Photo Credit: Bass Pro Shops
Shop ‘Til You Drop
Then Spend the Night

 
As the June groundbreaking date approaches, there are some changes to plans to turn the Pyramid into a Bass Pro Shops store, including adding a hotel.

Red Light District: Strong reaction to Councilman Shea Flinn’s proposal to create a special district for strip clubs.

Transition Planning Commission: Planners are having to consider taking students in unincorporated areas of the County if the suburbs form their own school systems.

Ninth Congressional District: Democratic challenger Tomeka Hart opened her campaign office last week.

Memphis City Schools: While some City officials are assuming an end to Memphis’ responsibility to the schools for funding, some believe it may be around a while.

Shelby County Commission: Steve Ross, running for the District 1, Position 3 commission seat, has filed a court motion asking the judge to adopt the 2-J redistricting map.

Juvenile Court: Federal authorities were drawn to the court by its reforms but later found “serious, systemic failures” that exposed “a fundamental misunderstanding about the purpose of juvenile court”.

Municipal Schools District: Unified School Board member Martavius Jones is asking the State Attorney General for his opinion on the constitutionality of a law (allowing referenda on forming MSDs) that only applies to Shelby County.

Memphis in May: Where Memphis stands in trading with our honored country this year, the Philippines. Secretary of Tourism, Ramon Jimenez, talks with WREG’s Live@9 about vacation tourism.

Memphis College of Art: President Ron Jones “declared a state of financial exigency” as the school can’t pay its bills.

DeSoto County: The County’s first female mayor is Lynda Austin, of Walls; more from ABC24. Greg Welsh is the man who transports the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall across the country; more on the Traveling Wall from the Desoto Times Tribune. Welcome back to Olive Branch’s Old Towne Mayfest. Youth Court is hoping for a Federal grant to improve mentoring services. Southaven is pulling dozens of developers’ bond, to work on subdivisions’ roads. The Commercial Appeal has the County Bulletin Board for Sunday.

The Governor’s Pen: More bills signed into law by Governor Bill Haslam: “gateway sexual activity”, compelling blood tests from people, tightened welfare benefits requirements, hospital privileges for abortion doctors, prescription drug abuse and raising the minimum age for kindergarten. A list of the most recent bills signed by the governor.

Nashville: Opponents of the property tax increase say the Chamber of Commerce, which is supporting Mayor Karl Dean’s tax plan, should refuse the City’s $300,000 subsidy. Dean’s tax increase is drawing a lot of fire.

US Senator Bob Corker: Only one other senator has raised more money for re-election than Corker. He’s in line for a chairman’s seat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Local Media: For the political junkies, you can watch WREG’s Informed Sources here and the Daily News’ Behind the Headlines, on WKNO, here. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette discovered that the Phillips County Sheriff’s office has failed to file some 400 arrest felony warrants..

Internet Exclusive: Southpaw: As she argues rather persuasively in this week’s column, our musical heritage in Memphis is both our blessing and our curse.

City of Memphis: A three million dollar shortfall in this year’s budget will be made worse when health care costs for City employees go up next year.

Presidential Election: Local pastors react to Barack Obama’s statement of support for gay marriage. His support in the black community appears unshaken.

Achievement School District: Two principals from the Memphis City Schools are leaving to take executive positions with the ASD.

Davies Manor: The oldest home in Shelby County unearthed a “treasure trove” of historical documents, dating back to 1792.

Mississippi: Two shootings in one week on north MS highways now have residents thoroughly spooked; more from ABC24. A variety of laws are set to take effect soon. State Representative Deborah Butler Dixon was driven to run for office by personal experiences. There is no “Obama credit” toward Entergy utility bills.

Chattanooga: Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond surrounds himself with “Friends of Jim”–several dozen relatives, campaign donors and more getting a part-timer’s salary. The spotty voting records of the candidates in the Third US Congressional District.

EDGE: The City’s and County’s economic development agency is looking at lower City contributions and now the Chamber of Commerce is being affected.

