The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) articles from December 2001

The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) archives from December 2001

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Wise Consumer Column.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Linda A. Moore Dec. 28--It's anyone's guess as to how many New Year's resolutions end up being a waste of time. Even though the beginning of the year is a good time to start fresh, any real resolve to drop bad habits or adopt...

Memphis, Tenn., Airport to Speed Background Checks with Biometric Equipment.
December 27, 2001... Byline: Mark Watson Dec. 27--Technicians at Memphis International Airport are installing equipment that will be used to allow fingerprints to serve as identifiers in background checks, which airport officials hope will speed the process...

Tennessee Valley Authority Catches Wind's Energy.
December 27, 2001... Byline: Tom Charlier Dec. 27--OLIVER SPRINGS, Tenn.--After an ear-popping, stomach-lurching ride up the side of Buffalo Mountain, Gary H. Harris steps out into a dense fog that roils with driving rain and nearly gale-force winds. ...

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Money Matters Column.
December 27, 2001... Byline: David Flaum Dec. 27--QUESTION: I am 59 and have a SEP (Simplified Employee Pension) IRA which is fully funded each year. Will I also be able to contribute to a Roth IRA? -- C. C., Memphis ANSWER: You may contribute to a Roth...

Memphis, Tenn.-Area Shoppers Report Smaller Post-Christmas Crowds.
December 27, 2001... Byline: Linda A. Moore Dec. 27--Retailers were expecting long lines of customers wanting to exchange or return gifts the day after Christmas. What they found were traffic patterns in many ways not much different from any other...

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Money Matters Column.
December 22, 2001... Byline: David Flaum Dec. 22--People with substantial wealth may have cheered the changes in federal estate tax law this year, which sped up the amount you could shield from taxes and eliminated the tax altogether in 2010. But people...

Memphis, Tenn.-Based Oncology-Practice Manager's Reorganization Moves Slowly.
December 22, 2001... Byline: David Flaum Dec. 22--Response Oncology Inc. got U.S. Bankruptcy Court approval Friday of settlements of two physician practice contracts as the company's Chapter 11 reorganization case moved ahead at a pace both the company's...

Transportation Agency Approves Renewal of Memphis, Washington Flight Service.
December 22, 2001... Dec. 22--The Department of Transportation authorized Friday the renewal of daily nonstop service between Memphis International Airport and Reagan National Airport in Washington, starting Jan. 2. The service, however, probably won't begin...

AutoZone Trademark Suit Confuses Business Owner in Memphis, Tenn.
December 21, 2001... Byline: Linda A. Moore Dec. 21--There are, according to business owner John Bragorgos, about 4,000 businesses in the United States found over the Internet that include the word "Zone." So why, he wants to know, is AutoZone Inc. suing...

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Wise Consumer Column.
December 21, 2001... Byline: Linda A. Moore Dec. 21--It's the final countdown weekend before Christmas Day. Saturday, experts say, will be the highest volume retail day of the year. Lots of us will be snatching and grabbing for whatever we can find....

Medical Distribution Company in Memphis, Tenn., Acquires Health Firm.
December 21, 2001... Byline: David Flaum Dec. 21--Accredo Health Inc. has acquired BioPartners In Care Inc., based in Dayton, Ohio, for $37 million in cash, adding to the Memphis-based company's distribution of treatments for hemophilia and immune systems...

Employee Development Group in Memphis, Tenn., Holds Annual Year-End Meeting.
December 21, 2001... Byline: Mark Watson Dec. 21--In a building near the latest part of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's $1 billion expansion, Bill Evans said, "Building buildings is not that hard to do; what's a challenge is to get the people to work...

FedEx Earns 81 Cents Per Share in Second Fiscal Quarter.
December 20, 2001... Byline: Richard Thompson Dec. 20--Memphis-based FedEx Corp. exceeded the pinnacle of expectations for its fiscal quarter ended Nov. 30 with some help from Uncle Sam, lower fuel costs and the U.S. Postal Service. The $20 billion...

Management Says Memphis, Tenn., Mall to Remain Open Despite Foreclosure.
December 20, 2001... Byline: Linda A. Moore Dec. 20--Although facing a foreclosure sale next month, experts say it is doubtful that Hickory Ridge Mall will close. Last week, Wells Fargo foreclosed on a $26.4 million note against mall owner, Heitman, a...

