FedEx Forum: A ruptured water pipe caused an evacuation during a Grizzlies game. No injuries reported; no major damage. More from Eyewitness News, WREG. The Grizzlies’ statement on the game delay.

Memphis City Council: Without a court ruling in hand on funding, the Council decides to take no budget action; the Commercial Appeal also reports. This effectively removes an expected $50 million from the MCS budget in mid-year. A trip to Chancery Court is now likely. More from WREG. The Council re-discussed the issue of residency for City employees.

Council Chairman Harold Collins comments on the success of the tire redemption program. Councilman Shea Flinn’s idea to close Madison Avenue on Sunday mornings as an “urban trail” gets tabled. And, the Council closed the “12 and out” retirement loophole, finally.

Sanitation Workers: City and union representatives yesterday met with an arbitrator to work toward a new contract. More from WMC.

H1N1 Virus: On January 20 Baptist Memorial Hospital - DeSoto, in association two State agencies, will give away vaccine shots.

Harold Ford Jr: He all but declares himself a candidate in the New York Post. The one-time campaign manager for Howard Dean, Joe Trippi, believes Ford should stay in the NY Senate race, if he gets in. Ford pushed back against the White House’s effort to discourage him from running. The Washington Post surveys the winnability of the race for Ford. Current junior Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is waking up to the challenge. In a 2006 campaign ad, Ford clears up his record.

The Associated Press has an overview. Will Ford now be investigated for voter fraud?

Memories of Ford Jr from a progressive TN blogger. Another liberal blogger wonders where 2010’s Ford was back in 2006?

Politics: The State Senate votes to delay the TN Voter Confidence Act, 22-10; more from the Daily News and the Commercial Appeal. Senator (and Democratic gubernatorial candidate) Jim Kyle accused the Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s office of not properly informing members of the Senate. More from the Associated Press.

The TN Center for Policy Research today published a list of 45 suggestions for the Legislature to create a prosperous state.

Despite the governor’s claims otherwise, Chip Forrester, the spokesman for the TN Democratic Party claims Governor Phil Bredesen will have political coattails in 2010.

State Senator Ophelia Ford misses the first day of the new session … due to illness.

Memphis Shelby Inform.com: Main Street Journal contributor and the Memphis/Shelby Watchdog Joe Saino is starting the website as a volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan expansion of his government watchdog activities. Website here and press release here.

Comcast: They are rolling out a new broadband “data meter” for customers who want to monitor their bandwidth usage, primarily those in danger of breaking Comcast’s 250 gigabytes/month cap.

Cordova: A family finds a threatening, racist letter in their mailbox. WREG also reports the situation.

Memphis Animal Shelter: Janet Hooks, director of the city’s Division of Public Services and Neighborhoods, presented an update and listened to public comments about progress on the shelter’s problems. She asks for more time. The Animal Services Board will ask the City Council to create and fund a “facility operations manager” position.

Tennessee: Steven Gilmore, who worked for a private contractor working with the TN Department of Human Services, has been charged with 10 counts of identity theft and more, for illegally accessing information via his job.

Real Estate: The number of sellers who dropped the price of their homes fell in December. 2009 was a truly horrible year for new home builders, although 4Q permits pulled makes some hopeful.

Pink Palace: Event planners and museum officials are looking for church groups and others to rent the theaters and meeting spaces it has open, waiting to be used.

Previously Posted: Delta Air Lines is raising baggage handling fees for checked bags. More on the possibility of GM re-opening its Spring Hill plant. More on the end of redevelopment for Overton Square and again from WREG.

Publisher and Editor in Chief Jonathan Lindberg holds his nose to look into the health care reform political process.

State Educaton Reform: Governor Phil Bredesen’s higher education reforms will require the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to address economic needs, among other things. The governor’s official statements on his package of bills. Officials at the University of Memphis are claiming they were snubbed in funding.

MLG&W: Memphis Grizzlies player Zach Randolph is personally donating funds to help 15 customers get their power turned back on. Score! Uh oh, though; it turns out that the hundreds of customers who had power restored last week will have to pay their bills after all, unless more money is found. Soon.

Memphis Police Department: In some cases, it is taking applicants up to two years to learn if they’ve been accepted. Councilman Shea Flinn calls the process “too slow”. More in the Commercial Appeal

Center City Commission: The deadline to submit their names for consideration by search firms to find a new president is near.

