Recently, I saw a complete stranger reading a printed edition of The Memphis News in a restaurant downtown. I have always loved to see people picking up and reading our papers. This time, though, watching this man read through our paper was bittersweet. I knew – in a way he didn’t – that he held one of the last issues of a paper to be called The Memphis News.

2. - Saturday, September 15, 2018

3. Renasant Bank Opens Branch In Bartlett, Completes Acquisition - Saturday, September 15, 2018

Tupelo, Mississippi-based Renasant Bank (NASDAQ: RNST) officially opened its newest branch in Bartlett on Thursday, Sept. 12, as a strategic entry into one of Memphis’ oldest neighborhood communities.

4. A New Benchmark - Saturday, September 15, 2018

Shelby Farms Park is gearing up for the second annual Mempho Music Festival and another chance to showcase the country’s largest urban park to a diverse and wide-reaching audience.
Memphis’ newest music festival is expecting a crowd of 20,000 on Oct. 6 and 7, which is impressive for a park two years out from a $70 million renovation embarked upon in 2010 with a distant vision for such an event.
The master plan for the park was designed not only for people to recreate and relax, but as a place to build community, and a music festival can be a big part of that, said Jen Andrews, executive director of Shelby Farms Park. Andrews has always had a larger vision for the park as a place where the community could come together and take ownership and pride in the best that Memphis has to offer.
Enter another visionary, native Memphian Diego Winegardner, founder of Mempho Fest and CEO of Big River Presents, which is putting on the festival. Winegardner grew up in Memphis and now lives outside of New York City where his day job is in finance and investment management. A couple of years ago on a trip home to Memphis he met some old friends for a bike ride at Shelby Farms Park.
“I was completely blown away,” Winegardner said. “The sun was setting on Hyde Lake, and I had this lightning-bolt moment of how special it would be to bring a world-class music festival to this site.
I thought about Memphis’ place in the annals of American music as the birthplace of blues, soul and R&B and the hip hop scene that we have here.
“If you think about the labels … Sun, Stax, Royal…I was exposed to all of that growing up, and seeing B.B. King on Beale Street was just normal,” he said. “I didn’t appreciate it until I was gone. I started to get really nostalgic about my hometown.”
Winegardner is a music enthusiast who has been to most of the notable music festivals in the U.S. and many around the world. He had the resources and connections to realize his dream. Last year, the first Mempho Fest kicked off with great success with 10,000 in attendance for two days of concerts featuring a variety of bands from different music genres.
“I’ve always been a big fan of (Memphis) and its people and a big defender of the city and its history,” Winegardner said. “This music festival was born out of my passion for music and my passion for the city of Memphis.”
When Winegardner first met with Andrews two years ago to pitch his idea, she caught his vision right away.
He approached it cautiously and wanted to understand how to protect the park and still give people a good experience, she said. “We like working with Diego,” she said. “They care about the park, and like us, have a big, bold vision, and they hired a professional team who knew how to put on a safe and fun event.”
This year’s festival will feature two days of multi-genre music headlined by Grammy Award-winning artist and hip-hop superstar Post Malone as well as Beck, Phoenix, NAS and Janelle Monae. Local talent like Lucero and alternative Mac deMarco also will perform, and there will be a special tribute to Willie Mitchell’s Royal Studios featuring the label’s past and present stars.
Sunday will feature performances by crowd favorites like George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic and Stones Throw, Chuck Laevell’s Rolling Stones’ backer band.
The festival will not only expand in attendance, but will add a larger culinary and craft beer presence in addition to on-site camping and VIP and super-VIP experiences.
“We’re trying to create more than just music on a stage,” said Winegardner, who also created a nonprofit arm called Mempho Matters that will partner with organizations that line-up with the vision of the festival, such as Oceanic Global Foundation, #BringYourSoul, Learn to Rock and the Memphis Area Women’s Council’s “Memphis Says NO MORE” campaign.
As part of Mempho’s partnership with the Oceanic Global Foundation, the festival has a 100 percent waste-free goal, which will start with its no straw policy.
“A best practice environmental policy is important to help make sure the park is as pristine when we leave as when we showed up,” said Winegardner.
The partnership promoting the Memphis Area Women’s Council’s “NO MORE” campaign is to make sure that Mempho Fest’s female attendees feel safe. Winegardner, who has a teenage daughter, knows stories about the lack of safety for females at other events, prompting him to take up the cause.
“In this day and age, you really have to take a stand and make it an institutional part of our way of doing things,” he said.
Money raised through Mempho Matters will also benefit the Memphis community through contributions to musical education in the form of free tickets for students and teachers to attend the festival as well as instruments and money for music education in local schools.
Last year, Mempho Matters gave away 2,000 tickets to students and teachers.
“We want to build bridges into the community and be as inclusive as possible,” Winegardner said. “We want to educate the children and the youth of tomorrow about the history of Memphis musically and create a sense of pride for its citizens while also attracting new people and adding another chapter to Memphis’ long, rich history.”
Andrews is optimistic about the growth of Mempho Fest this year, projecting double the attendance in its second year as well as adding 400 weekend camping permits. Those include primitive camping, RV hookups and glamping.
“The camping option is an important part of festival culture, and one of the great benefits of the park is its tremendous scale, which can accommodate that,” Andrews said.
But the plan is to grow Mempho Fest slowly, she said.
“We learned a lot the first year, and we’re applying the learning to this year’s festival,” she said. “We have a strong plan for safely managing the crowd. We want this to be a world-class festival.”
Big River Productions and Winegardner have an undisclosed agreement with Shelby Farms Park, and both entities hope to continue the relationship.
“I’m hoping that Mempho Fest will become a long-term asset for the city of Memphis,” Winegardner said.
Music remains a big driver of visitors to Memphis — 56 percent of leisure visitors come to the city for something related to music, said Kevin Kane, president and CEO of Memphis Tourism, formerly called the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We’re supporters of (Mempho Fest),” he said. “We believe in it and want to see it grow. Music festivals have a big impact on the economy. The more events we have based in music the better, and we think it’s great to utilize Shelby Farms in this way.”

