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. Amazon's Jeff Bezos to Start $2 billion Charitable Fund - Friday, September 14, 2018

SEATTLE (AP) — Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said Thursday that he is giving $2 billion to start a fund that will open preschools in low-income neighborhoods and give money to nonprofits that helps homeless families.

3. Kingsbury Teacher Finds Beauty in Memphis and Education - Friday, September 14, 2018

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and for Taylor Cao, a teacher at Kingsbury High School, his love of Memphis is nothing short of beautiful.

Born and raised in East Tennessee, Cao says he’d always had his eye on Memphis. Call it foreshadowing or an urban kid’s interest in the scrappy picture others paint of the Bluff City, but he wanted in.

4. Pope OKs Probe into U.S. Bishop As He Meets with U.S. Delegation - Friday, September 14, 2018

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis accepted the resignation of a U.S. bishop Thursday and authorized an investigation into allegations he sexually harassed adults, adding awkward drama to an audience with U.S. church leaders over the abuse and cover-up scandal roiling the Catholic Church.

5. U.S., Cuba to Meet on Mysterious 'Health Attacks' in Havana - Friday, September 14, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — National security agencies and members of Congress are frustrated by the lack of answers about what the United States describes as "health attacks" that have injured American diplomats in Cuba.

6. Putin: Suspects in Britain Poisoning are Innocent Civilians - Thursday, September 13, 2018

MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russian authorities know the identities of the two men accused by Britain of carrying out a nerve agent attack on a former spy, but he added that they are civilians and there is "nothing criminal" about them.

7. 'Don't Play Games With It': Florence Takes Aim at Southeast - Thursday, September 13, 2018

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — People who thought they were relatively safe from the onslaught of Hurricane Florence began boarding up and Georgia's governor declared a state of emergency Wednesday as uncertainty over the path of the monster storm spread worry along the Southeastern coast.

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

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

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

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

10. Don't Ask About Trump at Reunion of Presidential Descendants - Monday, September 10, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's first families are knit together in a small co-ed fraternity filled with fun, inoffensive facts and a reverence for the White House.

Fun fact about John Tyler, 10th president of the United States: He was born in 1790, married twice and was 63 years old when the last of his 15 children was born.

11. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16. Family, Friends Say Final Goodbye To McCain - Tuesday, September 4, 2018

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Sen. John McCain's final journey ended on a grassy hill at the U.S. Naval Academy within view of the Severn River and earshot of midshipmen present and future, and alongside a lifelong friend.

17. Tennessee Prison on Lockdown, 3 Inmates Sent to Hospital - Tuesday, September 4, 2018

WHITEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities say a southwestern Tennessee prison is on lockdown following fights that sent three inmates to a hospital.

The Tennessee Department of Corrections says the fights broke out Sunday night at the Hardeman County Correctional Center in Whiteville, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) east of Memphis.

18. Court Dismisses Club 152’s Suit Against Purple Haze - Saturday, September 1, 2018

Last call at Purple Haze nightclub near FedExForum won’t get any earlier thanks to a judicial ruling.

Club 152, whose ownership team includes spokesperson and co-owner Wilber Hensley, filed a lawsuit April 28, 2016, immediately prior to Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival to stop Purple Haze Nightclub from serving alcohol between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., claiming it was not physically located in the Beale Street Historic District.

19. Rhodes’ Football Team Relying On Defensive Changes, 3-Year Starting QB - Saturday, September 1, 2018

Parker Rye can’t help but smile when he watches his Rhodes College teammates, most of whom came from elite private schools around the country, get Memphis-ized. More specifically “North North North North” Memphis-ized.

20. White House Faces Brain Drain at Perilous Moment - Monday, September 3, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — Increasingly convinced that the West Wing is wholly unprepared to handle the expected assault from Democrats if they win the House in November, President Donald Trump's aides and allies are privately raising alarm as his circle of legal and communications advisers continues to shrink.

21. Last Word: Tiger Fortunes, Union Mission Expansion and Beale Cause and Effect - Friday, August 31, 2018

The Tigers open the football season Saturday at the Liberty Bowl against Mercer and many of you are ready for football season – college or NFL but rarely both – to begin. Never mind that the World Series still awaits in October or that every time I look up at an NFL pre season game someone is running a kickoff back from one end zone to another because no one wants anyone to hit too hard out there until it counts.

