Mirimichi to Build Performance Center

Mirimichi golf course near Millington – the facility owned by megastar and Memphis native Justin Timberlake and his family – soon will begin work on the Callaway Performance Center, according to a $1.3 million building permit filed this week with the city-county Office of Construction Code Enforcement.

The formal address of the center is 6129 Woodstock Cuba Road in the unincorporated Woodstock community off U.S. 51 between Memphis and Millington. The golf course is at 6195 Woodstock Cuba Road.

Big Creek Golf LLC, the family owned entity that runs Mirimichi, filed the permit this week to build the center, scheduled to open in 2010. The contractor for the project is Eagle Contractors Inc.

Mirimichi will be home to one of just nine Callaway Performance Centers in the country, according to the golf club’s Web site. The center’s technology assesses a golfer’s swing and then makes suggestions to improve a player’s mechanics and club selection. Timberlake, an avid golfer, has an endorsement contract with Callaway.

A call to Mirimichi for construction details, such as an exact timeline and size of the facility, was not immediately returned.

The entity Big Creek Golf is a nod to the golf course’s old name, Big Creek Golf Course. Timberlake, his mother, Lynn Harless, and his stepfather, Paul Harless, kept the property from being auctioned off to developers. They bought the course for $880,000 in 2007 and transformed it into Mirimichi, a Native American word meaning “place of happy retreat.”

The Par-72, 7,400-yard course, which opened in July, is open to the public. It is certified by Audubon International as an Audubon Classic Sanctuary, meaning it is an eco-friendly golf course.

Mirimichi also released a new corporate package program that provides unlimited golf for one foursome per day plus other benefits. Fifty of these packages, valued at more than $70,000 apiece, are available for $14,745 if purchased before the end of the year.

Source: The Daily News Online & Chandler Reports

MAAR Reports Slowdown In Sales, Increase in Price

The Memphis Area Association of Realtors on Thursday released its August data, showing home sales in Shelby, Fayette and Tipton counties declined 19.1 percent from the same month a year ago. August saw 1,212 home sales, down from 1,499 in August 2008 and also down 13.2 percent from 1,396 home sales in July.

The August total included 1,113 home sales in Shelby County, 52 in Tipton County and 47 in Fayette County.

One positive trend emerged from the August data. The average sales price for homes rose 2.8 percent to $138,957 from $135,123 in August 2008. The monthly sales volume of $168.4 million, however, marked a 16.9 percent decline from $202.5 million in August 2008.

Pending sales rose slightly and inventory remained the same at 9,790 units.

Year to date, the three counties have notched 10,023 home sales, down 18.2 percent from the same period of 2008. The average sales price for homes this year was $126,386, down 9.5 percent from $139,689 in 2008.

Schardt Named President Of FedEx Trade Networks

International ocean and air freight forwarder FedEx Trade Networks, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., on Thursday announced that Fred Schardt has taken over as president and chief executive officer.

Schardt is responsible for the leadership and strategic direction of FedEx Trade Networks, as well as the company’s global operations and product portfolio, according to a company release.

With more than 35 years in the international freight forwarding, transportation and logistics industries, Schardt joined FedEx Trade Networks in 2008 as executive vice president and chief operating officer.

In his brief stint as COO, he helped realign operations and standardized service offerings to optimize the FedEx Trade Networks international freight-forwarding portfolio. He is also leading an aggressive global expansion plan, which includes an increased freight-forwarding presence and office openings in Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

“I look forward to continuing our progress in expanding the FedEx Trade Networks global footprint and enhancing our services to provide customers with unmatched end-to-end international freight forwarding solutions,” Schardt said in a statement.

FedEx Trade Networks’ previous president and CEO, Ed Clark, retired Wednesday.

First Tennessee Sells FTN Equity Capital Markets

As part of a broad corporate strategy of refocusing on Tennessee and its core businesses, First Tennessee Bank is selling its institutional equity research business FTN Equity Capital Markets Corp. to New Jersey-based Point Capital Partners LLC for an undisclosed sum.

The division is part of FTN Financial Group and a division of Memphis-based First Horizon National Corp.

The sale has been talked about for months, and FTN Financial Chief Financial Officer Mike Waddell said it will have no impact on other businesses of FTN Financial. The equity research business has offices in Cleveland, Boston, Los Angeles, Memphis, New York and Nashville.

