WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday rejected the official conclusion that nearly 3,000 people died in Puerto Rico from last year's Hurricane Maria, arguing without evidence that the number was wrong and calling it a plot by Democrats to make him "look as bad as possible."

2. Trump Fumes Over NYT Op-Ed; Top Officials Swiftly Deny Role - Friday, September 7, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pushing back against explosive reports his own administration is conspiring against him, President Donald Trump lashed out against the anonymous senior official who wrote a New York Times opinion piece claiming to be part of a "resistance" working "from within" to thwart his most dangerous impulses.

3. 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.

4. 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.

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

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

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Still Raging: Largest Wildfire in California History Grows - Wednesday, August 8, 2018

LAKEPORT, Calif. (AP) — Wildfires tearing through trees and brush, rampaging up hillsides and incinerating neighborhoods: The places and names change, but the devastation is showing signs of becoming the new normal in California.

9. Inflation, Gas Prices, Tariffs Squeeze Consumers - Thursday, August 2, 2018

The price of a can of Coca-Cola? Likely going up. A package of Pampers? That too. Plane tickets? They also may be more expensive. These items and more may cost more in the coming months as people start feeling the effects of higher fuel prices and raw-material costs as well as a range of tariffs.

10. Nashville Public Housing Authority Won't Enforce Smoking Ban - Thursday, August 2, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — One Tennessee city says it won't enforce the new national ban on smoking in public housing.

Public housing residents in Nashville recently signed leases that prohibited smoking. But Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency spokeswoman Jamie Berry tells WPLN-FM the housing authority will tack on a grandfathering addendum that lets current tenants smoke.

11. University of Memphis, Slider Inn Projects Move Forward - Monday, July 30, 2018

1115 E. Getwell Loop St., Memphis, TN 38152 - Turner Construction Co. is beginning the first phase of a $10.6 million expansion and renovation of the University of Memphis’ athletic training facility on its Park Avenue campus. 

12. NY Daily News Slashes Newsroom Staffing in Half - Tuesday, July 24, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) – The New York tabloid Daily News cut half of its newsroom staff Monday including Jim Rich, the paper's editor in chief.

13. Last Word: The Fuse, TnReady on SCS Literacy Efforts and Death By Amazon? - Monday, July 23, 2018

More than 32,000 of you have voted early in advance of the Aug. 2 election day through Saturday and going into the final week of early voting, which runs through July 28. That compares to 37,168 early voters through the first eight days in 2014 for this same election cycle and 41,310 in 2010 at the same point. In 2010 and 2014 there were 21 early voting sites compared to today’s 27. And the Downtown location was the only site open for the first two days of those early voting periods compared to five of the 27 sites open for the first three days of the current period. For the full 2014 early voting period, keeping in mind the differences, there were 82,403 early voters and in 2010 there were 93,700.

14. The Week Ahead: July 16-22 - Monday, July 16, 2018

Good morning, Memphis! The popular Roundhouse Revival at the Mid-South Coliseum returns this weekend, along with a retro skate night against the scenic backdrop of the Mississippi River at sunset. Check out those events and more happenings you need to know about in The Week Ahead...

15. Diane Black Proud of Unfavorable Ratings With ‘Far Left’ - Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Republican contender for Tennessee governor U.S. Rep. Diane Black drew the endorsement of the American Conservative Union as she spoke at the national group’s Memphis forum Monday, July 2, on jobs and the economy.

16. Taking Flight - Saturday, June 30, 2018

In the past 20 years, there has been little to no new multifamily housing growth in Memphis outside of Downtown and Midtown. 

So around this time last year, the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County, at the behest of both mayors, introduced a tax incentive designed to encourage a new wave of multifamily development with the hopes of growing Memphis’ stagnant population. 

17. Tennessee stays ranked 35th in child well-being study while Mississippi improves rating - Thursday, June 28, 2018

(AP) - Tennessee remains ranked 35th in an annual child well-being study for a second-straight year, while the 2018 KIDS COUNT Data Book shows Mississippi improving its rating in child well-being to 48th, as more parents found jobs, housing costs fell, high school graduation rates improved, and students scored better on tests..

18. Builder Optimism Fades With Potential Trade War Looming - Tuesday, June 19, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) – The threat of a trade war with Canada has taken a toll on the confidence of U.S. homebuilders, according to index released Monday.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Monday fell two points to 68 in June. A reading of 70 in May temporarily snapped a four-month slide.

