MID-SOUTH MEMORIES
25 years ago — 1995
Stung by reports of teachers and other employees with felony convictions, city school board members are expected today to discuss strategies to help keep undesirables off the payroll. The discussion is scheduled for the board’s first meeting since an investigation by The Commercial Appeal that found 63 city school employees had been convicted of felony offenses ranging from drugdealing to robbery.
50 years ago — 1970
The city officially closed Downtown Airport on Mud Island yesterday at 1 p.m., but there was one problem. “We’ve captured 10 airplanes and one sailplane,” said Assistant City Attorney Arthur J. Shea Jr. The aircraft belong to Mid-south Aircraft Sales, owned by Sam Vires, the last tenant at the field which is closed because of construction on the east approaches to the new Mississippi River bridge. General air traffic to the airport ceased several weeks ago. Late yesterday afternoon, John Wright, supervising inspector at the FAA’S general aviation office at Memphis International Airport, said Mr. Vires had approval to fly the airplanes off the island. The new downtown airport north of Wolf River, named for the late Gen. Dewitt Spain, will open about the end of the year.
75 years ago — 1945
Joseph P. Boyle, acting mayor, early this morning proclaimed today as a victory holiday. Commissioner Boyle is vice-mayor and is head of the city government in the absence of Mayor Chandler who is in Washington. Without a formal declaration, Commissioner Boyle let it be known that the antinoise restrictions are off for today.
“All the noise the people want to make will be all right,” he said when informed of the news of the official surrender of Japan.
100 years ago — 1920
For the first time in its history the Somerville accommodation, leaving Memphis daily at 6:15 p.m. and making every stop on the railroad’s map and some not on the map, between Memphis and Collierville, has a new name. People who use it have dubbed it the “Hoot Owl.”
The new name is the result of the whistle on the little engine pulling the train. It is low and soft and when the engineer blows for a crossing the whistle sounds like a big hoot owl calling to its mate from the midst of a forest.