Memphis Airport Partners To Help Blind Travelers

Memphis International Airport has partnered with San Diego, California-based technology company Aira to help blind and visually impaired passengers navigate the airport.

Aira is a subscription-based service for blind people in which they receive detailed information about their surroundings from a trained professional who can see their whereabouts through a pair of wearable smart glasses.

Because the subscription rates are based on the number of minutes used, much like a cellphone data plan, the airport chose to partner with Aira to provide free and unlimited usage for blind or visually impaired individuals, according to Scott Brockman, president and CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority.

The Aira partnership with MEM is the first of its kind in any airport worldwide.

“I could not be more proud of the fact that we are not only going to be the first airport in the United States to do this, but we are going to be the first in the world,” Brockman said.

– Patrick Lantrip

Komen’s 25th Annual Race for Cure Oct. 28

On Saturday, Oct. 28, Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth will hold its 25th annual Race for the Cure, which is Komen MidSouth’s largest and most-well-known platform for public donations and fundraising for breast cancer.

The morning race will be routed through Downtown Memphis with riverfront views, including one of Big River Crossing, which will glow pink the evening before to mark the occasion.

Race for the Cure has partnered with other Downtown special events to offer participants wearing the 2017 race bib a free ticket to the Greater Memphis Auto Dealers Association Car Show from Oct. 27-29 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center, as well as free admission to RiverArtsFest Oct. 27-29 on South Main Street.

In addition, race organizers have assembled a package of benefits for each participant that includes a Race for the Cure T-shirt, entry to the post-race expo at AutoZone Park, coupons to Papa Johns, and more.

Recently, Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth announced its expansion from 21 to 37 counties across West Tennessee and North Mississippi. Citizens from all new affiliate counties are invited to participate in the race, as well as those from West Memphis, Arkansas, and other neighboring cities and towns.

On the day of the race, registration will open at 7 a.m. at AutoZone Park and a slate of events will follow at 8 a.m., including a sponsor presentation, music from DJ Luis Lerma, and stretching and warm-ups led by the Grizz Girls.

The certified 5K and Family Fun 1-mile walk begin at 9 a.m., followed by timed runner winner presentations at 9:45 a.m., survivor recognition and entertainment by The Bouffants at 10:15 a.m. and a survivor brunch at 10:45 a.m.

Komen funding is dedicated to providing local breast cancer health care, education and support programs for area women and men who are underserved, uninsured or underinsured, as well as helping to fund groundbreaking research in the field.

As of Oct. 18, Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth had raised $300,000 toward its $1 million goal.

Visit komenmemphis.org to register, donate or form a team for the Memphis-MidSouth Race for the Cure.

– Don Wade

Tigers Hoops Passes Go on Sale Oct. 20

The University of Memphis will offer the Tigers Hoops Pass this season and they go on sale, Friday, Oct. 20, at 8:30 a.m.

This mobile season pass is $99 and includes a seat for each of the Tigers’ 20 home basketball games, including the exhibition game Nov. 2.

This is a nontraditional season ticket, as there are no set seat locations for each of the games. Instead, the mobile pass provides a different seat location for each of the games, with at least two games guaranteed to be in lower-bowl seats in FedExForum.

The Tigers Hoops Pass can be purchased by calling 901-678-2331, at gotigersgotix.com, or by visiting the athletic ticket office, located in the Penny Hardaway Hall of Fame.

Only 500 of the passes will be sold.

Fans can buy up to eight Tigers Hoops Passes; all passes purchased together will be seated together.

At least 12 hours before the tipoff of each home game, pass holders will receive a message with their seat locations for that specific game. Pass holders then use their mobile device for entry into the game, complete with seat assignments.

Passes will be delivered via the new Official Memphis Tigers app, now available in the Apple iTunes store. A Tigers Hoops Pass feature will be added to the app, and the tickets will be delivered there.

Visit gotigersgo.com/tigershoopspass for more information.

The Official Memphis Tigers app is available for free on Apple iTunes by searching for Official Memphis Tigers. The Android version will be available soon.

– Don Wade

Valero Refinery in Memphis Wins Top Safety Award

The Valero Memphis Refinery in South Memphis has been chosen to receive the Volunteer STAR (Safety Through Accountability and Recognition) Award, the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development has announced.

