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.

Cohen Vs. Herenton: WMC reports Steve Cohen’s reaction to Willie Herenton’s must-read column in last week’s Tri-State Defender. (Column link in WMC story.) Related, earlier story.

Kroc Center: A look at the proposed uses for the new facility. A look at what we can expect, in an interview with the San Diego Kroc Center’s executive director, Captain John Van Cleef.

New Life Holiness Church: The vandals who defaced the church two weeks ago with racist graffiti returned to ask forgiveness and make amends this past Sunday! The neighborhood as a whole is reaching out to the church now.

Business: Verso Paper conducted a “carbon footprint” study for the National Geographic magazine’s production. Medtronic received European Union approval for marketing a new pacemaker. Information on the Small Business Administration’s America’s Recovery Capital loan program. GTx is close to an announcement on some of their drugs nearing market.

A business profile of Thompson & Berry, a marketing firm specialising in social media, from the CA. A business profile of The Edge Coffeehouse, in the CA. A look at the local real estate auction business.

The Small Business Advocate, in the CA: “Social media may be a craze, but it’s not a fad.”

People in Business, from the CA, for Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Also, Done Deals from Sunday’s CA.

Memphis Music Foundation: The Commercial Appeal looks at their two-year plan to invade this year’s SXSW music fest and other efforts to boost Memphis music.

The MED: Even with budget cuts, they are still not bringing in enough funds. Fox13 talks with County Commissioner Mike Carpenter on the funding issue.

Banking: Regions Financial says it is very close to completing the US governement’s stress test capital requirements. However, the Wall Street Journal reports that Regions CEO Dowd Ritter was spending lavishly while taking TARP funds. A busines profile of Fidelity National Bank, in West Memphis.

LaunchMemphis: A report from last week’s Investor’s Forum, connecting people with ideas to people with money.

Rock’N'Romp: When you’re a young, hip Midtown parent who wants to introduce your kids to alt-music but at a venue and a volume that’s kid-friendly, here’s the place to go.

Previously Posted: More on Oppenheimer Holdings closing its Memphis office. Along with R. Allen Stanford, six others from the Stanford Financial Group have been indicted; more background on the story from the Daily News and the Commercial Appeal; also, sas Laura Pendergest-Holt a fall-woman? Stanford himself is now in jail.

Fayette County: The Rossville Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the first reading of an annexation for the land for the Norfolk Southern intermodal railyard.

New Direction Christian Church: “What Would Jesus Tweet?” Social networking and Bible study.

Arkansas: The State’s new lottery hopes to have sales started before November.

Local Media: The Memphis Business Journal won 10 awards from the Tennessee Press Association. The Memphis News is celebrating its first anniversary. The Commercial Appeal won Best Large Newspaper and 21 staff awards, and other awards news from them.

DeSoto County: A look at the incoming aldermen in the various boards of DeSoto’s cities; a related Hernando story. “The Beast” is coming to the area to assist in storm cleanup. A late, large and disputed, water bill enrages a Horn Lake businessman. Storm cleanup in Olive Branch struggles in the heat/humidity.

Survey Says: Employees’ health care costs to employers are expected to rise about 9% next year.

Shelby County Schools: The school board voted on several issues, including not allowing student on suspension to walk at graduation. A middle school summer program is concentrating on new teaching methods for science and math.

Memphis City Schools: The district is paying students to learn computer repair in order to flood the schools with tech-savvy technicians in the new school year and, teach a valuable trade; more from Fox13. A look at some retiring city principals. Superintendent Kriner Cash talks with Fox13 on changes for the coming school year. Thanks to the new State charter school law, Memphis could have up to 35 charters soon.

Politics: The wrap-up stories on the just-completed General Assembly session continue. Here’s one from the Memphis Business Journal. The Commercial Appeal calls it the “Year of the Gun”. The Flyer looks at this year’s gay and lesbian issues.

Hey, guess who showed up in Memphis over the weekend? A Commercial Appeal report from Shelby County Commissioner Sidney Chism’s annual picnic, focused exclusively on the Cohen / Herenton match. Then, a much more wide-ranging story on the picnic from the Flyer’s Jackson Baker, with pictures and video; and other weekend events. Did State Rep. Brian Kelsey over-reach, claiming involvement he didn’t have in the charter schools bill?

