Local News
in Memphis, TN

Peanut Belt growers recognized for production yields, profitability and sustainability.

Hot weather, managing costs, autonomous sprayers and a suburban beef farm are featured this week.

Come see how things were done in the past then make the short drive to the Farm Progress Show Aug. 27-29.

A retail development in Olive Branch was recently awarded a public subsidy worth up to $5.3 million.Local developer Gil Ryan landed the incentive to support his 28-acre project, Bridges at Camp Creek, near the northwest corner of Hwy. 302 and Hwy. 178.Ryans initial phase is set to include about 26,000 square feet of retail between three buildings, but the project would eventually include 120,000 square feet of commercial space across 10 buildings, according to the master development plan he

A Birmingham-based law firm has expanded its footprint into Memphis.Cory Watson Attorneys, a national personal injury law firm, has opened a new office in Memphis, in the Clark Tower at 5100 Poplar Ave., Suite 2700. The firm opened its second office, and first in Tennessee, in Nashville earlier this year.As the second-largest metro area in the state of Tennessee, this expansion provides a great opportunity for our firm to bring a group of trial attorneys with more than 38 years of experience,

In the world of farming, looking to the clouds is an essential daily consideration. But, for one regional operation that serves farmers, they are looking at a different kind of cloud to assist them as their business grows. Memphis-based agribusiness technology provider The Seam announced July 18 a multiyear agreement with Jonesboro-based Delta Peanut LLC. The Seam will provide Delta Peanut with a cloud-based peanut commodity management platform. The platform allows affiliated businesses and producers

Its not quite a done deal. Theres still a withdrawal deadline of Thursday, July 25th, to be reckoned with and rumors abound of dramatic changes of mind between now and then. But the filing deadline for places on the October 3rd Memphis city election ballot has come and gone, and pending those potential changes we know what the lineups are for the various races. After this weeks filing deadline, at noon on Thursday, July 18th, heres what the races looked like. County election coordinator Linda Phillips stressed that these results were preliminary. MAYORS RACEThis one is pure carnival. To understate the case somewhat, incumbent Jim Strickland, with a $1 million budget for the race, is in good shape. Three challengers have at least the trappings of a campaign: former Mayor Willie Herenton, activist and Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer, and Lemichael Wilson. For the record, the other candidates are Terrence Boyce, Leo Awgowhat, Pamala Moses, Michael Everett Banks, DeAngelo Pegues, David Walker, Steven Bradley, Robert Prince Mongo Hodges, and Sharon A. Webb. MEMPHIS CITY COUNCILDistrict 1: Rhonda Logan and Sherman Greer. This is a straight-out, one-on-one between Logan, whose candidacy for an appointment to the council was pushed vigorously but unsuccessfully last year by various north-side political figures, notably state Representative Antonio Parkinson, and the eventually named incumbent, Greer, a former long-time aide to former Congressman Harold Ford Jr. Greer has widespread support from other members of the political establishment. District 2: Incumbent Frank Colvett is on the ballot. Two would-be challengers, John Emery and Marvin Louis White, were having their supporting signatures checked. Should they qualify, that is likely the closest theyll come to having a success. District 3: Incumbent Patrice Robinson will be heavily favored against Tanya Cooper. District 4: Incumbent Jamita Swearengen, another in-office favorite, has one definite challenger, Britney Thornton, and two other potential challengers, Rodney A. Muhammad, and Russell R. Jones, whose qualifying signatures are undergoing verification. District 5: Incumbent Worth Morgan is being challenged by John Marek. Morgan would seem to be sitting pretty, but there are those who credit Marek with a chance to make some mischief. District 6: Former incumbent Edmund Ford Sr., regarded as a prohibitive favorite, has four definite challengers Davin Clemons, Theryn Bond, Jaques Hamilton, and Perry Bond and one potential challenger, Paul S. Brown, whose signatures are being checked. Two Bonds: That makes things interesting. District 7: Incumbent Berlin Boyd, who routinely attracts controversy, has attracted a passel of opponents as well: Catrina Smith, Jerred Price, Larry Springfield, Michalyn C.S. Easter-Thomas, Thurston Smith, Jimmy Hassan, and Will The Underdog Richardson. Toni Green-Cole could join this entourage if her signatures, undergoing evaluation, hold up. Super-District 8, Position 1: Vying for this position are: Gerre Currie, who is vacating her appointive District 6 seat to do so: J.B. Smiley, Jr Pearl Eva Walker Nicole Cleaborn, M. Latroy Alexandria-Williams and Derrick Dee Harris. Super-District 8, Position 2: Incumbent Cheyenne Johnson, who always won her races for Shelby County assessor, even during Republican sweep years, will be opposed by Craig Littles, Frank W. Johnson, Brian L. Saulsberry, and Marinda Alexandria-Williams. Super-District 8, Position 3: Incumbent Martavius Jones has two known opponents Roderic Ford and Cal Allen and two potential challengers whose signatures are being checked Pamela Lee and Lynette P. Williams. In any case, Jones is heavily favored. Super-District 9, Position 1: Qualified candidates are: Erika Sugarmon and Chase Carlisle. Its going to be a contested one-on-one between a well-regarded woman with political lineage and the scion of a development dynasty. Super-District 9, Position 2: Incumbent Ford Canale has one definite challenger, Danielle Jones. But Mauricio Calvo is in the race too, if his supporting signatures check out, and he could prove to be a sleeper. Super-District 9, Position 3: Jeff Warren was an early candidate and has raised more cash than any other council candidate. He has three challengers Tyrone Romeo Franklin, Charley Burch, and Cody Fletcher, the latter a transplant from his original ballot choice, Position 1. He might have been better off before the switch. CITY COURT CLERKThere are several well-known names in the clerks race, it would seem, with former Councilman Myron Lowery and Democratic activist Lea Ester Redmond definitely in, and Joe Brown, another former councilman, and county Commissioner Justin Ford in the process of being approved for the race. Others are George D. Summers, Carl Irons, David Vinciarelli, Dorothy Jean Bolden, Dee Givens, and William Stovall, with Delicia DeGraffried undergoing final certification. MUNICIPAL JUDGE There are three positions on the ballot and at least one definite race.In Division 3, incumbent Judge Jayne Chandler is being challenged by current Judicial Commissioner David Pool. In Division 1, the recently appointed Theresa Jones, a former school board member, may have a challenger in Latrena D. Ingram, who is still undergoing certification. Division 2 incumbent Judge Tarik Sugarmon will be unopposed.

