Photo Credit: ABC24
Pause There, Morocco

 
In yesterday’s City Council meeting, the proposed Bridgewater annexation was completely dropped and the Gray’s Creek/Fisherville is now on indefinite hold. The second reading of the Fisherville resolution was approved, then the resolution was tabled. By tabling, the resolution is “dead” but can be resuscitated and passed in a single meeting.

Enter Ophelia: State Senator Ophelia Ford is again in the news after a a “long, rambling” speech about “mean and hateful nurses” during committee testimony to increase the penalties for assaulting health care providers. Senator Mae Beavers twice tried to cut her off. Read the bill. Watch her testimony online.

Southaven Mayor Greg Davis: Audit reports from the Chamber of Commerce show they frequently didn’t require receipts from Davis. A critical 2010 audit has still not been released. Davis is still blaming the Board of Aldermen, saying they approved all expenses.

Raymond James Financial: They plan to fund the purchase of Morgan Keegan through the sale of 10.5 million shares of common stock. Pricing was announced. The handover should come on April 2.

Municipal Schools Districts: If any municipality votes to increase their sales tax to fund their schools, the County can decide within 40 days to override that vote with a County-wide plebescite that would, if approved, be shared between City and County! A 2010 opinion (PDF document) by Attorney General Bob Cooper may be relevant to discussions of funding the MSDs.

Memphis City Schools: The fourth annual Career & College Expo will be held next week. Five year old Caleb Moore was left at the wrong bus stop after a mixup in going to after-school.

Diversity Training: More on the controversial program given to Shelby County school teachers by Glenn Singleton which is causing a lot of anger. We have extensive coverage of this story.
 
 

Nashville: The Metro schools plan to double the number of Teach For America hirings. A Councilman is asking Davidson County Clerk John Arriola to return the $40 “gratuity” he’s been charging to wedded couples he took it from–over $100,000. Changes to the Nashville school employee’s handbook have many concerned.

Politics: Efforts to replace the 13-member panel with a single commissioner at the TN Wildlife Resources Agency failed yesterday. Legislators in Middle Tennessee are ramping up their re-election bids. More on the bill widening the civil rights of gun owners.

Congressional Third District candidate Weston Wamp laid out some of his proposals if elected.
 
 
 
 

Official Secrecy: The bill to make Economic and Community Development application information secret moved quickly in the State House. Governor Bill Haslam wants to block the release of “business processes, organizational structure and ownership, financial statements, budgets, cash flow reports or similar materials.” More in the Commercial Appeal. He says “blanket requests” for document disclosure are expensive and time-consuming.

Republican Presidential Primaries: Governor Bill Haslam has been named Mitt Romney’s state campaign chair. More in the Nashville Scene. The Nashville City Paper on whether Rick Santorum can maintain his momentum here. Primary turnout may be a concern. Romney ads are appearing around the state; more.

Otis Jackson: A trial date was set for the former General Sessions Court Clerk on charges of soliciting campaign contributions from his office staff.

Memphis Public Library: In association an American Library Association Light the Way grant, they will start a program to improve the literacy of the hearing impaired.

Civil Service Reform: The TN State Employees Association is walking away from talks with Governor Haslam, with the “strongest opposition” to their direction. They cite Haslam’s refusal to compromise. More from the Tennessean.

Airfares: The high cost of flying into and out of Memphis, from Fox13.

Mississippi: A State Senator, Joey Fillingane, has proposed an anti-abortion constitutional amendment.

Bonnaroo 2012: Details of this Summer’s lineup are being released. Tickets go on sale this Saturday. Reports from the Commercial Appeal, WMC. More at the Bonnaroo website.

Online Exclusive: Opportunity Lost: It’s one of the most referenced books on local politics and author Dr Marcus Pohlmann, of Rhodes College, introduces it and explains a little about why you should read it, too. It’s a touchstone for understanding Memphis and Shelby County racial politics in education.

Voting Reform: Election Commissioner Tre Hargett is releasing videos to remind voters to bring their ID, as early voting begins Wednesday. Nationally, a study shows 1 in 8 registrations have errors that have not been fixed in pevious Democratic adminsitrations.

Shelby County Government: The blog MemphisShelbyInform compares the health care costs for Memphis, Shelby County and MLG&W, to eye-opening result.

Black History Month: From MemphisConnect, a handful of events to consider.

The Endless Election Season: Even as early voting starts tomorrow, candidates are pulling petitions for the August elections. And there’s the presidential primaries on March 6. The Commerical Appeal profiles the seven candidates for the General Sessions Court Clerk office.

