Photo Credit: WMC
Ursula’s New Co-Anchor?

 
During the Super Bowl halftime commercial break, WMC will air an ad co-produced with the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County to promote dog adoption. Get a sneak peek from WMC.

Transition Planning Commission: Speaking on behalf of the Shelby Couny suburbs, County mayor Mark Luttrell warned the TPC of “our inability to sell this product to the community”. He wants both groups to to plan for the “unthinkable”. There is some movement to make the meeting happen.

Municipal School Districts: A breakdown of a proposed budget for a Germantown school system.

Shelby County Annexations: The Flyer’s John Branston presents a short history of annexation agreements and reserves. Bartlett mayor Keith McDonald says his community wants a separate school system. “To annex or not to annex,” asks Fox13. ABC24 agrees, the plan is on hold. But some are moving ahead with incorporation.

Planned Parenthood: The two Tennessee branch offices have sued the State and John Dreyzehner, commissioner of the TN Department of Health, alleging they were unfairly terminated from two State contracts, regarding HIV and STI screenings. Read the lawsuit here. (PDF document) They seek to have stripped funding restored. More from ABC24, Associated Press, WMC and the Commercial Appeal.

Stella Marris: The Ronnie Grisanti-run kitchen will open to the public for service tonight. Dancing starts at 10PM.

Mississippi Pardons: The remaining “pardonee”, Joseph Ozment, is fighting extradition from Wyoming. Ozment plans to marry his girlfriend first. Families of murder victims are understandably angry at the pardon. More from ABC24, Commercial Appeal.

French Quarter Suites: The Daily News profiles the new owners, Jay Kumar and Rashi Chopra, who will convert it to a Comfort Suites.

Arkansas: State revenues came in $43 million over budget.

DeSoto County: Discarded Christmas trees will be used as f”ish condos” in Arkabutla Lake.

Republican Presidential Primary: TNGOP chairman Chris Devaney talks about the presidential primary and whether TN still matters in the process.

Politics: Anyone with certain State-issued licenses might have it revoked for unpaid student loans in a new bill (HB0740)passed in the House; more from WREG. Republican legislators are formulating a plan to deal with Obamacare issues in a special session at the end of the year.

MLG&W: Six employees, all black, are alleging that white administrators are routinely choosing whites for promotion to management.

Whitehaven: City Councilman Harold B. Collins will introuduce a resolution to earmark $16 million to clean up Elvis Presley Boulevard.

State Senator Stacey Campfield: He appeared on a Nashville morning TN show to discuss some of the AIDS numbers he had used earlier this week.

Thaddeus Matthews: More fallout from the media stunt Matthews pulled on black Republican Charlotte Bergmann. The Fox13 Insiders discuss Matthews’ treatment of Bergmann.

Mississippi: The State House passed, by a large, lopsided margin, a new Child Protection Act and Child Rape Protection Act. More from the Commercial Appeal.

Earthquake! Are Mid-South families prepared?

R. Allen Stanford: CFO James Davis took the stand this week to testify.

Arts: After two years of lean times some creative wizardry may lead to a renaissance in the local arts scene.

Real Estate: In December, Memphis home prices declined 5.4% over year-ago prices.

NEW! ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Comparing Health Care Costs of the Two School Systems The Shelby County Watchdog, Joe Saino, has been crunching the numbers for the health care (and benefit) costs for the two systems independently. When they merge, some hard decisions will have to be made … with your pocketbook on the line!

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?

Online 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!

Boot and Tow: The program to tow cars for drivers who have unpaid City fines is only 20 days old, but has claimed 150 cars.

Memphis City Schools: Students at Richland Elementary School are pleading with the thieves who stole their computers to return them.

Black History Month: A comprehensive schedule of events marking African-American history and awareness.

Elections 2012, Round 1: Candidate for Shelby General Sessions Court Clerk, Marion Brewer, was once the principal and coach for Northside High School.

Southaven Mayor Greg Davis: Davis quietly returned to work Thursday, not answering any media questions. More on the petition drive to get Davis to resign. Link to petition; a paper petition drive is also planned. Everyone is preparing for Tuesday’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting.

