Shelby County Commission: They vote after discussion by Commissioners to not sell the Pyramid and pay off the Health Department yet. More from the Daily News.

MATA: The public transportation agency is offering free Downtown trolley rides from Wednesday through Sunday.

MISSISSIPPI: The town of Batesville is scene of tear-filled goodbyes as the soldiers of Delta Company begin their year-long deployment. The ban on teenagers texting while driving is set to become law. One apartment complex in Robinsonville is using draconian rules and threats of eviction to fight drug crime. The MS Court of Appeals is hitting the road and will hear some cases “today at the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson and April 21 at the University of Mississippi School of Law in Oxford.”

Tamara Mitchell-Ford: Now that she’s out of jail, she’s talking with the media.

ARKANSAS: Three County school systems are nearing being taken over by the State as they are placed on the ‘fiscally distressed’ list.

Center City Revenue Finance Corporation: At the meeting today, they will discuss Grand Island Apartments receiving a PILOT.

BUSINESS: Millstone Medical is expanding its facility in Memphis. Quebecor is cutting 111 jobs. Circuit City is seeking to sell their brand and website. Blockbuster’s lawsuit by two TN franchisees has flared up again. The Cordova Applebee’s is now going to become an IHOP.

Eric Fuhrman of Crye-Leike Commercial has started a website to help Shelby Countians with their commercial property appraisal appeals. 1Q non-commercial mortgage numbers continue their decline of the past two years.

Shares of a majority of Memphis’ publicly traded companies rose yesterday.

Business profile of flower and gift shop Gestures in the CA, which also discusses businesses coming to and staying in the South Main area.

People in Business from the Commercial Appeal for Tuesday.

FedEx: Company is grounding 14 jets, due to economic downturn. More from Eyewitness News, WMC, the Commercial Appeal. In a slightly related story, Pinnacle Airlines has achieved third-best on-time numbers for January and February.

Tennessee Higher Education Commission: As a budget cutting measure, they consider cutting duplicate graduate programs at some colleges and universities.

Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence: This Thursday, they will host Kim Klein speaking on “Fundraising in Times of Crisis”

Pets: Memphis dogs are at particularly high risk for heartworms.

Survey Says: The US Dept. of Energy predicts a minimal rise in the price of gasoline this Spring.

UPDATE: Main Street Journal: From our April 2009 issue, two more articles: Shelby County historian Ed Williams III writes on The Way Things Were: The Shelby County Courthouse and Keeping Lean: What can we learn from Collierville? by Senior Writer Michael Roy Hollihan.

Also, publisher Jonathan Lindberg on Deja Vu: What the Governor’s race of 2010 and the Senate race of 2006 have in common. You can read the Table of Contents here.

COGIC: The congregation inaugurated Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake last night, now serving his first full term.

Porter-Leath: Two benefit fundraisers are coming up. A crawfish festival this Sunday and a golf tournament on Monday. Porter-Leath website.

Tax Season: The victims of Arkansas’ strong storms last week have their tax filing deadline extended; more at WMC.

Memphis City Schools: School custodians, who feel hardest hit, are protesting the proposed job cuts. More reporting from Eyewitness News.

Superintendent Kriner Cash argues again for a separate police force for the school system. Parents of students at River City High School are relieved that the system won’t be closing the school.

Shelby County Government: Administrators are considering a revised and weakened ethics code. Link to proposed new code here. (PDF document)

Kroc Center: The Salvation Army’s planned new building is pushing its public capital campaign, seeking $3.9 million to complete the public funds.

POLITICS: Harold Ford Jr has officially announced he is not running for governor in 2010. His official press release is here. More coverage from Eyewitness News, WMC, the Daily News, the Commercial Appeal.

State House Republicans are balking over an apology resolution — for slavery and segregation. More from WMC. The Voter ID bill has passed the State Senate, as did the wine shipping bill.

TENNESSEE: State’s block grant programs get a $20 million boost from Federal stimulus monies.

University of Memphis: Student credit card debt is rising still.

Collierville: Board of Mayor and Aldermen approve a public library management contract with the same company that already holds the contract.

Property Re-Appraisals: Folks in neighborhoods where for sale signs are sprouting wonder how their appraisals could still go up.

Germantown: The Forgey Park dog area plan, which provides substantial controls, infrastructure improvements and adds fees, met with everyone’s approval.

Weeden Arts Watch: Probably the most delightful thing you’ll see today. Really. Life needs more moments like this.

On the Beach: The five stages of handling losing your job.

theology & geometry: More on the upcoming blogger bowling bash. Sorry, too much information;

The Conservative Zone: The World War II Japanese super-battleship Yamato … built with LEGOS!

The Chockley Blogs: Rainy day means the kids want to play dress up!

Sassy Molassy: Lots of love for the Facebook quizzes.

Rustmeister’s Alehouse: Help him choose his next phone/PDA.

Pretty in Pink Megan: A photo-filled report on Easter weekend, and clothes shopping (and a cute picture of a cute dog!).

Paul Ryburn: An update on this weekend’s festivals, the South Main Association meeting and a job offer for someone.

Notes From Memphis: You can help with Memphis tourism! The lineups for the 3rd Thursday block parties this Summer.

Mick Wright: He also has thoughts on International Paper’s false ‘greening’.

Cathryn Stout: The term step-child is being replaced with bonus-child. (via the Commercial Appeal)

bitter/books: The call is put out for a blogger bowling bash sometime in May. Y’all come!

Cwabs! Your question of the day: What is the best sandwich?

Fertile Ground: She spent her birthday restaurant-hopping with friends and family.

Fore Left! On the selective outrage of some Democrats.

I’ll be the one in heels: A withering review of Twilight, the movie.

joelarkins: Is local television news like bad service?

Joy’s Life and Times: A reward offered for something lost.

Mediaverse: Thoughts on Commercial Appeal Editor-in-Chief Chris Peck’s editorial this past Sunday.

Commercial Appeal: Support for out-of-state activists who want corporal punishment outlawed in charter schools, too. State Republicans need to stop being obstructionists with Shelby County’s legislative agenda.

at home she feels like a tourist: Some thoughts on why the South still differs so much from the rest of the country. There are a lot of biases and prejudices that are still perfectly acceptable. Watch Susan Boyle walk out on stage to face them all and throw them right back in the audience’s face! If this doesn’t make you tear up….

a field guide to urban memphis: The government offered and International Paper took it. And an interesting factoid for the day!