The Main Street Journal Website

News - Friday, July 3, 2009

4th of July: A listing of events in the Mid-South celebrating Independence Day. Some Downtown events. And another list from WREG. The Bartlett event.

And here is a list of events for DeSoto County. Big event planned for Olive Branch!


Memphis Tea Party Protest: What if hundreds or thousands showed up for a protest and the media ignored it? Not one single story anywhere on yesterday afternoon’s tax protest at Audubon Park?


Shelby County: Mayor A C Wharton apologises for his auto inspection flub and demotes an employee. More from WMC and the Commercial Appeal.


Hernando Farmers Market: Due to the Saturday holiday, it has been cancelled.


Public Golf Courses: The City is going to cut back operating hours for three-quarters of courses. The Commercial Appeal also reports.


The Memphis Mayoral Drama: The latest twist: Will Herenton actually resign? Friends are urging him to stay. No, wait … he’ll run for mayor again, in the October special election! No, no, he’s unhappy but will still go.

Another day, another candidate: former City Councilman Edmund Ford, Sr may declare. More from WREG. Speculating on Interim Mayor Lowery’s governance.

Via WMC, response from Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton and a response from US Representative Steve Cohen to the Mayor’s “exit interview” remarks. More from Eyewitness News. And WREG has further remarks from Wharton.


Small Business: Local small businesses are baffled and upset that no stimulus money has reached them.


Memphis Police Department: Via WREG / On Your Side Investigation, dozens and dozens of department-issued guns go missing and are turning up in local crimes!


University of Tennessee Health Science Center: Plans for the next campus construction project are being laid.


HEAT: The Shelby County Community Services Agency is giving out window A/C units to needy and qualifying households.


Business: First National has scheduled its announcement of Q2 figures for July 17.


Memphis City Schools: Their attorney has filed an emergency motion to force the City Council to pay them the full funding amount owed from last year’s scuffle.


Survey Says: Americans aged 55 to 64 are showing unique entrepreneurial spirit and starting new businesses in record numbers.


Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center: Now that it’s part of Shelby County, will it have to change its name? Public Services Director Kenneth Moody sits down for an interview with Fox13’s Les Smith about the problems.


NEW! Main Street Journal June Issue: An online-only special from Joe Saino, the Memphis Watchdog: The Budget Farce in Memphis and Shelby County. Now online from our June issue: Michael Roy Hollihan’s Red State, Blue State; on the proof that TN is a conservative state.

You can peruse the Table of Contents and read County Commissioner George Flinn’s suggestion, How to Use the Pyramid and Jonathan Devin’s feature, Breaking Ground: How building projects in Shelby County are progressing despite the economy.


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.


Mississippi: The Public Service Commission is furloughing staff until the budget crisis resolves itself. More in the Commercial Appeal. A look at what Governor Haley Barbour is cutting in the proposed State budget.


City of Memphis: Mayor Willie Herenton has refused to accept the resignation of City Attorney Elbert Jefferson. More in the CA.


Center City Commission: They have hired a new firm, carpenter | sullivan | sossaman, to help promote Downtown.


Shelby County Commission: They are still aiming for a $4.02 property tax rate which, if property appraisal challenges hold down values, will just meet needs. If that doesn’t happen, the County gets a windfall, which is illegal. The Daily News digs deep to explain.


Politics: State Senator Jim Kyle has joined the race for governor; the CA has more. Democratic Rep. Bart Gordon is one of 14 Representatives to be targeted for defeat by the National Republican Congressional Committee. Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Gibbons has raised over $400,000 in his run.

US Rep. Steve Cohen appears on WREG’s Live at 9 to respond to Mayor Herenton’s “calling out” from Wednesday. Jackson Baker points out the money quote and opines on it; his colleague disagrees somewhat.


Delta Air Lines: An appeals court has blocked Delta from cancelling a contract with Mesa Air Lines.


Unemployment: The national unemployment rate rose to 9.5% in May; in Shelby County, it was 10.7%.


Tennessee: A Federal appeals court has vacated a lower court ruling and now lethal injection is constitutional in the state again.


Olive Branch: The police have turned to Twitter, Facebook and MySpace to help connect with citizens.


MLG&W: The board unanimously votes to pay Joseph Lee $425,000. The matter now goes to the City Council.



Picture of the Day

The Florida seaside at night, from The Chockley Blogs by Chip Chockley. © 2009.


Opinion and Blogs

Tom Guleff : Joe Citizens: Some advice for Myron Lowery from the Army Rangers manual.


Confessions of a West Tennessee Liberal: Brad is trying hard to push issues instead of personalities in the mayoral election. First issue: Reform MATA.


Doug Johnson at Work: He’s considering becoming a gigolo, and thoughts on Myron Lowery.


The Tale of a Southern Belle: On best friends, failed relationships, becoming a Christian and olive branches.


Commercial Appeal: Praise for the CrimeStoppers email and texting tipline. Mid-Southerner are too fat; something must be done by someone.


Ramblings of a River City Resident: Oh noes! They most likely will be moving!


Running With Dice: See how easy it is to slide down the slope of conspiracy thinking?


Smart City Memphis: They offer a long list of suggestions for improving the city, for our next mayor.


Squeaky Wheel Seeks Grease: You think taking your kids to the doctor’s office is tough?


Ask Myron: Michael Jackson’s death still does not seem real. (via the Tri-State Defender)


Author of Y’all’s Destruction: Well… Jeff is certainly the paranoid conspiracist.


55-40 Memphis: A real clear warning of how dirty the Ninth Congressional District race will become.


Bigger Than Your Head: Express your patriotism … with wine! Drink up, America.


Will Hicks: He very helpfully handicaps the upcoming mayoral race for you.


Crime in Memphis: John takes you on a proud tour of the Real-Time Crime Center, and he points out why the new email/text tip lines will benefit crime-fighting.


I’ll be the one in heels: The mortification of the TANKINI.


Left Wing Cracker: Proud of Steve Cohen.


Sassy Molassy: Happy birthday, Joshua.


Life as I know it from Memphis: Planning for a busy weekend.


Pretty in Pink Megan: Get into the time machine and revisit her past!