“Valero Memphis Refinery has met the evaluation standards required to receive this award by proving their ability to uphold an excellent safety record,” Burns Phillips, commissioner of the Department of Labor & Workforce Development, said in a release. “It is evident that Valero is extremely dedicated to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace.”

The Valero facility is located at 2385 Riverport Road.

The Volunteer STAR award is the state’s highest honor for workplace safety and health, and is a nationally recognized program.

The Volunteer STAR is patterned after the Occupational Health & Safety Administration’s (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program and recognizes the best of the best in the area of safety and health programming and performance.

“This is a wonderful day for the Valero Memphis Refinery, and many years in the making,” Joe Gorder, Valero’s chairman, president and CEO, said in a statement. “It is the result of lots of hard work and commitment, and I want to congratulate Josh Tulino and his team, as well as recognize his predecessor Mark Skobel for all he did to get us to this point.”

The Valero Memphis Refinery produces unleaded gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, jet fuel, ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), heavy fuel oils, and other distillates. It has 315 employees and 210 contractors at its Memphis facility. This is the first time the refinery has received the Volunteer STAR award.

“Safety is the foundation of our success at Valero,” Gorder said. “It’s about executing our safety procedures and checking on each other in the field to ensure we’re safe. The Memphis refinery has done that, and more, resulting in fewer incidents and now OSHA’s highest plant-safety recognition.”

– Daily News staff

Tennessee SBA Loans Hit $285M in Fiscal 2017

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs placed $285 million into the hands of Tennessee small businesses during fiscal year 2017, which began Oct. 1, 2016, and concluded on Sept. 30.

Throughout the year, 498 loans were approved through the SBA’s flagship 7(a) program for $275.8 million. An additional 17 loans for $8.4 million were approved through SBA’s 504 fixed-asset financing program and microloan intermediaries approved 34 loans for $734,427.

“Thanks to our lending partners, Tennessee entrepreneurs received much needed financing to start, operate, and grow their small businesses,” said

LaTanya Channel, SBA Tennessee district director. “Our lenders are vital to SBA’s mission of providing small businesses with greater access to capital throughout Tennessee.”

U.S. Bank was Tennessee’s top 7(a) lender in FY 2017 ranked by number of loans, with 66 loans approved for more than $13.5 million. Celtic Bank Corp. was second, with 32 loans approved for $8 million.

Areawide Development Corp. and Brightbridge Inc. tied for the state’s top Certified Development Company, each approving six 504 loans – Areawide Development’s loan volume was $3.3 million; Brightbridge’s volume was $2.8 million.

Pathway Lending was Tennessee’s top microloan intermediary, approving 30 loans worth $661,300.

Visit sba.gov/tn for more information.

– Daily News staff

Highline Aftermarket Expands Memphis Facility

Highline Aftermarket, a manufacturer and distributor of automotive chemicals, lubricants, parts, tools and related accessories, is expanding its existing Memphis presence and headquarters in Memphis.

Highline officials and Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe announced the $500,000 investment Wednesday, Oct. 18. The expansion and investment will bring 91 new jobs that include a consolidation of operations and new equipment at the Memphis site.

“With the growth happening in the city, we are excited to be a part of the city’s current renaissance,” said Highline president and CEO Darcy Curran in a statement.

Highline Aftermarket was formed when The Sterling Group, a Houston, Texas-based private equity investment firm, acquired DYK Automotive and Auto Aftermarket Holdings Corp. simultaneously in April 2016.

Highline’s current facility at 4500 Malone Road is 352,000 square feet. The company has more than 10,000 domestic and international customers and distributes 12 brands, including Superior Automotive, AP Auto and Twinco Romax. Highline house brands include PolyGuard, Prime Blend, Storm Shield, Sport Grip and AutoTech.

The company currently has 15 distribution centers in the U.S. and Canada. Along with the Memphis location, the closest ones are in Kansas City, Missouri, and Fort Wayne, Indiana.

– Bill Dries

U of M Files $33.5M Permit for Land Bridge

The University of Memphis has filed a $33.5 million building permit application with the Office of Construction Code Enforcement to move forward with a parking garage and a long-awaited land bridge over the Southern Avenue railroad track.

