Piggly Wiggly’s ceremonial grand opening was Sept. 6, 1916, but the real, construction-delayed opening did not happen until 102 years ago today, Sept. 11, for the nation’s first supermarket.

2. Last Word: Rain and Lightning, Recycling Blues and Polls and Campaigns - Monday, September 10, 2018

Signs of festival season in the air Sunday after what was left of Tropical Storm Gordon dumped most of its remaining rain and wind on the city Saturday. The Central Gardens home tour was doing a brisk business Sunday afternoon with lots of foot traffic in light jackets and lines outside a few of the homes on Belvedere as Birds and golf carts buzzed around. Further south Cooper-Young practicing moderation a week ahead of its milestone event for festival season – a new mural on Young west of Cooper toward the Fairgrounds awaiting your judgment next weekend.

3. Last Word: Bigger Goodlett, Collierville's Dilemma and Ronnie Grisanti's at Regalia - Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Shelby County Schools officials breaking ground Monday evening on the new Goodlett Elementary School to open a year from now on the grounds of the current Goodlett Elementary at 3001 S. Goodlett. The bigger Goodlett will allow for nearby Knight Road Elementary to close and its students to attend the new Goodlett. GOODLETT.

4. University of Memphis Commercial Aviation Degree Takes Flight This Fall - Monday, August 13, 2018

After a three-year process, the University of Memphis is partnering with a local flight school to offer a Bachelor of Science in Commercial Aviation this fall. When U of M Provost Karen Weddle West went before the Tennessee Higher Education Commission for approval in July, she highlighted a “strong letter of support” from Fred Smith.

5. Memphis Newsmakers Aug. 8, 2018 - Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Hayley Grossman has been promoted to public relations manager at boutique marketing/public relations agency Morris Marketing Group. Grossman joined MMG in 2017 as PR/MarCom specialist. In her new role, she manages clients’ PR strategy and tactics, including creating and pitching news angles and providing digital and social marketing strategies to work in tandem with client PR tactics.

6. McKinney Assumes New Role Joining Greater Memphis Chamber - Thursday, August 2, 2018

David McKinney later this month starts his new job as senior vice president for public policy at the Greater Memphis Chamber.

The 36-year-old attorney succeeds Kelly Rayne, who left earlier this summer to become senior counsel for St. Jude ALSAC.

7. Kennedy Takes Helm As TFTA Board President - Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Germantown Performing Arts Center director of development Parke B. Kennedy has been named board president for Tennesseans for the Arts. In her new role, Kennedy hopes to further efforts to actively support local arts organizations and the work of the Tennessee Arts Commission by working with legislators to maintain funding for the arts in Tennessee, supporting and promoting the work of the Arts Caucus in the General Assembly, and organizing and producing advocacy events.  

8. AutoZone Liberty Bowl Honors Priscilla Presley - Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Priscilla Presley has been awarded the AutoZone Liberty Bowl’s most prestigious recognition, the Distinguished Citizen Award. She was honored Sunday, June 24, at a dinner benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

9. FedEx Q4 Profits Beat Wall Street Estimates - Thursday, June 21, 2018

Memphis-based FedEx Corp. posted a solid growth during its fiscal fourth quarter and full year, with company executives saying the shipping giant can adjust if looming tariffs disrupt trade patterns with China.

10. Last Word: 'Same Night Batteries,' Corker and Alexander React and ASD Results - Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Things you notice in City Council chambers on a long council day: The clock on the wall in back of the chamber is placed over another clock – a clock built into the wall when City Hall opened in 1966 and since deprived of its hands. This came up because the clock in front stopped working Tuesday, the same day that the council got new microphones for a sound system that is consistently buggy.

11. FedEx Q4 Profits Beat Wall Street Estimates - Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Memphis-based FedEx Corp. posted solid growth during its fiscal fourth quarter, beating Wall Street estimates.

The shipping giant reported earnings of $4.15 per diluted share for the quarter ended May 31, and net income of just over $1.13 billion, which is up from $1.02 billion, or $3.75 a share, a year ago.

