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Last night was the 20th annual National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Awards where ten were honored. In fact, the list of honorees was larger than ever before, from the fields of sports, music, film, civil rights and education. The National Civil Rights Museum website. Actor Danny Glover spoke about education in Memphis.

Shelby County Commission: Today should be the first of three needed votes (and before the end of the calendar year) on County redistricting. The meeting agenda is here.

Tobey Skate Park: ABC24 spotted dozens of kids using the new park without helmets. One went to the hospital for an injury.

Shelby County Unified Schools Transition Committee: Committee member David Pickler says County schools may not be available to potential municipal school districts.

Shelby County: We will lose some representation in the new Legislature because the County hasn’t grown as fast as the rest of the State, and because Republicans control redistricting for the first time ever.

City Council District Seven: The winner of the runoff–Lee Harris–says his victory was “like a death knell” for the Ford family legacy. Fox13 interviews Harris.

University of Memphis: The school is being unusually quiet about a brawl on campus, involving some football team members. More details from Larry Brown Sports and the Daily Helmsman.

City of Memphis: Ordinances that were admittedly implemented solely to raise revenues for the City aren’t being followed, and no one’s sure why. The Elvis Presley Boulevard Revitalization Plan aims to spend nearly $50 million in Federal and State monies on a three-mile stretch of Elvis Presley. City workers racked up $45 million in overtime pay since January 2009.

Downtown: The Daily News has an in-depth report on the investment in Downtown Memphis.

Memphis Public Library: The City’s first branch of the public library, on Highland Avenue, has now closed.

Collierville: The annexation of 4300 acres will be on the agenda at tonight’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting. And the next night, will be a public meeting soliciting comment on the Town’s police.

Politics: A law in Memphis and Jackson, that bans anyone under 21 from entering a liquor store without an accompanying adult, may become State law next session of the Legislature.

DeSoto County: Residential building permits were down again this year in Olive Branch. The County’s three new Supervisors–Lee Caldwell, Mark Gardner and Harvey Wayne Lee–are already studying for their time on the Board. A new executive director and building improvements are credited with the growing popularity of the Civic Center as a venue. In the wake of mayor Greg Davis’ scandal involving Southaven’s finances, the Board of Aldermen will consider stricter controls this week. Mayor Davis chased some WREG cameras out of a public event. Southaven is perceived as a safe place to shop? A couple of vacanies are opening up in Old Towne in Olive Branch. The Bulletin Board for the County, from the Commercial Appeal.

Germantown: The issue of digital signs seems to have inexpensively worked itself out.

Internet Exclusive: Meet Tennessee’s new Small Business Advocate, Lauren Plunk, whose job it is “to help owners of businesses with 50 or fewer employees work through whatever questions or issues they may encounter in dealing with government agencies”.

Internet Exclusive: Our regular contributor, Chuck Bates, has a powerful look at the Republican presidential primary, the Left-leaning press, and the shenanigans you can expect between now and November 2012. A must-read!

Alcohol in Strip Bars: The ordinances the County Commission passed four years ago, banning sales of alcohol in strip clubs and other, related measures, will go into effect on January 1.

Shelby County Sheriff: A new website, IDThisPerson.com, in three weeks online has helped capture three dozen criminals.

Leaves: A list of leaf drop-off locations. Open all week.

Immigration: College information nights for families of immigrants are being sponsored in County schools by the Lumina Foundation, and are offering help and encouragement to illegal immigrants as well. They are trying to increase college enrollment and graduation among Hispanics.

Shelby County Probate Court: The internal audit found jaw-dropping, inexplicable behavior that is quickly being corrected.

Bartlett: The Better Bartlett Schools are hosting a public meeting tonight for input on a municipal school system.

Arkansas: A new plant in West Memphis, Awesome Products, will pump $40 million and 70 additional jobs.

Global Entrepreneurship Week: That would be this week, starting today.

Business: Nursing is still a “recession-proof” industry.

The Business Journal reports People on the Move. You get What to Do for Sunday and Monday and People in Business for Sunday and Monday, from the Commercial Appeal; also, Property Transfers. In the Daily News, they have Today’s Events and Inked.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber: Titan Tire of Illinois has bought the Goodyear plant but do not plan production of finished products there. They build agricultural/industrial tires. More from Obion County’s NWTNToday.com and again.

U. S. Foods: They are closing a Paducah, KY, plant and shifting production to Memphis. More in the Daily News .

Mississippi: State Republicans will be in control of State government for the first time since Reconstruction. Closing the Leflore County prison will save the State over $10 million.

The Daily Docket: Wednesday is American Censorship Day.

The Intersection of Madness and Reality: Was Joe Paterno the one who got raped at Penn State?

The Daddler and Me: Learning that you are loved.

theology & geometry: She shares the details of the recent birth of her son, Holden. (Warning: explicit language.) And, some baby pictures.

Tiffany Tastes: Would you like to take part in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap?

Yeah, and another thing: We all have days like this.

vibinc: Testing out the theory that airfares cost more in Memphis. State budget cuts are just a frame of mind?

Smart City Memphis: Four percent of MCS students will be ready for college.

Sassy Molassy: Thoughts on the paradox of Schroedinger’s cat and an explanatory video.

NMissCommentor: Thoughts on party-switching and MS State Senator Gray Tollison.

Ramblings of the Mad Cow: Time travelling text messages! She doesn’t know which she hates more: AT&T or the fact that she can’t quit AT&T.

Joe Spake: A gallery of photos from Occupy Memphis.

Memphis Daily News Blog: Thoughts on veterans and parades and the changes of time.

Memphis, Etc: Dusting off his New Gingrich bumper sticker.

Memphisotan: The veterans you’ll never recognise.

Memphis News: At what point does the Downtown stop being “poised” and actually “arrive”?

Joe Spake’s Daily Buzz: The rest of the day’s news, from all sorts of eclectic places.

New York Times: State lawmakers and education officials must not “backslide” on any education reforms, especially teacher evaluations.

Commercial Appeal: They support tinkering with education reforms. Comparing the Penn State scandal with the Catholic Church. State online tax collections will put all businesses on the same disadvantage. After decades of Democrats doing it, they are surprised and upset to learn that Republicans are now also using redistricting to political advantage. Welcoming another NY Mayor Bloomberg project into Memphis.

Chris Peck: It takes two forms of ID to visit the Shelby County Landfill? (via the Commercial Appeal)

Otis L. Sanford: Why do African-Americans even bother running against Representative Steve Cohen? (via the Commercial Appeal)

Rajendra Raghow: An anti-Republican screed disguised as pro-Reason platitudes. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Ephie Johnson: Don’t try to “have it all” this holiday season, instead keep to what’s most important. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Wendi C. Thomas: “Ideally” there will be no end to social spending, in her world. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Andre K. Fowlkes: Finding balance in today’s driven, 24-hour workplaces. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Small Business Advocate: Another column about successfully balancing life and work in business. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Small Business Adviser: Learning to work together can lead to office harmony. (via the Daily News)

Giving Back: Secret Santa 2.0. (via the Daily News)