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At Tuesday’s City Council Planning and Zoning Committee meeting, they agreed to the annexation of 50,000 homes in the Fisherville/Gray’s Creek area into Memphis. This must still pass the three Council readings. The City has the expanded sewer capacity and bought land for a new fire station but faces a $40 million budget shortfall. The Flyer asks whether the vote was necessary. More from the Commercial Appeal.

The quick annexation of the area was in response to the filing of “Norris-Todd II” bills in Nashville. State Senator Mark Norris and Representative Curry Todd both of Collierville and Representative Ron Lollar of Bartlett want votes before annexation, an end to the annexation reserve. The bills apply only to Memphis and Shelby County. It’s just a “catch-up” effort by Shelby County.

Transition Planning Commission: WREG’s Live@9 interviews the commission’s Daniel Kiel about Shelby Countians’ fears. Later this month, the TPC should begin revealing their plans for merger.

State of the State: The TN Education Association said teachers were left with “unanswered questions” from Governor Bill Haslam. Lots of “notes and quotes” from Tom Humphrey, of the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Policy choices will affect next year’s budget. The Daily News looks at the impact of Haslam’s budget on West Tennessee. University of Tennessee Health Science Center is pleased to be able to build their “multi-disciplinary simulation building”, if the Legislature approves.

Business Leaders Briefing Series: This White House program is bringing 30 business leaders from Memphis to Washington to meet and network with administration officials.

Elvis Presley Boulevard: Citizens and local leaders want to know when the Whitehaven area gets tens of millions of dollars to begin redevelopment of the area.

Voter ID: The American Association of People with Disabilities, part of a push by liberal TN Citizens Action, is claiming that only 10% of the disabled can get proper ID.

National Civil Rights Museum: The premiere of the documentary MLK: The Assassination Tapes will help kick off this year’s Black History month. NCRM website.

Overton Square: Loeb Properties has an update on work on Yosemite Sam’s.

City Councilman Kemp Conrad: He’s being courted to run for Congress in the Eighth District, a seat currently held by Stephen Fincher.

Shelby County Corrections: Prisoner Tommy Lee Hodges walked off a work detail yesterday. More from ABC24, WREG.

Politics: TN Democrats are calling for a biennial Legislature with reduced salaries, claiming a “good government” mantle; more from the Tennessean. State Senator Stacey Campfield, following a weekend restaurant confrontation, is now the subject of a campaign directed at “Governor Bill Haslam, President Barack Obama and members of Congress and the Tennessee Legislature to fire Campfield”, which none of them can do.

Mississippi: Governor Phil Bryant’s budget reduces spending by 5.5%. State Superintendent of Education Tom Burnham is asking for $305 million more for schools for next year.

Republican Presidential Primaries: WREG’s Live@9 speaks with US Representative Marsha Blackburn about voter indecision. The chairman of Newt Gingrich’s TN campaign is State Senator Stacey Campfield. American Crossroads, the Republican “Super PAC” raised $51 million last year. Even as Tennessee is gaining in importance this year, Super Tuesday is waning in prominence.

US Senator Rand Paul: After a second false positive in a TSA airport scanner, questions are being asked about their accuracy.

Nashville: Financial troubles mean the Nashville Farmers Market won’t be financially independent by 2014. The board of directors is asking for a financial review after “deficiencies” were found. The Nashville Chamber of Commerce is touting local business success stories via billboard.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: R-E-W-T, Root For Newt! Our tea party contributor, Ed “Doc” Holliday was in Charleston, South Carolina, for the CNN Republican presidential debate and he thinks he’s found “the Tea Party’s new prize fighter”. Do you agree?

Internet Exclusive: The Political Silly Season: Our political and financial contributor, Chuck Bates, is already growing tired of outrageous political ads and he’s still got to survive until November!

Midtown: The Memphis Fire Department is cutting the number of ladder trucks, and that has some residents angry.