12. Last Word: Scooter or Bike, Clapp's Flip and Found Memphis Belle Footage - Monday, June 18, 2018

If this past weekend is any indication, Bird scooters are a thing in Memphis and they have also had a spillover effect in increasing the use of Explore Bike Share which has about a three-week head start. In many Downtown locations the scooters and bikes are in close proximity to one another. And that was offering some choices to those looking for a quicker way around in the heat. Well dressed wedding parties just a bit early for the ceremony in Court Square -- scooter. Intrepid explorers in t-shirts, cargo shorts and floppy hats regarding the sites to be seen in Memphis as Lewis and Clark -- bike.

13. June 15-21, 2018: This week in Memphis history - Saturday, June 16, 2018

1971: Fred Smith incorporates in Delaware a company he calls Federal Express Corp.

Source: “Absolutely Positively Overnight” by Robert A. Sigafoos

14. FedEx Rolls Out the Purple Runway For Its Next Generation of Pilots - Saturday, May 26, 2018

FedEx Express is paving a runway for the pilots of tomorrow – a direct pipeline to flying for the Memphis-based delivery services company on the Fortune 500 list.

The subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) announced Purple Runway – A FedEx Pathways Program this spring to address an industry-wide shortage of up-and-coming pilots.

15. Last Word: Veto Override Drama, Iran Reaction & Rise of the Rest Meets Soundways - Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Shelby County Commissioners have a busy committee day Wednesday with a budget presentation – county mayor Mark Luttrell’s final one as the county’s chief executive, more discussions about the Graceland plan and a veto override.

16. Last Word: Making Memphis Easier, Strickland on Graceland and Construction Jobs - Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Some of the BSMF reviews in from this past weekend are thumbs up for the way Memphis In May has ramped up what you might call its infrastructure around Uber, Lyft and little items like muddy boots for the increasing number of Memphians and visitors who are ready to go no matter what the weather is doing. And they may opt for some other way into Downtown beyond driving a car and finding a parking place and walking, especially when there’s a drop off at the northern end of the music festival. Even a fire hydrant water flow to take the mud off your boots. We can make Memphis easier with less effort than we think at the outset.

17. Week Ahead: May 7-13 - Monday, May 7, 2018

Happy Monday. This weekend is the one between the Beale Street Music Festival and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, but there are still Memphis in May International events to attend. Great month to be in Memphis!

18. Away From the Court - Thursday, April 19, 2018

For seven straight years, the Memphis Grizzlies made the playoffs. For seven straight years, the winning on the court provided momentum and opportunity for those working on the business side trying to sell season tickets and arrange corporate sponsorships.

19. AutoZone Liberty Bowl To Honor Priscilla Presley - Saturday, April 14, 2018

The annual Distinguished Citizen Award given out by the AutoZone Liberty Bowl will this year go to Priscilla Presley in ceremonies on Sunday, June 24.

Presley, who is an entrepreneur and philanthropist as well as an actress, author and producer, also was a driving force behind opening Graceland to the public.

20. AutoZone Liberty Bowl To Honor Priscilla Presley - Tuesday, April 10, 2018

The annual Distinguished Citizen Award given out by the AutoZone Liberty Bowl will this year go to Priscilla Presley in ceremonies on Sunday, June 24.

Presley, who is an entrepreneur and philanthropist as well as an actress, author and producer, also was a driving force behind opening Graceland to the public.

21. FedEx Unveils Pilot Development Program - Saturday, April 7, 2018

FedEx Corp. subsidiary FedEx Express is rolling out a new pilot development program known as “Purple Runway – A FedEx Pathways Program” to recruit and train new pilots over the coming years.

22. FedEx Unveils Pilot Development Program - Wednesday, April 4, 2018

FedEx Corp. subsidiary FedEx Express is rolling out a new pilot development program known as “Purple Runway – A FedEx Pathways Program” to recruit and train new pilots over the coming years.

23. Prescription for Tragedy - Saturday, March 24, 2018

He has his own GPS, an internal shield that keeps him from driving anywhere near 637 Poplar Ave. Home to the Memphis morgue. That’s where they showed Jerry Davidson his 22-year-old son, Oliver, his eyes closed and his lips purple.

