Photo Credit: Shelby County Commission
Try Again!

 
After failing to resolve the currently stalled talks on County redistricting, the Shelby County Commission will meet again next week, Wednesday, January 18, with a clean slate, to start negotiating from scratch. The suit on redistricting, filed by three commissioners, continues. More from Fox13.

Commissioner Steve Mulroy renewed his call to “loosen” the Open Meetings law. They did vote in favor of the “vicious dogs” regulation and other animal welfare statutes; more from WMC. A list of other business from the meeting and other brief notes.

Memphis City Council: Chairman Bill Morrison wants to stop the practice of using “adds” by councilmembers.

Unified Shelby County Schools: They have hired Nashville-based lobbyist Tony Thompson to do what lobbyists do. It was an “administrative hiring”, not requiring board approval. A 2007 New York Times piece on Thompson. He is also a lobbyist for the City of Knoxville. His LinkedIn profile. (Will require LinkedIn login)

Memphis City Schools: Germantown High School principal Ted Horrell is in very big trouble after a student presentation in which he told assembled black students they appeared “less smart” than white students! Fox13 reports on the public meeting to educate the public about reducing the number of schools.

Education Reform: A US Department of Education report says that Tennessee is meeting its goals for education reform. The Commericial Appeal also reports the story.

State Redistricting: Ninth Congressional District Congressman Steve Cohen pronounces himself “traumatised” by the changes to his district. It is the first time Memphis proper has been split between districts. He is worried the “Jewish vote” is being taken away; more from WMC. The Davidson County district attorney calls the current plan “heavy-handed” but he doesn’t think it’s illegal. Memphis Rep. G. A. Hardaway accuses the drafting committee of being “all white–no women and no blacks” and says the plan will end up in court. A public statement from the TN GOP chairman, Chip Delaney.

A number of legislators are looking at a change of office after redistricting: State Senator Bill Ketron may run for the US Fourth District against incumbent Scott DesJarlais; more from the Nashville City Paper. DesJarlais, meanwhile, is pre-emptively announcing his support and campaign bank account, and running a radio ad. More from the Tennessean. State Senator Andy Berke is now considering a run for the mayor of Chattanooga. State Senator Jim Tracy says he won’t run for the Fourth District Congressional seat, but will stay in the General Assembly. Tracy’s emailed announcement.

Knoxville: Knox County school officials want to raise the standards of the city’s charter schools. One charter school, The New Consortium of Law and Business, will plead its case to the State. Knoxville made the list of Gayest Cities in America.

Mississippi: Phil Bryant will be sworn in as governor today. Bryant has already announced many of his administration’s appointments and advisers. Former governor Haley Barbour is coming under strong criticism for his last-minute pardons of four people; related WMC story. More on Rob Estes announcing a run for the First District Congressional seat.

Business: The new eVerify system, meant to weed out illegal immigrants, is getting mixed reviews from business owners. A study of the state’s business owners on their experiences with State government was recently released.

In the Commercial Appeal, it’s What to Do. The Business Journal reports People on the Move. And the Daily News covers Today’s Events.

Velsicol Chemical: They have completed shutdown of their Warford Street plant, affecting 35 final employees. More from the Commercial Appeal.

Pinnacle Airlines: As the airline struggles to renegotiate everything, they are offering employees represented by the United Steelworkers a 5% salary decrease. More from the Commercial Appeal.

Will There Be a Brokered Convention? Regular Main Street Journal contributor Chuck Bates, on the eve of the Iowa caucuses, looks at the Republican field and wonders, “Are we headed to a brokered convention?”

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Memphis Police Department: Former officer Shane Sinnock has resigned in the wake of his arrest on drug charges last month.

Clark McMillan: He was wrongly convicted of a rape and served twenty-two years before being cleared. He is now suing the State for $10 million.

Crime: Residents of the Sea Isle Park neighborhood are fed up with crime. The owner of a blighted property in the Burlington neighborhood has finally ended up in court.

Overton Park Conservancy: The search is on now for an executive director.

