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.

2. Council Approves Conditional Return of Beale Street Cover - Thursday, September 13, 2018

After much debate and consultation with attorneys, the Memphis City Council voted Tuesday, Sept. 11, to allow Memphis Police and the Downtown Memphis Commission to reinstate a cover charge for the Beale Street entertainment district.

3. Council Approves Conditional Return of Beale Cover - Wednesday, September 12, 2018

After much debate and consultation with attorneys, the Memphis City Council voted Tuesday, Sept. 11, to allow Memphis Police and the Downtown Memphis Commission to reinstate a cover charge for the Beale Street entertainment district.

4. De-Annexation Votes, MATA Utility Fee on City Council Agenda - Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Memphis City Council members take final votes Tuesday, Sept. 11, on ordinances that would de-annex two parts of Memphis.

The ordinances would shave off the Rocky Point area and the Southwind-Windyke neighborhoods, effective in 2020. The de-annexation proposal follows council approval earlier this year to de-annex the city’s portion of Eads and a flood plain area in southwest Memphis that is uninhabited.

5. Companies Weighing Options to Continue Recycling - Saturday, September 8, 2018

Recycling capabilities for many Memphis businesses and institutions were stopped or substantially reduced in recent weeks, even as global warming continues to escalate.

Republic Services confirmed that its Memphis recycling facility, ReCommunity, recently stopped accepting recycling items from commercial and institutional sources.

6. 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.

7. SCS Weighs 6-8 Week Student Relocation at Kirby High for Rat Infestation - Friday, September 7, 2018

It will take six to eight weeks to seal off Kirby High School and rid it of a rat infestation. That’s what Shelby County Schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson told several hundred parents and students Thursday, Sept. 6, at a meeting at nearby Hickory Ridge Middle School.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. Developers Seek PILOT for South Downtown Project - Thursday, September 6, 2018

As drivers come across the old bridge and pedestrians and cyclists come across Big River Crossing, they soon could see an adaptive reuse of an old warehouse.

Mike Kennedy of Parachute Investment Co. has teamed up with development consultant Amelia Carkuff and York Construction to flip a three-story warehouse into 24 apartment units and 1,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor.

11. 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.

12. Jet Quarantined in New York After Reports of Sick Passengers - Thursday, September 6, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — A commercial jet from Dubai prompted a large-scale emergency response at New York's Kennedy Airport on Wednesday after a pilot reported that several passengers and crew members were complaining about having a flu-like illness.

13. 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?

14. Typhoon Leaves Major Airport Closed, Destruction in Japan - Thursday, September 6, 2018

TOKYO (AP) — One of Japan's busiest airports remained closed indefinitely, a day after the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in at least 25 years flooded a runway, toppled huge cranes, flipped cars on their side, damaged historic shrines and caused at least 11 deaths as it swept across part of Japan's main island.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. Mississippi's Senators Say Award to Help City Buy Airport - Monday, August 27, 2018

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi's senators say the City of Olive Branch has received a $14.9 million federal grant to help with the purchase of the Olive Branch Airport.

U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, in a news release Thursday, said the city will become the airfield's primary operator. It's been in operation since 1972, and the purchase guarantees the continued operations of the facility as a public airport.

19. 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.

20. 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.”

21. 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.

22. - Saturday, August 18, 2018

23. ServiceMaster to Hold Annual Day of Service - Friday, August 17, 2018

More than 3,000 ServiceMaster employees, including nearly 700 from Memphis home offices, will fan out to schools, charities and neighborhoods Friday for a fifth annual day of service.

We Care Day at ServiceMaster will focus on cleanup and beautification, delivery and preparation of school supplies and meals, and helping hospital patients and disadvantaged children.

24. Why Local One Commerce Square Owners Are Selling to Out-of-State Investors - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

After successfully renovating the 29-story iBank Tower in Downtown Memphis, the work is done for a group of prominent Memphis investors as they prepare to sell the office building to a new owner with deeper pockets.

