The bad news is unemployment is up in double digits, while tax revenues are down.

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And if James Brown's daughter is to be believed, the Godfather's body can't be found.

But of course, she can't. And how do we know?

Charlie Reid , the undertaker, told us so.

The good news is Newdow's lawsuit was struck down.

And the circus and Tiger are coming to town.

This week should be eventful, with daylight saving time on the clock.

The Ides of March, St. Patrick's Day and lots of green beer in stock.

MORE NEWS FROM THE CHEESE FACTORY: Sonny, the governor of the state's cheese factory, announced last week that Georgia's cows are expected to give even less milk for the rest of this year and fiscal 2011. Therefore, this year's cheese shortage will be worse than he predicted earlier, so he will take about $350 million worth of cheese that was supposed to be used to stimulate milk production next year to fill in this year's cheese gap. Of course, that will mean an even bigger cheese gap next year.

The governor also will cut cheese reimbursements to hospitals and cancel their free milk program on purchases.

Meanwhile, state House and Senate leaders are talking in code about milking the cows a little at a time, hoping they won't notice. They call it milk enhancement and even milk investment, because they think the cows are udderly stupid.

TALK ABOUT BAD TIMING. One week after announcing they would cut 52.5 positions and programs, such as drama, nursing and continuing education because of state budget deficits, Augusta State University officials said they want to buy the city's public golf course, the Patch, so they can expand the campus.

Commissioner Don Grantham disagrees that the timing is bad. When I suggested they should have waited at least until the students stop protesting the proposed cuts before talking about expansion, he said it would take years for the school to get the property and start building.

So what does that have to do with the price of tea in China? I still think the timing is bad.

JUST ANOTHER DAY: Augusta Day at the Capitol has shrunk, along with the economy and the city's donation to help fund it. Only about 500 people attended the barbecue at the Depot last week, compared with 750 last year and more than a thousand a few years ago. Neither the mayor nor city administrator was there, and only three Augusta commissioners -- Grantham, Jerry Brigham and Corey Johnson -- and one school board member -- Jimmy Atkins -- attended. In earlier times, almost every elected official in Richmond County showed up to pig out on Sconyers barbecue.

There was no bar, no booze and no band, as in the past. And there was no whole pig on a table fit for the picking, a treat (to some) then-Georgia House Speaker Pro Tem Jack Connell always had the Depot folks cook for Augusta Day.

JUDICIAL TURNOVER: Gayle Hamrick , the chief judge of Richmond County State Court, will step down as chief judge and take senior judge status, effective May 1. Judge Richard Slaby will become chief judge, and the governor will appoint someone to fill his vacant seat. Attorneys John Flythe and Freddie Sanders are said to be interested.

A VACUUM EVEN WHEN FILLED: Contrary to speculation, Harrisburg activist Lori Davis said she will not run for mayor this year. Getting a chronic nuisance property ordinance adopted in Richmond County is her main focus. Besides, the mayor's job does not lend itself to being able to get things done, she said.

"There's no way I could just speak to groups and cut ribbons," she said. "It would have to be a position of leadership for me to consider running."

Meanwhile, the list of people interested in running for the District 8 commission seat is growing. In addition to Robert Cheek , South Augusta Sentinel Publisher Alan Tanner says he'll run. Others said to be interested are Blythe City Councilman Daniel Martin ; Richmond County school board member Atkins; retired city employee Tom Atkins ; and independent insurance broker Doug Lively .

WHY DIDN'T HE JUST DO THAT TO BEGIN WITH? In December, City Ink told you about the infighting in Columbia County Republican Party ranks and how Chairman Lawrence Hammond was ousted in a coup led by Pat Goodwin , Jim Bartley , Bob Beckham , Deanne Hall , Nita Boeglen , Dick Manion , YeSun Wiltse , Lee Benedict and George Snelling .

Well, Hammond appealed his ouster to the 10th District Republican Party Committee's executive board, who, after weeks of combing through rules and regulations, ruled that Hammond was correct in saying he should have been given 30 days' written notice before being voted out and therefore was still chairman. Two days later, Hammond resigned, basically saying he was unable to keep the troops in line, and he would be calling a meeting to elect a new chairman.

BOVINE JUSTICE: The cow controversy is not over in Blythe, although the city council voted last week to decide whether cattle may reside in residential areas on a case-by-case basis. Meanwhile, Lemuel James Chester's therapy cow -- Ruben Hulsey, "Rue" for short -- has moved on to greener pastures. It wasn't his idea though. He was loaded onto Robin Auldridge's truck and moved to his pasture on police orders.

Auldridge said Blythe City Police Chief Jesse Hornsby said if the cow wasn't removed from Chester's mother's property by last Monday, she'd be cited for violating a city ordinance that prohibits cows in residential areas.

"I was trying to keep him from getting in trouble, so me and my crew went over Saturday and loaded him up and moved him into my pasture," Auldridge said. "This is the dumbest kangaroo zoo I've ever seen in my life. Of all the things we've got to worry about, they're worrying about this one cow."

The council will vote next month -- after the current ordinance is amended to reflect Monday's vote -- on whether Chester's pet may come home.

The city has been trying to get Rue out of town since August, but Chester's mother, Betty Saxon , was granted extensions, the last one at the request of new Mayor Pat Cole , who asked City Attorney Chris Dube to see if he could find a way to let the cow stay. He couldn't, and at Monday's meeting, he told council members it was a bad idea to change the ordinance because the city needs a uniform rule "to protect residential areas."

Cole said she's hearing from citizens, saying they want to "go back to the past" when Blythe didn't have so many ordinances.

"We're a little country town," said Pam Bartlett , the owner of Pam's Garden Patch.

"And we don't get any of that big city money. We sure don't," said a woman beside her.

When council member Daniel Martin said, "You've got to protect the citizens of Blythe," Geneva Steel said, "who are you not protecting? I mean who's against this cow?"

"We're not exactly talking about a herd of cows," the mayor said at one point.

Things started to get a little personal when Steel accused member Cindy Parham of not being in Blythe long enough to know what was going on.

"I mean, what have you got against cows?" she asked, as the mayor banged the gavel down hard.

Reach Sylvia Cooper at sylvia.cooper7@yahoo.com.