5. Haslam: Memphis Has Not Been Ignored During His Administration - Friday, September 14, 2018

On the heels of gubernatorial candidates courting Memphis and calling for increased state involvement, Gov. Bill Haslam is defending his record, saying the Bluff City hasn’t been overlooked on his watch.

6. Haslam: Memphis Has Not Been Ignored During His Administration - Friday, September 14, 2018

State

Haslam: Memphis Has Not Been Ignored During His Administration

Special to The Daily News

On the heels of gubernatorial candidates courting Memphis and calling for increased state involvement, Gov. Bill Haslam is defending his record, saying the Bluff City hasn’t been overlooked on his watch.

7. Hooks Institute Exhibit Highlights Voting Rights - Friday, September 14, 2018

The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis is offering “Uplift the Vote: Everyone Should Have a Voting Story,” a dual exhibit on the importance of our most basic civil right – the right to vote.

8. Friends, Family Remember Man Killed by Dallas Police Officer - Friday, September 14, 2018

Friends, family remember man killed by Dallas police officer

By RYAN TARINELLI, Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) — A 26-year-old man killed in his apartment by a Dallas police officer who said she mistook his apartment for her own was remembered Thursday as a devout Christian who loved to sing at church and always had time to help others.

9. Pope to Meet U.S. Bishops Thursday Over Sex-Abuse Scandal - Wednesday, September 12, 2018

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis will meet Thursday with a delegation of U.S. cardinals and bishops over the sex abuse and cover-up scandal roiling the Catholic Church and his own papacy, the Vatican said Tuesday.

10. Anniversary of Yellow Fever Epidemic Shows Ongoing Need in Community - Wednesday, September 12, 2018

St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral dean Andy Andrews joked with Margery Wolcott over the weekend that her Constance Abbey street ministry has lasted longer than lots of restaurants do at five years.

11. Elizabeth Smart Kidnapper to be Released from Prison - Wednesday, September 12, 2018

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A woman convicted of helping a former street preacher kidnap Elizabeth Smart as a teenager in 2002 from her Salt Lake City bedroom and hold her captive will be freed from prison in a surprise move announced Tuesday by state authorities.

12. Late Author Eudora Welty Gets First Marker on Mississippi Writers Trail - Wednesday, September 12, 2018

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi has markers noting a blues trail, a country music trail, a civil rights trail and even an Indian mound trail.

Now, with the dedication of a marker to the late author Eudora Welty, the state is starting a writers trail.

13. Suburban Superintendents Mark Fifth School Year in Changing Times for Education - Tuesday, September 11, 2018

When he began creating the Bartlett City Schools system five years ago, superintendent David Stephens had more middle schools than he had middle school students in the suburban city. And the high school-aged population was split between Bartlett and Bolton high schools.

14. City Panel Debates Whether to Tweak or Toss EDGE - Tuesday, September 11, 2018

A seven-member city group looking at the effectiveness of EDGE – the city-county Economic Development Growth Engine – has a decision to make.

Do they recommend tweaking the body that grants tax abatement incentives or do they take the city out of the EDGE and create a city Industrial Development Board?

15. United Way Hosting 27th Annual Days of Caring - Tuesday, September 11, 2018

From Monday, Sept. 10, through Saturday, Sept 15., hundreds of volunteers will participate in the United Way’s 27th annual Days of Caring. The activities will be centered around education, financial stability and health.