Finalized plans for the project were announced at the university’s board of trustees meeting early this month, along with a revised plan for the new recreation center, now pegged to cost $30 million.

In February, university president David Rudd sent an email stating that the increase in student fees to pay for the new rec center didn’t generate as much revenue as expected and that the project will be delayed 18 months. Costs for the project at one point grew to $60 million, while student fees only generated $15 million.

However, it was announced at the time that plans for the five-story parking garage and land bridge were still moving forward.

– Patrick Lantrip

Hustle Single-Game Tickets on Sale Oct. 21

The Memphis Hustle, the NBA G League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies, will begin selling single-game tickets for the inaugural 2017-18 season Saturday, Oct. 21, at noon. In addition, a presale will be available for Memphis Grizzlies MVPs and Memphis Hustle season-ticket members beginning Friday, Oct. 20, at 10 a.m.

Single-game tickets start at $10 and will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com, the Landers Center box office or by calling 800-745-3000 (Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone) or 901-888-HOOP.

The Hustle will play 16 of their 24 home games on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, including the first nine home games in franchise history. The home opener against the Sioux Falls Skyforce (Miami Heat) is Saturday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. The following day, the Hustle face the Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz) with tipoff slated for 5 p.m.

Following opening weekend, the Hustle will give fans the opportunity to support military troops when the team hosts Military Night, presented by Belhaven University, on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. against the defending Western Conference champion Rio Grande Valley Vipers. The Hustle will sport military-themed jerseys on the court, which will be auctioned off to benefit the State Guard Association of Mississippi.

For more information on the Memphis Hustle, visit memphishustle.com, follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@MemphisHustle) or like Memphis Hustle on Facebook.

– Don Wade

Council OKs Homes On Emmanuel Methodist Land

Memphis City Council members approved Tuesday, Oct. 17, a 21-lot single family residential planned development by Kircher-Uhlhorn Development LLC at 6610 Messick Road on part of the Emmanuel United Methodist Church property.

The council approved an allocation of $4.4 million in federal Choice Neighborhoods grant money for capital improvement projects in the South City redevelopment area, which includes the former Foote Homes and Cleaborn Homes public housing developments. Another $700,000 in city capital funding was approved and moved into place for a renovation of L.E. Brown Park in the Cleaborn Pointe at Heritage Landing development on the site of Cleaborn Homes.

And the council approved $498,800 in federal grant funding toward studying and planning for a roundabout at or near the intersection of West Georgia Avenue and Riverside Drive.

– Bill Dries

I Love Juice Bar To Open Third Location

Local smoothie spot I Love Juice Bar will open a third location inside Tennessee Brewery’s Bottle Shop when the development opens next spring.

Located at 500 Tennessee St., suite 166, I Love Juice Bar’s 867-square-foot Downtown store will offer indoor and outdoor seating, as well as grab-and-go options.

“Whenever we pick a new I Love Juice Bar location, it’s really important that we feel a synergy with the neighborhood, Scott Tashie, owner of I Love Juice Bar and City Silo Table + Pantry in East Memphis, said in a release. “We aren’t just opening a restaurant; we are creating a new community space for neighbors to meet, connect and enjoy our city.”

In addition to the Downtown location, I Love Juice Bar also operates stores in Midtown and Crosstown.

“The I Love Juice Bar concept of convenient, delicious and healthy food is exactly what our future tenants and neighbors want,” said Benjamin Orgel of Slovis and Associates.

– Patrick Lantrip

Skincare Store to Open In Trinity Shopping Center

Third-generation soap maker Carol Cook-Scobey will open her first brick-and-mortar Essentially Divine Natural Skincare store in Cordova’s Trinity Creek Shopping Center, 7865 Trinity Road, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 4:30 p.m.

Cook-Scobey began handcrafting soaps and lotions with the help of her mother and grandmother by the age of 10, and decided to turn her passion for botany and soap-making into a full-time business after raising her children.

She started Essentially Divine Natural Skincare after she noticed many of the female soldiers stationed on her husband’s base lacked basic personal care products. After becoming a hit with military families across the country, Cook-Scobey eventually felt the need to open a physical location to help keep up with demand.

