Photo Credit: White House
Rapture and Pride

 
President Barack Obama’s visit to Memphis and keynote speech to the 2011 graduates of Booker T. Washington High School was formal, uplifting and boisterous all at once. More reports in the Memphis Business Journal, Daily News, the Flyer, ABC24, Fox13 and again; the Commercial Appeal and again. “Pride and excitement“; and “underdogs no more”. Students were moved to tears. Massive planning was involved. As expected, traffic was snarled Downtown, on North Main Street and along the interstate to the airport; security was tight. Snowden School and Vance Middle School students watched on TV. Student Christopher Dean, who vaulted to celebrity with his video and commencement performances, will now also get a college scholarship, thanks to local pastors. BTW alumni reactions; they were proud. The “memory of a lifetime” for BTW grads. Even if they didn’t have tickets, folks still showed up, hoping for a glimpse and lined the motorcade route. Of course, there were the capitalisers. The president put a “personal touch” on his visit.

National reports from CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Associated Press (with the President’s remarks). Photo galleries from the Tennessean, WREG. Video galleries from WREG, WMC. Transcripts of the president’s speech, from WREG, ABC24.

Dwight Moore II: This 10 year old independent journalist missed his opportunity to interview President Barack Obama, but he was in turn profiled briefly by Fox13’s Les Smith and interviewed by WMC’s Kim Clark. We’ll be hearing more from him.

Presidential Flood Meeting: While in Memphis, the president met with local leaders, emergency planners and flood victims to discuss last week’s catastrophic flooding. More reports from CNN, the LA Times, USA TODAY, WREG, WMC, ABC24, Fox13 and the Commercial Appeal.

Memphis Flood Recovery: The waters are finally pulling back but be wary still. FEMA opens its Memphis disaster recovery center today and is encouraging anyone affected by the disaster to apply for assistance. One Covington woman is old enough to remember all three major Memphis floods! Another 1937 Flood story. the water levels are low enough the regular gauge is usable again.

Memphis City Council: At today’s meeting they will vote on “placeholders” for the actual budget resolutions, yet to be finalised! The Great American Steamboat Company hopes to start operations in Memphis. The council’s agenda is here.

Memphis Grizzlies: Loss or not, fans were waiting to greet them when they got home from the NCAA Finals. Their playoff run is seen by fans as a harbinger of the future. And the Grizzlies themselves reflect on their fans and the playoffs. More from ABC24. The season over, thoughts turn to free agency.

Memphis in May: Two men were arrested at the Barbecue Cooking Contest, charged with impersonating police officers. More from ABC24.

Memphis Animal Shelter: Despite the direct involvement of mayor A C Wharton, a special consultant–Lucy Shaw–hired to straighten out problems, the dismissal of several employees and the former director, and a new director Matt Pepper, there are still serious questions about the treatment of animals there.

University of Memphis: Memphis philanthropist Avron Fogelman is donating $1.25 million to start the Avron B. Fogelman Center for Professional Career Development at the Fogelman College of Business & Economics.

DeSoto County: A “silent bike ride” protest will happen tomorrow in Hernando to commemorate those killed by motorists. The Board of Supervisors voted yesterday to expedite flood repairs. Five County schools will get new principals next year. The Commercial Appeal’s Bulletin Board for today.

Business: Several Tunica casinos now plan to re-open on Friday, including the Horseshoe and Tunica Roadhouse Casinos and Hotels and the Gold Strike Resort and Casino. Davis-Kidd is now The Booksellers at Laurelwood. Five Guys Burgers and Fries opens its first Memphis location tomorrow. The Jack Daniel Distillery is changing the label and bottle of Old No. 7.

The Commercial Appeal and What to Do. From the Daily News, Today’s Events.

The Shops at Saddle Creek: They have brought in Trademark Property Company to handle leasing and management of the Germantown center. Some demolition may be involved.

Amazon.com: The company says it remains ready to hire new workers even as State legislators threaten the company’s business. More from WPLN.

Wal-Mart: The company is rolling out a new program, “Pick Up Today”–quick in-store pickup of online inventory–and Memphis is one of the test markets.

