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"The purpose of this meeting is to ignite a bottom-up, inside-out approach to addressing the epidemic of gun violence," Wharton is quoted in a release as saying. "I have repeatedly described gun crime as a public health crisis, and it must be treated just as we would any disease: with containment and prevention one person, household, block, and neighborhood at a time.”

The community congress, which will include citizens, law enforcement officers, business owners, and other stakeholders will take place at Golden Gate Cathedral, 3240 James Road.

Four recent murders have taken place within a four-square mile area of Golden Gate Cathedral.

But a local representative from Bash Back Memphis told the Flyer that his group had nothing to do with the action. Their perceived involvement was likely implied from a blog post praising the vandalism on Bash Back News, the group's national website.

• Bash Back

Bash Back, a group of self-proclaimed "radical transfolk, queers and allies," is critical of the mainstream LGBT movement, which it sees as trying to assimilate with heterosexual culture. Though it does not appear that the group is actually claiming responsibility for vandalism on its website, a Bash Back blogger had this to say praising the vandalism of the billboard featuring a gay Marine:

"First, sending gays to be military fodder is NOT pro-gay or conclusive whatsoever to gay liberation. State militarism only reinforces the dominant structures, and the racism/heterosexism they perpetuate, as well as reducing the number of gay people in the world (both those in Amerikkka and the countries Amerikkka is colonizing/conquering)."

The billboard was one of five National Coming Out Day advertisements paid for by private donations to the MGLCC. It featured gay local former Marine Tim Smith in uniform and read, "I'm gay and I protected your freedom." The billboard was ripped down about a week after it went up in mid-September.

The Bash Back post goes on to criticize MGLCC as "racist, anti-queer, and anti-trans" and it criticizes the center for spending $3,500 for a billboard that Bash Back claims promotes militarism in a poor African American neighborhood.

MGLCC director Will Batts says he's open to discussing the group's concerns if they are willing to sit down and talk. Says Batts: "We have an open door policy here for anybody that has issues with how we conduct business."

I heard a rumor today that the local Salvation Army has raised the $25 million it needed to match the $60 million from Ray & Joan Kroc Trust to build the Kroc Center on the fairgrounds.

Which could mean they'll be breaking ground very, very soon.

Details to come.

• Jorge Steven Lopez

The accused killer 26-year-old Martinez Matos told a Puerto Rican newspaper that he saw Lopez wearing a blue dress and boots. Thinking Lopez was female, Matos allegedly let Lopez into his car. Upon learning that Lopez was biologically male, the suspect alleges that he “had a flashback to when he was raped in prison” and proceeded to attack Lopez.

Lopez is the most recent victim of trans-phobic violence. His death and untold numbers of others will be remembered at annual Transgender Day of Remembrance celebrations across the country this weekend.

In Memphis, a ceremony will be held on Friday, Nov. 20th at Neshoba Unitarian Universalist Church at 7350 Raleigh Lagrange Rd. at 6 p.m.

"We are convinced that in order to dramatically improve education in America, we must first ensure that every student has an effective teacher in every subject, every school year," Melinda Gates said. "These communities have shown extraordinary commitment to tackling one of the most important education issues of our time."

To read specifics about what MCS plans to do with the funding — to be awarded over six years — here is an earlier blog post.

The announcement of the grants culminated a yearlong application process. Other funding was awarded to Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida, Pittsburgh Public Schools, and a coalition of charter school management organizations in Los Angeles.

The assembled crowd wasn't too happy with the plan to demolish the buildings on the south side of Madison at Cooper. The plans for the property also include a new grocery store, but some community members are concerned no matter how well-intentioned the developers that a discount grocery store will open there.

Now SquareTalk.org is asking community members for input on what businesses "old or new" they'd like to see be part of the new Overton Square. The Memphis Regional Design Center will then forward those responses on to the developers.

So far, the sole response calls for a Whole Foods or a Trader Joe's.

The developers plan to submit their plans to the Office of Planning and Development in early December.

You can also see the results of the regional design center's earlier Overton Square survey here. A majority of the web respondents wanted to see a combination of preserving and demolishing the buildings on the south side of Madison. Almost 70 percent said they wanted to see a grocery store in the area.

During the time of filming, liberal minister Greg's job leads his family on the road from their home in Los Angeles to America's conservative heartland. Middle America turns out to be a sometimes-hostile environment for the preacher's new family.

See what happens as the film screens at The Pilgrim Center at First Congregational Church on Friday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m.

For more information on the film, check out the Preacher's Sons website.