Happy Veterans Day! Today is Friday, Nov. 11, and we’ve got an engaging story about 100-year-old World War II veteran and Tipton County resident John D. Abbott and the mysterious lighter that he found in Iwo Jima during the post-war occupation.

Tonight, the Memphis Grizzlies are back at the FedExForum for a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Friend’s of George’s is presenting “A Wunderland Holiday” at Evergreen Theatre.

On Saturday, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy is hosting an expungement clinic and job fair, and the Streetdog Foundation will hold its biggest fundraiser of the year. On Sunday, the Grizzlies are on the road again with a match against the Washington Wizards. For more on these ideas and plenty of others, check out The To-Do List.

THE NEED TO KNOW

University of Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan (5) passes against Tulsa on Nov. 10, 2022. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)

Tigers take Tulsa: They did it! After a four-game losing streak, the Memphis Tigers football team bounced back and beat Tulsa on Thursday, 26-10. Coach Ryan Silverfield said, “It felt like a weight was lifted.” (I would imagine so after weeks of fans on the internet coming for his job.) The win puts Memphis 5-5, 3-4 AAC and one win away from qualifying for its ninth consecutive bowl game. Though the stands at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium weren’t as packed as they were earlier in the season, those who showed up witnessed a lot of things going right for the Tigers. Geoff Calkins details a few of those in his column.

Memphis rapper Young Dolph was shot at Makeda’s Homemade Cookies on Airways Boulevard on Nov. 17, 2021. (mpi04/MediaPunch/IPX file)

Suspect allegedly solicited Young Dolph murder: Hernandez Govan was indicted on Thursday in the slaying of Memphis rapper Young Dolph, just one week prior to the anniversary of his death. The Shelby County District Attorney’s office alleges that Govan solicited the murder and put it into motion. Young Dolph was shot at a Makeda’s Homemade Cookies on Airways Boulevard on Nov. 17, 2021, while he was buying cookies for his mother. Two other suspects, Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith, were previously indicted for the murder.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch asked for $45 million to help process rape kits faster. (Karen Pulfer Focht/The Daily Memphian)

TBI asks for rape kit testing funds: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is requesting just over $45 million to help speed up rape kit testing. The request came on the first day of the state government’s fiscal year 2024 budget process. TBI Director David Rausch said the funding would cover 71 positions, including 25 forensic scientists and 14 support personnel, and would help with “salary modernization.” During his budget presentation to Gov. Bill Lee, Rausch shared screenshots of emails from TBI applicants who turned down jobs due to the salary.

Former Chattanooga developer Franklin L. Haney’s company is challenging the MLGW energy supplier bid process. (Houston Cofield/The Daily Memphian file)

MLGW postpones power vote: Memphis Light, Gas and Water is postponing its planned Nov. 16 vote on the Tennessee Valley Authority’s proposed long-term contract because of an appeal from the Franklin L. Haney Co., which submitted a bid to become MLGW’s next power supplier. In the appeal, the Haney company said the bid review process was biased toward TVA. The MLGW had been set to vote on either renewing its current TVA contract, which has a five-year termination notice, or opting for a new TVA contract with a 20-year termination notice.

Sheriff’s office identifies dead inmate: The inmate who died on Nov. 4 while in custody at 201 Poplar has been identified as Leaudre Isabell. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said the cause of death is under investigation. Isabell had been in jail since April 24 on first degree murder charges for allegedly attacking and stabbing five family members, two of whom died. 

QUOTED

Memphis guard Kendric Davis, left, pulls the jersey of Vanderbilt guard Tyrin Lawrence (0) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022, in Nashville. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

“I feel like I’m the best point guard in the country. And you know, guards win games.”

— Memphis Tigers point guard Kendric Davis
Davis, the Tigers’ six-foot star transfer and star guard, is nothing if not confident. He told a reporter on Thursday that he doesn’t really need to watch film on his next opponent. Meanwhile, in other Tigers basketball news, transfer Damaria Franklin’s dad is organizing a protest at UIC, his son’s former school that has refused to allow him eligibility to play for the Tigers.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Otherlands Coffee Bar owner Karen Lebovitz outside her Midtown shop. Along with Java Cabana, Otherlands opened in the early 1990s. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Your Midtown coffee shop guide: Our own Chris Herrington takes us on a tour of Midtown coffee shops in his latest installment of our local coffee guide. As a Midtowner for the last 20 years, I’ve written many articles under the dim lights at veteran coffee shop Otherlands, fueled by an iced coffee and a bagel with vegan cream cheese. But the Midtown coffee scene has expanded since the 1990s and early 2000s, and Herrington lists out the neighborhood’s old and new coffee houses, from the super-hip City & State to the airy roastery at French Truck Coffee.

Seize & Desist’s new EP

Your fall playlist: Looking for something new to listen to? Daily Memphian guest writer Ezra Wheeler offers up five new albums for the fall, including the latest release from South Memphis rapper Lukah and a debut EP from Seize & Desist. Members of the now-defunct Negro Terror formed Seize & Desist after the death of lead singer, Omar Higgins. In my opinion, Negro Terror was the one of the best local bands of its time, and I’m already streaming the new EP.

The new Wolf River Bluffs subdivision in Frayser is officially open. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Frayser is ‘not Germantown yet’: The $8.6 million dollar Wolf River Bluffs subdivision, a development of 34 new homes where McLean Boulevard dead ends at James Road in Frayser, formally opened on Thursday. Planning for the new subdivision began 18 years ago with a goal of building 300 homes. But it took the city years to complete the streets and infrastructure needed to build the new homes, and by that time, the foreclosure crisis was in full swing. The subdivision’s opening comes as the city is building a new Frayser library and as a new segment of the Wolf River Greenway is coming together. “We’re not Germantown yet,” said Pastor Ricky Floyd at the opening event. “But we’re better than that Frayser we were 15 years ago.”

Three items from Emilio’s Grocery

Betcha can’t pick just one: In today’s $10 Deal, The Daily Memphian’s Josh Carlucci’s eyes were bigger than his stomach, as my me-maw would say. Almost every item on the menu at Emilio’s Grocery, a busy Mexican grocery on Getwell Road, was under $10, so Carlucci went big and ordered a pollo asado burrito, an al pastor torta and chicken flautas. Though he enjoyed every item, the torta, a sandwich he says is “under-ordered and under-appreciated,” was “deeply flavorful, savory, spicy and sweet.”

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Is it just me or did it get cold in here? Oh wait, that’s just the new “icy” Memphis Grizzlies uniforms, inspired by Memphis hip-hop and the Grizzlies players’ own iced-out pendants.

Have an icy cool weekend! You probably will — literally — because the low temps will hit the 20s this weekend. By the way, I’m taking a little more vacation time Monday and Tuesday, so Chris Herrington will be here with your Early Word.

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