FedEx Predicts Increase in Holiday Deliveries

FedEx expects another record for holiday-season deliveries.

The company forecast that deliveries between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve will rise 8.8 percent over last year, to 290 million shipments. That's a more subdued forecast than a year ago, when FedEx predicted 13 percent growth for the season.

Volume is expected to surge on each of the first three Mondays in December.

FedEx Corp. said the peak day is likely to be Dec. 15, when it expects to handle 22.6 million shipments around the world.

FedEx and rival United Parcel Service Inc. struggled last year with severe winter weather in early December, a shorter holiday season, and a surge in late orders that was partly due to retailers promising free delivery even for shipments close to Christmas Day.

FedEx plans to add 50,000 seasonal workers to help carry the load this year. UPS has said it will add up to 95,000 people, and Amazon said it will hire 80,000, a 14 percent jump over last year.

Memphis-based FedEx said that its holiday-shipping forecast is included in its outlook for the fiscal year ending next May. The company said last month that it expects full-year earnings of $8.50 to $9 per share, assuming moderate economic growth. Analysts expect $8.99 per share, according to a survey by FactSet.

Helane Becker, an analyst with Cowen and Co., said FedEx's share of the delivery business would increase at UPS' expense because of the problems that UPS had last year. Some UPS customers didn't get packages delivered until after Christmas.

Becker said that based on the holiday forecast, better-than-expected earnings in the June-through-September quarter, and a program of buying back shares, FedEx should raise its forecast for earnings through next May.

Memphis Sports Legend Bramlett Passes Away

John “Bull” Bramlett, who starred for the University of Memphis in football and baseball, and played in the NFL, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 23. He was 73.

“John Bramlett was a great football and baseball player for the University of Memphis, and we are deeply saddened by his passing,” Tom Bowen, director of athletics at the University of Memphis, said in a statement. “John made a lasting impression in all that he did both on the football field and in his work and ministry. God bless his family.”

Last year, the school retired Bramlett’s No. 64 jersey. A linebacker out of Humes High School in Memphis, Bramlett played for legendary coach Billy J. Murphy for four seasons at the U of M (1959-62).

A speedy and intense player, if undersized, Bramlett made the varsity squad as a freshman in 1959 and became a starter midway through the year. The Tigers finished the 1959 season with a 6-4 record with marquee wins over Florida State and Southern Miss.

During the 1960 campaign, Bramlett helped the Tigers improve to an 8-2 record and the 1961 team also posted an 8-2 mark. As a senior, Bramlett registered two pass interceptions that were returned for a total of 55 yards. The Tigers improved to 8-1 and in an important program milestone, Bramlett led the defense in allowing Mississippi State to score just seven points as Memphis State won its first game against an SEC opponent, 28-7, against the Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss.

Memphis finished the 1962 season ranked 17th in the nation by United Press International.

“Tiger Nation has lost a legendary figure in the history of Memphis sports,” said Tigers football coach Justin Fuente.

On the baseball diamond, Bramlett batted .323 or better all four years. As a senior, he batted .358, hit four home runs and stole 18 bases.

Bramlett was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and stayed in professional baseball for three years before signing a contract with the Denver Broncos in 1965. Bramlett was the runner-up for Rookie of the Year honors in the old AFL behind New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath. He went on to play seven seasons for four teams in the AFL and NFL.

Following his playing career, Bramlett became a lay evangelist. He spoke to hundreds of churches, schools, prisons and at conventions. He also led NFL and MLB chapel services for the past 40 years.

Bramlett is survived by his wife, Nancy, and his sons, Andy and Don, who were also Memphis football lettermen.

Wharton, Norris Speak at Rape Kit Summit

Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris and Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. spoke at a summit in Cleveland, Ohio, to discuss the handling of rape kit backlogs.

The summit began ran Oct. 19-21.

Norris, who is also chairman of the national Council of State Governments, sponsored legislation last year that requires law enforcement agencies to inventory their rape kits.

Experts say Memphis has one of the nation's largest known backlogs of rape kits, at more than 12,000.