16. Can We See Into the Future? - Tuesday, September 11, 2018

“The future isn’t something that happens to you, it is something that you create with the decisions that you make today.” – Trista Harris

How many times have you dreamed of seeing into the future? Did you know you could make this dream come true? By the time you finish reading this article, you will move beyond dreaming.

17. Embrace Fully Innovations Underway in K-12 Education - Tuesday, September 11, 2018

There are many changes taking place in education. As an outward sign of this change, schools are striving to make their environments more like the “real world,” which is to say like adult workplaces.

18. The Week Ahead: Sept. 10-16 - Monday, September 10, 2018

The big Cooper-Young Festival, a much-anticipated annual event in the Midtown neighborhood, will be held on Saturday. The day-long celebration includes several pre-events in the days preceding it, including an artists’ show and 4-mile race to raise funds for the Cooper-Young Community Association. Have a great time, Memphis!

19. - Saturday, September 8, 2018

20. Around Memphis: Sept. 10, 2018 - Monday, September 10, 2018

The Daily News offers a weekly roundup of Memphis-related headlines from around the web, adding context and new perspectives to the original content we produce on a daily basis. Here are some recent stories worth checking out…

21. 'Positively Creative' Series Launches with Summit - Saturday, September 8, 2018

Memphis College of Art, Positively Creative Podcast and the Memphis chapter of the Riding Tide Society are launching Positively Creative, a series of workshops of local creatives.

The series begins with the Positively Creative Summit, to be held 8:30-11:30 a.m., on Saturday, Sept. 8, in the Callicott Auditorium in MCA’s Rust Hall. “Today” show correspondent Elizabeth Heiskell, founder of the Debutante Farmer, is the keynote speaker.

22. U of M Explores Medical School at Lambuth Campus - Saturday, September 8, 2018

The University of Memphis is exploring the feasibility of adding a doctor of osteopathic medicine school to its Lambuth campus in Jackson. Students who earn a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree are fully licensed physicians who focus on primary care and wellness.

23. Nike's Kaepernick Campaign Signals Change in Shoe Politics - Monday, September 10, 2018

A pair of shoes are set aflame with a cigarette lighter, captured on video and shared widely online to protest a political statement made by the manufacturer.

The New Balance shoes were burned by their owners two years ago after a spokeswoman indicated the company's support for President Donald Trump's trade policies.

24. New Townhomes Slated for Vacant Midtown Lot - Friday, September 7, 2018

A developer who has redeveloped 650 multifamily units in the Memphis area is planning to build 10 more units on a vacant lot in Midtown.

Amin Zaki, founder of Stella Maris Development, has plans to build 10 townhouse-style apartment units and a community courtyard at 1619 Monroe Ave.

25. Southbrook Developers Secure ‘Last Piece’ of Funding - Friday, September 7, 2018

This fall, Southbrook Properties Inc. will put the finishing touches on turning the former mall into the new Southbrook Towne Center.

26. REI ‘Raises the Bar’ on Outdoor Recreation in Memphis - Saturday, September 8, 2018

REI’s new Memphis store is promoting local outdoor recreation areas in addition to the sales of its own camping and outdoor gear.

The consumer co-op not only is donating $20,000 total to the Wolf River, Overton Park and Shelby Farms Park conservancies for trail restoration and other improvements, but is leading its nearly 50 employees to engage with and volunteer in the parks.

27. Mid-South Minority Business Council Continuum Helping Local MWBEs Connect, Grow - Saturday, September 8, 2018

For local minority- and women-owned business owners like Will Graham, becoming a member of the Mid-South Minority Business Council Continuum (MMBCC) has been a critical piece of her company’s growth. She joined the MMBCC to help connect her medical device special processing business with local medical device manufacturers, suppliers and other medical professionals.

28. Blazing Trails - Saturday, September 8, 2018

What a difference a decade can make. Successful local entrepreneurs like Muddy’s Bake Shop founder Kat Gordon, Hollywood Feed president Shawn McGhee, and executive chefs and owners Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman at Enjoy A|M Restaurant Group spent that time growing their small businesses into thriving enterprises over that time.

29. Burt Reynolds, Star of Film and TV, Dead at 82 - Friday, September 7, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — Burt Reynolds, the handsome film and television star known for his acclaimed performances in "Deliverance" and "Boogie Nights," commercial hits such as "Smokey and the Bandit" and for an active off-screen love life which included relationships with Loni Anderson and Sally Field, has died at age 82.

30. U of M Explores Medical School at Lambuth Campus - Friday, September 7, 2018

The University of Memphis is exploring the feasibility of adding a doctor of osteopathic medicine school to its Lambuth campus. Students who earn a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree are fully licensed physicians who focus on primary care and wellness.

