Memphis City Schools: Only one Memphis / Shelby County school made the US News & World Report national list of best high schools: Avon - Lenox School. More on the parents who will attend summer school thanks to the MCS policy of holding parents accountable for the repeat truancy of their kids. Superintendent Dr Kriner Cash failed to submit his “preliminary evaluation tool” to the school board, claiming problems with the way the State grades City schools on the NCLB measures.

City of Memphis: A wide array of elected officials and other governmental types came together to discuss the sale of public land to potentially untrustworthy developers. Mayor A C Wharton is considering, once again, taking delinquent tax collections from Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson and giving it to the County Trustee.

Homeless: The Flyer reports on this week’s homeless “sweep”. The intent and the success of the “initiative” is being challenged.

Overton Square: Both sides appear dug in and unwilling to budge on the demolition of the old buildings.
 

Tire Rebate Program: The public expected this program to have already rolled out but the whole thing has hit the skids.

Goodwill Homes: They are working in the Whitehaven area to teach self-sufficiency to children and providing assitance to the elderly.

Politics: Our newest State Senator, Brian Kelsey, will be sworn in today.

Republican candidates for the US 8th District seat (now held by retiring John Tanner) are complaining about the “early” involvement of the National Republican Congressional Committee. One of those candidates, Dr Ron Kirkland of Jackson, is being questioned about campaign donations to Tanner in the past. Shelby County Commissioner George Flinn is considering a run for the 8th District seat. The State Democratic Party now has no candidate in the US 3rd District race (Zach Wamp’s seat). The votes by the TN US House delegation on the matter of Federal income tax exemptions for the State sales tax weren’t as expected. US Rep. Marsha Blackburn will give the Republican response to the President’s weekly radio address this weekend before heading to the Copenhagen talks on global warming/climate change. US Ninth District Rep. Steve Cohen was quick to announce earmarks for local agencies.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Wamp announces that he’s now visited all 95 counties. The two gubernatorial candidates from Shelby County — Democrat Jim Kyle and Republican Bill Gibbons — made news this week. More on Gibbons’ comments on a governing board for the U of M in the Commercial Appeal and Fox13.

United Negro College Fund: A report on Governor Phil Bredesen’s remarks on the budget and jobs and at their inaugural “Salute to Education” event this week.

DeSoto County: A listing of local church websites. More on County Sheriff Bill Rasco’s request for more deputies.

Downtown: New apartments and commercial space might be built in three empty spaces along Cotton Row.

Bartlett: The City is giving Christmas bonuses to employees.

Germantown: The Board of Mayor and Aldermen are now officially on the record as opposing Shelby County consolidation. (via the Shelby Sun Times)

Tennessee: Who has the authority to revoke or restore your drivers license? Fisk University was reaccreditated by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library: The papers and the genealogical database of historian Arthur L. Webb were donated to the library.
 
 

Grizzlies: Forbes magazine ranks the team next to last in team value.

Survey Says: The net worth of Americans was up again last quarter; more in the CA. Christmas tree sales in TN are pretty robust this year.

Christmas & the Holidays: The Germantown Trails neighorhood is gearing up their display. More on the return of Starry Nights. (stories via the Shelby Sun Times) Alan Helms has set up a massive Christmas Village display in the Bartlett City Hall. (via the Bartlett Express) Pictures from last weekend’s Collierville Christmas Parade. (via the Collierville Independent) The Madison Hotel is selling Christmas ornaments in a fundraiser for Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center; more in the Commercial Appeal. The Mitchell Heights Neighborhood Association is holding a Christmas parade of their own.

The residents of the Northlake Apartments assisted-living facility in Raleigh are in a fight with management over religious holiday decorations.

Media: Last weekend’s big story in the Commercial Appeal, which was also the kickoff for the new Tennessee Newspaper Network, on the personal finances of the major Republican gubernatorial candidates, had a major error, which has now been acknowledged by the author.

Salvation Army: The Renewal Place program helps drug-addicted and homeless women. There are still two days to pick up an Angel Tree adoption and plenty of kids hoping for a Christmas!

Bass Pro Shop: They and the City are going to ask the City Council for a three month extension on their one-year agreement. More from the Business Journal.

H1N1 Virus: It is more often fatal to African-Americans and Hispanics.

Catholic Diocese: An updated story from yesterday about the Planned Parenthood clinic that wants to move within blocks of Memphis Catholic High School in Midtown.