Local Media: The Memphis Daily News won five awards from the TN Associated Press Managing Editors, including taking the entire business news category.

Online Exclusive: Joe Saino, the Shelby Watchdog: Memphis Mayor A C Wharton asked the public to offer suggestions about cutting the Memphis City budget and Joe is only to happy to provide Some Suggestions that would reduce it substantially!

Online Exclusive: George Kuykendall: The executive director of Citizens for Community Values says that it’s Game Day for Memphis in its fight against strip clubs.

Downtown: The Center City Development Corporation’s meeting tomorrow will discuss redirecting PILOT payments to infrastructure work, and a possible new furniture store.

City-County School Merger Lawsuit: The Daily News summarises where things stand, on the cusp of a major sea change in the suit.

State Education Reform: The House passed a much amended version of the original Senate bill that would push many Counties to a uniform start time for school. Shelby County’s Rep. Joe Towns had Shelby exempted. (SB1471/HB1705) Legislation now sits on the governor’s desk that would strip TN Education Association board members from the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System. The charter school movement in Nashville finds that locating a suitable building is the challenge in opening a school. Former House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh was once against teachers’ collective bargaining rights before he became a fan of it. The vote on collective bargaining was delayed until Thursday, because of President Obama’s visit to Memphis yesterday; more in the CA. Should parents have to sign off on each and every extracurricular activity their student-kids attend?

Memphis City Schools: City school bus company Durham School Services is donating $500,000 to put artificial turf on a City school.

Islam in Tennessee: Here is a transcript of the speech given last week by Geert Wilders in Madison Tennessee, warning Tennesseans about Islam gaining a foothold in America. Wilders’ website is here; background on Wilders here from the BBC.

Shelby County Commission: The vote to overhaul the County pension system has been deferred, again, to June 6.

Tennessee: A finance and marketing executive with the TN Department of Transportation, Elizabeth Hosmer, has resigned amid an investigation into misappropriated funds. The number of recidivist felons committing crimes with guns is going up and some are calling for tougher penalties.

Unemployment Benefits: Leadership in the State House will give expedited consideration to a bill to restore 20 weeks of jobless benefits to Tennesseans. The Senate has not yet decided. Democrats are pushing the legislation.

The State Budget: Aniticipating higher tax revenues in the coming months, Governor Bill Haslam has filed amendments to his budget, adding to planned spending. They are to fund many “more key services”. Governor Bill Haslam’s statement, with full breakdown of new spending.

Politics: A bill in the State Senate appears to grant monopolies to three brewers to make and market high-alcohol beers. (SB 1224) More on the fight from the Nashville City Paper. “Sweeping changes” to the way utility districts do business awaits the governor’s signature. The Senate’s “health care compact” bill is still alive.

Is it possible for the Legislature to get everything done by the end of the week?

US Senator Bob Corker: As the Federal government hits the current debt limit, he’s pushing his CAP Act even harder; TN Reps. Jim Cooper (D) and Jimmy Duncan (R) have introduced companion bills in the House.

Arkansas: Accused Army recruiter shooter Abdulhakim Muhammad’ cannot fire his current attorneys, the judge in his case has ruled.

Real Estate: The commercial real estate market is so barren in Shelby County that even empty Blockbuster’s stores can’t find new tenants.

Mississippi: The Federal judges hearing the NAACP redistricting lawsuit have basically given candidates the choice of using the current district maps or creating one overnight. The MS Gaming Commission says casinos may be back in business in Tunica later this week.

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.

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)

Gasoline: Despite rosy predictions last week, local gas prices arestaying steady at $3.77/gallon.

Mark Sorgenfrei Jr: Reviewing the earnings news for the start of the year. (via the Daily News)

Smart Stuff 4 Work: Clutter and the “broken windows” theory. (via the Daily News)

Better Business Bureau: It bears repeating–beware of flood scams! (via the Commercial Appeal)

Small Business Advocate: Don’t stifle your business with “call reluctance”. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Wendi C. Thomas: Predictably, she gushes over President Barack Obama’s visit. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Dr Manoj Jain: He reassures us that the still-present floodwaters aren’t likely to produce disease epidemics. (via the Commercial Appeal)