19. Fundraising in the Latino Community - Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Part one of a two-part interview with Cynthia Magallon Puljic. Philanthropy is philanthropy and fundraising is fundraising, right? We’re not so sure. Wanting to know more about philanthropy and fundraising within the Latino community, we talked with Cynthia Magallon Puljic to learn her thoughts and observations. 

20. The Week Ahead: June 11-17 - Monday, June 11, 2018

Good morning, Memphis! Father’s Day is this weekend – and no matter whether yours is a rocker, a runner or a reader, there’s something to do with dear ol’ dad. Plus, check out where to see Gov. Bill Haslam, former VP Joe Biden and the “winningest woman in racing” in The Week Ahead.

21. Analysis: HUD Plan Would Raise Rents for Poor by 20 Percent - Friday, June 8, 2018

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) – Housing Secretary Ben Carson says his latest proposal to raise rents would mean a path toward self-sufficiency for millions of low-income households across the United States by pushing more people to find work. For Ebony Morris and her four small children, it could mean homelessness.

22. Banks Team Up for Saturday Event to Help Memphians Improve Credit - Friday, June 8, 2018

In an effort to support credit and financial counseling of Memphis residents, more than a dozen local banks that banded together last year to form the Memphis Area Community Reinvestment Act Association are preparing to host their first collective event this weekend.

23. 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.

24. Firm Fined for Illegally Removing Native American Relics - Monday, May 28, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A Kentucky firm is being fined more than $15,000 for illegally excavating national park lands in Tennessee and removing century-old Native American relics.

The Tennessean reported Thursday that Cultural Resources Analysts Inc. also has to return the artifacts. The company was hired by developer Rockford Realty and Construction Co. to complete archaeological testing for a housing development southwest of Nashville.

25. Are Nonprofits For ‘Them’ Or For Everyone? - Tuesday, May 29, 2018

The impact of the nonprofit sector can be felt in all aspects of our individual and collective lives. We may not always see that impact, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

Direct services, advocacy, education, research and performing arts are but a few of the types of organizations with impact that rolls, ripples and roars across our country and beyond our borders.

26. Sleep Out Louie Returns, Tennessee Brewery Preps for Phase II - Monday, May 28, 2018

150 Peabody Place, Memphis, TN 38103: After more than a decade, Sleep Out Louie, Memphis’ favorite fictional vagabond, is returning to the Bluff City.

27. Museum Lofts Downtown Approved for Variance - Saturday, May 26, 2018

The Museum Lofts, a proposed 68-unit apartment complex Downtown located at 138 Huling Ave., received a unanimous green light from the Shelby County Board of Adjustment Wednesday, May 23, to move forward.

28. Museum Lofts Downtown Approved for Variance - Friday, May 25, 2018

The Museum Lofts, a proposed 68-unit apartment complex Downtown located at 138 Huling Ave., received a unanimous green light from the Shelby County Board of Adjustment Wednesday, May 23, to move forward.

29. Medical Device Maker Investing $10.5M in Bartlett Expansion - Friday, May 18, 2018

A Bartlett-based medical device manufacturer is expanding with a $10.5 million investment that will create 40 jobs.

Engineered Medical Systems LLC plans to add 57,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space to its existing 47,500-square-foot facility at 3325 Appling Road, where it makes surgical instruments, implants and other specialty medical devices.

30. Groups Sue Ben Carson Over Delay of Anti-Segregation Rule - Wednesday, May 9, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) – A group of advocacy organizations filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Department of Housing and Urban Development and its secretary, Ben Carson, over his decision to delay an Obama-era rule intended to ensure that communities confront and address racial segregation.

31. MLK-Inspired - Thursday, May 3, 2018

What today is known as the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis was born out of the city’s fallout from the Memphis sanitation workers’ strike and Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination on April 4, 1968.

32. Commission Races Feature Basar Upset - Wednesday, May 2, 2018

The Shelby County Commission will have eight new faces when all of the votes are counted in the Aug. 2 county general election.

Five of the current incumbent county commissioners are term-limited from seeking re-election this year and two other incumbents chose not to seek a second term on the 13-member body.

33. Young Says Construction About to Begin on South City Residential - Tuesday, May 1, 2018

South City is about to begin construction east of Danny Thomas Boulevard and the road to construction has had some unexpected turns. “There’s a certain amount of anxiety when you talk about these big projects because people don’t know whether it’s actually going to happen or not,” Memphis Housing and Community Development Division director Paul Young said on the WKNO/Channel 10 program “Behind The Headlines.”

