Hickory Ridge Mall: The World Overcomers Church unveils their plan for the old site. More from Fox13, Eyewitness News, WMC, the Commercial Appeal.

Slavery Apology: The Tri-State Defender writes up TN House Speaker Kent Williams apology for slavery. Much more on Williams’ visit to Memphis last weekend. Jackson Baker also reports.

Beale Street: The City has now filed a suit against Performa Entertainment over Beale Street management.

50 Women of Excellence: Nominations are open for this annual award and celebration, given by the Tri-State Defender and parent company Real Times Media.

POLITICS: The State GOP has put out a fundraiser bumper sticker criticising the Federal stimulus deal. A move is afoot, via a draft petition, to remove Bill Freeman as the treasurer of the TN Democratic Party for his Republican ties. Jackson Baker has more on the political scene here.

TN US Representative Marsha Blackburn will be the speaker at the DeSoto County Republican Party’s Reagan Day dinner tonight in Southaven. Rep. Steve Cohen got a lot of Federal stimulus money going to Memphis, but not so much going to the suburbs.

Shelby County Government: Mayor A C Wharton sees shedding County jobs as the first step to fiscal recovery.

Reappraisal: While most Shelby Countians are expecting loss of value in their properties, as the Daily News shows the County’s top ten commercial properties jumped in value.

Crichton College: Beginning with the summer session, all tuition for all classes are being reduced!

Germantown: The Parks and Recreation Commission reached a compromise on the Forgey Dog Park. It will involve ‘expanded parking, adding user fees and access cards’ and an orientation session.

ARKANSAS: A group of legislators has introduced a package of bills to push the state towards less pollution and better energy conservation. Governor Mike Beebe has signed the bill making cell phone use while driving for teens a crime. And a bill trimming the Martin Luther King Commission in half has passed the House and is headed to the governor’s desk. Another bill mandating that at least half the Oil and Gas Commission have industry experience is moving along. State changes effective date of seat-belt law to qualify for $10 million in Federal funds. Yet another bill, this one would raise the State’s standard income tax deduction to $500.

Fayette County: Believe it or not, but only 40% of residential computer users have access to broadband internet. Connected Tennessee is helping to remedy that situation.

New Convention Center: Mayor Willie Herenton is still keeping a new facility as a viable option.

Stanford Financial Group: Executive and former Memphian, Laura Pendergest-Holt, has been arrested on obstruction charges; more in the Daily News and the CA. The Flyer’s John Branston carefully shows how bad the fraud investigation makes Memphis look and what it will mean. Unraveling the political and civic mess. The Commercial Appeal notes that regulatory and investigative response from TN officials seems slow.

DeSoto County: In Hernando, Tony Scott is the third candidate to file for mayor.

Main Street Journal: Rescued: The Fight to Save Our Historic Buildings by Lance Allen and The Battle: The Shelby County Schools System is Still in the Fight for Special School Districts by Michael Roy Hollihan.
Chuck Bates presents Part Two of Socialism Not Seen Since FDR. You can peruse the Table of Contents here.

University of Tennessee: The state-wide system faces a $66.5 million budget shortfall for the 2009-2010 year. 200 jobs could be lost in Memphis, along with tuition increases and more. More from Fox13, WREG, WMC and again, the Daily News and the CA.

E. W. Scripps: The Commercial Appeal is reportedly laying off 18 workers. The rep for the newspaper’s guilds, Mark Watson, says it is 23. The parent company (Scripps) lost $19 million in 4Q. Sister newspaper the Denver Rocky Mountain News is closing its doors on the eve of its 150th anniversary. More on the RMN from the Business Journal, Flyer, Fox13 and the Commercial Appeal.

Shelby County Sheriff: Mayor A C Wharton has proposed 49 jobs for the chop in budget cuts.

Previously Posted: The city of Turrell, AR, has been closed by the mayor! More on the budget impasse driving this from WMC.

TENNESSEE: Mass layoffs spiked in January; state unemployment hits 8.6%. (Though this is not a record.) More from Fox13, WREG, WMC and the CA.

Three names have been sent to the Tennessee Judicial Selection Commission as finalists for the vacant Shelby County Circuit Court judge’s position.

Ford & Harrison: This national law firm, with a Memphis office, is donating 1229 hours to Habitat for Humanity in 2009.

University of Memphis: Ribbon cutting for the TERRA house, designed by school architecture students, is today. More on the TERRA house, from the CA. Are some students considering marriage just for the financial aid benefits it brings? And are others hiding out in grad school as a way of beating the recession?

West 10 Newspapers: The owner and publisher of small free and weekly suburban newspapers — in Shelby County The Bartlett Express, Collierville Independent, Millington Star, Oakland News, Shelby Sun Times of Cordova and Germantown and the Classified Advantage — is cutting its workforce by 5 to 10%.

Memphis City Schools: Open enrollment is coming up soon and there is likely to be a lot of uproar this year.

BUSINESS: Zale’s will be closing 115 stores; no word if that includes a Memphis store. The Embassy Suites brand officies will move from Memphis to Virginia, according to Hilton Hotels officials; more in the CA. Sears’ 4Q profits fall over 50%.

A business profile of Meribeth LaBarreare, VP and senior loan officer at Magna Bank.

MISSISSIPPI: Rep. Travis Childers has already collected $8 million for his re-election campaign. House committee approves plan after all for Olive Branch Methodist hospital.

Center City Commission: The board of directors meeting is today and a retail forgivable loan for an art gallery downtown is under discussion.

Life as I know it from Memphis: Menopause, poop and other commercial unpleasantness.

I’ll be the one in heels: The book she’s reading is giving her back her mojo.

Cwabs! A very quick visual joke.

a field guide to urban memphis: Some thoughts on unconventional pets and who decides and why.

Mick Wright: He has some political tidbits, some with local flavor, and then … some more!

Bigger Than Your Head: Wine, Italian vegetable soup and Oscar night. Also, he’s been nominated for an American Wine Blog Award! Go help him out.

The Horn of Plenty: A recipe for Mexican chicken soup and a ridiculously easy recipe for ginger thai pork.

Ashley la Rouge: She has the desire to pull.

Bernal Smith: The New York Post cartoon was ‘improper, tasteless and unacceptable’.

Notes From Memphis: Raiford’s Disco is coming back? Also, some pictures of historic homes on Adams downtown and some doin’s there, too.

Squeaky Wheel Seeks Grease: Her fiance is pretty awesome.

Radio Sweethearts: Being a fan of Alex Chilton isn’t easy, but has special rewards.

Pretty in Pink Megan: The wedding planning continues as the bride book arrives.

Rustmeister’s Alehouse: He links to a speech given by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to the NRA convention that shows another side of Jindal.

Steve’s Nude Memphis Blog: One very long, wide-ranging and thoughtful essay on the current state of the Union. A must read.

The Memphis Flyer: The County Commission mess is the Republicans’ fault.

theology & geometry: Awwww … her first Flash animation.

Myron Mays: The recession hits too close to home, but gratitude isn’t forgotten.