Thousands of the backlogged kits have been tested since they were discovered last year, and authorities are working to identify suspects from the evidence and charge them.

Rape victims have filed a lawsuit over the untested kits.

Memphis officials say testing of old sexual assault kits has led to indictments against 26 suspects.

Apartments Push Up US Homebuilding

Construction firms broke ground on more apartment complexes in September, pushing up the pace of U.S. homebuilding.

Housing starts rose 6.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.017 million homes, the Commerce Department said. Almost all of the gains came from apartment construction – a volatile category – which increased 18.5 percent after plunging in August.

The sluggish recovery and meager wage growth has left more Americans renting instead of owning homes. Apartment construction has surged 30.3 percent over the past 12 months.

Starts for single-family houses rose just 1.1 percent in September, contributing to an 11 percent gain during the past 12 months.

Athletic/Ortho Facility Opens in Collierville

D1 Sports Holdings LLC and Ortho One Sports Medicine have teamed up to open a sports training and therapy facility in Memphis. In addition, the business is co-owned by Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Michael Oher.

D1 Memphis is the 25th national location opened by D1 Sports Holdings LLC. The D1 Memphis training operation & Ortho One Sports Medical facility is located at 85 Market Center Drive in Collierville.

The facility, which will limit its opening membership to 200, will include an indoor turf field and college-style weight room combined with a state-of-the-art sports therapy clinic geared toward athletes and athletic-type injuries.

According to marketing information, D1 specializes in making athletes faster, stronger, more agile and explosive, while also building character. D1's adult programs are suitable for any gender and fitness level, with results-driven programs geared towards weight loss, general health, strength and endurance.

D1 aims to replicate top college and pro training environments. Other pro athlete co-owners include Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Tim Tebow, Chipper Jones, Heather Mitts, Herschel Walker and Jason Witten. For more information, visit d1memphis.com.

Scores Show Mississippi Kindergarteners Lag

A first-ever look at whether Mississippi's kindergarten students are ready to learn to read shows that two-thirds are not.

Those results, released by the Mississippi Department of Education, will be used by proponents to call for more state spending on prekindergarten classes, and to tailor efforts to help students improve before third grade. By then, educators are required by state law to flunk students who don't read at least at a basic level.

"To be honest, I think it validated what I was expecting," state Superintendent Carey Wright said. "It did not surprise me that the data were as poor as they were, but it also convinced me we were headed in the right direction as far as early childhood."

State officials said they want to dig further into the numbers to see which preschools are producing well-prepared kindergartners. Right now, there is little guidance on academic preparedness for parents choosing who will care for young children.

Mississippi's new numbers come from a test of all 40,000 kindergartners in public schools, given within the first month of school this year. The state paid for the tests as part of a $1.1 million contract with Renaissance Learning.

MIFA Holiday Cards Now Available

The Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association has unveiled its annual holiday card, which features calligraphic art by Sally Jones Heinz, MIFA’s executive director.

The unique seasonal greeting card allows purchasers to make tribute gifts to MIFA in honor of friends, family members, clients or colleagues and include a handwritten, personalized message. The gifts support MIFA's programs for vulnerable seniors and families in crisis along with the nonprofit organization’s vision of uniting the community through service.

The four-color card cover art includes a calligraphy design of the words unity, love, joy and service, with the inside message “United by love. Serving with joy.”

Cards are personalized, hand-addressed and mailed by MIFA, and the requested minimum donation per card is $10. For more information or to place an order, visit mifa.org.

Bank of Bartlett Makes Promotions, Hires

Bank of Bartlett has made a round of promotions and new hires.

Jeffrey Bain has been promoted to assistant branch manager at the bank’s Wolfchase branch, 678 N. Germantown Parkway. Kevin Kelly has been promoted to item processing coordinator in the bank’s intellectual property department, Brian Knack has been promoted to staff accountant and Andrew Mullins-Williams has been promoted to assistant branch manager at the bank’s Germantown branch, 7708 Poplar Ave.

Meanwhile, new hires include David Avanzi, hired as a customer service representative at the bank’s Collierville branch, 1020 Poplar Ave. Steven Crosslin and Bailey Stephenson have been hired as business bankers, and Kacey Kidd and Jeanette Jackson have been hired as loan officers for Bartlett Mortgage.