US Senator Bob Corker wants Congress to pass a bipartisan health care reform bill.

Tennessee: For the first time, the Tennessee Lottery is spending more than it is raising in profits. Alcohol abuse on the state’s waterways is a serious problem. Middle Tennessee is fighting for “green jobs”. Even despite the bad economy, the state managed to land three billion-dollar investments.

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.

Juvenile Court: They set a May collections record and may set one for the fiscal year, too.

Christian Brothers University: They have been approved for the Yellow Ribbon Program, meaning qualified veterans can receive full tuition benefits.

Mississippi: The State’s death penalty is under Federal court review. A new neonatal ICU for premature babies is opening in North Mississippi. Member of the State’s budget negotiating team say an agreement should happen very soon.

Mississippi Outdoors — about hunting, fishing and wildlife — from the CA.

Volunteering: A look, via the CA, at the rise of family volunteerism.
 

University of Tennessee Health Science Center: Their Physiology Department has been ranked fourth in the nation. The ARISTE Medical company is a semifinalist in a business plan development competition.

Motor Vehicle Inspections: Upcoming changes should make the whole horrible process more bearable.

The June Storms: You can find our storm coverage here: Monday, June 15; Tuesday, June 16; Wednesday, June 17; Thursday, June 17; and Friday, June 19.

MLG&W is nearly finished restoring power across the city. More on the power restoration. Many aren’t waiting for City debris pickup.

Here are the storm picture photo galleries for Fox13, WMC and the Commercial Appeal.

Bartlett: Tomorrow night is the final meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen before the fiscal 2010 budget and property tax rates are set. Come express your thoughts!

Health Care: Annual Medicare reimbursement rates for Memphis are lower in Memphis than similar nearby cities! An article on the benefits of hiring a personal trainer after the insurance money runs out.

Long Tall Animals: Angry poetry, really fat cats, and a terrible, horrible thing has happened.

Notes from Memphis: She can’t not tell us about the “beach incident”, can she? An easy recipe for fig and raspberry clafouti.

Rustmeister’s Alehouse: The Modern Whig Party and your weekend cigar blogging.

Smart City Memphis: Cutting budgets and raising pay? Should Memphis provide substantial subsidies to artists?

Steve’s Nude Memphis Blog: Are the new social media just time-sucking wastes?

Commercial Appeal: Applauding the US Senate resolution apologising for slavery. The TN Board of Regents plan to increase student tuition is “a plus all around“. A plan to recommit to development at the Fairgrounds gets the nod. Kudos to Justin Timberlake’s Mirimichi golf course. The General Assembly ends on a good note.

Otis L. Sanford: A long, stern retelling of the Sherri Goforth email story but nary a mention of the similar Democratic flap. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Chris Peck: Lessons learned from the recent storms. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Jerome Wright: He looks at the creation and formation of the Fairgrounds redevelopment team and how delay is allowing neglect to grow. (via the Commercial Appeal)

The Chockley Blogs: It was a wild and stormy week. Also, a wife’s thank you on Father’s Day.

The Chubby Vegetarian: It’s popsicle time!

The Gates of Memphis: Why would MLG&W oppose this?

Wendi C. Thomas: She attends and explains a performance art piece at the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Dr Manoj Jain: A good alternative health practitioner is not unlike a “good used care salesman”.

Tom Hrach: After never mentioning the statistics on concealed carry gun permit holders in Shelby County, or the incidence of crime in neighboring states of HCP holders, the daily suddenly uses statistics to argue against gun carry in national parks. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Eric Barnes: The new Kroc Center is another step up for Memphis. (via the Memphis News)

theology & geometry: She rather thoroughly documents her Father’s Day.

vibinc: He’s glad the bill to delay paper audit trails for balloting machines failed, but he sees another problem waiting to pounce.

Walt’s World: Pictorial evidence that Walt’s been a busy young man.

Weeden Arts Watch: On dumbing down your resume. The Summer Youth Employment Program is teaching a few students how to make murals.

THE INTERSECTION OF MADNESS AND REALITY: Big, black and … uh, more big. Are many black men really absentee dads, or just stigmatised?

Bigger Than Your Head: Going deep with pinot noirs and, please, less oak for his pizza enjoyment?