Northeast Shelby Republican Club Dinner: The four leading Republican candidates for governor — Bill Gibbons, Bill Haslam, Ron Ramsay and Zach Wamp — will attend the 2009 Pasta and Politics fundraiser on November 13. (PDF document) Website here.

Tires! It’s too early to start turning in tires under the “cash for rubber” rebate plan the City approved. It isn’t expected to be up-and-running until December.

City of Memphis: With the aid of State and Federal grants the City will start a homeless aid program through MIFA. Oops! The City tore down the wrong house!

Memphis City Council: The Daily News’ Bill Dries goes deeper into the discussions and changes in the new scrap metal ordinance passed this week.

Image of Jesus: A Jonesborough man, Jim Stevens, says an image of Jesus has been appearing on his truck window every morning with the dew. (via the Johnson City Press)

Good Morning Memphis: The Walk for Wags & Whiskers is this Saturday. Healthy Memphis Common Table is trying to encourage a healthier Memphis. Some key questions for couple with ailing marriages and ways for parents to connect with teens. The Olive Branch Emergency Food Pantry needs your help. Information on the Come to the Fire Women’s Conference next week.

The Association for Women Attorneys: They are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year in Memphis and honoring State justices.

University of Memphis: LaDon James has been selected to participate in the Tennessee Board of Regents’ Maxine Smith Fellows Program to provide training for minority administrators. MATA is offering special express busses and passes for Tigers games downtown. The Debate and Eat Cake Club hopes to stir interest in politics and debate among students. (via the Daily Helmsman)

Business: The Mona Spa at the Sanderlin Center is expanding and renovating. Verso Paper is receiving more than $9 million in Federal stimulus funds. Wunderlich Securities has opened an office in Livonia, MI. Hollywood Casino Tunica has named Anthony Carlucci as their new general manager. Comcast’s 3Q profit is up, but growth is slowing.

A professional interview with V. Latosha Dexter of Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell, from the Daily News.

People in Business, from the Commercial Appeal. Also, What to Do.

Arkansas: Forty thousand dollars in taxpayer money is unaccounted for in Jericho. In preparation for their next session, State lawmakers are meeting to discuss new rules.

FedEx Ground: Trent Webb has been named their Entrepreneur of the Year.

Tasty Buffet: The owners have been given a small extension on the payment of more than $450,000 in back wages to current and former employees. The story explains the mess and the delays.

HIV/AIDS: Dr Howard K. Koh, assistant secretary in the Department of Health and Human Services, toured Memphis because of our high rates for those diseases.

DeSoto County: The handling of mentally ill inmates in the County Jail is a subject for discussion. The County Board of Supervisors have added a new voting precinct each to Olive Branch and Horn Lake. D. Curtis Wegener, developer of DeSoto Commons in Horn Lake, is asking for help securing tax-free bonds.

Red Light Traffic Cameras: Even as Memphis is embracing them, the national trend is away from these revenue generators. And, a reminder the moratorium on paying fines in Memphis ends this Saturday.

MLG&W: At today’s board of directors meeting they will consider the amended 2010 budgets.

Survey Says: On a Forbes magazine list of “40 most toxic cities” Memphis isn’t listed but Nashville came in 13. October’s job loss numbers improved over September’s. Holiday sales online are expected to grow about 8 percent. The US service sector grew for the second straight month.

Memphis City Schools: Problems with witholding in an unknown number of teachers’ paychecks means many teachers owe thousands or more to the IRS. Some City schools are not being inspected by the Fire Marshall annually. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of press coverage on the dismal failing scores on the State report card for MCS. (Second story has a direct link to State report card.) The Commercial Appeal reports the grim numbers.

The MED: Mississippians are also concerned at the likely closure of the ER.

Memphis Animal Shelter: Mayor A C Wharton promises to halt all euthanasia there. (With video of his press conference.) Employees believed to be involved in the neglect are still working there. More from WREG, Eyewitness News, the Daily News and the Commercial Appeal.

H1N1 Virus: A lesson for middle-schoolers in how fast the virus spreads.

Mississippi: House Speaker Billy McCoy says the State will avoid tax hikes in the coming legislative year.

Willie Herenton: Time is running out for the grand jury investigating the former mayor to return indictments.