MIFA Appoints Two to Organization’s Staff

The Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA) has appointed Andrea Hill manager of MIFA’s COOL (College Offers Opportunity for Life) program and Genevieve Hill-Thomas has joined the nonprofit organization’s staff as corporate giving development officer.

Hill came to MIFA from Atlanta, where she worked with similar college readiness programs for teens, including as director of volunteer services for Cool Girls Inc. She holds a bachelor’s degree in human services/nonprofit management from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a master’s of public administration from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga.

Hill-Thomas previously managed individual and corporate memberships and related events at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. She holds a doctorate in the history of art and African studies from Indiana University, during which time her dissertation research in Burkina Faso, West Africa was funded by a Fulbright grant. Hill-Thomas previously served as a volunteer at MIFA.

Zebra Lounge Piano Bar Opens for Business

The Zebra Lounge, a piano bar featuring live music by Memphis musicians seven nights a week, opened in Overton Square on Thursday, Oct. 23.

The original Zebra Lounge is a landmark Chicago bar founded in 1929. The Zebra Lounge ownership team, impressed with the uniqueness of Memphis and the city’s musical history and current crop of talent, tapped the Bluff City for its second location.

The Zebra Lounge is on Trimble Avenue across from the Overton Square Parking Garage at the south end of the walkway between Babalu Tacos & Tapas and Sweet Noshings.

First Tennessee Customers Can Use Apple Pay

First Tennessee Bank customers soon will be able to use their First Tennessee debit or credit card from within Apple Pay, the new digital payment service from Apple.

First Tennessee customers can add their cards to Apple Pay and then use their iPhone 6 to make purchases without the need to swipe their card or in an app without needing to enter payment and contact information.

The idea behind Apple Pay is that customers don’t share their actual credit and debit card numbers to make purchases. Instead, a device account number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored. According to First Tennessee, when a customer makes a purchase, that number and a transaction-specific dynamic security code is used to process the payment.

Apple never shares the card number with merchants. Also, the cashier never sees the customer name, card numbers or security code.

Allen, Lee Named Grizzlies Starters

The guesswork over who would start on the wings for the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 29 in the season opener vs. Minnesota at FedExForum is over. Coach Dave Joerger has named Tony Allen and Courtney Lee starters, joining point guard Mike Conley, power forward Zach Randolph and center Marc Gasol.

Veteran Vince Carter, signed as a free agent over the summer, is still nursing a tender ankle and playing lighter minutes in the preseason. But Quincy Pondexter, who missed most of last season with a knee injury and was vying for a wing starting spot, has had three straight double-digit scoring games, including an 18-point effort on Monday, Oct. 20, in Dallas, which he knocked down 3-of-7 3-pointers.

“Guys are at different points in their careers and we’ve got a lot of veterans,” Joerger said. “And at some point, I have to choose. That’s tough decisions and that’s what I signed up for.”

Asked if he was OK with coming off the bench, Pondexter said: “I don’t care, I don’t care. Whatever it takes for us to win.”

Pondexter did say he feels like he’s 100 percent recovered and that his play in the preseason has proved it.

“Have I been playing like it the last few games? I think so,” he said. “I’m back to regular form and I don’t see any weaknesses or things I’m not doing as well as before.”

Conley said Lee and Allen should fit just fine at the two and three spots, even if as a tandem they would qualify as undersized.

“Courtney and Tony can both guard,” Conley said. “So that would be the issue normally when you play small. But think they can guard two or three positions. I’m happy with what they’ve done so far.”

Mahaffey Among Fastest Growing Businesses

Mahaffey Tent & Event Rentals has been named to a list of the fastest-growing inner-city businesses in the U.S.

The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City and Fortune Magazine included the Memphis-based business at number 90 on the list of 100 businesses.

According to the ICIC, Mahaffey – which has provided tent rental services for nearly a century – reported $32.6 million in revenue for 2013 and a gross growth rate of 77 percent from 2009 to 2013.

