Photo Credit: Loeb Properties/Main Street Journal
Overton Square … Rethought

 
Developer Loeb Properties announced the upscale grocery is out at Overton Square. The “anchors” are now the movie and stage theaters; the rest will be a Peabody Place-like mix of shops and restaurants. There will be no new buildings, though the “floodwater detention/parking facility” will remain, still paid for with City funds. Plans for the old Yosemite Sam’s, now closed, have still not been publicly announced.

Shelby County Commission: What the applicant and interview process will look like for the candidates for the Unified Shelby School Board.

The Unified Shelby School Board, Phase One: A very succinct, clear and concise description from the Commercial Appeal’s Zach McMillin of the course of events from now until September 2014 involving the school board(s), the transition team, elections and more. Very helpful if you’re not clear about things. The transition committee (separate from the coming Unified Shelby School board) is looking to Louisville and New Orleans for ideas in managing Shelby County’s merger. The county’s private schools are paying close attention to the discussions. But at least four suburban municipalities are considering seperate school systems.

The MED: The executive team is now complete with the hiring of new chief medical officer, Dr Carl Getto, and senior vice president of human resources, Fred Boyd.

Crime: State Representative Barrett Rich wants criminals to serve all their sentence before being released, especially violent offenders.

Wells Fargo: More from Fox13’s Les Smith on a possible settlement between the lender and the City of Memphis.

Budget Armageddon: The Haslam administration outlined the consequences of a 30% cut in Federal money to the State. It’s not pretty: 5100 jobs cut and $4.5 billion lost to the State’s $31 billion budget. The Nashville City Paper notes “children, the intellectually disabled and the poor” would be hardest hit. $2.2 billion of those cuts may come to TennCare. More in the Commercial Appeal.

Levitt Shell: This is their 75th anniversary year and they plan to “Party Like It’s 1936″ this Saturday. Website here.
 

Planned Parenthood: The State Health Department is awarding to Planned Parenthood of Greater Memphis a Federal grant of $75,000 to treat syphilis in Shelby County.

East Shelby County Republican Club: At the club’s recent 2012 presidential straw poll, it was a runaway win for Texas governor Rick Perry.

Politics: Tennessee’s Republican Congressional delegation is pleased that the Obama Administration is eliminating deadlines for changing road signs. State Representative Steve Cohen is worried about his district moving eastward.

Lambuth Campus, University of Memphis: The Jackson Sun reports on the first days of school at the newest campus in the U of M system.

DeSoto Praryer Protest: More on the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s demand for an apology from County school superintendent Milton Kuykendall. They are also now asking the County to stop the distribution of Gideon’s Bibles. Fox13 calls it “bible thumping”. More from WREG.

Millington: The affidavit in the latest investigation over moved fuel tanks at Transmission Doctors, identifies Mayor Richard Hodges as the source of the tip. The Living in Millington blog, which has been crucial to following the story’s twists, turns and background, has so much more.

Cinnamon Davis: The attorney for the private school guidance counselor charged with having sex with a minor child, Leslie Ballin, says his client is innocent and falsely accused. (Link will also take you to her “racy” photos.)

DeSoto County: County schools found the money to restore second grade teaching assistants. Southaven mayor Greg Davis is asking the Board of Supervisiors for money back on waste disposal and certain inmate fees. Tentative approval in Olive Branch for police pay raises. “Quick and quiet” budget hearing in Southaven.

Blight: Turns out one of the biggest neglecters of property maintenance in Memphis is Shely County!

Sooner or Later, Fall Has To Come: After a record-setting hot Summer, we can look forward to a cooler, dryer Fall. The County continues with an “unhealthy” rating for ozone today.

Animal Cruelty: The Humane Society of the United States rates Tennessee one of the worst states in the nation in terms of animal treatment.

Local Media: The Tennessean’s executive editor, Mark Silverman, is leaving to take a job with the paper’s corporate parent, Gannett.

Internet Exclusive: Should Bartlett Create A School District? Regular contributor and Bartlett resident Mick Wright wonders if a special school district is the best choice for Bartlett?

Memphis v. Nashville: Teachers in the lowest performing Nashville schools wil receive financial bonuses for accepting teaching jobs in those schools. Also, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Fifth District Congressman Jim Cooper are now asking Speaker of the House Beth Harwell to intervene to make sure Middle Tennessee’s districts (including Nashville) are protected in redistricting.

