Fairgrounds: Robert Lipscomb discusses the new plan to renovate and redesign the Fairgrounds.

Memphis City Schools: More on Superintendent Kriner Cash’s backtrack on the “no flunk / no fail” policy; more from WMC. White Station High School is applying to get a digital sign for the school. MCS votes to change insurance carriers.

Man caught vandalising MCS property was not charged, by MCS request and comes back to finish the job!

Shelby County Schools: The ad hoc committee studying school start times finds the least costly option is still expensive.

The Pyramid: Mayor Pro-tem Myron Lowery and Robert Lipscomb say a definitive announcement is soon to come.

Collierville: A report on the NIXLE crime reporting and alerting system that the city is the second in the state to roll out.

Dalai Lama Visits Memphis: He’s in town to accept an International Freedom Award at the National Civil Rights Museum, but all the talk is now on Mayor Pro-tem Myron Lowery’s failed fist-bump joke for the home audience. Every news outlet covered it, and commented on it and polled it, and so it feels overblown. More stories, of course, from WREG and the Commercial Appeal.

Politics: The Obion County Election Commission is looking for other counties to join it in a potential lawsuit to prevent the State from mandating Counties buy new voting machines to meet 2008 Voter Confidence Act requirements. (via WPLN) A summer study session of the State House Judiciary Committee listened to testimony over allowing employees to carry guns in their vehicles even if their company otherwise bans them on premises.

An interview with former State Republican Party chairwoman Robin Smith on conservative women in political activism. The National Republican Congressional Committee has recruited a candidate, Stephen Fincher, to face Democratic incumbent US Rep. John Tanner in the Eighth District.

Baptist College of Health Sciences: The trend continues: record high enrollment this year.

Shelby Farms: A look, from the Commercial Appeal, at the daily work day and responsibilities of the park rangers.

Tennessee: Ever wonder if there’s some kind of State aid you might qualify for? Try the FindHelpTN website. Women in the state have high rates of STDs.

Real Estate: Commercial real estate sales are suffering under laborious demands. Two senior health care facilities on Old Getwell Road will be remodeled and expanded, if all goes well.

Memphis International Airport: They have been chosen as a test site for a precision landing system that uses GPS.

DeSoto County: The City of Horn Lake is organising its first ever Mayor’s Youth Council. Preparations for this weekend’s Mid-South Fair.

Urban Land Institute: They have seven new local initiatives they are pursuing.

Memphis Bioworks Foundation: They are cosponsoring lecture and networking events that are producing results.

Oakland: The Oakland Deposit Bank has filed suit against Stephen Henry, their former president and CEO, alleging he created millions in false loans.

Mid-South Sexual Assault Resource Center: The County Mayor’s office, the Memphis and Shelby County Health Department and the Memphis mayoral transition team have released the results of their study (PDF document) of problems with MSARC. Full study document is here. (PDF document)

Bartlett: More on the public forum the city is hosting on allowing or banning “gun carry” in parks. A report from WREG after the meeting. The Commercial Appeal reports that the crowd overwhelmingly approved gun carry.

Shelby County Trustee: The County Commission is beginning interviews to find the interim replacement for former Trustee Paul Mattila, who passed away.

Metropolitan Planning Office: Although Federal stimulus money is flowing to other “shovel ready” road projects around the state, only one in the Memphis area has been designated and funded so far.

City of Memphis: More on the efforts to recover settlement money paid to Joseph Lee; more from Eyewitness News and the Commercial Appeal.

Good Morning Memphis: The Stone Awards at the Pink Palace honor local business and community leaders. An Infant Mortality Awareness Walk will be held this Saturday. Fair President Jim Rout talks up this weekend’s Mid-South Fair. The Juvenile Intervention & Faith-based Fellowship program aims to fight crime with job-training programs.

Arkansas: More on the astonishing collapse of government in Jericho, with links to many other stories.

FedEx: Subsidiary FedEx Express is taking delivery of new Boeing 777F freight aircraft; more in the Commercial Appeal. FedEx Freight President and chief executive officer Douglas G. Duncan has announced his retirement; more from Fox13, the Daily News and the CA.

Business: SFI of Tennessee and Steel Warehouse are expanding and adding 250 jobs. Scottrade will hold an investor workshop in two weeks.

People in business, from the CA.

Blight: Illegal tire dumping is causing the City Council and County Commission to consider a joint referendum on the problem.

Methodist Healthcare and Baptist Memorial Health Care: A judge has denied class action status for a nurse’s wage lawsuit.

Mid-South Housing: A look at the cost of housing, when you factor in transportation, from a public transit activist group. More rundown public housing goes by the wayside as Austin Park Place opens.

University of Memphis: Community activist group Common Ground is hoping to find partnerships on campus. A re-organised student fitness program from the Student Health Department, Feelin’ GRRReat, is already seeing increased participation. Ways to have fun and find interesting things to do on a tight student budget. Finding help with writing papers. (all previous stories via the Daily Helmsman)

Mississippi: Thanks to the Children First Act of 2009, parents can read detailed information about their children’s schools in the local papers. Casino revenue fell in August. The amount of funding being requested by the State’s mental health director is “eye-popping”. The State expects to have ample supplies of the H1N1 flu vaccine.

Survey Says: First Horizon National is ranked among the best companies by Working Mother magazine; more from the Commercial Appeal. More and more people are using online banking services and resources.

The Flying Bloghouse: Self-portrait as zombie!

The Conservative Zone: Some hard observations, backed by a study, on the disparity of success in black and white kids. Followed by a plea.

Steve’s Nude Memphis Blog: Some surprisingly calm, non-ranty random thoughts.

Rustmeister’s Alehouse: Thoughts on some gun poll results. Some happy cigar news.

Scribblescrawl: A post on an earring display leads to deeper thoughts on sleep problems.

sharp stick in the eye: She likes her some croton plants.

Smart City Memphis: Some photographic first impressions of the downtown coming down Riverside Drive.

Left Wing Cracker: Get drunk with Carol Chumney tonight.

Paul Ryburn’s Journal: More on Jimmy Ogle’s manhole cover tours (and more, of course!).

Perisan Pit Bull: She discovers an outhouse on their new property!

Pretty in Pink Megan: First day of Fall and a new haircut!

diary of a southern domestic diva: Birthday celebration! With many pictures.

Gilmour Girl Goes Memphis: Advice and observations on being an Iron Sherpa.

Haaaaave You Read My Blog? Some support for Mayor Lowery’s fist-bump faux pas.

Wendi C. Thomas: From her personal blog, she’s apparently too-easily shamed by a messed-up joke.

at home she’s a tourist: Thoughts on the tea party movement and left-wing vs right-wing populism.

Commercial Appeal: Enrolling churches in the healthy lifestyle campaign. Intervention, not retention, should be the MCS policy.

Cyril Chang: The degree of change and their costs depend on the kind of health care reform the Congress designs. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Geoff Calkins: Like fellow employee Wendi C. Thomas, he also over-reacts with shame and embarrassment and bad jokes to the Dalai Lama’s fist-bumping. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Jen-sized: She set a goal to completely read Infinite Jest and make it!

I’ll be the one in heels: Life lessons from Sesame Street.

Commontaries: Women always fall for the handsome charmer.