Photo Credit: Southaven Board of Aldermen
Some Were Mum, but
The Crowd Was Loud

 
A “loud…angry” crowd was present at the Southaven Board of Aldermen meeting, the first in some time with troubled mayor Greg Davis present. The Commercial Appeal’s story is surprisingly short of Davis details. Davis left again without addressing the media. The meeting was interrupted when the overflow crowd protested the video feed, which crashed several times. Both supporters and critics were present, though mostly critics.

A pre-meeting story from the Commercial Appeal and others from Fox13, ABC24.
 
 

University of Memphis: Word leaked out early yesterday that the U of M will be will be invited to join the Big East sports conference. More from ABC24, the Business Journal and the Daily News. Athletic director R. C. Johnson will have a press conference today. More on today’s announcment from Fox13. The fans are excited.

Memphis City Council: Prominent resident John Bogan, president of the Fisherville Civic Club, says he’s asked State Senator Mark Norris and State Rep. Curry Todd to withdraw “Norris -Todd II”. But the council still passed the annexation ordinance on its first reading. The second reading will be this Tuesday. WREG’s Live@9 interviews Councilmen Kemp Conrad and Lee Harris. Some council members aren’t happy about the City’s proposed social media policy. The Public Works committee approved $16 million for redevelopment around Graceland and Elvis Presley Boulevard.

Unified Shelby County School District: A planned meeting was canceled after strife surfaced over the “fair market value” resolution from the Shelby County Commission.

State Representative Curry Todd: He waived his preliminary hearing and will proceed directly to a grand jury on DUI and gun charges. More reports from the Nashville City Paper, Associated Press, the Commercial Appeal.

Organised Crime Unit: City officials have sent out the OCU audit to the FBI, the TBI, the US Department of Justice and the State Comptroller for review. More from WMC. Police Director Toney Armstrong spent Tuesday in front of the City Council, answering angry and pointed questions; more. He insisted the 79,000 newly discovered police memos will not change crime statistics.

Municipal School Districts: The Town of Collierville has hired former CA reporter James Covington to “research issues” related to their own MSD. Collierville government officials say the town would experience a housing boom if they had their own schools.

Bumpus Harley-Davidson: They have filed a Federal lawsuit challenging the County’s requirement of a certain percentage of minority hires in order to do business with Shelby County. There are now three such lawsuits.

Mississippi: State Attorney General Jim Hood was ignored by State legislators at a House hearing on allowing elected officials and department heads to use outside legal counsel. The new home market has crashed from its pre-Great Recession high. Joseph Ozment will not attend his Mississippi hearing.

Politics: A bill to directly elect Supreme Court justices has been delayed, not killed, says State House Rep. Glenn Casada. Meanwhile Governor Haslam’s bill, to write appointment of high-level judges into the State Constitution, survived a challenge in the House. Legislators want public officials convicted of crimes of abuse of public trust not to get judicial diversion; more from the Associated Press. Top Democratic Rep. Craig Fitzhugh wants the governor’s budget to include more spending for technology centers. Legislator term limits have been re-introduced (HJR625). Falsely claiming military service would be a crime under this bill. Fearing another “unfunded mandate” from government, backers of Governor Bill Haslam’s domestic violence bill are arranging funding first.

The bill to allow wine sales in grocery stores failed for lack of a Senate sponsor. The House sponsor, says the bill isn’t dead yet. The bill is HB2874. With State Senator Joe Haynes retiring, the field hopeful of replacements is growing.

Juries: ABC24 continues its series on sequestered Shelby County juries by noting that costs to taxpayers exceed even those of much larger cities.

Nashville: Mayor Karl Dean may still become the city’s Education Mayor. The new Music City Center will have a “green” roof. The downtown area now has food trolleys.

Pink Palace Museum: A City Council committee has approved a $10 million outlay of City funds to help pay for a planned renovation, to make it “more efficient and visitor-friendly”, that will cost $20 million. The full Council must approve this.

Republican Presidential Primary: The Fox13 Insiders discuss yesterday’s primaries.

Train Derailment: Traffic snafus could go on for weeks due to cleanup and the investigation.

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?

Transition Planning Commission: The “listening session” in Millington last night heard a “mix of fear and optimism” from parents about absorption into a unified City-County district. The TPC website.

Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital: Demolition work began on the old building this week. More from ABC24, WMC, the Business Journal.