I feel you. Now that youve fully absorbed the Cats trailer, youre primed to watch some bad movies. Really bad movies.Absolute ineptitude.Movies that turn the old conceptual corner from bad to good. This weekends Time Warp Drive-In has got you covered with The Return of the Worst Movies Ever. What makes a movie so bad its good This is a question that has plagued fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000 for two decades. I think its impossible to intentionally make a film so bad its good. You have to really believe in what youre doing, and have utter confidence in your creative vision. And no one had more misplaced confidence in his creative vision than George Lucas circa 1986. And, hey, wouldnt you feel the same way Hed just come off of changing the entire film industry with the original Star Wars trilogy and two Indiana Jones movies. He could do no wrong. Time to tee up a really daring project an adaptation of a cult comic book by Marvel that took a semi-satirical look at the medium. In 2019, thats half the films greenlit in Hollywood. In 1986, that was Howard The Duck. Lucas produced and his friends Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, who had written American Graffiti and punched up the dialog in A New Hope, directed and wrote.He cast Lea Thompson, who was so good in Back To The Future the year before. What could possibly go wrong This. Feeling the burn You aint seen nothing yet. In 1988, Steven Spielbergs E.T. the Extra Terrestrial had held the title of the top-grossing film of all time for six years. McDonalds, in their corporate wisdom, decided they needed to expand beyond just making TV ads and buying product placement segments, and produce their own feature film. What kind of movie did they want to make One like E.T., of course. Everybody likes E.T. The result is Mac and Me, one of the most inept films ever made. Theres a reason it was chosen as the lead film for the latest season of MST3K. And that reason is this scene, which you should not watch if you value your sanity. Also, theres a four-and-a-half-minute long musical number, set where else in a McDonalds. I said earlier that its not possible to make a truly bad/good movie if you set out to do so. But what if you know youre making a bad satire of Hollywood sexism and capitalist alienation, but no one else involved in the project does Thats whats claimed of Paul Verhoovens 1995 disasterpiece Showgirls. Im not sure I buy that explanation for one of the most horrific and mean-spirited films ever made, but you can judge for yourself. The trailer oozes sleaze, and it only scratches the surface. If you survive that long, you will be rewarded with Samurai Cop. Dig the magnificent mane on the titular character, who is...wait for it...a cop, trained as a samurai. Yeah. Time Warp Drive-In starts at dusk on Saturday, July 20th at the Malco Summer Drive-In.

