NEW! Main Street Journal : On the Block: Today –Which office holds more power, the 9th U.S. Congressional District or Memphis Mayor?. Mid-South leaders respond.

Unemployment: State’s unemployment rate finally crossed into double digits: 10.7% in May. More from Fox13, Commercial Appeal.

Juneteenth: The 16th annual celebration begins today at Douglass Park. Official website here. An explanation of Juneteenth.

UPDATE: The First Annual Orange Mound Juneteenth Celebration is Saturday at Silver Park Plaza. More information here.

Shelby County Property Taxes: County Commissioner Mike Ritz has asked County attorney Brian Kuhn to explain why the City/County tax rates weren’t set at $3.92/$3.96. (DOC format document) You can read Ritz’s analysis here. (XLS format document) A related story on property taxes and the local government budgets, from the Daily News.

Mirimichi Golf Course: It becomes the first in the nation to receive Audobon International’s “Audubon Classic Sanctuary” certification.

Politics: Rep. John DeBerry, speaking as chairman of the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators says the reprimand of legislative staffer Sherri Goforth is sufficient action for sending a racist email. He asks for a change of tenor in the Legislature. Governor Phil Bredesen praises the Legislature on a difficult job. The Legislature has adjourned. The final State budget is nearly $30 billion this year. Republicans count their victories.

The State House passed the charter schools bill Thursday by a wide margin. It now heads to the governor. The bill delaying starting use of “paper trail voting machines” failed; it passed the House.

The State Senate approved a bill requiring commercial breeders of cats and dogs to have licenses and Department of Health inspections. It now goes to the governor. A bill allowing legislators to raise money during legislative sessions was stopped in its last committee vote; more from Fox13.

Memphis International Airport: Both passenger and cargo numbers were down for May. More on the improvements scheduled for Taxiway Alpha.

Consolidation: Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner speaks in favor of keeping his city independent. County Mayor A C Wharton’s pro-consolidation remarks from the same forum. (via the Collierville Independent) (via the Commercial Appeal)

Public Health: A local conference on dealing with suicide in the black community.

City of Memphis: A Fox13 report on finding a replacement for retiring Memphis CAO Keith McGhee. More on the coming red light cameras; more still from WMC.

University of Memphis: Students can expect a 5 to 9% tuition increase in the Fall; more from Fox13. A college degree from the U of M isn’t for everyone. (via the Daily Helmsman) The Governor’s School for International Studies is a five-week program for high schoolers to introduce them to college life. (via the Daily Helmsman) The University Neighborhoods Development Corporation, would like to make Walker Avenue into a pedestrian-friendly streetscape.

Real Estate: The industrial real estate sector (ie. warehouses, etc.) has seen “drastic reductions” in sales volume. Outside interests are proving to be a deciding factor. A related story: A professional profile of Joann Massey, of the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Economic Development, responsible for bringing industry to the area, in the Daily News.

Arkansas: The state leads in decreasing it jobless rolls. The State is rolling out its revamped website. A plague of snakes in Forrest City! A Federal appeals court has affirmed warrantless searches of commercial trucks.

Red Light Cameras: More on their arrival in Memphis.

DeSoto County: The Olive Branch Church of Christ was very hard hit by last Friday’s storms. Youth from Texas churches are in the county helping with storm cleanup. State Senator Merle Flowers has decided not to run for US Rep. Travis Childers seat.

Stanford Financial Group: A Houston jury has indicted R. Allen Stanford, and possible others.

Memphis Urban Young Life: They are carrying a sign up and down Poplar Avenue as a fundraiser to send teens from the Memphis City schools to this Christian summer camp.

Dutch Treat Luncheon: This Saturday’s speaker will be Lang Wiseman, the chairman of the Shelby County Republican Party. Meeting will be at Jason’s Deli on Poplar, beginning at 11:30AM. Website here.

Father’s Day: From Good Morning Memphis, some gift ideas.

MSARC: An intense, closed door meeting among the stakeholders in the upcoming shifts of authority, duties and responsibilities. More from WMC, Eyewitness News, WREG.

Summer Heat: A list of community centers serving as “cooling centers” for people who still don’t have power, or need heat relief. A strong reminder: Never leave children or pets in your car. Not even for a moment!

Germantown: Seniors will now be able to rezones 7 acres for retirement community.

LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center: Ongoing construction is now cheaper and being done faster, thanks to the economy and prudent financing.

