Trader Joe’s will officially open its long-awaited Germantown store at 8 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 14, the company announced Friday, Aug. 31.
39. Wright Medical Files Permit for Expansion in Arlington - Friday, August 31, 2018
Wright Medical Group Inc. plans to expand its operations in Arlington, a new building permit application indicates.
40. 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.
41. 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.
42. Last Word: New Council Smell, Harris's First Pick and Detroit's Comeback - Wednesday, August 29, 2018
After months of renovation work, the new Memphis City Council committee room was ready for the council Tuesday on the fifth floor of City Hall. The council had been meeting in its chambers on the ground floor for the seven hours of committee meetings that precede the council’s main voting meeting at 3:30 p.m. two Tuesdays a month. The council room has that new council smell -- kind of ironic for a body that is about to get three new members by the end of the year.
43. Council Approves TDZ Financing for Second Convention Center Hotel - Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Memphis City Council members approved the use of Tourism Development Zone revenues Tuesday, Aug. 28, to finance the construction of a second convention center hotel as they delayed any decisions on long-term crowd control and safety measures in the Beale Street entertainment district.
44. Mayor-elect Harris Appoints Chief Administrative Officer - Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Shelby County Mayor-elect Lee Harris announced Tuesday, Aug. 28, Patrice Williamson-Thomas will serve as chief administrative officer – Harris’ first major appointment in his administration.
45. 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.
46. Accounting for Music - Wednesday, August 29, 2018
For veteran accountant and accomplished musician Steve Dunavant, balancing his two passions – music and accounting – is easy. For more than 20 years, he has maintained music as a side gig, playing multiple instruments around town, recording albums, and creating a music label and recording studio to help showcase Memphis musicians. During his weekdays, he crunches numbers as CBIZ senior managing director.
47. Last Word: Firestone Developments, Commission's Busy Day and Main and Beale - Tuesday, August 28, 2018
The Firestone plant site in North Memphis is one of nine across the city the Greater Memphis Chamber is seeking grant funding for as the chamber starts to role out an economic development policy shift on its part. Here is what it means on several levels as well as the eight other sites in the Memphis area that are on the grant applications.
48. County Commissioners Approve Quinn Road Development - Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Shelby County commissioners approved a 500-plus home development on Quinn Road – in unincorporated Shelby County just south of Collierville – with one key amendment change during their meeting Monday, Aug. 27.
49. 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.
50. 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.
51. Last Word: End of Term, After The Testimony and John McCain - Monday, August 27, 2018
Shelby County commissioners meet Monday for what is the last regularly scheduled meeting of their four-year term of office. Eight of the 13 commissioners are leaving the body of 13 at the end of this month as is Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell.
52. Trump Asks Pompeo To Delay Visit To North Korea - Monday, August 27, 2018
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday he has directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to delay a planned trip to North Korea, citing insufficient progress on denuclearization.
53. The Week Ahead: Aug. 27-Sept. 2 - Monday, August 27, 2018
Good morning, Memphis! When the calendar turns to September on Saturday, it becomes all things 901 for Memphians. Saturday also marks the first professional soccer game to be held in Memphis and the season opener for the University of Memphis Tigers.
54. Tennessee Music Pathways Launches with Free Concert - Saturday, August 25, 2018
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development is hosting a free concert next month at the New Daisy Theater to promote its new Tennessee Music Pathways program.
The Six Degrees to Tennessee Roots Jam, to be held Sept. 15, will feature Grammy Award-winning group The Roots, who will be joined by guest artists Elle King, Dustin Lynch, Estelle, JJ Julius Son from Kaleo and The Isley Brothers. The Roots serve as the official house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
55. Magic Man: Under former Memphis Manager Mike Shildt, Cardinals Come to Life - Friday, August 24, 2018
Manager Mike Shildt, working at a level he never had previously, is talking about the adjustment that he had to make to do right by his players.
“Guys here have more of an opinion because they have more experience,” Shildt said. “I welcome that opinion, but that’s been different. They’re just confident and comfortable with what they’re doing.
56. Slide in banks, energy firms weighs on US stock indexes - Friday, August 24, 2018
Stocks drifted mostly lower in late-afternoon trading on Wall Street Thursday, on track to add to the market's modest losses a day earlier. A slide in banks and energy companies offset solid gains for the technology sector. Homebuilders also declined following new data showing sales of new U.S. homes slumped in July.
