Germantown Storage Buys Vacant Land in Fieldstone

Germantown Storage LLC has bought part of a 5.2-acre vacant parcel west of Hacks Cross Road from Players Crossing Partners LLC for $300,000. The sale was financed with a $1.3 million construction loan through Renasant Bank, with the note maturing in September 2030.

The property is vacant land west of Hacks Cross Road north of Haversham Way and east of Remington Court, in Fieldstone Planned Development.

The Shelby County Assessor’s 2010 appraisal of the 5.2-acre parcel is $655,200.

The property, according to the sale deed, is all or part of a parcel Players Crossing Partners bought in May 2007 for $336,624.

Source: The Daily News Online & Chandler Reports

– Kate Simone

Duncan-Williams Opens Atlanta Office

Memphis-based investment banking firm Duncan-Williams Inc. is expanding its footprint with a new branch office in Atlanta.

The firm has added a new office in Atlanta that Duncan Williams, president of Duncan-Williams Inc., believes will help position the firm towards continuing its long-term strategic growth plan.

Tom Bryan, with 35 years of experience in the financial services industry, will join Duncan-Wiliams as a senior vice president in the debt capital markets division and head up the Atlanta office. He will work under Jack Schlifer, who works in Memphis as the firm’s managing director and national sales manager.

Bryan’s experience includes 18 years at Silverton Bank in Atlanta, where he began as a senior vice president and moved up to president, CEO, board member and executive committee chairman.

“Over the past few years, I have watched the firm grow from a regional municipal dealer to a full-service investment banking firm with a national presence and aggressive growth objectives,” Bryan said. “We plan to build businesses in fixed income advisory and execution, wealth management and investment banking in the Atlanta office to service institutions and individuals in Georgia, Alabama, Florida and the Carolinas.”

Duncan-Williams, Inc. is a privately owned full-service broker dealer with stockholders equity of more than $26 million and more than $75 billion of bonds sold over the past five years. Duncan-Williams Inc. is also one of the largest female-owned investment banking firms in the nation.

– Andy Meek

WKNO to Broadcast Gov. Candidate Interviews

To help voters bone up on what they need to know about the candidates for Tennessee governor in the November election – Democrat Mike McWherter and Republican Bill Haslam – WKNO is airing two half-hour programs featuring interviews with both men.

“A Conversation with Mike McWherter: Election Edition” and “A Conversation with Bill Haslam: Election Edition” will premiere Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. on WKNO Channel 10, and will also air on public television stations across the state.

WKNO, with Nashville producer Tim Weeks, talked to the candidates in their homes. Interviewer Vicki Yates, of Nashville’s NewsChannel 5, asked the candidates to talk about everything from their public records to what they hope to achieve if elected. The candidates’ wives even talk about how they met and what makes their marriages work.

Here are the airdates and times:

The McWherter program
On WKNO/Channel 10:
Thursday, Oct. 7 at 7:00 p.m. and midnight
Friday, Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 6:30 p.m.

On WKNO2:
Saturday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 10 at 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 30 at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 31 at 3:00 p.m.

The Haslam program
On WKNO/Channel 10:
Thursday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.
Friday, Oct. 8 at 7:00 p.m. and midnight
Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m.

On WKNO2:
Saturday, Oct. 9 at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 10 at 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 31 at 3:30 p.m.

– Andy Meek

Election Challenge Lawsuits Back In Court Friday

Both sides in the two lawsuits over the Aug. 5 election results are due in Chancery Court Friday for a scheduling conference.

Both cases have been assigned to Chancellor Arnold Goldin after Chancellors Walter Evans and Kenny Armstrong recused themselves.

Ten candidates on the August ballot are challenging the election results, claiming irregularities in how the votes were counted.

Shelby County Election Commission officials have conceded electronic poll books used on Election Day to determine who voted early were mistakenly loaded with early voting lists from the May elections. That caused some voters to be turned away from polling sites early in the day.

But Election Commission chairman Bill Giannini has said the error was fixed and provisional ballots and failsafe affidavits were being used before the polls closed.

Giannini said last week the election results are valid and the problem did not affect the outcome of any race.

The candidates have contended there were problems with the computer software beyond the human error involved in downloading the wrong early voter list.

The burden is on the plaintiffs to prove there were irregularities and that there were enough irregularities to change the outcome of the races.

Deputy County Attorney Danny Presley told Goldin during a brief hearing Monday that the case must go to trial by Oct. 13 to meet standards in state law for dealing with the claim in a timely manner.

– Bill Dries

U of M to Hold Hooks Tribute

A memorial tribute to Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks will be held Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the University of Memphis’ Michael D. Rose Theatre.

The tribute will be held in conjunction with the annual open house hosted by the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the university.

Hooks, who died April 15, held the position of distinguished adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science and History at the U of M.

The Hooks Institute was founded in 1996 to honor Dr. Hooks and to preserve the history of the civil rights movement and advance the legacy of that movement.

The tribute will examine his civil rights activism, his contribution to the U of M and screen interviews with prominent public figures from a documentary produced by the Institute.

The tribute is free and open to the public.

– Taylor Shoptaw

Women’s Foundation Announces Board Members

The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis has announced its board of directors for 2010-2011.

Officers and members of the executive committee are Becky Jones West, chair of the board; Andrea Bienstock, secretary; Mary Wolff, treasurer and finance chair; Celie Althoff, policies and procedures chair; Beverly Cross, grants and research chair; Karen Garrison Goff, development chair; Lauryce Graves-McIver, board development and nominations chair; Mary H. McDaniel, at-large; Jennifer Oswalt, at-large; Susan Stephenson, Memphis HOPE development chair; Joyce Thomas, marketing and communications chair; Anita S. Vaughn, human resources chair; and Regina Walker, education and training chair.

Board members include Rebecca W. Ballou, Marcia Bowden, Mary Bowen, Shirlee M. Clark, Pamela Z. Clary, Rosemarie Fair, Poorna Gajjar, Sheila T. Harrell, Barbara R. Hyde, Linda Lazar, Ashley Le Blanc Mercer, TaJuan Stout Mitchell, Eva E. Mosby, Gayle S. Rose, Phyllis R. Scruggs, Wendy Shea, Janet Shipman, Nicole Walthour, Barrie Wexner-Wurzburg, Lisa Wheeler, Tammy O. Young.

– Taylor Shoptaw

Wal-Mart Introduces Self-Branded Wireless Plan

Wal-Mart is introducing the first cell phone plan that uses the chain’s own branding, further demonstrating its clout in getting deals from wireless carriers.

The Wal-Mart Family Mobile service will run on T-Mobile USA’s network. Unlimited calling and texting will cost $45 per month for the first line and $25 for each additional line for the family. The Wal-Mart-branded service will be offered starting next week.

– The Associated Press