MATA: More on the growing public anger over the bus system and how it’s meeting public needs. A cyclist is in critical condition after being hit by a MATA bus Downtown; the Commercial Appeal says it was a Megabus.

Shelby County: A public forum about acceptable levels of radioactivity in two Shelby County landfills.

Cambodia: Fox13’s Mearl Purvis travels to Cambodia to study their charter schools and how they are helping transform education, via the all-girls Harpswell Foundation. Purvis tours Angkor Wat.

Megabus: Beginning at the end of the month, they will offer twice daily trips between Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville. The first 1000 customers can get a free trip. More details from Megabus.

Business: Tennessee’s teen unemployment rate is a shocking 28.8%. For teen males, it is 35.5%. The Memphis Business Journal has suspended its Best Chef in Memphis contest after chef complaints. High beef prices are having an impact on Memphis restauranteurs.

From the Daily News, Today’s Events and Inked. The Commercial Appeal covers People in Business and What to Do. People on the Move, in the Business Journal.

International Paper: They expect a quick positive effect from their acquisition of Temple-Inland. IP more than doubled its earnings in 2011. It was their best year in 20 years. They plan to invest $1.5 billion.

Fred’s: Same stores sales rose a meager .5% in 2011, versus 2.2% in 2010. Analysts had predicted 1.1% growth last year.

Smith & Nephew: They will reduce their global workforce by 7% over three years.

Valero Energy: The company is offering a $25,000 reward for information on the killing of employee Leonard Davidson late last month. It’s the single largest private-donor reward in CrimeStoppers history. More from WMC and the Commercial Appeal.

Electrolux: Their profits plunged in the 4Q over one year ago–from 860 million kronor to 6 million kronor.

Fred’s: Sales were up in January.

FedEx: A FedEx truck driver in Miami ran a red light and slammed into a Miami-Dade Transit Metrobus. Eighteen people were sent to hospitals; none with serious injuries. Video at link. (Note: the webpage is work safe; the rest of the site might not be. Be careful.)

All That and a Box of Rocks: It’s almost Valentine’s Day and that means…peridots. Wait, what? Her husband brought home a house for her.

Bigger Than Your Head: The wine of the week.

Best Memphis Burger: He disagrees with the Flyer’s choice for best burger and asks your opinion. Rating the burger at South of Beale.

Burn My Mouth: “I noticed that the heat was actually cooling off but that was due to my tongue going numb.” Oh yeah!

Dining With Monkeys: Sticker shock of the pleasant kind at Tokyo Grill.

eat local memphis: This Saturday is Cochon555 and if you’re a foodie, that’s the place to be!

FIX MEMPHIS: Go on an early morning 40 mile bike ride from Downtown to the Old Forest, with pictures. This picture is worth a thousand memories. What to do when someone yells at you from their car.

LeftWingCracker: His thoughts on the Susan G. Komen - Planned Parenthood dustup.

MAKE IT HAPPEN: Damie gets over her Ironman apathy to GO FOR IT!

Memphisotan: She lays to rest on New Year’s resolution.

polar donkey: If you’re curious what the Gray’s Creek annexation will be, he’s got a map for you.

no rococo: She craved a Fuel Food Truck bagette.

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

Jack Neely: Is Knoxville the birthplace of the first rock’n'roll star? (via the Knoxville Metro Pulse)

Frank Cagle: Despite some very powerful supporters, appointing State-level judges is still unconstitutional. (via the Knoxville Metro Pulse)

FUNdraising: They continue their series on answering the service call of being on a board of directors. (via the Daily News)

Memphasis: Over two dozen pearls of wisdom. (via the Daily News)

Chef Timothy: Putting your health first can help you stave off and deal with bad health news. (via the Tri-State Defender)

Money Matters: How to convert your business into planned retirement income. (via the Tri-State Defender)

Flyer: Governor Bill Haslam is a “second banana … Mr Vanilla”.

The Rant: Musings on naming sports teams. (via the Flyer)

Commercial Appeal: Honoring teacher and coach Jerry Peters. Noting the International Blues Challenge.

Mimi Hall Uhlmann: The Education That Works program starts kids on the road to work internships, practical experience. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Squeaky Wheel Seeks Grease: A disappointing experience with online graduate school classes. Well, that’s not her word for it….