57. 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.
58. Last Word: Rallings Talks Bridge, Bird at U of M and Spec Industrial - Thursday, August 23, 2018
Part of the unofficial job description of an activist can be to be as provocative as possible. And provocative is what the attorneys and the judge in the Memphis Police surveillance lawsuit trial in federal court got Wednesday from Keedran Franklin. Franklin is one of the activists/protesters in the recent wave of protests locally in the last two to three years who was being watched closely by Memphis Police.
59. Brad Jones Named Coach of G League Memphis Hustle - Thursday, August 23, 2018
The Memphis Hustle, the NBA G League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies, have announced Brad Jones as the second head coach in franchise history. Jones most recently served as general manager of the NBA G League’s Iowa Wolves and as a pro scout for the team’s parent affiliate, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
60. Memphis Speculative Industrial Building Will Be First in a Decade - Thursday, August 23, 2018
An Atlanta-based real estate development and acquisition company next month plans to start building Memphis’ first speculative industrial space in more than decade, the company announced Wednesday.
61. 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.
62. Tennessee Music Pathways Launching with Free Concert - Wednesday, August 22, 2018
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development is hosting a free concert next month at the New Daisy Theater to promote its new Tennessee Music Pathways program.
The Six Degrees to Tennessee Roots Jam, to be held Sept. 15, will feature Grammy Award-winning group The Roots, who will be joined by guest artists Elle King, Dustin Lynch, Estelle, JJ Julius Son from Kaleo and The Isley Brothers. The Roots serve as the official house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
63. Last Word: Bob Smith Talks, Crosstown Anniversary and Grant's Parking Lot - Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Bob Smith’s testimony was a good part of the first day of the nonjury trial that began Monday before Memphis Federal Court Judge Jon McCalla on police surveillance of protesters. Smith was the alias used by Police Sgt. Tim Reynolds – Reynolds acknowledged during his testimony Monday Downtown. The identity was also used by several other officers.
64. Strickland Open to Talks About Idea of City-Only Industrial Development Board - Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland says he is open to discussing the idea of a city-only Industrial Development Board along with other ideas to be explored by a study group approved by the Memphis City Council last week.
65. 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.
66. 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.
67. Last Word: Police Surveillance on Trial, Elvis Alternatives and Firestone's Dilemma - Monday, August 20, 2018
In Memphis Federal Court Monday morning, Memphis Police surveillance of protesters over the last two years is on the docket of U.S. District Judge Jon P. McCalla. McCalla ruled earlier this month in advance of the nonjury trial that police conducted “political surveillance” of protesters in violation of a 1978 federal court consent decree.
68. Fayetteville Residents Sell Parking to High School Students - Monday, August 20, 2018
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Enterprising neighbors may need to go through some hoops if they want to keep charging Fayetteville High School students to park on their property.
As a result of the chronic shortage in student parking, several properties are being used for off-site parking, with some converted into gravel parking lots, according to the notification the Planning Department sent to more than 50 homes. Two lots directly across from the school have about a dozen spots each.
69. 11 of 30 Suburban Races in November Decided at Filing Deadline - Monday, August 20, 2018
Of the 30 elected positions on the Nov. 6 ballot in five suburban towns and cities in Shelby County, 11 were decided at the Thursday, Aug. 16, deadline for candidates to file their qualifying petitions.
70. Develey Mustard Opens Dyersburg Plant - Saturday, August 18, 2018
A Germany company has opened its first plant in North America in Dyersburg.
Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development commissioner Bob Rolfe attended the grand opening of Develey Mustard & Condiments’ new facility last week. The new West Tennessee plant will employ 150.
71. 11 of 30 Suburban Races in November Decided at Filing Deadline - Friday, August 17, 2018
Of the 30 elected positions on the Nov. 6 ballot in five of the six suburban towns and cities in Shelby County, 11 were decided at the noon, Thursday, Aug. 16, deadline for candidates to file their qualifying petitions.
72. University District Set To Begin 1st Phase Of TIF Fund Improvements - Saturday, August 18, 2018
It’s been about two years since the Highland Strip TIF was first created by local development officials to improve public infrastructure in the area surrounding the University of Memphis.
But, since a TIF, or tax increment financing, funds work by allocating a portion of new property taxes generated by a development over period of time, it’s taken some time for the money from new developments along the Strip to add up.