Davidson Named Engineer for Corps of Engineers

Donny D. Davidson Jr. is the new chief of engineering and construction division for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Memphis District.

Davidson comes to the position from being chief of the Memphis District’s construction branch.

He has worked for the Corps for more than 17 years including being construction team leader for the New Orleans district in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Davidson is a graduate of the University of Memphis with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and he is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Tennessee.

Paragon Adds Partner of Wealth Solutions

Paragon Bank has added Mark Winburne as an adviser and managing partner of Paragon’s Wealth Solutions Division.

As a managing partner and wealth adviser, Winburne is responsible for developing and implementing wealth management strategies for business owners and individuals using estate, retirement and insurance planning. He’ll also create, implement and monitor financial plans for clients.

Paragon CEO Robert Shaw said Winburne’s background in financial advising as well as his civic involvement will help the bank provide clients with the highest quality service.

Clerk’s Office Employee Indicted on Federal Charges

Tammy Brooks Carpenter, an employee of the Memphis City Court Clerk’s office, faces a federal charge of embezzlement for partially voiding payments of 188 traffic tickets written by Memphis Police and keeping some of the money those drivers paid.

The indictment returned by a federal grand jury Tuesday, Oct. 22, alleges Carpenter, 41, embezzled approximately $24,000.

Because the money was allegedly taken from a local government that receives federal funds, Carpenter was charged in federal court.

The alleged scheme ran for a year starting in December 2012, according to the indictment.

Ed Stanton, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, said Carpenter was “targeting and preying upon vulnerable members of the Hispanic community,” in the scheme.

She would allegedly take a payment from a citizen paying a traffic ticket and create a record of the payment. She would then void the payment and enter a smaller amount into the system, according to the indictment, and keep the difference.

$2.4M Spent on Ads for Ballot Measures

Supporters and opponents of a proposed amendment to the Tennessee Constitution to give lawmakers more power to regulate abortion are flooding the television airwaves to try to influence voters ahead of next month's election.

A new study released by the non-partisan Center for Public Integrity finds that a total of $2.4 million has been spent to run more than 3,000 TV spots about ballot measures going before voters this election, with the vast majority of the advertising concerning the abortion amendment.

Amendment One seeks to nullify a 2000 Tennessee Supreme Court decision that found several abortion restrictions in state law at the time violated a woman's fundamental right to privacy as guaranteed in the Tennessee Constitution. The decision struck down laws requiring a two-day waiting period and mandatory physician-only counseling and those banning second-trimester abortions from taking place anywhere but a hospital.

Opponents of the amendment have spent $1.3 million to run nearly 1,400 ads, while supporters have run 730 ads at a cost of about $606,000, according to the study.

The Vote No on One group is largely funded by Planned Parenthood, while the group supporting the amendment has been organized by Tennessee Right to Life. Advertising spiked in the week surrounding the start of early voting on Oct. 15, featuring a total of 1,136 spots by both sides at a combined cost of nearly $1 million.

Supporters of another ballot measure to largely keep Tennessee's current system for merit selection of Supreme Court and appeals judges have spent about $280,000 to run 440 ads. Opponents have not run any ads on Amendment Two, nor have there been any ads on the other two amendments on the ballot seeking to ban a state income tax and to allow charitable gaming by veterans groups.

UTHSC Names Snyder Associate Dean

Dr. Clint W. Snyder has been appointed as the senior associate dean and chair for the new Department of Medical Education in the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Medicine.

In his new role as senior associate dean, Snyder oversees the Office of Medical Education, which is responsible for undergraduate medical education. He will oversee curriculum planning, evaluation and management for the four-year medical program, as well as accreditation requirements and processes for the College of Medicine.

As chair of the Department of Medical Education, Snyder will recruit, provide guidance, and promote faculty development in teaching and educational research.

UTHSC is poised to bolster its curriculum integration and active learning while increasing emphasis on its service-learning activities and required research initiatives.

Before joining UTHSC, Snyder spent more than 22 years in academic medicine at several prominent Ohio universities. Most recently, he was with Case Western Reserve University in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, where he served as interim chair, professor and vice chair.

