Memphis City Budget: The mayor also announced his 2009 - 2010 budget for the City: a mix of spending and capital spending cuts, decreased revenue projections, vacant positions held open, reduced hours at many libraries, parks and community centers. WREG has the raw video of his entire presentation. The City will do its own delinquent property tax collections and increase the legal division to do so. A Federal grant will allow the hiring of 300 more police officers. More from the Flyer, the Commercial Appeal, Fox13, Eyewitness News.

Other actions taken at the City Council meeting. And more. Will the property tax rate drop from the current $3.25 per $100?

FedEx CEO Fred Smith: Overshadowed by the day’s big story above, Smith’s executive session talk with the City Council still drew a lot of media reporting. More from the Commercial Appeal and the Daily News, WMC, WREG, Fox13.

Segregation: From Fox13, a story of Ed Blackmon and how he got a lot of archaic laws — racist, segregationist laws — taken off the books in Mississippi.

POLITICS: State bill to prevent communities from enacting ‘living wage’ laws was defeated in a House committee; WMC has more. Also dying in another House committee was a bill capping litigation against nursing homes; more from Fox13. Senate committee passes Governor Phil Bredesen’s legislative package (using bonds to fund ‘energy upgrades’ to State buildings and creating a statewide energy / building code); more in the Daily News. A partisan fight is brewing over raising State unemployment taxes on businesses to shore up the unemployment trust fund. Memphis reaction to the gun carry in public parks law.

Germantown: The Industrial Development Board made changes to policy that will help the Saddle Creek IV project move forward, one day.

Midtown Mental Health Center: Their building on Linden will be auctioned off May 14.

Abiomed Impella 2.5 Heart Pump: Miraculous device is becoming very popular in local hospitals as a life-saving device. More from WMC.

Consulting Services Group: The Flyer has more on the New York state extortion scandal that has connections to Memphis businesses.

Collierville: Lawsuit being considered for apartment complexes not in compliance with several disability building codes. Improvements to Byhalia Road may be next year’s biggest capital improvement project.

University of Memphis: A report on Sunday’s 4/20 celebration. Students will host a ‘Recycle Mania’ on Earth Day, to raise awareness. President Shirley Raines will appear at an open public forum today on campus to answer questions on the school’s budget. A university audit finds ’significant, long term conflict of interest’ at the school’s Center for Research in Educational Policy.

Defense Depot: Although closed for nearly 12 years, it’s winning an award from the Federal government for … cleanup. More from the Daily News, WMC.

Crime: Residents on Cowden and elsewhere in Cooper-Young neighborhood plan a walk protesting the shootings there, tonight at 5:30 PM.

Domestic Violence: A look at one case on Lamar Avenue and its affect on the neighborhood when deputies show up.

Shelby County Schools: Major renovations will start this summer at Shadowlawn Middle School, among others.

TENNESSEE: State will get $30 million for dislocated and low income workers program from Federal stimulus funds; more from WMC.

Partnership Lakeland: State Senator Mark Norris is the featured guest speaker (DOC document) for Partnership Lakeland when they have their annual meeting this Thursday, April 23. Norris is the current State Senator for that area. He will speak on civic involvement and public service.

UPDATE: Main Street Journal: NEW! Writer Jonathan Devin is attending the University of Memphis’ Fedex Institute of Technology’s Transportation in Transformation conference this week and is reporting his thoughts and observations.

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

Shelby County Clerk Investigation: Entire staff of the Millington office is suspended as the on-going and widening investigation ‘decimates’ the Clerk’s office.

Memphis City Schools: A study finds Memphis ranks 29th out of 50 in graduating students — with 51.1% of students actually graduating in 2005! Members of the Board of Education have a text messaging tiff that gets leaked to the Commercial Appeal before being squashed by President Tomeka Hart.

County Commission: The Commission will vote today on the final disposition of the Pyramid.

MISSISSIPPI: Talks on agreeing to a new cigarette tax rate between the State House and Senate start off slowly. More from WMC, Fox13. A landowner near Clarksville, in Coahoma County, is seeking to get permits to build a casino there.

