Zach Randolph Arrested, Faces Felony Pot Charge

LOS ANGELES — Veteran NBA star forward Zach Randolph was arrested on a marijuana charge after several police cars were vandalized when a large gathering became unruly at a Los Angeles housing project, authorities said Thursday, Aug. 10.

Randolph, 36, was taken into custody late Wednesday on suspicion of possessing marijuana with intent to sell, according to Los Angeles Police Department Officer Liliana Preciado.

“The charges are false and misleading,” Randolph’s agent and attorney Raymond Brothers told The Associated Press on Thursday. “We’re looking at all options to resolve this matter.”

Police on patrol observed a crowd drinking, smoking pot, blasting music and blocking streets at the Nickerson Gardens project in Watts, Preciado said.

Officers called for backup when the crowd grew and people began throwing bottles and rocks.

Five police cars and one sheriff’s vehicle ended up with smashed windows and slashed tires. No officers were hurt.

Officers also arrested Stanley Walton, 43, on suspicion of carrying a gun as an ex-convict, Preciado said. She didn’t know if Walton has an attorney.

Police recovered two guns, impounded two vehicles and seized narcotics, Preciado said.

Randolph, a 16-year NBA veteran, spent eight seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies before signing with the Sacramento Kings in July. Representatives for the Kings did not immediately return calls seeking comment Thursday.

The two-time NBA All-Star played for Michigan State University before being drafted in 2001 by the Portland Trail Blazers. Randolph also played for the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers.

– Christopher Weber, The Associated Press

FedEx Files $3 Million In Building Permits

FedEx Corp. has filed a pair of building permit applications for two separate sites in Memphis totaling $3 million.

The first permit for $1.8 million calls for modifications to an existing vehicle repair facility at 3318 Winchester Road.

The second permit, this one for $1.2 million, calls for a pre-engineered metal building to be constructed at the FedEx Hub to be used as a quick repair facility for ground vehicles.

Arthur Yeates and Ben Allen with A2H were listed as the architect and engineer on both permits.

– Patrick Lantrip

Football Tigers Scrimmage Aug. 12 at Lambuth Campus

For the second consecutive season under coach Mike Norvell, the University of Memphis football team has packed up and moved to the University of Memphis-Lambuth Campus for a three-day getaway up Interstate 40 in Jackson, Tennessee.

Memphis was to continue its normal practice schedule on Thursday and Friday morning, but there will be several team-building exercises taking place when they aren’t on the field.

“I like changing up their routine. That’s something we talk about,” Norvell said. “Especially starting as early as we have. Guys get to go be on a different field, a different surface and a different atmosphere. We have to go create our own intensity and maximize every day.”

Memphis is near the midway point of fall camp. The Tigers open the season on Aug. 31 against Louisiana-Monroe at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

During the stay at Lambuth, the team will hear from a motivational guest speaker one night and spend another night around the campfire learning more about each other.

“I think those three days last year were phenomenal for the relationships,” Norvell said. “Some of these guys have been together for four or five years and didn’t know some of the stories, some of the upbringings and some of the journeys.”

The Tigers will wrap up the week with an open scrimmage on Saturday at the Lambuth Campus football field at 10 a.m.

– Don Wade

Adler Re-Elected Chairman Of SCORE Memphis

William Adler has been re-elected chapter chairman of SCORE Memphis for a second term, the business service organization has announced.

Adler will continue to coordinate community outreach, recruiting and the chapter’s small business mentoring and workshop programs.

Adler’s return as chapter chair will continue to “have a very positive impact on SCORE Memphis,” SCORE’s CEO Kenneth Yancey said in a release.

“Adler has shown dedication to the Memphis and Mid-South business community,” Yancey said. “He will ensure the superior level of service that SCORE Memphis offers to Mid-South area businesses.”

Adler heads up the local office of The Entrepreneur’s Source, and has more than 25 years of executive management experience with area small businesses.

Other officers elected to serve at SCORE Memphis include: Joe McDonald, vice chairman; Beverly Anderson, treasurer; and Janet Cherry, secretary.