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

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

23. Final Farewells to Sen. John McCain Begin at Arizona Capitol - Thursday, August 30, 2018

PHOENIX (AP) — Cindy McCain pressed her face against the flag-draped casket of her husband, U.S. Sen. John McCain, on Wednesday and several of his children sobbed during the first of two services for the statesman and former prisoner of war before he is taken for the last time from the state he has represented since the 1980s.

24. Last Word: New Council Smell, Harris's First Pick and Detroit's Comeback - Wednesday, August 29, 2018

After months of renovation work, the new Memphis City Council committee room was ready for the council Tuesday on the fifth floor of City Hall. The council had been meeting in its chambers on the ground floor for the seven hours of committee meetings that precede the council’s main voting meeting at 3:30 p.m. two Tuesdays a month. The council room has that new council smell -- kind of ironic for a body that is about to get three new members by the end of the year.

25. 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.

26. Strategic Planning Rights and Wrongs - Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Strategic planning is one of those phrases like creativity or innovation. It means something different to each person who hears it based on his or her experiential application of the concept.

27. Testimony on Parameters of Police Surveillance Ends - Tuesday, August 28, 2018

After four days and more than a dozen witnesses, the federal trial regrading the ACLU’s lawsuit against the city of Memphis over political surveillance of protesters by police ended Thursday

The testimony of three witnesses wrapped up the proceedings that began Monday, Aug. 20.

28. Testimony on Parameters of Police Surveillance Ends - Tuesday, August 28, 2018

After four days and more than a dozen witnesses, the federal trial regrading the ACLU’s lawsuit against the city of Memphis over political surveillance of protesters by police ended Thursday

The testimony of three witnesses wrapped up the proceedings that began Monday, Aug. 20.

29. Sen. John McCain to be Buried Next to Best Friend at U.S. Naval Academy - Tuesday, August 28, 2018

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — It will be a fitting final resting place for a man who prized military service, cherished friendship and had little patience for formalities.

U.S. Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican who died Saturday of brain cancer, will be buried Sunday on a grassy hill at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, right next to a lifelong friend, within earshot of the next generation of midshipmen and within view of the banks of Severn River.

30. S&P 500, Nasdaq and Russell 2000 Close at Record Highs - Monday, August 27, 2018

Wall Street ended a week of milestones with a few more Friday.

The benchmark S&P 500 index closed at an all-time high, just two days after the current bull market in U.S. stocks became the longest in history. The Nasdaq composite and the Russell 2000 indexes also ended the day at all-time highs.

31. States Reconsider Confidential Deals in Workplace Harassment - Monday, August 27, 2018

Confidentiality agreements have come under fire during the #MeToo movement as one way abusive men have been able to hold on to their jobs, and keep harassing more women.

State lawmakers are listening. They introduced bills in at least 16 states this year to restrict the use by private employers of non-disclosure agreements in sexual harassment cases, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. They became law in six states: Arizona, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington.

32. Court Dismisses Club 152 Lawsuit - Monday, August 27, 2018

Last call at Purple Haze nightclub near FedExForum won’t get any earlier thanks to a judicial ruling.

Club 152, whose ownership team includes co-owner Wilber Hensley, filed a lawsuit April 28, 2016, immediately prior to the Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival to stop Purple Haze Nightclub from serving alcohol between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., claiming it was not physically located in the Beale Street Historic District.

33. Testimony on Parameters of Police Surveillance Ends - Monday, August 27, 2018

After four days and more than a dozen witnesses, the federal trial regrading the ACLU’s lawsuit against the city of Memphis over political surveillance of protesters by police ended Thursday, Aug. 23.

34. U of M Program Mentors High School Seniors - Saturday, August 25, 2018

The University of Memphis announced Thursday, Aug. 23, a new Growing, Educating and Mentoring Students (GEMS) initiative to help high school seniors gain access to resources that can help them through the college application process.

35. U of M Program Mentors Seniors Through Application - Friday, August 24, 2018

The University of Memphis announced Thursday, Aug. 23, a new Growing, Educating and Mentoring Students (GEMS) initiative to help high school seniors gain access to resources that can help them through the college application process.

