Shelby County Clerk’s Office: The investigation continues and nets charges against former Chief Accounting Officer Katherine Kirk, wife of former County Commissioner Cleo Kirk. An assistant attorney for Shelby County is also on leave now. Further reporting here.

Shelby County: Officials with CSX railroad and the County have reached an agreement that opens the way for the Greenline. Official website for the Greater Memphis Greenline. Should the mayors of Memphis and Shelby County take pay cuts during this recession?

About $80 million in Federal stimulus money is flooding in to Memphis and Shelby County; officials are rushing to make sure it’s spent.

Mayor Willie Herenton: The Commercial Appeal reports that the FBI and State auditors have reopened their investigation of the FedEx Forum garage. Former County Commissioner John Willingham was among the interviewed. More from WMC.

Turrell, AR: The drama continues as the City Council passes a budget and then fires their two City Hall employees for writing bad checks. The city is still closed. And the debates rage.

MLG&W: The utility is warning thieves not to steal electricity. It is dangerous.

US Customs and Border Protection: They are looking to hire 11,000 people nationwide, including in Memphis. More from Eyewitness News, WREG.

Memphis Medicine: Two anti-Alzheimer’s drugs are about to start clinical trials; each has potential to modify or stop the disease.

BUSINESS: Countrywood Crossing retail center adds its 32nd tenant-in-common. Wal-Mart pays $2 billion in various bonuses to executives and regular employees. The Day-Brite Group, a Tupelo lighting firm, has laid off 45 employees. Sara Lee Bakeries is opening its first store in Olive Branch. Nike outlines its reorganisation plans.

Two Memphis lawyers have filed suit against Proctor & Gamble and GlaxoSmithKline over excess zinc in denture creams.

Laurence Plummer, of Plummer Financial Services, wins the Achieving Client Excellent (ACE) award, the first African-American to ever win the John Hancock sales award in 140 years.

A business profile of Midtown Nursery, which hasn’t even opened yet! (From the Daily News.) Also, Howell Marketing Strategies, which is moving Downtown. And another profile, of Relax the Back on Poplar.

People in Business from the CA, for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

Small Business Advocate: Bankers and small business owners must learn to understand each others’ languages.

FedEx: Share prices fall on news of a steep profit drop. Early reports on the Tokyo crash: Fox13, WMC, Eyewitness News, WREG, Commercial Appeal.

MATA: Part of the Federal stimulus funds will be used to upgrade equipment, etc. Google and MATA are teaming up on a trip planner for riders.

Memphis Pillow Fight 2009: Held this past Saturday in Overton Park, it shows the power of social networking.

Banks: A loopohole in Federal law allows TN banks to give out large bonuses. This is the same exemption that is causing the AIG outrage.

Memphis City Council: They are analysing the capital improvements budget for places to cut.

MISSISSIPPI: State will soon have $43 million to devote to rehabbing foreclosed properties. The deadline to register for municipal voting is April 4. Expert warnings lead legislators to cut hundreds of millions from State budget. Oysters caught in coastal waters causing illness in Tennessee restaurants; more from Fox13, WMC. Effects of economy on college loan borrowers may not be known for years. State Senate committee’s hangup may render moot a vote on Federal stimulus funds. Governor Haley Barbour plans to veto the bill that restricts eminent domain.

Mississippi Outdoors, for March 23, from the CA.

Tennessee Southern Baptist Convention: They are opening a website dedicated to helping individuals, groups and churches being affected by the economic downturn, mostly spiritual help. More from the CA.

Mid-South Community College: They were awarded a $200,000 grant from the Arkansas Department of Workforce Education for a half-dozen trade education programs.

TENNESSEE: The first low bidders on ten road projects for the Dept. of Transportation have been identified. State will not receive Federal stimulus funds for charity care; TennCare is the cause. A hummingbird tag to benefit Tennessee Wildlife Federation (an outdoors group) is upsetting some conservationists; more from Eyewitness News. More of the state’s mentally ill are now living in nursing homes.

Previously Posted: A few Memphians show up in the Business TN magazine’s Power 100 ranking of fellow Tennesseans. More on the Memphis - Halifax cargo shipping connections. More on the two design firms that might handle the National Civil Rights Museum renovations; WMC and Eyewitness News have more as well. The City’s pool safety education program, free for kids.

School Menus: Memphis City schools here and Shelby County schools here.

ARKANSAS: The snakehead fish, an aggressive predator from Asia, is finding its way into the eastern AR ecosystem, and has plenty of folks worried; more on WREG. House OKs 24-hour sale of alcohol at two race tracks. Governor Mike Beebe designates a part of Highway 67 the ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Highway’. The new lottery bill would give scholarships for a 2.5 GPA.

Shelby County Schools: The system will open two onsite clinics for employees, expected to save money and employee down time.

POLITICS: Governor Phil Bredesen will deliver his budget presentation tonight; the House and Senate Finance Committee Chairman express their thoughts; more from Eyewitness News. According to the Commercial Appeal, he will use $5 billion from Federal stimulus funds to balance the State’s revenue shortfalls.