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Money Matters Column.
December 20, 2001... Byline: David Flaum Dec. 20--QUESTION: I have some rental property that was sold this year. I will have $31,000 that I will have to pay capital gains taxes on. Could I put this in an IRA and defer some of the tax I will have to pay? Do...

Expert Says Study Delivery Guarantees from Online Retailers.
December 19, 2001... Byline: Linda A. Moore Dec. 19--Shopping online is easy. Getting the package to your house by Dec. 25 is another matter. Internet shopping has matured, and as a result consumers are expected to spend $11 billion this holiday...

Officers Sell Shares of Memphis, Tenn., Electronic Transaction Processing Firm.
December 18, 2001... Byline: David Flaum Dec. 18--Eleven executives and directors of Concord EFS Inc. of Memphis sold shares of stock in the company late this year with the two top officers selling 1 million shares each, according to documents filed with the...

Memphis, Tenn., Mail-Order Food Companies Stay Busy Filling Holiday Orders.
December 18, 2001... Byline: Linda A. Moore Dec. 18--Around this time of year, the North Pole isn't the only place humming with activity. In Memphis, there are also busy workers packing, wrapping and shipping boxes filled with the grilled goodness the...

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Money Matters Column.
December 15, 2001... Byline: David Flaum Dec. 15--If you've always wanted to sock money aside for your retirement, if you just want to pad your retirement savings or if you want to save money on taxes and fees, the new year will ring in some benefits to help...

Tunica County, Tenn., Sheraton Pumps Up Slot Payouts.
December 14, 2001... Byline: David Flaum Dec. 14--Sheraton Casino & Hotel heated up the Tunica County casino marketing wars today as 1,250 slot machines at the property were reprogrammed to offer higher percentage payouts than slots at their nine competitors...

Internal Revenue Service Adds about 400 Permanent Jobs in Memphis.
December 13, 2001... Byline: David Flaum Dec. 13--Work moved to the Memphis IRS Center, also called the Memphis Campus, has led the IRS to add about 400 permanent jobs at the Getwell Road facilities in the past few months, according to Internal Revenue...

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Stocks Column.
December 13, 2001... Byline: David Flaum Dec. 13--QUESTION: My wife and I are students. I work part-time, and she does not work. Our combined income for the year will probably be about $6,000. I will graduate in June, and salaries in my field are in the...

Tennessee Revenue Finance Group Approves Property Tax Freeze on Developments.
December 12, 2001... Byline: Jerome Obermark Dec. 12--The Center City Revenue Finance Corporation Tuesday approved property tax freezes for two proposed multifamily developments and deferred action on a revised policy change proposal. The proposal would...

Hundreds of Drivers for U.S. Mail Carrier Go on Strike over Contract Issues.
December 12, 2001... Byline: Richard Thompson Dec. 12--In Memphis and four other locations, a total of 850 drivers for Pat Salmon & Sons Inc., a U.S. mail carrier, went on strike shortly after midnight Monday. By Tuesday afternoon, however, the Little...

Fedex Pilots Association Board Approves Tentative Deal with Pilots Group.
December 12, 2001... Byline: Richard Thompson Dec. 12--The Fedex Pilots Association's board of directors unanimously approved the tentative merger agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association Tuesday. The 14-member board's approval sparks a process...

Black-Owned Majestic Star Plans Upgrades at Its Newly Bought Casinos.
December 11, 2001... Byline: David Flaum Dec. 11--One of Don Barden's first priorities as owner of Fitzgeralds Casino Hotel in Tunica County will be to see to it that the casino buys two working limousines. In part, that's because the limo sent to pick...

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Stocks Column.
December 8, 2001... Byline: David Flaum Dec. 8--Toys break. Clothes wear out or are outgrown. You can only watch a video or DVD or listen to a CD so many times. If you're looking for a holiday gift for a child or teenager that will stand the test of...

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Wise Consumer Column.
December 7, 2001... Byline: Linda A. Moore Dec. 7--Cathy, the shopaholic comic strip character, knows a few things about shopping, including the fact that you can't just shop with anybody. It's all about simpatico. In the coming weeks, people will...