25. Bredesen Agrees To Four Senate Debates - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen has agreed to participate in four U.S. Senate debates with Republican contender Marsha Blackburn covering East, Middle and West Tennessee.

26. 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.

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. Longtime Tenants Buy Clark Centre for $11M - Saturday, August 11, 2018

Two identical buildings at 5100 and 5101 Wheelis Drive in East Memphis were purchased by a group of longtime tenants for $11 million.

30. Q2 Retail, Office Sales Outpace Last Year - Saturday, August 11, 2018

The number of retail and office property sales in Memphis and Shelby County was up more than 30 percent compared to the second quarter of 2017.

Comparing sales data from Q2 2017, office property sales are up 31 percent and retail property sales are up 39 percent, according to new data from Chandler Reports, a division of The Daily News Publishing Co.

31. Large Subdivision Planned In De-annexed Area - Saturday, August 11, 2018

With plans submitted for a nearly 400-home subdivision, the city of Memphis could be missing out on more tax revenue than it originally anticipated when it recently de-annexed an area of Eads.

PFMT Holdings, a Tennessee limited liability company, is planning a 398-home subdivision on 130 acres at the southeast corner of Highway 64 and Cobb Road.

32. Perfect Vision - Saturday, August 11, 2018

As owner of Tharp’s Optical Boutique in Midtown, Dr. Linda Tharp has run her private optometry practice from the same 1720 Madison Ave. location the past 27 years. Despite the fact that she has no street frontage, her business has grown over the years strictly through word-of-mouth and referrals.

33. Q2 Retail, Office Sales Outpace Last Year - Thursday, August 9, 2018

The number of retail and office property sales in Memphis and Shelby County was up more than 30 percent compared to the second quarter of 2017.

Comparing sales data from Q2 2017, office property sales are up 31 percent and retail property sales are up 39 percent, according to new data from Chandler Reports, a division of The Daily News Publishing Co.

34. Large Subdivision Planned In De-annexed Area - Thursday, August 9, 2018

With plans submitted for a nearly 400-home subdivision, the city of Memphis could be missing out on more tax revenue than it originally anticipated when it recently de-annexed an area of Eads.

PFMT Holdings, a Tennessee limited liability company, is planning a 398-home subdivision on 130 acres at the southeast corner of Highway 64 and Cobb Road.

35. Infill Developments Seek Consideration in September Land Use Control Board Meeting - Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Three proposed infill developments within the Interstate 240 loop would carve out lots for 35 houses, requiring the demolition of one church building, houses sharing ground with another church and the razing of an old commercial building.

36. Colonial Country Club Submits Request for Redevelopment of a Larger Tract - Wednesday, August 8, 2018

The planned redevelopment of Colonial Country Club in Cordova has taken a major turn, including a new, deep-pocketed development partnership planning to add acreage, a mix of retail, restaurants, offices and full-service hotel.

37. LeMoyne-Owen Adds Talent To Be More Competitive - Wednesday, August 8, 2018

As a child, Adriane Johnson-Williams remembers plucking honeysuckles off the fence as she passed Elmwood Cemetery, cutting through apartment buildings and meeting friends on the way to summer camp at LeMoyne-Owen College.

38. NTSB: Failure to Fix Rail Crossing Led to Fatal Bus Crash - Wednesday, August 8, 2018

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A train crash into a tour bus that killed four in Mississippi last year stemmed from the railroad and the city failing to improve an unsafe rail crossing, federal safety regulators concluded Tuesday.

39. Iran Weighs Response as U.S. Sanctions Bite - Wednesday, August 8, 2018

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — As Iranians awoke Tuesday to renewed U.S. sanctions that had been lifted by Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers, the question on everyone's mind remained: What happens now?

40. Longtime Tenants Buy Clark Centre for $11M - Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Two identical buildings at 5100 and 5101 Wheelis Drive in East Memphis were purchased by a group of longtime tenants for $11 million.