Lambuth University: The financially troubled school in Jackson, TN, welcomes a 12 month extension of their probationary status as they work out their problems.

West Tennessee: The Dyer County Fair’s Christmas in Sorghum Valley is now open. Also, state parks around Dyersburg will have various Christmas events this weekend. (via the Dyersburg Stae Gazette) Harbor work on the Cates Landing river port has been suspended until the Spring.(via NWTN Today.com)

The MED: The task force trying to find new revenue and funding sources for the struggling hospital isn’t making progress, though we do learn a new State tax on hospitals is in the works!

Land Use Control Board: The Memphis Business Academy charter school’s plan to renovate an old K-Mart store was approved.

MLG&W: More on “power pirates” who are stealing services.

Business: A business profile of Michael Synk, owner of In Synk and Inner Circle of the Mid-South, in the Daily News. And from the Commercial Appeal, a business profile of Independent Bank.

People in Business, from the Commercial Appeal.

Memphis Land Bank: With a mixture of public and private financing, two public housing complexes in Southwest Memphis — Levi Landing and Lakeview Apartments — have been remodelled and reopened.

Mississippi: The Department of Public Safety is trying out drivers license renewal kiosks; more in the CA. The swine flu vaccine is now available to everyone in the state for free. A TV movie inspires the Tunica Humane Society to create a holiday pet adoption program.

Leadership Memphis: They are teaming up with CEOs for Cities to sponsor the Memphis Talent Dividend: College Attainment Initiative, which aims to improve college graduation in Memphis. More in the Flyer.

Real Estate: Residential building is up for November in Shelby County. More on the proposed expansion of Smith & Nephew’s HQ at Goodlett Farms. Foreclosure filings dropped 8% in November, but TN ranks 23rd for foreclosures.

Arkansas: The ACLU is suing over the rejection of a “winter solstice” display. Stanley Reed, former president of the Arkansas Farm Bureau, has announced he’ll run in the Republican primary for Senator Blanche Lincoln’s seat.

The Tale of a Southern Belle: Amusing Blogger profile pic FAIL.

The Shelf Life: Find authors you might like with this search tool.

The Chockley Blogs: Well, it ain’t the NBA, but it was fun for Connor!

Smart City Memphis: Thoguhts on roads, public transportation and policy. More on their partnership with Leadership Memphis to raise graduation rates in the city. Documentation that Memphians are gullible as hell.

Rustmeister’s Alehouse: The difference between Martin Luther King Jr and President Barack Obama.

Paul Ryburn’s Journal: A post filled with random thoughts, including poker and taking the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center to task.

Brittany Jackson: Looking for adventure? Try community service. (via the Tri-State Defender)

George E. Hardin: Even a college degreee is no guarantee that an African-American man will find work. (via the Tri-State Defender)

Pam Geyer: Denied health coverage or repayment? Be prepared and make the call to find out what’s happened. (via the Tri-State Defender)

John Branston: The MED will have a hard time attracting executive talent to solve problems at current salary levels. (via the Flyer)

Commercial Appeal: Helping the Grizzlies sell tickets to tonight’s game. Generally, they oppose PILOTs, but not this one.

(Lang Wiseman) Random Thoughts: He talks a bit about the voiding of the Oakland mayoral election.

Just A Girl in the World: Out of the blue, Mr. November calls because he read her blog post about their last date.

Joy’s Life and Times: She’s getting motivated to get back to running.

Jerm’s Baby Blog: Piper is eight months now and he understands why bloggers with babies don’t blog much!

I Love Memphis: The breakfast brackets challenge this time is Brother Juniper vs. the Pancake Shop. A 24 hour music supplies vending machine?

Eskapadez: She’s living in Vermont, but misses Memphis. A website for Memphis photographers.

Doug Johnson at Work: Thoughts on Robin Williams, Laugh-In and Buick Enclaves.

dminmem: The story of the Booda Clean Step and the cat litter experimentations.

Confessions of a West Tennessee Liberal: More on the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center’s view of the downtown homeless situation; part the third.

Complacencies of the Peignoir: The painful and apprehensive process of interviewing for a college teaching job. And then add baby anxieties.

bring me penguin dust: Walking the dog… er, dog running wild and frustrated human. Sorry.

Bigger Than Your Head: After making 500 or 600 pizzas (wow!) he estimates the last one was his best yet.