Having published or contributed to some 25 manuscripts, book chapters or book reviews, and having provided presentations at more than 45 scholarly meetings, Snyder has received several honors and awards for his work as an administrator and instructor.

He has also garnered more than $10 million in grant funding, contributed extensively as a reviewer to various medical education journals, and led some 20 workshops and invited lectures.

Council Delays Vote on Graceland-Area Car Lot

Memphis City Council members delayed a vote Tuesday, Oct. 22, on a used car lot on Elvis Presley Boulevard near the site of the new Guesthouse at Graceland 140-room resort-style hotel.

The used car lot at 3510 Elvis Presley Blvd. would be a new site for the Hot Wheels car lot, which is farther south on Elvis Presley Boulevard on property owned by Graceland.

No citizens have objected to the move of the car lot. But some on the council wanted more information about the site and questioned whether it is development consistent with the hotel and other planned development in the area near Elvis Presley and Winchester Road.

The item is back on the council’s agenda at the council’s Nov. 4 meeting.

All-Star Game to Showcase Standouts

The 13th Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game will be played on Dec. 13 and feature more than 80 of the top players from Shelby County’s public schools and private schools in the Memphis area.

The game will be played Saturday, Dec. 13, at Memphis University School. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10, or $5 for children age 6 and younger.

Craigmont High School head football coach Cecil VanHooks will coach the Blue Team. Robby Donaldson, head football coach at First Assembly Christian School, will coach the Red Team.

Doggie Disco Highlights Harbor Town Dog Show

The Annual Harbor Town Dog Show, presented by Downtown Animal Hospital, will take place at noon Sunday, Nov. 2, at Nursery Park in Harbor Town.

“This is the 12th year of this event, and we expect to have a great show and a wonderful turnout,” said Pam Mackey, dog show organizer. “We always love supporting the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County in its work to help injured and abused animals.”

This year’s show has a disco theme and will feature the inaugural “Doggie Disco Dance Off” competition. Other categories of competition include least obedient, most glamorous, best rescue dog, most original costume and best float.

For a $45 entry fee, each dog may compete in two categories, and each category will have a maximum of 15 dogs. From each category, a first, second and third place winner will be chosen, with Best in Show being awarded to the overall winner. The entry form is available at harbortowndogshow.com.

Spectators may attend the event for free and may reserve seating in the VIP (Very Important Pooch/Parent) Green Room, which will offer gourmet food and drink, for $20.

Vendors and games will be available to entertain the entire family, and attendees are encouraged to visit with the Humane Society pets that are up for adoption.

State of Black Memphis Symposium Monday

The Memphis Urban League Young Professionals release their findings Monday, Oct. 27, in a State of Black Memphis report and symposium at the National Civil Rights Museum.

The group releases an annual report that is a compilation of data.

The symposium, which begins at 6 p.m. is a broader discussion about local issues affecting black professionals in Memphis.

It is the latest in a series of discussions across organizations in Memphis including a call in June by a coalition of black business leaders for more movement toward a greater share of business in Memphis for minority-owned local businesses.

Hattiloo Theater founder Ekundayo Bandele and Community LIFT president Eric Robertson hosted a September forum at the theater to discuss a black creative entertainment and cultural district.

And earlier this month, members of the Memphis alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. transferred their bank account of $50,000 to Tri-State Bank, the city’s oldest black-owned bank. The transfer was the first by the fraternity with a goal of $250,000 in transfers.

Downtown TGI Fridays Getting Renovations

The TGI Fridays at 185 Union Ave. Downtown is about to get some interior renovations.

The restaurant applied Oct. 21 for a $280,000 building permit with the city-county Office of Construction Code Enforcement.

York Construction Services LLC is listed as the contractor and Harrison Reasling is listed as the architect.

Tigers’ Nichols to Miss Week of Practice

University of Memphis sophomore forward Austin Nichols is expected to miss about a week of practice due to a shoulder injury.

