STATES OF EMERGENCY! Governors of Kentucky and Arkansas declare states of emergency over price gouging on gasoline. Fighting at the pumps in KY. Fifty cents a gallon immediate gas price increase seen. In Knoxville, gas is nearing $5.00/gallon; Nashville has lines and rising prices; Chattanooga, too. Governor Bredesen “taking steps.” Knoxville blog has gas price updates.

No Memphis media reports as of 3PM!

How to contact the AR Attorney General if you spot gas price gouging.

NEW - Southern Heritage Classic: MATA offers express service for the game; schedule here. Official game website. WREG story on the SHC, and a busy weekend.

NEW - Jackson Baker: Paul, Paul and St. Paul.

Previously Reported Stories: Rep. Steve Cohen revises and clarifies his “Barack Obama was a community organiser like Jesus … Pontius Pilate was a governor.” remarks on Hardball. More from the Commercial Appeal and WMC.

Platinum Plus auction raises $60,000. Mostly singles. Additional reports: Fox13, WMC,

MPD officer accused of murder a jail concern. A report from WMC. And from WREG, the victim’s family.

POLITICS: Fayette County: New School Board sworn in. Also, Oakland mayor’s race heats up as Scott Ferguson files charges against Mayor Bill Mullins. And, Fayette County Board of Education member David Barnes found guilty of DUI. (Stories via Oakland News)

Paul Boyd, African-American man on a GOP mission. New Bartlett campaign sign law goes into effect this month. Medtronic forced to make public their charitable giving. Governor Bredesen expected to announce expansion of CoverTN.

Did Mayor A.C. Wharton make an announcement he’s running for Memphis mayor next? The Flyer says … maybe. Oscar Edmonds, former Memphis City Council and Shelby County Court member, passes.

Reps. Blackburn and Cohen sponsor a Congressional resolution honoring Isaac Hayes. Tennessee’s Senate battle for party control is a national interest now.

Collierville: Collierville Animal Shelter close to getting off-site animal adoption center at The Avenue at Carriage Crossing. Also, Planning Commission votes down proposed gas station along Poplar. (via Collierville Independent)

University of Memphis: More Tennesseans going green in transportation. Voter registration drive underway. And the Fogelman School of Business has a new Fogelman Chair in Real Estate: Dr. Mark Sunderman.

West Memphis: Another police brutality suit looming.

Memphis City Schools: Not all teachers being “laid off”; some get reassignment. WMC: Job fair. WREG report.

UPDATE - Hurricane Ike: National Hurricane Center. Path shifts yet again, further west yet again; rain chances diminish. Commercial Appeal hurricane news tracker TN Task Foprce 1 on the scene in Texas for assistance. From WMC: ‘Pain at the pump’; and another story. WREG: Two stories on AR price gouging, here and here. Will it happen in Memphis?

Commercial Appeal: Evacuations in Texas and Ike’s Gulf adventures.

Goat Days: Millington family fest is this weekend.

Synovus Financial: Steep cut in quarterly dividend. Commercial Appeal report.

Sorenson Communications: Growth and expansion.

TVA: Site Selection magazine calls them a top utility for 2008.

CVS Pharmacy: Coming soon to Memphis thanks to Land Use Control Board (LUCB) approval.

Vollintine: A restricted covenant, usually a bad thing historically, helps preserve a neighborhood’s character.

University Towers: At fifty, looking good and sporting a new name.

Arlington: Mail thieves strike.

UofM Tigers: A new corn maze pays tribute to the Tigers.

Memphis: Cleaning up the city, one neighborhood at a time, with a lot of volunteers and some corporate help

DeSoto County: Hernando approves budget that includes city employee pay raise. Also, County Board of Supervisors asks to move some voting precincts in advance of November elections.

Atoka: Community has begun its own water meter reading and maintenance services.

High Point Coffee: Monthly trivia contest at Forest Hill-Irene store has a beneficent aim.

New Convention Center: Herenton sings its praises. WMC report.

Down Syndrome: Increased attention to Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin’s child is boosting attention to the disorder.

Cherry Blossom Special: E.J. is back from the grave, with a vengeance!

Foxydiva1974: Comments on the affair that led to police officer murder.

JetLagg: Liberals and … India?

Hallie Woodward: Movie Traitor is frustrating and confusing.

The Gates of Memphis: Around the Memphis internet.
 
 
 
 
 

Theology & Geometry: Semi-celebrity sighting! Sort of.

SonnyGLL: Lipstick everywhere.

Joe Citizens: Keep the politics out of the term limits vote.

55-40: Yet more lipstick jokery.

Smart City Memphis: Finding a better way to fund schools.

The Conserative Zone: 9/11 is Patriot’s Day.

Paul Ryburn: How to help the Downtown Safety Patrol; followup story here.
 
 

Midnight, and I’m Not Famous Yet: Thoughts on religion, Palin and Bigfoot.

Rustmeister: A guest post by Brad Todd, on 9/11, 109 minutes, Jeremy Glick and quickly creating new paradigms.

The Pesky Fly: Jeff agrees with Joe Biden.