31. Fire Roaring Through Northern California Triples in Size - Friday, September 7, 2018

REDDING, Calif. (AP) — An explosive wildfire that closed down dozens of miles of a major California freeway nearly tripled in size overnight, just weeks after a nearby blaze that left neighborhoods in ruins and killed eight people, officials said Thursday.

32. Microsoft Executives Host ‘Fireside Chat’ on Tech Careers - Thursday, September 6, 2018

The local workforce readiness effort often has focused on manufacturing, logistics and maintenance jobs that require certification to operate equipment or two-year associate degrees that can lead directly to the workplace.

33. Last Word: Graceland Opens Vigil, Hunt-Phelan For Sale and Southern Heritage - Thursday, September 6, 2018

After two years of making the Elvis candlelight vigil more about who paid and getting people in line, Graceland said Wednesday the vigil will return to being a free event next August – no admission, no buying packages that include the vigil. The timing on this is interesting coming about two weeks after the 2018 edition of the vigil.

34. GOP Candidate Lee Calls for ‘Accelerated Transformation’ of Shelby County - Thursday, September 6, 2018

Republican nominee for Tennessee governor Bill Lee opened the post-Labor Day leg of the race in Memphis Wednesday, Sept. 5, with a call for an “accelerated transformation of Shelby County.”

35. Leadership Holes in State Legislature - Thursday, September 6, 2018

With apologies to Robert Zimmerman, “the times they are a-changing.”

Unlike Bob Dylan’s 1964 song of rebellion, Capitol Hill isn’t turning into a bed of liberals, although someday the first could be last. In fact, it could turn more conservative this fall before things take a different direction. But leadership down the line in both parties is due for a big turnover.

36. Karl Dean Pledges Commitment to Completing Megasite - Thursday, September 6, 2018

Pointing at the need to bolster distressed West Tennessee counties, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Karl Dean is pledging to complete the Memphis Regional Megasite and appoint an adviser to oversee the project.

37. Solid Foundation - Thursday, September 6, 2018

While sitting at his desk, Fred Jones needs only to take a quick look up and to his right to see the strides made by him and his Southern Heritage Classic. But what does the 70-year-old Jones see when he looks up at the hopeful guy in his early 40s staring back from a newspaper photo accompanying a story prior to the inaugural game in 1990?

38. Last Word: Southbrook Mall, Dean on Development and Cats & Thyroids - Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Public money for a shopping mall with public uses is on the agenda for a special meeting this week of the EDGE board. And the Southbrook Mall saga is an extended story over several years with several different plans to get public money that at first blush was to fix the roof and perhaps HVAC and then let the private property owned by a nonprofit be on its way. It’s much more complex than that.

39. EDGE Calls Special Meeting for Southbrook Mall Money - Wednesday, September 5, 2018

The use of county funds to help revitalize the blighted Southbrook Mall property will bring members of the Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE) together Thursday, Sept. 6, for a special called meeting.

40. Workshop Series for Creatives Launches with Summit - Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Memphis College of Art, Positively Creative Podcast and the Memphis chapter of the Riding Tide Society are launching Positively Creative, a series of workshops of local creatives.

The series begins with the Positively Creative Summit, to be held 8:30-11:30 a.m., on Saturday, Sept. 8 in the Callicott Auditorium in MCA’s Rust Hall. “Today” show correspondent Elizabeth Heiskell, founder of the Debutante Farmer (a brand including gourmet pickles, jellies, jams, salsas and Bloody Mary mix), is the keynote speaker.

41. Karl Dean Pledges Bigger State Role in Memphis Economic Development - Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Karl Dean, the Democratic nominee for governor, says each of the 61 days he has campaigned in Memphis, someone has complained that the city has “been cut adrift by the state of Tennessee.”

42. Democratic Nominee for Governor Pledges Bigger State Role in Memphis Economic Development - Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Karl Dean, the Democratic nominee for governor, says each of the 61 days he has campaigned in Memphis, someone has complained that the city has “been cut adrift by the state of Tennessee.”

43. In New Orleans, A Regulation Reboot For Short-Term Rentals - Tuesday, September 4, 2018

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The sounds of a raucous pool party drift over a privacy fence amid brightly colored cottages that have become vacation rentals in New Orleans' Marigny neighborhood, and Allen Johnson laments the dwindling number of full-time neighbors.

44. First Tenant Moves Into Former Hospital Bought By Ole Miss - Tuesday, September 4, 2018

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — The University of Mississippi is moving into a former hospital it purchased as expansion space.

