Memphis Thanksgiving Day Dinner for the Homeless: They are looking for 300 volunteers and donations of winter clothing for this year’s 25th anniversary event. Contact information at the link.

Memphis City Schools: Nashville responded to their education crisis in City schools by “fresh-starting” five schools — firing all employees and making them re-apply for their jobs.

The Wharton Administration: The Daily News’ Bill Dries looks at the tolls and strategies the new mayor is using as A C Wharton settles into office.

Shelby County Interim Mayor: County Commissioner Joe Ford’s application for County mayor shows he doesn’t live in the district he represents! The Commercial Appeal also profiles County Commissioner J. W. Gibson and some of the second-tier possibilities, like Commissioner George Flinn. Now that’s she’s in office, Mayor Pro-tem Joyce Avery is reconsidering her pledge to not seek more permanent residence there. More from WMC, WREG and the Commercial Appeal.

How long will the selection take?

Politics: Statements from TN’s US Representatives about the just-passed health-care reform bill. Three TN Democrats voted against it. A crowd of 2000 tea party protesters descended on Nashville Saturday.

Last week’s ruling on the Voter Confidence Act has both sides now claiming victory. Union City State Rep. Judy Barker will return the difference in the old per diem reimbursement and the new one as a protest as will Rep. Craig Fitzhugh; more in the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

A straw poll at a TN Conservative Union fundraisers showed Lt Gov. Ron Ramsey in the lead, but Shelby County D.A. Bill Gibbons last. At the Dyersburg Reagan Day Dinner, the results were somewhat different, and better for Gibbons.

State Republicans are divided over whether to chastise TN Right to Life. House Speaker Kent Williams wants to address the Legislature as a “Republican” in January; US Senator Lamar Alexander is helping him out in winning back good graces.

US Senator Lamar Alexander announced one million dollars will be sent to Memphis in the 2010 US budget for crime-fighting and prevention organisations.

Porter-Leath: They help senior citizens become foster grandparents to the children in their care. And you can help!

Earthquake: There was a 3.4 temblor in Dyersburg early Friday morning. (via the Dyersburg State Gazette) More from Fox13.

Cordova: Builders, developers and civic leaders all feel the area is well-positioned for tremendous growth when the recession fades.

University of Memphis More on the student protest of caps on printing at the school. In a controversial move, the school has suspended all ten fraternities in the IC! Psychological assault leads to verbal exchange leads to physical assault. The school will begin offering more environmental courses and, possibly next Spring, a minor in environmental studies.

Northeast Shelby Republican Club Dinner: The four leading Republican candidates for governor — Bill Gibbons, Bill Haslam, Ron Ramsay and Zach Wamp — will attend the 2009 Pasta and Politics fundraiser on November 13. (PDF document) Website here.

Boy Scouts Centennial Expo: A short report on the weekend’s activities with about 2000 Scouts!

Bartlett: Even with restrictions and other problems, they expect the Municipal Judge position to be filled soon. A look at the new adminstrative wing of Fire Station #1.

Financial: Local banks are working to shore up investor relations and streamline expenses. The Innova Fund II is looking to raise $20 million by year’s end as the local part of the State’s TNInvestco. Morgan Keegan and Company won an $8.2 million arbitration claim arising from the Regions Morgan Keegan High Income Fund, RMK Advantage Income Fund and RMK Strategic Income Fund.

Arkansas: Governor Mike Beebe estimates that health care reform will eventually cost the State $205 million more. This year’s devastating rains will cost state farmers over $200 million and Governor Beebe declared 46 counties disaster areas. Many Federal stimulus dollars there aren’t going to jobs, as intended, but to fund programs. There will be judicial intervention in the ticket troubles of the town of Jericho after Crittenden County Judge Melton Holt is falsely stopped for a traffic ticket.

COGIC: Surprisingly few COGIC convocation stories this year, compared to previous years. Here’s one from the last day of the Annual Convocation, Eyewitness News. The saints also handed out free food, clothing and toys to the needy for their “Christmas in November” event. “So long and thanks!” And a similar story from the Commercial Appeal.

Memphis City Schools: A Rossville Elementary School third-grader allegedly performed a sex act on a classmate while a librarian was present.

Memphis Animal Shelter: MAS director Ernest Alexander was fired Friday morning and City Mayor A C Wharton has put Darrell Eldred in charge as operation manager until a new head is located. Lucy Shaw, former CEO of the Regional Medical Center will act as a consultant during the shelter review. The shelter’s web cameras are now online and streaming. Watch them here. A man who had dogs seized says the MAS killed them by starvation. More from Fox13, Eyewitness News, WREG.

Unemployment: The US unemployment rate is now officially 10.2%. The “expanded” definition puts total unemployment at 17.5%. More in the Business Journal.

Memphis Fire Department: Californian Jim Munn’s life was saved by the MFD back in August and he came back to Memphis to thank them!