36. Outdoors Buzz - Friday, August 24, 2018

Two men on a beeping scissor lift strung a red backpack high on a front wall, a woman removed Hydro Flask vacuum bottles from boxes and displayed them on shelves, two women transferred the day’s truck shipment of Columbia outdoor apparel from boxes to hangers, a woman in back stuck code labels to water footwear, and store manager Annelise Danielson checked to ensure the security cameras worked.

37. Haslam Sees Difference in Need for Testing, How Tests Are Administered - Thursday, August 23, 2018

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam says there is a distinction to be made in the current debate about student achievement testing in Tennessee and problems with the testing.

“We need to distinguish between the test itself … and the implementation,” Haslam said Wednesday, Aug. 22, during a visit to the Georgian Hills Achievement Elementary School in Frayser. “Obviously, the technology hasn’t worked and we are committed to getting that right. … It would be such a mistake for the state to throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

38. Testimony Ends in Federal Case Questioning Memphis Police Surveillance Tactics - Thursday, August 23, 2018

After four days, the federal trial where the ACLU sued the city of Memphis over political surveillance of activists, ended Thursday, leaving the decision in the hands of U.S. District Judge Jon McCalla.

39. Comptroller’s TBI Report Spurs New Legislation - Thursday, August 23, 2018

Legislation to crack down on misuse of state-issued cell phones is being spurred by a state Comptroller’s report showing the former acting director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and his girlfriend downloaded apps enabling them to communicate undetected.

40. Private Salon Opening In East Memphis - Thursday, August 23, 2018

A new salon where stylists cut and style hair in private suites is coming to East Memphis.

Phenix Salon Suites will locate in the former Dixie Café space of 7,459 square feet in Knickerbocker Plaza, 4699 Poplar Ave.

41. Stocks Mixed Even as S&P 500 Index Marks Longest Bull Run - Thursday, August 23, 2018

The major U.S. stock indexes were mostly higher in afternoon trading Wednesday, on track for the market's bull run to become the longest in history. Gains in technology stocks, retailers and energy companies outweigh losses in industrial firms and elsewhere in the market.

42. Ex-Trump Lawyer Cohen Pleads Guilty in Hush-Money Scheme - Thursday, August 23, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — The unveiling of federal criminal charges against President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer came with drama as attorney Michael Cohen went farther than prosecutors were willing to go in pointing fingers. Not only did Cohen plead guilty to all eight charges, but he directly implicated the president in the payment of hush money to two women who claim they had affairs with him.

43. Rallings Recounts Bridge Protest, Says Surveillance Was for Public Safety - Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings put on his bulletproof vest en route to a 2016 protest that shut down the Hernando DeSoto Bridge because he didn’t want anyone to die that day.

 “I thought that situation would have made Selma, Alabama look like a day at the park,” Rallings said as he testified Wednesday morning about the 5-hour bridge protest on July 10, 2016.  “I was very concerned about a catastrophic situation. I just did not want it (to) happen on my watch. I did not want us to rewrite Memphis history. We already have enough negative history. “

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

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

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

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

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

46. 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.”

47. MPD Officer Unmasked as 'Bob Smith' in Federal Hearing - Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Memphis police Sgt. Tim Reynolds is “Bob Smith” – the fake Facebook persona the veteran officer used to befriend local protesters and monitor their activities.

48. Alligator Kills Woman Trying to Protect Her Dog at S.C. Resort - Tuesday, August 21, 2018

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — A woman trying to protect her dog was killed by an alligator who pulled her into a lagoon at a private South Carolina resort Monday, authorities said.

49. Slider Inn Plans Include ‘Slider Out’ Downtown - Monday, August 20, 2018

Slider Inn’s plans to transform an old auto service garage on South Main Street Downtown into its second location also include an outdoor event space - Slider Out.

Co-owner Aldo Dean received approval for a one-to-one matching $60,000 exterior improvement grant from the Downtown Memphis Commission’s Center City Development Corp. board last week to turn the greenspace with bocce ball court at the northeast corner of South Main and Talbot into an outdoor event space.

50. Stocks Jump as Hopes Rise For Progress on China Trade Talks - Monday, August 20, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are higher Friday as investors hope for more progress in trade talks between the U.S. and China. The Wall Street Journal reported that the countries hope to resolve their dispute by November.

