U.S. stock indexes were mostly higher in afternoon trading Wednesday following a mixed batch of quarterly earnings results from General Motors, Boeing, Coca-Cola and other big companies. Gains in technology and health care stocks outweighed losses in banks and other sectors. Homebuilders slumped on government data showing sales of new U.S. homes fell in June.

2. Stocks End Slightly Lower as Traders Shrug Off Trade Talk - Monday, July 23, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks inched lower Friday as bond yields jumped, a shift that helped banks but hurt companies that pay big dividends. The dollar fell after President Donald Trump said China is manipulating its currency.

3. Editorial: Early-Voting Clash Shows Need for Refresher Course - Saturday, July 14, 2018

The ruling by Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins in the early voting lawsuit shows a need for those doing the public’s business to rededicate themselves to being open and transparent.

One undercurrent of the hearing that prompted Jenkins to declare that the Shelby County Election Commission had at least violated the spirit of the Tennessee Open Meetings Law is that the plaintiffs in the suit were willing to say the violation could have been unintentional.

4. Unpopular Bill? Just Rebrand It With TRUMP - Thursday, July 12, 2018

Using what could be the political acronym of the year, two Republican state lawmakers with expertise in pain treatment are playing on the popularity of President Donald Trump to pass medical pot legislation.

5. 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.

6. US stocks move higher as tech companies regain some ground - Wednesday, June 27, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are higher Tuesday as energy companies rise with oil prices and technology and industrial companies bounce back from sharp losses the day before. General Electric is jumping after it said it will shed its health care business and its majority stake in oil services company Baker Hughes over the next few years. Banks and other financial companies are down.

7. US stocks rise as trade fears ebb and tech companies lead - Thursday, June 21, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rising Wednesday, led by technology and media companies, as global markets let go of some of their fears about the growing trade dispute between the U.S. and China. Still, investors are favoring the companies they think are less vulnerable to tariffs. Twenty-First Century Fox is jumping after Disney agreed to buy Fox's entertainment businesses for more than $71.3 billion, topping an offer from Comcast. Investors are hoping that will be followed by other deals.

8. Last Word: Bird Is The Word, Governors Quartet and Charlie Morris's Secret - Friday, June 15, 2018

Former Vice President Joe Biden plays the Orpheum Friday evening. Maybe that isn't the right way to put it -- unless there's a drum solo no one is talking about. Free Bird?

I'll take it as further evidence of the new American politics that is evolving and is far from settled at this point. Politicians do paid speaking gigs all the time. And at times it is controversial. But the gigs are usually some kind of speaking fee to make remarks at a corporate function -- not selling individual tickets on line. This is ostensibly to promote Biden's new book and book deals and politicians go way back. But in a lot of cases, those are free events in a book store. When Biden was last here, it was as vice president at the Norfolk Southern intermodal rail yard in Rossville.

9. Dollar General Q1 Profit Surges, But Still Short - Friday, June 1, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) – Dollar General reported a surge in first-quarter profit, but inclement weather doused enough business to leave the retailer short of Wall Street expectations almost across the board.

10. EMS Ready To Double Footprint In Bartlett - Friday, June 1, 2018

After holding on to an adjacent parcel of land for more than a decade next to its facility in Bartlett, medical device manufacturer Engineered Medical Systems LLC is gearing up for a major expansion of its facility. The company is investing $10.5 million in a move that will create 40 new jobs.

11. Last Word: SCS Budget Travels, Carlisle on One Beale and Hickman's Comeback - Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Shelby County Schools officials are Downtown Wednesday to formally present the school system’s budget proposal to the Shelby County Commission. The budget committee hearing Wednesday morning won’t see any decision just yet. But the school system’s ask of county government is a big part of the commission getting to a more complete view of county government’s budget since north of $400 million of the county’s $1.3 billion consolidated budget is funding for public education across seven school districts in the county.

12. Blockchain Tech ‘is the Shiny New Penny’ - Monday, May 28, 2018

During the General Assembly session that just ended legislators debated a number of hot-button issues: guns, abortion, Confederate statues and medical marijuana.

But tucked among the headline-grabbers was a brief bill, less than 300 words long, that attracted no controversy whatsoever.

13. Last Word: One Beale Changes, Treedom and Motel Mirrors in Cooper Young - Thursday, May 24, 2018

For all of the expectation and ambition present in a Memphis where Crosstown Concourse is almost a year old, Shelby Farms Park is an institution and the local economy in general has shaken off a lingering recession that wanted a rent to own deal – there may be some limits to our ambition. At least the scope of some of our ambition, which brings us to the One Beale project at Beale and Riverside.