Ole Miss says the first tenant, the Counselor Education Clinic for Outreach and Personal Enrichment, moved in last week. Eight other tenants are expected to relocate in coming months to the former Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi, which the university is calling the South Oxford Center.

45. Local Soccer Team Christened Memphis FC 901 - Saturday, September 1, 2018

The Memphis entry in the United Soccer League shall be known as Memphis 901 FC. The logo and team name were unveiled on Saturday, Sept. 1. at 9:01 a.m., a nod to the city’s area code. An accompanying video talks about the city’s legacy in the sport with shots of the Memphis Americans indoor team and the outside squad – Memphis Rogues.

46. U.S. Ends Funding of UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees - Monday, September 3, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is ending its decades of funding for the U.N. agency that helps Palestinian refugees, the State Department announced Friday, a week after slashing bilateral U.S. aid for projects in the West Bank and Gaza.

47. Immigration Documentary Series Coming to Central Library - Monday, September 3, 2018

Every other Thursday night, beginning Sept. 20, the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library will host documentary film screenings and scholar-led discussions aimed at encouraging informed discourse on immigration issues within the context of America’s immigration history.

48. 80 Executives Named to Leadership Memphis Class - Monday, September 3, 2018

Leadership Memphis’ Executive Program Class of 2019 is a diverse group of 80 local executives from sectors including business, nonprofit, government, education, faith and neighborhoods.

Founded in 1979 to develop new ways of connecting and creating more effective community leaders, Leadership Memphis is entering its 40th year.

49. SCS Superintendent Hopson Talks of New Map for School Locations - Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Shelby County Schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson wants a more comprehensive view and plan for where schools of all types – charters, optional and conventional – are located.

Hopson’s concern is that some parts of Memphis are saturated with the various types of schools even after Shelby County Schools has closed 26 schools in the five years he has been superintendent.

50. Gov. Haslam Hears Concerns for TNReady Credibility at Collierville Forum - Monday, September 3, 2018

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam heard from a group of Memphis and Shelby County educators that the state’s TNReady test has credibility issues with parents and doesn’t provide reliable data quickly enough for teachers to make better use of it in improving student achievement.

51. Groundbreaking Alternative Paper Village Voice Shuts Down - Monday, September 3, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — The Village Voice, the Pulitzer Prize-winning alternative weekly known for its muckraking investigations, exhaustive arts criticism, naughty personal ads and neurosis-laden cartoons, is going out of business after 63 years.

52. Vols’ Johnson Helping Young Fans Excel in Classroom - Friday, August 31, 2018

Kids don’t usually go rushing to school on Mondays to gush about watching an offensive linemen play football on TV. That status is mainly reserved for more glorified positions like quarterback or wide receiver.

53. Connecting to American Values - Tuesday, September 4, 2018

As U.S. Sen. John McCain prepared for his death, he wrote a message to America and the world. We share a few of his words as a call to our higher selves, a reminder of our humanity – and fragility – and as beacon of hope.

54. 80 Executives Named To Leadership Memphis Class - Saturday, September 1, 2018

Leadership Memphis’ Executive Program Class of 2019 is a diverse group of 80 local executives from sectors including business, nonprofit, government, education, faith and neighborhoods.

Founded in 1979 to develop new ways of connecting and creating more effective community leaders, Leadership Memphis is entering its 40th year.

55. Memphis Japan Festival To Honor Culture, Traditions - Saturday, September 1, 2018

The Memphis Japan Festival, celebrating the country’s people, traditions and contemporary culture, is coming to the Memphis Botanic Garden Sept. 30.

The festival, held rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., will include traditional and contemporary Japanese music and dance performances, tours of the Japanese Garden, Japanese “candyman”, taiko drummers, a family circus, sumo-suit wrestling, “Hello Kitty” and “Ninja Turtle” Bounce Houses and Japanese martial arts on the lawn, among other attractions.

56. Immigration Documentary, Discussion Series Coming to Central Library in September - Saturday, September 1, 2018

Every other Thursday night, beginning Sept. 20, the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library will host documentary film screenings and scholar-led discussions aimed at encouraging informed discourse on immigration issues with the context of America’s immigration history.

57. Kick in the Grass - Saturday, September 1, 2018

Mentally, the ownership group bringing a United Soccer League team to share AutoZone Park with the Memphis Redbirds has been flipping the switch for the better part of two years. After the last out of the Redbirds regular-season home finale was recorded Monday, the act got physical. The concept became real.

58. Still Learning - Monday, September 3, 2018

An intensive, six-week teacher training program this summer deprived Tra Taylor of sleep and tested his resolve, but his passion to bring quality education to kids is now stronger than ever. “The ideals I had now have names and faces and stories,” said the 25-year-old Teach For America corps member who started his first permanent classroom assignment three weeks ago.