Weekend Storms Via WREG’s Live at 9, MLG&W President Jerry Collins answers viewer questions and gives the latest on the storm recovery situation. The utility expects the storm to end up costing more than $7 million. Some MLG&W contact information. Shelby County plans to apply for Federal funds; will likely get them. Planning for better coordination after a disaster. Some are still awaiting power; more people waiting here. If you are on Food Stamps and your food was spoiled by power loss, you might be eligible for replacements. The aftermath is a godsend for tree trimmers and roofers in this recession.

You can find our previous days’ postings on storm coverage here: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. City Councilman Myron Lowery’s MLG&W updates are being hosted here.

Fox13 viewers send in their photos. Here is the Eyewitness News storm photo gallery. And the same at WMC. Don’t forget the Commercial Appeal.

Medtronic: They revealed they have paid an Army doctor $850,000 over ten years who was accused of falsified research! Much more from the Daily News.

Business: Buckeye Technologies plans to build a research and demonstration station, in Florida. Eddie Bauer struck a private equity financing deal that will let them keep most stores open. Regions Financial achieved a 29% acceptance of their common stock / debt securities swap.

A roundtable discussion with the Society of Entrepreneurs sees an opportunity for franchisers in this recession.

People in Business, from the CA.

Memphis and Shelby County Health Department: During June and July, they will offer free dental exams and dental sealants for children 5 to 15.

Railroad Crossings: More on the public forums the Memphis Metropolitan Planning Organization is holding to gain public feedback on new bridges over certain grade crossings.

Mentoring Program Luncheon: This empowering event for African-American career women drew 300 hundred.

Memphis Botanic Garden: They were hit hard by last weekend’s storms, still only have partial power and have a lot of cleaning up still to do.

Millington International Goat Days Festival: Funding and control of hte hugely popular event has passed to City control and you can expect to see some changes.

St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital: Funding has slowed with the recession, but the flow of sick children continues.

West Memphis, AR: Federal grant money will be used to fund a program called “Main Street Program” to revitalise the downtown.

Tennessee: A State audit shows that foster kids’ savings accounts have been stolen from by Department of Children’s Services workers. More on the expected tuition increase for the University of Tennessee system and here. The State’s indigent defense fund ran out of money in mid-May; the new fiscal year begins in July.

Survey Says: The Leading Economic Index was up last month, second straight month. Personal incomes fell by one-half percent in Q1. After four good weeks, mortgage rates finally fell. More workers are delaying retirement. For the first time this year, the number of people on unemployment insurance rolls dropped!

Fayette County: The Board of Education was told that, all else staying the same, Oakland Elementary School will be overcrowded next year. (via the Oakland News)

(Lang Wiseman) Random Thoughts: A plea to end the “gotcha” games over racial (and other) insensitivity.

From the Rainbows: Thoughts on early language use in children.

My Memphis Attorney: On the one hand, it’s a $20 buffet! On the other, it’s high quality sushi and sashimi. Oh my.

Urf! Behind the scenes of a story he wrote for the Commercial Appeal.

Eskapadez: A shoutout to John Weeden and UrbanArt.

Cwabs! The vagaries of shipping.

BEEB: They’ve been on vacation. Three kids, three expressions. And, ya gotta catch ‘em young to get them into musical theater!

Tony Nichelson: Mentoring young men and boys into adulthood is critical to this city. (via the Tri-State Defender)

55-40 Memphis: Encouraging Jackson Baker to spit it out.

From the Southern Table: A rhapsody on fried chicken.

vibinc: Criticising Tom Daschle for muddying the waters on the “public option” healthcare debate.

The Flying Bloghouse: Back from hiatus with some … Ghost sketches?

That’s My B: Thoughts on Drinking Liberally, the political drinkers.

Thaddeus Matthews: Thoughts on the lack of race representation for Tennessee blacks.

Squeaky Wheel Seeks Grease: Don’t forget, the blogger meetup is this Saturday. Some very funny tales from the vet’s office. Fun in Midtown!

Rustmeister’s Alehouse: He wonders why Beale Street is trying to run off business. Also, help him choose a Scotch for Father’s Day.

John Branston: Is the downtown becoming a Potemkin village? (via the Flyer)

The Rant: The response to their drive to rename Alabama Alobama is heartening. (via the Flyer)

Ask Myron: This weekend is the Back2Back Step-tacular. What is step dancing, you ask? Read on. (via the Tri-State Defender)

Doug Johnson: The mayor is found! (Also, going to a baseball game is a team-building exercise?) Also, thoughts on unemployment and the recession.

Paul Ryburn’s Journal: Pictures of drunk people. Bonuses for tube tops and togas!

Commercial Appeal: They are happy they can keep their slightly redacted concealed carry gun permit database online. Cheers for the plan to install bridges over the railroad tracks at some crossings.