41. Follow the Rules for Sending Commercial Email Messages - Tuesday, August 7, 2018

If you’re like me, you regularly receive emails from people or companies you don’t know, peddling products or services you have no interest in. Sorting through them can be time-consuming and annoying. If they don’t comply with requirements for sending commercial messages, they’re illegal.

42. MCA Closing On a Dozen Properties Near Park - Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Memphis College of Art has either sold or accepted offers on all 12 of the properties it owns just south of Poplar Avenue and Overton Park where the school is headquartered.

The financially strapped college is disposing of its apartment buildings, single-family homes, office and studio/class space, and dormitories in preparation for closing by spring 2020.

43. 'Hazardous' Smoky Air Shuts Yosemite in Peak Tourist Season - Monday, August 6, 2018

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Yosemite National Park's iconic cliffs are shrouded in so much smoke from nearby wildfires that the air quality is worse than anywhere in America and is rivaling Beijing.

44. College of Art Closing on a Dozen Properties it is Selling Near Overton Park Site - Friday, August 3, 2018

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story indicated the Womack House at 152 N. Tucker was sold. The transaction was for an easement, not the entire property.

Memphis College of Art has either sold or accepted offers on all 12 of the properties it owns just south of Poplar Avenue and Overton Park where the school is headquartered.

45. Astronauts Picked for SpaceX, Boeing Capsule Test Flights - Monday, August 6, 2018

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA on Friday assigned the astronauts who will ride the first commercial capsules into orbit next year and bring crew launches back to the U.S.

SpaceX and Boeing are shooting for a test flight of their capsules by the end of this year or early next, with the first crews flying from Cape Canaveral, Florida, by next spring or summer.

46. Report Points to Lapse in Key Data in Mississippi Bus Crash - Monday, August 6, 2018

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — More than a year after a train slammed into a bus stuck on a railroad crossing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and killed four people, investigators report that local officials and the railroad, CSX Corp., were well aware the crossing was a trouble spot, but the information does not appear to have been reflected in the GPS mapping program the bus driver used.

47. Police: Arkansas Man Tried to Steal Jet to go to Concert - Monday, August 6, 2018

TEXARKANA, Ark. (AP) — Police say an Arkansas man accused of trying to steal a commercial jet told investigators he thought piloting the plane would involve little more than pushing buttons and pulling levers.

48. American Home Shield Moves Toward Q3 Spinoff - Saturday, August 4, 2018

Memphis-based ServiceMaster Global Holdings Inc. continues to staff up the front office of its American Home Shield spinoff.

49. Commercial Appeal, Amazon Eying New Locations - Monday, August 6, 2018

262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105

Permit Amount: $412 million

Project Cost: $330 million

50. American Home Shield Moves Toward Q3 Spinoff - Friday, August 3, 2018

Memphis-based ServiceMaster Global Holdings Inc. continues to staff up the front office of its American Home Shield spinoff.

51. Last Word: Election Day, Inland Bails Early and Cannons Out - Thursday, August 2, 2018

The TV breaks are wall to wall with political ads. The campaign robo-calls have crowded out the hang-up clone calls to your landline phone. Your mailbox has no fewer than three mailers a day. And all of the parties set for Thursday night are “victory” parties at least until the polls close. Here comes election day.

52. Mississippi Boat Shop Owners Buy Oakshire Apartments - Thursday, August 2, 2018

An apartment and townhouse community across from Oakshire Elementary School has a new owner.

Santa Monica LLC bought the circa-1970s Oakshire Downs Apartments and Townhouses property for $5.7 million from Crimson Circle LLC on July 27, according to deeds on file with the Shelby County Register.

53. Hard To Find an ‘Adult In The Room’ in This Year’s Ads - Thursday, August 2, 2018

Television executives, ad reps and political consultants will hate to see this governor’s primary race end. But they can take solace from all the pain they’ve helped dole out while dining on caviar and grilled halibut while in the Caribbean Islands this fall, if they like fish eggs.