34. Tri Delta Hits Halfway Mark Of $60M Goal for St. Jude - Saturday, April 28, 2018

Less than four years into a 10-year commitment to raise $60 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Tri Delta fraternity has hit the halfway mark and raised $30 million for the hospital.

35. Building Heritage - Saturday, April 28, 2018

The basement of the Universal Life Insurance building, a Memphis landmark at Danny Thomas Boulevard and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, is still defined by the intersection of overhead ventilation shafts and pipes.

36. Downtown Designs - Friday, April 27, 2018

A pair of proposed developments could change the look of two well-known Downtown areas: Mississippi River Park on Riverside Drive and the neighborhood around the National Civil Rights Museum.

One of the first tangible efforts to reimagine the Fourth Bluff area of Downtown Memphis is taking a step forward as the city has submitted plans to use adapted shipping containers as open-air dining pavilions within Mississippi River Park, located on Riverside near the Tennessee Welcome Center.

37. New 4-Story Loft Building Planned for South Main - Thursday, April 26, 2018

One of the last remaining privately owned parcels of land adjacent to the National Civil Rights Museum could be getting a huge overhaul.

In direct response to a growing demand for housing opportunities in the Downtown area, Museum Lofts LLC is planning a new ground-up 4-story residential development at 138 Huling Ave.

38. Tri Delta Hits Halfway Mark Of $60M Goal for St. Jude - Thursday, April 26, 2018

Less than four years into a 10-year commitment to raise $60 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Tri Delta fraternity has hit the halfway mark and raised $30 million for the hospital.

39. RegionSmart Summit To Focus On Fourth Bluff - Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Since its inception, Memphis and The Fourth Chickasaw Bluff on the Mississippi River have been bound together.

So as Memphis is going through its latest growth spurt, so too is the Fourth Bluff as it was selected to be a part of a $40 million national initiative known as Reimagining the Civic Commons.

40. Regional Win - Saturday, April 21, 2018

In an increasingly interconnected world, having a cohesive economic regionalism strategy is becoming more of a must-have for successful metropolitan areas.

To facilitate this, the Urban Land Institute held Memphis’ first RegionSmart Summit in 2016 to gather all of the area’s government, economic development and community leaders in one place to collectively address some of the region’s most pressing planning and development issues.

41. Downtown Office Building Sells for $1.1 Million - Saturday, April 14, 2018

National Housing Corp. of Memphis has purchased a 226,848-square-foot office building in Downtown Memphis, according to a March 30 warranty deed filed with the Shelby County Register.

42. First Tennessee to Put $4B In Community Investment - Saturday, April 14, 2018

Memphis-based First Tennessee Bank, along with its newly acquired Capital Bank, are launching a five-year, nearly $4 billion effort to expand the availability of financial resources in low- to moderate-income communities across an eight-state footprint.

43. Overton Square Adds Two New Restaurants in One Week - Monday, April 16, 2018

2110 Madison Ave.

Memphis, TN 38104

Lease Amount: 3,790 square feet 

Tenant: Bogard

Tenant’s Agent: Barry Maynard, LRG

Landlord: Loeb Properties Inc.

44. HelloHome Shifts Business Model To Take Firm ‘Back to Our Roots’ - Saturday, April 14, 2018

HelloHome. That’s the new name of a 3-year-old real estate technology platform that founder Jessica Buffington is tweaking to improve customer experience.

Buffington, now 30, began her career in real estate at the absolute worst time. The housing market had tanked. A recession was in full swing. Her niche became Memphis bank-owned and foreclosure properties. During the following five years, she sold millions of dollars in real estate. She became a board member of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors’ Multi-Million Dollar Club and the Women’s Council of Realtors.

45. Prosterman Talks Trends for Wonder Bread Project and Phase Two ‘Jewel’ - Thursday, April 12, 2018

As a fourth-generation Memphian, Gary Prosterman is familiar with the drive to and from work on Union, Monroe or Madison avenues.

He called for an informal show of hands at the Memphis Rotary Club luncheon Tuesday, April 10, of how many also drive the streets daily and a lot of hands went up.

46. Last Word: Play Ball, Porch & Parlor and A New Bus System - Wednesday, April 11, 2018

If you go to enough political gatherings you start to see parallels. Sometimes you see things that aren’t there but that’s another story. Many political gatherings begin with the pledge of allegiance and a prayer as well. Sometimes the pledge isn’t enough and there is someone there to sing the National Anthem.

