The Wharton Administration: “Dis-appointed” City employee Bridgett Handy-Clay was investigating alleged nepotism involving her boss. Mayor A C Wharton is weighing his budget options, including cutting City salaries or jobs, to find the $57 million the City owes Memphis City Schools. He’s also still promising a “shake-up” in City government.

Memphis City Schools: A Hillcrest High School guidance counselor, Clarence Mumford, has been charged with sexual battery and solicitation; more on WREG. Parents, students and the public react to the school funding decision.

Shelby County Commission: Thirty-five years apparently not being enough, Walter Bailey will be sworn in again today as commissioner.

Jason’s Deli: The Secret Service says it was Russian hackers and not local employees responsible for stealing customers’ credit card information. More from Eyewitness News, WMC, WREG and the Commercial Appeal.

County Mayor Transition: As incoming mayor Mark Luttrell prepares his transition teams, the emphasis is clearly on economic development. Luttrell has begun sharing his vision for the County.

West Tennessee: Former West Tennessee district attorney Terry Dycus, accused of sexual misconduct, has at least one defender. More on the missing $73,000 in fines and fees in Trenton.

Mississippi: State lawmakers are considering saving some Federal Medicaid stimulus money for the next budget year; more from the Associated Press. Ripley alderman Lonnie Smith is out on bond on his murder charge. By decree of Governor Haley Barbour, September will be Campus Fire Safety Month in the State’s schools.

Islam in Tennessee: Both gubernatorial candidates have now spoken out about the Murfreesboro Islamic Center fire. Monday night’s vigil in support of the mosque drew about 150. The Associated Press has a comprehensive report. The ACLU-TN is now using the mosque fire as a “recruiting tool”.

Politics: Independent Eighth Congressional District candidate Donn Janes will be participating in the October 5th debate. Democrat Roy Herron is still hitting Republican Stephen Fincher on his finances.

Chattanooga mayor Ron Littlefield talks about the recall effort against him. Governor Phil Bredesen calls the recently passed “guns in restaurants that serve alcohol” law a “stupid idea”; more in the Commercial Appeal. US Rep. Steve Cohen is on a fact-finding trip to Serbia.

St Jude Children’s Hospital: Their December 4th St Jude Memphis Marathon has already sold out its half-marathon slots! FOX Sports and NFL on FOX have signed with St Jude to run public service announcements about the hospital. More on the NFL deal in the Daily News, Fox13, Eyewitness News.

Cafe Eclectic: Their Midtown location is temporarily closed after a car slammed into their front door! Their website is here and Twitter account here. It will re-open on Thursday. WMC reported the story.

Willie Herenton: The former Memphis mayor won his child support case and will see a reduction in his payments. More from WMC and the Commercial Appeal.

Governor’s Race: Tom Humphrey of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports on Monday’s “Student Town Hall” featuring Republican Bill Haslam and Democrat Mike McWherter. The Commercial Appeal’s Richard Locker also reports and again. Democrats keep invoking the spirit of former governor Don Sundquist. McWherter has yet to open a campaign HQ in Shelby County.

Financial: Regions Insurnce is now offering personal insurance through its parent Regions Financial Corporation retail banking network.

Memphis Music & Heritage Festival: It’s coming up, this Saturday and Sunday. Center for Southern Folklore website.
 
 

911: Abusive callers, in the sense of overusing the operators for trivial calls, are “clogging” the system.

Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital: They received a $50,000 grant from the Will Rogers Institute.

UPDATED: Main Street Journal Soapbox Dinner: Come out for this informative and entertaining evening, cosponsored with the League of Women Voters, with a host of Memphis’ most interesting, powerful and connected people! Register now for the September 7th event by emailing us. Tickets are going fast! A new table has been added, thanks to US Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn.

Harold Ford Jr: The Secretary of State’s office says Ford will be stripped of his voter registration in Tennessee.

