Memphis City Council: More on their actions on the “12 years and out” pension plan. The “scrap metal” law passed its final reading and is now in effect.

Christmas & the Holiday Season: Supplies are running low and need replenishing for MIFA and the Food Bank. Madison Automotive is offering free car repairs to the truly needy. Germantown and the Civitan Club are putting together a “Journey to the North Pole”.

Second Amendment: Members of the (Nashville) Metro Council plan to ask the Legislature to revisit and “fix” the “gun carry in parks” law. The same Council also deferred action on a bill to exempt some parks from the Nashville gun ban. Guns stolen from Hollywood Pawn have been recovered; WREG also reports. WMC looks at stolen guns in Memphis and gun security.

Memphis Police Department: A lieutenant who stole personal information of citizens in the police database and later sold it, was placed on probation.

The MED: The members of the task force charged with identifying new revenue sources for long-range stability has been named.

Joseph Lee: The judge in the case dismissed the claims of Al Thomas in the case. All that remains is Memphis’ attempt to get its money back.

MLG&W: The board of directors meet today; several contracts are up for a vote.

Circuit Court: There are twelve candidates to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of D’Army Bailey. More from WREG. (PDF document)

Business: The Federal Reserve’s Eighth District Beige Book sees the local economy as weak, but improving. Beige Book online here. More on Wright Medical Group’s patent infringement case win.

Old Time Pottery is closing its Memphis store as part of bankruptcy re-organisation. PETA says it is ready to take on Cracker Barrel.

A business profile of Lansky’s on Beale Street, from the CA. And another business profile of Poplar Perk’n, the new coffeeshop in the former High Point space at … Poplar and Perkins, from the CA.

People in Business and What to Do, from the Commercial Appeal.

First United Methodist Church: Next Sunday, for the first time in three years, they will hold a worship service on their old site.

University of Memphis: Dan Barker, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation will speak tonight, hosted by the campus Freethinkers Association. Law students are upset at the parking rates they face for their new Downtown law school. Next year, the State will fund a special class to teach workers for a “biofuels refinery”.

Tennessee: The State risks losing millions of dollars for being out of compliance with the National Sex Offender Registry. Three thousand National Guardsmen will deploy from Tennessee this month. Around $250 million in Federal education grants are possible if Tennessee will get radical about education reform. If you need to buy a new heat pump or an A/C unit, you might want to wait for next Spring when the State will have up $6 million in rebates to give out. The State now has a Court Reporting Board.

West Memphis Three: A judge dismissed the defamation lawsuit against the Dixie Chicks filed by the stepfather of one of the boys.

Financial: A Credit Suisse analyst has raised his rating for SunTrust Bank to “outperform”.

Mississippi: The State’s Economic Council is seeking ways out of the recession. There’s been a rise in the number of “bankless” folks.

Joe Saino on Consolidation: Main Street Journal contributing writer Joe Saino runs some preliminary numbers on consolidation and sees a lot of red ink coming from pensions. He also shares these presentations on the history and the reality of school consolidation. (PDF documents)

Shelby County Commission: A report on the interviews with candidates for the seat that new County Mayor Joe Ford is vacating. More on other actions and votes taken.

US Rep. John Tanner: Democrat Roy Herron officially abandons his gubernatorial run to run for Tanner’s seat. He will refund campaign contributions from the governors race. More on Tanner’s retirement from the Politico. Candidates for his seat are already lining up.

Downtown: The Center City Commission is pushing residents and businesses to get the City Council to adopt stronger laws against vagrants and panhandlers. More from WREG.

Employment: Memphis ranks near the top for job competition: five jobless for every job vacancy. Tennessee is ranked number thirteen in entrepreneurship, according to the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.

The Pyramid: The Bass Pro Shops folks continue to poke and prod around the facility. A followup story and more from Fox13, WMC and Eyewitness News.

