Mayor Willie Herenton has signed the contract for the Memphis Cook Convention Center expansion project Mayor Willie Herenton has signed the contract for the Memphis Cook Convention Center expansion project. The contract, totaling more than $68.26 million is the largest city construction contract in the history of the city, officials said. The contract is with Clark Construction Group of Bethesda, Md. The contract includes more than $13 million of work to be performed by local minority contractors including Business Dynamics, Dyson Concrete, River City Railroad, S&W Asphalt Paving, South Memphis Fence, Southern Communication Systems and Wiley Woods Trucking. These firms account for more than 20 percent of the project work. The National Institutes of Health has awarded a $1.6 million grant to a University of Memphis researcher for a four-year study of sleep problems among the aged. The grant was awarded to Dr. Kenneth L. Lichstein, a professor of psychology who has been involved in sleep research for 25 years. Lichsteins project, funded by the National Institute on Aging, is aimed at finding ways of treating chronic insomnia in the elderly without medications. Lichstein will use more than 100 men and women aged 60 and older who are dependent on sleep medication in the study, which will be conducted in conjunction with Methodist Hospitals sleep center. The first Mid-South Health and Fitness Expo will be held March 13-14 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 13 and noon to 5 p.m. March 14. The expo will feature a variety of exhibits, demonstrations and sampling opportunities. Admission is free. For more information, call 321-7656. The Shelby County Republican Party will hold its annual Lincoln Day Awards Dinner on Saturday. The event will be at the Adams Mark Hotel beginning with a reception at 5:30 p.m. Guests include Gov. Don Sundquist, U.S. Rep. Ed Bryant and Shelby County Mayor Jim Rout. The cost is $40 for dinner or $100 for the reception and dinner. The organization also will elect the partys incoming leadership during its convention at 1:30 p.m. March 14 at Harding Academy. For more information on either event, call 682-3335.