Urban Child Institute: Community and school efforts to reduce teen pregnancy have failed. The UCI website is here. Direct link to the report. (PDF format)

Shelby County Commission: They vote for a one-percent pay raise for deputies. They also dedicated $10,000 for a musical project for Haiti relief.

Cohen v. Herenton: Via Fox13, the candidates on the issues. WREG also looks at the issues. While they still won’t endorse him against Willie Herenton, the Congressional Black Caucus did donate some money to US Rep. Steve Cohen’s campaign.

Shelby County Elections: More analysis of alleged cross-party voting in the county. And a look at turnout. Though he’s been in office for 12 years, Shelby County school board member David Pickler hasn’t faced opposition until now.

Metro Charter Commission: The commission voted on a two-tier, 25 member council for the new government. More reports from Fox13 and the Commercial Appeal. Commission website here.

West Tennessee: The city of Mason, in Tipton County, has suspended and then reinstated its police chief in two weeks. And in Galloway, in Fayette County, shotguns and a taser were stolen from a sheriff’s station; more from WREG. Two tugboats collided near Duvall’s Landing, Monday evening.

Business: The Brookings Institution says exports are the future for Memphis.

From the Daily News, Today’s Events. And in the Commercial Appeal, What to Do.

FedEx: Signs of optimism as they announce the return of 401(k) matching. They are also raising their earnings outlook. More in the Commercial Appeal.

Red Box: The DVD rental box company is “going on a tear” in Memphis with dozens of new kiosks.

Real Estate: Five apartment complexes associated with Royce Affiliates have been foreclosed. All of The Pie Factory’s loft spaces sold at auction, at a considerable discount. From the Commercial Appeal, Done Deals.

Arkansas: The US Highway 82 bridge between AR and MS will open to traffic later this week; more from Fox13; more in the Commercial Appeal. West Memphis City Hall has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. Snakehead fish are a growing danger to the Mid-South.

Ducks Unlimited: US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will visit them today.

Mississippi: Governor Haley Barbour says he’ll go to court to block the Choctaw casino; more in the Commercial Appeal.

“Master Your Market”: The next meeting of this quarterly luncheon series about Shelby County real estate meets this Thursday.

Survey Says: SurveyMemphis shows a fifth month of mostly positive local news from businessmen.

Tennessee: The new executive director of the State Employees Association is Robert O’Connell. The amended Drivers Recovery Law will allow you to make payments over time on your suspended drivers license; the Commercial Appeal also reports.

Main Street Journal Online: Senior writer Michael Roy Hollihan sits down with County Commission District 5 candidate Dr Rolando Toyos and introduces him to voters in The Swing Seat.

NEW! Main Street Journal July Article: The Redbird Connection Our Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Lindberg pens a paean to a summer’s night of baseball.

Shelby County Government: The Division of Community Services and the Division of Corrections will construct a one-room facility to teach trades to inmates. With the end of the month here, auto inspection stations will have longer hours. A “beer sting” was conducted last weekend, here are the results.

Disabled Memphis: A local citizen’s group for the disabled ranks the city failing on access for the disabled.

Memphis City Schools: A profile of new schools board president Freda Williams.

Mid-America Apartment Communities: Residents at eight of their apartment complexes are getting and paying for Comcast cable whether they want it or not!

Harold Ford Jr: His new book is gaining attention for the political stories he shares.
 
 
 
 

Heat Deaths: Shelby County heat deaths number 4 and 5 have been recorded, but no other details released.

DeSoto County: A special election has been set to fill the Olive Branch Board of Aldermen vacancy left by the death of Maurice Wallace.

Local Theater: Why do so many popular shows close when they are sell-outs throughout their run?

Politics: Nicholas Beadle of the Jackson Sun updates the financial disclosures of the candidates in the Eighth Congressional District races. The Nashville City Paper surveys all the contested Congressional races.

Poll results on attitudes on education among Tennesseans. By 2-to-1, Tennesseans oppose Obamacare. And, a poll on various politicians, State and Federal.

University of Memphis: Campus radio station WUMR ad salesman Richard Wrighten has been charged with theft of property and defrauding advertisers.

Governor’s Race: Ron Ramsey is the lone Republican candidate to call for closed party primaries; the AP story. The TN Newspaper Network’s poll shows Bill Haslam leading in the Republican primary; some analysis from the Nashville Scene. The three Republican campaigns react. Haslam says that Republican Zach Wamp isn’t ready to be governor. Lefty pundits are still having a field day with the imputation that Wamp supports secession. Jim Gilchrist of The Minuteman Project has endorsed Zach Wamp. Democrat Mike McWherter’s first television ad.

ArtsMemphis: They will award almost $2 million to local arts agencies. More on this announcement from the Daily News.

No Rococo: A day at Pickwick Lake.

theology & geometry: At her home, it’s the battle of the alpha males.

Smart City Memphis: Two great traditions in one Clean Memphis. Know your candidates!

David Waddell: Some generalisations about the second quarter earnings season. (via the Daily News)

Tennessean: Murfreesboro’s fight over an Islamic mosque is a religious dispute wrapped in a political tangle placed in a fight over zoning.

Wayne Woods: Americans march for the freedoms of assembly and religion. (via the Tennesseean)

Commercial Appeal: They run down their list of election endorsements again. We must take action against global warming.

16 Balls in the Air: If her family were dogs, what breed would they be? Why Summer vacation is like a cruise.

artbutcher: He’s special!

Barefoot in Memphis: Confronting the forbidden and rewriting the marriage script.

Bigger Than Your Head: Wine of the week.

sharp stick in the eye: A midsummer update on how the patio plants are doing.

I Love Memphis: Six Memphis restuarants that deliver. Weird bit of information for the day: an accurate count of “No Left Turn” signs on Union Avenue.

I’ll be the one in heels: She’s going to the BlogHer convention and shares her “wardrobe strategy”. And, her hopes for the convention.

Just A Girl in the World: Encounters with creepy old rednecks.

Memphis, Etc: He’s restarting his blog but doesn’t know where to start! A law enforcement perspective on the sheriff’s race, and a recommendation.

Boys in the ‘Hood: You’d be surprised what a mother loves.

Blue Collar Republican: A boycott against Home Depot?

Brain Release Valve: Zach lists his Top 10 comic books.

Commontaries: Thoughts on Mel Gibson. An entertaining allegory of how the Federal stimulus works.

Cute Stew: She checks in briefly from her Summer vacation.

dminmem: Boycott Target?

Doug Johnson at Work: Does business experience necessarily make a good governor?