Main Street Journal - Monday, February 6, 2012

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Photo Credit: WMC
Train Derailment

 
Early Sunday morning a Norfolk-Southern train derailed along Poplar, closing off a stretch between Erin Road and Perkins Extended; traffic was affected as far as White Station. No injuries were reported. More from WMC, WREG and a photo gallery.


Shelby County Annexation: Governor Bill Haslam thinks “there are some questions about the constitutionality” of Norris-Todd II legislation, to take Memphis’ reserve annexation area. The Commercial Appeal looks at the community, Fisherville, at the center of the latest dispute. The Flyer’s Jackson Baker has the “dummies” summary, for those who need it.


Millington: In reaction to the charges against former mayor Richard Hodges, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen is considering a switch to the city manager form of government. While they have an interim mayor, some think it’s time to consider the change.


Transition Planning Commission: The Daily News’ Bill Dries sums up the situation to date.


Chancery Court Clerk: Former bookkeeper Brandon Gunn was sentenced Friday to four years and ordered to repay one million dollars as restitution for embezzlement.


City of Memphis: Over two dozen Memphis business leaders had a four-hour meeting with Obama administration leaders at the White House. ABC24 documents the incredible waste of tax money going on in the Housing and Rehabilitation Program.


Shelby County Commission: At today’s meeting, they will take another go at agreeing on a redistricting plan, was was due to have been passed by January 1. Commission agenda and website. A temporary job out of town has kept Commissioner James Harvey from meetings lately.


Beale Street Landing: Since the end of the 2010 fiscal year, costs have gone up another three-quarters of a million dollars, at least.


Tennessee: A major shake-up at the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, instigated by the governor; environmentalists disagree with the moves. State inspection reports for nursing homes are now online.


St Jude Children’s Research Hospital: Fifty years ago on Saturday, St Jude treated their first patient.


Memphis International Airport: Our “sky high airfares” are costing us in innumberable ways.


State Senator Stacey Campfield: The Commercial Appeal deploys the PolitiFactTN on one of his most obscure and dubious claims. Last week’s media notoriety caused his office phones and email to “blow up”.


Charter Schools: The Soulsville Foundation has filed a $4 million permit for construction of the Soulsville Charter School.


Nashville: Workers began pulling up the floors of the Ryman Auditorium as renovations continue.


Mo’ Money Taxes: One of the owners of the tax refund agency, Markey Grandberry, insists customer problems with refunds aren’t their fault. They claim not to be daunted by “haters”. This after promising customers would get refunds and police were called to their office. Mo’ from WMC, WREG.


Politics: Governor Bill Haslam wants to reduce six environmental boards into three. Haslam also wants to “extend more control” over independent agencies. Legislators of both parties are eager to increase Haslam’s grocery tax cut. A proposal to exempt golf courses and their equipment from State sales taxes. Two new bills would extend guns rights into automobiles and employers.

Another Democrat, State Senator Joe Haynes, has elected to not seek re-election. Haynes says he could have won, even in his redrawn district. More details in the Nashville City Paper.
 
 


Voter ID: A Republican legislator has proposed eliminating the exemption for seniors for having a photograph on their State-issued ID.


Memphis Air National Guard: A planned restructuring by the Air Force will redeploy eight C-17 transports to the Memphis airfield.


Financial: A shareholders’ meeting is planned for March 26 to vote on taking the bank private.


R. Allen Stanford: Stanford’s former CFO, James Davis, told jurors about a secret Swiss slush fund kept for “personal expenses, bribes to regulators and employee bonuses”.


Matthews v. Bergmann: After being off the air on Thursday, because the station owner turned off the transmitter, radio shock jock Thaddeus Matthews was back on Friday after getting a restraining order. Read our previous coverage of whole incident here.


Tell your friends you read it here:



NEW! ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Vote Fraud in Tennessee’s Elections: The president of the Tennessee League of Women Vothers, Margie Parsley, argues that real vote fraud is being improperly addressed by the State of Tennesse. They’ll be watching this Spring.


Online Exclusive: Comparing Health Care Costs of the Two School Systems The Shelby County Watchdog, Joe Saino, has been crunching the numbers for the health care (and benefit) costs for the two systems independently. When they merge, some hard decisions will have to be made … with your pocketbook on the line!


Online Exclusive: R-E-W-T, Root For Newt! Our tea party contributor, Ed “Doc” Holliday was in Charleston, South Carolina, for the CNN Republican presidential debate and he thinks he’s found “the Tea Party’s new prize fighter”. Do you agree?


Unemployment: The first stirrings of economic recovery are still eluding the Mid-South. More details in the Business Journal.


Suburban School Districts: Three communities–Collierville, Bartlett and Germantown–are moving closer to a May 10 referendum on their own school districts.


Unified Shelby School Board: The next meeting is Tuesday, and what to do with “surplus” school buildings and how to deal with recalcitrant suburbs are on the agenda.


Education: The Commercial Appeal prints a story co-written with The Hechinger Report (a “nonprofit, nonpartisan education news service” based in New York) on the new teacher evaluation system the State of Tennessee is using. The Hechinger Report website. Governor Haslam’s proposal to cut the limits on class size isn’t popular with educators; more from the Tennessean, the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal. The Legal Immigration Enforcement Act has been delayed until after the State budget is passed, generating the money for its implementation.