Keeping with her military roots, 10 percent of every Essentially Divine purchase benefits the Military Dependents Scholarship Fund and Wounded Warrior Fund.

Trinity Creek owner Loeb Properties Inc. was represented by Aaron Petree in the lease.

– Patrick Lantrip

Breakthrough Eye Surgery Patient Rehabs in Memphis

The first patient in the United States to receive an implanted miniature telescope following cataract surgery will receive rehabilitation from an assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy in the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Health Professions.

Low-vision rehabilitation and occupational therapist Orli Weisser-Pike has specialized in low-vision rehabilitation for 14 years. She was identified by CentraSight, a treatment program that specializes in treating age-related central vision loss or macular degeneration, as the only low-vision rehabilitation therapist in the area.

The implanted miniature telescope creates a condition where each eye receives a different version of the same image and the client has to learn to use each eye for different tasks. The image in the eye with the IMT is magnified but dimmer and is used for detailed tasks such as reading. The other eye is used for mobility and scanning the environment.

Weisser-Pike’s rehabilitation plan entails teaching the client to distinguish between the two types of vision and learning which eye to use depending on the task.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Subba Gollamudi of the Eye Specialty Group in Memphis.

– Andy Meek

Memphis Faith Leaders Win Freedom of Worship Medal

Two local faith leaders are being honored for their work to foster unity between the Christian and Islamic communities in Memphis.

Rev. Steve Stone, executive director of the Memphis Friendship Foundation and former lead pastor of Heartsong Church, and Bashar Shala of the Memphis Islamic Center were jointly presented with the Franklin D. Roosevelt Freedom of Worship Medal from the Roosevelt Institute in recent days.

The Freedom of Worship Medal is one of the annual Four Freedoms Awards the New York City-based institute awards to individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to the principles President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed as essential to democracy in his historic speech to Congress in 1941: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

The friendship between Stone and Shala began in 2008 when MIC opened across the street from Heartsong in Cordova. The pair made it a priority to foster friendship and solidarity among their congregations that today manifests in the planning of the Friendship Park of Memphis, a concept imagined by the two faith communities under the collaborative nonprofit, Memphis Friendship Foundation.

“At a time when individuals in positions of influence seek to divide America’s religious communities by sowing distrust, Pastor Stone and Dr. Shala are leading by example,” Felicia Wong, president and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute, said in a written statement. “They understand that faith is not a wedge but a force that can bring meaning to our lives and bring communities together.

"Their efforts in Memphis are an inspiration and reminder of what freedom of worship can achieve when it deliberately works to build a better society and a better America.”

– Daily News staff

Rodney Baber Park To Be Expanded

The city of Memphis is preparing to expand and raise part of flood-prone Rodney Baber Park in Frayser.

The city hasn’t done any maintenance on the park, which has eight softball fields, since it was heavily damaged in 2011 flooding when the Mississippi River at Memphis reached its highest level since 1937. The park is north of the Wolf River, one of the local tributaries that also flooded that spring, and the park has seen high water periodically since then.

The city administration unveiled a tentative plan in city council committee sessions Tuesday, Oct. 17, to expand the park by buying adjacent private property. The additional land would include two lakes and dirt from the lakes would be used to raise the center of the park, where the ballfields are located, by 11 to 12 feet.

The council was to vote Tuesday on $120,000 to buy acreage on the eastern border of the park as a start toward what the administration estimates is a $5.3 million project that probably wouldn’t start moving dirt for another year.

The park is a part of the Wolf River Greenway system and one of four projects to receive part of a $60 million federal resiliency grant, funding specifically for flood-prone areas in Shelby County.

– Bill Dries

Tigers’ Hall Named AAC Defensive Player of Week

University of Memphis safety Austin Hall was chosen the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week, marking the second career weekly award for Hall.

In a 30-27 win over No. 24/25-ranked Navy, Hall finished with 10 tackles, two interceptions, one fumble recovery and one pass break-up. The two interceptions were a career high, and one of those clinched the win for Memphis as Navy was driving with less than two minutes to play. His pass break-up was on an attempted pass in the end zone.