73. New Life - Saturday, August 18, 2018
By this time next year, the formerly blighted Frayser Plaza will become Harmony Plaza, with Memphis STEM Academy as its anchor tenant and 100 percent occupancy. It’s part of a new trend of transforming out-of-date retail shopping centers into mixed-use, walkable concepts.
74. Poag Shopping Centers Sharpening Focus with Smith’s Promotion - Saturday, August 18, 2018
Now in its sixth year, Poag Shopping Centers is fine-tuning its operations strategy in response to a slowing retail development landscape over the past couple of years.
The company, led by president and CEO Joshua Poag, recently promoted Brian Smith to chief strategy officer to lead that process.
75. Firestone Fallout - Saturday, August 18, 2018
The red letters grow fainter as the years pass in North Memphis. The Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. plant’s smokestack, once a symbol of the industrial base that defined North Memphis, has become a different kind of symbol in the 35 years since the tire plant closed.
76. Overdose Total Hits 76 in Connecticut Park Near Yale - Friday, August 17, 2018
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — The number of overdose victims linked to a suspected bad batch of synthetic marijuana has risen to 76 in New Haven, Connecticut, as officials try to determine exactly what sickened people.
77. Historic District Compromise Tabled Over State 'Threats' - Wednesday, August 15, 2018
After months of discussions, compromises and amendments, the city council member sponsoring an ordinance giving the council more oversight of the local Landmarks Commission tabled the measure on third and final reading.
78. Historic District Compromise Tabled Over State 'Threats' - Wednesday, August 15, 2018
After months of discussions, compromises and amendments, the city council member sponsoring an ordinance giving the council more oversight of the local Landmarks Commission tabled the measure on third and final reading.
79. Historic District Compromise Tabled Over State 'Threats' - Wednesday, August 15, 2018
After months of discussions, compromises and amendments, the city council member sponsoring an ordinance giving the council more oversight of the local Landmarks Commission tabled the measure on third and final reading.
80. Convention Center Hotel Plans Reveal Likely Civic Center Location - Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Representatives with the New York-based company redeveloping 100 N. Main St., including their hotel partner Loews Hotel & Co., were in Memphis on Tuesday, Aug. 14, scouting locations for a convention center hotel.
81. Develey Mustard Opens Dyersburg Plant - Wednesday, August 15, 2018
A Germany company has opened its first plant in North America in Dyersburg.
Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development commissioner Bob Rolfe attended the grand opening of Develey Mustard & Condiments’ new facility last week. The new West Tennessee plant will employ 150.
82. Newsmakers: Aug. 15, 2018 - Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Joseph W. Smith, associate attorney at Rice, Amundsen & Caperton PLLC, has been selected as an associate member in the Leo S. Bearman Sr. American Inn of Court. Smith was nominated and voted by the Masters of the Inn. He began his legal career at Rice, Amundsen & Caperton as a runner during his undergraduate studies at the University of Memphis and continued as a law clerk while attending the U of M Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. He joined the firm as an attorney in May 2016 and focuses his practice on all aspects of domestic relations, including divorce, custody, support and adoption.
83. County Mayor-Elect Harris Starts Transition with Long- and Short-Term Tasks, List of 142 Positions - Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Shelby County Mayor-elect Lee Harris told 35 members of his transition team that they will probably continue working through the end of October, two months after he takes office as mayor.
84. Trader Joe’s Moves Closer to Opening in Germantown - Tuesday, August 14, 2018
After years of waiting, anticipation and uncertainty over reports of Trader Joe’s arrival in the area, the California-based business is on the verge of opening its Germantown location.
The red-lettered Trader Joe’s sign recently was erected above the entrance to the former Kroger location at 2130 Exeter. The store is one of the main tenants in the Germantown Collection Shopping Center undergoing a makeover near the northeast corner of Exeter and Poplar.
85. 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.
86. Commission Delays Quinn Road Development After Collierville Opposition - Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Shelby County commissioners delayed a vote on a proposed a 500-plus home development on Quinn Road – in unincorporated Shelby County just south of Collierville – during their meeting Monday, Aug. 13.
87. Commission Delays Quinn Road Development After Collierville Opposition - Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Shelby County commissioners delayed a vote on approving a 500-plus home development on Quinn Road – in unincorporated Shelby County just south of Collierville – during its meeting Monday afternoon.
