The Wharton Administration: Mayor A C Wharton’s open letter to the City about finding the funds for the Memphis City schools. Police and firefighters are pre-emptively worrying about their salaries and benefits. City workers are fighting for their benefits, too. More from WMC. Wharton is planning virtual town hall meetings to solicit ideas.

Bridgett Handy-Clay’s Freedom of Information Act request — information on City Attorney’s office employees — was granted yesterday. Many of her requests were denied because of inaccurate language. Her attorney (Carol Chumney!) is calling her a “whistleblower”.

Preservation Memphis: Preservationist and producer Gary Belz, owner of the House of Blues Studio D, is moving to Nashville because “it’s just harder and harder to get business to come to Memphis”. Memphis Heritage’s June West invokes Mayor Wharton’s “City of Choice” vision, talking about still saving the Union Avenue Methodist Church.

Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital: La Prensa Latina has a bi-lingual report on the “Art with Heart” fundraiser.

South Memphis Revitilaztion Action Plan: The route to the South Memphis Farmers Market involved a lot of folks and several years.

Talk About the Weather: This Summer was the second hottest on record, since 1850.

Memphis Zoo: For the first time since 1976, the city will have an outdoor skating rink this winter. A bit more from the Flyer. More reports from Fox13 and the Commercial Appeal and the Daily News.

Second Amendment: The State’s new “gun carry in restaurants” law took effect yesterday.

DeSoto County: More dollars than ever were given out in food stamps in July. Northwest Mississippi Community College’s Senatobia campus is undergoing major renovations. October’s Household Hazardous Waste Day is in need of volunteers.

Business: Fred’s reports same-store sales in August were up 3.6%. Verizon is moving their Union Avenue store down a block to the former Cat’s Records space. A generally upbeat outllook for shares of Dollar General. Perkins & Marie Callender report lower 2Q sales.

In the Commercial Appeal, What to Do and People in Business. And the Daily News writes up Today Events.

FDA regulations about posting nutritional information in restaurants are beginning to roll out. Beware of work-at-home scams.

Delta Air Lines: Unable to find a buyer for subsidiary Comair Inc, the company is downsizing itself. Those cuts may be an opportunity for Pinnacle Airlines.

The Delta Fair: More information on the new County fair, which starts tomorrow. Fair website here.
 

Mississippi: Four Reform Party candidates have been removed from the November ballot. State colleges and universities are turning to several strategies to reduce costs. The City of Oxford is soliciting public comment about Sunday alcohol sales. Ole Miss has withdrawn the license to produce Colonel Reb merchandise, effectively ending him.

United Methodist Church: To stem the outgoing tide of declining membership, they are conducting a survey of their more successful congregations.

Real Estate: Home sales in Memphis for July dropped by 29%; more in the Commercial Appeal. CB Richard Ellis sold their Barronbrook Apartments property. Out-of-town buyers are attracted to local foreclosure sales. Non-profit agencies are getting an advantage in reclaiming foreclosed homes to resell to local buyers.

Survey Says: In August, the manufacturing sector has grown 16 straight months. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Memphis is one of 46% of metro areas to report a lower unemployment rate last month. Young women in Memphis earn 19% more than young men!

Marina Cove: The design for the planned renovation has been publicly released, with details.

MLG&W: Their board of directors meets today.

The Peabody Hotel: Yesterday was their 141st anniversary.

University of Memphis: University officials and students react to the Washington Monthly ranking. WREG reports on the two Pinpoint Evangelism preachers who set up shop on the campus green earlier this week.

UPDATED: Main Street Journal Soapbox Dinner: Come out for this informative and entertaining evening, cosponsored with the League of Women Voters, with a host of Memphis’ most interesting, powerful and connected people! Register now for the September 7th event by emailing us. Tickets are going fast! A new table has been added, thanks to US Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn.

NEW: What I Saw At the Restoring Honor Rally: Mississippi tea party activist Doc Ed Holliday shares his first-hand experiences and observations from the Glenn Beck rally last Saturday. A Main Street Journal online exclusive! Doc Holliday’s website is here.

Memphis City Schools: Former East High School teacher Emily Magill (nee Tubb) pleaded guilty to Federal drug charges. A knife fight at Frayser High School on Tuesday netted seven students by police.

Unified Development Code: How the City’s new zoning and regulation master plan will play out across Memphis.

Shelby County Government: Dozens of County employees, retiring under Plan C, are getting generous pensions. The District Attorney’s office is switching over to “vertical prosecution”.

New County Government: A veritable stage-full of new legislators and clerks were sworn into office yesterday. More from Eyewitness News, WREG and the Commercial Appeal and the Daily News.

New County Mayor, Mark Luttrell, talks some more about his plans for the County.

Germantown: The 39th Annual Germantown Festival is next Saturday and Sunday. The article lists some of the events.

St Jude Children’s Hospital: Their unfortunately-named charity fundraiser Cornhole 4 the Cure is a regular bean-bag toss event down in Southaven.

