Consolidation: The City Mayor’s office has released it’s “Reinventing Government” report on consolidating the City and County governments.

School Menus: Memphis City schools here and Shelby County schools here.

Beale Street: Report by financial audit firm looking at Performa Entertainment’s payments to the City finds $6.4 million not paid in just six year period.

Memphis’ Next Mayor: Candidate Charles Carpenter will hold a live question and answer session today on Facebook between 2 and 3 PM. Labor Day was also a campaigning day. Myron Lowery appeared on Fox13’s Good Morning Memphis; Eye on City Hall discusses it. Carol Chumney, Rev Kenneth Whalum and A C Wharton appeared at the Worker’s Interfaith Network picnic. More campaigning at other Labor Day events.

A C Wharton says he’s “reassessing” future debates after the WMC debate included Robert “Prince Mongo” Hodges. Wanda Halbert calls Wharton’s remarks “strange”.

Second Amendment: An update on the ban on gun carry on Beale Street. Seventy cities in the state have opted out of the law. Gun carry in the State may be revisited after so many local communities opted out of the law, creating confusion.

The Wolf River: The Memphis News looks at the Wolf River Conservancy and its plans to both preserve and “smart grow” the region’s other major river, hoping to retain it natural flora and fauna while making it recreationally accessible and protected from poor urbanisation. More on the Ghost River from the Flyer.

National Baptist Convention: They are holding their annual convocation in Memphis this year. The election of a new president is filled with fear and controversy. More on the convocation from Fox13’s Les Smith.

City of Memphis: More questions and anger about the payment of former mayor Willie Herenton’s legal bill just as he left office. More on this from WMC.

Politics: State House Speaker Kent Williams is looking to rebuild favor among Republicans to get re-instated into the party. Will it work? The TN Municpal League is warning communities across the state that they face potential lawsuits over State HB 1598 guaranteeing freedom of religion. The TN Firearms Association is raising money to give to legislators who supported Second Amendment laws passed last year. The Commercial Appeal looks at PAC fundraising by Mid-South Blue dog Democrats.

Even if single-source funding legislation makes it to Nashville next session, it will have a very hard time passing.

US Rep. US Rep. Steve Cohen won’t demand the public option from the final version of a health care reform bill. Marsha Blackburn appeared on Fox Business to talk about her opposition to the public option in health care reform. Attorneys for David Kernell, accused of hacking former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s email account, cannot politically screen potential jurors via questionnaire. Are Republicans eyeing US Senator Bob Corker as a potential 2012 presidential candidate?

Battle of Collierville: As Civil War battles go, it was a minor skirmish, but as local history local re-enactors relish reliving that moment. The re-enactment is scheduled for October 23-25. More information from the Battle of Collierville website and Wikipedia and the National Park Service.

Citizen Participation: From President Obama’s Office of Citizen Participation, Katie Jacobs Stanton will speak at Rhodes College on September 22 about “Celebrate What’s Right”.

DeSoto County: The Coldwater Canoe and Kayak Committee is now seeking operating funds. Over 600 turn out for the Southaven tea party protest this weekend. Also in Southaven, the MS Municipal League will hold a series of meetings for area legislators and elected officials. The County school board is letting parents elect to keep their kids from hearing President Obama’s speech to schools today.

Circa, Spindini and Brushmark: These local restaurants are ranked amongst the best by Food and Wine magazine.

Previously Posted: More on the charges of faculty racism at the University of Memphis. More on the Medicare fraud case filed against NewGen Advance Orthotics Lab, whose assets were seized.

Shelby County Election Commission: Purging of the voter rolls is drawing questions from local Democrats. More from Fox13.

The Lowery Administration: Mayor Pro-tem Myron Lowery says firing non-resigning City Attorney Elbert Jefferson is a City Council issue. Lowery has harsh words for Jefferson. City Councilman Bill Morrison will introduce a resolution calling on Mayor Lowery to terminate Jefferson at the next Council meeting; more from WMC and again. More from the Flyer.

