BackinMemphis

A local citizens group is promising a demonstration during the annual candlelight vigil at Graceland during Elvis Week. The grassroots group Coalition of Concerned Citizens promised the demonstration would happen during the vigil Monday, August 15 . Monday evening, Kevin Kern of Graceland released a statement in response: "As Memphis prepares for the arrival of visitors to celebrate the life and legacy of Elvis Presley, Graceland is actively working with local law enforcement agencies, as it does every year, to ensure the public's safety and security. We look forward to welcoming the world to our city and showcasing the hospitality that Memphis is known for around the globe." In July, more than 100 people marched down Elvis Presley Boulevard in front of Graceland, leading to six arrests for obstructing a highway. Similar to that protest, organizers say the planned gathering during Elvis Week will highlight economic and education disparities in Whitehaven and

132 Homicides - Jan 1 to PRESENT Day Cause of Death 108   Gun 6   Knife 3   Vehicle  0   Fire 7   Other 8   Unknown Those traveling to Memphis, be ALERT! Don't end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Always use your GPS when driving in areas that are not fimiliar. Don't be foolish enough to think that because it's Elvis Week, you are safe. There's a lot going on in this country right now, and an event bringing in such a large crowd as Elvis Week could also be a target. Memphis and Graceland will be a bit safer during Elvis Week but still, be smart and be ALERT! But most of all.......HAVE FUN!!!!! Commercial Appeal Homicide Tracker

The Guest House at Graceland is a six-story, 450-room hotel, opening Oct. 27 just steps from Presley's former home. The exterior, with columns, arches and a portico, evokes the feel of a comfortable Southern Colonial home, but the interior design and amenities are modern. Priscilla Presley, the singer's former wife and a caretaker of his legacy, said Elvis had made plans to build a guest house at Graceland as far back as 1960. But it was never built, so when people visited Graceland, they would stay at a Howard Johnson's down the street. "This luxury hotel is the most significant enhancement to Graceland since we opened in 1982," Priscilla Presley said Monday. "This is huge ... I feel that it's just so right for fans, and our guests, and tourists." The hotel is the first of its kind in the working- and middle-class Memphis neighborhood of Whitehaven. Droves of applicants flocked to a job fair Saturday, and the hotel will employ about 450