UPDATE: Main Street Journal: From our April 2009 issue, another article now online: Mick Wright gazes upon Obama’s Brave New World.

Previously posted: 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.

Stanford Financial Group: CNBC is airing an interview today with R. Allen Stanford about his ‘Ponzi scheme’; this CA story also links to an interview in the Houston Chronicle.

DeSoto County: More on the discrimination case against the Sheriff’s Dept., from WMC. County Board of Supervisors approves a controversial grant program that gives $36,750 to low-income new home owners. They also voted to authorise a study of mandatory trash pickups funded by property taxes.

Crime: Deputies went to the Mid-South Flea Market this past weekend and nabbed a woman selling counterfeit sunglasses, and other people. More from WMC. A Facebook scam called the ‘419 scam’ hit the employees of Eyewitness News last weekend.

TENNESSEE: The State is now taking applications for over 12,000 summer jobs.

POLITICS: State House passes a resolution supporting statues for two state Nobel Peace Prize winners — Al Gore and Cordell Hull. The House passes two gun bills, one allows gun carry in city, State and Federal parks and the other allows parks and municipalities to limit gun carry in parks. US Rep. Steve Cohen is travelling in Eastern Europe.

The Daily News’ Bill Dries runs down the list of newly declared candidates for local political office.

Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare: They are installing a new $327 million modular power plant at their Poplar Avenue campus.

Facing History and Ourselves: This Holocaust remembrance initiative is seeking a ’second generation’ to carry forward the stories of the survivors.

Harold Ford Jr: He is publishing a memoir this December, More Davids Than Goliaths.
 
 

Consulting Services Group: Memphis business involved in an SEC investigation of a ‘pay to play kickback’ scheme from two politically-connected men working for Alan Hevesi, former New York State comptroller.

4/20: Annual pro-marijuana gathering in Overton Park campaigns for legalising marijuana. No arrests for possession were made, apparently.

Survey Says: Many to most Americans are reluctant to institute recycling measures in their personal lives. The Commerce Board reports that the leading economic indicators dropped more than expected last month.

Mayor Willie Herenton: He will make his budget presentation today to the City Council. He says he will give raises and avoid layoffs, keep the property tax the same and maintain the City’s reserve fund.

In related Council news, FedEx CEO Fred Smith will address them during the executive session prior to the full Council session.

Church Health Center: Dr Scott Morris, founder of the CHC spoke in Washington DC to “Consultation on Conscience, a public policy conference hosted by the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism, the legislative arm of the Union for Reform Judaism.” Rabbi Micah Greenstein of Temple Israel in Memphis also spoke.

Memphis Area Association of Realtors: Local realtor, Lynn Pfund, will received the National Association of Realtors ‘Green’ designation later this year, one of the first locally to do so.

Shelby County Assessor’s Office: The certified roll of property reappraisals has been released. The County saw an overall rise of 10% in assessed property value. The Commercial Appeal calls it 8%.

BUSINESS: All of Memphis’ publicly traded companies fell with Monday’s Wall Street fall. Diamond, a truck dealership based in Memphis, has CEO Dick Sweebe named Truck Dealer of the Year; more from the Daily News. Mid-America Apartment Communities expects to beat its 1Q 2009 earnings forecast. Office Depot is offering free resume copies and faxing until May 30. Retired Wal-Mart CEO, Lee Scott, earned nearly $8 million in 2008, less than the year before.

Venture capital investing is at its lowest level in 12 years.

A business profile of soon-come Art on a Hot Tin Roof, in the Daily News, that also touches on local small business entrepreneurship.

Green Logistics Conference: Reports on FedEx CEO Fred Smith’s talk Monday on the need for energy independence in the transportation industry. Much more in the Commercial Appeal.

Methodist University Hospital: Today they are performing an ‘awake craniotomy’ live on a webstreamed broadcast for the public to watch, on Oakland resident, Sheila Mullins.

LaunchMemphis’ TechFuel: A discussion forum this Thursday, on emerging technologies, social media and startup entrepreneurship. The Daily News has more.

The Big Switch: The FCC has unveiled a new website helping consumers understand and deal with the switch to digital broadcast television later this year.

MISSISSIPPI: Gamblers lost $233 million in state casinos in March; more on WMC. A website sponsored by Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant argues that higher cigarette taxes are needed to keep automobile tag costs down; more from the CA. Governor Haley Barbour signed a bill allowing liquor sales in four resort areas in the state. The legal age for blood donations has been lowered to just 16.

Pinnacle Airlines: They are reporting increased traffic for the month of March. More in the Commercial Appeal.

Commercial Appeal: Call for support for change to Consumer Protection Act to prevent future foreclosure problems. More outrage on the cell phone abuse at the Memphis City Schools.

The Daily Docket: He reproduces a mailer from State Senator Ophelia Ford, and notes a constitutional faux pas.

Vegan Crunk: An eggless, vegan frittata and some greens from the Farmers Market last Saturday. And then, fun with black-eyed peas.

vibinc: Shelby County Democrats are lagging. And a walk to stop the violence, this Wednesday.

A Right Perspective: Thoughts on lyrics inane and dirty in popular music. (via the Commercial Appeal)

what would you ax it? The final ‘oh dear god why?’ taste test, with bottles of Drank and Bawls. With bonus history of drug use in the Southern music scene!

Persian Pit Bull: Photos from the last day in Puerto Rico.

Smart City Memphis: Tax revenue shell games, forgotten promises and taking COGIC for granted even as they did the same are all signs of big problems for Memphis.

Rustmeister’s Alehouse: Were the tax protests last week racist?

Reginald Milton: He reproduces the letter from City Councilman Myron Lowery to Memphis Board of Education president Tomeka Hart on the funding situation for City Schools.

Radio Sweethearts: How NPR reported the tax protests last week, filtered through snark.

Panacea: A poetic type of Spring fever.

Notes From Memphis: A Saturday that went nicely awry.

My Midtown Memphis: Restaurant closings and news in Cooper-Young.

Love is a Movement: Some ideas on free events and places to do in Memphis.

Mediaverse: A story in the Commercial Appeal on cell phone abuse had important errors and omissions. Is The First 48 news or entertainment?

Lean Left: Obscenity as mockery is funny! What do you expect to happen when your workers are underpaid and angry? Thoughts on Mexican border issues.

From the Southern Table: A rant on a Commercial Appeal review of the Silly Goose. Also, Spring foods are rolling in from all around the Mid-South, and a review of the Beignet Cafe.

Chick Chat: Casting a light on Community is Opportunity and their work promoting local non-profits. (via the Commercial Appeal)

From the Rainbows: The bathroom remodeling continues and the pets are staking out territory. Success with the new skylight but at a price.

artbutcher: Advice for a new artist / blogger / critic in town.

Brain Release Valve: Thoughts on the conviction of the Pirate Bay team and digital copyrights. More thoughts, on Columbine.

55-40 Memphis: The bank stress tests are a dumb idea.

a semi-charmed kind of life: Overheard conversations.