Occupy Nashville: The State House voted, in committee, 14-2 to prevent protesters from staying overnight on War Memorial Plaza and added jail time to the penalty. The Senate committee also passed it, 7 to 1. More from the Nashville Scene, the Tennessean, WMC. Lt Gov Ron Ramsey has issued an open letter and says “open acts of sex, drug use and violence you wouldn’t expect in an “R” rated movie are at times on full display”. Occupiers, naturally, protest.

Occupy Memphis, which has largely escaped on-going media coverage, ejected six protesters after “discord”, drinking, drug-use and violence. Some are actual homeless. Fifteen people permanently “occupy” the encampment.

US Representative Steve Cohen: Cohen appeared with bankruptcy activists to introduce legislation he’s sponsoring to fight the coming “debt bomb” of college students in trouble.

St Jude Children’s Research Hospital: The 50th anniversary celebrations continue this week.

Voter ID: House Republican Leader Gerald McCormick wants to grant an exemption to City and County employees who have work IDs issued by their City or County.

Elections 2012: Tennessee’s Green and Constitution Parties will be on the ballot automatically for the first time. Background on that story. Super PAC frenzy hasn’t come to Tennessee…yet.

Chattanooga: The Volkswagen plant there just rolled its 50,000th Passat off the assembly line. Their city has pedicabs?! The city’s regional airport could become Atlanta’s second airport.

Business: The Business Journal admits, “We’re baffled” at the negative reaction to their Best Chef in Memphis contest.

The Commercial Appeal reports What to Do. The Business Journal has your People on the Move and the Daily News zeroes in on Today’s Events and Memphis Newsmakers.

Amazon.com: The State Senate’s Tax subcommittee has delayed for a week a vote on the bill to make the company collect State sales taxes, in part because of concerns by other companies.

Wright Medical Group: The Prophecy Inbone Pre-Operative Navigation Alignment Guides won clearance to begin sales. More in the Business Journal and the Daily News.

Mueller Industries: Profits were up slightly in a turbulent year for the head office.

Pinnacle Air Lines: With their Colgan subsidiary, they have amended agreements with Continental Airlines and United Air Lines.

Mo’ Money Taxes: Six more offices, in Norfolk, Virginia, were raided and closed. More from WMC and WREG and again.

R. Allen Stanford: After prosecutors presented James Davis to build their case, the defense had a turn. Davis is being portrayed as a liar.

Tennesee: Residents who purchase a Chevy Volt may be eligible for a $2500 rebate. The Department of Economic and Community Development has a press release. The State is fiscally scound, but cuts are still needed.

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!

DeSoto County: The Board of Supervisors heard a number of issues at their meeting, including getting more “air-ride systems” and better fire service. They also narrowed the field of candidates for planning director to three, and will interview them next week.

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

matters of merrymaking: There are two things Bekah loves in this world and this is one of them.

Memphis Foodie: It’s his first blogiversary!

MemphisConnect: Jimmy Ogle shares his Five Biggest Surprises in Memphis History.

Memphis Weaver: An off-hand remark from Kacky Walton led her to a a new collection of scarves.

My Crazy Busy Life: These are her favorite books.

moody redhead: She loves living in the future. The mystery of the ice bin yogurt.

My Path Is Wide Open: Help her help her professor and classmates with Design for America.

MNissCommentor: An example of the “blunt object vigilatieism” of Anonymous. Weird things found in a law journal article.

The Worldly Investor: He explains a few “economic markers” to look for in reading market news. (via the Daily News)

Ronnie L. Williams: How to protect against workplace embezzlement. (via the Daily News)

MemphisShelbyInform: Can you blame the suburbs?

Paul Ryburn’s Journal: Another BBQ festival is coming to Memphis. If you want to make more money, play basketball.

Pretty in Pink Megan: Someone’s already thinking ahead to Valentine’s Day. She does “Q&A Monday” and invites you to join in.

Rachel and the City: Bring some smiles and joy into an old man’s life.

Jason Smith: The University of Memphis will be a “good fit” for the Big East.

Geoff Calkins: The University of Memphis’ move to the Big East conference will be nothing but good news? (via the Commercial Appeal)

Craig Fitzhugh and Reginald Tate: Two State Representatives argue that increasing class size would be catastrophic. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Commercial Appeal: “Despite their imperfections”, new teacher evaluations should be put up with. Minority- and women-led businesses need participation goals for the city’s sake.

John Jay Hooker: It’s past time to repeal the judicial retention election statute, which is unconstitutional. (via the Tennessean)

Rev. Mark Forrester: Vanderbilt University’s “All Comers” policy is an opportunity for Christians. (via the Tennessean)