Shelby County Commission: Efforts to cut property taxes failed at yesterday’s meeting. More on Commissioner Mike Carpenter’s plan, from Eyewitness News and the Commercial Appeal. Interim Mayor Joe Ford is against the tax cut. The commission also voted to consolidate all County IT in a single department.

Memphis City Schools: A coalition of African-American religious and leadership groups will meet Monday to discuss funding cuts and layoffs in the school system. More in the Commercial Appeal. The false open-enrollment transfer approvals have created a phone-storm of concerned parents.

Regional Medical Center: Contractor Venitia Smith pled guilty to embezzling over $80,000 from them.

Lester Street Murders: Attorneys for defendant Jessie Dotson filed over three dozen motions yesterday on a variety of requests.

Cohen v. Herenton: Back in Memphis for the Cleaborn Homes groundbreaking, US Rep. Steve Cohen still refuses to bend to Herenton’s call for a non-WREG debate.

Flood Recovery: Gaylord Opryland won’t reopen until November, and so they are laying off 1700 employees. They may sue over water release by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The last victims moved out of the emergency shelter at the Ed Rice Community Center.

Business: The Summer jobs forecast is bleak. WMC looks at McKesson’s new distribution facility in Olive Branch. A stock analyst has raised Thomas & Betts to “outperform”.

Today’s Events, from the Daily News. And in the CA, What to Do and People in Business.

Memphis Business Group on Health: Their annual conference is coming up; the theme is Tackling the Elephant in the Room: Healthcare Benefit Cost Management Tools & Solutions.

Eighth Congressional District: More on the Trent Lott fundraiser for Republican candidate Dr George Flinn. And more again.

Arkansas: An investigation is underway at the Forrest City Animal Shelter after a dog is mauled by other dogs; more from WREG. Raw video here. (Disturbing video warning.) More video of other problems at the shelter can be found here.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers for Dr Randeep Mann hope to have a trial date next month.

Memphis Bar Association: They are forming two new sections: Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law, and a Government Lawyers Section.

Plush Club: The landlord for the property is now backing away from closing the club.

Survey Says: Memphis ranks 90th for job losses in the past 12 months. Seventeen percent of the newly jobless say the recent floods were to blame. Memphis International Airport is among the top five for fast food.

Mississippi: The Oxford Board of Mayor and Aldermen is not going to ask the State to allow some Sunday liquor sales.

Real Estate: Home prices and sales rose in April, partly fueled by the homebuyers tax credit; more in the Commercial Appeal. Last quarter, retail rents dropped by the largest average ever. First time home buyers who also used the tax credit now find a second deadline looming.

MAIN STREET JOURNAL Online: Long-time contributing Finances & Economics writer Chuck Bates, host of News & Views on the Information Radio Network, has his column, On The Money, available on the website. Read it here.

Summer Heat: Temps in the mid-90s are expected soon and so preparations for the heat wave are called for.

City of Memphis: City Hall is in need of serious repair.

Smartphones & ATT: ATT yesterday announced new pricing plans that no longer offer unlimited data. Apple and Blackberry smartphones are affected, too. Speculation about a possible role for Verizon? More in the Commercial Appeal.

St Jude Children’s Research Hospital: They’ve been named the nation’s best children’s cancer hospital by US News & World Report.

US Postal Service: Some postal operations will shift from Jackson to Memphis.

Politics: Late night breakthrough means floor votes likely today on the budget; the Commercial Appeal also has that story. While potential blocks remain, the leaders of the House and Senate have reached tentative agreement on a budget deal. The House approved their budget plan on Tuesday night. Governor Phil Bredesen just wants them to get done. And more wrangling over keeping prisoners in the Whiteville Correctional Facility though mid-2011. Money for the National Civil Rights Museum was cut.

The Health Freedom Act, which would exempt TN from the Affordable Care Act, was defeated in subcommittee yesterday; more from Tom Humphrey in the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Slightly more in the Tennessean. The same House Budget subcommittee also killed the bill to ban an income tax.

Tennessee: “Central-line associated bloodstream infections” are a problem in hospitals around the state. State grants have enabled the town of Ripley to re-invigorate their town square.

MATA: Their board of directors meet today. A daycare van crashed into a MATA bus yesterday; no injuries but questions about the bus driver and texting while driving.

Governor’s Race: New campaign ads from Republicans Bill Haslam and Zach Wamp. Republican Ron Ramsey has sharp questions about Wamp’s relationship with the AkinsCrisp Public Strategies PR firm. And Haslam and Wamp have a “scrap” on the same issues. Wamp defends his ties to the firm. County Commissioner Wyatt Bunker now is backing out of a group endorsement of Zach Wamp.

Cleaborn Homes: The latest and last public housing makeover, with $22 million from the Federal government, will become Triangle Noir. More from Eyewitness News, WMC and the Commercial Appeal.

DeSoto County: Tuesday’s primary results from the DeSoto Times Tribune and from neighboring Marshall County, where Tea Party candidate Henry Ross won. A normal request for more funds for the County schools triggers a routine tax increase notice that alarms residents. Impact Ministries is selling the DeSoto Sunrise Homes, but only to build a new consolidated facility. The Library’s Summer reading program is a hit. Hernando continues to morph into Oregon in the Delta.

Previously Posted: Fairwood Capital is buying an Atlanta Hampton Suites. More on the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis’ Give 365 philanthropic seed program. More on Leadership Memphis and their Fall 2010 FastTrack program. More on John Calipari’s million dollar donation to Streets Ministries; another report from WMC. More on Operation Community Shield’s arrest of 26 criminal illegals.

Xspectr8: A random post about farm life.

The Seaberry Experience! Oh, admit it Markus. You’re just showing off your girfriend.

Student: Revisited: Thoughts on dream interpretations.

Steve’s Nude Memphis Blog: He’s back and he’s ranting, though a bit calmer than usual.

David Waddell: Strategising your portfolio for the end of the year. (via the Daily News)

Commercial Appeal: A reminder not to leave infants in cars, especially on hot or sunny days. Noting the decline of public housing since its inception, they hope to get it right this time.

Pet Scoop: Not only infants and the elderly are vulnerable to the heat, but your pets are too. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Mike Carpenter: The County Commissioner believes that infant mortality programs shouldn’t be cut in the new State budget. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Wendi C. Thomas: Will Wendi actually go, accept a female date request or dance with other women while she’s there? (via the Commercial Appeal)

Because I Said So: Canoeing on the Ghost River — mothers only! (via the Commercial Appeal)

Memphis Outsider: He takes you on a tour of the work of Midtown graffiti artist “Circle-N”, who is everywhere around here.

Shaun Fossett: He explains the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act.

La Vie Quotidienne After an illness, what else but shoe chat!

I’ll be the one in heels: A deep, thorough and personal review of The Shack by William Paul Young.

Fore Left! The border comes to Memphis.

Divers and Sundry: I do no think “Vulcan” means what they think it means.

Dining With Monkeys: It’s the Empire v. the Rebellion at South Philly.

Brain Release Valve: More photos from the Memphis Zombie Massacre. Your deep thought for the day: Things are just about things.

Barefoot in Memphis: The prison of your dreams and aspirations.

at home she feels like a tourist: Living well in the wreckage of the American dream.

Midtown Stomp: An interview with vintner Eric Glomski.

Notes from Memphis: It’s the Orpheum Summer Movie series.

Pretty in Pink Megan: She answers reader questions about her vacation wardrobe.

short + rose: An update on her bountiful garden.

Smart City Memphis: Once again, Memphians talking about Memphis and criticise other Memphians on how they talk about us. All the while worrying about other cities’ perceptions of us. Got that?