About.com Memphis

Safe Haven Reminder

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:37:33 +0000

I saw a headline on the Commercial Appeal website today that read, "Girl, 16, charged with murder in infant's death." My immediate assumption was that it was a case of a young woman giving birth and then dumping the infant, leaving it to die.

I went on to read the story, though, and learned that it was not that kind of situation at all. Instead, a ten-month old was murdered by blunt force trauma to the head. It was the fourth infant homicide in Memphis this year.

Even though it wasn't a newborn abandonment, I thought I would still mention the fact that Tennessee has a Safe Haven law for those who might not know about it. Basically, you have 72 hours after the birth of a baby to surrender it in person at a hospital or clinic. The process is confidential and you can remain completely anonymous. Click here to read more about Tennessee's Safe Haven law.

Safe Haven Reminder originally appeared on About.com Memphis on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 15:37:33.

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Thanksgiving is Just Around the Corner

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:41:36 +0000

I can't believe that November has already arrived. This, of course, means that Thanksgiving is nearly here, which will soon be followed by Christmas, and then New Years, and --

Okay, enough. One holiday at a time. So as I was saying, Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. If you have not already started making plans for your Turkey dinner, you probably won't want to wait much longer. On the other hand, you could make it easy on yourself and take the family out to one of the many restaurants that will be open on Thanksgiving in Memphis.

Want to make them think you slaved over the hot stove? Several restaurants and stores in the Memphis area offer a complete Thanksgiving dinner to go and you won't have to admit that you didn't cook it yourself! With all of the holidays approaching so quickly, you might as well make something a little easier.

Photo by Donald Cook

Thanksgiving is Just Around the Corner originally appeared on About.com Memphis on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 12:41:36.

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And the Winner Is...

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:23:04 +0000

Last month, I invited readers to vote for their favorite local haunted attraction. The votes are in and we have an indisputable winner. The Hauntedweb of Horrors was voted best haunted house in Memphis by About.com readers with a whopping 53% of the vote.

Nightshade Manor came in second with a respectable 29% of the vote. It is probably safe to say that both of these attractions deliver a healthy dose of thrills and chills.

So next year, be sure to check out our winning haunted house and then come back here and vote for a new winner. In the meantime, click here to see complete poll results.

And the Winner Is... originally appeared on About.com Memphis on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 14:23:04.

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Playhouse Disney Live Comes to Memphis

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:09:11 +0000

If Mickey Mouse, Handy Manny, Tigger, Pooh, and the Little Einsteins are regulars in your home, you won't want to miss Playhouse Disney Live on stage at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts.

The whole Playhouse Disney gang will play games, sing songs, and go on adventures that will undoubtedly thrill your preschooler. You can see the show on November 8, 2009 at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. Tickets start at $18 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.

Playhouse Disney Live Comes to Memphis originally appeared on About.com Memphis on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 10:09:11.

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Daylight Saving Time Ends This Weekend

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:23:51 +0000

Daylight Saving Time officially ends at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday. We will be "falling back" so you will need to set your clocks back to 1:00. This means, of course, that we all get to enjoy an extra hour of sleep this weekend (unless, that is, you have young children whose internal clocks supersede any timepiece!).

It is also worth mentioning that the fire department recommends changing the batteries in your smoke detectors at the start and end of Daylight Saving Time as it provides a timely reminder to perform the task.

Photo by Teresa R. Simpson, licensed to About.com

Daylight Saving Time Ends This Weekend originally appeared on About.com Memphis on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 01:23:51.

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There Are Still Plenty of Places to Adopt a Pet

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:52:50 +0000

The Memphis Animal Shelter on Tchulahoma Road has been closed temporarily due to an investigation into animal cruelty and neglect charges. The shelter was raided by the Shelby County Sherrif's department on Tuesday and obviously unwell animals are now in the care of volunteers.

Even though the shelter is closed for a few days, there are still plenty of animals awaiting adoption all over the Mid-South. If you are looking for a new furry friend, check out these Memphis area animal shelters.

Photo by Bethan Hazell

There Are Still Plenty of Places to Adopt a Pet originally appeared on About.com Memphis on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 12:52:50.

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New Mayors Sworn in on Monday

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:31:03 +0000

As of Monday, both the City of Memphis and Shelby County have new mayors. After winning the mayoral election with 60% of the vote, A.C. Wharton is officially the new mayor of Memphis and Mayor Pro Tem Myron Lowery has returned to his seat on the City Council.