Politics: State Rep. Stacey Campfield on why House Speaker Kent Williams won’t be re-admitted to the State Republican Party. Newly elected State Senator Brian Kelsey has already gotten his committee assignments. They will also consider a bill to make animal abuse a felony.

Why should taxpayers pay for party primaries? More on the massive document request to the Department of Revenue from income-tax advocates Tennesseans for Fair Taxation.

The Commercial Appeal talks with Mark White, who won the Republican primary for State House District 83 Tuesday.

West Tennessee: The Dyersburg School Board was named the School Board of the Year.

Red Light Traffic Cameras: Memphis police say they’ve issued almost 4200 tickets in the past month. The State Legislature has been conducting hearings and listening to proposals about restrictions on the use of or outrights bans on RLTCs. A bit more from the Daily News.

Salvation Army: Your donations this holiday season will help support the Army’s Renewal Place for families.

DeSoto County: The State will provide the funding for a railroad spur to Horn Lake. The County Greenways Committee has several projects in the works. Crime fighting citizen in Walls. Olive Branch mayor Sam Rickard vetoed the later alcohol service hours. The Southaven DeSoto Health and Wellness Center needs a nurse practioner or physician quickly. WREG looks at all the towns and cities having problems between new Boards of Aldermen and their Mayors.

Memphis Catholic Diocese: They took part in a study of treating diabetes in the workplace that proved savings of sixty percent over a more traditional insurance system.

Real Estate: The Urban Land Institute will host an event next week, “Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2010″. There will be a panel discussion and a speech by Dean Schwanke.

Shelby County Register: More on the private, personal citizen information being displayed on their website.

Arkansas: State tax revenues were below forecasts, due to one-time refunds. A bill to repeal the new Lottery has stalled in a legislative committee.

Survey Says: The number of planned layoffs for November is down. CB Richard Ellis sees bright spots in the Memphis economy in the 3Q.

ForkBombr: Meet the future of print journalism. And a potential compromise between free online and traditional print news. Style usage rules for goofy product and company names.

dminmem: A life-changing moment along MS Highway 49.

Gwynn Bradley: Is the most cost-effective decision necessarily the best one? (via the Daily Helmsman)

Commercial Appeal: Thoughts on the upcoming US Eighth District race. They encourage the City Council to stop the “12 and out” pension bonus.

Wendi C. Thomas: Marking World AIDS Day. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Because I Said So: Teaching healthy habits to your kids. (via the Commercial Appeal)

I Love Memphis: A visit to Poplar Perk’n. A list of family-friendly holiday activities.

I’ll be the one in heels: How hard is it to take a self-portrait? This hard. Come, let us travel inside her head….

Notes from Memphis: A recommendation for lunch at Market Cafe.

MemphisConnect: Looking for a way to help? Volunteer Mid-South will have their Share the Spirit of Giving event today and tomorrow. An interview with two of the members of Pezz.

Listwork: A roadtrip, by the numbers.

sharp stick in the eye: A love for percentages. Grownup people need grownup email addresses.

Smart City Memphis: Big changes, new co-bloggers, and a new URL! Beware of good news in statistical clothing. Quoting Mayor Wharton on the search for a Memphis “narrative”.

Squeaky Wheel Seeks Grease: When your new husband’s dog sees you as a rival.

Student: Revisited: Soon, she will be a “lettered” woman.

theology & geometry: The space that once held Festus.

vibinc: Thoughts on Tuesday’s political happenings in TN.

The Tale of a Southern Belle: A question on modern-day Christmas card etiquette.

pulled before the push: She shares a flowing watercolor she calls “Butterfly Couple”.

Pretty in Pink Megan: Cor, the hideously expensive soap she’s trying. Some inexpensive “happy” ideas.

Only in Memphis: S/he found a Teach For Us Memphis teacher’s blog from 2007 and it is an eye-opening, horrifying read. Notice, too, that the top post on that blog is also the last one….

Meredith Jubilee and Madeline Jane: It is the end of life as they knew it.

Love is a Movement: How you can help Skatelife Memphis — and you don’t even have to be a sk8r!