88. County Commission Considers Changes To EDGE Near Term's End - Tuesday, August 14, 2018
With only one more regularly scheduled meeting left in their four-year term of office, Shelby County commissioners are considering some changes to the joint city-county Economic Development Growth Engine – or EDGE.
89. Memphis City Council Could Take Final Vote On Historic Districts Oversight - Tuesday, August 14, 2018
After a two-and-a-half-month delay, Memphis City Council members may be ready Tuesday, Aug. 14, to take a final vote on new rules for historic districts including more oversight by the council.
A vote on third and final reading of the ordinance was delayed in June so the sponsor, council member Kemp Conrad, could meet with all sides of the issue to come up with a compromise. The ordinance follows council votes to grant historic district status, with guidelines enforced by the Landmarks Commission, for the Cooper-Young and Speedway Terrace neighborhoods.
90. Mayor Strickland Hopes County Supports MATA - Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland meets with Shelby County Mayor-elect Lee Harris this week as Harris’ transition team is assembled and begins working toward him taking office Sept. 1.
91. Last Word: Tunica Makes Book, The McCalla Ruling and Bush's Exit as Defender - Monday, August 13, 2018
Monday may be the biggest day in Tunica since the dawn of riverfront casinos in the early 1990s. Sports betting opens Monday morning in Tunica with Mississippi officialdom on hand at Horseshoe Tunica along with NFL and Tigers football star DeAngelo Williams who will be among those making the ceremonial first bets at The Book at Horseshoe Tunica.
92. The Week Ahead: Aug. 13-19 - Monday, August 13, 2018
Good morning, Memphis! A host a government meetings and late summer movie offerings mark this week in mid-August. The Labor Day holiday weekend and start of football season isn’t too far off.
93. As Expected, Study Shows Memphis Lags Behind Peer Cities in Economic Development - Friday, August 10, 2018
Greater Memphis Chamber leaders say they’re moving aggressively to improve economic development efforts after a new study confirmed what they already suspected: that Memphis and Shelby County are at a serious competitive disadvantage to a number of peer communities.
94. Sound System Upgrade, Locker Room Improvements Highlight Renovations to Liberty Bowl - Friday, August 10, 2018
When Memphis football fans file into Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Sept. 1 for the Tigers home opener against Mercer they will hear things a bit clearer, thanks to an upgraded sound system.
The city of Memphis, owner of the stadium, is trying to keep the Tigers’ home stadium as up to date as possible. In addition to the sound system improvements, renovations have come to coach Mike Norvell’s home locker room.
95. Garner Framed Magnolia Homes’ Success by Putting Buyers First - Saturday, August 11, 2018
For local homebuilder and developer Karen Garner, starting her own business 31 years ago as a single mother with two children was filled with challenges, but being a woman in a male-dominated industry did not turn out to be one of them.
96. A Costly Ride - Saturday, August 11, 2018
Memphis is poised to adopt a transit plan that promises a big economic splash, but first supporters must sell the general public on a $30 million annual price tag before any transformation occurs.
“Everyone in Memphis has an interest in a good, effective transit system,” said Mayor Jim Strickland, already in promotion mode, “even if you never get on a bus.”
97. Bids Put Cost Of Airport Concourse Renovation Near $250M - Friday, August 10, 2018
Estimates for Memphis International Airport’s long-awaited concourse overhaul have climbed toward a quarter billion dollars.
At $245.5 million, the latest “all in” budget includes 25 new jet bridges for passenger loading and unloading, a full complement of moving sidewalks and energy-efficient dynamic glass that adjusts to changing environmental conditions.
98. Inspired by Unlikely Hero, Robertson Fulfilling Needs - Friday, August 10, 2018
When thinking of “heroes” or “role models” for African-American males, the first names that come to mind might be sports phenoms or our immediate past president, Barack Obama. But wherever your mind wanders, I doubt it lands on Bayard Rustin.
99. Germantown’s Ian Clark Finds His Krewe in Big Easy - Friday, August 10, 2018
In 2017, former Belmont University star Ian Clark experienced the ultimate high for an NBA player, capturing the league championship as part of a star-studded Golden State Warriors team.
100. Sound System Upgrade, Locker Room Improvements Among Renovations to Liberty Bowl - Thursday, August 9, 2018
When Memphis football fans file into Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Sept. 1 for the Tigers home opener against Mercer they will be able to hear things a bit clearer, thanks to an upgraded sound system.