General Assembly Web Site Named Best in Country

The National Conference of State Legislatures has given the Tennessee General Assembly the “Online Democracy Award,” naming it the best legislative Web site in the country.

The annual award recognizes a legislature, legislative chamber or caucus whose Web site is notable for user-friendliness.

The General Assembly’s Web site, www.capitol.tn.gov, was honored for its navigation ease, depth of content and availability of information to the public. The site’s significant features include prominent educational resources, well-organized information, a simple design and its incorporation of an in-depth archive of video clips with current agendas and bill information.

The new Web site was created by NICUSA-TN, which designs, manages and markets government services and Web sites. NIC Inc. provides its eGoverment services to more than 3,000 federal, state and local agencies.

The award is sponsored by two of NCSL’s staff organizations, the National Association of Legislative Information and the Legislative Information and Communications Staff.

The General Assembly and the Tennessee Legislative Information Services Department commissioned a survey asking site users their input, and many of the hundreds of ideas submitted were used in the site’s final version.

Hollywood Casino GM Leaves for Maine Casino

John R. Osborne, 52, has left his job as general manager of Hollywood Casino Tunica to take the helm at Hollywood Slots Hotel & Raceway in Bangor, Maine, the parent company for the two casinos, Penn National Gaming Inc. announced this week.

The company said it expects to appoint a new general manager for its Tunica property shortly.

Osborne served as chief financial officer and vice president of finance and administration from 1994 to 1998 at Hollywood Tunica. He became the casino’s general manager in 1998.

Penn National has 19 gambling enterprises in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Canada.

More Community Forums Set to Discuss H1N1

The Memphis and Shelby County Health Department has scheduled a second round of community meetings where people can learn more about the H1N1 (swine flu) virus and the vaccine to prevent it.

Germantown United Methodist Church will host a meeting Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in its fellowship hall at 2331 Germantown Road S.

The Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library at 3030 Poplar Ave. will be the setting from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 12. The discussion will be held in Meeting Room A.

The library will host another meeting Oct. 15 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Meeting Room C.

Bredesen Designates October For Disability Awareness

Gov. Phil Bredesen has designated October as Disability Employment Awareness Month.

The theme of the 2009 National Disability Employment Awareness Month is “Expectation + Opportunities = Full Participation.”

Events will be held across the state to recognize and generate awareness about the talents and abilities of Tennesseans with disabilities.

The Division of Rehabilitation Services within the Department of Human Services provides vocational rehabilitation services to Tennesseans with disabilities to help maximize their contribution to the workforce.

Last year, approximately 1,700 individuals were employed after completing rehabilitation programs.

There are four Vocational Rehabilitation Centers in Shelby County that provide vocational training, physical or occupational therapy and transitional living skills. The regional office is at 170 N. Main St., third floor. The Memphis Area Career Center is at 444 N. Main St., second floor. Memphis Works is at 4189 Leroy Ave. and Mid-South ARC is at 3485 Poplar Ave., Suite 225.

The Mid-South Access Center for Technology, an assistive technology resource center, is on the University of Memphis campus at 530 Patterson St.

For more information, visit state.tn.us/humanserv/rehab/vrs.html.  

Memphis Heritage Seeks Volunteers

Memphis Heritage Inc. is seeking volunteers to show up at 9 a.m. Saturday at Howard Hall, 2282 Madison Ave.

The work entails moving items from storage in preparation for the Memphis Heritage Architectural Auction Fundraiser on Oct. 10.

Volunteers can sign up by calling 272-2727 or emailing tlim@memphisheritage.org.

The auction will include architectural pieces and historic artifacts.

CDC Recommends Pneumonia Vaccine

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reminding people of the importance of getting a pneumonia vaccine because many people who have died from H1N1 flu have had co-infections.

The CDC issued the recommendation Thursday after a study on the co-infections was published in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

“It’s really important for people, especially those at high risk for serious complications from influenza, to check with their provider when they get their influenza vaccine about being vaccinated against pneumococcus,” said Dr. Matthew Moore, a CDC epidemiologist.

The CDC report included an analysis of specimens taken from 77 fatal cases of H1N1. Bacterial co-infections were noted in about a third of those cases.