Photo Credit: WMC.com
One Weekend in May

 
This year’s Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest may set records. Fox13 has a report from Friday afternoon. Local teams, all from DeSoto County, won the top three awards in the contest; more on the winners from Fox13. For a change, it was a hot, dry weekend. Two traithlon trainers were arrested for swimming in the Mississippi River during BBQ Fest.

Shelby County Commission: They will meet this afternoon to discuss the County’s budget. The meeting agenda.

Memphis International Airport: Late last week, Fitch Ratings downgraded the airports bonds from A+ to A. They also gave the airport a “negative” ratings outlook. More from the Business Journal.

Memphis Budget: As a cost-saving measure, at least for Memphis, Councilman Jim Strickland is pushing for assigning sheriff’s deputies to patrol school crossings for Memphis City Schools, instead of MPD officers. Councilman Edmund Ford Jr is confident his auto inspection plan for non-Memphians will pass.

Transition Planning Commission: They are preparing for a June 14 meeting at which a final draft plan should be submitted. The Columbia Law Review argues that State interference in the “dissolution” of Memphis City Schools, via Norris-Todd, “hobbles the combined district, favoring the strongest area suburbs”. Read the report. (PDF document)

Planned Parenthood: They are hosting a “teen clinic” tomorrow, aimed at 15-18 year olds, to teach biology, contraception, abortion and disease. Parents are invited. More here.

Unified Shelby School Board: Two candidates for the District 5 seat–David Pickler and Kim Wirth–both favor a municipal school district for the Germantown-Collierville area. The new unified district will face an immediate funding shortage.

Memphis in May: Dr Jaime Montoya, executive director of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, spoke to a select group of investors at a breakfast co-hosted by Memphis Bioworks Business Association, the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce and Memphis in May about trade opportunities.

Maxine Smith: Fox13 profiles the “grand dame” of the Memphis Civil Rights movement.

Politics: The long-time head of the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, Dr Harry Green, is retiring from his post. More Legislative Accomplishments from the General Assembly in 2012. The TN Third District Congressional race is profiled, before tonight’s debate. The State Election Commission is barring the use of “misleading names” on ballots by two candidates.

US Senator Bob Corker: It’s official. He will run for a second term. He says he’s “more optimistic” about a second term.

Governor Bill Haslam: He says he was surprised by opposition to his class-size flexibility plan. In an interview with the Chattanooga Times Free Press, they note his record on transparency.

Mississippi: The national spotlight is shining on the state in the wake of some high profile crimes. Officials at the University of Mississippi Medical Center will dedicate a special building for biotech startup firms. One problem with the new voter ID law is that it requires the State to provide some free IDs, but doesn’t make the funds available.

Stonebridge Golf Course: New management is coming as Wingfield Properties takes over.

Local Media: Big changes coming this week to Nashville’s Tennessean, including the rollout of a paywall for their website. The Jackson Sun is following the same path regarding a paywall.

WREG’s Informed Sources is available online. So is the Daily News’ Behind the Headlines, from WKNO.

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.

Memorial Day: More Americans are expected to hit the road this year than last year. More good news as gas prices may fall some more for the holiday.

Education Reform: Education professionals say “virtual learning” doesn’t help, but that doesn’t stop parents from flocking to it.

2012 Presidential Race: A Vanderbilt University poll shows the race betweeen president Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney is very close in Tennessee. More from the Tennessean.

Mississippi Highway Killer: How police were able to link a Sardis man, James Willie, with at least the first of two shootings, when he was already in jail on an unrelated charge of rape. He’s a career criminal and felon. Stories on the arrest of Willie from WREG and again, Fox13. Reaction stories from WREG, ABC24. Willie’s mother speaks to WMC; reaction from his friends and family.

Sovereign Citizens: The FBI had been tracking Jerry Kane for years before he exploded in West Memphis, but never suspected him of violence nor prosecuted him for anything.

Memphis City Schools: In an effort to raise teacher evaluation scores, the system is offering additional, focused training.

Abortion: The Tennessean has a package of stories about abortion in Tennessee, both sides of the issue, the changing landscape, and more. We have fewer restrictions on abortion than neighboring states, so a lot of women come here.

I-269: The Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Memphis-Shelby County Office of Sustainability are, far into the process, looking at the regional effect of the highway and its attendant development.

Arkansas: The idea of legalised casinos in the State is causing controversy.

Memphis Business Journal: They have announced their Small Business Awards finalists.

Business: Five Memphis restaurants made the “popular high-end restaurants” list. Be careful of offers that mix religion and business, warns the Better Business Bureau. Meritan offers job training for seniors. Obesity is big business in Memphis.

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

International Paper: They will close the Minden Container Plant in Louisiana.

Caterpillar: They announced a new facility will be built in Corinth, MS.

FedEx: The FAA is reconsidering their exemption for cargo pilots from the new fatigue rules.

Tennessee: Middle TN is having a real tick problem this year. The police chief of tiny Friendship, Bill Garrett, is in serious but stable condition after being shot on Friday. The accused shooter, Craig Michael Barbee, has been arrested. More stories from the Dyersberg State Gazette, WMC, Fox13.

Real Estate: Mixed news in our neighboring counties. Homegrown banks are stepping in to lend money to businesses that can’t get money from the big banks. Resident who live around the old Raleigh Springs Mall are decrying its condition.

DeSoto County: The City of Southaven is waiting for an $850,000 State grant to contruct bike paths and hiking trails. From the Commercial Appeal, local news briefs. Olive Branch is closing a part of Old Goodman Road to ease business congestion. The County Bulletin Board, from the Commercial Appeal.

Small Business Advocate: There are a lot more factors motivating the markets than simple fear and greed. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Ethan Dunham: Don’t let economic bad news deter you from looking for your next (or first) job. (via the Tennessean)

Frank Daniels III: Support the American Community Survey in order to support Federal government largesse. (via the Tennessean)

Gail Kerr: She seems unduly concerned with the ridicule some have heaped on Tennessee. (via the Tennessean)

Chattanooga Free Press: Can Chattanooga become the Dynamo of Dixie once again?

Chattanooga Times: They tout the two Democratic challengers to the “dismal…myopic Republicans”.

Memphis News: A season of change means now is the time to celebrate the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

Chris Glenn: Preparing your business against fraud. (via the Daily News)

Smart Stuff 4 Work: Problems today can often by solved in no time. (via the Daily News)

Commercial Appeal: They support allowing first-time non-violent offender being able to purchase the expunging of their records. Finding the good view of the Grizzlies’ tournament loss. They call allegations that high Delta airfares are costing the city business, conventions and tourism, harmful anecdotal evidence. The schools should, with State-funded assistance, let parents know immediately about failing end-of-year students. Rev LaSimba Gray’s proposed museum would complement, not compete with, the National Civil Right Museum.

David Waters: The Catholic Church’s Jubilee Schools are graduating their first crop of college-bound students. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Chris Peck: What does Memphis need? A plan. And a centralised agency executing that plan. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Otis Sanford: If this column of helpful journalistic advice to Carol Chumney sounds familiar, it might be because you read this column first. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Joann Massey: If it “takes a village to raise a child” then get involved in your kids’ schools. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Wendi C. Thomas: She calls for the City’s “moral budget” to get some financing. (via the Commercial Appeal)