24. FedEx Talks Texas Bombs, Walmart In Q3 Earnings - Thursday, March 22, 2018

It was a busy Tuesday for FedEx Corp. as the Memphis-based company discussed the San Antonio facility explosion, $2.5 billion in hub modernizations, and a new deal with Walmart all while posting higher than expected returns during its March 20 third quarter earnings call.

25. Last Word: SCS Plans For $15, IRIS Matinees and The Hard Hit Fund - Wednesday, March 21, 2018

“From a financial standpoint, we need our fans back and we need them back now.” University of Memphis president David Rudd breaking the university’s silence on the basketball coaching change that was made formal Tuesday with the announcement that Penny Hardaway is indeed the new coach. And Hardaway had a lot to say that Tigers fans and Memphians wanted to hear.

26. FedEx Talks Texas Explosion, Walmart, and Increased Profits during Earnings Call - Wednesday, March 21, 2018

It was a busy day for FedEx Corp. as the Memphis-based company discussed the San Antonio facility explosion, $2.5 billion in hub modernizations, and a new deal with Walmart all while posting higher than expected returns during its March 20 third quarter earnings call.

27. Last Word: The Memphis Hub Modernization, Gun Protests and MLK 50 Plans - Thursday, March 15, 2018

Back in January, the FedEx board approved a $3.2 billion package that had pay raises, bonuses and similar items that have become the corporate reaction to federal tax reform that set a lower rate of taxation for companies that repatriate money they have overseas. There was a mention of $1.5 billion for the Indianapolis hub and unspecified plans for the Memphis hub to come later. And later was yesterday in a pretty modest announcement at Signature Air given the scope of what FedEx has planned for its Super Hub here.

28. FedEx Investing $1 Billion in Memphis Hub Modernization - Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Memphis-based FedEx Corp. will spend $1 billion on a modernization of its Memphis hub over a six-year period, company founder, chairman and CEO Fred Smith announced Wednesday, March 14.

29. Last Word: Corporate Moves, Hardaway on Strickland and Corker Is Out Again - Wednesday, February 28, 2018

It’s that time when corporate leaders go to their conference rooms – the ones with the Simon-looking conference call orb, with the colored lights taken out, in the center of the table. The attorneys sit next to the CEO to make sure he or she reads the prepared remarks carefully vetted by them and grow concerned as the time for questions nears. The figurative waters of the safe harbor are placid with all statements and forecasts of possible future action having their news hooks filed off by the legalese disclaimer.

30. Sen. Lamar Alexander Talks Tax Reform, Trump, Guns - Thursday, February 22, 2018

The day before the U.S. Senate voted in December to pass a massive federal tax overhaul, FedEx founder, chairman and CEO Fred Smith called up U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander and urged him to “pass that bill.”

31. Sen. Alexander Talks Tax Reform, Trump, Gun Control in Memphis - Wednesday, February 21, 2018

The day before the U.S. Senate voted in December to pass a massive federal tax overhaul, FedEx founder, chairman and CEO Fred Smith called up U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and urged him to “pass that bill.”

32. Dunavant Awards Will Feature Hardy As Keynote - Friday, January 26, 2018

As a lifelong Memphian and successful entrepreneur, Carolyn Hardy is all about finding new ways to grow the city.

33. Strength at FedEx Stands Out Among Memphis’ Fortune 500 Companies - Tuesday, January 23, 2018

The reality confronting each of Memphis’ three publicly traded Fortune 500 companies is a little different as the year gets underway, with one of them the breakaway favorite in terms of investment and opportunity.

34. Grizzlies’ Pranica Named TN Sportscaster of the Year - Saturday, January 20, 2018

Memphis Grizzlies television play-by-play announcer Pete Pranica of FOX Sports Southeast was voted the 2017 Tennessee State Sportscaster of the Year, the National Sports Media Association has announced.

35. FedEx Realigns Businesses Under Trade Networks - Thursday, January 18, 2018

FedEx is preparing to realign its specialty logistics and e-commerce solutions in a structure that will beef up its FedEx Trade Networks division.

The new organization, which is effective March 1, will roll in FedEx’s Custom Critical, Cross Border and Supply Chain businesses; FedEx Trade Networks Transport & Brokerage; and a new company called FedEx Forward Depots that has responsibility for several areas, including 3-D printing and the company’s packaging lab.

