Photo Credit: WREG.com
Vision of the Future?

 
WREG visited Denver to see what a unified school system in serious reform mode might look like in Memphis. The turnaround program is called The Denver Plan. Excellent Richard Ransom report.

Memphis City Council: A second vote is scheduled on the City budget, but passage isn’t a sure thing. Also on tap, increasing the hotel-motel occupancy tax and studying a “red light district”. The Council agenda. Councilman Ed Ford Jr plans to bring up rehab funding for the Hotel Chisca (see article to right). More from the Commercial Appeal.

Mississippi Highway Safety: Police are now looking for a single individual responsible for two lethal highway shootings. He is posing as a police officer. More reports on the murders from WREG, WMC, ABC24 and again, Fox13. How to protect yourself during a traffic stop; similar stories from WMC and the Commercial Appeal.

Innovation Zone: Seven schools in the Memphis school system have been chosen for this program, Federally funded and still within the unified school district. These low-performing schools will get new practices and philosophies of operation.

Education Reform: The State has now officially left NCLB behind. Statewide, students posted small gains in 8th-grade science. Some 7000 Memphis teachers got their State evaluation scores yesterday. More from the Commercial Appeal.

Millington: The town’s Chamber of Commerce met with government trade representatives from a number of countries Monday.

Overton Park Conservancy: The Assisi Foundation has given them a $500,000 grant to stage “cultural and educational programs, activities and events”. The Foundation website. Kent Wunderlich is the newest member of the conservancy’s board.

Business: The Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives was in town filming six local eateries. Governor Bill Haslam and Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis announced a new database for job seekers: Jobs4TN; more from the CA. Memphis will be a test market for new Coca-Cola products.

The Commercial Appeal reports What to Do. The Daily News covers Today’s Events.

Verso Paper: They reported a sharp downward swing in first-quarter operating income.

Delta Air Lines: Tom Jones, president of Smart City Consulting, is using Facebook to fight high air fares from the Memphis hub. Facebook group. More stories from WMC and a Delta-friendly Commercial Appeal.

Varco Pruden Buildings: They got the contract to provide seven million pounds of steel to the Electrolux plant.

Nashville: Another group, Moving Nashville Forward, comes out in favor of the tax increase proposed by Mayor Karl Dean; more from the Tennessean. Meanwhile, Americans For Prosperity are against the increase; and more on this from the Nashville City Paper.

Mosquitos in North Nashville tested positive for West Nile virus, the earliest ever. Councilman Brady Banks had his patronising prostitution charge dismissed; more from the City Paper. Davidson County election administrator Albert Tieche was reprimanded by the State for not opening the polls one Saturday during early voting. Four Metro Councilmen are also running for the State House; can they do two public service jobs?

Exclusive: Paul Morris: Hotel Chisca: The effort to save the Hotel Chisca from the wrecking ball is back in the news and we think this column deserves republishing.
 
 

Exclusive: Conservatives Cannot Afford To Be Silent and Republicans Cannot Afford To Let Them is the message in this month’s column from our political/financial contributor Chuck Bates. It’s do or die.

Memphis Fast Forward: They are sponsoring a luncheon next week, to discuss reassessing and tweaking economic development aims and goals. The Fast Forward website.

Maxine Smith: The civil rights activist is being honored for her long devotion to the cause with an oil portrait commissioned by the Metropolitan Baptist Church.

Memphis Police Department: The number of speeding tickets issued in April soared. The City has “lost” about $600,000 in ticket revenues since the “ticket strike” began.

Overton Square: A status report on the progress of rehabilitation. Loeb Properties website on Overton Square.

Memphis in May: This is the 35th year of the landmark event.

Shelby County Commission: Attorney Keith C. Kyles has recovered from a brain tumor and is now part of the redistricting debate which he helped shape. They will discuss turning over a building to house an African-American Memphis history museum.

Economic Development Growth Engine: New president Reid Dulberger has made his first four hires.

Census: US Representative John Duncan Jr thinks the detailed monthly census questionnaire is “Orwellian” and asks intrusive questions that aren’t the Federal government’s business.

Politics: Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul will “no longer spend resources” on his campaign. He won 10% of primary votes in Tennessee. Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn appeared on ABC’s This Week on Sunday. With the General Assembly over, legislators are focusing on primaries and elections.

Weather: Meteorologist Ben Schott is the new Warning Coordinator for the National Weather Service and he wants to help everyone prepare for bad weather.

Arkansas: Supporters are gathering signatures for two constitutional amendments to allow casinos. Details from ABC24 and the CA. West Memphis is considering a new teen curfew for the Summer.

Gasoline: Prices continue to move downward. The local average is $3.41/gallon. (via Memphis Gas Prices)

American Queen: She returns to her home port today, from her maiden cruise.

Real Estate: The Daily News gives a real estate recap. The sale of the Avenue Collierville lifestyle center is proceeding.

Mississippi: Governor Phil Bryant signed a number of business growth-friendly laws; more from the CA. North Carolina’s governor Beverly Perdue spoke to Governor Bryant about her insulting remarks about MS, but didn’t apoligise. Republican State Representative Tommy Woods is retiring after 25 years, for medical reasons.

Joe Spake’s Daily Buzz: The rest of the day’s news, from all sorts of eclectic places. Also, interesting social media and tech links.

Dr Manoj Jain: He likes the new strategy of “health behavior change” ads. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Commercial Appeal: They call the Bass Pro Shops/Pyramid “a game changer for Downtown Memphis”. “Alarm” at the state of the Memphis College of Art.

Giving Back: The week’s spotlight shines on the MCS 2012 Career Internship Program and Samaritan’s Feet. (via the Daily News)

Bill Troutt: The president of Rhodes College is grateful to Memphis. (via the Daily News)

Barbara Sanders: Healing the breach in American politics. (via the Tennessean)

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

Living Loud in Midtown: There’s a new warning sign under the railroad trestle outside Cooper-Young. Using your blog to remember what to do.

matters of merrymaking: She’s guest-blogging on polka dots.

My Crazy Busy Life: Healing through motherhood. Thoughts on that Time magazine cover.

16 Balls in the Air: For this crew every day is Mother’s Day.

a belle, a bean, & a chicago dog: The Senior Hottie 2012 competition is ON!

Andrea Fenise: Do-it-yourself dyed denim inspired by Memphis graffiti.

Andrew Earles: The changing landscape of musical reviews and reviewers.

Best Memphis Burgers: A review of the hotwings at the Double J Smokehouse and Saloon.

I Love Memphis: What the Mississippi River looks like from the other end.

Lean Left: Sterilising the drug-addicted?

Memphis Foodie: A review of La Michoacana.

MemphisConnect: Memphis is the city of festivals.