Crime: Kenneth Smith wore his pants so low, he was arrested for indecent exposure. John Fisher’s problems paying Aqua Construction International aren’t his first.

Tennessee: The Tennessee Highway Patrol will be cracking down over the Labor Day weekend, and the Department of Transportation says there will be no lane closures. THP Commander Mike Walker is resigning, effective today.

Politics: US Eighth Congressional District Democratic candidate Roy Herron is accusing his Republican rival, Stephen Fincher, of “playing ball” with corrupt politicians. Herron’s also keeping up the attacks on Fincher’s finances.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press publishes mayor Ron Littlefield’s emails on the recall effort against him. And the Jackson Sun also looks at the State Senate race between incumbent Democrat Lowe Finney and Republican challenger (who also once held the seat as a Democrat) Don McLeary. Some out-going aides to Knoxville mayor Mike Ragsdale are drawing controversy for their severance packages.

For those political junkies who also have an iPhone, there’s an app for tracking races (governor, US House and Senate) across the country. The Flyer’s Jackson Baker on Harold Ford Jr’s voting registration; more in the Commercial Appeal.

Islam in Tennessee: A spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations calls Governor Phil Bredesen’s comments on the mosque site fire “too little, too late”. Mosque opponent Laurie Cardoza-Moore says she is receiving death threats.

Jason’s Deli: The Russian virus that hacked into Jason’s computer was something the Secret Service hadn’t seen before. More from Eyewitness News.

West Tennessee: Dyer County approved a new budget … and a 15 cent property tax rise. A new and expanded menu for Angelfood Ministries, which can accept EBT and Food Stamps. A minister’s passion and faith are helping to create a new missionary house in Gallaway. But, “The door to the police department is still locked, the window’s still busted out of the door, and a $500 reward is still posted.” is also true of Gallaway.

Willie Herenton: Fox13 has more on the former mayor’s child support settlement. More from WMC.

Governor’s Race: Democrat Mike McWherter reminds voters he’s a “life long hunter” and Second Amendment supporter. Unlike his 2006 appearance with Harold Ford Jr, Bill Clinton’s campaign appearance with McWherter next week is free! Clinton may make more than one appearance for McWherter. The Weakley County Press reports on McWherter’s small business plans.

Arkansas: Tax revenue collections for August beat last August’s and the forecast.

See What Happened Was…. Leigh is back to blogging thanks to the Successful September challenge.

The MakeShift Revolution: Having a baby is like “getting a tattoo ON YOUR FACE“. A very lengthy but absorbing profile of “Mother of Invention” Lane. Fitting the childless into child-centered lives.

Notes from Memphis: A couple of shout-outs for City Market and Hari’s. More Beale Street history from Rudy Williams.

My Path is Wide Open: A welcome to September.

Jackson Sun: Teacher evaluation data should be shared with parents.

Megan Harris: She claims to speak for the majority of students in telling the itinerant preachers on campus to go away. (via the Daily Helmsman)

Scott Carroll: He’s less polite to the preachers, calling them “cancerous buffoons”. (via the Daily Helmsman)

Commercial Appeal: Support for the Federally-funded Neighborhood Stabilisation Program. They accuse opponents of the proposed charter of “incivility”.

Wendi C. Thomas: She argues for more money and more professional experts for the community’s kids. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Because I Said So: A home burglary means explaining crime and insurance to the kids without making them fearful. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Listwork: A new artist’s statement, in handy list format!

Memphis Daily News Blog: Comparing the metro charter movement to health care reform. Some impressions from yesterday’s massive swearing-in ceremony for County government.

Midtown Stomp: If you’re into cocktails, here’s a short list of things your well-stocked bar will need.

Gilmour Girl Goes Memphis: What is the running speed limit for humans?

Haaaaave You Read My Blog? Part two of her TV podcast, The Junk Pile. Check it out!

I Love Memphis: Kerry continues with the head-to-head BBQ challenges, this time with Cornish hen v. BBQ nachos.

Jen-sized: Is a woman who has a cat (or cats) a less attractive choice to men?

La Vie Quotidienne: Kids aren’t the only ones going back to school. I didn’t realise Sylvie’s hair was this dark.

Doug Johnson at Work: Some thoughts on TV ratings from someone who worked in the business.

Brain Release Valve: A Sinbad v. Cthulhu movie? Some time-lapse video of Earth as seen from space.

Bigger Than Your Head: The wine of the week is actually a “sparkling cider”.

Benito’s Wine Reviews: A review of the Mexican-South African hybrid restaurant Humdinger’s.

artbutcher: A teacher’s thoughts after his first classes.

16 Balls in the Air: Your “kids say the darnedest things quote of the day.

theology & geometry: A pretty frank and honest post on the “White Privilege Wankfest”, as she calls the Restoring Honor rally.

Thoroughly Modern Medusa: Another fan of the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.

The Chubby Vegetarian: A discussion of salt and pepper.