14. Fewer Adopt Fee Waivers for Records for the 'Public Good' - Thursday, May 24, 2018

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) – The Tennessee Public Records Act is adamant that public records should be available. But that doesn't mean government entities will make them affordable.

A statewide examination of 259 local government public records policies by the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government found that while almost all stated the government entity will charge for copies of public records, fewer offered the possibility of fee waivers.

15. Chancery Court Rules Sale and Removal of Confederate Monuments Legal - Thursday, May 17, 2018

A Davidson County chancellor says a 2016 state law protecting Confederate monuments in public parks doesn’t apply to the Confederate monuments removed from two Memphis parks this past December.

16. Postal Service: More Financial Loss as Mail Delivery Slumps - Monday, May 14, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. Postal Service reported another quarterly loss on Friday after an unrelenting drop in mail volume and costs of its health care and pension obligations outweighed strong gains in package deliveries.

17. Grocery Wars - Saturday, May 12, 2018

For a typical consumer, a trip to the grocery store might mean little more than a quick run to pick up essentials like bread and milk. Cart filled. Self-checkout. Back out the sliding doors. So mundane, none of it is given a second thought once you’re back in the car with your purchases.

18. New County Leaders Face Big Funding Decisions - Friday, May 11, 2018

The new Shelby County mayor and County Commission elected in August will have some major budget decisions to make once they take office Sept. 1, including a new Regional One Health Center building that could cost more to build than the $250 million FedExForum and a permanent source of county funding for the universal prekindergarten effort.

19. Last Word: BSMF Notes, Political Dominoes and The Teacher Pipeline - Monday, May 7, 2018

Yes, it rained. There was even hail for a brief period. None of that appeared to make a dent in the run of the Beale Street Music Festival. We are still waiting on exact box office numbers. The park was sold out – Ticketfly and at the gate -- early Sunday evening. It wasn’t a sellout Friday and Saturday but ticket supplies were tight for Tom Lee Park with the festival estimating there were thousands more people Saturday than there were Friday. Much to be said for a lineup this year that managed to strike a balance between hipster, cutting edge nobody-knows-about-this-yet new and used-to-be-big-not-so-long-ago nostalgia.

20. Last Word: The City's Windfall, Chandler Parsons' Knees and Keith Sykes on Flying - Wednesday, April 25, 2018

When you think of economic engines that drive the Memphis economy there are a lot of corporate names past and present that come to mind. One further down the list is the Memphis Defense Depot in southeast Memphis more than 20 years after the Army closed up shop. Along the stretch of Airways near Memphis International Airport are the blue collar neighborhoods built by the hub for Army supplies that located here in the early 1940s on 4.2 million square feet of land.

21. US Brands Suffer Collateral Damage in Chinese Corporate War - Tuesday, April 24, 2018

SHANGHAI (AP) – The rivalry is so notorious it's been called the "great cat-and-dog war." On one side towers Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., China's e-commerce market leader, embodied by the black cat mascot of its Tmall platform. On the other is JD.com Inc., a fast-growing upstart represented by its white dog logo.

22. Opioid Litigation, FedExForum NonCompete Top Local Law Developments - Saturday, April 21, 2018

Here are some of the legal issues making news in recent months.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery says lawsuits by local prosecutors over the opioid epidemic are complicating his efforts to reach a multistate settlement with drug companies. In response, the prosecutors, who represent about half of Tennessee's counties, say local communities lose out when lawsuits like theirs are rolled into one settlement.

23. Luttrell Vetoes One Resolution, Refuses to Sign Another - Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell has vetoed a resolution for attorney and former County Commissioner Julian Bolton to continue in his role as legislative policy adviser to the commission.

24. Luttrell Vetoes One Resolution, Refuses to Sign Another - Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell has vetoed a resolution for attorney and former county commissioner Julian Bolton to continue in his role as legislative policy advisor to the commission.

25. Idaho Counties Suing Drug Makers for Enabling Opioid Abuse - Tuesday, April 17, 2018

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Several Idaho counties are taking their fight against opioid overdoses to the courtroom.

The counties are suing the makers of OxyContin, Lortab and other opioids, accusing them of offenses such as fraud, false advertising and racketeering, the Idaho Statesman reported .