54. Commercial Appeal Looking at New Spot Downtown - Thursday, August 2, 2018

The Commercial Appeal building was a nexus of local news coverage for Memphis and the Mid-South for nearly a half-century, but The CA won’t be operating out of its 495 Union Ave. location for the first time since the Ford Administration.

55. The CA Looking at New Spot Downtown - Thursday, August 2, 2018

The Commercial Appeal building was a nexus of local news coverage for Memphis and the Mid-South for nearly a half-century, but The CA won’t be operating out of its 495 Union Ave. location for the first time since the Ford Administration.

56. Scan Interiors Going Out of Business, Ending Three Decades of Operation - Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Scan Interiors, a source in Memphis for modern, contemporary and international furniture for three decades, will close Sept. 25. The business at 1826 Sycamore View mailed “thank you’’ cards this week to customers who have purchased its home and office furniture over the years.

57. Blackburn Releases 1st TV Ad in Tennessee U.S. Senate Bid - Thursday, August 2, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn has released her first TV ad in her Senate bid.

58. Raleigh Shopping Center Purchased for $1.5 Million - Wednesday, August 1, 2018

A commercial real estate firm with offices in U.S. and Canada recently purchased a 41,855-square-foot retail property in Raleigh for $1.5 million, according to Joseph W. McKibben, regional manager of the firm’s Memphis office.

59. Surgical Precision - Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Patients receiving total knee replacement surgery at Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis are likely to experience less pain and a quicker recovery time thanks to a new robotic technology that debuted at the hospital earlier this year.

60. Police Documents Show Protest Spreadsheet and Fear of 'Radicals' - Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Memphis Police brass kept a spread sheet over the past two years on whether a protest received a city permit – was “lawful” or “unlawful” – while continuing to collect information on some of the protesters from public social media.

61. Report: Malaysia Airlines plane could have been hijacked - Tuesday, July 31, 2018

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) — A Malaysian-led independent investigation report released Monday, more than four years after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared, highlighted shortcomings in the government's response and raised the possibility of "intervention by a third party."

62. The Week Ahead: July 30-August 5 - Monday, July 30, 2018

Good morning, Memphis! The break from summer humidity has been nice, but it means school is just around the corner. Fortunately, there are plenty of events for you to enjoy as the home stretch of summer appears.

63. Vacancy at Okhissa Lake: Group Hopes to Buy Land From Feds - Monday, July 30, 2018

BUDE, Miss. (AP) — He put in around noon on a Friday.

Nearby, the women sprayed sunscreen and hung floaties on the children, and the boys threw rocks into the duckweed. Onboard, they had grocery bags, a propane grill and not one fishing pole.

64. Effort Aims to Help State's Undereducated, Underemployed - Monday, July 30, 2018

CORINTH, Miss. (AP) — When empty, the B&B Concrete trucks with white cabs and yellow spinning drums weigh 30,000 pounds. With a full load of water, sand, coarse aggregate and cement mixing together, they reach 60,000. Over smooth highways, it's a comfortable ride. Driving over Mississippi's back roads is much bumpier.

65. MAAR CEO Stepping Down - Saturday, July 28, 2018

Memphis Area Association of Realtors CEO Melanie Blakeney has announced she is resigning from her post effective Oct. 8.

Blakeney has been with MAAR for the past 19 years, including a stint heading up the MAAR Commercial Council. She’s served as CEO since Dec. 1, 2011.

66. IP Beats Earnings Estimates in Q2 - Saturday, July 28, 2018

Memphis-based International Paper Co. reported second quarter net earnings of $405 billion, or 97 cents per diluted share Thursday, July 26. The earnings compare to $80 million in the second quarter of 2018, or 19 cents per diluted share.