Shelby County Commission Chairperson Joyce Avery is now acting as the mayor of Shelby County until an interim mayor is selected. She is the first woman to serve as mayor in the county.

Residents of the city, in particular, are hopeful that a new mayor will bring much needed change to Memphis. What do you think? Can A.C. Wharton turn this city around?

New Mayors Sworn in on Monday originally appeared on About.com Memphis on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 09:31:03.

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Bad News for Single Gals in Memphis

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:00:14 +0000

Sperling's BestPlaces, a research company that ranks U.S. cities by a variety of criteria, has just ranked Memphis as the third most gender-imbalanced city in the United States for the second year in a row. What does this mean? Specifically, it means that in Memphis, there are 17% more women in men.

This is bad news for the single women in our city who have to compete for the local eligible bachelors. Fortunately, in this day and age, it is perfectly common to meet Mr. or Ms. Right on the Internet, thereby opening up the entire world in a quest for a partner. If you want to keep your search local, however, there are plenty of places to find a date right here in Memphis.

Incidentally, if you want to tip the gender scales in your favor, head on over to San Jose. This California city was the only one on the list to boast more men than women--17% more, in fact.

Bad News for Single Gals in Memphis originally appeared on About.com Memphis on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 14:00:14.

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H1N1 Vaccination for Children Under 4 Now Available

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:47:03 +0000

If you have young children and are concerned about the risk of swine flu, you will be relieved to know that the Shelby County Health Department has received its first shipment of the injectable H1N1 vaccine that is approved for children under 48 months of age.

Because the initial supply is limited, the Health Department will only administer the vaccine to children under 4 until there is a larger supply of it. You can take your child to one of the following clinics to receive the shot:

Collierville Clinic, 167 Washington. Clinic Hours: 8-11 a.m. & 12:30-3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays only. Phone: 854.6775.
Galloway Clinic, 477 N. Manassas. Clinic Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Phone: 522.8268.
Hickory Hill Clinic, 6590 Kirby Center Cove. Clinic Hours: 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday & on 2nd and 4th Saturdays from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Phone: 365.1045.
Immunization Clinic, 814 Jefferson. Clinic Hours: 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday. Phone: 901.544.7711.
Millington Clinic, 8225 Highway 51. Clinic Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Phone: 873.4433.
Raleigh Clinic, 3040 Covington Pike. Clinic Hours: 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Phone: 386.2060.
Shelby Crossing Clinic, 6170 Macon Road. Clinic Hours: 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Phone: 372.7581.
Southland Mall Clinic, 1278 Southland Mall, Shelby Drive/Highway 51. Clinic Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday & on 2nd and 4th Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2nd and 4th Mondays from 5-6:30 p.m. Phone: 346.0081.
Department of Human Services, 3230 Jackson. Clinic Hours: 8-11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays only. Phone: 320.7471.

As vaccine continues to become available, the Health Department will continue to provide information regarding vaccine availability and the types of vaccine available.

For more information about the H1N1 vaccine, call the Health Department's flu hotline at 901.379.H1N1 (4161). Information is also available at www.shelbycountytn.gov.

H1N1 Vaccination for Children Under 4 Now Available originally appeared on About.com Memphis on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 14:47:03.

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An Old Memphis Ghost Story

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:14:07 +0000

October is the perfect month to swap local ghost stories. If you know of a Mid-South spirit that has not been included in this listing of Memphis area ghosts, please send me an email and tell me about your ghostly encounter. Let me know if it is okay to reprint your story and to use your name.

In the meantime, I would like to share one of my favorite local ghost story. Though it has an element of credibility and caused quite a stir back in 1871, it does not seem to be as well-known as Mary, the ghost of the Orpheum, or other familiar tales.

Anyway, the story takes place at Brinkley Female College, a mansion-turned-school in downtown Memphis (the building was demolished in 1971). One day, a young girl named Clara Robertson was at the college practicing the piano alone. She looked up from the keys and saw a little girl standing before her with a moldy pink dress and decaying flesh. Clara screamed and reported the incident but nobody paid much attention to it. A few days later the apparition appeared again -- this time, however, two of Clara's classmates were there to witness it, too. It was during this sighting that the ghost began to speak to Clara...Read the rest of the story here.

An Old Memphis Ghost Story originally appeared on About.com Memphis on Monday, October 19th, 2009 at 13:14:07.

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