Center City Commission: President Jeff Sanford has announced his retirement, effective July 1, 2010. More from the Commercial Appeal.

Shelby County Commission: The agenda for today’s meeting, via the Daily News. Commissioner Joyce Avery is back to business after her brief stint as interim mayor. More reports on Turner from WMC, WREG.

Residency: This Saturday is the deadline for temporary workers employed by the City to live within the City limits, or be terminated.

Second Amendment: State Senator Doug Jackson will file bills to correct language in last year’s “gun carry in restaurants” legislation. A gun buyback program in Jackson netted 62 firearms.

Local Media: Citadel Broadcasting, which owns four radio stations in Memphis is predicted to declare bankruptcy. More here. And thoughts on the way the Commercial Appeal uses Twitter.

Mississippi: The case of Ronnie Lee Lymas will test new tort reform measures in the state. Despite sharp cuts in his budget, the president of Mississippi State University, Mark Keenum, remains optimistic. Colleges and universities are turning to non-resident students. State Treasurer Tate Reeves is promoting the State’s college savings accounts to parents.

From the Commercial Appeal, Mississippi Outdoors — the hunting, fishing and gaming news.

Politics: With one-third of the US House representation leaving (Gordon, Tanner, Wamp), TN will lose clout and earmarking power. Will we be a high-profile battleground state nationally? Gordon’s retirement in the conservative-leaning 6th District opens it to Tea Party-style outsider candidates. John Tanner talks about the Democratic Party. Another Democrat, Jackson’s William Godwin, is looking to enter the 8th District race.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate, and State Senator, Jim Kyle had a fundraiser on Beale Street late last week that drew 100 supporters. A report on a campaign appearance in Jackson by Republican Zach Wamp.

The next official meeting of the TN Republican Party Executive Committee will be after the deadline to file for the Party’s primaries in 2010, meaning House Speaker Kent Williams will not be running as a TN Republican.

Early voting starts Wednesday for State District 83; candidates are Republican Mark White, Democrat Guthrie Castle or independent John Andreuccetti. Johnnie Turner, the widow of deceased District 85 State Rep. Larry Turner will put her name forward to be appointed to replace him in the interim.

Karl Rove, Repulbican strategist and adviser to former President George H. W. Bush, will speak in Memphis on January 20.

Kwanzaa: While the African-American holiday observance is waning nationwide, in Memphis it’s drawing more and more celebrants.

Metro Charter Commission: More on the removal of school consolidation as part of the metro charter creation plan. A report from Steve Ross about the meeting last Thursday.

Financial: Regions Financial CEO Dowd Ritter is resigning at the end of March; stocks rise on the news. The financial industry seems to be in a limbo of partial government ownership.

Mid-South Food Bank: President Susan Stanford calls this season the worst she’s ever seen in terms of the numbers of needy.

Memphis Police Department: More on the “second chance DUI” program to loosen restrictions on DUI arrests by police officers. In a somewhat related story, Project Blue Light, being sponsored by the TN Highway Patrol, asks people to put a blue light or candle in a window to memorialise police officers who have fallen in the line of duty.

Latino Memphis: Hispanic business owners are organising and fighting back against a recent string of robberies involing Hispanic businesses.

Tire Redemption Program: A report from Friday’s start to the program, where a two-hour wait occurred. More from Fox13, WREG, Eyewitness News.

Tennessee: The State Funding Board has set next year’s revenue forecast. The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees is beginning the process of finding a new president. The State Lottery is awarding scholarships faster than revenues are coming in; this is why Governor Phil Bredesen dropped expansion of HOPE scholarships from his education reform proposal. A very tight job market is causing more Tennesseans to request expunging of prior arrests, to improve their resumes.

Joe Saino: The Memphis Watchdog: In a special to the Main Street Journal, Joe offers some suggestions of things to cut in the City budget before we go raising property taxes to cover the MCS settlement payment.

Christmas & the Holiday Season: Even with the recession, the cost of the 12 Days of Christmas still rose again this year. Fayette Cares (Fayette County) saw a 10% increase in need, but a one-third increase in donations! The Hope Establishment had hoped to raise 2000 care packages for the poor and needy, but only filled 300. A look at the folks who will attend “Christmas and Easter only” services. Shopping madness in the final weekend before Christmas. Santa visits St James Catholic Church. Drivers are coming from Tipton County to take some Covington soldiers stationed at Camp Shelby back home for the holiday. The Airport Authority provided Christmas gifts to children touched by tragedy.

Holiday Closures: Collierville & Germantown; waste pickup for Memphis & Bartlett and again; comprehensive Shelby County list.

The MED: The Memphis Police Association made a $1000 donation to the regional hospital. The MED is defending the expenses associated with their consulting contract with FTI Cambrio.

