News 2009
05/20/2009 | For greater foresight, put focus on children
Commercial Appeal | Michael Schmidt | Recently unveiled child-impact reporting system will help county make choices promoting healthy and prosperous adult lives We've all heard the old axiom, "Teach them well, for today's children are tomorrow's leaders." This is conventional wisdom, inspiration for faculty lounge posters and Graham Nash songs. Everyone agrees that ensuring a prosperous future for our children is a just and worthy cause. But turn this simple adage around -- so we become students of our children's lives -- and suddenly we're confronted with much more to consider than our conventional wisdom can process.
05/18/2009 | Wharton, filmmaker's wife launch week to promote infant mortality awareness
Commercial Appeal | Sara Patterson | Standing near the area reserved for babies in the county cemetery, Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton and Tonya Lewis-Lee, wife of filmmaker Spike Lee, pleaded Sunday for a citywide call to action in the fight against infant mortality. Christopher Pollard places a cross at the grave of his 5-month-old sibling, Samarion Juliet Pollard, at the Shelby County Cemetery off Ellis Road. Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton and Tonya Lewis-Lee, wife of filmmaker Spike Lee, kicked off a weeklong focus on infant mortality at a press conference at the cemetery.
04/15/2009 | Child protection needs our best efforts
Commercial Appeal | By Jerome L. Blakemore | To have a child welfare system that is good for the children, we need to do a few things differently. The Memphis Child Advocacy Center on April 8 honored the memory of 14 children who died in Shelby County as a direct result of child abuse. The flag-raising ceremony highlighted the name of each child and offered insightful and informative messages from a number of speakers.
03/02/2009 | Picture-perfect family for campaign
Commercial Appeal | By Mary Powers | Buses, billboard to bear breastfeeding message. Mid-South breastfeeding proponents are hoping a photograph will do what medical evidence has so far failed to do -- convince more local mothers to embrace the practice. The image of Munford resident Deidre Bush surrounded by husband, Lowell, and daughter Elizabeth Rose, as she breastfeeds daughter Chloe, will soon appear on a billboard in the Memphis Medical Center and on the sides of 10 MATA bus shelters.
02/11/2009 | Wharton urges tougher gun laws, calls violence a health risk
Commercial Appeal | By Alex Doniach | Mayor wants gun-offender registry, changes in punishment. Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton, in a push to increase public safety, has called for a statewide gun-offender registry and tougher penalties for people who carry handguns without permits. In his annual State of the County address to the Rotary Club on Tuesday, Wharton unveiled a flurry of ideas to reduce violent gun crimes, including state legislation that would make it a felony instead of a misdemeanor for first-time offenders who illegally carry guns.
02/02/2009 | Good dental hygiene helps keep children happier
Commercial Appeal | By Staff Reports | Family Health Take Charge. What you should know: Children with healthy mouths are usually happier and healthier overall. Parents, schools, care givers, dentists and insurance plans are key members of a child's oral health team. Good oral health habits can decrease the risk of gum infections that can affect overall health. Pain and the risk of serious problems can be reduced when infections are treated quickly. Children have suffered high fevers and even died from severe tooth and gum infections that spread to the brain.
