Memphis City Council: In other business, they approved the creation of the metro charter commission. More from the Commercial Appeal, the Daily News. Reaction from Mayor Pro-tem Myron Lowery.

Mid-South Fair: The recession is making plans for a new home in Tunica an iffy proposition.

Memphis City Schools: Are city schools short of custodians?

Memphis’ Next Mayor: Preparations are underway for the Cordova Leadership Council debate on September 29. The Tri-State Defender, Coalition for A Better Memphis and Fox13 are sponsoring a debate in Raleigh-Frayser on September 21, though Myron Lowery won’t be there.

From the Commercial Appeal, a profile of candidate Vuong Vaugn Vo. From Fox13, interviews with A C Wharton and Ernest Lunati.

And from the Whitehaven mayoral debate the other day, a Daily News report emphasising anger with consolidation. Another report, from Eyewitness News.

H1N1 Virus: The Federal government has created a flu preparedness guide for small businesses. The FDA has approved the flu vaccine and now it remains only to distribute it. The Federal prison here has been quarantined after a swine flu breakout there; more from Fox13. The Memphis-Shelby County Health Department says they are prepared. Food safety is also highly important.

Downtown: The Center City Development Corporation is meeting this morning.

Grizzlies: The team’s 2009 - 2010 television schedule has been announced.

West Tennessee: Dyer County may petition the State Assembly to delay purchasing implementing new voting machines. (via the Dyersburg State-Gazette)

Business: The airline mechanics union has authorised a strike against UPS. An earnings drop for Kroger sends its stock plunging. Blockbuster may close up to 1000 US stores; more in the Commercial Appeal.

Local tire sellers are warning consumers that tire prices will rise as much as one-third!

People in business, from the CA.

Real Estate: A handful of hospitals and agencies are having to make real estate moves.

“Small Biz Show”: Host Robert Staub is hosting a seminar for small business owners and entrpreneurs called “Create a Turning Point in Your Success”.

University of Memphis: Thanks to the Internet, cheating on papers is easier than ever. As a recruitment tool, the Alumni Association is opening a Student Alumni Association, too. (via the Daily Helmsman) A U of M Continuing Education class on women and firearms is aimed at education, not training. More on the Faculty Senate vote supporting a single board for all State schools.

County Commission: A comparison of paid leave policies for Memphis and Shelby County governments. They have begun to schedule interviews with prospective interim replacements for Paul Mattila, the former County Trustee.

The 2010 County Mayoral Race: And they’re off! County Commissioner Deidre Malone and Bartlett Bank president Harold Byrd have declared candidacies for county mayor; more from the Commercial Appeal. More on Byrd’s announcement.

Crime: The Memphis Police Department is touting a drop in crime and the Blue C.R.U.S.H. program.

Politics: US Senator Lamar Alexander decries the dependence of the Obama administration on “czars”. State Rep. John Deberry held the first of two diversity seminars for State employees.

Tennessee: The TN Medical Association has objected to remarks Governor Phil Bredesen about doctors. The TN Road Builders Association is calling for an increase in the gasoline tax. More on local bridge repairs under the State’s Better Bridges Program. The governor’s solar power initiative in Haywood County got Federal approval.

Millington: First it was the Collierville goat, a situation amicably settled, and now it’s a pot-bellied pig in Flag City, where the lawyers have been brought in.

Local Media: The Commercial Appeal has added to their selected, private databases of some public information. The Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum has unveiled a new website.

DeSoto County: Four of the county’s five incorporated towns have now approved the City budgets. A report on the annual Delta Grassroots Conference. The Plank Road Festival has been postponed until at least 2010. Southaven police are checking for out-of-district tags as parents drop kids off at school.

Healthy Memphis Common Table: The local activist group for “health care improvement” is receiving grants and taking off this year.

Arkansas: Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. will build a $200 million hospital in Jonesboro. Sixteen bids are in for relocating and renovating the State Fairgrounds.

Survey Says: Our state ranks 13 in the TransUnion credit risk index. Retail sales were up for the first time in six months; more in the Daily News. A trade industry group expects airlines to lose $11 billion this year.

Libertyland: The lovely and much-loved Grand Carousel will be disassembled and put into secure storage, awaiting an uncertain future.

The Stanford Group: A Federal judge has appointed a public defender for R. Allen Stanford.

Germantown: The Board of Mayor and Alderman approved the senior retirement facility near the Dogwood Creek subdivision.

MemphisConnect: A reminder that Social Camp Memphis 2 is coming up. And! If you are worried about H1N1, there’s a hotline number you can call.

(Lang Wiseman) Random Thoughts: It ain’t easy being the chairman of a major political party.

Gilmour Girl Goes Memphis: Yoga.

Downtown Memphis Blog: Just how dumb can our criminals be?

Doug Johnson at Work: All kinds of random thoughts in this post.

Confessions of a West Tennessee Liberal: Mayoral candidates are signing on to the Issues First campaign.

Paul Ryburn’s Journal: A plethora of events going on Downtown.

Persian Pit Bull: Putt putt!

pulled before the push: Questions for and about Jesus.

Scribblescrawl: Needing some advice on last.fm.

The Tale of a Southern Belle: Let’s discuss Olay skin care products!

Author of Y’all’s Destruction: Seven days of cat blogging.

Thaddeus Matthews: Is Myron Lowery a tool of whites?

Squeaky Wheel Seeks Grease: School is keeping her busy. And, random life lessons.

Steve’s Nude Memphis Blog: Dreams with his father.

Smart City Memphis: A high five to the City Council for approving the charter commission resolution.

Commercial Appeal: Applauding a call for more Federal money to fight infant mortality locally. And kudos for Operation: Safe Community.

Diane R. Neighbors: Getting business involved in early childhood development. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Wendi C. Thomas: She likes gay men but not dishonest, married men. Thoughts about prescriptions and health care reform. Tales of bad customer service. (All posts from her personal blog.)

what would you ax it? A somewhat cryptic but fundamentally hopeful post about a difficult year.

Witty Blog Title Goes Here: A lot of random, odd questions with some serious, honest answers.