36. Nomination Deadline For Dunavant Awards Feb. 1 - Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Memphis is lucky to have an abundance of residents with a passion for public service and it is time once again to honor their commitment to improving this community.

Each year the Rotary Club of Memphis East recognizes the importance of public service by hosting the Dunavant Public Servant Awards.

37. Dunavant Awards Spotlight Public Servants - Friday, January 12, 2018

Being a public servant often is thankless job, but each year the Rotary Club of Memphis East recognizes the importance of public service to the community by hosting the Dunavant Public Servant Awards.

38. FedEx Forecasts Record Holiday Deliveries - Thursday, December 21, 2017

It wasn’t just solid news for FedEx’s fiscal second quarter that ended Nov. 30, during which the package delivery company grew earnings 11 percent to $775 million, or $2.84 a share. That’s up from $700 million, or $2.59 per share during the year-ago period.

39. FedEx Forecasts Record Holiday Deliveries - Wednesday, December 20, 2017

It wasn’t just solid news all around for FedEx’s fiscal second quarter that ended Nov. 30, during which the package delivery company grew earnings 11 percent to $775 million, or $2.84 a share. That’s up from $700 million, or $2.59 per share during the year-ago period.

40. FedEx Forecasts Record Holiday Deliveries - Wednesday, December 20, 2017

It wasn’t just solid news all around for FedEx’s fiscal second quarter that ended Nov. 30, during which the package delivery company grew earnings 11 percent to $775 million, or $2.84 a share. That’s up from $700 million, or $2.59 per share during the year-ago period.

41. FedEx Forecasts Record Holiday Deliveries - Wednesday, December 20, 2017

It wasn’t just solid news all around for FedEx’s fiscal second quarter that ended Nov. 30, during which the package delivery company grew earnings 11 percent to $775 million, or $2.84 a share. That’s up from $700 million, or $2.59 per share during the year-ago period.

42. Last Word: Bredesen Runs, Germantown Moratorium, Monsanto Fights Dicamba Ban - Thursday, December 7, 2017

The big reveal at the Greater Memphis Chamber’s annual luncheon Wednesday, at least for me – Dale Watson lives in Memphis now. The Americana musician, producer and author was among the performers at the Peabody and he had a bit of trouble getting the group of 700 business and political leaders to sing along with the refrain of one of his most popular tunes – “I Lie When I Drink and I Drink A Lot" -- with at least a dozen video cameras panning the room. But he continued on without audience participation. Other entertainment highlights featured Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland as the voice of Amazon’s Alexa.

43. Trucking Technology Accelerates With Promise of Better Safety, Efficiency - Saturday, December 2, 2017

The notion of thousands of electric and autonomous semitractor-trailers sharing the road with more traditional passenger vehicles may seem like a scene from a futuristic movie, but that future could be much closer than it seems.

44. FedEx Exec Richard Smith Named Chairman of Memphis Chamber - Monday, November 20, 2017

Richard W. Smith, president and CEO of FedEx Trade Networks and son of FedEx founder Fred Smith, is the new chairman of the board of the Greater Memphis Chamber.

45. Last Word: 2018 Head Start, Tax Reform Bill Votes and Tigers Basketball in Decline - Friday, November 17, 2017

Can you smell the paper? Friday is the first day that candidates in the 2018 elections can start picking up qualifying petitions for their place on the ballot – in this case the May county primary elections in Shelby County. Here is the scene setter.

46. Smith New Chairman of Greater Memphis Chamber - Friday, November 17, 2017

Richard W. Smith, president and CEO of FedEx Trade Networks and son of FedEx founder Fred Smith, is the new chairman of the board of the Greater Memphis Chamber.

47. Making Best Better - Thursday, November 9, 2017

More than a decade ago, Carolyn Hardy was a vice president with the Coors Brewing Co. in Memphis when she attended the Leadership Development Intensive (LDI), a personal leadership training ground stretched across 3 1/2 days.

48. FedEx Takes Profit Hit From Cyberattack in Q1 - Thursday, September 21, 2017

FedEx’s earnings per share for the first quarter were down year over year, as the Memphis-based shipping company continues to feel the effects of a June 27 cyberattack on subsidiary TNT Express that ended up costing $300 million.

