Craig Lesser, the former economic development guru for the state of Georgia, is leaving Atlanta law firm McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP to help start a consulting business. (SO)

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The Minneapolis Star Tribune will combine its local and national news sections on Mondays for three weeks in January, according to a report by MinnPost’s blogger David Brauer.

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Missouri Gov.-elect Jay Nixon named former SSM Health Care-St. Louis CEO Ronald Levy to serve as director of the Missouri Department of Social Services.

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Confidence in the economy displayed by U.S. consumers fell to yet another record low this month on dismal conditions in the fourth quarter, according to a Conference Board report released Dec. 30.

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The Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation is being sued by the Department of Justice for allegedly refusing to promptly re-employ returning military personnel.

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The average amount of money spent by Nashville visitors has more than doubled since 2001, according to a year-long Visitor Intercept Study conducted by the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau.

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Lexington-based Synta Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:SNTA) has entered into a licensing deal with both the Swiss and American divisions of Hoffman-LaRoche. The deal is for an initial $25 million in cash, including $9 million to support research. The agreement is for a drug program currently in the pre-clinical phase that the company claims has unique anti-inflammatory properties. The deal has the potential to be worth $1 billion if three potential drugs go to market.

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Walgreen Co. subsidiary Take Care Health Systems has opened three more in-store clinics in Memphis-area Walgreens stores for a total of seven clinics in the market.

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GTx Inc. has submitted a new drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for toremifene 80 mg, a drug for the prevention of bone fractures in men with prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy.

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To kick off 2009, AAA Texas/New Mexico will again provide its “Tipsy Tow” services to intoxicated revelers in need of a safe way home over the New Year’s holiday.

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