Photo Credit: WREG
Getting Out of the Game

 
At yesterday’s Shelby County Commission meeting, they reviewed the City’s offer to buy out the County’s share of the Cook Convention Center. They approved the deal in committee and will vote in Commission next week. The committee also voted to reject a food-service contract that would lay off Division of Corrections workers. Other commission business.

Bass Pro Shops: In Monday’s City Council meeting, the scope of the BPS project was widened significantly to include multiple areas.

School Consolidation: Mediation may be part of the process of where and how the new Unified Shelby County School Board will come into being. It will cost as estimated $4 - 6 million. Both School Superintendents–Dr Kriner Cash and Dr John Aitken–are questioned about costs and timetables. Both systems vow they are cooperating with each other.

Memphis City Council: Towing companies may be in for stricter regulation. More from the Flyer. The Flyer’s Jackson Baker reports on tensions between councilmen and -women; more from WMC.

Mississippi: 4200 ounces of silver were discovered in the demolition of the First National Bank in Oxford.

Dutch Treat Luncheon: This Saturday at Jason’s Deli on Poplar, and their guest speaker is City Councilman Bill Boyd.

Memphis Zoo: Customer satisfaction surveys this Summer gave the highest marks ever to the zoo.

TVA: The board of directors is scheduled to vote on either installing expensive air scrubbers or shutting down the Allen Fossil Plant.

Business: People in Business and What to Do, courtesy of the Commercial Appeal. The Daily News reports Today’s Events.

FedEx: Their Trade Networks subsidiary, which handles “freight forwarding”, is opening officies in three locations in Europe and Asia.

Kruger, Incorporated: The company is looking to expand operations and a $40 million construction loan for their Memphis facility bodes well. More in the mCommercial Appeal.

Bartlett: Dozens of water customers got cutoff notices due to delinquent bills.

Grizzlies: Local radio broadcasts of Grizzlies games will now be on ESPN Networks thanks to a deal with Entercom Communications.

Shelby County District Attorney: Wednesday’s USA Today story about Michael Rimmer and possible prosecutorial misconduct leads to a local story about his case.

Severe Weather: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is creating “Weather Ready”, a campaign of severe-weather readiness.

DeSoto County: More on the new 911 Center. Hernando’s efforts at community fitness are getting national notice. Southaven is pursuing a State grant to build bike paths and trail. United Water will briefly take over all water treatment in the County. The County Bulletin Board, from the Commercial Appeal.

No Flag For You! A Germantown optometrist has been ordered to take down her flag display by her landlord, Tesco Property. More from WREG and the Commercial Appeal.

Survey Says: We are the 7th most financially distressed state.

Tennessee: The composite average of the state’s student ACT score dropped very slightly. The Commercial Appeal attempts to explain what happened. A national child welfare group rates the State as 39th in “taking better care of its children”; more from the Commercial Appeal.

Local Media: WKIM, an FM radio talker, is increasing its lineup of conservative radio hosts, poaching Andrew Clarksenior from KWAM. Website: WKIM and KWAM. “Nowcasting” is a trend in social media meteorology and this article features Memphis nowcaster, Erik Proseus.

NEW! INTERNET EXCLUSIVE: We present a special summary excerpt from Judge Samuel Mays’ ruling on the school consolidation case, a quick read that gets you up-to-date on the issues and challeges remaining.

Internet Exclusive: On The Money: Debt Deals, Tax Steals and Class Warfare: Our finanacial contributor Chuck Bates explains the debt ceiling debate and the deal that was made last week.

Germantown: More on the town’s exploration of a separate school district.

Livable Memphis: The Metropolitan Planning Organisation is asking for photos of cyclists and joggers using Memphis streets–good and bad. Part of Madison Avenue, closed to due a collapsed building roof and reconstruction danger, will be re-opened.

Northaven: An outburst of arson in the neighborhood has the Fire Department looking into it. Who is setting the fires? From ABC24, the locations and a map of the fires. Better map from WMC and the Commercial Appeal. In a related story, Shelby County is working to find legal remedies to abandoned and blighted properties.

EDGE: The first meeting of the Economic Development Growth Engine’s board of directors met yesterday and began the work of consolidating its member organisations. It takes the agreement of both mayors to hire and fire the president. More from Fox13, WREG and the Commercial Appeal.

Memphis Animal Shelter: Chief Administrative Officer George Little has commissioned a second audit of the shelter, upon the departure of Matt Pepper, from the Humane Society.

Arkansas: Spring floods affected the rice supply enough to bring “sticker shock” to prices. Dollar General stores are seeking permits to sell beer.

Lausanne School:They have admitted their largest, most racially diverse and international student body ever.

The Eternal Election Season: Candidates Edmund Ford Sr and Jr are operating their campaigns from the same office.

Politics: US Congressman for the Seventh District, Marsha Blackburn, speaking to an audience of small business owners, called for the repeal of Obamacare, the resignation of Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and curtailed Federal spending.

Task Force Audit: The Office of the State Comptroller found fraud, waste, abuse and missing property and money in the Drug Task Force office for Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Hardin, and Henry counties. (PDF document) Story from WREG.

Evolve Bank and Trust: Evolve becomes another local bank in the US Treasury Department’s Small Business Lending Fund network with a grant of $4.7 million.

Verizon 4G: They roll out the 4G LTE network today. More from the Commercial Appeal.

Internet Exclusive: Bloomberg’s Money: What Does It Mean For Memphis? New contributor Craig Harper tells us what to expect with Mayor Bloomberg’s grant to Memphis for fighting “juvenile handgun violence”.

Internet Exclusive: China – Capitalism in a One Party System: State Representative Mark White returned from a trip to China with observations on how can you keep a one-party state happy when the young have tasted democracy?

Antenna Club: From punk rock club to upscale photography studioe–what a long, strange trip it’s been.

Joe Spake’s Daily Buzz: The rest of the day’s news, from all sorts of eclectic places.

Rays of Wisdom: It’s up to parents to raise money-wise kids. (via the Daily News)

I Swear: Reader email. (via the Daily News)

Commercial Appeal: The Memphis City Schools have a lot to accomplish in their remaining two years. Congratulations to Corey Strong.

Wendi C. Thomas: Personalising a story about lay-offs in the City schools. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Because I Said So: The kids’ aim is suspiciously bad. (via the Commercial Appeal)

The Soundcheck And the Fury: An ode to August 16.

The MakeShift Revolution: Conversation with very young children.

The Daddler And Me: Melancholy and alcohol. Sending you child off to college.

Spillmanville Eats: Turkey time? Turkey time?

Smart City Memphis: Midtown in Memphis’ funzone. More hating on Shelby Countians who aren’t Memphians.

sharp stick in the eye: Juliette is here! Congratulations.

Paul Ryburn’s Journal: A potpourri of Downtown news. A review of Sunday brunch at Texas de Brazil and another for the pla-dook at Thai Bistro.

Pam Plants a Garden: A watermelon update.

Notes from Memphis: Some notable Downtown rooftops.

I’ll be the one in heels: The hardest part of parenting is letting them go.

Just A Girl in the World: “The standards may have slipped around here, but it hasn’t come to that.”

Memphisotan: What’s she been doing this Summer? Writing!

Midtown Stomp: The first rule of wine and beer club is don’t be afraid of reactions. How a wine blogger is made.

NMissCommentor: Thoughts on misconduct among prosecutors.