Morgan Keegan: The Daily News reports that two deals may be imminent for the sale of MK.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Amazon.com: Already the company is ready to expand their Chattanooga facility and add hundreds more jobs. By the end of the year, they expect to have 5000 employees at that one site. The company has reached a deal with the State of Indiana to collect online sales taxes.

Tennessee: The TN Regulatory Authority has named Jean A. Stone as their general counsel.

Politics: From WPLN, the Capital Hill Conversation, a weekly podcast, that this time looks at the start of the Legislature. The Tennessan also has a podcast on State government. TN legislators are forbidden from raising campaign funds while the Legislature is in session, which starts at noon today. The current Legislature will test the assertiveness of Governor Bill Haslam.

Children’s Museum of Memphis: The dinosaurs are coming, next month. The CMOM website.

Collierville: Chip Peterson narrowly avoided termination for Parks Department employee mischief with a 3-3 vote.

DeSoto County: The investigation of Mayor Greg Davis and his receipts may cost the City of Southaven millions. The Commercial Appeal’s Bulletin Board for Tuesday. Standard & Poor’s has maintained the Horn Lake A+ bond rating. A Southaven home was rigged with a non-live improvised explosive device; it also had “excess ammunition”. There was also a fire and an unidentified dead body in Olive Branch, related to the Southaven home. More stories on the whole inter-connected mess from ABC24.

Startup Memphis: A number of events and support groups for entrepreneurs are coming up, including the sophomore season of Seed Hatchery.

Chattanooga: They were rated number 25 of 45 Place To Go by the New York Times. Hamilton County judge Bob Moon has been publicly reprimanded on three separate complaints.

Real Estate: Residential real estate in Memphis fell 5% in November over year-ago values. Multifamily housing has risen strongly as occupancy and rents rose. In Nashville, home sales were up slightly, but prices stayed low and are expected to drop in price through 2012.

2012 Republican Primary: Our Tea Party contributor Ed “Doc” Holliday looks at the Republican presidential candidacy of Newt Gingrich and wonders if his past baggage can–or should–be overcome in tea party eyes.

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

Staging by M: Her New Year’s resolution: no more plastic.

Smart City Memphis: A long defense of the Sunshine Law, as it applies to local government. The New Year’s Day swearing-in comments of City Council chairman Bill Morrison.

Ramblings of the Mad Cow: You have been warned. Cute baby video overload.

sharp stick in the eye: A one-page 2012 calendar you can print out … plus a cute baby picture!

Paul Ryburn’s Journal: He checks out the “Hung Over Like a Bear” brunch. Your downtown updates: Part one and Part two.

One-Half Amazing! “Can I pick your brain?” No, not for free you can’t, says Bob.

NMissCommentor: This really is a Monday Morning Various post. Even judges can be affected by what they eat.

Mick Wright: He makes the case for Mitt Romney.

MemphisShelbyInform: A solution (we can all agree on) to the problem of politicians.

living in millington: Video of the two candidates for the interim mayor’s position.

living loudinmidtown: Always an interesting day for Ty.

Mike Burch: The new National Defense Authorization Act actually “nullifies or ignores critical parts of the Constitution and Bill of Rights”. (via the Tennessean)

Donna Moffitt: Nothing can replace the physical sensation of holding a printed book. (via the Tennessean)

Knoxville News-Sentinel: Federal and County primaries are right around the corner.

Michelle Rhee: She is encouraged by the pace of education reform in Tennessee. (via the Knoxville News-Sentinel)

Andy Berke: A call for everyone to unite to work for a common cause–in this case, business. (via the Knoxville News-Sentinel)

John Branston: His sources are whispering that something may be about to happen with the Sears Crosstown building. Give Willie Herenton and his charter school consortium a chance, please. (via the Flyer)

Commercial Appeal: Using bribery to motivate people to achieve social ends is OK? Your chance to affect the course of County schools comes tonight.

Small Business Advocate: “Quality service” is one thing; “quality process” is better. (via the Commercial Appeal)

The Worldly Investor: A bearish prediction for the market, but bullish guesses elsewhere. (via the Daily News)

Giving Back: The spotlight this week shines on Visible Music College. (via the Daily News)