49. Effects of June Cyberattack Cost FedEx $300 Million in Q1 - Wednesday, September 20, 2017

FedEx’s earnings per share for the first quarter were down year over year, as the Memphis-based shipping company continues to feel the effects of a June 27 cyberattack on subsidiary TNT Express that ended up costing $300 million.

50. Promoters Exporting Authenticity Of Memphis Music in Another Way - Tuesday, September 12, 2017

A new 5,000- to 6,000-seat concert venue at Graceland by early 2019 is competition. But it probably brings more customers to the overall market for concerts in the city, says the founder of Music Export Memphis, the city’s export office for the music business.

51. FedEx Names New EVP, General Counsel - Saturday, August 19, 2017

FedEx Corp. has announced that Mark R. Allen will assume the roles of executive vice president, general counsel, and secretary effective Oct. 1.

52. FedEx Names New EVP, General Counsel - Thursday, August 17, 2017

FedEx Corp. has announced that Mark R. Allen will assume the roles of executive vice president, general counsel, and secretary effective Oct. 1.

53. FedEx Sends 173 Drivers To Driving Championships - Saturday, August 12, 2017

FedEx is being represented by 173 drivers hailing from all 50 states at this year’s National Truck Driving Championships, which began Tuesday and continues through Saturday, Aug. 12, in Orlando, Florida.

54. FedEx Sends 173 Drivers To Driving Championships - Wednesday, August 9, 2017

FedEx is being represented by 173 drivers hailing from all 50 states at this year’s National Truck Driving Championships, which began Tuesday and continue through Saturday, Aug. 12, in Orlando, Florida.

55. Last Word: St. Jude School, More Gannett Moves and Maida Pearson Smith - Thursday, August 3, 2017

For most, the school year starts next week. But classes are already underway at St. Jude’s new Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, an idea 15 years in the making, according to the physician who had that idea. The school is a big step in higher education in Memphis and its road to research center status.

56. FedEx General Counsel Announces Retirement - Saturday, July 22, 2017

FedEx Corp.’s executive vice president, general counsel and secretary Christine P. Richards has announced she will retire from her role with the company effective Sept. 30, 2018.

57. Last Word: Freeze Warning, Corker on Obamacare Repeal and The Disney Example - Friday, July 21, 2017

What do you call it when you expect a lot of trouble coming from a specific direction – with a detailed roadmap -- and a completely different controversy comes in from a different direction, hits and leaves a crater. Whatever you call it, that is what happened to Ole Miss football coach Hugh Freeze Thursday evening. Or did it?

58. FedEx General Counsel Announces Retirement - Friday, July 21, 2017

FedEx Corp.’s executive vice president, general counsel and secretary Christine P. Richards has announced she will retire from her role with the company effective Sept. 30, 2018.

59. Last Word: Overton Gateway Talks, Norris of the Governor's Race and Coach O - Thursday, July 13, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners have quite the disagreement going in several ways as they try to put another budget season in the books and let the ink dry. As we’ve reported, the commission approved a $1.2 billion county government budget Monday and there is no taking that back – at least as a budget. That now becomes an important detail because in committee sessions Wednesday in advance of next week’s meeting of the full commission, there were five votes to change the proposed county property tax rate from $4.10 to $4.13.

60. Last Word: Vince Carter Leaves, Fairgrounds and Pulling the Plug on Green Tech - Friday, July 7, 2017

Vince Carter joins Zach Randolph with the Sacramento Kings next NBA season with an $8 million one-year pact for Carter. Still no word on Tony Allen’s free agency status as we put this up. The Grizz plan to retire Randolph’s jersey.

61. Bowl Names Tim McCarver Distinguished Citizen - Saturday, July 1, 2017

The AutoZone Liberty Bowl honored former St. Louis Cardinals catcher and Hall of Fame broadcaster Tim McCarver on Sunday, June 26, with its Distinguished Citizen Award at a dinner that benefitted St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

62. Last Word: A Second Juvenile Court Letter, Fred Smith's Tax Plan and Memphis Hops - Wednesday, June 28, 2017

A group of 19 organizations including the Memphis Branch NAACP and 28 citizens sent a letter Tuesday to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions urging him to keep in place Justice Department oversight of Juvenile Court. The 12-page letter is a point-by-point detailed response to the June 9 letter from County Mayor Mark Luttrell, Juvenile Court Judge Dan Michael and Sheriff Bill Oldham asking Sessions to end the memorandum of agreement between county government and the Justice Department.