The State Democratic Party is experiencing severe fundraising problems under new Chairman, Chip Forrester; more in the Commercial Appeal. The Tennessee General Assembly’s Fiscal Review Committee finds that wine sales in grocery stores will generate $16 million for the State. A huge group of fire chiefs, fire fighters, fire safety inspectors and many more, are lobby Nashville to mandate a minimum of 16 hours of training for fire fighters. State Rep. Joe Towns wants to outlaw saggy pants on students; more from WREG.
The CA’s Political Notebook returns.

The Job Market: Hundreds turn out for Border Patrol job recruiting fair.

Tax Season: Some tips and advice on maximising and utilising your tax status. The IRS offered free tax preparation Saturday; the article still has many helpful links on doing your taxes.

Commercial Appeal: The daily raises its newstand price by 50% and makes some deep cuts in personnel last week. Follow the link for names and departments. An earlier article from the Flyer. The Commercial Appeal’s own, slight, report. More from Fox13, WMC. The AP story, via WREG.

Mediaverse also has more, including a link to an interview with now-departed editorial cartoonist Bill Day. Smart City Memphis also has a long, informed and interesting essay on newspapers, their history, their role in the community and more.

St Jude Classic: The PGA Golf Tournament in Memphis is renamed after Stanford Financial Group collapses with part of its promised donations unpaid.

In related St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital news, a number of stars and celebrities lend their voices to a narrated book fundraiser.

Church Health Center: New patient sign-ups are so large they’ve instituted a Saturday orientation session to handle the extra.

Memphis City Schools: Various programs that depend of Federal or philanthropic support are changing, though why is a subject of debate. Fox13 has a followup on their story about the PM School, which gives dropouts a second chance at finishing their high school educations. Superintendent Kriner Cash spoke at New Olivet Baptist Church, urging parents to emphasise education, teach discipline and to love their children.

2nd Amendment: A reporter for the Flyer takes the handgun carry permit class and reports the experience.

Survey Says: Airline pasenger revenues were down 19% in February.

University of Memphis: Volkswagen Group of America is donating $1 million to the school’s STEM program, mentoring local school kids. Memphis is getting representation this year at the South by Southwest Music Fest. Project Safeways, aiming to increase safety in high-crime apartments, will be unveiled today. Some students spent Spring Break helping the elderly in St Louis. The Economic Opportunity Begins with Education public forum is being held today at the Fogelman Auditorium, sponsored by the State and County Republican Parties, to discuss how education can save the economy. Students are volunteering in neighborhood-driven survey project to find what residents in South Memphis want or would like to see revitalisation of that area.

A related story, from the Flyer, on the possibility of reducing or capping coaches’ salaries.

DeSoto County: Affinity Lawnscapes wins Hernando’s three-year landscaping contract. The new president of the Hernando Chamber of Commerce, Keith Hawkins, is a record setter: the first African-American to serve. Also, the City of Hernando will soon get an official welcome sign. The Olive Branch Arts Council will host an art sale at the Wesson House next weekend.

Dr Randeep Mann: A Commercial Appeal report on the Arkansas doctor who officials say isn’t related to the Dr Trent Pierce carbombing, but who has a raft of interesting problems nonetheless.

MAKE IT HAPPEN: Ah, the best laid schemes of women runners in training. Further post on the knee pain; altering the training plan.

The Conservative Zone: An early report from MidSouthCon.

Live as I know it from Memphis: Many more pictures from the Las Vegas trip.

garage sale of ignorance: The tale of the detectorist and exploiting racism.

Otis L. Sanford: A father’s age doesn’t matter, if you trust the study and the data, and your personal experience isn’t involved.

Chris Peck: Perseverance will carry you through the hard times, when it seems impossible.

Running With Dice: A rave review for Lonnie Tant’s in Southaven.

Toilet of the Day: A bland and disappointing meal at Sekisui Downtown. And, of course, photos of the bathroom, which was also bland….

Urf! It’s Spring Break 2009 for The Quartet. Much fun is had.

a field guide to urban memphis: Red Fish, a new store Downtown; some random Memphis photos.

Weeden Arts Watch: A report on the mural being painted on Redbirds Stadium.

joespake: Joe has lots of photos from RETechSouth 2009. Start here and keep clicking.

Thaddeus Matthews: It’s a White Privilege Conference, coming to Memphis April 1 - 4. And it’s not what you’re thinking, most likely.

Commercial Appeal: The Fed is pumping unprecedented amounts of money into the market. Cautious support for a public schools police force. Memphians should participate in the public meetings to determine what happens to Mud Island. Fewer and fewer MLG&W customers are donating to the Plus One program. The Legislature should approve wine sales in grocery stores.

Mediaverse: Thoughts on reader-generated content and paying for it. Is the Commercial Appeal’s coverage of Dr Randeep Mann sloppy and provocative?

My Memphis Attorney’s Life and Work: Eating and networking during St Patrick’s week.

at home she feels like a tourist: Surprise at finding surprising connections between Cleveland, TN, and Berkely, CA.

The Gadfly: The President is overdoing the ‘one of us’ schtick.

The Flyer: State Senator Paul Stanley is a likeable legislator with a touching faith in the free markets, considering.

Dining With Monkeys: Fun with the family at Muddy’s Bake Shop.

joelarkins: Thoughts on being greeted by Human Resources at the Commercial Appeal.

Long Tall Animals: Thoughts on cold office air, imperfect bodies and rape as entertainment.