Oct. 14 has been a career day for Hall in his two years as a Tiger. Last year on Oct. 14, as a redshirt freshman, he recovered a fumble and had 12 tackles, including three for a loss, in a road win at Tulane. After that effort, he earned his first American Player of the Week award.

– Don Wade

Ameripolitan Music Awards To be Held in Memphis

Grammy-winning rockabilly bandleader Brian Setzer will receive the Ameripolitan Master Award at the 2018 Ameripolitan Music Awards, held for the first time in Memphis at The Guest House at Graceland on Feb. 13.

The awards, now in their fifth year, previously were held in Austin, Texas.

The Ameripolitan Awards show, the culminating night of four days of festivities celebrating rockabilly, western swing, outlaw and honky-tonk music, will be hosted by Ameripolitan founder Dale Watson alongside Danielle Colby, an Ameripolitan music fan and television personality from History Channel’s “American Pickers.”

Along with Setzer, the show will feature performances by Unknown Hinson, Reverend Horton Heat, James Hand, Asleep at the Wheel and Nikki Lane.

The slate of award nominees will be announced soon, and as usual, the winners will be selected by vote by the Ameripolitan community. More performers and details for all Ameripolitan events will be released in the coming weeks.

– Andy Meek

Tennessee Lottery Reports Record-Breaking Quarter

The Tennessee Education Lottery Corp. continues to break its own records, announcing the highest first quarter since it began in January 2004.

The lottery transferred $103 million to the Lottery for Education Account for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 14.1 percent higher than the previous record set during the same period last year. Total sales were $423.7 million, up 11.8 percent over the prior year.

Drawing-style game sales reached a record $92.8 million, driven by a Powerball jackpot that grew to $758.7 million (won Aug. 23), and the launch of KENO To Go. Instant game sales hit a record $330.9 million, helped by sales of the lottery’s “Mighty Jumbo Bucks” game.

“These results are great news for education. Our ongoing success is a testament to the hard work of a dedicated team of professionals, our board of directors, retailer network, and so many others,” Rebecca Hargrove, president and CEO of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corp., said in a release.

Since its founding, the lottery has raised more than $4.3 billion to fund designated education programs, including after-school programs, college grants and scholarships and the Governor’s Drive to 55 initiatives. In addition, players have won more than $11.8 billion in prizes and lottery retailers have earned more than $1.1 billion in commissions.

– Daily News staff

EPA, Herbicide Makers Agree on Dicamba Rules

The Trump administration has reached a deal with three major agribusiness companies for new voluntary labeling requirements for a controversial herbicide blamed for damaging crops.

The Environmental Protection Agency reached an agreement with Monsanto, BASF and DuPont regarding the application of dicamba, which is used to control weeds in fields of genetically modified cotton and soybeans. Farmers who don’t buy the resistant seeds sold by the herbicide makers have complained that dicamba sprayed on neighboring properties drifts over and harms their crops, resulting in temporary bans issued last summer by state officials in Arkansas and Missouri.

“EPA carefully reviewed the available information and developed tangible changes to be implemented during the 2018 growing season,” the agency said in a media release. “This is an example of cooperative federalism that leads to workable national-level solutions.”

Under the deal, dicamba products will be labeled as “restricted use” beginning with the 2018 growing season, requiring additional training and certifications for workers applying the product to crops. The new rules will also limit when and how the herbicide can be sprayed, such as time of day and when maximum winds are blowing below 10 mph. Farmers will be required to maintain records showing their compliance with the new restrictions.

The EPA said the labels could be revised again in two years, when the current federal registration allowing dicamba to be sold in the U.S. is up for review.

Dicamba has been on the market for decades, but problems arose in recent years as farmers began to plant new seeds engineered to be resistant to the herbicide. Because it can easily evaporate after being applied, dicamba can drift by wind into neighboring fields.

– The Associated Press

Rockfon Opens $40M Miss. Manufacturing Plant

Acoustic ceiling panel manufacturer Rockfon opened its $40 million, 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Marshall County, Mississippi, on Wednesday, Oct. 18.

Located on a 100-acre site at 4594 Cayce Road in the Chickasaw Trail Industrial Park, the new facility is the company’s first North American manufacturing facility.

Rockfon’s new plant is near affiliated company Roxul’s stone wool insulation production facility, which opened in Chickasaw Trail in 2014.