59. John McCain Remembered as Hero, Fighter, Friend - Friday, August 31, 2018

PHOENIX (AP) — Sen. John McCain was eulogized Thursday as a "true American hero" — and a terrible driver with a wicked sense of humor and love of a good fight — as 3,500 mourners crowded into an Arizona church to pay their final respects to the maverick politician.

60. Paying it Forward - Thursday, August 30, 2018

The idea started with a birthday party. Many years later, the Annie Ervin Willis Scholarship Fund is providing help to a graduating senior that lives or attends school in one of the ZIP codes where Willis attended school and church.

61. Texas Prosecutors to Decide on Other Charges for Ex-Officer in Unarmed Teen's Death - Friday, August 31, 2018

DALLAS (AP) — A Texas jury gave a white former police officer too lenient of a punishment when sentencing him to 15 years for the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager who was in a car leaving a house party, the victim's family members said.

62. Plans for Memphis Union Mission Expansion Revealed - Thursday, August 30, 2018

Memphis Union Mission has revealed plans for a new 100,000-square-foot facility Downtown that would serve up to 350 homeless guests.

The expansion plans for the nonprofit’s headquarters at 383 Poplar Ave. were disclosed Wednesday, Aug. 29, in a request for a zoning exception from the Board of Adjustment.

63. Last Word: Oath, Occupancy and Buses - Thursday, August 30, 2018

Shelby County Mayor elect Lee Harris and the 13-member Shelby County Commission with a majority of eight new members take the oath of office Thursday afternoon Downtown at the Cannon Center. And Harris turned in his resignation as a state Senator Wednesday, urging the county commission to leave the seat vacant for the remaining four months left in his four-year term of office in Nashville.

64. Memphis in May Announces Open Call for 2019 Poster - Thursday, August 30, 2018

Next year is the city of Memphis’ bicentennial celebration. Memphis in May International Festival has chosen the city to honor, instead of its usual custom of an honored country. And now, Memphis in May is holding an open call for local artists to create the 2019 commemorative poster.

65. Southwest Partners with TCAT on Advanced Automotive Training - Thursday, August 30, 2018

Southwest Tennessee Community College has partnered with Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Memphis to make advanced training in automotive technology more accessible.

“This partnership represents a shift in our approach to workforce development and education in the Mid-South,” Southwest president Tracy Hall said in a press release. “We are not competitors, but partners in the quest to empower residents with credentials that lead to a better job, career and quality of life.”

66. MATA’s Lack of Funding Could Result in Route Cuts - Thursday, August 30, 2018

The Memphis Area Transit Authority is proposing several adjustments to its bus network, including the elimination of seven routes. Tuesday night, MATA held a public hearing at the Benjamin Hooks Central Library for the proposed changes, which can be found here. 

67. WLOK Black Film Festival Begins Four-Day Run Thursday - Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Memphis’ gospel radio station is hosting its third annual WLOK Black Film Festival beginning Thursday at Southwest Tennessee Community College’s Downtown campus.

The festival features a series of movies created by local filmmakers that depict the black experience in American film.

68. How Memphis Can Learn from Detroit: Creating an Inclusive Comeback Story - Tuesday, August 28, 2018

The City of Detroit intends to create the most inclusive comeback story America has ever told.

Detroit is the largest African-American majority city in the country with a population over 400,000. Memphis is the second largest.

69. Dean, Lee Differ on Many Tennessee Topics - Wednesday, August 29, 2018

On first blush, gubernatorial candidates Bill Lee and Karl Dean appear to be cast in a similar mold – business-friendly moderates.

70. Chamber Seeks Site Improvement Grants for 9 Sites Including Firestone - Tuesday, August 28, 2018

The Greater Memphis Chamber has applied for state improvement grants for nine economic development sites in Memphis as the first step in a “Sites and Buildings Plan.”

The list of Memphis sites includes the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. plant site in North Memphis, which is one of eight applying via the chamber to be part of the Tennessee Site Evaluation Program.

71. Memphis City Council Considers Surface Parking Lot at Main and Beale - Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Memphis City Council members vote Tuesday, Aug. 28, on a special-use permit to turn the land on the northeast corner of South Main Street and Beale Street into a surface parking lot with landscaping.

72. Bike Share Deal Coincides with City’s 901 Identity - Tuesday, August 28, 2018

The Explore Bike Share folks plan to celebrate the 901 on 9/01 with a special monthly price of $9.01 for the transportation system.

From Thursday, Aug. 30, until Thursday, Sept. 6, Explore Bike Share will offer the special rate associated with the city’s area code – the alternate identity for the Bluff City and surrounding areas.

