VOL. 128 | NO. 9 | Monday, January 14, 2013
SPECIAL EMPHASIS: Education
Schools officials honor Humes’ past while planning for its future
The best look at the competition conventional public schools in Memphis face begins at Humes Middle School, which recently got some attention for the birthday anniversary of a student who went there in the 1950s.
While many of the most controversial issues of the coming merger of Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools are still to be decided, the issue of how to handle school security appears to be settled.
Kriner Cash came to the city as Memphis City Schools superintendent in July 2008. He began with an informal census that organized the school district’s student population by how many students were overage for their grade level, how many had no primary care physician and how many had access to no pre-kindergarten services.
Plans for a higher education presence in Fayette County could take a substantial leap forward early in 2013 after years of general plans for such a presence.
Shelby County Commissioners take a final vote Monday, Jan. 14, on a “wage theft” ordinance to set up a process of local complaints from employees that would go through the General Sessions Environmental Court.
AMSTERDAM (AP) – Shares in package delivery company TNT Express NV lost almost half their value Monday after that United Parcel Service Inc. had decided to ditch its €5.2 billion ($6.9 billion) takeover of the struggling Dutch company, citing objections from European regulators.
Shelby County had the most home sales recorded in 2012 since 2008 when the housing market started drastically declining.
Local home sales in the fourth quarter increased 28.4 percent compared to the fourth quarter last year, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.
Mirroring the trend seen in 2012, December home sales in Shelby County saw increases from 2011 in multiple categories.
After being grounded last year under doctor’s orders, former Saks Inc. CEO Brad Martin will be the keynote speaker this year for the 2013 Bobby Dunavant Public Service Awards.
After Duncan Williams got handed his “communicator of the year” award at this month’s Memphis chapter of the Public Relations Society of America luncheon, he did something in keeping with the nature of the honor.
GOVERNMENT AGENDA
The Shelby County Commission will meet Monday, Jan. 14, at 1:30 p.m. in the Shelby County Administration Building, 160 N. Main St. Click on the meeting icon for a full agenda.
For some kids, school is never truly out for the holidays.
LOCAL COLUMNISTS
Several years ago a short video went viral and spread the word throughout the land that you could pretty much have anything you want in life, including health, wealth and happiness, if you simply ask the universe for it in the right way. In a nutshell, it was yet another of the periodic Wallace Wattle-like rediscoveries of the power of positive thinking and creative visualization. In this case, the discovery was categorized as a so-called “Secret” that you too could gain access to for the price of the video.
STATE GOVERNMENT
NASHVILLE (AP) – House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Turner is calling for a special meeting to investigate the Department of Children's Services' refusal to release records related to the abuse and death of children under its care.
REGIONAL
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves is proposing a $7.5 million program to help schools hire trained and armed law enforcement officers to work on campus.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. trade deficit expanded in November to its widest point in seven months, driven by a surge in imports that outpaced only modest growth in exports.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The federal government released its final crop report for 2012 on Friday, detailing heavy losses caused by the worst drought the U.S. has experienced since the 1950s.
HEALTH CARE
NEW YORK (AP) – Flu is more widespread across the nation, but the number of hard-hit states has declined, health officials said Friday.