Unemployment: The national unemployment rate is 9.7%. In TN, it’s 10.7%. But, job losses nationally appear to be slowing.

H1N1 Flu: Shelby County’s first child fatality of this flu has been recorded; more from WREG, Eyewitness News, Fox13. Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton released a statement on current activity fighting the H1N1 virus in the county. A map of the national spread of the swine flu, as of late August. (via the Dyersburg State Gazette) School-age kids are being disproportionately killed. (via NWTN Today)

Shelby County Schools: Classes in Spanish are now being offered to earlier classes. An ad hoc committee is re-assessing the school dress code. Listening to President Obama’s speech today is optional for County and City school students. More on the President’s speech from WREG. And here is the text of the speech he’ll give.

Imagine 2035: The Metropolitan Planning Office is looking forward twenty years with this initiative, which projects land-use and transportation demands.

Southern Heritage Classic: This week is the twentieth anniversary of the classic football matchup … and tailgate party. Official website here.
 

Delta Air Lines: Their air traffic was down over 2% in August.

Business: An update on the lawsuit against Blockbuster’s filed by its TN franchiser. Memphis is looking at a strong September, economically speaking.

A business profile of Memphis Business Interiors, from the CA. A business profile of Brown Family Dairy, a locally-sold, organic dairy, from the CA.

People in business, from the CA for Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

The Small Business Advocate, in the CA, asks, “Where is Small Business Owner Day?” And James Overstreet says the recovery is coming … probably.

From the CA, Done Deals.

Mississippi: State Democrats hope to teach a lesson about partial vetoes to Governor Haley Barbour. The state’s dove season opened Saturday! If you need helping finding a job, the State has search help options available. They also offer free paternity testing! More on the new driver’s license renewal kiosks.

Arkansas: The late soybean crop is endangered by root-knot nematodes. State Republicans are angry at exclusion from setting up the new State lottery.

Blight: Local governments are considering a plan to offer cash rewards to abandoned tire pickup and turn in!

Tennessee: This year is the 150th birthday of the State Capitol building.
 
 

Survey Says: Memphis ranks sixth nationally in live music! More on this in the Commercial Appeal. Private sector hiring is up in September.

Stella Marris: Steve Cooper’s first restaurant project isn’t a strip club in disguise or waiting, says general manager Craig Patton. Note: over the summer he bought another property at Germantown Parkway and Fischer Steel for a “sports pub”.

Marc Perrusquia: A look at the evolving policies and tactics of secrecy from local government and how the Commercial Appeal claims to battle it. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Otis L. Sanford: Offering advice on winning the horse race of the mayoral election. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Chris Peck: Advice and observations about local colleges and universities for parents of college-age kids. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Jerome Wright: Parents share the blame for the Malco Paradiso fights / incident. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Amy Howell: Ten important characteristics for our next mayor. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Wendi C. Thomas: She recently revisited her hometown and shares her thoughts and memories after the experience. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Ron Maxey: President Obama’s speech to kids today is no big deal. (via the DeSoto Appeal)

The Right Perspective: If you need a license to get married, then what’s wrong with counseling too? (via the Commercial Appeal)

Complacencies of the Peignoir: House-selling, teaching, Tammy Faye, urination and country music lyrics, all in one amazing post!

Doug Johnson at Work: Another weight loss milestone achieved.

Eskapadez: A link to a story on Shelby County inmates doing dog-training for the Memphis Humane Society. Some surprising lessons and insights.

The Memphis News: Celebrating — and protecting — the Wolf River. (via the Daily News)

Hugh Fraser: Conservation of the Wolf River is very important. (via the Daily News)

55-40 Memphis: When you can only listen to Prince Mongo, not see him, Bob is impressed. He has links to MP3 versions of Mongo’s appearance on Thaddeus Matthews radio show!

a field guide to urban memphis: Your thoughtful advice for the day, “Anyway….”

at home she feels like a tourist: Some angry thoughts on universities as career starters and education spending.

Bigger Than Your Head: He takes you through the post-picking wine making process. Hey, he’s now a wine consultant! Also, the wine of the week.