The 901: How Ford plans to fill 5,800 jobs within Blue Oval City
Good afternoon, Memphis, where significant upgrades to the Tigers’ home stadium and surrounding area are coming with people in favor of keeping some areas of Liberty Park historic.
But, first, Tennessee’s most significant challenges in preparing for Ford’s Blue Oval City is ensuring an adequate workforce to fill the potential 5,800 new jobs for the $5.6 billion project, our Omer Yusuf reports in his story for subscribers.
“A bulk of the work thus far has been done working to understand the skill sets that Ford needs … the work will to start shift toward recruiting people toward those skill sets,” state Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Jeff McCord said during that meeting.
It remains unclear how many of the 5,800 jobs will eventually be filled by people currently living in West Tennessee.
Collierville's Clarene Pinkston Russell dies at 96
Clarene Pinkston Russell will be remembered for her work chronicling Collierville's history and helping the town develop, our Dima Amro reports.Russell was 96.
"Mrs. Russell will surely be missed," Alderman Maureen Fraser said. "She was such a blessing to our Collierville community. Mrs. Russell was so knowledgeable about our town and all its people."
Not only did Russell enjoy learning about the town's history, she also had a hand in helping build Collierville.
BRWNSKN Yoga fills the need for social-emotional learning in Whitehaven
Shawandra Ford began BRWNSKN Yoga as a way to teach young kinds about yoga and social-emotional learning, our Astrid Kayembe reports.
Ford opened her studio in Whitehaven, where she grew up, to be in an underserved community where those services were not available. She wants to bring something new and positive to the community, she said.
Beyond her studio in Southbrook Town Center, Ford holds sessions for children and adults across the Memphis area at Cordova Middle School, Cordova Family Center and The BLVD (Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church). Athletes from Whitehaven High and Southwind High also have partnerships with Ford's studio.
Buffalo shooting shows lawmakers banned the wrong race theory in Tennessee
Our Tonyaa Weathersbee writes that the Buffalo, New York shooting tragedy isn’t solely the result of racism and xenophobia polluting the online and social media sphere, but the effect of GOP-led culture wars that have painted teaching about race as racism, in her latest column.
Here’s an excerpt:
So, after passing a whole law last year to protect an imaginary white girl from crying over Critical Race Theory courses that aren’t taught in K-12 schools, Tennessee lawmakers missed an opportunity to crack down on a theory that led a white youth to cause real Black people to cry over killings that really happened.
What they should have targeted was Great Replacement Theory.
That racist theory, revved by President Obama's election in 2008 and again in 2020, when Black and brown voters helped to elect Obama's vice-president, Joe Biden and eject President Trump, sees diversity and demographics as a Jewish-led conspiracy to replace white people.
It has been parroted by FOX News host Tucker Carlson, and abetted by Trump Republicans like Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, whose skills set seems to lie in ginning up fears about non-white people than in generating ideas that can help all people.
What should become of Mid-South Coliseum?
As progress continues on Liberty Park and wheels are in motion on significant upgrades to the stadium that's home to Tigers football as well as the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and Southern Heritage Classic, some are wondering what it might mean for the historic, city-owned sports and entertainment venue, our Jason Munz reports.
Dormant since 2006, when a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit that shuttered the property, the Mid-South Coliseum (and what to do with it) has both ardent supporters and vehement detractors.
"Memphis desperately needs a mid-size concert venue," Joe Sills tweeted. "We miss a ton of shows too big for Minglewood and too small for the Forum. Spruce the Coliseum up and make it happen. Annual throwback Tigers game or two, regular AEW shows and it’s rolling."
The biggest questions for the Grizzlies during the offseason
The Memphis Grizzlies' three-year rebuild was successful but now it's over. A critical offseason awaits to begin sustaining the progress, our Damichael Cole reports.
Damichael, our Grizzlies beat writer, along with sports reporter Evan Barnes and sports columnist Mark Giannotto answer four key question for the Grizzlies between now and training camp including, if the Grizzlies should explore trading Dillon Brooks and if Tyus Jones and Kyle Anderson will be re-signed.
The 901 is written by Ray Padilla, digital producer for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at raymond.padilla@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter at @Ray_Padilla_.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: The 901: Ford Blue Oval City's plan for filling over 5,000 jobs