26. April 13-19, 2018: This week in Memphis history - Saturday, April 14, 2018

1968: Striking Memphis sanitation workers vote to accept a pay raise of 15 cents an hour from the city, ending their strike after 64 days. Ten cents of the raise will go into effect in May, with the other 5 cents being added on Sept. 1.
The amount has come up before in the negotiations, which are being watched closely by The White House and federal labor officials following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4. Memphis Mayor Henry Loeb balks at the proposal presented by his team, saying he would agree to a raise effective with the new fiscal year beginning July 1 and not before. He also says the raise will be less than 15 cents an hour. Philanthropist Abe Plough secretly agrees to pay the difference needed for the entire pay raise starting May 1, contributing a total of $60,000 to cover the cost. Plough’s role remains a secret until his death in 1984.

27. Last Word: Bakery Rising, Legislative Notes From Nashville and Jazz Messiah - Thursday, April 12, 2018

Some call it the Bakery Project – others Wonder Bread. Whatever you call it the redevelopment project that is centered on the old Wonder Bread bakery on Monroe between Downtown and the Medical District is moving with a building permit this week for what developer Gary Prosterman and his team call the Cadillac Building … because it was once a Cadillac dealership. That’s part of the code being used for places that have been out of action or barely functioning for decades and are now under development.... very post-apocalyptic. 

28. Kroger Spends Millions to Permanently Cut Prices in Memphis and Beyond - Thursday, April 12, 2018

Kroger has made a “multimillion-dollar investment” to permanently cut prices on more than 3,000 products in its grocery stores across Memphis and its multistate Delta Division.

Shoppers will be met with oversized signage announcing the price cuts almost anywhere they turn inside Memphis-area Kroger stores. That includes messaging that completely covers the entrances that shoppers walk through at locations like the Kroger at 1675 N. Germantown Parkway, where a bright yellow image of a few grocery items and the announcement “Say Hello To Lower Prices” covers the doors.

29. Luttrell Says He Might Veto Contract And Budget Amendment Moratorium - Thursday, April 5, 2018

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell says placing a moratorium on any contracts or budget amendments through the end of August is “counterproductive” and he is considering, among other reactions, a veto of the measure approved Monday, April 2, by the Shelby County Commission.

30. Nashville-based Trust Company Opening Memphis Office - Monday, April 2, 2018

Pendleton Square Trust Co., a Nashville-based independent trust and family office company, has hired an executive away from First Tennessee Bank to help launch and open an office in Memphis in the coming months.

31. Stock Market Grocery Spurs Interest In Lakeland’s Lake District Project - Saturday, March 31, 2018

After more than a decade of preparation, The Lake District multiuse development in Lakeland is seeing some concrete progress. In fact, the developer, Los Angeles-based Gilad Development Inc., has signed its first tenant to the location on the southeast corner of the intersection of I-40 and Canada Road.

32. Last Word: Graceland's New Lawsuit, Memphis March For Our Lives and Trolley Test - Monday, March 26, 2018

Remember the comment from last week’s EDGE meeting by EDGE board member Tom Dyer who said the economic development body was likely to be sued no matter what it did on Graceland’s application for tax breaks on its “convention center” plan in Whitehaven? At week’s end, Graceland followed through with a lawsuit in Chancery Court against EDGE for delaying a decision on the matter. The lawsuit contends EDGE has no intention of making a decision on incentives and that Graceland is entitled to those incentives.

33. What Do Statewide Candidates Say About Infrastructure Investment? - Saturday, March 24, 2018

Is investment in public infrastructure important? And should Tennessee have more dedicated revenue sources to pay for construction and maintenance of infrastructure across the state, or is the existing tax structure – primarily the state tax on fuel, and wheel taxes – sufficient to pay for what Tennessee needs to sustain and grow its economy?

34. State, Local Prosecutors Clash Over Opioids Lawsuits - Friday, March 23, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The Tennessee attorney general says lawsuits by local prosecutors over the opioid epidemic are complicating his efforts to reach a multistate settlement with drug companies. In response, the prosecutors, who represent about half of Tennessee's counties, say local communities lose out when lawsuits like theirs are rolled into one settlement.

35. Tennessee AG, Prosecutors Clash Over Local Opioids Lawsuits - Thursday, March 22, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The Tennessee attorney general says lawsuits by local prosecutors over the opioid epidemic are complicating his efforts to reach a multistate settlement with drug companies. In response, prosecutors say local communities lose out when lawsuits like theirs are rolled into one settlement.

