Memphis Motorsports Park: Another piece of Memphis history is going as Dover Motorsports was unable to close a deal with potential buyer Gulf Coast Entertainment and will close it. More on the story in the Daily News (and here), Fox13, WMC, the Commercial Appeal, WREG.

Memphis City Council: Tomorrow’s meeting will have a final vote on the illegal tire dumping ordinance. The Commercial Appeal offers a restoration idea for the Grand Carousel from Libertyland, currently in storage.

H1N1 Virus: A third wave of infection is expected to hit the city in the new year. Some Mid-South parents are saying no to the flu shot.

Crime: Fox13’s Les Smith looks at “Generation Lost” and the effects so many juveniles committing crimes is having on the community.

The Commercial Appeal: On the heels of this story from last week, talking about their market “dominance” they are now announcing a new enhanced e-edition with “green” special topics, available for free until February. In other newspaper news, Gannett (the owners of Nashville’s Tennessean) talk about “content priorities” to keep their newspaper relevant in the digital age.

In related newspaper news from Arkansas, a joint venture involving the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette will involve layoffs at several newspapers, all in the NW AR area.

I-69: The Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce is hosting a conference, “Memphis: The Crossroads of NAFTA” next week, on the importance of trade to the city.

COGIC Convocation: Their current annual meeting may be Memphis’ last, too. Next year they head to St Louis. More from Eyewitness News.

Politics: In re-elections next year, several State Senators face much younger rivalsvying for office. State lobbyists are still finding ways to make political contributions — via PACs. More on Lt Gov. Ron Ramsay’s official support for the state sovereignty movement; more from WMC. The Davidson County Republican Party is seeking to boot its vice-chairman, a libertarian Ron Paul supporter.

More regulations and restrictions on the ways Cities and Counties can finance municipal bonds are coming out this week.

US Senator Lamar Alexander: “Climate change is real.” Thursday was a very busy night politically in Memphis.

DeSoto County: The First District race to unseat Democratic US Rep. Travis Childers is already underway. An Olde Towne Halloween event in Olive Branch was a success. OB will also reconsider its ban on fireworks in its town meeting this week. The City is also asking for public opinion on widening Pheasant Hill Road. Thanks to heavy rainfall, Arkabutla Lake is brimming with fish!

Millington: Restrictive ordinance on multi-residential buildings on a single lot will be eased to help residents. More on the massive construction and renovation project for Millington Central High School.

Financial: Regions Financial retains its number one ranking in state market share. First Horizon National was named one of the top places to work in PR.

Tennessee: A retort to last week’s report on a study showing that effects of pre-K programs wear off in a couple of years from critics like Phil Doss of the State’s Offices of Research and Education Accountability. More on the story from the Daily News. Despite tight budgets and cuts to those budgets, colleges and universities are still embarking on capital building projects. The state saw a fifteen percent increase in suicides, from 2007 - 2008. (via the Leaf-Chronicle) The number of medical lawsuits, and amounts of judgement, is radically declining in Tennessee and Mississippi.

TennCare: The Memphis News has a long piece looking at the root causes and effects of the cuts in the rolls of the “Daniels class” enrollees via re-evaluation. Also, a personal story of Jacqueatha Phillips, tied to that story.

City of Memphis: The Workforce Investment Network is being investigated for bad finances and record-keeping, and may face State takeover.

Inner Circle of the Mid-South: They will sponsor one non-profit executive through their “Join the Inner Circle” scholarship.

Survey Says: Nearly four out of five employers expect to give a four day holiday for Thanksgiving. US wages and benefits rose at the slowest pace through September in more than a quarter-century.

Memphis City Schools: Former Senator Bill Frist spoke last week, along with J. R. “Pitt” Hyde on the importance of reform in education.

Shelby County: An internal investigation has uncovered six County employees who broke County rules in several ways, including steering business to companies they profit from.

Two candidates have now declared for the interim County mayor selection process. You can read their applications: George Flinn and Anthony Tate. (PDF documents) More from WMC.

Memphis Animal Shelter: Twenty-four hour surveillance cameras that are web-connected will be installed so that they public can monitor activity there. More from Fox13, WMC, WREG and Eyewitness News.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference: Reverend Bernice King, the youngest daughter of the Rev Martin Luther King, was chosen chosen as the organisation’s first woman president.

Porterfield Posse: Seventy years and 407 arrests to date for this “king of crime” family in Memphis.
 