– Patrick Lantrip

‘Tiger Eye’ Mural Goes Up On Highland Strip

The Highland Strip, Loeb Properties’ shopping destination just west of the University of Memphis campus, is showing its team spirit with a new “Tiger Eye” mural.

The mural, designed by the Loeb Properties team and located on the wall of Burgerim at 569 S. Highland St., was installed over several days by SignWorks Memphis using a special heat-gun application that stretched print material over the wall to adhere onto the wall face and into the mortar between the bricks.

Loeb has made over the Highland Strip in recent years and added several new tenants, including two that have signed on in recent months.

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream is under construction at 571 S. Highland, with plans to open late this year.

And Belltower Artisans, a pottery studio and coffee shop, is relocating to the strip from Minglewood Hall, with construction expected to wrap before the end of the year.

– Daily News staff

Memphis Football Cracks Associated Press Top 25

Following the University of Memphis football team’s 30-27 victory over then-No. 24 Navy, the Tigers moved into the Associated Press poll at No. 25. Memphis is 5-1 overall, 2-1 in The American Athletic Conference.

The last time Memphis was ranked in the AP poll was Nov. 8, 2015.

Memphis debuted in that year’s Associated Press top 25 poll with a 37-24 win over Ole Miss. That marked the Tigers’ first appearance in the AP Top 25 since 2004. The team then ranked in four consecutive polls (No. 18 in Week 8, No. 16 in Week 9, No. 15 in Week 10 and No. 25 in Week 11).

Memphis was knocked out of the national rankings by its next opponent – suffering a 35-34 loss at Houston. The two American Athletic Conference West Division foes will play Thursday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. in Houston in a game that will be nationally televised by ESPN.

The Tigers will not play another Saturday game until November. After Thursday’s game at Houston, the Tigers have two consecutive Friday games: Oct. 27 against Tulane at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium and Nov. 3 at Tulsa.

– Don Wade

Tigers Basketball Picked 9th in AAC

American Athletic Conference coaches don’t expect the University of Memphis men’s basketball team to be much of a factor this season, based on results of the preseason coaches’ poll released Monday, Oct. 16, at AAC Media Days in Philadelphia.

The Tigers were pegged for 9th place in the 12-team AAC, just ahead of Tulane, East Carolina and South Florida. The coaches picked Cincinnati to win the league title and new conference member Wichita State was predicted to finish second.

The coaches placed Central Florida third and Southern Methodist University fourth, UConn fifth and Houston sixth, with Temple seventh and Tulsa eighth.

Memphis has a rebuilt roster with five junior college transfers and three freshmen.

No Tiger made the preseason All-AAC teams. The Preseason Player of the Year was SMU guard Shake Milton and the Preseason Rookie of the Year was UConn guard Alterique Gilbert.

– Don Wade

Travel Site: Rhodes Among ‘Most Beautiful Campuses’

Rhodes College has won another campus beauty designation.

The college has one of the 14 “Most Beautiful College Campuses,” according to the travel website Expedia.

Selection was based on criteria that included scenery; how extensive the extracurricular scene is; the strength of “school spirit”; the school’s engagement with the wider community; and local vibes – how interested students are in exploring areas outside of campus.

Rhodes was especially praised for the part of campus called Rollow Avenue of Oaks, which includes a double row of white oak trees that leads to Palmer Hall. Also, more than 80 percent of the student body gives back in some way to the local community.

– Andy Meek

TripAdvisor Honors Flight Among Top Restaurants

Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar has been honored in TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards as one of the Top 25 Fine Dining Restaurants in the United States.

The Downtown restaurant, located at 39 S. Main St., came in at No. 17 on the list.

The Travelers’ Choice Awards were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews for restaurants over a 12-month period.

Daniel in New York City topped the list, followed by Victoria & Albert’s in Orlando, Florida, and Charleston Grill in Charleston, South Carolina.

Overall, Flight has 1,827 TripAdvisor reviews and an average rating of 4.5.

Flight Restaurant offers “flights” of almost everything on the menu, allowing multiple dining selections in a single meal. The restaurant is led by executive chef Eduardo Murillo, sous chef Michael Boren and managing partner Jack Mahoney.

