Photo Credit: TAPM
Meet The Mediator

 
A retired State appeals court judge, Joe G. Riley, has been appointed as the mediator for the dispute over merging City and County schools. More on his appointment from the Commercial Appeal. Riley’s listing on the TN Association of Professional Mediators website.

Memphis City Budget: A pair of fateful decisions made three years ago comes back to haunt and bedevil the City Council and Mayor. You can read the 2012 budget here, via Fox13. On his mayoral blog, Mayor A C Wharton explains his budget and his plan for “Shared Sacrifice”. Councilman Kemp Conrad has an alternative proposal: privatisation and paid time off reform. More from ABC24.

Regional Medical Center: The hospital has rebuilt its cash reserves to the point the Board of Directors’ Finance Committee wants to move some money into the capital fund.

Memphis City Schools: The school board set next Monday as the date of their annual retreat.

Architecture: A dozen Memphis buildings are being featured on the ArchDaily.com website in its Architecture City Guide feature.

Earth Day: To mark the occasion, the Memphis Farmers Market will move to City Hall for this Saturday. Nissan America will have special events at their Franklin, TN, HQ. The University of Memphis will highlight their “green internship” program that day. Official Earth Day website.

Mississippi: The Tate County Tea Party is holding an election rally this Tuesday in Senatobia.

Collierville: The Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to consider up to a 33 cent tax increase to make up for a multi-million dollar shortfall in the budget.

Memphis-Shelby County Industrial Development Board: As expected, the Mitsubishi Chemical Ionic Solutions plant got its 14-year tax freeze, with a bonus year added.

Memphis International Airport: Managers attempt to explain and justify the exorbitant costs of tickets there.

Business: What makes Memphis an aerotropolis?

In the Commercial Appeal, it’s What to Do and People in Businees. In the Daily News, Today’s Events.

Smith & Nephew: Several of the employees fired last month in a pre-emptive move by the company to prevent their taking company IP and practices to their own, new, company, are now counter-suing for either libel or lost wages .

Davis-Kidd Booksellers: The winning bidder yesterday in an auction for 9 stores owned by The Joseph-Beth Group did not purchase the Memphis location. The auction winner was a chain liquidator, Gordon Brothers. More from ABC24.

Downtown: The Center City Development Corporation approved an improvement grant, an office grant and a retail forgivable loan for two businesses.

UPDATED! Second Amendment: The House will vote on whether judges can carry their own guns into courtrooms; more from the Tennessean. When a legislative session on gun carry on campuses was postponed, many of the called witnesses stuck around for a “hallway debate” on the subject.

The Daily Helmsman gets student reaction to the debate on concealed carry on campus. Southwest Tennessee Community College issued their own statement opposing carry by permit holders. We have the full, if brief, text of University of Memphis President Shirley Raines’ comments on TN Senate Bill SB0051, allowing concealed carry of guns by permit holders on campus. The Commercial Appeal’s pro-gun control story from Sunday and a wider roundup of news reports this week from Tom Humphrey of the Knoxville News-Sentinel. More reporting from Fox13. Campus reaction, from ABC24. Via the Knoxville News-Sentinel, reaction on the UT campus.

Arkansas: Just this week, the State received almost $50 million as part of the annual Master Settlement Agreement with tobacco companies. The two injection wells shut down earlier this year, as part of a study of the swarm of small earthquakes striking north-central AR, will remain closed for a while longer.

4/20: No cute, fuzzy, funny story on the hippies puffing marijuana in Overton Park this year: the annual potfest article this time talks about drug cartels and narco-terrorism.

Financial: First quarter income for Renasant Corporation more than doubled over last year.

NEW! Internet Exclusive: Memphis Film Commission’s Linn Sitler: Main Street Journal contributor Mick Wright talks with Sitler about Getting Memphis Before the Cameras again.

Internet Exclusive: Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy: Commissioner Mulroy takes a few minutes to explain Why the Need for Public Secrecy? when it comes to County Commission business on public issues.

Food Trucks! Considerable excitement around town after the City Council gives approval to “mobile food vendors” not just downtown, but elsewhere in Memphis.

State Education Reform: On the legislative front, the bill to prevent teachers in grades K - 8 from discussing homosexuality advanced out of the Senate Education Committee.

In the Senate, the bill alternately described as “critical thinking” and “teaching creationism” was pulled from a committee vote, likely killing it for the session. The bill to replace teacher collective bargaining with a County employee manual passed out of committee but not before being blasted by the Tennessee Education Association.