DeSoto County: Damage from the June tornado is slowly being repaired. County Sheriff Bill Rasco is concerned with the State allowing so many mentally ill prisoners to stay in County jails. Questions over whether the County’s Veteran Affairs officer should be full or part time. The First Regional Library is offering digital downloads of e-books, with DRM attached to some, for patrons. For parents of DeSoto and MS school children, The Parents Campaign offers a way to keep up with news about State education. The new-ish DeSoto County Visitors Center will have its official opening later this month.

Business: Local vendors of iPhone competitors, Verizon and Cellular South, hope to do well with smartphones. Profits for Smith & Nephew rose nearly 75% in 3Q, though revenues were flat; more in the Daily News. Passenger counts for Pinnacle Airlines rose in October.

The Small Business Advocate talks about veterans.

A business profile of Evergreen Art Glass, from the Daily News. A business profile of Susan McKnight Inc., makers of the Climbup Insect Interceptor, in the Commercial Appeal.

What To Do (Sunday) and What To Do (Monday), Done Deals and People in Business for Sunday and Monday, from the Commercial Appeal.

St Paul Baptist Church Job Fair: Their Friday job fair attracted hundreds and 18 companies were on site interviewing and taking applications.

Wet Weather: All the wet weather in October has fed an explosion of pests –rats, bugs and more – in the Memphis area.

Mississippi: Conflict at the top levels of State government over how many Medicaid fraud cases have been prosecuted. Governor Haley Barbour says no tax hikes in 2010, but maybe fee increases.

National Freedom Awards: The Daily News has some of the extended remarks from National Civil Rights Museum honorees Julius Erving and Myrlie Evers Williams.

Red Light Traffic Cameras: In Clarksville (near Fort Campbell) twelve traffic cameras netted almost $50,000 for the City in just two months. Effect on traffic crime is uncertain. (via the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle)

Willie Herenton: The Commercial Appeal rehashes and resummarises their previous reporting on the former mayor. Why? To get picked up by wire services and spread around? Fox13 also picks up that (now heavily abbreviated) story, as does WMC!

ALSAC: More on the layoffs announced last week.

Survey Says: PR News magazine rates First Horizon National one of the top places for PR specialists to work. Businesses cut inventory a record 13th month straight even as sales rose. Hiring is expected to improve in November.

Tennessee: A personal story of Anthony Meeks, who is one of the “Daniels class” of people being “disenrolled” from TennCare. The Tourism Department’s new Discover Tennessee Trails and Byways campaign is intended to steer tourists to lesser-known but interesting parts of the state. The UT-Knoxville campus is pushing its “sustainability”.

The Conservative Zone: Mark has been remiss; let him tell you why.

Weeden Arts Watch: Memphis should consider sculpture parks for some of its properties. (Though don’t we already have some?)

Xspectre8: Thoughts on Fort Hood and active shooter response and mainstream media reporters who know nothing about guns and ammunition.

Paul Ryburn’s Journal: OK, plan this for next Sunday: dim sum at Bangkok Alley!

One Half Amazing! Trakboard is a desktop tool bar so you can track analytics for multiple websites easily. Barcamp is coming up this weekend, for those of you wanting to maximise your internet/social media/networking nexus.

Midtown Stomp: An impromptu wine tasting that sounds like a lot of interesting wines were sampled.

Memphis Mike’s: Taking Splitty the Maul on a road trip. Lots o’ photos!

Life as I know it from Memphis: Another house-pet stray dog found, near Summer and Graham. Another anticipatory Anthropologie customer just waiting for them to open.

Left Wing Cracker: He talks up the chances of Democrat Adrienne Pakis-Gillon in Republican Senate District 31.

(Lang Wiseman) Random Thoughts: Some new political math with a bonus “sports math” equation! And, a couple of funny “battle of the sexes” quotes for you.

Complacencies of the Peignoir: Two of her male students creep her out and make her afraid.

at home she feels like a tourist: Random baffling encounters with the Memphis police.

Commercial Appeal: Good first moves in reforming the Animal Shelter. Are they suggesting Memphis needs to make a better financial offer to COGIC to keep the annual convocation here? After decades of spent money and failed programs, the Delta needs … more money and programs. The numbers — on our kids and on the cost of the program suggested — are bad. A considered, “objective and non-partisan approach” is called for when selecting the interim County mayor.

Otis L. Sanford: Once more, lamenting the state of the City school system. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Chris Peck: He chides all of Memphis for the Animal Shelter mess. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Lee Harris: Complex, multi-option voting produces a preference for a casino over a Bass Pro Shop for the Pyramid, among law students. (via the Commercial Appeal)

John Cornes: One way to fix problems in the City schools is to carefully recruit and work to keep good teachers. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Roland Klose: The problems of the Mississippi Delta have been building for decades and have been studied endlessly, but there are still no “solutions”. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Wendi C. Thomas: Child and family abuse is a terrible thing. (via the Commercial Appeal)

James Overstreet: No matter how it appears, the economic and housing recovery is still not a sure thing. (via the Commercial Appeal)

The Memphis News: We must move past personality-driven politics.

John Branston: He wonders why vaguely defined percentages rather than hard numbers are used in the Memphis City schools report card. (via the Flyer)