BUSINESS: Mid-America Apartment Communities expects 1Q 2009 earnings to exceed announced forecasts. Tenet Healthcare has raised its earnings outlook by $25 million; the Daily News tells more. Schering-Plough saw 1Q sales fall 6%; similar story in the CA. In its first operating loss since 1991, Mueller Industries lost $2.5 million in 1Q. Norfolk Southern railroad sees first quarter loss; more in the Daily News.

A business profile of Warehouse86, an online product liquidator; from the CA.

People in Business, from the CA.

Delta Air Lines: They announce they will ground some planes and institute new baggage fees to raise more revenues, after already stopping some loss. First quarter loss is nearly $800 million, mostly hedging bets on fuel costs. More from the Daily News.

FedEx: The company wins its court appeal in the dispute over whether Ground drivers are independent contractors.

BANKING: First Horizon National’s CEO, Mike Rose, is stepping down from ‘active management’ of the company’s board of directors; more in the Commercial Appeal, the Daily News. BancorpSouth saw net income fall in 1Q by $16 million. Regions Financial posts a ’surprising’ $77 million 1Q profit; the Daily News has more. Both Renasant and Cadence Financial banks saw their 1Q financials take a hit.

McDonald Murrmann Center for Skin, Laser and Healthy Aging: They are launching a new expert panel series on making healthy life choices, beginning April 29.

DeSoto County: The Regional Utility Authority awarded two infrastructure contracts totalling nearly $10 million. The Horn Lake Board of Aldermen approved a bond issuance for a building purchase. Southaven expects to complete its court-approved annexation next month. County Board of Supervisors asks State Attorney General for opinion on expanding sex offender laws; WREG with more. Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi and Volunteer Northwest Mississippi have joined forces to create ‘Community Services For Soldiers’ Family’ for families of National Guard soldier just shipped overseas.

LaunchMemphis: More on the TechFuel reception and panel discussion this Thursday evening.

Dr Randeep Mann: His lawyers are seeking to have his case dropped because prosecutors took 36 days instead of 30 to get an indictment.

I’ll be the one in heels: An update on the foot surgery with a sorta-gross picture.

Lean Left: An early review of Disney’s Earth.

Long Tall Animals: A road trip to Chattanooga to see The Avett Brothers, and another picture of damaged leg parts.

MAKE IT HAPPEN: A three minute update!

Mediaverse: Might the Commercial Appeal cost some people their jobs? A look at reporting on Corey B. Trotz.

moremittenz: Because Mom asked for it … a weekend update.

polar donkey: Is Mayor Herenton’s announcement about running for Congress just getting ahead of a Federal indictment so he can play the ‘black man can’t get ahead’ card?

Rustmeister’s Alehouse: Is the death bell tolling for some Republicans?

Lamar Alexander and Arne Duncan: Barriers to charter schools should go away and failing schools must be dealt with. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Secret Agent Mom: Some very frank talk on post-partum depression.

The Chockley Blogs: Her Top Five celebrity crushes.

vibinc: Liveblogging the mayor’s budget address. Support for the ‘living wage’.

Weeden Arts Watch: An update on the downtown mural. There will be an official debut party for the mural this Sunday!

Eskapadez: Shocking, tragic news about little Lucy. And at such a terrible time, too.

Fertile Ground: Satchel’s birthday and his life in pictures.

Confessions of a West Tennessee Liberal: Mayor Herenton’s announcement of running for the Ninth Congressional District seat is just a diversion. Why not make Memphis the home of a Museum of Professional Wrestling? Why not?

Commercial Appeal: Praise for two outdoor concert series.

Complacencies of the Peignoir: She really loves her William Carlos Williams.

Buck’s Blog: Looking forward to today’s WRVR Listener Lunch. He has stuff to give away and needs your help.

Bigger Than Your Head: It’s time for the wine of the week.

BEEB: Flexing too-little-used writing muscles.

55-40 Memphis: Ruminating over journalism and its practitioners. Harold Ford Jr: too similar, too late.

16 Balls in the Air: Children away (mostly) it’s nine days of peace.