Montage Credit: Main Street Journal
And Who Will Lead Now?

 
The Millington Board of Mayor and Aldermen wants to change the town over to a city manager, instead of a mayor, but residents want time to discuss other proposals being included with that. That document ran to five pages.

A lot happened over the weekend. If your workweek is starting today then check out Monday’s update to get caught up, with the Main Street Journal.

Memphis City Council: They will be asked to approve a $10 million Capital Improvement Project expenditure for half of the cost of renovating the Pink Palace Museum. They will also take up Councilwoman Janis Fullilove’s assertion that the City wants to privatise the sanitation department; WREG. The meeting agenda (PDF document); the City Council website (including link to livestream).

Pyramid: As we’ve noted, reporters love to cover the demolition and reconstruction of this Memphis landmark.

Shelby County Commission: Yesterday’s meeting saw a potentially historic shift to approving the 13 single-member district plan. Commissioners Heidi Shafer, Chris Thomas and Melvin Burgess switched earlier votes to support it. It was approved on a second reading; a third approval will make it law.

Unified Shelby County Schools: The “single district for all” optimism of last year is changing all around to various “sub-division” plans for the future of the County’s schools. A plan by Rev Kenneth Whalum, to open a Memphis Academy of Musical Arts and Sciences, to teach the business side of music, is being seriously considered after an array of musicians spoke out in support.

Morgan Keegan: Another loss for the company in the ongoing bond fraud arbitrations, this time to William F. Featheringill for $1.95 million.

Transitition Planning Commission: Five hundred students appeared before the TPC to share their input.

Southern Baptist Convention: The name stays the same, they task force decided, though they left open “Great Commission Baptists” for local congregations. More from the Commercial Appeal, the Associated Press.

Nashville: Metro schools will double the number of Teach For America teachers but no one’s sure what that will mean. How Williamson County came to rival Davidson County. Metro Councilman Brady Banks, busted in a prostitution sting, has resigned from the Books From Birth program.

Lipscomb Pitts Breakfast Club: They are actually involved in a great many activities, all built around networking the business community. Their website.

Business: “Big shippers” are looking to bring heavier 18 wheelers to TN’s highways. Work on building the new Kroger at Poplar Plaza is getting closer as tenants are being shifted to other buildings.

The Daily News reports Today’s Events. And the Commercial Appeal covers What to Do.

Pinnacle Air Lines: Passenger count down but load factor up for January.

Jackson, TN: More on the murder of former Memphis police officer Charles Jones from the Jackson Sun. Four Memphians are now suspected in a total of at least four murders. Three have been arrested; one is being sought. Community reaction. More from ABC24, WMC..

NEW! INTERNET EXCLUSIVE! How I Got Involved in Local Politics: Southaven’s Oriana Hill was dismayed that nothing was being done about Mayor Greg Davis’ official shenanigans, so she decided to take action herself. Read her exclusive story here!

March 6 Election: The most interest in early voting is being drawn by the “hotly contested five-way primary race for General Sessions Court clerk”. Early voting information and the Election Commission website.

“Stuff Memphians Say”: Yes, we’ve joined the viral trend with the city’s own video. Some are bits are good, some are awesome. WREG also picks this up.

Memphis City Schools: Superintendent Dr Kriner Cash is saying there’s “no plan or activity” to reports on the million dollar hiring of 23 business managers for time-crunched principals. But such plans are in seeming conflict with Judge Samuel Mays’ order for the MCS to begin winding down operations.

Paternity: Author Marcus Matthews says, in his book I Am Not the Father, in Shelby County 55% of men identified as babies’ fathers…aren’t!

Memphis Animal Shelter: City officials are carefully defending the City’s euthanasia policy and the shelter while not identifying the person heard in an ABC24 news story, ordering all pit bulls there to be euthanised. More from WREG.

Downtown: The wall blocking off part of Madison Avenue, protecting the public from potential falling debris from 118 Madison, is creating traffic confusion and many tickets for unaware drivers.

Republican Presidential Primary: President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign expects a tougher fight this year. TN’s Republican donors strongly prefer Romney.

Politics: The TN Report looks at the status of Gov Haslam’s legislative package in the General Assembly. The Nashville City Paper interviews Haslam on those bills.

The push is on again to repeal TN’s helmet law; more from ABC24. Tort reform efforts are now moving toward a “loser pays” model.

Mo’ Money Taxes: Hundreds of customer files, with confidential information, were thrown into neighborhood dumpsters along Elvis Presley Boulevard after Mo’ Money was evicted from their offices.. Police and the US Treasury Inspector General are now involved. More from WMC.

Tennessee: The TN Conservation Voters are airing an ad opposing “mountaintop removal mining”.

Online Exclusive: Rick Santorum’s Necessary Three Strategies: Our Tea Party contributor, Ed “Doc” Holliday is an enthusiastic Rick Santorum supporter now and he has three things he believes it’s necessary Santorum do right now to take his campaign to the White House.

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.

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

Giving Back: This week’s spotlight is on a question: “What does Memphis mean to you?” (via the Daily News)

Joseph DiNicolantonio: What’s crucial for banks today is to listen to your customers’ needs. (via the Daily News)

Dr Blaine Enderson: Trauma-care professionals oppose the “helmet optional” law being proposed for motorcycle riders. (via the Tennessean)

Howard Kittel: President’s Day should be a time to reflect on the people and events of our history. (via the Tennessean)

Gail Kerr: A Democrat who supports the exploitation of prostitutes and their degradation should be given a second chance? (via the Tennessean)

Robert Houk: Washington County Administrator of Elections Connie Sinks’ firing by the County Election Commission has the smell of political intrigue on it. (via the Johnson City Press)

John Branston: People spending money downtown is a sign the recession is over? (via the Flyer)

The Daily News Blog Once again, everyone knows everyone and meets them over and over again, in Memphis.

MemphisShelbyInform: Decrypting TDZs and TIFs, because taxpayers should know these things.

Bigger Than Your Head: Oh man, are marketers really looking at creating “cute wines”? The wine of the week sparkles.

cbduke: On Thoreau and reducing your life to its essentials.

Divers and Sundry: Turns out she’s a fan of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series of novels.

East Memphis Moms: They get their vote on about the March 6 election.

FIX MEMPHIS: $1200 for a pair of bicycle wheels? Really? Let’s raise the gasoline tax!

I Love Memphis: A fun and varied Monday update.

I’ll be the one in heels: Blogger etiquette when you attend real-life conferences with other bloggers. Ladies, do you also wear your jeans this way?

Joe Spake’s Weblog: A whole lot of interesting links on social media for you to pore over.

Just A Girl in the World: Will you “come to my apartment and sit on my couch?” (But only if you’re the Fair Haired Boy, OK?)

Commercial Appeal: Plenty of laws and still a lot of prescription drug abuse, so the solution must be more and harsher laws. They seem to believe that only dangerous nuts will keep their guns in thier cars at work….

Fox13 Insiders: A video discussion of the day’s news.