36. Dollar General Reports Strong Same-Store Sales, Bold Outlook - Friday, March 16, 2018

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Dollar General's light revenue during the fiscal fourth quarter was outshined by booming sales at established stores and a very strong outlook.

The 3.3 percent jump in same-store sales reported on Thursday easily surpassed expectations for 2.5 percent, according to FactSet.

37. Sewer Problems, Policies Test City’s ‘Brilliant at the Basics’ Resolve - Wednesday, March 14, 2018

When Jim Strickland ran for Memphis mayor in 2015 on a campaign that would be “brilliant at the basics,” he probably didn’t have in mind the recent attention that sewers – the most basic of city services – have gotten in recent months.

38. Council OKs Financing For Convention Center Work - Saturday, March 10, 2018

Memphis City Council members approved $175 million in general obligation bond financing Tuesday, March 6, for the renovation of the Memphis Cook Convention Center. The dollar figure matches the total estimate of the renovation, which will include significant changes to the interior of the early 1970s facility and exterior changes that include a view of the Mississippi River.

39. Digest - Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Memphis Grizzlies Suffer 15th Consecutive Loss

The Grizzlies lost their 15th straight game, 119-110 at Chicago, on Wednesday, March 7.

The team has not won since defeating the Phoenix Suns at FedExForum on Jan. 29.

40. Council OKs Financing For Convention Center Work - Thursday, March 8, 2018

Memphis City Council members approved $175 million in general obligation bond financing Tuesday, March 6, for the renovation of the Memphis Cook Convention Center. The dollar figure matches the total estimate of the renovation, which will include significant changes to the interior of the early 1970s facility and exterior changes that include a view of the Mississippi River.

41. City Council Continues to Dabble In Art Issues - Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Memphis City Council members were told Tuesday, March 6, that removing a mural from a private business front on Lamar Avenue will be difficult despite a council call to do so.

The zombie-like mural by the artist Dustin Spagnola has drawn most of the ire of council members for several months. Some have called it “satanic.” Others on the council argue the imagery isn’t respectful of the surrounding community.

42. Council and Commission Talk Pre-K and Workforce By The River - Friday, March 2, 2018

When 20 of the 26 Memphis City Council members and Shelby County Commissioners got together Thursday, March 1, at Beale Street Landing, the idea of some kind of county government funding for expanding access to pre-kindergarten ran into some resistance on the county side.

43. States to Forego Most of $650M Legal Settlement With Takata - Friday, February 23, 2018

DETROIT (AP) – Japanese air bag maker Takata Corp. has reached a $650 million deal to settle consumer protection claims from 44 states and Washington, D.C., but only a fraction of the money will be paid due to Takata's financial problems and bankruptcy.

44. Digest - Monday, January 29, 2018

Memphis Toys R Us

To Remain Open

A representative with Toys R Us has confirmed to The Daily News that the retailer’s Memphis location, at 7676 Polo Ground Blvd., won’t close after all.

45. McDaniel to Fashion Loophole Bill for State Monuments - Friday, February 2, 2018

NASHVILLE – The House sponsor of the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act is preparing legislation to close a “loophole” Memphis used to spur removal of Confederate monuments from parks property it sold to a nonprofit group.

46. Last Word: Credit Hours & Tn Promise, Opioid Differences and Nikki's Hot Rebrand - Tuesday, January 30, 2018

A very busy Monday and I feel like some of this is may be fueled by some of us just now getting completely over the flu or someone close who has the flu for the first time in the New Year. Whatever the case, Monday came with a curtain call of sorts by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, a court order on the Confederate monuments, year-end stats on crime in Memphis and countywide… a PILOT here, a building permit or three there.

47. Haslam Proposes Credit Hours Minimum on Higher Ed Access - Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam’s final State of the State address Monday, Jan. 29, included a call to continue the state’s reforms in education with some changes to the administration’s signature higher education reforms.

48. MEGA HYPE - Saturday, January 27, 2018

In physics the larger an atom is, the more polarizing it can become. The same can be said of real estate development. So it’s not surprising that something referred to as a megasite can incite a range of opinions that are as vast as the site itself.

49. State Dropping Plans to Dump Megasite Wastewater Near Randolph - Wednesday, January 24, 2018

After vocal opposition from residents in and around the community of Randolph, Tennessee, state officials have announced they are withdrawing their current plans for the Memphis Regional Megasite’s 35-mile long wastewater pipeline.