“Dress for Success” Rap CD: Fox13’s Les Smith has the epic tale of four rap titans — “Dynamite” Dwight Montgomery, “Cool Cato” Johnson, Dr Kriner “King Cash” and “Awesome AC” Wharton — and their new release aimed at Memphis school kids. Watch the video at the link.

Memphis City Schools: Advocacy group Alliance for Excellent Education says lowering the school dropout rate would bring millions to the local economy. Mayor A C Wharton, among others, is supportive of the system getting its own police force.

Baptist Memorial Health Care: They have released data showing they spent nearly $190 million on indigent care at significant cost in other ways.

Arkansas: The proposed State budget will have no raises in it for State employees.

Shelby County Commission: The Daily News’ Bill Dries covers some of the rancor in Monday’s meeting.

West Tennessee: Dyersburg is hosting a MLK Luncheon this Friday (Dr. Michelle Skinner is the featured speaker.), and the City’s King Day Parade is Monday. (via the Dyersburg State Gazette)

2010 Census: The Better Business Bureau is warning potential job seekers to be wary of census worker job offers from third parties. The Commercial Appeal looks at the importance of the door-to-door census workers.

Business: The president of Comtrak Logistics, Mike Bruns, will retire this Spring.

People in Business, from the Daily News and then from the Commercial Appeal. Also, What to Do.

Memphis International Airport: They currently rank third nationally for bird strikes.

TVA: They are touting the 26,000 jobs and $4.2 billion in capital investments they claim to have created in 2009.

Memphis Health Center: Former CFO Othello Robinson is suing, claiming the MHC falsely billed Medicare and Medicaid. This is the latest in a series of problems involving management.

Future’s Fashion Entrepreneurial Women: Beginning February 1, they will host a 15-week after-school program for girls to encourage “awareness and interest in technology:”.

Collierville: The City is moving closer to creating a Heritage Commission.

DeSoto County: Of course, snow days mean school make-up days later in the year. Hernando residents are angry about new sewer rates. Southaven’s proposed 1% restaurant tax has some legislative hurdles to pass first.

Apperson Crump & Maxwell: Three of their partners, including a managing partner, have opened their own shop as Dinkelspiel, Rasmussen & Mink.

Bartlett: The Board of Mayor and Aldermen bypassed all seven candidates for the Division 2 judgeship and doubled the workload of Division 1 judge Freeman Marr.
 

Mississippi: The Board of Mayor and Aldermen in Oxford has agreed to horse patrols on The Square. Due to burst pipes in Tunica, residents are receiving free bottled water.

Millington: An experience with an injured City employee leads to the creation of an employee sick-leave bank.

The Memphis Liberal: Is Steve Cohen a stealth Blue Dog?

Steve’s Nude Memphis Blog: An enlightening/mindbending conversation with three women.

Shane of Memphis: Some lonely cubicle musings.

Reginald Milton’s A Fresh Look: He reports from this past weekend’s black men’s forum.

Persian Pit Bull: She rang in the New Year with friends in Georgia.

Paul Ryburn’s Journal: He promises meaningful content soon, just not in this post.

Memphis Cobblestones: An open letter to the City Council with the “real truth” about the Beale Street Landing.

Kip Gordon: He went thrifting and brought his camera along and you get to see what he discovered.

mnoremittenz: If she doesn’t see you at triathlon training, she’s going to call you out!

Jacob Flowers: Noting the anniversary of the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center and how much work remains in the fight against violence and for freedom. (via the Commercial Appeal)

I’ll be the one in heels: After no success with self-help books, she finds a phrase that might do the trick!

Doug Johnson at Work: And that work is in California.

Complacencies of the Peignoir: Gather ’round; she has stories to tell, of waterbeds and Metal. Some unconventional thoughts on erotica.

Brain Release Valve: Zach is back, with Star Wars burlesque? And he does a big dump of his Project 365 pictures.

A View from the Middle: Markus points us to the latest episode of the vidcast Entertainment Overload.

AlphaPatriot: He notes that during the worst job market and recession in decades, crime is still falling and asks, “What’s up?”

artbutcher: A blank verse motivational. The funniest chart you will see today.

Commercial Appeal: Surprising praise for Sarah Palin. Creating rules and templates for Midtown redevelopment might be a good thing for the future.

Whining & Dining: Grits.