47. Seller’s Market - Wednesday, April 11, 2018

With one quarter in the books, the Memphis-area housing market appears to be on pace for yet another record-breaking year. The average home sales price for the first three months of 2018 rose to $159,274, which is the highest first-quarter amount on record, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, chandlerreports.com.

48. First Tennessee Bank Launching $4 Billion Community Investment Effort - Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Memphis-based First Tennessee Bank, along with its newly acquired Capital Bank, are launching a five-year, nearly $4 billion effort to expand the availability of financial resources in low- to moderate-income communities across an 8-state footprint.

49. Downtown Office Building Sells for $1.1 Million - Monday, April 9, 2018

National Housing Corp. of Memphis has purchased a 226,848-square-foot office building in Downtown Memphis, according to a March 30 warranty deed filed with the Shelby County Register.

50. Tenn. Senate Passes Bill That Upends Some Short-Term Rental Bans - Monday, April 9, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The Tennessee Senate on Thursday passed a bill that overturns some local short-term rental bans after lawmakers debated for more than two hours about property rights versus local control.

51. Last Word: Holder in Memphis for MLK 50, EDGE Sets a Date and South City Moves - Tuesday, April 3, 2018

The week of MLK50 commemorations began Monday with a speech by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the arrival Monday afternoon of Rev. Bernice King, the youngest child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Meanwhile, Monday's day of free admission to the museum, underwritten by FedEx drew a long line. It also drew some remote trepidation that tends to make the situation seem worse than it is once you actually go there for yourself.

52. New Apartments Coming to Broad, Clark Tower Inks Another Tenant - Monday, April 2, 2018

A multifamily project planned for Broad Avenue could provide the housing element that takes the arts district to the next level.

2542 Broad Ave.
Memphis, TN 38112

53. The Week Ahead: April 2-8 - Monday, April 2, 2018

Hello, Memphis! We celebrate the courage of a man this week who improved the lives of so many. The somber occasion of remembering his death 50 years ago should not overshadow the admiration we have for someone who refused to not speak up against obvious injustices in spite of the danger it put him in.

54. Barclays to Pay $2 Billion to US to Settle Mortgage Suit - Friday, March 30, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) – British bank Barclays became the latest big bank to reach a multi-billion dollar settlement with U.S. authorities over its role in the subprime mortgage bubble and subsequent financial crisis. But in a rare and notable move, U.S. authorities went further to fine two individual bankers as part of their alleged role in the subprime mortgage crisis.

55. Fair Housing Advocates Sue Facebook, Alleging Discrimination - Wednesday, March 28, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) – Fair housing advocates have sued Facebook, saying it lets landlords and real estate brokers target advertising to discriminate against families with children, women and others.

56. Middle of the Road - Wednesday, March 28, 2018

When it comes to the Memphis apartment market, it’s steady as she goes, according to technology and analytics company RealPage. In 2017, the apartment housing market in Memphis experienced rent growth of 2.3 percent, ranking 26th out of the top 50 metropolitan areas in the U.S., according to RealPage’s data.

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

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

58. Feds Award $570K For Civil Rights History Projects - Saturday, March 17, 2018

The U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service announced $570,000 in funding Monday, March 12, for three projects that focus on the history of the civil rights movement in Memphis.

59. Feds Award $570K For Civil Rights History Projects - Wednesday, March 14, 2018

The U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service announced $570,000 in funding Monday, March 12, for three projects that focus on the history of the civil rights movement in Memphis.

60. Wiuff Looks to Boost Engagement As MAAR Board President - Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Lauren Harkins Wiuff, a broker at Marx-Bensdorf Realtors, has begun her tenure as the 2018 president of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors board of directors. Wiuff, who will serve a one-year term as board president, is also a lifetime member of MAAR’s Multi Million Dollar Club. At Marx-Bensdorf, she leads a team that includes her sister, Stephanie Sheahan.

61. Novel Approach - Saturday, March 10, 2018

The smallest of the city’s 17 public libraries is also one of its most used. The Frayser Branch library is a brick-and-glass rectangle on a half-acre at 3712 Argonne St. With some modest columns and shrubs, a few planters and cinderblock lattice work, it is shoe-horned into the side of a hill in a residential neighborhood a block from the commercial corridor of North Watkins Road still dominated by churches.

