Ranking Memphis: A group that promotes walking and walkability in cities, Walkscore.com, ranked Memphis number 35 in their list.

More Mayoral Candidates: Mayor Willie Herenton’s longtime campaign manager and confidant Charles Carpenter is expected to announce today; more from the CA. Jerry “The King” Lawler, as expected, is running for mayor! Here are the stories, from Fox13 (with video) and the Commercial Appeal.

Memphis City Council: WMC has a special report on travel expenses by City Council members and tags Myron Lowery and Barbara Swearengen-Ware for their travel costs. The Council also refused to waive the ban on new motel ownership for potential new owners of the Iris Motel. Since Chief Accounting Officer Keith McGhee is staying past his resignation date, he may need reapproval by the Council. And the Memphis City Schools system presented their budget to the Council’s education committee for the 2010 school season: $875 million; it presumes an $85 million payment from the City.

Carol Chumney vs. The Memphis Flyer! The Flyer takes a closer look at mayoral candidate Carol Chumney. She takes umbrage and accuses them of “sexism.” Jackson Baker responded with an email, which he shared with a local mailing list, and which was passed to the Main Street Journal. You can read the whole exchange. Carol has video on YouTube to back up her initial claims. UPDATE: Jackson Baker responds in the Flyer!

WREG now has picked up the story of the Fourth of July fireworks fiasco downtown.

Catholic Diocese of Memphis: The local diocese ranks in the top five nationally for recruiting men into the priesthood.

Tennessee: Governor Phil Bredesen had a signing ceremony yesterday for his TN Clean Energy Future Act; the Commercial Appeal has more. Representatives of the Department of Finance Administration were at the Memphis Zoo this week, trying to sign up kids for CoverKids and State Children’s Health Insurance Programs.

Second Amendment: The head of the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association backs down from a previous stance that Spring Fling events would not be held in parks that allowed guns. The Jackson (TN) City Council voted down a proposal to ban guns in public parks. Meanwhile, in Memphis, the County Commission is now set to vote on banning “gun carry” in public parks; more from Eyewitness News.

Land Use Control Board: At their meeting today, requests to develop senior care facilities.

Consulting Services Group: More on the SEC warnings of civil enforcement actions against the firm and how that might affect its business with the County.

Collierville: Last weekend’s Farmers Market a “smashing success”. More on the change to the “nonconforming use” provisions of the Municipal Code. (via the Collierville Independent) An official from Ford Motor Company brought a 2010 Taurus to a local dealership to talk up the company and the auto industry.

Survey Says: Private equity fundraising is down by two-thirds over this period last year. More Americans are interested in government jobs.

Kroger: They are opening five retail medical clinics in their stores in eastern Shelby County.

UPDATED — Main Street Journal July Issue: From this issue, publisher Jonathan Lindberg looks at Cohen & Herenton, Part 1. You can peruse the Table of Contents for our July issue, which will be hitting mailboxes and newsstands later this week. Watch for articles to be posted here throughout the month.

Memphis City Schools: A look at the “reassignments” that Superintendent Kriner Cash liberally uses to “shake up” some schools.

Shelby County Schools: Amidst County Commission complaints of employee raises during a recession, the County schools’ budget failed a vote.

DeSoto County: Hernando’s mayor, Chip Johnson, can temporarily be found working as the city’s director of public works.

City Councilwoman Janis Fullilove: She was indicted and arrested yesterday by the Shelby County District Attorney’s office with three misdemeanor counts involving her drivers license. More reports from Fox13, WMC, Eyewitness News, the Daily News and the Commercial Appeal. She is now resting at a friend’s house. The official statement from the District Attorney’s office. WREG asks, did she know the indictment was coming?

Her husband, Vernon Chalmers, speaks to the media. And District Attorney Bill Gibbons speaks on the case.

New Memphis Arena Public Building Authority County Mayor A C Wharton wants an exception made for Board member Pete Aviotti in the County’s term-limits rules.

Mississippi: The Department of Transportation says the current gasoline tax just isn’t enough. A breakdown of where Federal stimulus funds are being spent around the state. The Legislature will take one last crack at writing the full budget this Friday. A conference between the judge and lawyers in the case of the ACLU lawsuit alleging racial discrimination by Southaven police officers, is indefinitely delayed.

MATA Orange Alert: Since today is another “code orange” alert for ozone pollution, MATA bus and trolley fares will be reduced — all day — to just 25 cents! MATA website.
 

FedEx: The FedEx Ground division has opened a distribution hub in Chicago; more in the Commercial Appeal. The parent company has risen some in Forbes magazine’s Global 500 ranking.

Business: Sprint Nextel has signed a contract to provide voice and data services to Pinnacle Airlines. Walgreen’s is raising its quarterly dividend.

A business profile of Lonnie Tant’s Italia Pizza Cafe in Mississippi, from the CA.

People in Business, from the CA.

Beale Street Caravan: The fundraiser’s second year dinner for the locally produced radio program will be July 16.

Arkansas: The AR Highway Commission has agreed to seek funding for high-speed rail projects that will connect to Memphis.

Kroc Center: A brief report on the new Salvation Army facility and the needed fundraiser.

Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare: The MS Department of Health has approved changes that would help ease the process of opening a hospital Olive Branch. The Commercial Appeal also reports.

Recording Academy Memphis Chapter: They will be holding a workshop on the Grammy Awards process next week.

theology & geometry: An AIM conversation with Dane Cook. Some laundry poetry.

The Shelf Life: Some clever library marketing.

Wendi C. Thomas: She wants to weed out potential trouble suitors, on her personal blog. And in her newspaper column, as Mayor Herenton packs to leave, “I told y’all Herenton wouldn’t really go.”

Commercial Appeal: Mayor Herenton risks losing all grace and dignity by not leaving office smoothly.

The Tale of a Southern Belle: Wish them luck, they may have found their next house.

Author of Y’all’s Destruction: Predictability in fiction.

Brain Release Valve: Google announces a new, free operating system for computers and he’s all kinds of excited.

Commercial Real Estate in Memphis and our Galaxy: Why Jerry “The King” Lawler being in the mayoral race is bad.

vibinc: Thoughts on succession in Memphis. Thoughts on the City Council vote to accept the Mayor’s resignation. And thoughts on the “personhood strategy”.

Because I Said So: Kids and golf and tossing things into the trunk. (via the Commercial Appeal)

LeftWing Cracker: A prediction of failure and lawsuits.

Rock-n-Romp: A reminder, next show is this Saturday.

moremittenz: Stopping in to say, “Hi.”

Rustmeister’s Alehouse: Four vs one, but the one was armed.

(Lang Wiseman) Random Thoughts: Happy 40th anniversary to his parents!

Pretty in Pink Megan: She’s helping out a friend starting a new business with a giveaway!

Paul Ryburn’s Journal: Lots of news and fun from Downtown. Hey, a drunk post.

Smart City Memphis: Bikers, this is a really cool idea/toy.

The Chockley Blogs: Wearing white on the beach; some photos.

The Conservative Zone: Mark had a very bad day yesterday. Swing by and leave him a cheery comment!

55-40 Memphis: Thoughts on Herenton v. Cohen.

The Daily Docket: This lawyer is about to become a judge. Why is the City digging wells along the Greenline?