SCORE is a nonprofit association founded in 1964 that is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. It has a network of more than 350 offices and 11,000 volunteers around the country, and is supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration, so SCORE is able to deliver services at no charge or for a very low cost.

For more information, visit www.memphis.score.org or contact the SCORE Memphis office, 5100 Poplar Ave., suite 1701, at 901-544-0557.

– Daily News staff

Memphis Grizzlies Seek Public Address Announcers

The Memphis Grizzlies are accepting submissions for two public address announcers for the 2017-18 season – one with the Memphis Grizzlies and one with their NBA Developmental League, or Gatorade League, team the Memphis Hustle. The selected candidates will serve as the in-arena voice of the respective organizations for all 2017-2018 home games and will be responsible for announcing team rosters, in-game scoring and fouls, and other prepared scripts and game information.

The ideal candidate can accurately voice written scripts in a high-pressure, live game setting as well as take direction from game producers to engage the crowd through fan prompts. Enthusiasm, passion and knowledge for NBA basketball are a must. Professional voice, public address, television or radio broadcasting experience is preferred. The ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends is required.

Interested candidates must fill out the web submission form at http://on.nba.com/2umDwS2 that includes a resume, YouTube link and MP3 file attachment. Submissions must be sent by Friday, Aug. 25. After all online submissions are reviewed, finalists will be contacted to participate in a private, live audition later.

– Don Wade

Brooks Museum To Mark Eclipse

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art will mark the solar eclipse Aug. 21 in the plaza of the Overton Park museum.

The public is invited to the outdoor gathering from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Free eclipse glasses will be provided while supplies last and there will be two food trucks at the site. Those at the event are also invited to create their own drawings and images of the event.

The museum itself will not be open during the party. Those coming to the plaza should bring their own lawn chairs.

– Bill Dries

FedEx Express Job Fair To Be Held Aug. 12

FedEx Express is hosting a job fair at the Memphis World Hub Saturday, Aug. 12, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2874 Business Park Drive, Building D.

The Memphis-based shipping giant is seeking to fill 800 permanent part-time positions with hourly rates starting at $12.62 and a guaranteed minimum of 17.5 hours a week. The positions also come with medical coverage options.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old, be able to lift 75 pounds, and are subject to a background check and drug screening.

– Patrick Lantrip

Grizzlies Release Preseason Schedule

The Memphis Grizzlies will tip off its five-game 2017 preseason schedule at FedExForum against the Orlando Magic at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2.

Following the home preseason opener, the Grizzlies will travel to play the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at the Wells Fargo Arena and the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, Oct. 9. Memphis will conclude the exhibition slate with two home contests against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, Oct. 11, and New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, Oct. 13. Both games start at 7 p.m.

The NBA and Grizzlies’ regular season schedules will be announced in the next few days.

– Don Wade

City Council Approves Beale Hotel, Parking

The Memphis City Council approved Tuesday, Aug. 8, plans for a five-story, 101-room hotel and a five-level 103-space parking deck in the block of Beale Street between Fourth Street and Danny Thomas Boulevard. Original plans called for a six-story hotel building, but that was later changed.

The hotel by KNM Development Group is to be a Vib by Best Western aimed at attracting millennial travelers. The hotel and the parking deck behind it would be built on open land at 404 Beale St., directly across from Church Park.

Attorney Charles Carpenter, whose law office is next to the hotel site in the historic building that formerly housed Solvent Bank, had some concerns about the impact of construction and pilings specifically on his building. But developers said those differences were quickly resolved.

In other action, the council approved the hiring of an independent actuary to review the city’s health care plan as the administration considers a new health plan and contract for city employees.

The administration projects a $12 million savings as a result of fewer claims by city employees.

Councilman Edmund Ford Jr. pushed for the independent actuary, citing the council’s obligation to act should the savings turn out to be a deficit.

The previous council hired independent actuaries to examine administration estimates of the liability in the city’s health care benefits package that prompted the state of Tennessee to require the city to fully fund the liability over a five-year period that continues to this day.

In that case, the actuaries hired by the council came up with different numbers than the administration of then-Mayor A C Wharton.

