Montage Credit: Shelby County, Main Street Journal
Time to “Clean House”?

 
The Shelby County Commission had a rocky day on Wednesday. In committee session, Commissioner Brent Taylor moved to censure Commissioners Terry Roland and Mike Ritz; more on that story from Fox13, ABC24, WMC. The Commission voted to censure, 7-4. Commissioner Wyatt Bunker set up a vote for next week to change commission rules to make it easier to oust the chairman “for cause”. That move is aimed at Commission chairman Sidney Chism, who is thought to have allowed the recent ugliness to grow and the redistricting vote to lag. The Commercial Appeal has a story on the whole mess. It was a day of “arguments, debate and censure”.

A longer video of the Collierville Republican Club fracas by the Flyer’s Jackson Baker, who also made video of Taylor’s call for Roland’s and Ritz’ censure. WMC has the long video available if your workplace blocks YouTube. ABC24’s Mike Matthews tries to antagonistically interview commissioner Terry Roland. More on the Baker video from Fox13, ABC24.

Suburban School Districts: Germantown, the first town to publicly hear from Southern Educational Strategies on setting up a separate school system, will hold a town hall meeting on February 1 to gauge residents’ feelings. Download and read their studies on Bartlett, Germantown and Collierville. Bartlett, according to the Flyer may be “ready to go muni”. Possible suburban school districts face an operational deadline of August 2013; more on that from WMC. Shelby County Schools cast cold doubt over an easy, cost-free transfer of buildings; a battle may be brewing. And the study’s decision on handover is based on annexations, and not actual new school districts.

City of Memphis: City employees are upset with their disparate starting salaries.

2010 Election: The appeal case filed by Shelby County Democratic candidates, alleging fatal errors in the conduct of the November 2010 Shelby County Election Commission went to trial Tuesday.

Mississippi: State Attorney General Jim Hood announced that ll but one of those pardon or released has been accounted for and served notice. The last man, Joseph Ozment, is being hunted by investigators.

Rev Martin Luther King Assassination: Letters from James Earl Ray show he doubted a jury would believe his story about a conspiracy.

US Representative Steve Fincher: According to the FEC, he raised over $300,000 in the 4Q.

Memphis Police Department: Former officer Michael Sinnock has pleaded not guilty to charges he sold drugs while in uniform and on duty.

Economic Development Growth Engine: New president Reid Dulberger met with the board and laid out a cautious plan for growth.

Asian Trade: State officials will soon lead a trade mission to South Korea and China. The focus will be on Tennessee’s medical device industry and services.

Business: Out of 200 metro economies ranked by the Brookings Institution, Memphis was 171st. Memphis lost several percent of its income and employment between 2007 and 2010. Read the study.

The Commercial Appeal provides What to Do. From the Daily News, you’ll learn Today’s Events. And the Business Journal details People on the Move.

Kimberly-Clark: They confirmed they will open a distribution center in Southaven that will employ 100.

Fantastic Sams: The Memphis-born chain has been sold to France’s much smaller but international Dessange International.

Arkansas: Arkansas Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell is asking the Legislature to not decrease schools’ budgets.

Social Media Club: They are meeting this afternoon to improve and encourage best uses of social media platforms.

R. Allen Stanford: After three years of delays and circuses, he will finally stand trial next week on charges of defrauding thousands of investors of billions of dollars.

Internet Exclusive: Rick Santorum and the Tea Party? Our Tea Party contributor, Ed “Doc” Holliday went to New Hampshire for the nation’s first primary vote and argues that, now, Rick Santorum might be the last hope for the Tea Party movement in national politics.

Internet Exclusive: Who Runs the World? Memphis Urban League president and political candidate Tomeka Hart notes that while women are making progress in politics there still aren’t enough women in office.

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State Education Reform: The TN Education Association is calling for major changes to the teacher evaluation system before it even gets its first use, which they are calling a “practice year”.

Memphis Animal Shellter: A City request for proposals to privatise the shelter drew no takerrs. A new shelter director will now be sought.

Central High School Shooting: The family of victim Terrance Wilkins says they have information that his fatal shooting may have been an accident by a family friend. There will be a vigil this evening.

Memphis and Shelby County Office of Economic Development: After touting Millington in yesterday’s Daily News, Charles Gulotta is leaving the Shelby County OED to take a similar position with…Millington!

Stella Marris: Respected restauranteur Ronnie Grisanti will operate the dinner club as a “Grisanti Tuscan-themed” restaurant for dinner service. The building will still operate as a nightclub after dinner hours.

Noam Chomsky: The Flyer’s Jackson Baker was there at his appearance at Rhodes College and reports.

Southaven: Mayor Pro Tem Greg Guy has terminated a $35,000 stipend Mayor Greg Davis was being paid for additional duties. Officials are waiting for an opinion from the State AG on whether they can cut Davis’ salary. And the controversial fire station deal got more problematic as a half-million dollar security deposit was revealed. The town has voted to buy it; more from the Desoto Times Tribune. More on Mayor Pro-Tem Guy stepping down from Fox13 and the Desoto Times Tribune. The Board of Aldermen will vote on Guy’s replacement “as soon as we can”. Who is running the town right now?

St Jude Children’s Research Hospital: They are marking their 50-year anniversary this year.

Weather: This year’s mild winter is causing headaches for heating and air companies.

Politics: The draft effort to get Democratic State Senator Beverly Marrero to run against Republican US Senator Bob Corker has left her “stunned”. The state has been rated slightly below average by Good Jobs First, on “how well it monitors, verifies and enforces the terms of its job-creation subsidies”. The GJF website.

State Redistricting: The State House passed the corrected redistricting map, which now includes Tipton County.

Collierville: A father says his son was jumped by gang members at Collierville High School.

DeSoto County: Republican primary candidate Henry Ross is running for the District One Congressional seat held by Alan Nunnelee.

Orpheum: The president and CEO of the Orpheum’s foundation, Pat Halloran, has been chosen as the 2011 Communicator of the Year by the Memphis chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

Mississippi River Trail: The final public meeting for this bicycle route is this evening.

Foreclosures: There are many reasons for 2011’s drop in foreclosures. Although foreclosures were up by 40% in the fourth quarter.

Occupy: Legislators are considering a bill to limit “living” on public property not designated residential.

Financial: Shares plunged for BancorpSouth on news of slightly lower quarterly income than last year and sharp lowering of provisions for loan losses. Renasant Bank reported 4Q income was up 21 percent; more from the Daily News.

Rays of Wisdom: Should you stay with local banks or use online banking? (via the Daily News)

I Swear: He’s not entirely sure why he loves the novels of David Rosenfelt, except they very witty. (via the Daily News)

Daniel K. Swanson: Patient interests may trump the right of medical practices to protect their business, but not always. (via the Daily News)

Bill Hunter: Protecting your business from occupational fraud. (via the Daily News)

Gail Kerr: Speaker of the State House Beth Harwell says the State’s sunshine law is safe. (via the Tennessean)

Because I Said So: The daily cycle of life plays out on their dining room table. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Robert Lee Long: Captains are expected to grab the wheel firmly in an emergency. (via the Desoto Times Tribune)

Beth Curley: Getting a handle on teen sexuality, pregnancy and the rest requires more than “The Talk”. (via the Tennessean)

D’Yuanna Allen: There are resources available to help parents with sex education. (via the Tennessean)