Since the $5 cover charge to enter Beale Street has been reinstated, nearly $400,000 has been collected, but officials with the Downtown Memphis Commission DMC say none of the funds have been spent yet. The Beale Street cover charge was reinstated in early May after a weekend of shootings and stampedes occurred on or near Beale Street. The following Tuesday, Memphis Police Department Director MPD Michael Rallings, along with representatives with the DMC asked the Memphis City Council to put the fee back in place. It was originally slated to be in place only through Memorial Day weekend, but after more incidents occurred over the holiday weekend, Rallings returned to council again in June, asking that the fee stay in place through the end of September. Between the second weekend in May and the second weekend in July, the entrance fee has been collected from 99,481 visitors totaling $382,460. But, none of that money has been spent yet, according to the DMC. Officials anticipate that the fee will generate $644,000 by the end of September if there are no rain days. Assuming there are some rain days, about $500,000 will be generated. This amount will be enough to cover the intended uses of the funds prescribed the city council, according to the DMC. Per the council, the money will eventually be used for additional lighting and cameras on Beale, a new, non-climbable fence around Handy Park that will prohibit items from being passed through, bollards on Rufus Thomas and Second Street, and closer real-time monitoring of cameras on Beale. The enhanced monitoring of Beale will cost $75,000 a year, while the fence will be a one time expense of $200,000, the additional lighting and cameras are a one time expense of $30,000 each, and the bollards $165,000. DMC officials say they are working to maximize the utilization of these funds to further our security measures. The commission is in the process of evaluating which sections of the street need more lighting and preparing the fence project for bid. Jennifer Oswalt, president of the DMC, said by installing more and better lighting, safer street access, and other measures that promote pedestrian safety, the plan uses design elements to address some of the current security issues. The goal is to enhance the patron experience and change the way crowds moves through the street without creating an increase in the perceived level of security measures. Memphis is the original American music city, and we owe so much of that to the authenticity of the Beale Street experience, Oswalt said. Working with the 24 security and safety recommendations determined by the consultant hired in 2018, we are developing a plan to create a truly welcoming and safe entertainment district. In early 2018, the city hired the firm Event Risk Management Solutions to find ways to control the crowd on Beale. The firm, led by Peter Ashwin, produced 24 recommendations for the city. Among them was the reintroduction of the entrance fee. The council voted then to reinstate the fee on an as-needed basis, despite push back from some members. Now, the fee will be in place through the end of September and will likely return next summer. Other recommendations included setting the maximum capacity on the street to 20,000 people, restricting Beale Street to pedestrian traffic only, and redesigning the streets entry points. All 24 recommendations have been implemented at this point. DMC staff believes that the fee, working in conjunction with the other 23 recommendations, is leading to less overcrowding on weekend nights and reducing the overall risk of an incident occurring on the street. This story has been updated with the latest admission numbers from the DMC.

No bluffing, this weekend of Memphis events is open for bid-ness..

Contemporary Media, Inc., locally owned and operated publisher of Memphis magazine, the Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent, and Inside Memphis Business is looking for a full-time salesperson to join our team.

From saints to alligators, the Nick French home in the Trezevant community has it all.

No Tiger Woods No problem. Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and more are still coming to Memphis on July 25-28

Mud Island River Park is too worn by time,too hard to get toand too little used to ever be what its founders intended, Carol Coletta says

Six Shelby County Sheriffs Office deputies have resigned amid an investigation into inappropriate relationships with Shelby County Jail inmates.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. The Memphis 901 FC rebounded after a dismal first half to tie the match and force a 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls II at AutoZone Park on Saturday. Memphis created the first goal-scoring chance of the match and minutes later, conceded the opening goal. Brandon Allen managed to win possession in the Red Bulls box and unleashed a shot from close range, only to see the ball bounce off two Red Bulls defenders and

The Fresh Market and Target are recalling some of their salads and sandwiches due to a potential listeria contamination, according to theU.S. Food and Drug Administration. Elevation Foods says containers of Archer Farms-branded egg salad Freskt brand egg salad, tuna salad, and Thai lobster salad and Archer Farms-branded deviled egg sandwiches made June 18 all fall under the recall. The Fresh Marketsaid the Thai Lobster Salad sold by the pound in the chains self-serve seafood salad bar and pre-packaged containers

CNN Its dangerously hot across much of the country this weekend so hot, in fact, that police in Braintree, Massachusetts, are imploring would-be criminals to hold off on illegal activity until Monday. The Braintree Police Department asked the community to put a pin in crime until the heat wave passes in a Facebook post Friday. It is straight up hot as soccer balls out there, the department wrote in the post, which has racked up more than 106,000