51. TruGreen Hires FXI Exec As Next President, CEO - Saturday, August 18, 2018

TruGreen, the Memphis-based lawn care company serving more than 2.3 million customers across the country, has a new driver behind the wheel.

On Tuesday, Aug. 14, the company announced the appointment of John Cowles as president and CEO, effective Sept. 17.

52. 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.

53. Riverline to Make ‘Big Jump’ South of Crump - Friday, August 17, 2018

The Riverline bike and pedestrian trail along the Mississippi River’s edge will be jumping to Crump Boulevard into South Memphis.

And that’s what a Big Jump launch event Aug. 23 will mark – planning of the southernmost segment of the Riverline from Big River Crossing to Martin Luther King/Riverside Park.

54. Italy Lowers Confirmed Death Toll to 38 in Genoa Bridge Collapse - Friday, August 17, 2018

GENOA, Italy (AP) — The death toll from the collapse of a highway bridge in the Italian city of Genoa that is already confirmed to have claimed at least 38 lives will certainly rise, a senior official said Thursday.

55. Overdose Total Hits 76 in Connecticut Park Near Yale - Friday, August 17, 2018

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — The number of overdose victims linked to a suspected bad batch of synthetic marijuana has risen to 76 in New Haven, Connecticut, as officials try to determine exactly what sickened people.

56. TruGreen Hires FXI Exec As Next President, CEO - Thursday, August 16, 2018

TruGreen, the Memphis-based lawn care company serving more than 2.3 million customers across the country, has a new driver behind the wheel.

On Tuesday, Aug. 14, the company announced the appointment of John Cowles as president and CEO, effective Sept. 17.

57. Suicide Bomber Targets Shiite Students in Kabul, Killing 48 - Thursday, August 16, 2018

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A suicide bomber struck a private education center in a Shiite neighborhood of Kabul on Wednesday where high school graduates were preparing for university entrance exams, killing 48 young men and women and leaving behind a scene of devastation and tragedy.

58. While Probing 538 Records Exemptions, Tennessee Added More - Thursday, August 16, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — A state review has found that while Tennessee lawmakers began reviewing 500-plus public records exemptions this year, they approved more exclusions.

A report from Tennessee's Office of Open Records Counsel notes 29 changes to public records laws last legislative session, which ended in April. About 20 include exemptions.

59. Death Toll Hits 39 in Italy Bridge Collapse - Thursday, August 16, 2018

GENOA, Italy (AP) — Italian prosecutors on Wednesday focused their investigation into the Genoa highway bridge collapse on possible design flaws or inadequate maintenance, as the death toll rose to 39 and Italian politicians looked for someone to blame.

60. 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.

61. Trump Lashes Out at Omarosa, Calls Her 'That Dog' - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump escalated his messy clash with former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman on Tuesday, referring to the longtime colleague, who had been the top African-American in his White House, as "that dog!"

62. 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.

63. Judd Grisanti Opening Restaurant Inspired by Father - Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Judd Grisanti is just a few short weeks away from opening a restaurant that moves him to tears almost every time he talks about it.

In early September, Ronnie Grisanti’s will open at Regalia. It’s been home to Mikasa, Circa by John Bragg, Southward and most recently, Heritage Tavern & Kitchen. As the three-month remodel nears the end, it’s a new place.

64. Trump Lashes Out at 'Wacky Omarosa' Over Book, Tapes - Tuesday, August 14, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump lashed out at Omarosa Manigault Newman on Monday, saying his former White House adviser — who is promoting a tell-all book and airing secret audio recordings —"got fired for the last time."

65. Grisanti Son Opening Restaurant Inspired by Father - Monday, August 13, 2018

Judd Grisanti is just a few short weeks away from opening a restaurant that moves him to tears almost every time he talks about it.

In early September, Ronnie Grisanti’s will open at Regalia. It’s been home to Mikasa, Circa by John Bragg, Southward and most recently, Heritage Tavern & Kitchen. As the three-month remodel nears the end, it’s a new place.

