Tag Archives: Bartlett

Judge Allows Vote on Suburban Memphis School Districts

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday decided to allow residents of six Memphis suburbs to vote on forming city school districts, but he left open the option of voiding the election later.
Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland and Millington are seeking to form their own public school systems and avoid becoming part of a combined Memphis-Shelby County system upon a scheduled 2013 merger. The six municipalities, which have a combined population of about 171,000, are currently part of the Shelby County Schools system but want to break away.
A state law passed this year allowed the municipalities to schedule the vote to form their own school systems. But the Shelby County Commission sued to stop the vote, arguing that the state law violates the Tennessee constitution.
U. S. District Court Judge Samuel “Hardy” Mays ruled after a day-long hearing Thursday that the referendums can continue and he will decide the law’s constitutionality later. Early voting for the Aug. 2 election starts Friday, and Mays noted some absentee ballots have been cast.

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AP Story on Cain’s Tennessee Tour

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JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) — Herman Cain is firing up the crowd at a tea party rally in this West Tennessee town when the generator powering his sound system shudders to a halt.
Cain stands awkwardly for a few moments then suddenly begins to sing. Slowly at first but gaining in speed, he belts out “Impossible Dream” in the rich baritone he’s honed in church choir.
“You know, when it’s your rally, you can do what you want to do!” Cain says as he finishes with a raucous laugh. The 500 or so supporters who have jammed the strip mall parking lot to hear the Republican Party’s newest star speak roar their approval.
Momentum restored, Cain launches into a pitch for his signature 9-9-9 tax plan, and the crowd is right there with him, chanting 9-9-9 along with the Georgia businessman.

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Herman Cain Draws Big Crowd in Bartlett

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An estimated 1,000 to 1,500 gathered at the Bartlett’s W. J. Freeman Park to hear the former businessman and radio talk show host Herman Cain, who has emerged as one of the frontrunners in the 2012 Republican race for president, reports the Commercial Appeal.
And it didn’t take long for Cain, 65, to acknowledge he was born in Memphis. The family moved to Atlanta when he was 2.
“One of the best-kept secrets about Herman Cain is he was born not too far from here,” he said, then adding: “I’ve got a lot of relatives here in Bartlett, Tenn. And as far as I’m concerned, all of y’all are my relatives today.”
With the crowd cheering as he outlined his platform on everything from tax reform to economics to a government that answers to the people, Cain delivered a message that seemed to resonate with those in attendance.
Signs were held up saying: “Let’s Raise Cain” and “Category 999. HeriCain.” Others invoked the term “Yes we Cain.”
Bartlett officials were expecting anywhere from 100 to 500, estimates significantly lower than the turnout.
The presidential hopeful addressed the crowd in a 35-minute speech in which he highlighted his 9-9-9 economic plan, addressed questions about his foreign policy and said it is time for the White House to listen to the concerns of the people.
“Stupid people are running America,” Cain told the crowd, “and we’ve got to out-vote them in 2012.”