50. Memphis Hilton Sale, New FedEx Hub Building Highlight Busy Week - Monday, January 15, 2018

939 Ridge Lake Blvd.

Memphis, TN 38120

Sale Amount: $31 million

Sale Date: Jan. 3, 2018

Buyer: Linchris Hotel Corp.

Seller: Davidson Hotels and Resorts

51. 270 Mississippians Eligible For Mortgage Settlement - Saturday, January 6, 2018

The Mississippi attorney general’s office says about 270 state residents are eligible for payments from a settlement involving improper servicing of mortgage loans.

Attorney General Jim Hood’s office said Wednesday that Mississippians will receive notification in the mail in the next few months if they are eligible.

52. Some Mississippi Residents Eligible for Mortgage Settlement - Thursday, January 4, 2018

The Mississippi attorney general’s office says about 270 state residents are eligible for payments from a settlement involving improper servicing of mortgage loans.

Attorney General Jim Hood’s office said Wednesday that Mississippians will receive notification in the mail in the next few months if they are eligible.

53. What to Buy Every Month of the Year in 2018 - Tuesday, January 2, 2018

In 2018, you may resolve to save more, spend less or budget better . Whatever your money goal, the one common key to your success is shopping smart. That means knowing the best time to buy just about anything.

54. Final Goodbye: Roll Call of Some Who Died in 2017 - Monday, January 1, 2018

They made music that inspired legions of fans. Rock 'n' roll founding fathers Chuck Berry and Fats Domino, rockers Tom Petty and Gregg Allman, grunge icon Chris Cornell, country superstar Glen Campbell and jazz great Al Jarreau were among the notable figures who died in 2017, leaving a void in virtually every genre of music.

55. Arkansas Lawmakers Approve $50M in Grants - Wednesday, December 27, 2017

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Individual Arkansas lawmakers have approved more than 4,200 grants totaling more than $50 million over the past four years.

Records obtained by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette show that the legislators approved the grants from their assigned shares of state surplus General Improvement Fund money. It takes just one state lawmaker to provide the money for such a grant.

56. FCC Votes Along Party Lines to End 'Net Neutrality' - Friday, December 15, 2017

The Federal Communications Commission repealed the Obama-era "net neutrality" rules Thursday, giving internet service providers like Verizon, Comcast and AT&T a free hand to slow or block websites and apps as they see fit or charge more for faster speeds.

57. Dollar General Tops Street Q3 Forecasts - Friday, December 8, 2017

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – After a slow start to the year, Dollar General bounced back in the third quarter thanks to stronger sales that pushed revenue and earnings ahead of projections.

58. Famed Site of Nashville Sit-Ins Honors Past With New Eatery - Wednesday, December 6, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Civil rights leaders have helped kick off the reopening of a famed site of civil rights sit-ins in 1960, the Woolworth building in downtown Nashville, as a restaurant.

59. Postal Regulators Move to Let Stamp Prices Jump Higher - Monday, December 4, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – Seeking to bolster the ailing U.S. Postal Service, federal regulators moved on Friday to allow bigger jumps to stamp prices beyond the rate of inflation, a move that could eventually add millions more dollars to companies' shipping rates from prescription drugs to magazine subscriptions.

60. Sawyer, Goff Kick Off Commission Campaigns - Thursday, November 30, 2017

Tami Sawyer and Sam Goff may be seeing each other on the August county general election ballot. But between now and May, they have separate primary races for the District 7 seat on the Shelby County Commission.

61. Postal Service: Red Ink for 11th Year in Row as Mail Slumps - Wednesday, November 15, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – The beleaguered U.S. Postal Service reported a financial loss Tuesday for the 11th straight year, citing declining mail volume and costs of its pension and health care obligations even as it predicted another strong holiday season of package deliveries.

62. Last Word: Bougie Strippers, Tigers Basketball First Looks and County Pay Raises - Monday, November 13, 2017

The topics get your attention: “Mental Illness in Tech” – a “Guide to Being a Bougie Stripper” – “Why I Quit TV News” – “Dyslexic and Proud.” These are just a few of the dozen talks -- strictly timed at five minutes each -- scheduled for Thursday’s Ignite Memphis event at Ballet Memphis in Overton Square. This is built loosely on the principle of a Ted talk although we also have a local version of TEDx coming up in January.

