PO2 Xin Qi: Petty Officer 2nd Class Xin Qi, of Cordova, was killed in Afghanistan while supporting Marine combat operations. According to this report, Qi was a Navy Hospital Corpsman who died in an IED (improvised explosive device) attack.

A report on the funeral for Staff Sgt. Daniel Merriweather.

Shelby County School Board: They moved with unusual speed to adopt some new policies.

Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010: More on the higher education reform package passed last Thursday. Further reports from the Tennessean and again, Tom Humphreys of the Knoxville News-Sentinel. A bow for Bredesen? Money for education is hard to find, but not money for coaches.

And now the governor moves to the mundane and difficult struggle to balance the budget.

Memphis Police Department: The new electronic license-plate readers are getting positive reviews from officers.

Sanitation Workers: About one in six City sanitation workers received notice of a “fact-finding” session after not working on a cold Friday two weeks ago. Eyewitness News reports the City has them paid over $700,000 in overtime so far this year.

Shelby County Commission: Courtesy of the Daily News, the agenda for today’s meeting. (PDF document) They will also vote on MED funding.

Urban Land Institute: Memphis chairman Rusty Bloodworth has thoughts on development. Via the Daily News.

Politics: Arkansas First District US Congressman Marion Berry is expected to announce he’s not running for re-election. Slightly more in the Commercial Appeal.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Gibbons says he’ll “go beyond requirements of state law and disclose” all his finances.

State Senator Brian Kelsey has introduced legislation to make the sale of “international driver’s license” illegal. Some of the other bills to be decided this session. More on State Senator Ophelia Ford’s completely missing the special legislative session; more from WMC.

“Der Furor” rants about the demise of the TN Democratic Party. Other Democrats wonder what might have been.

The impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC may be further felt in TN.

Memphis Fire Department: An former firefighter who lost his job due to a test is claiming discrimination when the firefighters have so many criminals and felons working for them.

TEA Parties: The Commercial Appeal profiles the Memphis TEA Party and the Mid-South Tea Party. The Memphis TEA Party is holding a rally this Saturday.

DeSoto County: Mid-South Associates of Cordova were denied by the State Supreme Court in a bid to move their nursing home to DeSoto County; more in the Daily News. The City of Hernando is making offers to Fred Zummach, a homeowner with drainage problems from a road drainage ditch.

Millington: More on Millington Central High School’s adoption of the trimester system for the next school year.

University of Memphis: The Black Student Association will honor Fred Jones, the founder of the Southern Heritage Classic with their Authur S. Holmon Lifetime Achievement Award. Frosh Camp turns sixteen. Student Diana Comes has been named 2009 Volunteer of the Year by the TN Bar Association.

Mississippi: A look at the deep budget cuts in the State’s higher education budget. Governor Haley Barbour is ordering more than $215 million in budget cuts for 2010. Additional reports from the DeSoto Times Tribune.

Unincorporated Panola County OKs Sunday beer sales. The State’s sequicentennial celebration of the Civil War is endangered by lack of participation and funding. The longer Associated Press version. The Department of Transportation is hosting public meetings in North MS on I-69 plans. The Clarksdale Animal Shelter has been raided by the ASPCA. Jackson has lifted its “boil water” alert.

Legislation against passing stopped school busses was introduced. Budget cuts mean early prisoner release.

Mississippi Outdoors, from the Commercial Appeal.

Real Estate: Shelby County homebuilders are waiting out the recession.

Collierville: The City may allow cell phone tower antennas to park light poles.

NEW! Main Street Journal: Looking for an outstanding Jewish education for your children? You should seriously consider The Margolin Hebrew Academy. Website here and Rabbi Gil Perl’s blog is here.

Arkansas: The state’s unemployment rate rose to 7.7%. The number of high school kids not ready for college rose this year.

Earthquakes: Scientists studying the local New Madrid earthquake fault zone say it might not be something to worry about any more. Local elected leaders are looking at the City and County’s earthquake preparedness; preparedness in DeSoto County, too.

The MED: A plan to shift surplus reappraisal monies to help the Regional Medical Center out.

Memphis City Schools: If the State moves to take over the eight troubled local schools (now possible under the “Race to the Top” application), here’s how it might happen. Any takeover won’t happen until 2011, though. Also, the International Baccalaureate program is being extended into the feeder schools for Ridgway High School.

Superintendent Dr Kriner Cash’s report on a police force for the schools is now in the hands of Mayor A C Wharton.

Harold Ford Jr: Is the cat out of the bag? Ford is now under attack from “angry gays”. If Ford makes a run, he opens the door for many others to join him. Brooklyn Democratic Chairman Vito Lopez calls him a “a very smooth personality”. Is he a centrist or a conservative Democrat?