73. Iowa Slaying Focuses Attention On Immigrants In Agriculture - Monday, August 27, 2018

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The arrest of a Mexican farmworker in the death of an Iowa college student renewed calls to change immigration laws, but it also focused attention on the immigrant workers whose labor is essential to the state's agricultural industry.

74. Urban Meyer Showed His Low Standards and It’s Not Exactly a Surprise - Monday, August 27, 2018

In the wake of the Urban Meyer – what shall we call it? – circus, fiasco, scandal, clichéd business as usual at a big-time football factory – there were a couple of interesting takes.

75. Japanese Culture, Traditions Celebrated at Upcoming Festival - Monday, August 27, 2018

The Memphis Japan Festival, celebrating the country’s people, traditions and contemporary culture, is coming to the Memphis Botanic Garden Sept. 30.

The festival, held rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., will include traditional and contemporary Japanese music and dance performances, tours of the Japanese Garden, Japanese “candyman,” taiko drummers, a family circus, sumo-suit wrestling, “Hello Kitty” and “Ninja Turtle” bounce houses and Japanese martial arts on the lawn, among other attractions.

76. Mid-South Fair Returns Sept. 20 - Saturday, August 25, 2018

The 11-day Mid-South Fair begins at the Landers Center in Southaven on Thursday, Sept. 20.

Admission is $10 for those age 13 to 59 and $5 for children age 5 to 12. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased via Ticketmaster. Parking is free daily.

77. UTHSC Contributed $4B To 2017 State Economy - Saturday, August 25, 2018

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center contributed approximately $4 billion to Tennessee’s economy last year.

The main campus in Memphis generated approximately $3 billion, or 74 percent of the total economic impact. The medical college employs more than 23,900 people at its Memphis campus.

78. UTHSC Contributed $4B To 2017 State Economy - Friday, August 24, 2018

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center contributed approximately $4 billion to Tennessee’s economy last year.

The main campus in Memphis generated approximately $3 billion, or 74 percent of the total economic impact. The medical college employs more than 23,900 people at its Memphis campus.

79. Ernest Strickland Has Been on City’s Front Line - Friday, August 24, 2018

Some people grow up waiting for the chance to get out of their hometown. Others, like Ernest Strickland, senior vice president of workforce development for the Greater Memphis Chamber, view staying put as an opportunity to make a difference.

80. Heros Receives Top Honor from TDA - Thursday, August 23, 2018

Giving back to the local community that has given him so much just comes naturally for dentist Dr. Fernando “Fred” Heros, who was recently honored with the Jack Wells Memorial Dedication to Dentistry Award, the highest recognition from the Tennessee Dental Association. “It’s an incredible award, and receiving it is one of the highlights of my life,” Heros said. “I’m so proud.”

81. Economic Development Experts Set Sights On Memphis - Thursday, August 23, 2018

Site selectors from across the country spent time in Memphis this week as local economic development teams touted the area’s available land, industrial and office space for potential companies.

82. It’s Lee’s to Win Unless He Makes a Rookie Mistake - Thursday, August 23, 2018

When Bill Lee drove a tractor through tiny Eagleville last October, hardly anyone noticed. Only a handful of supporters milled around in the parking lot of the Farmers Co-op in southwest Rutherford County that morning where Lee spent a few minutes talking to people inside the store before emerging to ride to another town as part of a statewide tour, a precursor to an RV ride he would take later in the Republican primary race.

83. Politicians Target Immigration Law After Arrest in Iowa Case - Thursday, August 23, 2018

MONTEZUMA, Iowa (AP) — The disappearance of a well-liked college student from America's heartland had touched many people since she vanished one month ago while out for a run. But the stunning news that a Mexican man living in the U.S. illegally has allegedly confessed to kidnapping and murdering her thrust the case into the middle of the contentious immigration debate and midterm elections.

84. Bird Finds Uncharted Nest at U of M - Wednesday, August 22, 2018

The University of Memphis is the first college in the country to partner with Santa Monica, California-based electric scooter-sharing company Bird. Ted Townsend, hired as the U of M’s chief economic development and government relations officer in January, confirmed the exclusive partnership Tuesday.

85. Last Word: Day Two in Federal Court, Cohen on Manafort and Saturation Concerns - Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings on the witness stand Tuesday in Memphis Federal Court for day two of the trial on police surveillance of protesters.

And Rallings testified that he had only a “vague” knowledge of the 1978 federal consent decree banning such surveillance prior to the lawsuit filed in 2017 by protesters put on the City Hall security list. As a supervisor at the police training academy, Rallings also testified that the rules set by the decree to prevent political surveillance of protesters were not taught to police officers to his knowledge.

86. SCS Board Approves 9 New Charter Schools With Concerns About Saturation - Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Shelby County Schools board members approved nine new charter schools for 2019-2020 including the conversion of six Catholic Jubilee schools to secular schools.

