Memphis City Council: As another police recruitment tool, they are considering adding a housing subsidy for new officers among other ideas. More from WMC. They also approved fining apartment owners for ‘excessive utility consuption’ and changing ‘living wage’ reporting for City contractors. More on that from the Commercial Appeal here and here.

Lakeland: Developers of Lakeland Commons are suing the city for stopping their project.

Memphis City Schools: Superintendent Kriner Cash credits the district’s Safety, Security and Emergency Management Program with reducing serious incidents in city schools. Students at Booker T. Washington High School are building robots competitively.

POLITICS: Memphis Rep. Lois DeBerry was hospitalised on Tuesday, and is undergoing tests. No other word yet. More from the Daily News and the Commercial Appeal. US Senate Republicans are blocking addition of $25 billion in infrastructure projects to President Obama’s stimulus bill but TN Republicans will gladly accept it and the Memphis City Council is preparing to spend it. New State Comptroller Justin Wilson has hired Susie Alcorn, who has worked for several national Republican campaigns, as his legislative manager.

DeSoto County: County officials want MDOT to release control of the Star Landing road project to them and concentrate on other roads. County Tax Collector Joey Treadway says falling car sales and lower sales tax revenues could mean more expensive car tags. The Riverbend Crossing project isn’t quite dead yet. City of Hernando has approved the building of an animal shelter. And the Great Commission Church in Olive Branch has decided not to build controversial office.

Center City Development Corporation: They are meeting today; topics include a loan to an art gallery startup.

Project Green Fork: Helping local restauranteurs to stop using a lot of plastic and styrofoam in the food packaging, among other ways to help the environment. Tsunami is the first local restaurant to receive their certification!

MISSISSIPPI: Critics are calling the new voter law, changing early voting and showing ID requirements, unsatisfactory.

Society of Entrepreneurs: A profile from the Commercial Appeal on one of their 2009 inductees, Richard Gadomski.

Commercial Advisors Resolution Group: Offering help to investors and property owners during the tough economy.

TENNESSEE: UT economists see no sign of improvement in state’s economy. According to the Beer Institute, we have the nation’s highest state beer taxes.

Orthopedics: Speaking to the InMotion Musculoskeletal Institute, Dr Charles Rockwood squarely laid the blame for problems with orthopedic companies and the government on some surgeons.

Millington: Public input is being actively sought out by the project’s University of Memphis design team.

Arlington: City and CSX Transportation reach agreement over new railroad crossing at Milton Wilson Road and US 70. Also, the infamous McDonald’s restaurant will be built later this year — with traditional brick.

Fox13: A notice to their blog community, which will be migrating to a new site on Thursday. Be sure to sign up.

Ice Storm 2009: A week after the Midwest ice storm, 33,000 in north Arkansas still are without power in below freezing temperatures.

City of Memphis: One hundred employees of the City will be offered buyouts, in a new plan; more from the Commercial Appeal. Also, both City and County governments were awarded $14 million to help fight foreclosure. Loss of City funds to the County Health Department could have a cascading effect on other funding sources.

Porter-Leath Children’s Home: A $25,000 grant from Aetna and the Aetna Foundation will be used to deliver wellness information to families via home visits.

BUSINESS: After five years, Crossroads Ford on Summer is closing; more from WREG. Two Memphis law firms, one with an office in Memphis, have merged to become Boyle Brasher, LLC. Local career fair draws hundreds of job seekers but few employers. Berkshire Hathaway buys 2.3 million shares of Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroads. Agreement will keep Valero Energy open for now. The massive Macy’s cuts announced yesterday will mean 24 jobs lost in Memphis. Schering-Plough’s consumer products division reports a drop in sales.

People in Business, from the CA, for Wednesday.

Collierville: Planning Commission is considering allowing multiple large signs for auto dealerships that sell multiple brands of cars.

Homes: Fast-dropping interest rates and depressed home prices mean a surge in home sales. MOre on that from the Daily News. However, as home values fall, negative equity rises. And home construction has fallen for the third straight month.

Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions: Mortgage originators and loan officers can now manage their licenses and ID online. Eventually, all will be fingerprinted and had background checks.

Bartlett: Tensions rising between an Alderman and the mayor over more budget meetings.

Shelby County: Ten people have applied for the vacant judgeship in Circuit Court. (Second item.)

University of Memphis: A ‘Peeping Tom’ intruder is being sought; more from WMC, WREG. The Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps rifle drill team placed first in the 27th Annual Auburn Invitational Drill Meet.

ARKANSAS: Proposed law banning texting while driving passes House and moves to Senate.

Previously Posted: The Tri-State Defender on the Bust A Move Monday black business booster program. The Norfolk Southern rail yard in Fayette County is continuing to draw resistance, even in a down economy.

Shane of Memphis: His palate is happy.

Running With Dice: Woo! New computer dance!

Panacea: Waiting for winter and illness to pass.

Radio Sweethearts: The two of them aren’t , but ‘digital Nisei’. Go and read it.

Notes From Memphis: Movie rentals … in a red box!

Joe Larkins: He learns that Mid-South Outdoors has gone away and that the WREG newschopper may, too.

Long Tall Animals: TV on the internet, the lost post, holiday booty and drinking. All in one post.

Gilmore Girl Goes Memphis: Best weekend — basketball, football, friends and chili.

Commercial Appeal: Deploring the racial cast of the police residency debate. And don’t count on your property tax appraisal going down this year.

Secret Agent Mom: And just like that, two families become sorta-one, and everyone is happy.

The Gates of Memphis: Some very good questions for those in charge of the Parks Plan and Triangle Noir.

The Soundcheck & the Fury: David’s Super Bowl dream.

vibinc: Thoughts on the dismissal of the police reidency petition and an examination of the ‘healthcare recession’.

Carbuncle Trumpet: Two years tobacco free! And, where are the old man pills?