EmergeMemphis: The board of directors has offered to retain Eric Matthews as the interim director into 2013. They have suspended their search for a permanent director.

Business: Don’t just blindly hire a moving company; check them out. Two Memphis companies–AVPOL International and Mahaffey Tent & Awning–are on the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City’s top 100 list. Are research monies bypassing Memphis? If older, discouraged workers are included, Memphis’ most recent unemployment rate is 9.4%.

The Daily News reports Today’s Events. In the Business Journal, it’s People on the Move. And in the Commercial Appeal there’s What to Do and People in Business; and Property Transfers.

Amazon.com: The enormous spike in April’s tax revenues may be due to the tax bills being sent out by the company. More from the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

FedEx: They are going to sell the Office stores in Japan to Konica Minolta Holdings.

Jackson, TN: The town is worried by an increase in the number of “shots fired” incidents.

Memphis International Airport: Touting the benefits, both in carrying capacity and traffic density of the NextGen system of air traffic control.

Real Estate: The number of new home permits is rising, as is the average new home price. Out of town investors are finding Memphis homes a very attractive inestment.

Politics: Governor Bill Haslam refused to sign the Agenda 21 protest resolution because he believes it could be misconstrued. The Tennessean sees possible dissatisfaction in the Republican ranks because so many State office holders are being challenged in the primaries. Tom Humphrey of the Knoxville News-Sentinel lists some Performance Awards for the 2012 Legislature. Governor Bill Haslam claims a “cultural shift” is tainting how the media are reporting this year’s session. Work on the State Capitol will include some security upgrades.

student: revisited: Her Summer reading list. The circle of life, writing division.

The Daddler and Me: Her misadventures with a Craigslist walking date. An homage to Mama.

no rococo: Her Mother’s Day post.

Left Wing Cracker: He takes issue with a local pastor on gay marriage.

I’ll be the one in heels: She starts a course of spinal pain injections for her back problems.

Cleff Heegel PhD: A rare admission for a doctor.

Floating, Floating, and Floating With Travilis: What if friends ask you to direct a video for a crummy song?

Divers and Sundry: Bonding over an “I Love Memphis” mural.

The Insiders: Ben Ferguson and Joseph Kyles discuss the issues of the day. (via Fox13)

Knoxville News-Sentinel: Governor Haslam enjoyed success with his second-year agenda, despite tougher opposition.

Jack McElroy: Sadly, secrecy ruled most of this session of the Legislature. (via the Knoxville News-Sentinel)

Deborah Taylor Tate: Making sure that television and movies give a healthy image of women. (via the Tennessean)

Gary W. Dodd: Appreciation for motherhood transcends politics. (via the Tennessean)

Tennessean: Tennessee is one of four States that don’t have protections in place to prevent municipal annexations by cities.

Jackson Sun: Now that Tennessee is no longer accountable under the NCLB Act, don’t let standards slide for education.

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

Memphis News: A clear break is called for so that the Juvenile Court can be rebuilt.

Michael Graber & Jocelyn Atkinson: Don’t let a lack of vision and discipline keep you from crafting a business plan. (via the Daily News)

Smart Stuff 4 Work: Learn to make a decision. (via the Daily News)

Andre K. Fowlkes: Four areas of change business should be equipped to deal with. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Jill Lewis: Talk to your baby, both before and after birth. (via the Commercial Appeal)

William E. Evans: Tennesse can be a leader in exploiting out innovations and making money from them. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Otis L. Sanford: He believes Shelby County school superintendent John Aitken should become the superintendent of the unified County system. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Chris Peck: He comes so close to an important realisation about Memphis and then slides right past it. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Commercial Appeal: They argue that sometimes you have to accept a certain amount of danger and personal risk, at least for sports? They won’t endorse a red light district…yet. The earthquake of education reform is about to roll under Memphis teachers. Keeping Juvenile Court and the schools separate issues.

Marvin Stockwell: He talks about his experience learning to ride his bike to work. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Wendi C. Thomas: A child’s success is the best Mother’s Day gift of all. (via the Commercial Appeal)