63. Last Word: The Corker Tweets, Market Stabilization and The Rise of the Landshark - Monday, October 9, 2017

In the “That Didn’t Take Long” department, whatever diplomacy there was in the relationship between President Donald Trump and U.S. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee vanished over the weekend – vanished in the course of several tweets starting with one from Trump claiming he refused an endorsement of Corker in a re-election bid next year and that resulted in Corker’s decision not to seek re-election. He claims Corker “begged” for his endorsement. “Said he could not win without my endorsement,” Trump added. “He also wanted to be Secretary of State, I said, ‘NO THANKS.’ He is also largely responsible for the horrendous Iran Deal.”

64. Pinch District Redevelopment Discussion On Tap - Friday, October 6, 2017

The nine-block area between the Pyramid and the campus of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital known as the Pinch District is set to be remade in transformative fashion as part of the city moving closer to its bicentennial in 2019.

65. Last Word: Bonus For the Head Tiger, Brooks Downtown? and Harris Runs - Thursday, October 5, 2017

A $100,000 bonus from the University of Memphis board of trustees for U of M president David Rudd at Wednesday’s trustees meeting. The bonus is from private funds raised by the university foundation. The board also approved a paid parental leave policy – specifically the funding for that policy. And it reviewed scaled-back plans for the $30 million new rec center for students that will incorporate some of the existing rec center.

66. Profound Effect - Thursday, October 5, 2017

The life of a college basketball walk-on tends to be an uneven equation. All those hours of practice, day after day after day. In return, precious minutes on game nights. Well, every few weeks.

In the case of Jonathan Wilfong, a Memphis University School grad who walked on at Southern Methodist University, he played 11 minutes his entire freshman season and 22 as a sophomore. He got a little more run the next two years, including a 16-minute stint when SMU smashed the University of Memphis 103-62 as Wilfong scored four points.

67. Last Word: The Amazon Offer, Mario Chalmers, The New Symphony Conductor - Wednesday, October 4, 2017

If you want to figure out the rhythm of Downtown there are a couple of time-honored indicators. One of my favorites is the church bells. The bell at Calvary Episcopal Church rang 60 times Tuesday for all of the lives lost in the Las Vegas massacre including that of the shooter. Old tones for new mourning as the seasons change in our city by the river.

68. First Horizon CEO: Banking Industry Needs Consolidation - Monday, September 25, 2017

The CEO of First Tennessee Bank’s parent company told attendees of a financial conference in New York City in recent days that the banking industry could benefit from more consolidation.

69. Intriguing Story Playing Out Off The Football Field - Friday, September 8, 2017

Anybody got an extra billion dollars lying around? If so, you can own one-third share of an NFL franchise plus a handful of other assorted business ventures.

That’s the situation involving the Tennessee Titans as they head into what could be a very eventful season. Susie Adams Smith, one of three children of the late franchise founder Bud Adams, is attempting to divest herself of one-third interest in KSA Industries, the business conglomerate built by her father.

70. Gov't Probe: Abuse in Nursing Homes Unreported Despite Law - Tuesday, August 29, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – More than 1 in 4 cases of possible sexual and physical abuse against nursing home patients apparently went unreported to police, says a government audit that faults Medicare for failing to enforce a federal law requiring immediate notification.

71. Postal Service: More Red Ink, Missed Payments as Mail Slumps - Friday, August 11, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. Postal Service warned Thursday that it will likely default on up to $6.9 billion in payments for future retiree health benefits for the fifth straight year, citing a coming cash crunch that could disrupt day-to-day mail delivery.

72. New Collierville High Signals Shift In Education - Friday, August 11, 2017

A year from now, the $90 million Collierville High School will open for classes with an estimated 2,600 students.

Collierville Schools superintendent John Aitken is keenly aware that for many citizens the construction work is what they know about the school system entering its fourth school year.

73. A Million Reasons Not to Jump Into the Tennessee Governor’s Race - Thursday, August 10, 2017

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mae Beavers is banking on the idea wealthy candidates won’t be able to buy voters in 2018.

74. Last Word: Repeal Votes, ServiceMaster Exit and Cooper-Young Apartments - Thursday, July 27, 2017

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee was among the seven Republican Senators who voted Wednesday against a bill that would have repealed the Obama administration’s Affordable Care Act without an immediate replacement. U.S. Senator Bob Corker voted for the repeal. The bill failed.

75. Juxtaposing Views Greet Voting Change - Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Memphis City Council members Edmund Ford Jr. and Patrice Robinson have each been on the winning side of a council runoff election and share a district border along Elvis Presley Boulevard in Whitehaven.