66. McCalla Says City Violated Consent Decree on Political Surveillance of Protesters - Saturday, August 11, 2018

U.S. District Judge Jon P. McCalla ruled Friday, Aug. 10, that Memphis Police gathered political intelligence on protesters over the last two years in violation of a 1978 federal court consent decree. And if the plaintiffs in the 2017 lawsuit against the city can establish their standing in court next week, McCalla said he is prepared to declare the city in contempt of the consent decree and impose sanctions.

67. Memphis Public Libraries Get More Internet Speed - Monday, August 13, 2018

Comcast Business has completed a network expansion to Memphis Public Libraries, giving the 18 buildings internet speeds up to 1-gigabit per second (Gbps).

The connection provides a private network connecting all of the libraries, which allows them to send data across its branches without involving public internet.

68. Restaurant Iris Reopens; Permit Pulled for Former Windjammer Space - Friday, August 10, 2018

After a nearly three-month renovation, Restaurant Iris will re-open Aug. 22 with a new menu, a new interior, and a chef/owner entering a new chapter in his life.

“It’s my 40th birthday,” Kelly English said. “That’s a great time for a rebirth, right? Or maybe it could just be my midlife crisis.”

69. 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.

70. Managing Public Office With Private Lives is a Question of Balance - Saturday, August 11, 2018

They juggle work and home life just as their counterparts in the business world, but women in public office do so under the full-time weight of civic duties that sometimes lead to hazards in their lives.

71. Multi-generational Living on the Rise - Friday, August 10, 2018

Ray’s Take: Almost 20 percent of Americans today live in households with multiple generations. According to a recent report from the Pew Research Center, 64 million people reside in a property with two or more adult generations.

72. Melania Trump's Parents Sworn In As U.S. Citizens - Friday, August 10, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — First lady Melania Trump's parents were sworn in as U.S. citizens Thursday.

Viktor and Amalija Knavs, both in their 70s, took the citizenship oath at a special, private ceremony in New York City. The Slovenian immigrants, a former car dealer and textile factory worker, had been living in the U.S. as permanent residents.

73. 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.

74. Bridging a Gap - Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Speaking through a translator, Luan Bomfim said he misses his family and friends back home in Sao Paulo, Brazil. “A lot of times I think I’m going to go back to Brazil, because the people here are very different,” he told Connect Language Center operations manager Bailey Gilbert in his native Portuguese.

75. 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.

76. 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?

77. 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.

78. Police HQ No Longer in Running for Second Convention Center Hotel - Tuesday, August 7, 2018

The Civic Center Plaza building that is currently Memphis Police Department headquarters is out of the running to be the site of a second convention center hotel.

“That site was contemplated in the beginning. It’s no longer in the running,” Downtown Memphis Commission president Jennifer Oswalt said of 170 N. Main St. on the WKNO/Channel 10 program “Behind The Headlines.”

79. Trump Appears to Change Story on Meeting with Russian Lawyer - Tuesday, August 7, 2018

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) — President Donald Trump appears to have changed his story about a 2016 meeting at Trump Tower that is pivotal to the special counsel's investigation, tweeting that his son met with a Kremlin-connected lawyer to collect information about his political opponent.

80. Kimball Cabana Apartments Sold - Monday, August 6, 2018

Lehi, Utah-based Kimball Cabana Apartments LLC sold the Kimball Cabana apartments in Memphis to Kimball LLC for $5.4 million on Aug. 1, according to deeds on file with the Shelby County Register of Deeds.

81. East High Sportsplex Has Broader Goal - Monday, August 6, 2018

The first day of the school year usually finds those who run the seven public school districts within Shelby County thinking much further ahead. The start of the school year is something that may have consumed their thoughts about the time they were taking down the Christmas tree last December and preparing for the start of the calendar year.

82. Jury Tells Pork Giant to Pay $473.5M in Nuisance Lawsuit - Monday, August 6, 2018

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A federal jury decided Friday that the world's largest pork producer should pay $473.5 million to neighbors of three North Carolina industrial-scale hog farms for unreasonable nuisances they suffered from odors, flies and rumbling trucks

83. US Stocks Mostly Higher After Solid Jobs Report for July - Monday, August 6, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are mostly higher Friday after the Labor Department said hiring remained solid in July. Larger companies climbed while smaller, U.S.-focused companies lagged the rest of the market. There was little immediate reaction to China's threat to put tariffs on $60 billion in American goods. Bond prices edged higher, sending yields lower. Food companies and other big-dividend stocks climbed.

