Photo Credit: Fox13.com
What’s Done in the Dark

 
The fallout over the lawsuit filed in the Shelby County Commission’s name continues. Some commissioners are objecting to the secrecy of the most recent commission meeting. County mayor Mark Luttrell was shocked by the racial appeals. County Commissioner Steve Mulroy says “it would be naïve to deny undercurrents of race and class”. And Commissioner Walter Bailey argues MSDs “would cause irreparable injury to the students” if the municipal districts aren’t stopped.

One study of what the movement means to the six municipalities. Parts two, three and four.

Better Bartlett Schools, which supports a municipal school district, has an open letter to the County Commission. (Requires Facebook login) You can download the petition and the Commission’s complaint from the Main Street Journal. Also, press releases from Commissioners Chris Thomas and Terry Roland, and Shelby County mayor Mark Luttrell. (PDF documents)

Memphis City Schools: Police found a gun at Summer school classes at Douglass High School.

First Lady Michelle Obama: About 300 attended her fundraiser in Memphis on Thursday. The mood of the room was brightened with news of the victory in the Supreme Court for the Affordable Care Act. She talked of her upbringing. Occupy Memphis had a small protest. Local debate camp student, Miracle Williams, got a free ticket! More reports from ABC24, Fox13 and the Commercial Appeal.

Ms Obama also went to Nashville beforehand where she spoke to the AME Church’s 49th General Conference. More from WPLN, the Associated Press, WSMV (with video), and the Commercial Appeal. The text of her Nashville speech.

Unified Shelby Schools: The Flyer’s Jackson Baker looks inside the superintendency debate. And the Flyer offers a much more in-depth and detailed examination of the debate. The aim of the plan implementation is making it work. The Commercial Appeal reports on the board of education candidates’ forum.

Shelby County Elections: Democratic candidate for Attorney General Carol Chumney has produced her first video, a 3 minute profile. Just what is the Election Commmission trying to do with their voter rolls?

Obamacare and the Supreme Court: Governor Bill Haslam says, in this video, that the Affordable Care Act will cost the State “hundreds of millions”. But the one provision of the ACA the Supreme Court struck down may mean it won’t. The State plots its next step. Reactions from various State lawmakers and officials. Reactions from TN members of Congress and the State Legislative leaders; similar story from the Nashville City Paper. Reaction from State Democrats and State Republicans. How the ruling will affect the Mid-South. Mid-South lawmakers’ reactions. Many Memphians are cheering the news.

Hospital stocks rose and insurance stocks fell with the news. Health care firms benefitted. Seven questions answered about the health care ruling. The Knoxville News Sentinel walks you through what it all means. Small businesses say they will be hurt.

Local news stories: Memphis Business Journal‘ the Daily News; CBS, via WREG with link to ruling; WMC; ABC24.

Robert Pera: The Daily News continues their multi-part profile of potential new owner Robert Pera with part three. Previously, part one and part two.
 

Politics: Governor Bill Haslam opposes directing State troopers to check people’s immigration status. State Senator Stacey Campfield’s old high school will not remove him from their Wall of Fame. State Senator Jim Kyle had senior town hall meetings around Memphis.

Statewide Elections 2012: Former SNL actress Victoria Jackson is endorsing challenger Lou Ann Zelenik against Sixth District Congresswoman Diane Black.

Southaven Reception: At a reception held by the City of Southaven during the Mississippi Municipal League’s annual meeting, mayor Greg Davis had “harsh words” about his giant neighbor to the north. Other MS communities hosted similar receptions for less money. Critics have hard questions about City spending.

Memphis Farmers Market: Fresh peach-o de-gallo, milled rices both brown and jasmine, and tomatoes, soups this weekend. Kids activities (Watch the heat!), live music and more, downtown this Saturday. MFM website. Don’t forget the Bartlett Station Farmers Market this Saturday in Freeman Park, either.

New! Internet Exclusive! Southpaw: Sweet Home Shelby-Co: Andria K. Brown is back from her Summer vacation, where trips to stomping grounds both old and new brought her to a realisation about herself.

Fourth of July: Germantown still has a celebration planned. Watch for lots of burn bans to end many other events. Such as these.

American Queen: She and other steamboats plying the Mississippi River are having trouble with low water levels. More from ABC24.

Unified Development Code: Nearly 100 citizens turned out for a public meeting to discuss proposed changes. The final vote will be July 17.

Gang Violence: The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is providing a gang hotline, Operation Take Back, to report violence and get advice on how to get out of gangs.

Heat Wave: Meteorologists are predicting 100+ degree days well into next week! Records could be set. The city’s first-ever Code Purple Alert was issued this week. The Shelby County Ozone Action Alert website. Nashville is already cancelling events. And warnings are out in Jackson/Madison County. Burn bans currently in effect. Air quality alerts explained. Where to get help dealing with the heat.

Heat protocols. Extreme heat information. How to keep your A/C unit working. Check on your neighbors. Staying safe in the heat. Volunteers are checking on seniors.

