The Wharton Administration: Local blog Speak to Power gets an exclusive interview with the mayor. Taxpayers are growing furious over the long lines for vehicle inspection.

Black Farmers Discrimination Suit: A proposed $1.2 billion settlement is deemed insufficient to fully settle all claims and tantamount to a “lottery”.

Bartlett: The Citizens Police Academy is still taking applications for its next class, starting March 1.

Shelby County Races: The Flyer’s Jackson Baker was at the Election Commission for the last-minute filers. Two sheriff’s candidates don’t make additional deadline but are planning to contest exclusion. The Commercial Appeal focuses in on the sheriff’s candidates. More from Eyewitness News and the Commercial Appeal and again.

The MED: Would a City / County swap of funding for the The MED and the City Schools really solve the problems? More from the Flyer. Deputy Governor John Morgan and Speaker of the House Kent Williams and other officials will tour The MED today; the Commercial Appeal. Local politicians are now talking about funding in more campaign-style terms. Business leaders are being asked to speak out in support, too.

Tennessee: The State received half of a $105 million Federal TIGER grant to help with the development of the Crescent Corridor Rail Initiative. Enrollment will resume on March 1 for the CoverKids program. Hunting and fishing licenses went on sale yesterday.

Politics: At a Nashville-area forum, three of the top four Republican gubernatorial candidates ganged up on Bill Haslam. Governor Phil Bredesen Ron Ramsey called the TN Department of Environment and Conservation “out of control”.rejects the criticism. More reports on the forum, from the Nashville Scene, the Tennessean, the AP. Zach Wamp campaigned in Greeneville. Can you be a business man and not have conflict of interests, asks Bill Haslam? Question by and about Zach Wamp.

Legislation creating a “Tennessee Prime” category of milk is on the governor’s desk. The State Senate unanimously approved a clarification of gun transportation law. A bill would set State limits on fines for red light traffic cameras. A bill makes targeting seniors for phone scams a crime. A bill to legalise medical marijuana hasn’t even gotten to committee yet.

County Commissioner George Flinn, now running for the Republican nomination in the US Eighth Congressional District, has signed the Mount Vernon Statement. MSS website here. State Senator Ophelia Ford admits to not knowing about a bill she co-sponored. Nashville Democratic State Rep. Ben West is retiring after twenty-five years.

Local Media: Bill Day, who was let go by the Commercial Appeal last year, received a Special Citation at the 27th Annual National Press Foundation Awards Dinner.

Eye Specialty Group: Dr Seth Yoser was sentenced to a surprising 42 months in jail for “mail fraud, wire fraud and selling drugs without a license”. He will also have to reimburse his old practice. More in the Commercial Appeal.

Memphis Animal Shelter: Former director Ernest Alexander has been book in the Memphis jail. And he posts bail. More from WMC and the Commercial Appeal.

Downtown: A look at illegal “gypsy parking lots”. Grants and forgivable loans are helping to revitalise the area. Renovations of the old Shelby County Building are removing part of its architectural distinctiveness.

Memphis Coalition for Advanced Networking : With $3 million in Federal funding, they will provide research institutions with very high-speed network connections.

Survey Says: More on the Forbes list of “miserable cities” that ranked Memphis 3rd. And the Commerical Appeal has it too, of course.

Arkansas: More on the police standards of some small-town forces. Dr Randeep Mann and his wife, charged in the car-bombing of Dr Trent Pierce, will be tried together.

NEW: Main Street Journal January 2010 Issue: Senior writer Michael Roy Hollihan delves into his past to answer What is Harold Ford Jr Up To?

Dutch Treat Luncheon: This month’s speaker is TN State District 83 Rep. Mark White. Program begins at noon. Website here.

Tax Season: The IRS is opening hundreds of help centers around the country this weekend.

The Palladio Group: This consortium of nine “art galleries, showrooms and antique shops” donated $1500 to the Mid-South Food Bank!

MLG&W: The Tri-State Defender interviews chairman of the Board of Commissioners Darrell Cobbins. Up to $5000 in home improvements is availalbe to homeowners who want to improve energy efficiency.

Memphis City Schools: Superintendent Kriner Cash is facing a tough sale of the proposed “peace force”. Teachers’ raise sets off cries of anger in budget-cutting times. The County schools have approved the transfer of Chimneyrock Elementary students to the City.

SeniorBSafe: CrimeStoppers is working with local churches to spread the word about senior safety.

