like a long haul.
Mary Elizabeth Kakales has been grappling with school reform concepts like how to scale reforms so that they can prevail in different schools in different communities. And she has thought through teacher accountability standards.
When the people who know and work with Bill Taylor speak of him, they describe the president of St. George’s Independent School in a variety of ways.
Billy Orgel was no stranger to the ways of an elected legislative body by last year when he was appointed to become a member of the countywide school board.
Shelby County Commissioners begin a fourth effort Monday, May 7, at a redistricting plan that is five months overdue and counting.
Smith & Nephew last week reported its net profit grew 3 percent in the first quarter, helped by an increase in revenue, profit and trading margins in the company’s Advanced Surgical Devices and Advanced Wound Management divisions.
People who receive housing counseling before they borrow are much less likely to default. Research shows that 75 percent of at-risk homeowners who meet with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development housing counselors and attend loss mitigation programs won’t be foreclosed.
Memphis-based Triumph Bank has just completed a capital raise that’s bringing in slightly more than $12 million for the 6-year-old bank.
The schools consolidation planning commission is getting close enough to its goal of a plan for the merged school system that some members are now weighing how much political headroom to give the countywide school board.
GOVERNMENT AGENDA
The Shelby County Commission will meet Monday, May 7, at 1:30 p.m. in the Shelby County Administration Building, 160 N. Main St. Click on the meeting icon for a full agenda.
SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
When people think of virtual tours, residential real estate typically comes to mind. Panoramic tours use a sequence of carefully assembled high-quality images stitched together, offering larger, clearer views, which makes the technology a valuable tool for real estate agents, who can offer potential buyers an in-depth look at property, regardless of their geographic location.
LOCAL COLUMNISTS
I recently read something interesting in a book titled “The Biology of Belief” by Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. In the chapter “Growth and Protection,” Dr. Lipton discusses how the human body generates and uses energy. Lipton is a cell biologist and for some reason, his comments about allocating energy to the various growth and protection systems of the body reminded me of the game Whac-A-Mole. Whac-A-Mole is a simple game. Moles constantly pop up through holes and you whack them with a mallet. Unfortunately, there are several holes, many moles and only one mallet.
THE MEMPHIS NEWS
Memphis in May International Festival honors the Philippines – a nation that boasts plenty of trade possibilities for local businesses
Although the Memphis in May International Festival is widely known for its Beale Street Music Festival and World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, the festival’s focus on developing international economic trade and fostering Memphis companies’ global business relationships remains central to its mission.
Japan was the first country honored by the Memphis in May International Festival.
The Levitt Shell opens its spring 2012 season with a kid-friendly schedule shift and an serendipitous focus on music and dance groups with roots in Africa. The new season will include as many free shows as the previous season, however they are spread out over a longer period of time, May 17 through July 1.
MEMPHIS AREA
BOGALUSA, La. (AP) – Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's office said Friday that International Paper Co. is spending $44 million on new equipment and technology and other upgrades at its Bogalusa mill.
REGIONAL
ATLANTA (AP) — The Tennessee Valley Authority announced Friday it will seek to cut less than 1,000 positions as it faces a drop in electricity sales driven by an unusually warm winter and looming expenses, including an over-budget effort to finish building a nuclear reactor in Tennessee.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. job growth slumped in April for a second straight month. It suggested an economy that is growing steadily but still sluggishly, which could tighten the presidential race.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson faces calls for his ouster after just four months leading the troubled Internet company because of inaccuracies with his academic credentials.