The cost of the actuary would come from the city’s health care fund and by a preliminary estimate would be “tens of thousands of dollars,” according to city chief financial officer Brian Collins.

By the terms of Ford’s resolution, the actuary firm is to be hired and working by Aug. 22.

About six weeks into the new fiscal year, the council approved $6.5 million for street paving projects across the city. With the funding resolution, City Hall marks a return to a cycle of paving streets once every 25 years.

Just two years ago, the city was on a 40-year paving cycle.

The council again delayed a vote on a proposed convenience store with gas pumps at South Parkway and Interstate 240 by Spire Enterprises.

– Bill Dries

Hooks Institute Lands $20K For HAAMI Program

The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute at the University of Memphis has received a $20,000 grant from the SunTrust Foundation to support the Hooks African-American Male Initiative (HAAMI).

The institute launched HAAMI in 2016 to increase the retention and graduation rates of black male students at the University of Memphis. Current data shows that for first-time, full-time students who graduated within a four-year period, black males have an average graduation rate of 10.6 percent, significantly less than all other groups. The Hooks Institute’s efforts with HAAMI are intended to help create prosperity for African-American males, which in turn helps to collectively benefit the lives of all Memphians and create positive social change.

The SunTrust Foundation grant will provide general operating support for the HAAMI program as well as personal finance education, which will benefit students during their course of study and beyond graduation.

“We are incredibly grateful to SunTrust Foundation for their ongoing, generous support of the Hooks Institute and our HAAMI program,” said Hooks Institute executive director Daphene R. McFerren in a statement. “This funding will allow us to expand the program to include more students in the 2017-2018 academic year, as well as increase our focus on personal finance, which is so critically important.”

– Don Wade

Shakespeare Co. Partners With Germantown Schools

Tennessee Shakespeare Company and the Germantown Municipal School District a partnering on a multi-year education initiative that will bring an immersive Shakespeare curriculum to all fifth-, seventh- and ninth-graders.

Starting this school year, fifth- and seventh-grade students in the Germantown school district will participate in an introductory, immersive “playshop” to prepare them for experiencing a full performance of TSC’s self-created production “Shakes, Rattle, and Roll.” The show pays tribute to local heritage, linking the signature music of Memphis to the works of Shakespeare that could have inspired them.

Germantown ninth-graders, meanwhile, will take part in TSC’s Romeo and Juliet Project, a four-part interactive residency that launched at Germantown High School seven years ago and has expanded to many Shelby County schools.

The program, which transforms classrooms into playing spaces to change students’ expectations and reception of the material, begins with three sessions that engage the students in playing three different parts of the play and wraps up with a live, intimate performance of “Romeo and Juliet.”

Funding for the first year of the partnership between TSC and the Germantown Municipal School District is being provided by Milton T. Schaeffer and Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Tennessee Shakespeare Company actors and teachers will join Germantown leaders at the Aug. 19 opening of the new facility at Riverdale School, 7391 Neshoba Road.

The school will be open for tours from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. During that time, TSC will be performing excerpts from “Shakes, Rattle, and Roll” in the outdoor amphitheater. Company members will also engage students in a participatory playshop similar to the series that will be offered in Germantown schools.

– Daily News staff

Flooring Company to Close Tenn. Plant, Lay Off 215

A flooring company will close a Tennessee plant this year, resulting in 215 layoffs.

The Jackson Sun reports that Armstrong Flooring notified employees Monday that the Jackson plant will close later this year, although no specific date has been released. Armstrong Flooring communications manager Stephen Trapnell says the plant is not equipped to manufacture the products that meet current customer demand.

Trapnell says severance package discussions will take place over the next few days, and employees can apply for positions at other Armstrong locations.

The company says it will determine the future of the 81-acre facility after production is completed.

Jackson Chamber president and CEO Kyle Spurgeon and Mayor Jimmy Harris say the decision doesn’t presage a closure trend, pointing to manufacturing industries that have recently expanded their workforce.

– The Associated Press

Mahaffey Acquires $24M In Tent, Structure Assets

Memphis-based Mahaffey Fabric Structures, which rents temporary structures ranging from tents for festivals to temporary airplane hangars and blast shelters, has bought $24.2 million in assets from Classic Party Rentals.