62. For Many Factory Towns, White Collar Job Loss Hurts the Most - Thursday, March 8, 2018

ERIE, Pa. (AP) – With the abandoned smokestacks off the bay and ramshackle factories along 12th Street, it's easy to pin the blame for this industrial city's plight on the loss of manufacturing jobs to China and Mexico.

63. Report: Inequality Remains 50 Years After Kerner Report - Wednesday, February 28, 2018

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – Barriers to equality are posing threats to democracy in the U.S. as the country remains segregated along racial lines and child poverty worsens, says a study examining the nation 50 years after the release of the landmark 1968 Kerner Report.

64. RBG Promotes Callicutt To Audit Partner - Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Accounting firm Reynolds, Bone & Griesbeck PLC recently promoted Joseph D. Callicutt Jr. to audit partner from the position of senior audit manager. Callicutt, a certified public accountant and 10-year RBG employee, works exclusively in the financial institutions industry niche and oversees audit, tax and consulting services, including outsourced internal audit, interest rate risk management, bank profitability and efficiency, and strategic planning facilitation for RBG’s financial institution clients. 

65. Sales of US Homes Fall Year Over Year by Most in 3 1/2 Years - Thursday, February 22, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. sales of existing homes fell in January from a year earlier by the most in more than three years. Would-be buyers were stymied by rising prices and a shortage of homes for sale.

66. 100 N. Main Owner Buys Two Adjacent Parcels - Saturday, February 17, 2018

Less than a month after the 100 North Main Building was effectively reclaimed by the lender at a foreclosure auction, New York-based real estate firm Townhouse Management Co. affiliate THM Memphis Acquisitions LLC has purchased two adjacent parcels.

67. Indie Memphis Launching Black Filmmaker Residency - Monday, February 19, 2018

Indie Memphis is launching a two-month, Memphis-based Black Filmmaker Residency for Screenwriting, supported by the “Remembering George Riley at MLK50 Campaign.”

68. 100 N. Main Owners Buy Additional Property - Monday, February 19, 2018

80, 86, 88 N. Main St., Memphis, TN 38103: Less than a month after the 100 North Main Building was effectively reclaimed by the lender at a foreclosure auction, New York-based real estate firm Townhouse Management Co. affiliate THM Memphis Acquisitions LLC has purchased adjacent parcels.

69. Indie Memphis Launching Black Filmmaker Residency - Friday, February 16, 2018

Indie Memphis is launching a two-month, Memphis-based Black Filmmaker Residency for Screenwriting, supported by the "Remembering George Riley at MLK50 Campaign."

70. Last Word: Corker & The Senate Poll, Memphis BBQ in Texas and Chandler Numbers - Wednesday, February 14, 2018

The new owner of the city’s tallest building has bought two parcels next to the 100 North Main Building as the other part of the plan to bring the 37-story tall building back to life as a combo apartment-hotel building with the Loew’s hotel brand. The row of older buildings on the south side of 100 North Main all the way up to Jefferson would give way to a 34-story tall office tower.

71. 100 N. Main Owner Buys Two Adjacent Parcels - Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Less than a month after the 100 North Main Building was effectively reclaimed by the lender at a foreclosure auction, New York-based real estate firm Townhouse Management Co. affiliate THM Memphis Acquisitions LLC has purchased two adjacent parcels.

72. Mortgage Market Up 17 Percent in January - Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Lenders at year’s end were already predicting solid mortgage-banking activity to continue heading into 2018 – a feeling that’s been born out by the housing sector’s first monthly performance totals for the year.

73. Housing Prices Continue to Rise in 2018 - Wednesday, February 14, 2018

After a hot 2017, the Memphis area housing market looks to carry over its success into 2018.

The average home sales price in January came in at $163,024, a 14 percent increase from January a year ago, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, chandlerreports.com.

74. 100 North Main Owner Buys Two Adjacent Parcels - Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Less than a month after the 100 North Main Building was effectively reclaimed by the lender at a foreclosure auction, New York-based real estate firm Townhouse Management Co. affiliate THM Memphis Acquisitions LLC has purchased two adjacent parcels.

75. Memphis Development Group Awarded Boulder Fund Grant - Monday, February 12, 2018

The developer of Eden Square in Hickory Hill is among the first cohort of a new national grant fund supporting education innovation.