DeSoto County: Volunteers are still needed for when the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall visits in May. The County Board of Supervisors and emergency response community as calling for greater earthquake preparedness. The Board of Supervisors meet tonight. The Commercial Appeal has the Community Bulletin Board.

The Concerned Citizens of Southaven want Southaven mayor Greg Davis to leave office. City hall is developing a “siege mentality” lately. And a large crowd is expected at Tuesday’s meeting. The situation is stirring up a social media frenzy.


Shelby County Elections: A candidate’s forum will be held tonight for those running in the March 6 primary. Many voters don’t even know who their County Commissioners are! The McCorkle Road Neighborhood Development Association will host a candidate’s forum tonight.


Health Care in TN: A study of the effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (”Obamacare”) on Tennessee’s residents and health care delivery system shows it will make more people healthier but likely cost the State and citizens much more than planned. Read the report. (PDF document) There was a similar study done by Blue Cross Blue Shield Tennessee. (PDF document)


Crime: Male drunk driving continues to decline but more women are driving drunk now. Car thefts reportedly fall by half in Memphis. MPD police offer Amanda Wakham was charged with assault against her boyfriend, firing her gun and damage to a Shelby County squad car; more from ABC24.


Bartlett: The town is holding its first town hall meeting on the school feasibility study tonight.


Business: ServiceMaster will hire 6700 new and seasonal workers nationwide over the next few months; more from the Business Journal and the Daily News. The Small Business Spotlight shines this week on St Blue Guitar Workshop. The level of commitment to sharing in construction with Memphis’ minority- and women-owned companies varies greatly. A schedule of upcoming small business events.

The Daily News reports Today’s Events. The Business Journal has People on the Move. And the Commercial Appeal covers What to Do for Sunday and Monday; People in Business for Sunday and Monday; and Property Transfers.


Del-Nat Tire Corporation: The company is widening its relationship with Qingdao Doublestar Industrial Company by offering their Akuret brand of commercial truck tire.


Mississippi: Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney is pushing a bill to require insurers to give discounts to homeowners who wind-proof their homes. Joseph Ozment, the Barbour “pardonee” the State wants returned home, may fight his extradition.


Tornado Warnings: Emergency officials are aware that people are tuning out local warning sirens but aren’t doing anything about it.


Online Exclusive: The Political Silly Season: Our political and financial contributor, Chuck Bates, is already growing tired of outrageous political ads and he’s still got to survive until November!


Picture of the Day

Dave, of the ODGW Labs tries amazing foods like Mangosteen Juice Drink, Porridge in a Can and jellyfish heads, then brings the taste results back to you! If he survives. He has reaction videos! From Oh Dear God Why by Dave Neilsen. © 2012. Dave also runs the Secondhand Underground blog, about local thrift stores.

Opinion and Blogs

East Memphis Moms: Billy Orgel, of the Transitional Planning Commission, spoke at Grahamwood Elementary about to speak about the school merger and she reports his comments.


vibinc: Bridges versus wall–his thoughts on the annexation crisis.


Benito’s Wine Reviews: The authors may be friends of his, but he gives an honest review of The World in a Skillet: A Food Lover’s Tour of the New American South.


Commontaries: Thoughts on the Matthews/Bergmann media kerfuffle.


dminmem: Read the American Airlines comment that Huffington Post deleted.


Food Fight: Ooooooh…SNAP!


Just a girl in the world: Go see her this weekend in The Vagina Monologues.


Memphis, Etc: He’s found a companion site to Occupy Memphis and he has thoughts.


Richard J. Grant: “An economy that is ‘built to last’ will never be built by government.” (via the Tennessean)


Tennessean Like the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce says, “Business Is Good”.


Gail Kerr: Repeat domestic offenders need to spend a longer period in jail for their victims to adjust their lives. (via the Tennessean)


Memphis News: The time for some answers from the Transition Planning Commision, the County and State governments and the Shelby County communities that want separate school districts is on us now.


Andrea Fenise: She was on Fox13’s Good Morning Memphis to style the outfits for their Super Bowl-themed preview. She takes you behind the scenes!


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


Tom Bohs: He’d like Mitt Romney if he didn’t keep sticking his foot in his mouth? (via the Jackson Sun)


Bill Minor: A new administration from a new party means they also control appointments, doesn’t it? (via the Desoto Times Tribune)


Commercial Appeal: Governor Haslam remembers his pledge to Memphis. Pushing City leaders to get moving on Triangle Noir, but playing down the Federal funding that is the reason for the hurry. They seem to forget that Memphis once removed the County’s right to “long term best interest” with the “toy town” regulation. The TPC should listen to board member David Pickler. “Manners are becoming a lost art.”


Chris Peck: Like it or not, the suburbs are joined at the hip, and so the suburbs must be compliant? (via the Commercial Appeal)


Otis Sanford: There’s that “cabal” of legislators scheming against Memphis again….(via the Commercial Appeal)


Wendi C. Thomas: This week, Republican legislator Mark Norris is a “scheming, circus performer, contortionist, patronizing, braying, father of annexation.” (via the Commercial Appeal)


Andre K. Fowlkes: While Memphis has a lot of minority business resources, they aren’t enough, alone, to close the racial gap. (via the Commercial Appeal)


Smart Stuff 4 Work: Planning his weight-loss strategy. (via the Daily News)