63. Tim McCarver Receives Distinguished Citizen Award - Tuesday, June 27, 2017

The AutoZone Liberty Bowl honored former St. Louis Cardinals catcher and Hall of Fame broadcaster Tim McCarver on Sunday, June 26, with its Distinguished Citizen Award in a dinner at the Hilton Memphis hotel. All proceeds from the dinner benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

64. For Memphis AD Bowen, Knowledge is Also Worry - Friday, June 23, 2017

Among the items on Tom Bowen’s desk are a miniature University of Memphis football helmet and a Tubby Smith bobblehead that, I swear, gives off a “don’t worry, be happy” vibe.

65. Last Word: Cyber Attacks, Second Farmers Market Downtown and The Council Way - Thursday, June 22, 2017

It’s on. Shelby County commissioners coming out Wednesday in committee against the idea of ending Justice Department oversight of Juvenile Court. And the discussion was, as always, an interesting one including not only critics like commissioner Van Turner but commissioner Terry Roland and County Mayor Mark Luttrell.

66. FedEx Corp. Reports Strong Q4, Fiscal Year - Thursday, June 22, 2017

Memphis-based FedEx Corp. reported a record Q4 and full-year earnings at its fourth-quarter earnings call Tuesday, June 20.

67. Last Word: Grade Tampering, The Tom Lee Storm and Fred's Strategy - Wednesday, June 7, 2017

There are indications that allegations of grade-tampering at Shelby County Schools are not going to recede as rapidly as they did late last year when the allegations first came up. The first indication was word late last week that the state department of education will audit the grade transcripts of all SCS high schools. But there are still some fuzzy points in that about whether that is a new move or whether it is something that has been underway since last year.

68. Last Word: Recovery Day 6, Trezevant Allegations Resurface and Memphis Is Hard - Friday, June 2, 2017

There is some debate about how the Memorial Day weekend storm compares to the Ice Storm of 1994 and Hurricane Elvis in 2003. A city public works supervisor who is a veteran of both earlier incidents weighed in this week as Mayor Jim Strickland stopped by Collins Yard to rally the city’s troops in the recovery effort. Rodney Wakefield also had a lot to say about what motivates city workers to tackle this hard work in a sweltering spring and do it as quickly and as safely as possible.

69. Entrepreneurship Is in the Water - Thursday, April 13, 2017

“There’s something in the water.” I often heard that expression when someone referenced a widespread occurrence, the cause of which was puzzling or unexplainable. But if it’s Memphis water, I know what is in it: the soul of an entrepreneur.

70. Last Word: Spring Votes, Those Tax Bills and Tim McCarver on Baseball Changes - Friday, April 7, 2017

Look for more details on the specifics of the “Gateway” project to start to emerge now that a crucial if overlooked piece of the geographic puzzle in the north Downtown area has come into public view. The city’s largest hotel, also the city’s original convention center hotel, is about to change hands and go back to flying the Marriott flag.

71. Corker To Keynote Dunavant Awards - Wednesday, March 22, 2017

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker will be the keynote speaker at the Rotary Club of Memphis East’s annual Dunavant Public Servant Awards.

Co-sponsored by The Daily News, the awards luncheon is 11:30 a.m., April 18, at the Memphis Hilton, 939 Ridge Lake Blvd.

72. Last Word: Milhaus Sells, Voucher Debate Gets Heated and Boyd's Fly Around - Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Highland Row isn’t fully open yet and it is already up for sale as part of a real estate portfolio. The owner, Milhaus, based in Indianapolis, is a development, construction and property management company that works in mixed use development. And the portfolio being on the market could turn into a recapitalization.

73. New Tri-State Defender Has Credibility, Influence in the Community - Thursday, February 9, 2017

When president and publisher Bernal E. Smith II speaks about his newspaper, The New Tri-State Defender, and how business is conducted today and what’s necessary for success going forward, he sounds like just about any other newspaper executive trying to navigate today’s quick-change media world.