The purchase, which includes tents, structure frames, fabric pieces and specialty structures, follows California-based Classic Party Rentals’ decision to exit the third-party event rental services business.

Founded in 1924, Mahaffey serves customers throughout North America, Mexico, the Caribbean and beyond, installing as many as 400 temporary structures in a typical year.

With the purchase, the company says it will have an expanded network of personnel and products to cover large-scale activations, corporate events, festivals, sporting events, film productions and other special events nationwide.

George Smith, executive vice president at Mahaffey Fabric Structures, called the addition of more than 3.1 million square feet of tent and structure inventory “an industry game-changer.”

“It is a unique opportunity, not only to purchase high-end assets that rarely become available, but also to expand our coverage of the special events industry – both for rentals and sub-leasing,” Smith said in a statement.

The company added that while it’s looking forward to increasing its special event coverage, it’s also open to subleasing for selling surplus inventory.

– Daily News staff

Grizzlies’ McLemore Breaks Foot, Will Miss Season Start

The Memphis Grizzlies are expected to be without guard Ben McLemore for a minimum of 12 weeks following surgery for a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. The Grizzlies said the injury occurred when he landed on another player’s foot after driving to the basket during a pick-up game in Los Angeles.

The Grizzlies signed McLemore to a two-year, $10.7 million contract this summer. The seventh overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft, McLemore averaged 9.4 points and 1.2 assists over four seasons with the Sacramento Kings. His role diminished last season under Kings coach Dave Joerger.

McLemore was penciled in as the starter for Memphis at shooting guard. Now Wayne Selden, who started in the playoffs last season as a rookie, and free agent signee Tyreke Evans figure to fight for the job. The injury to McLemore also could open up minutes for Troy Daniels and perhaps even clear a patch for veteran Tony Allen to return to the team on a contract at or slightly above the veterans’ minimum.

– Don Wade

In2Bones Gets FDA Nod For 2 Orthopedic Systems

In2Bones USA LLC, a subsidiary of Memphis-based medical device maker In2Bones Global Inc., has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance for its new fracture and correction system, which will be marketed under the 5MS Fracture Repair System and the CoLag Locking Compression Screw System brand names.

The company says the 5MS system is a plate and screw system that addresses fractures and deformities of the fifth metatarsal bone in the foot. The CoLag system, meanwhile, is a new concept in orthopedic bone fixation that creates a compression lock between the bone fragment and fracture.

In2Bones USA LLC and In2Bones SAS of Lyon, France, merged in August 2016 to form In2Bones Global Inc., headquartered in Memphis.

Since the merger, and in addition to the two new systems cleared by the FDA, the company has launched several products used in extremity surgeries.

– Daily News staff

Tenet Healthcare Reports $55 Million Loss in Q2

Tenet Healthcare Corp. on Monday, Aug. 7, reported a loss of $55 million in its second quarter.

The Dallas-based company, whose local operations include Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis and Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett, said it had a loss of 55 cents per share. Losses adjusted for one-time gains and costs came to 17 cents per share.

For the current third quarter ending in October, Tenet expects a loss of 20 cents to 35 cents per share.

The company said it expects revenue in the range of $4.6 billion to $4.8 billion for the fiscal third quarter. Analysts surveyed by Zacks expected revenue of $4.91 billion.

– The Associated Press

FedEx Sends 173 Drivers To Driving Championships

FedEx is being represented by 173 drivers hailing from all 50 states at this year’s National Truck Driving Championships, which began Tuesday and continues through Saturday, Aug. 12, in Orlando, Florida.

This is the second consecutive year FedEx will be represented by a driver from each state.

In order to compete at the National Truck Driving Championships, drivers must meet qualifying safety standards and have an accident-free driving record for at least one year prior.

“This demonstrates that the FedEx commitment to safety and excellence permeates our entire organization, and we are proud to have these men and women represent FedEx,” FedEx Corp. chairman and CEO Fred Smith said in a release.