Company Makes Share Buyout Offer to Tennessee-Based Storage USA.
December 7, 2001... Byline: Jerome Obermark Dec. 7--Storage USA Inc. (SUS) directors have agreed to the $42 per share buyout offer from Security Capital Group Inc. for the remainder of stock in Storage USA it doesn't already own. Security Capital owns...

Minneapolis-Based Firm Aims to Expand Its Urological Business.
December 7, 2001... Byline: Christopher Barton Dec. 7--Medtronic Inc. said Thursday said it will buy Fremont, Calif.-based VidaMed Inc. for about $326 million so the company can expand its urological business. Minneapolis-based Medtronic, which employs...

Jonesboro, Ark., Media Panel Says Growing Web Audience Pushes Editors to Adapt.
December 7, 2001... Byline: Mark Watson Dec. 7--JONESBORO, Ark.--As consumers turn more to the Web for their news, rather than to broadcast or print media, they are taking over the "gatekeeper" roles now held by editors at mainstream media. That's one...

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Money Matters Column.
December 6, 2001... Byline: David Flaum Dec. 6--QUESTION: I will be 60 this month and was interested in the pros and cons of cashing in IRAs prior to retirement. I plan on retiring at 62. -- D. B., Memphis ANSWER: You must consider several factors,...

Canadian National Railway's Memphis, Tenn., Center to Handle Big Inventories.
December 6, 2001... Byline: Christopher Barton Dec. 6--Canadian National Railway Co. on Wednesday opened its new $5 million, 67,000square-foot distribution center in South Memphis. The complex can handle rail-to-truck transfers of plastics, lumber,...

Farm Lobby Addresses Issues of Subsidies, Fast-Track Trade Legislation.
December 5, 2001... Byline: James W. Brosnan Dec. 5--WASHINGTON--The clout of the farm lobby is being tested as the Senate takes up as early as today a bill rewriting farm subsidies while the House is scheduled to vote Thursday on fast-track trade...

American Paper Announces Plan to Reopen Tissue Mill in Memphis, Tenn.
December 5, 2001... Byline: Christopher Barton Dec. 5--Some 450 workers laid off since early September after American Tissue Inc. filed for bankruptcy and halted operations in Memphis could be called back to work. American Paper Corp., which owns the...

Store to Close at Memphis, Tenn., Shopping Center.
December 5, 2001... Byline: Linda A. Moore Dec. 5--The beleaguered Hickory Ridge Commons shopping center is loosing another business as original tenant Pat's Monogram Shoppe prepares to close. But while the embroidery store holds its going-out-of...

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Money Matters Column.
December 2, 2001... Byline: David Flaum Dec. 2--QUESTION: I have my 401(k) invested in a money market fund. If I want to move some money into a stock mutual fund for the first time, isn't there a calendar date I need to be aware of? I believe it has...

Landscape Architect Group Honors Tennessee Nature Conservancy Project.
December 1, 2001... Byline: Jerome Obermark Dec. 1--A nature trail/boardwalk that provides a public walkway into a swampy wetland forest about 40 miles east of Memphis won the highest honor this year from the Tennessee Chapter of the American Society of...

Reports Shows Some Signs of Economic Recovery in Memphis, Tenn., Area.
December 1, 2001... Byline: Christopher Barton Dec. 1--Reports from the Federal Reserve Bank's 12 districts Wednesday showed the economy remained weak in October and early November, and there is evidence of additional slowing in most regions. However,...

FedEx Express Tries to Deal with Extra Employees.
December 1, 2001... Byline: Richard Thompson Dec. 1--FedEx Express, the overnight express shipping unit of FedEx Corp., has been addressing the fact that it has an excess of operation managers and staff-function employees. Some departments are growing...

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., Money Matters Column.
December 1, 2001... Byline: David Flaum Dec. 1--Simplicity and flexibility are not qualities you usually associate with government rules. But less complex rules proposed by the Internal Revenue Service this year for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA)...

Memphis, Tenn., Bluff City Steel to Acquire Ohio Processing Facility.
December 1, 2001... Byline: Christopher Barton Dec. 1--Bluff City Steel LLC of Memphis said Friday it is investing $8 million to buy a Maple Heights, Ohio-based steel processing plant that will more than double the company's capacity. The move comes...