74. Bronczek to Succeed Smith As FedEx President Feb. 1 - Saturday, January 28, 2017

David Bronczek will be promoted to the role of president and chief operating officer of FedEx Corp. 11 months ahead of schedule, the shipping giant announced Monday, Jan. 23.

75. FedEx’s Smith Talks Trade After Trump’s TPP Decision - Saturday, January 28, 2017

President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact has struck a note of discord with FedEx chairman, president and CEO Fred Smith.

76. Last Word: The TVA Well Controversy, Fred Smith Redux and Norris On The Gas Tax - Wednesday, January 25, 2017

The new Trader Joe’s in Germantown won’t be alone by the plans the supermarket chain got approved Tuesday night by the Germantown Design Review Commission. The conversion of the old Kroger store on Exeter includes seven other bays as Trader Joe’s goes for a smaller footprint than the size of the original building.

77. FedEx's Fred Smith Talk Trade after Trump’s TPP Decision - Wednesday, January 25, 2017

President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact has struck a note of discord with FedEx chairman, president and CEO Fred Smith.

78. Last Word: The Grizz Farm Club Moves, Changing the NAACP and $15 An Hour - Tuesday, January 24, 2017

How many of you knew the Iowa Energy was what amounts to a minor league team connected to the Grizz? How many of you knew that before Wade Baldwin and Troy Williams got sent there last month?

79. Bronczek to Succeed Smith as FedEx President Feb. 1 - Monday, January 23, 2017

David Bronczek will be promoted to the role of president and chief operating officer of FedEx Corp. 11 months ahead of schedule, the shipping giant announced Monday, Jan. 23.

80. Sports Bind City - Saturday, January 21, 2017

Maybe it is your spouse’s Christmas party. Or a local business conference and no one else from your company is attending. When you give the room the once-over, it’s full of unfamiliar faces.

81. Last Word: Fred's Post Mortem, Karen Camper on Guns and Pentatonix at Calvary - Thursday, December 22, 2016

Who knew Fred’s could become probably the most complex local business story of the year? More post mortem on the $950 million deal announced this week in which the Memphis-based corporation bought 865 Rite Aid stores from Walgreens and Rite-Aid, who are working toward an acquisition and merger deal of their own.

82. Last Word: Boca Ends Badly, Fred's Deal Still Moving and The Couch Dylan Sat On - Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Z Bo ejected and the Grizz fall to the Celtics 112 – 109 Tuesday at the Forum. Post game, Fizdale says the team has a leadership problem.

The Tigers at the Forum Wednesday, playing the Incarnate Word Cardinals.

83. Last Word: Turner Dairy Plans, Fred's HQ and Fred Smith's Remarks About Trump - Monday, December 12, 2016

Lots of traffic at FedExForum this weekend with two graduation ceremonies for the University of Memphis – morning and afternoon shifts. Another double-header at the Forum Saturday. The Grizz beat the Warriors 110-89 and the Tigers beat UAB 62-55.

84. FedEx's Smith Critical of Trump Opposition to NAFTA, TPP - Saturday, December 10, 2016

FedEx Corp. founder Fred Smith says withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement, as advocated by President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly in the 2016 presidential campaign, would be “catastrophic for the U.S. economy” and “have massive economic repercussions.”

85. FedExFamilyHouse Eyes $12M Expansion - Thursday, November 24, 2016

The Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital-owned home away from home for families of patients being treated at the hospital is about to get a lot bigger.

The FedExFamilyHouse at 918 Poplar Ave. has launched a fundraising campaign to pay for the planned $12 million cost of expanding the facility. By the time that expansion is finished in 2018, the space will have tripled in size and will be better able to keep pace, officials say, with the growth in specialty care at Le Bonheur that’s helped draw more patients – and families who need a place to stay.

86. FedExFamilyHouse Seeks $12 Million for Expansion - Saturday, November 19, 2016

FedExFamilyHouse, a home away from home to out-of-town families of patients at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, is planning an expansion that will triple its size by 2018. And a fundraising campaign has been launched to raise the $12 million construction cost of that expansion.

