Photo Credit: WPLX1180.blogspot.com & mcsk12.net
Broken Trust

 
Principal Russell Heaston of Sheffield High School has been removed from his job following allegations of a sexual relationship with a former student that began when he was a student. The allegation and video were first broadcast by blogger and radio host Thaddeus Matthews and then the student repeated them on-air on WPLX. Heaston was the subject of a previous investigation earlier this year and was cleared. The Commercial Appeal has a story on Heaston’s promotion to Sheffield from American Way Middle School.

Education Failure: Following the announcement Friday that almost half of all schools in the State will not make adequate yearly progress, a waiver from national No Child Left Behind standards is being sought, making the easier Race to the Top guidelines the goal. Governor Bill Haslam, in filing the request, says it is a question of Federalism, that States are better equipped to deal with the issue. The entire Congressional delegation supports the NCLB waiver. More from WPLN. Audio of Governor Haslam and Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman’s discussing the waiver request. More from the Nashville City Paper, the Tennessean, Tom Humphrey at the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

October 6 Elections: Three would-have-been candidates–Ambi Phillips, Ian Randolph and Andrew Rome Withers–have filed complaints with Shelby County Election Commission. Two other would-be candidates also had problems. More from WKNO-FM.

Memphis isn’t the only place with voting problems. Three Nashville voters were sent to the wrong district to vote; their votes can’t be undone and they can’t revote.

Shelby County Chancery Court: The missing $850,000 that was embezzled from the office is not being paid out to those it is due until the investigation of Brandon Gunn is settled.

Economic Development: The State offered $17 million in FastTrack job traininng grants to GM who promptly trained workers not for Spring Hill, TN, but Lansing, MI.

Shelby County Sheriff’s Office: Deputy James Bishof has been charged with “aggravated sexual battery, sexual battery by an authority figure and official oppression” of a 22-year old woman. He has been relieved of duty. More from Fox13, WMC, WREG.

Memphis City Schools: Only 16% of students made Adequare Yearly Progress this year; more than half of schools failed. Kingsbury High School got a surprise makeover. Former mayor Willie Herenton speaks with ABC24 about the negotiations between the City Council and the school board. Superintendent Dr Kriner Cash released number for which programs would be cut if the City fails to pay MCS $68 million (or $78 million). More from WMC and WREG.

Millington: Alderman Mike Carruthers speaks on the investigation with Fox13 and then with WMC. WREG reports on the funeral of Rita Hodges.

Politics: As the threat of Federal default looms, States ask what happens next? Is pressuring State agnecies with “sunsetting” an illegal form of pressure? More on the effect of political yard signs on your voting. More also on the Secretary of State’s efforts to educate voters ahead of this Spring Statewide elections. Officials in Knoxville and the University of Tennessee system defend the lobbying system.

Memphis City Council: The vote is tomorrow on giving the Memphis City Schools the $68 million (or $78 million).

Tennessee: Governor Bill Haslam has been travelling around the State, handing out “non-traditional transportation projects” to communities. He expects a “big impact” in coming years from the Federal budget fight, in reduced Federal spending on States.

DeSoto County: Back-to-school shoppers packed the stores for this weekend’s State sales tax holiday. The County Board of Supervisors will be asked to apply for $1.1 million in Federal aid to help build hiking and biking trails. The Hernando Farmers Market is vying for the State’s number one spot. This Fall, the Hernando First Regional Library is presenting a number of speakers and authors on the Civil War. If the Lake Cormorant post office is closed as the USPS system plans, it takes a lot of history with it. Political candiates galore turn out for the Minor Memorial United Methodist Church’s gathering. A rising number of accidents at Ice Plant Drive and Center Street in Hernando is blamed on inadequate signage. Walls wants more than one police officer. Olive Branch is getting ready to update is comprehensive land use plan and the Social Security office there is cutting its hours. The school year is almost here.

Urban Child Institute: Their latest report is “startling” and show little improvement in “infant mortality, poverty, and teen pregnancy” in Shelby County.

State Redistricting: Shelby County’s 16 legislators could drop to 14 after redistricting.

Snake In A Car! WMC has video of a snake emerging from the hood of an SUV while driving down Sam Cooper Boulevard.

Memphis Farmers Market: A sudden jump in attendance, a loss of vendors accepting vouchers and a very hot day led to … something, either a “mob” or just a larger than expected crowd on Saturday. Their Facebook page, which now has “inflammatory comments” removed. They are also being accused of segregation and protest is being organised. It was the “Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program” that triggered the contretemps. More from WREG.

Henning Post Office Murders: The prosecution is preparing to meet with the defense of Chastain Montogomery, one of two men believed responsible for the murder of two PO workers, to announce whether they’ll seek the death penalty.

Internet Exclusive: Corporate Welfare and Government Waste: The Tennessee Center for Policy Research is an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan research organization that has just released their 2011 Pork Report on State government waste, fraud and mis-spending. The report can be read here.

Internet Exclusive: Herman Cain for President: Mississippi Tea Party activist Doctor Ed “Doc” Holliday says the only man who stands a chance of defeating President Barack Obama in 2012 is Republican candidate Herman Cain, and he lays out why.

Downtown: What happens to the Clayborn Temple could be a “bellwether” for the area known as SoFo.