76. Scene Change - Saturday, July 22, 2017

The sprawling mixed-use complex opening next month on North Cleveland in Midtown is a high-profile example of where Memphis’ art community finds itself at the halfway mark in 2017.

When Crosstown Concourse opens there Aug. 19, it won’t just represent a new beginning that turns a former Sears distribution center into a 1.5-million-square-foot community mainstay. With tenants like Crosstown Arts moving in, the development is also a representation of how the city’s arts landscape is changing this year.

77. Atlanta Retail Investor Makes $29M Purchase - Thursday, July 20, 2017

In this week’s Real Estate Recap, an 18-acre shopping center in the heart of Bartlett sells for $28.8 million, Ulta Beauty prepares to build out its space in Poplar Commons, and Dave & Buster’s continues work on its first Memphis location...

78. Bartlett Shopping Center Sells for Nearly $30M - Wednesday, July 19, 2017

An Atlanta-based real estate investment firm has made its first purchase in the Memphis market with the acquisition of a 198,103-square-foot shopping center in the heart of Bartlett.

The Bartlett Towne Centre, located at 6005 Stage Road, was acquired by Branch Properties LLC from Houston-based real estate investment trust Weingarten Realty for $28.8 million.

79. Bartlett Shopping Center Sells for Nearly $30M - Tuesday, July 18, 2017

A 198,103-square-foot shopping center in the heart of Bartlett has sold for $28.8 million.

In the deal, The Bartlett Towne Centre, located at 6005 Stage Road, was acquired by Atlanta-based private real estate investment firm Branch Properties LLC from Houston, Texas-based real estate investment trust, Weingarten Realty.

80. Summer in the City - Saturday, July 15, 2017

Saturday night on Beale Street is more than a catch phrase for businesses there.

It is chapters in old, out-of-print books like Lt. George W. Lee’s “Where The Blues Began” that you can only see in the Memphis-Shelby County Room of the Central Library. You can’t check the book out because of its rarity and age. But you can also find references to the lore of Saturday nights on Beale Street on plaques in the entertainment district that current patrons walk past without even noticing.

81. City Plan Closes Retirement Gap for Sanitation Workers, Keeps Social Security - Monday, July 10, 2017

Over nearly four decades, different city council and mayors have grappled with a legacy of the 1968 sanitation workers strike.

It has endured as history has come to terms with the strike and its violent end and the site of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination has become a museum.

82. Memphis Announces Grants for Remaining 1968 Sanitation Workers - Friday, July 7, 2017

A group of 14 city sanitation workers from 1968 – four still working for the city and 10 who are retired – will be getting $50,000 grants from the city, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced Thursday, July 6.

83. Last Word: Corporate Musical Chairs, Another Dollar General and Ronnie Grisanti - Monday, July 3, 2017

The three-way deal by which Memphis-based Fred’s was to buy hundreds of Rite-Aid stores from Walgreens just keeps getting worse for Fred’s even though the deal happened last week without Fred’s. An analyst says Fred’s got cut out because of questions about the corporation’s viability to enter into what is an ambitious change of course for the company on a large scale.

84. Former Cottage Restaurant Site to Be Demolished - Monday, July 3, 2017

The tiny white house at the corner of Summer Avenue and Holmes Road stood out in stark contrast to the surrounding auto dealerships and gas stations, but for more than 50 years, the restaurant aptly-named The Cottage provided customers a hearty breakfast and bucolic atmosphere despite its urban setting.

85. Editorial: Memphis Tourism Has Its Own Unique Ride - Saturday, July 1, 2017

Memphis is never, ever going to be a theme park built for the delight of visitors from around the world.

Memphis tourism is increasingly about exploration and personal experiences that tell someone on a journey a few things about themselves as well as this city by the river.

86. County Budget Vote Delayed But Government Continues To Operate - Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Shelby County government’s fiscal year begins Saturday, July 1, but the county won’t have a new operating budget at least until July 10.

That’s when the Shelby County Commission meets in special session to take up an estimated $13 million in amendments various commissioners are proposing to the budget proposal of county mayor Mark Luttrell.

87. Experts: Takata Bankruptcy Means Air Bag Victims Get Less - Wednesday, June 21, 2017

DETROIT (AP) – A bankruptcy filing by Japanese air bag maker Takata will leave little money for dozens of people who sued the company over deaths and injuries caused by its exploding air bag inflators, according to outside legal experts and lawyers suing the company.