In a related medical story, “going paperless” or using digital technology more efficiently, produces many diverse benefits for hospitals and medical practices.

David Kernell: An update on the case of the college student, and son of Memphis Democrat Mike Kernell, who is now using conservative Republican arguments to beat his felony charges. Main Street Journal has archived stories on Kernell here. His trial is in April, almost 18 months after the alleged crimes.

Smith & Nephew: A lawsuit opens up the questionable on-going practices of the company while under a “deferred prosecution agreement”. In a special for the Memphis News, from former Commercial Appeal “special projects” writer Trevor Aaronson.

Delta Air Lines: They will offer 3 x weekly, non-stop service between Palm Beach, Florida, and Memphis.

Business: Memphis Specialty Hospital has won State approval to build a new medical campus in East Memphis. Problems at Galilee Memorial Gardens cemetery.

A business profile of Frix Jennings Clinic and Besso’s, the doctor’s practice / coffee bar / and condo building Downtown, from the Daily News. A business profile of Contractors Shutter and Hardware, from the Commercial Appeal.

From the Commercial Appeal, Done Deals; and, People in Business for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The Small Business Advocate is a holiday contrarian.

Memphis International Airport: With the awarding of the parking garage / bus terminal contract to Flintco, the Daily News takes a closer look at the construction company.

Medtronic: Friday, they launched the Sovereign Spinal System in the US.

Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce: They are claiming to have helped in the creation of 4000 jobs in the Memphis area this year.

Real Estate: The River Chase Apartments have sold for almost $18 million. The nation’s backlogged inventory of foreclosed homes numbers around 1.7 million. The Butler Rows condominiums were sold back to the banker.

Millington: Federal grants for $30,000 will supplement the City’s budget for equipment purchases.

Arkansas: The state’s unemployment rate dropped to 7.4% in November. There is a growing salary gap between teachers in wealthy and poor districts. Arkansas Baptist College received an anonymous $500,000 gift.

DeSoto County: Opposition from residents of Southaven puts a landfill on hold; more from Fox13. Walls’ Fire Academy provides citizen training volunteers. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is offering some last-minute Christmas gift ideas. Students at DeSoto Central Middle School collected around 4800 food items for Holy Spirit Catholic Church’s Interfaith Food Pantry.

Survey Says: Is an increase in hiring via temporary staffing agencies an early sign of economic recovery?

River City Mud Company: Derek returns to blogging. Thoughts on the homeless. Thoughts on the failure of health care reform, from a progressive’s point of view.

Secret Agent Mom: Share in her Christmas mass email

The Memphis News: Ethics laws without full, public, transparency aren’t fully deterrent.

The Commercial Appeal: The Democrats are playing games with defense spending and the budget. Poverty, “youth strategies”, intervention and crime. Accusing Lt Gov. Ron Ramsey of “grandstanding”. Merging City and County government is important for the efficiencies it introduces, but the same doesn’t apply to consolidating the school systems.

Otis L. Sanford: He’s grousing about Herenton… still. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Chris Peck: In five years of living in Memphis, he’s never met and become familiar with the city’s very poor kids until introduced to one .. and he turned her into a newspaper story. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Lee Harris: Penalising the poor isn’t good public policy. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Tom Griscom: Education reform is Governor Bredesen’s last “elusive goal”. (via the Chattanooga Times Free Press)

Gail Kerr: Support for Governor Bredesen’s education reform proposals for the hundreds of millions in Federal dollars it would draw. (via the Nashville Tennessean)

Listwork: Three cartoon characters she “tends to resemble”. Although I think she says more about the woman inside than out.

From the Rainbows: An amazing couple of days doing chores, doctor’s visits and holiday fun.

Confessions of a West Tennessee Liberal: A lot of information about a variety of homeless issues in Memphis.

Commontaries: Thoughts on levels of punishment and heinous crimes.

Memphis Cobblestones: If the cost of steel has been going down for two years then why is steel getting more expensive for the Beale Street Landing?

Bring me penguin dust: Good news and then the long-awaited, REALLY good news!

Blue Collar Republican: Don’t decry it, if you do it.

Sassy Molassy: Crocheting and other craftiness.

Scribblescrawl: She’s making the best of too much change and a not-so-good year.

Bigger Than Your Head: Some red wines to consider, and some California cabernets.

Divers and Sundry: A whole lot of Christmas song and album recommendations. Just start at the top of the blog and keep scrolling down.

Haaaaave You Read My Blog? Christopher names 10 things this decade could have done without.

Jen-sized: Her experience taking the Amtrak train from Memphis to New Orleans.

Jerm’s Baby Blog: Making peace with the Santa Claus thing and worry about the “religion discussion” years too early. The best thing in the world, ever.

(Lang Wiseman) Christmas math — part one and part two. They don’t teach this “math” in school, but y’all already know it.