What is up, Memphis? Today is Thursday, Nov. 10, and the Memphis-Shelby County Land Use Control Board will consider a 54-lot subdivision near Coro Lake in southwest Memphis.

It’s “Memphis Wrestling Night” at the Tigers football game against Tulsa, and if you get to the game early, you can see Jerry “The King” Lawler, Lex Luger and old-school wrestling announcer (and greatest TV weatherman of all time) Dave Brown. As for the game, well, the Tigers haven’t been doing so hot, but neither has their opponent. If you’re planning way ahead, here are the Memphis football conference opponents through 2026.

THE NEED TO KNOW

On Wednesday, Nov. 9, the City of Memphis sent out text messages and voicemails to residents as part of an emergency mass communication system. (Bill Dries/The Daily Memphian file)

This is a test? Yesterday afternoon, a friend messaged me to ask if I received a text from the City of Memphis Mass Communication system, followed by a phone call from a Burlington, Massachusetts, phone number. I had not, but minutes later, a neighbor asked the same thing. And then it was all over NextDoor, Twitter and Facebook. Thousands of Memphians got the message and many assumed it was a scam (why the Massachusetts number?). Turns out, it was a test of an actual City of Memphis emergency communication system, but only a select number of Memphians got the message. Here’s a hint, City of Memphis: Maybe contact the media before you try something like this next time. 

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. (alongside his wife Audrey) announced his bid for mayor last month. He lives in Bartlett and has said he plans to move back to Memphis. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

New opinion on mayoral residency: A new legal opinion from Memphis City Council attorney Allan Wade says candidates in next year’s race for Memphis mayor can run if they live outside of Memphis as long as they are residents of the city when they are elected. Wade’s letter to Shelby County Elections Administrator Linda Phillips is the latest in several conflicting opinions and a court ruling related to mayoral residency. So far, it affects candidates Floyd Bonner, who lives in Bartlett but is planning a Memphis move, and Van Turner, who recently bought a home in Midtown.

Hernando residents rejected a 1% tax on prepared food that would have gone to park improvements. (Toni Lepeska/The Daily Memphian)

Hernando mayor questions tax vote: On Election Day, Hernando voters rejected a proposed 1% tax on prepared foods to benefit the city’s parks, but the vote count was close. And Hernando Mayor Chip Johnson is now questioning how that vote came to be. At one precinct, voters who live in unincorporated DeSoto County reportedly voted in the city election, and other mistakes were made with the ballot. But circuit clerk Dale K. Thompson said the numbers wouldn’t have made enough difference to pass the tax.

The Neighborhood Preservation Clinic at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law has filed environmental lawsuits directly against 25 blighted properties in the North Memphis neighborhood. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Blight fight: Twenty-five blighted properties in North Memphis are the target of new environmental lawsuits filed by The Neighborhood Preservation Clinic at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Most are residential, but a few are commercial properties, like a long-abandoned, former sundry and liquor store at 1238 Jackson Ave. The Klondike/Smokey City CDC, spearheaded by Quincey Morris, has worked hard to maintain and stabilize vacant properties in the area for years, but this is the first time they’ve sought legal help. “This is a last resort because we don’t have the resources to research the title, find the owner and do what’s necessary,” Morris said.

MEET MEMPHIS

Perry (right) and Carrie Welch are owners of Old Millington Winery. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Perry and Carrie Welch opened Old Millington Winery 22 years ago as a passion project. Today, it’s West Tennessee’s longest-running winery, specializing in sweet wine. “Customers in this area like their iced tea sweet, and they like their wine sweet,” Carrie Welch said. While many retail businesses suffered during the early pandemic days, Old Millington saw a boom as more people stayed home to imbibe rather than drinking in bars or restaurants. And they’re expecting another boom once Ford’s BlueOval City plant is complete. But if the Welches ever tire of winemaking, Perry Welch says he has a back-up plan.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Treasure hunter Riley Bryant recently found Civil War-era artifacts on the Mississippi River riverbank due to its historically low level. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

River treasures: The Mississippi River’s historic low level has revealed some of the river’s sunken past, and these days, it seems that everyone is a treasure hunter. I’ve been down to one of the new “beaches” in the hopes of finding a shipwreck or some tarnished old jewelry, but no luck for me — just a few sand-filled backpacks and a lot of trash. But Memphian Riley Bryant, who works for American Digger Magazine, is having better luck; he recently spotted a Civil War-era cartridge box plate perched on a rock near the low river, and his TikTok video of the find went viral.

Construction on BlueOval City began in September, and the megasite is scheduled to begin production by 2025. (The Daily Memphian file)

Thanks, Collierville: When Ford Motor Co.’s BlueOval City opens in 2025, you can thank Collierville. Mark Herbison, president of HTL Advantage, said Collierville was part of the pitch that brought Ford to West Tennessee. Herbison told the Collierville Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday that he flew “two Ford engineers and two SK [Innovations] people” over Collierville in a helicopter and the SK employees from Seoul were impressed by the town’s large homes and swimming pools.

Memphis Grizzlies' Dillon Brooks (24) and San Antonio Spurs' Jeremy Sochan chase the ball during the game on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, in San Antonio. (Darren Abate/AP)

Grizz win with help from their friends: The Memphis Grizzlies took out the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night in an overtime game that ended with a 124-122 win. And they can thank Pete Pranica and Brevin Knight of the Bally Sports broadcast crew. The clock mistakenly stopped for five seconds, and none of the officials noticed. But the Bally Sports guys did. After consulting with the officials, the clock was corrected, which helped the Grizzlies run the time down before San Antonio’s final chance at a game-tying basket. Also, all those good vibes we sent to Steven Adams’ sore ankle worked; he was back on the court with a brand new look. The Daily Memphian’s Chris Herrington thinks we’ll see a return from Jaren Jackson Jr. soon, too.

Church of God in Christ presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard leads a ribbon-cutting ceremony for 20 new affordable housing units on Wednesday, Nov. 9. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

More COGIC: The Church of God in Christ, in town for its annual convention for the first time since 2010, unveiled 20 new, affordable housing units on Wednesday. Vance Flats, located at 280 Vance Ave., was built with $3.8 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and offers one-bedroom units at below-market rate rent. COGIC has plans to build more affordable units Downtown and senior housing near Mason Temple, and they’re working on a project that would house pregnant women and new mothers in the wake of the statewide abortion ban.

Ben Pirmann

Coach of the Year: Memphis 901 FC coach Ben Pirmann has been named the United Soccer League Championship’s Coach of the Year. The team is fresh off of the most successful season in club history: Memphis achieved its highest-ever finish in the standings, earning the second seed in the Eastern Conference while accumulating 68 points and 21 victories, both records.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

In Shelby County, voters overwhelmingly supported Democrat Dr. Jason Martin for governor over incumbent Bill Lee, and The Daily Memphian’s Bill Dries takes a look at what Tuesday’s vote says about Tennessee’s bluest county. Some, who are unhappy with the results, are just declaring Memphis a city-state and appointing their own leaders. 

Speaking of blue, go Tigers! And have a great day!

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