Economic Recovery: According to Moody’s Economy.com, while Tennessee is still not recovering overall, Memphis is listed as “In Recovery” as of November of last year. The State’s Unemployment Insurance Claims hotline is being swamped by calls.

Smith & Nephew: A Texas lawsuit has been moved to Memphis; it involves visits by sales agents to strip clubs.

Tennessee: Governor Phil Bredesen gets Department of Agriculture assistance for five East TN counties affected by heavy rains. Groups are demanding transparency over an upcoming contract for State employees’ prescription drug benefits. The rate of bacterial infections in TN hospitals is higher than the national average.

Airlines: Local shop Leading Edge Aviation Services is tasked with repainting Northwest planes into Delta livery.

Business: CVS will open its first area store in Lakeland. NexTek, a “cloud computing” company, is expanding into Nashville. West Tennessee Neurology has opened a clinic for autonomic disorders.

Done Deals, from the Commercial Appeal. Also from them, People in Business for Saturday, Sunday and Monday; and What to Do for Sunday and Monday.

A business profile of Switch, a graphic design studio, from the Commercial Appeal. And, a business profile of Mom’s Killer Cakes and Cookies, from the same.

The Small Business Advocate, in the Commercial Appeal, says that even in a world of digital intermediation and social media, the personal touch is paramount.

Goldcrest 51: After 55 years, a historic Memphis beer is being served again. A book on the legendary beer.

Spring Creek Ranch Golf Club: The receiver for Allan Stanford’s fraud case is selling the course back to its original owner.

Shelby Farms: Maintenance work has begun on the dam by Major Lake.

Memphis International Auto Show: A report from this weekend’s show. More from Fox13.

Financial: SunTrust Banks posted a 4Q loss of $316 million. Commercial purchase mortgage activity was up in December.

Oakland: Oakland police officer Joshua Smith claimed his life was saved by a bullet bouncing off his badge. Or is it a hoax? More on the investigation from Eyewitness News, WMC. Mayor Bill Mullins backs the officer. Officer Smith talks with WMC.
 

Tipping: Part two of a welcome new series from the Daily News, this time looking at how waiters make a living on tip income.

The Chubby Vegetarian: Gooseberries? Yep, and what to do with ‘em. Also, a quick recipe for baked tofu spring rolls and a spicy peanut sauce.

Thoroughly Modern Medusa: Her posts on her daughter’s toilet training engenders a discussion on comments.

Student: Revisited: Yoga drunk.

Steve’s Nude Memphis Blog: He’s beginning to experience blogger burnout.

Squeaky Wheel Seeks Grease: Thoughts on discussion, debate, argument and more.

MemphisShelbyInform: Joe shares the County’s pension spreadsheet and asks you to help him understand it … and develop the next pension plan.

Notes from Memphis: Awww… a cupcake and some very romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day.

Not High Maintenance, Just High Mileage: An update on her running health and some information on a “barefoot running shoe” that you really need to see!

Paul Ryburn’s Journal: His thoughts on anti-virus/anti-spyware software and some odds ‘n’ ends. And, one of the strangest conversations you’re likely to encounter any time soon.

Scribblescrawl: A double dose of cute baby pictures. Also, some wins and not-wins.

at home she feels like a tourist: A very long, detailed and thoughtful examination of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision.

Smart City Memphis: Support for a skatepark in Glenview. Observations of downtown Denver, compared to Memphis. Comparing metrics of Memphis and three other southern cities.

What is a Carbunkle Trumpet? A photo-packed report on smoked meats and veggies.

Urf! Basketball with some extra rules = mathketball!

Doug Johnson at Work: The seasonal flu claims another victim.

Bless the Printing Press: Baffling bank behavior.

akiddo: Travis has a new toy.

a field guide to urban memphis: Three complaints and a reading list.

Commercial Appeal: Support for a long-term veteran’s care facility in Millington. On the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, voters will have to read carefully to learn the truths. Looming threat of school takeover is a big question that demands clear answers right away. The proposed skatepark isn’t a racial issue. Undercover policing is tough, dangerous work.

Steve Basar: The City Council and the MCS administration need to sit down and hammer through their differences for the sake of our kids’ educations. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Richard Locker: A look at the unlikely speed with which the Legislature acted on education reform. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Tony Jenkins: Superintendent Dr Kriner Cash is pursuing innovation at the expense of students and a solid education. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Michael Kelley: Can the City get all parties back on track for regional light rail? (via the Commercial Appeal)

Otis L. Sanford: He works the numbers on demographics and poverty in Shelby County and wants to know what County Schools are doing right. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Wendi C. Thomas: Finding “grace stories” in the horror of Haiti. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Memphis News: Making sure Shelby County doesn’t come up short in the budget struggle will require a united legislative and executive front.