Memphis City Council: Councilman Jim Strickland is testing the community waters on the idea of privately-run community centers.

Germantown: Elected officials are trying to fight consolidation but without using public funds.

Downtown: The Center City Commission’s Design Review Board meets today.

Memphis Heritage: Opponents of the CVS pharmacy, as approved at last week’s City Council meeting, are discussing what to do next. More from the Commercial Appeal.

Shelby County Elections: Fox13 asks Shelby County Republican Party chairman Lang Wiseman and Democratic blogger Steve Steffens if partisan primaries shoulds still exist.

Collierville: At an organisational meeting for Save Shelby Now, which opposes the charter, former Collierville mayor and Charter Commission member Linda Kerley was asked to leave and became disruptive.

University of Memphis: A pair of itinerant preachers set up a soapbox on the lawn outside Mitchell Hall. Students Against Homelessness is a new student advocacy group. (stories via the Daily Helmsman) The new Living and Learning Center dorm is innovative in many ways.

DeSoto County The Velvet Cream has been voted the number one ice cream parlor in the state. DeSoto hasn’t been hit as hard as the rest of the nation in home sales. A delinquent property tax sale drewe hundreds of bidders. The County’s unemployment rate rose in July to 8.7%. Work on Olive Branch’s budget continues. The Imation Corporation donated $50,000 in CDs and DVDs to the school system.

La Prensa Latina: Our Hispanic newspaper has a bi-lingual story by a Memphian about a Hungarian immigrant student at the U of M trying to adapt to life in a strange land. Part two.

Business: Country singer Toby Keith is opening a restaurant/bar at Harrah’s Tunica. Wal-Mart is upgrading local stores.

A business profile of Vaco’s, a “specialized upper-management and executive staffing and consulting firm”, from the Daily News.

In the Daily News, Today’s Events and Memphis Newsmakers. And, in the Commercial Appeal, People in Business and What to Do.

FedEx: The company is expanding pickup times in China to connect to their service to Europe.

Tennessee: The Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship is healthier than advertised. Governor Phil Bredesen signed an executive order creating a Council to address mental health issues for veterans, service members and their families.

Real Estate: More on Mid-America Apartment Communities’ purchase of Dallas apartments. The Commercial Real Estate Women organisation has formed its first TN chapter here in Memphis.

Survey Says: Southern small businesses have increased hiring by 4%. Consumer economic confidence is up slightly. RealtyTrac ranks Memphis number one for home foreclosure bargains.

National Preparedness Month: That would be September and local businesses are being encouraged to be prepared for disaster. It starts today and local businesses need to heed its prescriptions.

Previously Posted: More on the Healthcare Packaging Consortium. More on the Marina Cove makeover, which is powered by the New Direction Christian Church. WREG also reports.

Left Wing Cracker: Continuing to push the politically advantageous idea of a fatally flawed election on August 5th, demanding a do-over. He was again on TV, doing political commentary. Yay Steve!

Haaaaave You Read My Blog? Cree, the tv blogger, now has a podcast! Still not many Memphians/Mid-Southerners doing podcasting, so this is good to see.

Getting Over My Ex in 30 Dates: Blogger will now let you know which countries your readers are coming from.

Can’t Stop: Running with a drinking problem… i.e. hydration.

i think? Summer break’s over and Travis has this update post on his Summer. (Mild language alert)

Ronnie Agnew: His own experiences with the “n-word” inform his reaction to Dr Laura’s use of it. (via the Desoto Times Tribune)

Lori Turner: Don’t leave your sale hanging on that next call. (via the Daily News)

Kathy Thurmond-Edwards: There are two types of insurance that will attract employees. (via the Daily News)

Gail Kerr: She believes the arson at the Murfreesboro mosque site will boomerang and energise the community in support of it. (via the Tennessean)

Commercial Appeal: Today starts a new chapter in County government. Christians are exhorted to embrace other religions.