Photo Credit: RMKC.com
Game, Set, Match

 
Potential new owners of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championship–”sports and entertainment conglomerate” IMG–reportedly will be moving the tournament to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The men’s tournament goes back to 1976. More reports from the Flyer, the Commercial Appeal. The ATP (men) and WTA (women) must approve. RMKC website and the Racquet Club’s website.

MCS Superintendent Dr Kriner Cash: The Charolotte Observer reported Sunday morning that Cash is one of three finalists for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools superintendent position. He will be interviewed tomorrow. The former superintendent of the CMS system, Peter Gorman, has spoken before the TPC about mergers. More reports from Fox13, the Commercial Appeal, ABC24, WMC and WREG.

Municipal School Districts: On Monday, the State Senate approved legislation allowing the County municipalities to hold referenda on creating MSDs this year. It further sets out the process for holding elections for school board members. The House has scheduled a vote on a version of the bill for tomorrow. A Berje Yacoubian poll suggests most wouldn’t want to pay for an MSD.

Transition Planning Commission: They are being lobbied by supporters of the MCS/Gates Foundation-led Teacher Effectiveness Initiative to keep the program in the unified district.

Shelby County Commission: Some news bits from an otherwise calm meeting last night.

Governor Bill Haslam: He stopped short of a full endorsement of Third District freshman Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, who is in a tough primary battle. Why did the TN State Employees Association do a sudden about-face to support civil service reforms? Haslam has received a 3200-signature petition asking him to not sign the so-called “evolution bill”. A decision is expected on that bill today. He also said he “understood” the motivation of legislators who want to drug-test welfare recipients, but didn’t explicitly support them. And he still hasn’t decided if he’ll sign the bill allowing “criticism of science” by teachers in the classroom.

Germantown: Signs of a returning residential market in the Elysium development. Six “bottle bombs” have exploded near Houston Middle School in the past week; more from WMC, WREG and again. Are they related to this urban legend?

Business: The Tennessee Valley Solar Solutions Conference starts today; more from the CA, ABC24.

People in Business and What to Do, from the Commercial Appeal. Today’s Events, from the Daily News.

Terminix: They will hold a third job fair on Wednesday, for 28 positions.

Del-Nat: A product recall for the Chaparral brand light truck tires.

Athens Distributing: Athens is buidling a new warehouse to expand and take advantage of better technologies.

Pinnacle Airlines: The big change–declaring bankruptcy–is over and now come a more predictable path of reorganisation. Questions abound about the company’s survival, though. The bankruptcy also creates some uncertainty Downtown.

International Paper: They are distancing themselves from the American Legislative Exchange Council’s non-business initiatives.

Mississippi: Citizens will soon be able to buy 8% beer; more in the CA. A bill in the State House would remove the last regulatory authority over AT&T phone lines. The State Department of Health has issued a new ruling that requires the Tdap vaccination for seventh graders. Almost a year later, parts of the state are still recovering from last year’s floods. An annexation battle is brewing in Clarksdale. It’s hoped that “hospital zones” will attract more business.

Weather: This past March is the warmest in 100 years! Allergy season is longer and stronger this year.

INTERNET EXCLUSIVE! Southpaw: When he came to Memphis in the days before his assassination, Rev Dr Martin Luther King saw the city as a launching point for radical change, a point mostly lost to popular history. We can still be those people and that city!

Internet Exclusive: What Is “Stand Your Ground”? Regular contributor Craig Harper looks at Tennessee’s “Stand Your Ground” law, telling you what it is and what it covers. Clear and factual information.

Nature: “Partially Africanised” bees have been found for the first time in the state. These are extremely aggressive, dangerous bees. What to do if you encounter them.

City of Memphis: The City is investigating home rehav money wasted by the HARP program. Mayor A C Wharton is finally looking to layoffs to balance the budget.

Trayvon Martin: Southern Baptist leader Richard Land is under fire for accusing black leaders of exploiting Martin’s death and “race baiting”.

Collierville: The tale of red rooster who has somehow chosen Gus’s Fried Chicken as his hangout. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved door to door sales; more from WMC.

Aerotropolis: Today is the 2012 annual conference for the Memphis area, discussing clustering of related industries around the airport, road and rail systems that they depend on. More from the Commercial Appeal, Fox13.

DeSoto County: Space next to the County’s tourism office in Southaven will be converted into a public park for tourists. The County’s planning office sees the early signs of economic recovery. The County Bulletin Board for Tuesday, from the CA.

Workforce Investment Network: Attorney Desi Franklin is credited with turning the troubled organisation around, especially reining in spending; more.

Ninth Congressional District: WREG’s Live @ 9 interviews Republican primary candidate William Stooksberry.

Investment: The changes at Morgan Keegan/Raymond James Financial also portend changes to the investment landscape around Memphis.

Cordova High School: A video of students flashing cash and (supposedly) gang signs is an old video from Summer 2011 that has already been investigated.

Arkansas: The towns of Earle and Forrest City have lost their “fiscally distressed schools” designations. A replica of Fort Curtis, a Civil War-era fortification in Helena-West Helena is hoped to become a tourist draw.

Politics: The head of the TN Board of Regents, John Morgan, doesn’t see a need for a State regulation preventing colleges and universities from forcing private groups on campus to open their memberships without discrimination. Bills signed by the governor last week. News bits from yesterday’s session. More on the “parents’ report card” proposal.

Chattanooga: The Volkwagen plant is conducting state- and nationwide searches for specialised trades to hire for 1000 jobs.

The Unceasing Political Race: A surprising number of Democrats filed at the last minute to challenge legislative East TN Republicans. A survey of various candidates in Dyer County.

Tennessee: According to a 2012 County Health Rankings and Roadmaps report, Shelby County was ranked 59 for “health outcomes”. Williamson County (Nashville) was ranked number one. A spike in traffic fatalities, tied with a Federal project, led to a State crackdown on traffic violations.

Real Estate: March 2012 really was an excellent month for sales. More from the Daily News.

Internet Exclusive: First-time contributor B. R. Kuhn shares a harrowing tale of mental illness to illustrate the health care model TennCare should be funding.

Wendi C. Thomas: A profile of the kind of people who will adopt a minority child with severe disabilities. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Commercial Appeal: The Unified Shelby schools must be protected from competition from charter schools, which they are apparently too fragile to handle. They declare for the “boycott” of ALEC, but in their usual weaselly, wormy, cowardly way.

Pat Nolan: Why do so many Metro Nashville councilmen also want to serve in the General Assembly? (via NewsChannel5 in Nashville)

Jackson Sun: Charter schools must be included in open meeting and open records laws. They also support the proposed law banning pre-trial diversion for public officials.

Giving Back: Jeremy focuses this week on the Salvation Army. (via the Daily News)

Ron Riley: The cubicle, even redesigned and resized, appears to ever be with us. (via the Daily News)

The Fox13 Insiders: They discuss the issues of the day.