At the competition, drivers vie for national titles in nine classes of vehicles in addition to the title of the National Grand Champion by accumulating points through a written exam, pre-trip inspection and driving-skills challenge.

– Patrick Lantrip

‘I Am a Man’ Plaza Initial Design Unveiled

The initial design of a public plaza south of FedExForum commemorating the 1968 sanitation workers strike calls for a central sculpture with the words “I Am a Man” in 15-foot-tall stainless steel letters, along with quotes from speeches by civil rights leaders on other parts of the built environment and on the letters of the sculpture.

The city of Memphis and UrbanArt Commission announced Monday, Aug. 7, that Memphis landscape architect John Jackson of JPA Inc. and Cliff Garten of California-based Cliff Garten Studio will lead the public art project, working in collaboration with Memphis spoken word artist Steve Fox.

The plaza, which takes its name from the slogan on the signs carried by the sanitation workers during the three-month strike, is currently an open lot at the corner of Hernando Street and Pontotoc Avenue, across from Clayborn Temple. It was a starting point for many of the marches sanitation workers made to City Hall during the strike. The plaza is part of the city’s larger plans to mark the 60th anniversary of the strike, including Dr. Martin Luther King’s involvement and his assassination, next year.

The design selection committee reviewed 78 applications. The process now moves to four workshops to engage the public in the specific design and text that will be used in the design elements.

The first of those sessions is Aug. 19 at New Chicago Community Development Corp., 1036 Firestone Ave., at 1 p.m. The other sessions are Aug. 24 at Orange Mound Community Center, 2572 Park Ave., at 10:30 a.m.; Aug. 29 at Clayborn Temple, 294 Hernando St., at 5:30 p.m.; and Sept. 7 at Whitehaven Community Center, 4318 Graceland Drive, at 5 p.m.

For images of the initial design, visit memphisdailynews.com.

– Bill Dries

Craft Soda Ale-8-One Expands Distribution

A craft soda with a Southern heritage spanning more than 90 years has expanded its distribution in Tennessee and now is showing up on Kroger shelves in Memphis.

Ale-8-One Bottling Co., maker of the popular ginger and citrus-based craft soda, announced that Kroger has placed it on their store shelves in Memphis and other Tennessee cities. Ale-8 is one of the South’s oldest craft sodas and has something of a cult following across the U.S.

The family-owned company based in Winchester, Kentucky, still uses a handwritten secret formula to achieve its signature taste. Notes from the company’s founder G.L. Wainscott guide his great-great nephew and current owner Fielding Rogers as he hand-mixes each batch of Ale-8-One.

“As our company grows and adds new retailers like Kroger, we will continue to remain committed to our high-quality standards and company values that have been so important to us for more than nine decades,” Ale-8-One president and chief operating officer Ellen McGeeney said in a statement about the expansion.

The Ale-8-One soft drink has been bottled in green glass in since 1926. The drink is available nationwide online, at all Cracker Barrel and World Market stores, and in select grocery stores and retailers in 46 states and Washington, D.C.

– Andy Meek

Report: Pera’s Stake in Ubiquiti Rises to $3.7B

Memphis Grizzlies majority owner Robert Pera had a good week last week.

His networking company, Ubiquiti Networks Inc., soundly beat analysts’ forecast for earnings and revenue in the fourth quarter, catapulting the stock 20 percent higher in trading on Aug. 3.

Based on his holdings in the company, Ubiquiti’s founder and CEO Pera became $600 million richer when the stock rose, hitting an intraday high of $67.80 per share. Citing FactSet, Pera owns 71 percent of the company’s stock and his stake rose to $3.7 billion, according to MarketWatch.

Ubiquiti reported fiscal fourth-quarter net income of $60.7 million, or 74 cents a share, on sales of $228.6 million, up from $185.7 million a year ago.

But the forecast for fiscal 2018, which began July 1, may have provided the most fuel for the stock’s rise. Ubiquiti forecast $1 billion to $1.15 billion in revenue and earnings of $3.70 to $4.30 a share, well above analysts’ forecast of $3.24 in earnings on sales of $938.7 million.

– Daily News staff