67. IP Beats Earnings Estimates in Q2 - Friday, July 27, 2018

Memphis-based International Paper Co. reported second quarter net earnings of $405 billion, or 97 cents per diluted share Thursday, July 26. The earnings compare to $80 million in the second quarter of 2018, or 19 cents per diluted share.

68. Nashville’s Metro Council Reeling with Money Woes - Thursday, July 26, 2018

The Metro Nashville City Council is “just worn out,” councilman Robert Swope says.

“All of us are completely beat up. We’ve had more elections in the last three months than we’ve had in the last five years. We’re all sick of it,” Swope says. “We’ve got the MLS soccer stadium thing going crazy. Look at it, transit, property taxes, budget. This is a part-time gig for us. I’m spending 70 hours a week working on my part-time gig.

69. Tennessee GOP Governor's Race Turns to Spat Over Trump, Immigration - Thursday, July 26, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Loyalty to President Donald Trump tops the Republican checklist in the governor's race in Tennessee, right up there with championing gun rights and low taxes and decrying abortion.

70. MAAR CEO Stepping Down - Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Memphis Area Association of Realtors CEO Melanie Blakeney has announced she is resigning from her post effective Oct. 8.

Blakeney has been with MAAR for the past 19 years, including a stint heading up the MAAR Commercial Council. She’s served as CEO since Dec. 1, 2011.

71. Council Gets First Look at Sanitation Overhaul - Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Memphis City Council members offer their first thoughts Tuesday, July 23, on the reconfiguration of city sanitation services outlined last week by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland.

72. Inspector Warned duck boat Company of Design Flaws Last Year - Monday, July 23, 2018

A private inspector said Saturday that he warned the company operating duck boats on a Missouri lake about design flaws putting the watercraft at greater risk of sinking, less than a year before the accident that killed 17 people during a sudden storm.

73. Last Word: MemFix 4's Big Weekend, Early Voting Six Days In and Grizz Moves - Friday, July 20, 2018

A big weekend to avoid the interstate with a rare closing of I-240 between the 385 split and the I-40 split and Poplar over I-240 also closed in both directions. This kicks in Friday evening and runs up to Monday morning’s rush hour as TDOT crews work to replace four bridges in East Memphis using a relatively new process in which parts of the bridges are assembled in advance and then moved into place. The bridges are both Poplar bridges, the Park Avenue bridge and the Norfolk Southern rail bridge. And this will happen all over again in about a week’s time using the same schedule, weather permitting. Weekenders on the interstate already have some experience with a milder version of this with the interstate projects on the south leg

74. Growing Number of Small-Scale Investors Looking Toward Infill Projects - Saturday, July 21, 2018

Eduardo Sanchez Borja, a local entrepreneur who recently ventured into the world of small-scale development, describes owning commercial property as a unique feeling.

“There is something very satisfying about owning something of value,” Sanchez said. “With commercial property, you can see how your property affects your community and moves along the economy.”

75. Old School, Brand New - Friday, July 20, 2018

NEWS IS DEAD, LONG LIVE LOCAL NEWS. My grandfather, J.P. Alley, was the editorial cartoonist for The Commercial Appeal, and he won a Pulitzer in the 1920s fighting the KKK as part of the paper’s editorial team.

76. Money Left Unclaimed in Dormant Accounts - Friday, July 20, 2018

Ray’s Take: It’s crazy to think that there are billons of hard-earned dollars left behind or forgotten about in dormant accounts all across the world. But with that much money left unclaimed, there are clearly many reasons accounts go dormant. Moving to another state and forgetting to close accounts is the usual culprit.

77. Following Merger, First Tennessee Executive Encourages Memphians to Embrace Change - Friday, July 20, 2018

Sometimes, your career chooses you. For Darin Johnson, he always knew he wanted to combine his love of numbers and people. “Since I was a kid, I’ve loved numbers,” Johnson said. “In fact, we didn’t have voicemail when I was a kid, so I would memorize everyone who would call and all of their numbers."

