On October 13th, Hope Church in Cordova is holding its annual Beast Feast. It’s a night just for the guys, featuring a barbecue contest and a vehicle “show-off.” Not a word on the press release about belching.

For more information, go here.

“The Bambino is a Hybrid Mutation breed, developed through the deliberate outcross breeding of the Munchkin & Sphynx, both Championship breeds in TICA. The Bambino is short statured like the Munchkin and hairless like the Sphynx. They have an enchanting purrsonality with their playful, affectionate ways.”

See the Bambino cat at Saturday’s Memphis International Cat Enthusiast’s cat show at the Arena of Southaven. For more information, go here.

Mayor Willie Herenton says the city needs 650 more police officers and a 50-cent increase in the property tax to pay for them.

Herenton met with reporters Thursday to respond to an increase in violent crime in the Memphis area that he called “unacceptable.” He said it will take at least two years to hire and train the new officers, and he urged members of the Memphis City Council to support his request for a tax increase even though 2007 is an election year.

Read the whole story by going to “Political Beat”.

The Germantown Performing Arts Centre announced today that celebrated sitarist Ravi Shankar, scheduled to perform with his daughter Anoushka, has cancelled his October 5th concert due to an rotator-cuff injury.

The concert has been rescheduled for October 27th at GPAC. All tickets purchased for the October 5th concert will be honored.

From Eyewitness News, Playboy magazine will be in Memphis on October 2nd and 3rd looking for University of Memphis women for their “Girls of the Conference USA” feature.

For more information, go here.

Former Memphian/dj/”Disco Duck” creator Rick Dees will return to Los Angeles airways this morning after being fired from his last radio job two and half years ago.

Read more by clicking on the headline.

Today the Shelby County 9-1-1 Emergency Service launched a new program aimed at educating locals on the proper use of 9-1-1. The program has the coolly dramatic tagline: “9-1-1: When Life is on the Line.” Ads will run on billboards, radio, and TV.

According to the press release: “The research found a ‘gray area’ exists in the minds of most Memphians as to when you should call 9-1-1. While the majority of Memphians would call 9-1-1 in the instance of a stabbing, drowning, fire or choking, many would not know if they should call in the case of someone selling drugs, burglarized property if the burglar is clearly gone or a car accident with no injuries.”

For a list of emergency and non-emergency situations, click the headline.

Friday Night Lights, an NBC drama premiering in October, will be screened for area high school students on Thursday, September 28th at 8 p.m. at the Paradiso.

As part of its “Friday Night Lights Hometown Sweepstakes,” students have a chance to win $50,000 for their school’s athletic department as well as a chance to appear, with five friends, in the series.

High school students can download a pass to the screening at NBC.com.

In a deal similar to one recently announced by Wal-mart, Memphis-based company Fred’s unveiled a new generic drug pilot program beginning today. The program will offer 300 generic drugs for $4 for a 30-day supply.