84. Long, Winding Road - Saturday, August 4, 2018

Considered by many to be the main artery of Memphis’ robust logistical and distribution network, the Lamar Avenue Corridor has long been clogged by its own narrow lanes and outdated capacity. 

85. Bluff Park - Friday, August 3, 2018

Four replicas of Civil War-era cannons placed in then-Confederate Park six years ago were removed from the riverfront site this week, part of the revamping of the property by Memphis Greenspace.

The removal on Wednesday, Aug. 1, by private work crews for the nonprofit owners of the park, symbolizes the ongoing changes to the property, including renaming the parcel Memphis Park. Memphis Greenspace bought the park as well as Health Sciences Park last December – a major step in eliminating Confederate markers from the two parcels.

86. Trump Team Wants to Roll Back Obama-Era Mileage Standards - Friday, August 3, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Thursday proposed weakening Obama-era mileage standards designed to make cars more fuel efficient and less polluting, a major rollback already being challenged in the courts by California and other states.

87. Civil War Replica Cannons Returned To Sons of Confederate Veterans - Thursday, August 2, 2018

Memphis Greenspace turned over four cannons from Memphis Park to Sons of Confederate Veterans Wednesday, Aug. 1, as the nonprofit continued the process of removing Confederate symbols and markers from the Downtown park.

88. 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.

89. Encore Resort Provides Rare Orlando Relaxation - Thursday, August 2, 2018

“Dad, they have air hockey. And an arcade!”

As we settled into our home at Encore Resort at Reunion in the Orlando area, Colby was busy exploring the large house. And a quick look upstairs revealed our own air hockey table and video arcade machine, complete with dozens of great games from my 1980s youth.

90. Trump's Cheaper Short-term Health Plans have Coverage Gaps - Thursday, August 2, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday cleared the way for insurers to sell short-term health plans as a bargain alternative to pricey Obama-law policies for people struggling with high premiums.

91. Facebook finds 'sophisticated' efforts to disrupt elections - Wednesday, August 1, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook said it has uncovered "sophisticated" efforts, possibly linked to Russia, to influence U.S. politics on its platforms.

The company said it removed 32 accounts from Facebook and Instagram because they were involved in "coordinated" political behavior and appeared to be fake. Nearly 300,000 people followed at least one of the accounts.

92. 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.

93. Improved Facility Slated for Whitehaven Cheer Nonprofit - Tuesday, July 31, 2018

A nonprofit that teaches gymnastics, dance and cheerleading to kids in the Whitehaven, Levi and Mitchell communities is seeking a forgivable loan to fix up its practice facility.

Regina Tappan, director of the Memphis Area Youth Association (MAYA), has applied for a three-year, $20,000 Inner City Economic Development (ICED) loan from the Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE) of Memphis and Shelby County.

94. 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."

95. Trump says he has 'no problem' shutting down government - Tuesday, July 31, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday he would have "no problem" shutting down the federal government this year if congressional lawmakers don't agree to provide additional border security funding.

96. Study: 'Medicare for all' projected to cost $32.6 trillion - Tuesday, July 31, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Bernie Sanders' "Medicare for all" plan would boost government health spending by $32.6 trillion over 10 years, requiring historic tax hikes, says a study released Monday by a university-based libertarian policy center.

97. Last Word: Early Voting's Strong Finish, School Moves and City Hall Crackdown - Monday, July 30, 2018

Most of the major contenders for Tennessee Governor – Democratic and Republican – were in Shelby County over the weekend in which early voting ended and the campaigns now adjust their last minute efforts to the gap between early voting and election day on Thursday.

98. 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.

99. New Gym Opening In East Memphis - Saturday, July 28, 2018

SHED Fitness has signed a lease to occupy 4,055 square feet at 1215 Ridgeway Road.

Marcus Esposito and Maureen Shorter Esposito, the local franchise owners, are currently building out their Park Place location, which is expected to open in August.

100. New Gym Opening In East Memphis - Friday, July 27, 2018

SHED Fitness has signed a lease to occupy 4,055 square feet at 1215 Ridgeway Road.

Marcus Esposito and Maureen Shorter Esposito, the local franchise owners, are currently building out their Park Place location, which is expected to open in August.