Photo Credit: WREG
Out of One, Six?

 
Bartlett mayor Keith McDonald would like to see a late May date for a public referendum vote on a separate school district. Planning and logistics must begin now, though. The latest Southern Educational Strategies reports, for Arlington and Lakeland, note they will need some mechanism to raise the funds necessary to support schools. Lakeland is already considering the options. The overflowing audience of hundreds in Collierville heard about their options last night; more. What will new school districts cost you?

The Daily News has all five reports on the individual districts: Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown and Lakeland.

Willie Herenton: You know local politics is in new territory when the ex-mayor says we’ve hit “an all-time low“.
 

Shelby County Commission: The Daily News’ Bill Dries argues the Commission has permanently realigned its political alliances. Commissioners believe compromise is no longer possible on County redistricting and it will all wind up in court. Fox13’s Ernie Freeman talks with Jackson Baker about Commissioner Terry Roland’s Collierville dustup.

Memphis City Schools: The Healthy Kids and Teens program hopes to teach kids in school about proper nutrition.

TN Income Tax: The State House voted 73 to 17, a bipartisan vote, to start the path to a constitutional amendment barring an income tax. More reports from the Knoxville News-Sentinel, WPLN, the Nashville Scene.

Economic Development Growth Engine: More on the first official meeting of new agency. More from Fox13 on economic development.

Republican Presidential Primary: The departure of Rick Perry from the campaign yesterday has left his State chairman, Lt Gov Ron Ramsey, disappointed.

Politics: Sure enough, redistricting is producing all sorts of echo effects. Former Democratic State Representative Tyler “Ty” Cobb will run for the State Senate for District 28. (His election website.) Meanwhile, longtime (22 year) Democratic State Rep. Harry Tindell will retire from his District 13 seat, rather than campaign against a Republican. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has placed the US Fourth District Congressional seat on its “Emerging Races” list. The DCCC is backing State Senator Eric Stewart against Republican incumbent, Congressman Scott DesJarlais; the press release. Is Democratic State Senator Beverly Marrero being “back-stabbed” by a “gone into hiding” fellow Democrat, State Senator Jim Kyle? Should Marrero run for re-election or run against US Senator Bob Corker?

On Thursday, the State Senate repassed the State redistricting plans after the House repassed them the day before. Tipton County is now included. A bill has been filed to disallow elected or appointed officials from receiving judicial diversion for crimes committed during their term of office. A new Ten Commandments bill has been filed.

Electric Cars: Ground will be broken next week on the first charging station in Shelby Farms Park.

Penny Hardaway’s National Hoop Fest: This St Jude Research Hospital benefit will pit regional and national teams this Friday and Saturday.

Memphis River Trail: A recent study has given them a list of the repairs and updates the trail needs; now comes the fundraising. Mississippi River Corridor Tennessee website.

DeSoto County: The Pride of DeSoto Central Marching Band will march in tomorrow’s inaugural for incoming governor Phil Bryant. The County is beginning to tout its own arts and recreation as a separate destination. Southaven chose an Alabama firm for its trash collection services. Southaven aldermen have voted to cut a second salary for embattled mayor Greg Davis; his actual salaries are north of $180,000. Again the queston is asked: Who is running Southaven?

Occupy: More on the State bill that would effectively ban Occupy Nashville from War Memorial Plaza. More from the Nashville Scene.

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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Unemployment: Tennessee’s unemployment rate fell to 8.7%. That’s the lowest rate since December 2008. More from the Commercial Appeal, WMC.

Dutch Treat Luncheon: This week’s featured speaker is State Representative Mark White. Starts Saturday at noon.

University of Memphis: They are part of a Federally-funded consortium of universities to study “freight movement and transportation infrastructure”.

Memphis Police Department: Another officer, Daniel Dermyer, is suspended and arrested after he was accused of harrassing and stalking his ex-wife. More from WMC, WREG and again.

Ronnie Grisanti: More on his hiring by Steve Cooper’s Stella Marris to run kitchen operations. More from WMC.
 
 

Mississippi: The State’s economist, Darrin Webb, paints a bleak and feeble future for the State’s economy.

Overton Park Conservancy: The Flyer interviews the new executive director, George Cates.

Nashville: Singer/entertainer Dolly Parton unveiled plans for a $50 million water-snow theme park. to open in 2014. It will be a partnership with Gaylord Enterprises. More from WPLN, the Nashville City Paper, WREG. The same poll that ranked Memphis the 171st metro economy in the world, ranked Nashville 89.

Tax Season: It’s already time to think about preparing your taxes.

Memphis International Airport: Cargo numbers stayed the same but passenger numbers and total flights continue to drop. Most of this is cutbacks to Delta as they shift hubs. Total passenger count was down 1.3 million in 2011. Gun charges were dismissed against flyer Rick Ricks.

Business: Locals St Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Baker Donelson were named among the “100 Best Companies to Work For” by Fortune magazine. More from WREG.

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

Memphis Union Mission: Plans for the new emergency shelter downtown provide mostly for space for overflow and more classroom space. MUM website.

Memphis International Auto Show: At the Cook Convention Center through the weekend, the emphasis is on fuel efficiency and technology.

Bankruptcies: Three years of declining bankruptcies isn’t necessarily good news. There was an “overall increase” in bankruptcies in West Tennessee for the 4Q.

Jackson, TN: The Jackson Gang Prevention Task Force is pushing a teen employment scheme to help combat juvenile gangs.

MLG&W: Former utility credit counselor Belinda McIntyre was reinstated in her job after the board took the unusual action of getting involved.

Susan Berry-Buckley: Donations only provided for half our community’s blood donation needs in 2011. We can do better. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Frank Cagle: Lowering the grocery tax means raising some other tax. (via the Knoxville Metro Pulse)

Michael Haynes: A downtown Wal-Mart or Publix doesn’t threaten the kinds of businesses usually found in a vibrant Downtown. (via the Knoxville Metro Pulse)

Knoxville News-Sentinel: Some praise is due to the State legislators and officials who opposed weakening the Open Meeting law. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney should release his tax returns.

Greg Johnson: “It is no small irony” that the celebrations of Rev Martin Luther King Day and Roe v. Wade are one week apart. (via the Knoxville News-Sentinel)

Joe Lance: Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond should apologise for his remark, even if he meant it. (via Nooga.com)

Memphasis: “Think outside the box” has a very real meaning to him. (via the Daily News)

FUNdraising: Coordinating your “asks” to avoid “asking” more than once. (via the Daily News)

Charles Sims Jr: What to look for and what to avoid in choosing a financial planner. (via the Tri-State Defender)

The Rant: Because he’s a Baby Booomer, of course it’s all about him. (via the Flyer)

John Branston: When you cover Memphis politics, the devil is in the details that you must listen for. (via the Flyer)

Flyer: Reapportionent isn’t politics with a beanbag.

Tonya L. Thompson: But doesn’t a need to use hard metrics on performance come from a time when teachers routinely using social promotion and meaningless grades to pass children along? (via the Flyer)

The Upfront Page: There has been strong reaction to PolitiFactTN (via the Knoxville News-Sentinel)