78. A Cut Above - Friday, July 20, 2018

Longtime Downtown Memphis barber Excell Blanchard has been cutting hair for nearly a quarter of a century, and in that time, he has built up a loyal clientele base who has moved with him from one venture to next.

79. Power Equipment Maker to Add 200 Tennessee Jobs, Invest $10M - Thursday, July 19, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A power equipment manufacturing company is slated to invest $10 million and add 200 full-time jobs at its Tennessee operations.

According to the state Department of Economic and Community Development, MTD Consumer Group Inc. plans the additional production at its facility in Martin over the next five years.

80. The Daily Memphian to Launch in Fall as Memphis' Definitive News Source - Monday, July 16, 2018

A new seven-days-a-week news outlet called The Daily Memphian will make its debut this fall, with many of the biggest names in Memphis journalism and a unique not-for-profit funding model. The ambitious effort’s goal is to become the city’s definitive news source with reporting of, by and for Memphis.

81. Last Word: Storm and Early Voting Numbers, Frayser Revival and FCC at Baptist - Monday, July 16, 2018

That was loud and wet. After the storms moved through the city Sunday evening, about 20,000 MLGW customers were without power. That was down to 5,000 by midnight. With that let’s begin with early voting turnout, shall we. Monday being the last day of early-early voting with five of the 27 sites across the county. The others open Tuesday with early voting running through July 28 and election day Aug. 2. Here is the list of early voting sites and their hours from the Shelby County Election Commission.

82. Last Word: Opening Day at the Polls, Court Square Sighting and Different Moonlight - Friday, July 13, 2018

For some candidates summer heat is a campaign tradition that they thrive on. Governor Ned McWherter was one of those candidates. But for most of those running for political office in an election year, it amps up the grueling pace immeasurably, especially the pace of a statewide campaign in a state whose northeastern most point is closer to Canada than it is to Memphis. That is the atmospheric setting for Friday’s first day of the early voting period. And a look at the past turnout for this election cycle shows the statewide primaries on the ballot will likely tell a good part of the story.

83. Heat Wave - Saturday, July 14, 2018

After what was a banner year in many ways for Memphis commercial real estate in 2017, projections for this year were bullish. But at the halfway point of 2018, have expectations in the area risen with the temperatures or have they begun to dry out under the sweltering summer heat? 

84. Downtown Board Approves Tax Breaks for South Main, Beale Projects - Thursday, July 12, 2018

A pair of potentially place-changing projects were approved for PILOTs by the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. on Tuesday, July 10.

85. More Detailed Fairgrounds Plan Includes Smaller Garage, Lower Priced Sports Site - Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland plans to take a more specific $95 million to $100 million plan for Fairgrounds redevelopment to the City Council and Shelby County Commission in two weeks and the state building commission in Nashville in the fall.

86. Downtown Board Approves Tax Breaks for South Main, Beale Projects - Wednesday, July 11, 2018

A pair of potentially place-changing projects were approved for PILOTs by the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. on Tuesday, July 10.

87. Bank of Bartlett Eyes An Expanded Footprint to Meet Consumer Demand - Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Bank of Bartlett will soon consolidate its two Germantown branches into one enhanced location at Poplar and Kirby, and is eyeing Midtown and Arlington as areas for additional brick-and-mortar branches.

88. Mississippi Tire Plant Fires 29 For Fake Work Certificates - Wednesday, July 11, 2018

WEST POINT, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi tire factory says it has fired 29 employees for using fake worker certifications to get jobs.

The unit Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. tells WCBI-TV that the workers didn't meet requirements to get a job at the West Point plant. The Japanese company says it's investigating and has created safeguards to prevent it from happening again.

89. Arkansas Company to Restore Historic Jonesboro Building - Tuesday, July 10, 2018

JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) – The old building at 215 Union St. has sat vacant for decades.