Good Friday Holiday: A listing of various office and government closings for the day.

Shelby County Election Commission: Controversial (for Democrats, mostly) chairman Bill Giannini is resigning for a job with the State Department of Commerce and Insurance.

New Madrid Seismic Zone: Scientists are discovering they may not know as much as they hope about what happened in 1811-12, and what might happen today.

First Tennessee Foundation: They and ArtsMemphis will distribute $200,000 to 14 area arts organisations.

Shelby County Commission: General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson simply didn’t show up for a planned appearance with the commission over his office’s budget, ducking some “tough questions”. Commissioner Terry Roland is helping out fellow Commissioner Chris Thomas with part of his debt that led to this week’s bankruptcy filing. More on the County’s budget wrangling.

Politics: Would you like a pie chart showing where all your Federal tax dollars go? State Senator Bill Ketron is moving forward with his “anti-terrorism” bill despite objections from TN Muslims and civil liberties activists; more from TNReport. Legislation was introduced to allow campaign contributions by corporations. More on the changes to the HOPE Scholarship program.

The Haslam Administration: Governor Bill Haslam unveiled his blueprint for creating jobs, Jobs4TN; the State press release. Part of the reorganisation of the Department of Economic and Community Development announced Tuesday involves trimming 71 staffers and cutting business relocation efforts. More on the changes to the ECD from Tom Humphrey of the Knoxville News-Sentnel, the Tennessean. Governor Haslam shares his discussion with outgoing governor Phil Bredesen about sales taxes, jobs and Amazon.com. The Commercial Appeal profiles Haslam’s new commissioner of labor workforce development, Memphian Karla Davis.

County Commissioner Chris Thomas: Commissioner Thomas gives his unfiltered thoughts on the Unified school board and the merger with Memphis City Schools, wondering, So Many Questions, So Few Answers.

Roxana Saberi in Memphis: Occasional contributor Mick Wright was at the appearance of the Iranian-Japanese-American author who spent spent 100 days in an Iranian jail on trumped-up charges. He sent us this report on her life, her new book (Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran) and her experiences.

2011 Memphis Giving Guide: If you want to help but aren’t sure where to volunteer your time or donate your money, this free Memphis Giving Guide, from the Main Street Journal, can help you find the Christ-led ministries effecting social change in Memphis. (11 MB PDF document; right-click and save)

DeSoto County: The cancelled anti-Islam protest by the Tea Party of MS would have cost the County $4000. The DeSoto County Regional Utility Authority will at last take construction bids on the multimillion-dollar Johnson Creek Waste Water Treatment Facility.

I Swear: What is a parapraxis? (via the Daily News)

Rays of Wisdom: Plan for good fortune with a “windfall pledge”. (via the Daily News)

Jackson Sun: They argue for keeping 911 calls in the public record.

State Representative Joe Carr: Because the Federal government has failed so badly to protect our borders, States much take up the job. (via the Tennessean)

Because I Said So: A bike-friendly family hopes the future of Memphis is equally bike-friendly. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Wendi C. Thomas: “Yes we can!” says BTWHS. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Commercial Appeal: Talking about the City’s budget problems, they don’t actually propose any new or concrete ideas. You can help Booker T. Washington High School get President Obama a their commencement speaker and it’s this easy!

Smart City Memphis: Thoughts on why Madison Avenue needs a “road diet”. Presenting a challenge to MATA. Cultivating more minority participation in local entrepreneurship.

polar donkey: He deploys a few of his trademark maps to show how Memphis has little hope of getting its fiscal ship righted any time soon.

Joe Spake’s Daily Buzz: Interesting links from interesting people, via Joe.

Jen-sized: On the internet, people can’t always tell when you’re kidding.

Just a Girl in the World: Thoughts on folks who have no concept of public space.

Life is Awesome: She’s coming back to Memphis in just a few weeks.

No Rococo Another report from the Mobile Food Fare.

Essays for Nobody: Ed has the first episode of his podcast “People I Know” up; it’s an interesting interview with Memphis web celebrity Lindsey Turner about social media and its impact on your private life!

16 Balls in the Air: They review the book Good Enough is the New Perfect here and here.

Air Traffic Mike’s: He had one busy weekend Downtown. Our April thunderstorms.

Bigger Than Your Head: Ahhh, the wine of the week.

Biking in Memphis: A long post in support of bike lanes on Madison Avenue, with much data. Also, thoughts on the need for bike lanes.

Egotistical Whining: The self-centeredness of keeping up a good mood.

CafeKel: Letting go of the past means moving into what’s to come.