87. Mid-South Fair Returning To Landers Center - Wednesday, August 22, 2018

The 11-day Mid-South Fair begins at the Landers Center in Southaven on Thursday, Sept. 20.

Admission is $10 for those age 13 to 59 and $5 for children age 5 to 12. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased via Ticketmaster. Parking is free daily.

88. Events - Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Talk Shoppe meets Wednesday, Aug. 22, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Pinot’s Palette, 8225 Dexter Road, suite 103. Mary Jane Lessley of Signs Now will present “Top Tips for Winning Ways to Stay in Front of Your Market.” Cost is free. Visit talkshoppe.com.

89. Bredesen Seeks Rural Broadband Access Through TVA - Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen is calling for congressional action enabling the Tennessee Valley Authority to deliver broadband internet access to rural parts of the state, a plan his opponent, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, says would be “anti-competitive.”

90. US Deports Ex-Nazi Guard, 95, to Germany After Long Wait - Wednesday, August 22, 2018

BERLIN (AP) — The last Nazi war crimes suspect facing deportation from the U.S. was taken from his New York City home on a stretcher and spirited to Germany early Tuesday, following years of efforts to remove him from the United States.

91. Events - Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Church Health’s free Community Culinary Medicine Cooking Classes kick off Tuesday, Aug. 21, and continue through Sept. 25 at Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave. Morning (10 a.m. to noon) and evening (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.) series are available. Participants learn how to make delicious and nutritious meals, then enjoy the meals made in class. Pre-registration required; visit churchhealth.org/communitycooking for details and enrollment.

92. R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Made in Memphis - Tuesday, August 21, 2018

With the passing of Aretha Franklin, the airwaves are awash in her music, and news reports are filled with testimony to her voice and spirit. Presidents, ministers, entertainers, and civil rights advocates publicly sing her praises. She is recognized globally as an American treasure, and locally as “born in Memphis.”

93. Crosstown Concourse Leaders Switch Financing - Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Crosstown Concourse now has permanent financing that replaces a complex mosaic of financing from dozens of institutions that allowed the renovation and readaptation of the 1.5-million-square-foot landmark.

94. Ben Carson's Politics Complicate His Legacy - Tuesday, August 21, 2018

BALTIMORE (AP) — The portrait used to hang in the hallway, welcoming children and parents to the Archbishop Borders School in Baltimore: A smiling Dr. Ben Carson in surgical scrubs, rubbing together the careful, steady hands that helped him become the nation's most famous black doctor.

95. School Year to Begin at Texas School Where Gunman Killed 10 - Tuesday, August 21, 2018

SANTA FE, Texas (AP) — Students in Santa Fe, Texas, will begin a new school year Monday with additional security measures in place following a mass shooting in May that left 10 people dead.

96. Pope on Sex Abuse: 'We Showed No Care for the Little Ones' - Tuesday, August 21, 2018

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis issued a letter to Catholics around the world Monday condemning the crime of priestly sexual abuse and its cover-up and demanding accountability, seeking to respond to new revelations in the United States of decades of misconduct by the Catholic Church.

97. The Week Ahead: Aug. 20-26 - Monday, August 20, 2018

Good morning, Memphis! Fall is just around the corner and the weather later this week may give a you a more convincing notion of that. Here is a list of events and meetings that may be of interest as you get the week started.

98. ServiceMaster Lends Helping Hand with Annual We Care Day - Saturday, August 18, 2018

For ServiceMaster employee Betsy Vincent, there’s a special emotion associated with giving back to her local community. Vincent and nearly 700 other local ServiceMaster employees spent Friday assisting 22 local organizations with projects like neighborhood beautification efforts, delivering/preparing school supplies and food along with working with patients and disadvantaged children.

99. Startup Founders from Four Industries Target Investor Dollars - Monday, August 20, 2018

Biodegradable birth control implants, a lawn sensor that automates lawn service once grass reaches the owner’s desired height, a smart device that attaches to rodent traps, a scalable STEM education kit and a total ankle replacement product.

100. TN Promise Needs More than 1,200 Local Volunteers - Monday, August 20, 2018

While thousands of students across the state are applying for TN Promise, tnAchieves, the organization that operates the program in 83 counties is recruiting 9,000 volunteers to serve as mentors.

Although TN Promise is a financial aid program, one critical component often overlooked is the volunteer mentor program. Mentors work with a small group of three to seven students as they transition from high school to college. Mentors send reminders of important deadlines, serve as a trusted college resource and, most importantly, encourage students to reach their full potential. All mentors complete a one-hour training in person or online, and attend two, one-hour meetings with their students over the course of the year.