Shelby County Government: Interim Mayor Joe Ford’s coffee cups cost taxpayers $2200 and he thinks you don’t mind. Plans to extend and widen Houston Levee Road south into Mississippi is drawing concerns over truck traffic.

Business: Goodyear says growing sales in emerging markets drove 4Q profits. A good 4Q for Wright Medical Group has lifted their 2010 projections; more in the Commercial Appeal. Nike has sold their Winchester Road distribution facility. AT&T plans to either upgrade or add 550 cell sites around the state. Arysta Lifescience is closing their Memphis office. For the first time ever, Wal-Mart saw US sales fall, though profits were up healthily.

What to Do and People in Business, from the CA.

Airlines: The number of security checks will increase at the airport and include hand-swabs for explosives; more from the Commercial Appeal. Passenger traffic fell in January, for Memphis International Airport; more in the Daily News. Pinnacle Airlines ended both 4Q and FY2009 with improved income; more in the Daily News and the Commercial Appeal.

University of Memphis: Students at the school are networking via Twitter with students at three other, geographically diverse, schools. A short profile of alum and filmmaker George Flanigen. The Art Museum is collaborating with the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology to bring Egyptian artifacts to the school this Saturday.

West Tennessee: The final list of candidates for the primaries in Madison County and some analysis by Nicholas Beadle. (via the Jackson Sun) The Dyer County Regional Planning Commission has tabled plans to expand the areas available to billboards. (via the Dyersburg State Gazette) More on Bill Sanderson’s District 77 rematch against State Rep. Judy Barker. (via NWTN Today)

Metro Charter Commission: They will hold a contest to name the new consolidated entity when they get voter approval in November.

Harold Ford Jr: As his tour of the state winds down, Ford visits Rochester. He’s officially extended the deadline for making a decision on running. Or is the Senate run just prepping the ground for a real run at New York City mayor? Ford’s attacks on Senator Kirsten Gillibrand continue, this time on tax returns.

What does Ford stand for?

Mississippi: DeSoto County will switch its mental health treatment affiliation within the state.

Millington: A new hotel and motel tax to fund USA Stadium operations is not going over well with owners. Even though Mayor Richard Hodges favors them, he only wants two of the approved four red light traffic cameras deployed.

Financial: Few Americans have taken advantage of modifying their mortgages.

Paul Ryburn’s Journal: A summary from the Center City Commission meeting on the panhandling ordinance.

Pretty in Pink Megan: Advice on high heels. She’s getting a hair intervention.

Steve’s Nude Memphis Blog: He works in Huntsville, and runs down the Dr Amy Bishop shooting.

Memphis Shelby Inform: Want to see some interesting numbers on Memphis teachers’ contracts?

moremittenz: An overheard first date.

Midtown Stomp: An Italian wine dinner at Stomp. And, an “out of control” dinner at Napa Cafe!

Mediaverse: Thoughts on the Herenton / Cohen matchup.

Joy’s Life and Times: Why some clothing should not be mail-ordered.

The Lone Libertarian: He rides in from the range to let us know he’s likely shutting down his blog, though he sounds like he could be persuaded otherwise….

The Soundcheck and the Fury: Sometimes Neil Young just gets you through.

What’s Going on Back There: The blog of back-seat conversations has a funny one on wee-wee.

Air Traffic Mike’s: And he’s back in Memphis, waiting on someone special….

I Love Memphis: Round two of the Breakfast Bracket challenge is underway with The Barksdale Restaurant v. the Blue Plate Cafe. And she even got a story on Eyewitness News!

Commercial Appeal: Scrutiny of IDB PILOTS is called for. Improving the health of Shelby Countians apparently calls for a lot of government action.

Frank Cagle: A bit of history on the political fallout of releasing tax returns. (via the Knoxville MetroPulse)

Grace Austin Meacham: Reflections on the 1960s and the Civil Rights movement. (via the Tri-State Defender)

Ask Myron: Anita Baker, Guy, and Flavor Flav! (via the Tri-State Defender)

Mabra Holeyfield: Socialism, communism and other labels. (via the Tri-State Defender)

Brittany Jackson: “Text-free driving” is the smart choice. (via the Tri-State Defender)

John Branston: Next week’s City Council meeting promises to be a “doozy”. Having a discussion on consolidation is like talking with your spouse about your relationship! (via the Flyer)

The Flyer: You can at least partly blame The MED’s problems on government.

Boys In The ‘Hood: Gamer sarcasm starts very early, it seems.