Southaven Mayor Greg Davis: There is now an online petition asking Davis to resign. More on the organiser of the petition, Oriana Hill. While the investigations are happening, City business in Southaven has stopped.

Memphis Police Department: Six people have been charged with filing false tax returns using identities stolen from the MPD.

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton: He was the guest speaker at the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce’s “Conversation With …” series, talking about annexation, growth and more.

Great American Steamboat Company: As their first season of bookings approaches, they are hiring 300 people. More from the Daily News.

State Redistricting: For the die-hard political geeks there are now State GIS files of the redistricting maps to pore over. And, of course, there are the State House and Senate, and Congressional district maps.

Municipal School Districts: The zones where children will be drawn into the MSDs are based on City and County attendance zones. Trust, or the lack of it on the part of County residents, is emerging again as a factor.

R. Allen Stanford: Another report on the progress of his trial in Houston.

Small Business Administration: They will continue to support Memphis’ e200/Emerging Leaders which helps groom small inner-city businesses.

Business: Memphis foreclosures increased by almost 7% in 2011, according to CoreLogic.

What to Do from the Commercial Appeal. The Daily News cover Today’s Events and Memphis Newsmakers. And the Business Journal lets you in on the People on the Move.

FedEx: The company will transport many of the 100 dogs rescued from Fayette County earlier this month to other shelters because there isn’t room for them at local shelters.

GTx: Citigroup gave the company a good outlook on some clinical trials and their share price shot up by 50% the same day.

Pinnacle Airlines: A “dissident shareholder”, Wayne King, increased his shareholding and the news helped shares rise 42%.

Valero Energy: It was a “great year”, they report.

Bank of Bartlett: The Federal Reserve has put them on notice for “lack of capital”. They have 90 days to act. The bank says “strong profits” will take care of the situation.

DeSoto County: AT&T has withdrawn their application for a permit to build a cell tower near a Civil War battlefield. For Mississippi Tree Planting Week, 20,000 plants will be given away later this month.

“Human remains” found near Pratt Road are likely those of a local. Identification is expected to take two weeks, or five days. Some fear it may be Sherry Smith, who went missing in May of last year. More from Fox13 and the CA.

Collierville: A 21st century “Welcome Wage” with a business twist.

I Face Me: The online Chapter-A-Week Book Club is underway. It’s not too late to join.

Fertile Ground: “My Jiro, so tough on the outside, so biscuity on the inside.” Thoughts on approaching forty.

My Memphis Mommy: Every so often I highlight this amazing blog full of coupons, freebies, discounts, giveaways, deals, pointers and so much more. Start at the top and keep scrolling.

NMissCommentor: Some informed musings on the Mississippi pardons case; examining some of the arguments

Commercial Appeal: The Memphis Botanic Gardens delivers on what it says it will do. The situation in Southaven is “government without trust”.

Guerilla Sales & Marketing: A preview of some Super Bowl ads. (via the Daily News)

Gail Kerr: Promoting the business success of Middle Tennessee. (via the Tennessean)

Paul Smith: The head of the Hamilton County Democratic Party apologises for comments their executive committee made and calls for civility. (via the Chattanoogan.com)

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

In the South, it’s a religion: Fun with personality profiles. Thirty things she’d like to experience or learn before she turns thirty.

Jen Simmons: What do you do when you encounter a litterer in the act?

Listwork: A quote about lists!

Living Loud in Midtown: Take a bike tour of New Orleans. Thoughts on the Commercial Appeal pay wall.

MAKE IT HAPPEN: A motivational video for those times when running is just a trudge. She’s on the Twitter…what next?

Mediaverse: Richard factchecks some of Chris Peck’s mileposts from Sunday’s CA.

Memphis Foodie: A bland review of Celtic Crossing, but it may not be their fault!

Mr Brame’s Blog: A short reminiscence on John Updike. A way to make poetry contemporary, relevant and daily fun.