But after the National Park Service placed it on the National Register of Historic Places recently, plans are in motion to bring it back to life.

90. CBRE: Memphis Industrial Set for Strong Second Half - Tuesday, July 10, 2018

After 20 consecutive quarters of positive absorption, Memphis’ industrial real estate market is poised for a strong finish to 2018, according to the second-quarter report from commercial real estate brokerage firm CBRE.

91. First Horizon Promotes Johnson to Senior VP - Saturday, July 7, 2018

First Horizon National Corp., First Tennessee Bank’s parent company, has promoted Darin Johnson to senior vice president and credit risk manager for government lending programs.

92. Pathways to Growth - Saturday, July 7, 2018

A group of nonprofits and banks have created a program to increase lending to Memphis-area minority- and women-owned businesses. Last month, entrepreneurial hub Epicenter and Pathway Lending launched the $15 million Memphis Small Business Opportunity Loan Fund, which is aimed at helping small businesses improve their access to capital.

93. Lessons From Ronald McDonald - Friday, July 6, 2018

CIRCLES AND ARCHES. Our son, Gaines, called the other night and we talked a bit about business, his now and mine once.

My mind wandered to a convertible in a Christmas parade in Jonesboro, or maybe Jackson, Tennessee, or it could have been Tupelo. Wherever it was, Ronald McDonald jumped off the back of the convertible, ran along the edge of the crowd shaking hands with kids and doing the Funky Chicken with any volunteers he could find.

94. How Much All-seeing AI Surveillance is Too Much? - Wednesday, July 4, 2018

BOSTON (AP) — When a CIA-backed venture capital fund took an interest in Rana el Kaliouby's face-scanning technology for detecting emotions, the computer scientist and her colleagues did some soul-searching — and then turned down the money.

95. First Horizon Promotes Johnson to Senior VP - Tuesday, July 3, 2018

First Horizon National Corp., First Tennessee Bank’s parent company, has promoted Darin Johnson to senior vice president and credit risk manager for government lending programs.

96. Floodgates Burst On Attacks In Tennessee Gop Governor’s Race - Monday, July 2, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The floodgates have burst on attack ads in Tennessee's Republican gubernatorial primary.

New TV ads keep hitting the airwaves after U.S. Rep. Diane Black's commercial this week that labeled former state economic development chief Randy Boyd and businessman Bill Lee as moderates. All four leading Republican contenders have touted their conservative credentials throughout the campaign, and now Black and Boyd are trying to pick each other's claims apart.

97. Hearing Ann - Friday, June 29, 2018

KEPT IN MIND. As a copywriter and producer, radio has always been my favorite advertising medium. Radio is theater of the mind. Using sound alone, the medium must create images and experience, conjure up a world if you will, to take and place listeners just where you want them to be.

98. McCormick: No Evidence of Any Scandal - Thursday, June 28, 2018

Mercurial Republican Rep. Gerald McCormick went from kicking ass to kicking back. Only three days after saying his now-former Democratic opponent, David Jones, would realize how little he has in common with District 26 in Chattanooga “when he gets his ass beat in November,” McCormick abruptly announced he would not seek re-election this year and would be leaving the House effective Oct. 1.

99. Medical milestone: US OKs marijuana-based drug for seizures - Wednesday, June 27, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators on Monday approved the first prescription drug made from marijuana, a milestone that could spur more research into a drug that remains illegal under federal law, despite growing legalization for recreational and medical use.

100. Triplett Returns to Ensafe as Director of Design Engineering - Wednesday, June 27, 2018

After beginning his career with EnSafe in 1990 and working his way up to project manager and lead engineer over the next 17-plus years, Chris Triplett has rejoined the company as its director of design engineering. He spent the past decade working with Barge Design Solutions, and in his new role Triplett will provide leadership to EnSafe’s corporate engineering design group for design execution and delivery. He will also work closely with clients across EnSafe’s landscape to understand their needs and to provide engineering solutions.