Downtown: As Pinnacle Air Lines fully moves into its offices at One Commerce Square, hundreds of workers will move with them.

City of Memphis: The City doesn’t keep records of attendance for City administrative judges and so has no idea how many days of work Judge Earnestine Hunt Dorse she might have missed. The City’s budget for City court judges, via Mediaverse. (PDF document)

State Education Reform: Governor Bill Haslam says he’s “comfortable” with local school boards retaining control of authorising charter schools.

Cordova: Ground was broken yesterday on Fletcher Creek Park at Dexter Road and Chimneyrock Boulevard. Work will start in September. More details and a look at the map of the park, from WREG, and the Commercial Appeal. Related story on Cordova and the Shelby Farms Greenline.

Bartlett: The Town may annex almost all its reserve area by the end of next year, mostly to control development around the Paul Barret Parkway-Brunswick Road area.

Phone Numbers: Shelby County Government will reassign all government phone numbers to a new 222 exchange, beginning next month. It’s a cost-saving move.

Operation Safe Community: More on the launch, with Federal money and cooperation, of phase two of the anti-crime initiative, with a special emphasis on juvenile violence. It will also revive the Metro Gang Unit in some form.

Arkansas: The mayor of Widener wants to institute a sales tax to raise funds for roads and a new roof for City Hall in this poverty-stricken town of 300. Frequent trains along Highway 77 near Marion are a problem for citizens the City Council wants to fix.

CASA: The executive director of the Court Appointed Special Advocates, Keisha Walker, stepped down yesterday to accept the job of Administrator of the Shelby County Office of Early Childhood and Youth.

Business: Two Memphis-based stocks–AutoZone and Meuller Industries–set new 52-week highs. Using tactical, local branding to create a local feel for your advertising.

Today’s Events and Memphis Newsmakers, from the Daily News. The Commercial Appeal lets you know What to Do and People in Business.

Lokion Interactive: More on their acquisition of Resolute Interactive.

FedEx: Their FedEx Express subsidiary is rolling out new, higher capacity aircraft on their Asia-Europe route to bolster expected higher demand. And FedEx Freight is adding three more Mexican markets; more from the Daily News and the Commercial Appeal.

Dollar General: The discount chain easily beat expectations for net income and revenue for the 2Q.

Kroger: The grocery store giant will observe a minute of silence on Sept. 11, 2011, in honor of those who lost their lives ten years ago.

Terminix: A $1.5 million settlement has been has been approved for 1200 employees in an overtime pay dispute.

Kruger: A political flap has broken out in Canada (where Kruger is from) about the company using Canadian pension funds to back expansion in Memphis.

Tennessee: A river port expansion is being considered by Clarksville, north of Nashville on the Cumberland River. The advocacy group TN Center for Patient Safety says that patients in state hospitals are “significantly” safer than three years ago.

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?

Air Traffic Mike’s: He decided to ride out Hurricane Irene in South Jersey: Part one, part two, part three.

Bigger Than Your Head: The wine of the week.

Cara Notestine Photography: She’s got a new camera, a Canon Rebel T2i, and she’s enjoying taking photos with it.

Commontaries: Thoughts on Oyango Obama, the President’s uncle and Billy Carter wannabe.

Dinner Belles: How to sharpen and care for your knives.

East Memphis Moms: Recommendations for birthday party places for an eight-year old boy. And recomendations for handymen and appliance repair.

eat local memphis: A review of Burly’s, on Madison downtown.

Former Mean Girl Seeks Same: An embarrassing emotional reaction to the Alison Krauss concert, with the boyfriend present.

Commercial Appeal: A short editorial on the Shelby County Commission’s vote for the school merger plan that never once mentions “black or Democratic”. One “urban”, though. Earning respect.

Steve Bares: Memphis, entrepreneurship and venture capital. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Light Their Fire: She’s putting her talk into practice and joining the team ALSAC/St. Jude. (via the Daily News)

Rays of Wisdom: Using your investments for “social responsibility”. (via the Daily News)

Sid Salter: He exhorts readers to not underestimate Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Hattiesburg mayor Johnny DuPree. (via the Desoto Times Tribune)

Jackson Sun: Public school systems must change to accept the non-traditional family models that make up current society.