88. Century Mark - Saturday, June 17, 2017

During a visit to Memphis in April, Andrew Young was talking with reporters about his lengthy public history – being part of Dr. Martin Luther King’s inner circle, a congressman, mayor of Atlanta, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. It was as he talked about King’s death in Memphis that Young, without any prompting, talked about a trio of Memphis attorneys – Benjamin Hooks, Russell Sugarmon and A. W. Willis – that were the key to his and King’s efforts to get things done in Memphis and the surrounding region.

89. Lee Campaigns in Collierville After Nashville Fundraiser - Friday, June 9, 2017

The night after he raised $1.3 million in Nashville at the first major fundraiser in his bid for Tennessee governor, Bill Lee was in Collierville for a local Republican Party gathering, along with a few hopefuls in countywide races on the ballot earlier in 2018.

90. Titans Poised to Break Free of Weak AFC South - Friday, June 2, 2017

When Marcus Mariota participated on the first day of the Titans’ recent organized team activities – OTAs for you hardcore NFL fans – it sent two messages to the rest of the AFC South:

91. Memphis' First Storm Damage Estimate Tops $9 Million - Friday, June 2, 2017

One of the more striking sites Rodney Wakefield has seen since Saturday’s storm that raked the city was a “for sale” sign in a yard where a large tree had fallen after being uprooted from the ground near the sign.

92. How Food Stamp Cuts Could Ripple Through the Economy - Thursday, May 25, 2017

NEW YORK (AP) – A proposal to curtail the nation's food stamp program would pinch families struggling to pay for groceries and ripple through other areas of the economy, including supermarkets and discounters, as people shuffle their budgets.

93. Last Word: Minority Business Mic Drop, Truckers & Taxes and Confederate Statues - Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Quite the buzz around the minority business discussion on “Behind The Headlines” – notably the progress report from Greater Memphis Chamber board chair Carolyn Hardy about what’s working and, more to the point, what is not working. In Hardy’s view that would be general minority business goals that she said amount to black-owned businesses being left out some three years into the renewed push for minority business growth – in government contracts and private business-to-business contracts.

94. Last Word: Murphy's, Mount Arlington in Midtown and Surgery Open House - Monday, May 15, 2017

Senses, the nightclub on the eastern side of the Poplar viaduct, is back. Apparently it’s been back for a little while but the top code enforcement official involved says it is news to him and may be a violation that puts this matter in Environmental Court.

95. Last Word: DNA Unit Trouble, 100 Years After Ell Persons and Gas Tax Hike Redux - Tuesday, May 2, 2017

The suspension of Ouita Knowlton, the Memphis Police detective overseeing the MPD's DNA Unit, appears to involve more than alleged violations of police policies. The unit oversees testing and processing of all current rape kits and those left unprocessed for decades that the city is currently working its way through five years after the admission. The District Attorney General’s office is part of the investigation of Knowlton, the office confirmed Monday. There are no specifics about what is involved here. But the police investigation will go to District Attorney General Amy Weirich who will then determine if criminal laws were violated and if there is a case to be made.

96. Mayors and Planners Challenge Assumptions at RegionSmart - Monday, May 1, 2017

At the end of last week’s day-long RegionSmart Summit Downtown, Tipton County Executive Jeff Huffman remarked on how roomy and comfortable the chairs at the Halloran Centre had been for the mayors, planners, developers and others who gathered for the Urban Land Institute event.

97. Trump to Sign Order Creating Accountability Office at VA - Friday, April 28, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump planned to sign an executive order Thursday, April 27, that would create an accountability and whistleblower protection office at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

98. Last Word: Popovich's Tip, Strickland's Budget and Haslam's Jump Start on Roads - Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Game 5 goes to the Spurs in San Antonio 116-103 over the Grizz who are back here Thursday. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is not effusive in his comments to the media, which is fun to watch, but it does make tracking down and veryifying this next story a bit difficult. A credit card receipt showed up on Redditt that appears to show Popovich left a $5,000 tip on an $815.73 bill at McEwen’s Friday night between the two Memphis-based playoff games.

99. Unfinished Business Fuels Boyd’s Gubernatorial Bid - Monday, April 24, 2017

By any measuring stick, Randy Boyd is a renaissance man. The founder of Radio Systems Corp. served as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development for two years before he stepped down earlier this year.

100. Shelby County Commissioners Pledge to ‘Push It’ on Minority Business Contracts - Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Shelby County commissioners took a hard line Monday, April 17, on increasing the share of county government contracts for minority and locally owned businesses now that it has a plan for tackling a documented disparity for such contracts.