Nichols averaged 9.3 points per game last season and was the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year. Nichols and forward Shaq Goodwin are the only returning starters from last year’s team, which finished 24-10 and lost in the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers play a Nov. 12 exhibition game vs. Christian Brothers University at FedExForum and then open the season on Nov. 18 in Sioux Falls, S.D., vs. Wichita State.

Jurex Offers Expert Witness Training For Nurses

The Jurex Center for Legal Nurse Consulting of Memphis is offering a two-day course Oct. 25 and 26 in Memphis to certify nurses and doctors to be expert witnesses and consultants in lawsuits.

The two-day course is 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Hampton Inn and Suites, 962 S. Shady Grove Road, the only time in the year that it is offered in that form.

Elizabeth G. Rudolph, the attorney and registered nurse with a master’s degree in nursing who founded Jurex in 2006, said the course is also offered on video, audio and online also through Jurex.

The certification as a professional legal nurse consultant includes 15 hours of credit.

“They can review medical records and/or testify in cases because there are so many more cases that just need medical record reviews than ever need to be testified in,” she said. “They get 15 accredited contact hours with the course.”

Completing the course also means those who are certified are on a Jurex expert directory for those searching for the nursing and medical records experts.

“They take these nursing skills they have in a wide variety of specialties and can parley them by getting the legal and the marketing knowledge that the course provides,” she added.

Medtronic Introduces Devices at Meeting

Medtronic Inc. introduced its Pure Titanium Coating platform of interbody fusion devices for the spine at the 2014 Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting in Boston.

The platform includes four products: the Capstone PTC Spinal System, Clydesdale PTC Spinal System, Anatomic Peek PTC Cervical Fusion System and Cornerstone-SR Ti- Coated Anatomical Cervical Cage.

These devices are used to treat patients experiencing pain caused by compression of the spinal cord or nerve roots by helping to restore normal disc height. Disc height restoration may reduce the pressure on the nerve roots and the spinal cord and help alleviate much of the patient’s pain.

Horseshoe Club, English Join Forces at FedExForum

FedExForum and the Memphis Grizzlies have announced a renewed and expanded signature partnership with Horseshoe Tunica that will transform the space formerly known as Lexus Lounge into the Horseshoe Club Featuring Kelly English.

The club will be a premium area for fans that is consistent with Horseshoe’s brand and guest experience found in Tunica. The Horseshoe Club Featuring Kelly English made its debut on Wednesday, Oct. 22, when the Grizzlies played the Cleveland Cavaliers in a preseason game.

The Horseshoe Club will debut a new, prix fixe menu along with a la carte bar menu offerings inspired by nationally-acclaimed chef Kelly English (Restaurant Iris).

The popular, full-service bar with specialty drinks will still be available.

Women’s Players Receive Preseason Recognition

University of Memphis women’s basketball players Ariel Hearn and Asianna Fuqua-Bey have been named to CollegeSportsMadness.com American Athletic Conference pre-season team.

Hearn was named to the second team on the CollegeSportsMadness.com preseason list, but was an American Athletic Conference all-conference honoree last season after leading Memphis in scoring (17.8 points per game), which also ranked third in the conference. Hearn also ranked fifth in the conference in steals (2.0) and fourth in three-point field goals made (2.2) and three-point field goal percentage (37.3).

Fuqua-Bey was named to the preseason fourth team after leading Memphis in rebounding last season.

Regional One Health Receives Grant

A $100,000 grant from Susan G. Komen Memphis-Mid-South will help the Regional One Health Foundation provide 1,000 free mammograms and follow-up diagnostic care for uninsured women in the Greater Memphis area.

A recent report from the American Cancer Society showed that uninsured women are not getting routine cancer screenings.

In 2013, nearly 300,000 women across the United States were diagnosed with breast cancer.

Nearly 40,000 are estimated to have died from the disease.

If detected early, the five-year survival rate is about 99 percent.

Marketing Association Approves Memphis Chapter

Memphis is now home to the 75th local chapter of the American Marketing Association.

Memphis marketers have been working since June to attain that charter from the national association. RedRover founder and CEO Lori Turner-Wilson is president of the Memphis AMA.

The local chapter fulfills professional development opportunities for Memphians employed in the marketing field.