 

Mississippi: The Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project is desperately seeking volunteers to do pro bono work for the poor. Swine flu vaccine is expected to be available at all health clinics and public schools this week, but in limited amounts. A flu update from Eyewitness News.

Global Entrepreneurship Week Local organisations and businesses hope to capitalise on last year’s success with a week of activities to boost local entrepreneurship.

Business: Value of GTx stock slides ahead of a conference call on a new drug application. The Merck / Schering-Plough merger has been approved by the FTC.

A business profile of Hamilton’s Fireplace in the Daily News. A business profile of “on demand” accountants Cannon Wright Blount from the Commercial Appeal.

The Small Business Advocate says when your customers don’t have much money, don’t forget about barter.

What To Do and Done Deals in the Commercial Appeal. Also, People in business for Sunday and Monday.

Agriculture: The boll weevil, scourge of Southern cotton growers, is almost completely eradicated now. More on the heavy rains and their effect on the Mid-South.

FedEx Ground: Auditors have decided not to assess taxes or penalties on idependent contractors (ie. drivers) for 2002.

Dia de los Muertos: The city’s Hispanic community celebrated the two-day festival, Day of the Dead, over the weekend.

Wally Joe: A construction permit has been filed on a home property on South Perkins for a new restaurant. The Memphis News’ Frederic Koeppel profiles Wally Joe himself and his plans for the property.

Real Estate: An oversupply of foreclosed properties is driving down home prices.

West Tennessee: The State Department of Transportation has begun the process of letting on portions of I-69 around Lake, Obion and Dyer Counties. (via the Dyersburg Stae Gazette) The Obion County Health Department is reporting “great response” and “long lines” for H1N1 flu vaccine. Last month’s unusually heavy rains and saturated ground are worrying area farmers. (previous stories via NWTN Today)

University of Memphis: Students are protesting the cap on the student printing allowance. The school is working to burnish its image as an urban research university.

Arkansas: Record rainfalls are playing havoc across the state, especially St Francis County; more from WMC, WREG,WMC. The State lottery was to roll out its Powerball tickets this weekend. More allegations of corruption in Jericho, this time in the police department. A flu update from Eyewitness News.

The Race for the Cure: The Germantown event Saturday had 16,000 registered participants.

joelarkins: Someone familiar is back on the air (no, not him) and he’s going to challenge himself.

(Lang Wiseman) Random Thoughts: We thinks independent voters could be Republicans. More on non-aligned voters. Right-wing women rock.

Memphis Mike’s: A strange item at a local supermarket (local to him that is) inpsires a goofy, lunatic post. A terse but filling summary of the last six months.

Midtown Stomp: A recommendation for Emerge Memphis and their Inside the Success video.

Paul Ryburn’s Journal: More Halloween costumes, from a Kooky Canuck party and from another Downtown party.

Smart City Memphis: More from the Great Mayors series: San Francisco’s Gavin Newsom and New York’s Michael Bloomberg.

Dining With Monkeys: They go on the road to Prince’s Hot Chicken in Nashville.

The Morgan Update: Harper’s first Halloween.

Space Oddity: Halloween bacon!

Weeden Arts Watch: Meet John and visit some of his world!

Urf! An uncanny likeness to a local celeb. Stanky. More Halloween costumes, kid’s division.

Commontaries: The real measure of success for the Wharton administration.

16 Balls in the Air: My, how times change.

Adventures in Merriness: You, too, can practice lifestyle design.

Gail Kerr: The Legislative study commission on wine sales in grocery stores is a farce to raise lobbyist funds. (via the Tennessean)

Gwynn Bradley: How her predecessors at the student paper handled Haloween. (via the Daily Helmsman)

Memphis News: The problems of government-run health care.

Commercial Appeal: If you beat everyone to the office today, did you remember DST? Despite many laws and harsh punishments, some dog owners still break the law. Next year’s new, higher, standards for education will place an extra load on everyone. Kudos to Sooner Investment for compromising some on Overton Square. The threat of State takeover or shuttering gets the paper interested in WIN.

Chris Peck: Intervention and prevention may be needed more than suppression of crime. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Bradley D. Thomas: Real men don’t beat the ones they love. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Darrell Phillips: He awaits the move to the new Downtown location of the U of M Law School. (via the Commercial Appeal)

James Overstreet: President Obama sees the importance of small business in America.

Dr Manoj Jain: The health benefits of garlic. (via the Commercial Appeal)