Politics: The Flyer’s Jackson Baker on a Mike McWherter push poll. At a public forum, the Editor in Chief of the Commercial Appeal, Chris Peck, defended his paper’s publishing of personal information about selected gun carry permit holders. The Federal Election Commission found that the TN Democratic Party improperly paid for various activities in 2005 and 2006.

US Senator Lamar Alexander has published his alternative proposal for health care reform. US Rep. Bart Gordon (5th District) says he’ll vote against the current health care reform proposal in the House. US Rep. Marsha Blackburn has announced a series of “telephone town hall” meetings.

Memphis Police Department: Putting the department’s request for $50 million and 300 police officers into national context. From WMC, inside Operation Blue CRUSH.

Memphis Bar Association: Their Young Lawyer Division is holding a benefit concert this Friday for Memphis Area Legal Services.

West Tennessee: Memphis isn’t the only community considering its tire dumping situation. Murray Hudson of Halls will represent small businessmen from this part of the state in a Washington meeting as part of the Small Business Majority and The Tennessee Small Business Coalition. (via the Dyersburg State Gazette) A controversy in Union City over who said what about a tax sale of tax delinquent properties. (via NWTN Today)

Indie Memphis Film Festival: They are getting a $10,000 grant the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Raleigh Springs Mall: Some more news, though nothing definite or clear about the future of the declining mall.

Coats For Kids: WREG is coordinating a charity coat drive to keep kids warm this winter.

Mississippi: The Commissioner of Prisons is trying to cut more than $8 million from his budget.

Greater Memphis Chamber International Business Council: Both Luminetx and Buckman were honored with the 2009 Global Business Award.

Stella Marris: The restaurant is, in a low-key way, open for business.

Walter T. Williams: A Federal grand jury has indicted Williams on 31 counts of embezzlement from Verso Paper, his former employer. More in the CA.

Tennessee: Lawmakers are considering creating a Department on Aging and Adult Services. The Federal government is rescinding $190 million in State highway funds, which will mean a $17 million loss to Shelby County.

Gilmour Girl Goes Memphis: The dog she helped rescue the other day is showing a different personality now.

Fore Left! President Barack Obama’s other half-brother?

Fertile Ground: Her son Jiro is working on a book.

Commercial Appeal: The City school system is failing the students, so let’s lengthen the school year.

Laura Seidell: As Federal stimulus money flows into the city, we need networks of large and small organisations to manage the flow. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Wendi C. Thomas: She thinks the city doesn’t do enough to welcome the COGIC saints. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Because I Said So: She talks about her son’s experiences in speech therapy classes. (via the Commercial Appeal)

John Branston: He has grave misgivings on the MCS idea to give all middle-schoolers an email account.

a field guide to urban memphis: Don’t sit by when it comes to animal abuse — do good.

Bigger Than Your Head: The perfection of chanterelle mushrooms.

Commontaries: Female sore losers.

Divers and Sundry: Finally sucked in by the Facebook games. Science fiction books for high-schoolers.

Mediaverse: Memphis: Richard is back and he’s got a plan. Also, here’s a Memphis Business Quarterly story on him.

Scribblescrawl: How adrenaline and a stray letter “r” betrayed her.

Ramblings of the Mad Cow: Where to get the biggest and best egg salad sandwich ever.

Pulled Before the Push: She cut her TV addiction and now her inner monologue is clearer than ever.

Oval Soul Journey: Her big art project is out in the world and she feels … different.

Paul Ryburn’s Journal: Downtown Dining Out is next week, but the food vendors outside the COGIC convention are always worth a look-see.

Persian Pit Bull: Memphis radio and TV media is spreading ignorant and dangerous stereotypes about pit bulls. But, better news, a family birthday party!

Pretty in Pink Megan: She’s just ragin’ over booties.

Just A Girl in the World: Date with Boy Number Three and the “woo factor”.

MemphisConnect: Still got leftover Halloween candy? You can try these ideas to share the wealth!

Memphis Mike’s: This is a music video for the song Stand By Me, but trust me you’ve never seen these performances assembled this way before. Guaranteed day brightener!

Bring me penguin dust: Deciding on the perfect engagement ring.