87. FedExFamilyHouse Launches $12M Campaign for Expansion - Tuesday, November 15, 2016

FedExFamilyHouse, a home away from home to out-of-town families of patients at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, is planning an expansion that will triple its size by 2018. And a fundraising campaign has been launched to raise the $12 million construction cost of that expansion.

88. As Big 12 Stands Pat, AAC Looks To Grow Brand - Friday, October 21, 2016

It wasn’t difficult to figure out why the Big 12 – or the Confused 10, if you prefer – started down the road of exploring expansion.

It turned out to be a road to nowhere – a twisting, turning road with many stops to ask for directions – and finally the league announced on Monday, Oct. 17, that it would, in fact, not expand.

89. Last Word: FedEx Changes, The Blue Cross Exit and Armageddon - Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Was that really autumn Monday or was the drop in humidity a prank to get the trees to drop their leaves?

The FedEx shareholder’s meeting Monday included some changes in the management chart at FedEx Corp. – more like some changes in the seating with one retirement by Mike Glenn, whose office is next to company founder Fred Smith.

90. Smith Hands Off FedEx President’s Position To Bronczek - Monday, September 26, 2016

With little fanfare, FedEx Corp. founder Fred Smith introduced himself Monday, Sept. 26, at the start of the company’s annual shareholder’s meeting as the board chairman and CEO of the company.

91. Last Word: In Charlotte's Shadow, EDGE Action and Elvis TV Bio at Graceland - Thursday, September 22, 2016

The Memphis City Council’s final vote next month on pot decriminalization is shaping up to be about more than marijuana. The vote on the ordinance proposed by council member Berlin Boyd is the leading edge of a larger push for changes in the local criminal justice system, according to Boyd.

92. FedEx Working on Drone and Automation Projects – With Caveats - Thursday, September 22, 2016

John Zimmer, co-founder and president of the on-demand ride-sharing company Lyft, thinks that in less than a decade private car ownership will essentially have ended in major U.S. cities. Also, that within five years most Lyft trips will take place in self-driving cars.

93. Last Word: Pot Action In Memphis and Nashville, Izakaya and Wake Up Man - Wednesday, September 21, 2016

A big night in Nashville and Memphis for the issue of marijuana decriminalization. An ordinance to allow cops to write a ticket with a $50 fine for possession of less than half an ounce of pot won final approval by the Metro Nashville Council hours after the Memphis City Council approved second of three readings of a similar ordinance. The Memphis action sets the stage for a final vote at City Hall on this come October 4.

94. Memphis Cut From Big 12 Expansion Consideration, ESPN Says - Saturday, September 3, 2016

The University of Memphis is not one of 11 schools still under consideration for Big 12 expansion, according to a report from espn.com on Friday, Sept. 2.

95. Memphis Cut From Big 12 Expansion Consideration, ESPN Says - Saturday, September 3, 2016

The University of Memphis is not one of 11 schools still under consideration for Big 12 expansion, according to a report from espn.com on Friday, Sept. 2.

96. ESPN: Memphis Out of Big 12 Expansion Consideration - Saturday, September 3, 2016

The University of Memphis is not one of 11 schools still under consideration for Big 12 expansion, according to a report from espn.com on Friday, Sept. 2.

97. ESPN: Memphis Out of Big 12 Expansion Consideration - Saturday, September 3, 2016

The University of Memphis is not one of 11 schools still under consideration for Big 12 expansion, according to a report from espn.com on Friday, Sept. 2.

98. Game-Changer - Saturday, August 6, 2016

So as it turns out, the FedEx St. Jude Classic in June was a missed opportunity. No one in the gallery shouted, “University of Memphis – Big 12!” The tournament’s “Hush Y’all” signs were obeyed and to no good end.

99. Will Memphis Make the Big 12 Cut? - Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Another day, another media source outside of Memphis ranking the Big 12 expansion candidates. The following evaluation comes from The Orlando Sentinel.

The good news? The University of Memphis made the cut as one of five favorites.

100. FedEx Posts $70 Million Loss, Gives Cautious Outlook - Saturday, June 25, 2016

Memphis-based FedEx Corp. lost $70 million in the latest quarter because of large pension and acquisition items, and the delivery giant gave a cautious outlook for the next 12 months.