Environment

Deadline approaching for flood victims’ tax relief

Submitted by Jeramia Trotter, WMCTV.com

Monday, November 15th, 2010, 2:38pm

Individuals who received disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a result of the storms and historic flooding in Tennessee between May 1 and May 8, may request a refund of Tennessee sales tax paid on eligible items purchased between May 1, 2010 and Sept. 30, 2010.

Major appliances and residential furniture used in the individual’s primary residence with a purchase price of $3,200 or less per item, and building supplies used for restoration of the individual’s primary residence with a purchase price of $500 or less per item are eligible.

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AmeriCorps team helps clean up Memphis

Submitted by Jeramia Trotter, WMCTV.com

Friday, November 12th, 2010, 11:47am

An AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps team arrived in Memphis to continue its work with the Wolf River Conservancy and other community organizations, engaging in service projects in and around Shelby County.

The 11-member team, Delta 1, will be serving in the city until Dec. 17, helping coordinate projects in the area. The team has been working with the Wolf River Conservancy cleaning up litter in and along the Wolf River, and creating privet mats to mitigate erosion of soil along the Wolf River. In addition, the team is involved with several other organizations including, Vollintine Evergreen Community Association (VECA), Arkwings, and Grow Memphis.

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Seattle first to create Opt-Out Registry for phone books

Submitted by Ken Adams on Monday, October 25th, 9:19 pm

Action News 5 received the following press release from Wasterecyclingnews.com

Seattle became the first city in the nation to create a registry that allows its residents and business to stop delivery of unwanted yellow pages phone books.

The new law passed by in an 8-1 vote by Seattle City Council on Monday creates an Opt-Out Registry that residents and businesses can access on the web, by phone or by mail and requires yellow pages publishers to pay the costs of operating the registry.

The legislation also sets out penalties for yellow pages publishers who continue to deliver books when requested not to. And it requires yellow pages publishers to begin paying for recycling of unwanted and outdated yellow pages directories beginning next year.

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Boy Scouts resurrect Memphis City Beautiful patch

Submitted by Jeramia Trotter, WMCTV.com

Friday, October 15th, 2010, 12:05pm

In honor of its 80th year, the Memphis City Beautiful Commission is teaming with the Chickasaw Council to re-introduce the Memphis City Beautiful Boy Scout Patch.

Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. will welcome over 100 Boy Scouts Saturday, Oct. 16 as they join volunteers from LeMoyne-Owen Community Development Corp. and Bridge Builders to conduct the "We are Soul Community Cleanup" as the first project towards earning a new patch.

The purpose of the program is to encourage an awareness and an involvement in community cleanliness, beautification, and to instill a sense of pride and responsibility toward the environment.

This program not only involves projects for Memphis City Beautiful, in addition, the Scout is required to select three activities from our environmental partners to receive a badge.

Environmental and Community partners include:

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City wide clean up day

Submitted by Samantha Davidson on Tuesday, October 12th, 10:07 am

Millington City Beautiful Commission is set to host the biannual City Wide Clean Up Day.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, October 30th, at 8:30AM.

Volunteers will gather at Jameson Park by Millington Middle School.

Fore more than 25 years Millington residents have volunteered their time on a Saturday morning in April and October to clean up litterl around the city.

All volunteers will get a t-shirt, gloves, bags, and lunch from the Millington Farmers' Market after the clean up.

If you need more information or would like to sign up to volunteer, contact Jeremy Rochell at CityBeautiful@bigriver.net or call 901-873-2735.

Information provided by City of Millington.

Photo courtesy Flickr user Robert S. Donovan.

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County issues ban on outdoor fires

Submitted by Jeramia Trotter, WMCTV.com

Friday, October 1st, 2010, 11:15am

Effective immediately the Shelby County Fire Department has issued a burn ban for all areas in un-incorporated Shelby County and Lakeland who receive emergency responses from the Shelby County Fire Department. Due to the declining moisture conditions throughout the Mid-South, the surface burning of combustible material has become too unsafe and poses too high a risk.

This ban includes the burning of any material in barrels, residential back yard fire pits in addition to agricultural and construction burning.

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West Nile found in Collierville, Millington

Submitted by Jeramia Trotter, WMCTV.com

Monday, August 30th, 2010, 2:59pm

Information provided by the Memphis and Shelby County Health Department:

The Tennessee Department of Health Laboratory in Nashville has identified mosquito specimens from Shelby County that tested positive for the West Nile Virus.

The specimen pool of mosquitoes was collected on August 18th, and 19th in the 38053, 38017, and 38028 zip codes of Shelby County. These positive pools indicate that West Nile Virus is present in the County.

The Memphis and Shelby County Health Department’s Vector Control Program is aggressively working to control mosquitoes throughout the County and especially in the area where the positive mosquito pools were found. Vector control crews will spray Tuesday evening, August 31, 2010 between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., weather permitting, to kill adult mosquitoes (adulticiding) in portions of the following zip codes:

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