Derwin Sisnett, the founder of Maslow Development Inc. and leader of Gestalt Community Schools, the charter organization that founded the Power Center Academy Schools in the Eden Square development and surrounding Hickory Hill area, was awarded a “six-figure” grant from the Boulder Fund of Education Leaders of Color, according to an announcement last week by the national nonprofit.

76. Christine Staples Joins Buckman As VP of Water Technologies - Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Christine Staples recently joined Memphis-based Buckman as global vice president of water technologies. She comes to Buckman from Ecolab, where she held a number of executive leadership positions in both the water and energy industries.

77. Staples Joins Buckman As VP of Water Technologies - Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Christine Staples recently joined Memphis-based Buckman as global vice president of water technologies. She comes to Buckman from Ecolab, where she held a number of executive leadership positions in both the water and energy industries.

78. Last Word: Fred's Troubles, Indigo Comeback and Selling MCA - Tuesday, February 6, 2018

During Monday’s record Wall Street drop, Memphis-based Fred’s was among those taking it on the chin. But the retailer’s stock was already taking a beating from more turmoil since it got cut-out of a purchase of Rite Aid stores by Walgreens in 2017. Fred’s third chief financial officer in seven months is getting a $100,000 hiring bonus.

79. Council Talks With Head of TVA, Votes on Two More Ballot Questions - Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Memphis City Council members talk with Tennessee Valley Authority president Bill Johnson Tuesday, Jan. 23, meet Mayor Jim Strickland’s nominee to replace retiring Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division president Jerry Collins and may renew discussions of electric and gas rate hikes proposed by MLGW that it voted down two weeks ago.

80. Shelby County Home Sales Volume, Average Price Soar - Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Average home sale prices and overall sales volume showed healthy gains in 2017 over the previous year, signaling another good year for the housing market in Shelby County.

The average home sales price in 2017 was $165,644, a 5 percent increase from the previous year, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, chandlerreports.com.

81. Infill Residential Projects Seek Approval - Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Developers of a trio of new, small subdivisions in Central Gardens, the University District and in Whitehaven will all seek approval from the Land Use Control Board during its Thursday, Feb. 8, meeting.

82. Companies Boost Wages and More Post-Tax Reform - Monday, January 8, 2018

Dozens of companies, many with ties to Memphis, have pledged a series of actions that include one-time employee bonuses, charitable spending and 401(k) contribution increases, among other steps, in response to savings they expect to see from recently enacted Republican tax cuts.

83. Decade Since Recession: Thriving Cities Leave Others Behind - Tuesday, January 2, 2018

As the nation's economy was still reeling from the body blow of the Great Recession, Seattle's was about to take off.

In 2010, Amazon opened a headquarters in the little-known South Lake Union district – and then expanded eight-fold over the next seven years to fill 36 buildings. Everywhere you look, there are signs of a thriving city: Building cranes looming over streets, hotels crammed with business travelers, tony restaurants filled with diners.

84. Heritage Trail Historic Effort Get $45K Federal Grant - Monday, January 1, 2018

The National Park Service has approved a $45,000 federal grant to the city of Memphis for the continued development of the Memphis Heritage Trail area.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis announced the grant Thursday, Dec. 28.

85. US New Home Sales Skyrocket 17.5 Percent in November - Tuesday, December 26, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – Americans stepped up their purchases of new homes at the fastest pace in more than 25 years in November, with sales skyrocketing 17.5 percent amid robust demand and a continued shortage of existing homes on the market.

86. US Home Sales Climb 5.6 Percent in November to 11-Year High - Thursday, December 21, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – Americans purchased homes at the fastest pace in nearly 11 years, as sales climbed 5.6 percent in November.

The National Association of Realtors said Wednesday that sales of existing homes rose last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.81 million units. Home sales were last this strong in December 2006, when properties sold at annual pace of 6.42 million.

87. Memphis Habitat Unveils New Housing Development Plans, Fundraising Goal - Friday, December 15, 2017

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis has unveiled plans for its newest housing development: a 32-lot subdivision called Cedar Heights in South Memphis’ Castalia Heights neighborhood. The Wednesday, Dec. 13, announcement was part of a larger slate of goals and events to celebrate the local chapter’s 35th anniversary.

88. Shelby County Housing Market Remains Strong - Friday, December 15, 2017

As the year winds to a close, Shelby County home sales remained strong in November, continuing the nearly uniform rise in average sales price, volume and overall units that has been indicative of the local housing market in 2017.