Flight is open for dinner daily from 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and until 11:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sunday brunch is available from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

– Daily News staff

Cordova Dentist Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

A Cordova dentist has pleaded guilty to tax evasion and faces up to five years in federal prison.

Andrea M. Henry, who owned The Henry Polk Dental Group D.P.C. and The Smile Spa LLC, filed personal income tax returns for 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010 to 2013, but did not pay $113,781 in income and self-employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service, according to acting deputy assistant attorney general Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.

Henry also failed to pay over the employment taxes withheld from her employees’ paychecks for numerous quarters between 2006 and 2015. The IRS assessed over $160,000 in penalties against her, making her personally liable for the unpaid employment taxes.

Instead of paying the taxes owed, Henry spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on personal expenses, including private school tuition, expensive housing and luxury cars, according to the IRS. When the penalties were assessed against her, Henry stopped using personal bank accounts and began using business accounts to pay for personal expenses.

The IRS report states that in early 2011, prior to her home going into foreclosure, Henry transferred $130,000 to a nominee buyer to purchase the home on her behalf. Henry later used that same nominee and others to buy and lease exotic cars, including a Dodge Viper and a Porsche Panamera. Henry admitted to causing a tax loss of $528,882.

U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. is scheduled to sentence Henry on Jan. 12. She faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.

– Daily News staff

‘Run Women Run’ Set For Nov. 4 at Rhodes College

Tips on how to fund and shape a political campaign will be offered Nov. 4 during a nonpartisan training and networking event called “Run Women Run.”

“Run Women Run” will be held in Buckman Hall at Rhodes College from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The event is being organized by the Memphis Area Women’s Council, League of Women Voters of Memphis and Shelby County and the Memphis chapter of the Coalition of 100 Black Women. A coalition of women’s groups is supporting and endorsing the project.

Shelby County voters will see another long ballot in 2018 as candidates compete for most county offices, many school board and suburban government positions and congressional and legislative seats. The long list offers many opportunities for women to consider a run for elected office.

“Too few women serve on our city council, county commission and in our legislature,” Deborah M. Clubb, executive director of the Memphis Area Women’s Council, said in a statement. “Men can be excellent partners and even leaders on issues critical to women but the record shows that when women are engaged, the policy focus more often stays on issues at the root of poverty, violence and inequity.”

On Nov. 4, panels of local veteran elected officials and experienced campaigners will discuss strategies, take questions and share anecdotes on being women engaged in political races. Discussions will focus on why to run and how to run, financing campaigns and successfully sharing your message. Registration is $25 and begins at 8:30 a.m., including light breakfast.

– Don Wade

Renovations Begin on ShowPlace Arena

Agricenter International has begun a $6 million renovation of the ShowPlace Arena’s warm-up barn and interior main arena.

The two parts of the project are separately funded and contracted. The warm-up area is being funded by a grant from the state of Tennessee.

The interior renovations are funded by grants from both the state and Shelby County government. Those renovations include seating, concessions and restrooms.

The warm-up barn work is being designed by Fleming Architects with construction by F&F Construction.

The interior renovations are being designed by Evans Taylor Foster Childress Architects with construction by Jaycon Development Corp., with county commission approval expected soon.

As work at the facility, built in the 1980s, gets underway, Agricenter is engaged in master planning for the rest of its campus in East Memphis.

– Bill Dries

UTHSC Pharmacy College Establishes Scholarship

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy is the first among the six colleges on campus to establish and award a faculty and staff endowed scholarship.

Eighty-six percent of faculty and staff in the college contributed to the scholarship as of August 31. The college has raised more than $29,000, exceeding the endowment goal of $25,000.

Wade Dickerson, who’s in his third year of pharmacy school, is the first recipient of the scholarship. He was chosen from a pool of students who demonstrated financial need, academic aptitude, and involvement with the college and the local community.

UTHSC College of Pharmacy Dr. Marie Chisholm-Burns said the college wanted to provide an additional way for faculty and staff to give back to their students. The College of Pharmacy hopes to award the faculty and staff endowed scholarship to one student per year, and with continued contributions, it’s their goal to have the ability to award the scholarship to multiple students based on funding.

– Andy Meek