City of Memphis: We are taking part in a National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention.

University of Memphis: Sure enough, City and school officials are working to secure the funding for a “facelift” to the Liberty Bowl. A merger of the Conference-USA and Mountain West Conference could save Memphis as much as $6 million. Athletic director R. C. Johnson talks about “un-retiring”.

Occupy: Lone protester at the new Occupy Nashville site was told to move, and did. WREG’s Live@9 interviews an Occupy Memphis protester about the Memphis encampment.

Driver Service Centers: The State will open a center for reinstatement of drivers licenses only, in Hickory Ridge Mall.

Urban Magnets: The Binghampton neighborhood around Broad Avenue is an example of an area that is slowly drawing growth and new diversity.

EDGE: The Economic Development Growth Engine meets today and has a number of projects to consider.

Business: Tennessee has the highest sales tax in the US, according to the Tax Institute; more from ABC24.

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

FedEx: The company is deploying more large-scale and high-speed devices to its commercial printing centers; more. A $140 million local expansion may depend on a tax break from EDGE. A witness in the Petties drug trafficking trial testified that his organisation routinely shipped drugs through FedEx; more from WMC.

DeSoto County: The Siemens audit of the possible cooling improvements that could be made to buildings owned by Southaven has identified $200,000 in potential savings. Olive Branch will address erosion problems along a part of Goodman Road. Hernando’s Chip Johnson wants a statewide ban on smoking; also, the town is about to conduct road repairs.

Gasoline: Prices are “skyrocketing” this year. They’ve never gone this high, this early in the year. The Memphis average is $3.43/gallon. (via MemphisGasPrices.com) Are $4.00 a gallon prices now a possibility? How high will prices go?

Mo’ Money Taxes: Their bank has severed the relationship, meaning tax refund anticipation loans can no longer be processed. More from ABC24. A number to call to ask about the status of your refund.

Crime: Local property owners are being devastated by copper thieves. Memphis Police officer Melvin Robinson, busted buying 2.2 kilos of cocaine while in uniform and a patrol car, has resigned.

Bartlett: They became the next municipality to allow a referendum vote on establishing a school district. The town is also considering a “Plan B”, where charter schools are used to avoid entanglements with the Unified County School District. More from Fox13.

Tennessee: The TennCare Standard Spend Down program will have open enrollment on February 21.

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!

I Face Me: Happy Valentine’s Day…from Westeros. It’s still not quite too late to join the Chapter-A-Week Book Club.

I Love Memphis: A small preview of Soup Sunday, this weekend.

I’ll be the one in heels: How to beautify when it’s cold outside.

In the South, it’s a religion: Did you take the Valentine’s Day pledge? Oh, and why dating sucks.

Living Loud in Midtown: A plea to support the local fine arts from a man who watched Apollo 18? The Super Bowl, the Ramones and the Tupelo Breakfast Plate.

livingtoninmillington: Looking for an open forum to discuss the town’s problems and some solutions?

MemphisConnect: Why Reginald Porter Jr chose Memphis. Paul Morris’ Top Five special Downtown places.

Midtown, Middle Class, Medium Rare: Some surprisingly warm thoughts about the holiday he used to refer to as the “pink St Paddy’s Day”.

patio worship: Thoughts on “V-Day”.

polar donkey: The man with the maps is back with County redistrcting Map 2L with demographics, and both race-based and “diverse”, fair maps. Very downloadable.

eat local memphis: When your gift certificate is a “golden ticket” to dinner at ACRE. (With beautiful photos)

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

Geoff Calkins: The University of Memphis should be given control of the Liberty Bowl, to also assume the costs of renovation. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Mike Carpenter: The former Memphis City Councilman supports Governor Haslam’s education reforms. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Commercial Appeal: Small businesses are the backbone of American jobs– and don’t forget the government! Tax breaks for FedEx, sure!

Guerilla Sales & Marketing: How to recognise and avoid the biggest cold call mistakes. (via the Daily News)

Gail Kerr: Signs are there that a property tax increase is coming to Nashville. (via the Tennessean)

Monty Holcomb: A long-time Fish and Wildlife civil service employee, he sees nothing but chaos and confusion if the TN Wildlife Resources Agency is changed or, worse, goes away. (via the Tennessean)

Sean Phipps: Five questions his girlfriend asked his during the Super Bowl. (via Nooga.com)