MLG&W: They have a utility reconnection program for those without power during the extreme heat emergency. It’s only a temporary solution.

Shelby County: The Family Safety Center has a new home.

Porn Party: A video is circulating that was filmed at a Memphis nightclub, Club Elements, showing hardcore pornographic acts. A group called Team Taboo is responsible. One of the organisers, “Young Coo”, talks with Fox13. Video of censored still shots from the original video, which has since been removed. And their Facebook page. (Content warning; will require login) More in the CA.

Lorenzen Wright Murder: After nearly two years and no progress on the case, the mother of Wright, Deborah Marion, has called in private investigators.

Adam Mayes: WMC is exclusively publishing letters written by Mary and Teresa Mayes, who are charged with helping him abduct and kill members of the Bain family.

Mississippi: The Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the State’s only abortion provider, fears they will have to close on July 1. More on the story from ABC24. Nissan will hire 1000 new workers at their plant in Canton; more. State students are struggling to pass standardised tests.

Business: The first in a two-part series on the local travel agency industry from the Daily News. The National Coalition of 100 Black Women is sponsoring its first “Sisters’ Keeper” Financial Bootcamp for African-American women this weekend.

Today’s Events are in the Daily News. From the Business Journal, People on the Move.

Mo’ Money & Congress: The Congressional hearing called by Representative Steve Cohen heard from complainants and victims but not anyone with answers or responsibility. The principals with the company were no-shows. Mo’ Money is just the “tip of the iceberg”. More from Fox13.

Religion in Tennessee: A Federal judge has set a date of July 26 to hear a motion to “stop the Hamilton County Commission from beginning meetings with a prayer”.

Arkansas: A worker’s death at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, at the Football Operations Center, is being investigated by OSHA. Belz Properties plans to sell The Peabody Little Rock.

National Weather Service: Coming soon to your smartphone, Wireless Emergency Alerts will automatically send severe weather alerts and other kinds of warnings to you. You can opt out.

Best Memphis Burger Fest: If you can handle that much deliciousness, the fest will be at Minglewood Hall in September. More information from Best Memphis Burgers blog. (Date corrected.)
 

DeSoto County: A court date has been set for Southaven mayor Greg Davis, in his traffic case. County firefighters are on high alert and a burn ban is in effect. The County Bulletin Board, from the CA.

Memphis: If you leave kids toys in a City park, kids will play with them. (But who will watch over them, keep and maintain them, and lock them up?)

Joe Spake’s Daily Buzz: The rest of the day’s news, from all sorts of eclectic places. Also, interesting social media and tech links for this week.

16 Balls in the Air: The new math of a large family.

a belle, a bean & a chicago dog: What 365 days will do to you.

512 Pixels: They have a podcast called, oddly enough, 512 Pixels, which covers all things Apple, new media, and more.

a girl, a fork and a spoon: She gives out blog props to The Chubby Vegetarian. A recipe and instructions for pork carnitas tacos. Ole!

Agitatrix: For you metal-heads, she’s got a theme song for June.

Air Traffic Mike’s: The food pyramid in “one easy to hold and tasty fashion”.

Andrea Fenise: Wearing safety floats at the pool doesn’t mean your kid has to sacrifice style. She’s working on a YouTube guide to fashion thrifting.

Best Memphis Burger: Getting a hamburger from Cafe Eclectic proves to be an adventure … a delectable adventure, indeed.

Bigger Than Your Head: The wine of the week. Five definitions of wine.

Creme de Memph: A memorial to all the script signs around Memphis. Tons of pictures; how many do you recognise?

Confessions of a West Tennessee Liberal: Where David’s been these past few months. Comparing environmental records of some politicians.

John Branston: He sees parallels between the 1973 school desegregation case and today’s Unified Shelby/municipal schools fight. The view from the other side of the Harahan Bridge project. (via the Flyer)

Memphis Flyer: Well done for local officials who go to bat for the home team in the liver transplants imbroglio.

Gadfly: He is, still and even today, a union man. (via the Flyer)

Memphasis: This week he ruminates on democracy and goats. (via the Daily News)

FUNdraising: How to reduce the stress on non-profit fundraising. (via the Daily News)

Michael Ganda: Is your company using all its opportunities in “sensory marketing”? (via the Daily News)

Lucy Shaw: High school reunions aren’t about vanity, but about curiousity and catching up with old friends. (via the Tri-State Defender)

Sid Salter: The Supreme Court’s ruling on immigration earlier this week satisfied no one. (via the Desoto Times Tribune)

Commercial Appeal: The school merger debate has been marred by a lack of transparency. TCAP results are “a reason to smile”.

Jackson Sun: The new course for Tennessee public education appears to be working. Stay that course.

Michael R. Burch: A former, self-identified, “Reagan Republican” has doubts about today’s crop of conservatives. (via the Nashville City Paper)

Fox Insiders: Ben Ferguson and Bernal Smith II talk the issues of the day.