89. Last Word: Grizz Speculation, SCS Grade Floors and Cedar Heights - Thursday, December 14, 2017

Grizz lose to the Wizards 93-87 in Washington. And ESPN columnist Zach Lowe says the team has lost its identity as well as a lot of games. CBSSports reports Marc Gasol is open to a trade but will not request one. And if you are looking to go far afield with the theories, here’s one from a Dallas Mavericks fansight, mavsmoneyball, that includes a really good graphic on the salaries of Grizz players.

90. Memphis Habitat Unveils New Housing Development, Fundraising Goal - Thursday, December 14, 2017

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis has unveiled plans for its newest housing development: a 32-lot subdivision called Cedar Heights in South Memphis’ Castalia Heights neighborhood. The Wednesday, Dec. 13, announcement was part of a larger slate of goals and events to celebrate the local chapter’s 35th anniversary.

91. Coalition Taps Green & Healthy Homes Initiative - Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Leaders from Memphis and Shelby County and representatives from nearly 25 partner organizations signed an agreement Thursday morning, Nov. 30, at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library in East Memphis to work together on Tennessee’s first Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI) led by the Baltimore-based organization.

92. Coalition Signs on With Green & Healthy Homes Initiative - Friday, December 1, 2017

Leaders from Memphis and Shelby County and representatives from nearly 25 partner organizations signed an agreement Thursday morning, Nov. 30, at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library in East Memphis to work together on Tennessee’s first Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI) led by the Baltimore-based organization.

93. Last Word: 'Coach Killer', Collierville's Industrial Growth and Ice Cream & Soup - Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Lots of discussion the day after his firing about David Fizdale’s value off the court for the city and just where that fits with whether the Grizz win or lose and who is held responsible when they lose too much. Losing too much is what the Grizz front office said caused the change and not Marc Gasol being a “coach-killer” to quote Grizz GM Chris Wallace. And this is not just a Memphis discussion. LeBron James on the Fizdale firing via CBSSports. This was before James got ejected from a game Tuesday evening for the first time in his career.

94. Trustee’s Office Promotes Financial Education and Counseling - Monday, November 20, 2017

Shelby County Trustee David Lenoir will tell you that the myriad financial education programs and initiatives his office is involved with – covering everything from helping improve consumer credit to financial counseling – are what he sees as part of his job as the “banker for the county.”

95. Sports Complex Remains Driver of Fairgrounds Redevelopment Plan - Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Parts of the city’s tentative plan for redevelopment of the Mid-South Fairgrounds may still come and go and the cost estimates could vary. But Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s administration made it clear at a Monday, Nov. 6, public meeting to unveil the most specific plan yet that a youth sports tournament complex is the anchor and driver of the financing for a redevelopment covering 175 acres.

96. City's Tentative Fairgrounds Plan Confirms Separating Coliseum from Youth Sports - Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s tentative plan for the redevelopment of the Mid-South Fairgrounds, presented Monday, Nov. 6, included a renovation of old Melrose High School in neighboring Orange Mound and a confirmation that the city administration doesn’t think the Mid-South Coliseum should be part of a youth sports tournament complex.

97. Aquarium Proposal for Mud Island Resurfaces After Pyramid Pitch - Tuesday, November 7, 2017

The plan for an aquarium at Mud Island River Park is not the first time an aquarium has been proposed on the city’s riverfront.

“It was an interesting beginning. I was disappointed at the time,” said Peter Chermayeff of the original aquarium concept for the Pyramid, which never got as far as renderings or a concept plan.

98. City Judges Timing and Steps in Fairgrounds Planning - Friday, November 3, 2017

City of Memphis leaders likely will reveal a few new details when they present the draft plan for Mid-South Fairgrounds redevelopment at a Monday, Nov. 6, town hall meeting. But Mayor Jim Strickland’s administration took much of the suspense and speculation out of next week’s session Wednesday, Nov. 1, releasing details that show the administration’s general belief that a few steps still need to be taken before the city gets to a broad reconfiguration of the Fairgrounds.

99. City Fairgrounds Plan Keeps Coliseum on Hold - Thursday, November 2, 2017

When it unveils a general plan for Fairgrounds redevelopment Monday, Nov. 6, the administration of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland will put the emphasis on setting the stage for a fuller redevelopment.

100. Run Women Run - Thursday, November 2, 2017

In 2018, Shelby County voters will be presented with a long ballot as candidates compete for most county offices, many school board and suburban government positions and congressional and legislative seats.