Islam in the Mid-South: Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain has apologised for offending Muslim, and attacking their freedom of religion. The Council on American-Islamic Relations is asking the FBI to investigate a reported cast of “road rage”. The issue of shariah and Tennessee hits the pages of the New York Times.

Memphis City Unions: The Daily News looks at the struggle between City and unions over the budget, where it started and what happens next. Trying to explain the City’s pension system.

Shelby County: An internal audit of the County print shop shows it “lost” $324,000. No allegations of wrongdoing were made; it was a matter of internal record-keeping.

MATA: Fare hikes are coming in November. One-way fare rises to $1.75; Day Pass rises to $3.50. A public hearing is set for August 9.

Arkansas: A straight party-line vote for the new redistricting plan that reduces the number of majority-minority districts. Records show how Abdulhakim Muhammad bought his guns.

Lambuth University: On Friday, the Tennessee Board of Regents ratified the decision by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission approving the transfer of the school to State control. The next step is later this week, if the State building commission approves the transfer of the school to the University of Memphis.

Business: Be wary of the numerous tax scams out there. Memphians have the wrong skills for the post-recession recovery and lack education to learn new ones. A number of drugs will soon fall out of patent, drastically reducing their prices and saving tens of millions. The United Auto Workers are gearing up efforts to unionise the VW workers in Chattanooga.

From the Commercial Appeal, People in Business for Sunday and Monday; What to Do for Sunday and Monday; Property Transfers. People on the Move, from the Business Journal. And, in the Daily News, Today’s Events.

Merck: On Friday, the company announced 12,000 - 13,000 cuts to staff; how this will affect Memphis isn’t known yet. The cuts are part of the restructuring since the merger with Schering-Plough.

Pinnacle: They are expected to announce a loss, of 10 to 20 cents a share next week. More from the Business Journal.

Memphis International Airport: We are ranked the seventh most expensive airport by domestic fares; Memphis is approximately the 35th largest airport in the nation, by passengers. The report is here.

International Paper: Chairman and CEO John Faraci says of what IP is trying to do with Temple-Inland, “It’s not hostile. It’s unsolicited.”

Amazon.com: The company has confirmed a third distribution center, near Lebanon that will create hundreds of jobs. Governor Bill Haslam want the Federal government to act decisively on the tax collection issue, to end it or to start tax collections. More from the TN Report, the Nashville Business Journal.

Blues City Brewery: Once the home of Coors, the plant is now making “neutral malt base brews” and should be making brews for customers within a week.

AT&T: They will soon start throttling access for the roughly 5% of users who really do use “unlimited” amounts of bandwidth.

Back to School: The Pazazz Beauty Bar is offering free hair styling for girls.

University of Tennessee Health Science Center: The vast majority of stimulus funds given to the school were spent on “improving the status of our buildings”; some buildings will have to wait to be demolished.

I-69/I-269 Corridor: Officials with the DeSoto County Planning Commission want to create a “sense of place, character and identity,” with the community that springs up there.

Mississippi: The lesser-known major party candidates in the primary elections. NEMS360.com offers a “political dashboard” for their election coverage. The primaries are tomorrow. State Senator Billy Hewes, who is running for lieutenant governor, called for drug testing of State welfare recipients.

University of Memphis: Crime is on the rise in the neighborhood.

Collierville: Three town employees have been terminated for stealing gasoline used in lawn care and maintenance vehicles.

Bank of Bartlett: After losing $7.4 million so far this year, the bank has had to lay off 11 employess, reducing from 140 at its peak to a current 86.

Sales Tax Holiday: Reports on the MS holiday, from Fox13, ABC24, WMC. And Tennessee’s sales tax holiday is this weekend.

Julie Ware: This week is National Breastfeeding Week, and Shelby County has one of the nation’s lowest rates. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Wendi C. Thomas: Shaming President Obama with the specter of Rev. Martin Luther King. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Andre K. Fowlkes: Another Memphian gets suckered into chiding a Forbes “most” magazine list. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Memphis News: Open government is the ideal way, the only way, to conduct effective government.

Tom Bohs: Odds’n'ends on a Summer’s day in Madison County. (via the Jackson Sun)

Jackson Sun: Tennessee needs “truth in sentencing” laws.

Tennessean: Another plea for open government, this time in the Department of Mental Health. (via the Tennessean)

Gordon Bonnyman: Self-interested self-regulation is no substitute for disinterested public oversight. (via the Tennessean)

Scott McNutt: Here’s an idea: corporate-sponsored secession! (via the Knoxville News-Sentinel)

Chris Peck: No brag. Just fact. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Small Business Advocate: It’s all about time, and what you do with it. (via the Daily News)

Martin Harshberger: Defining effective leadership. (via the Daily News)

Giving Back: “Win-win” is no longer enough. (via the Daily News)

Bill Minor: Attacking Gregg Harper, Mississippi’s 3rd District Congressman over the AARP.

Sid Salter: Handicapping the lieutenant governor’s race. (via the Desoto Times Tribune)

Dr Scott Morris: Two families, bonded by HIV. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Commercial Appeal: Well, voter education is something we call agree on. Confirm Justic Bernice Donald to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The City Council should compromise and give the Memphis City Schools what they want. I think this editorial covers just about every base imaginable, carefully. Never mind the unemployment news, Memphis won the Vitality Index!

Ray Brown: “Civic vision plans” and the expressions of a city through its design. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Otis L. Sanford: On vacation in Washington DC. (via the Commercial Appeal)