Happy Monday, Memphis. It’s May 8, and the Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen will discuss its fiscal year 2024 budget, as well as budget adjustments for the Germantown Municipal School District. And on the agenda at the Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen are right-of-way purchases for a widening of Shelby Drive.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Fans swayed to GloRilla at the Beale Street Music Festival on May 6, 2023. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

River vibes: Beale Street Music Festival-goers were among the first people to experience the newly renovated Tom Lee Park over the weekend, as Memphis in May International Festival kicked off its month-long festivities there. And as The Daily Memphian’s Alicia Davidson found out, fest-goers had mixed reviews. Some enjoyed the new twisting walkways and gardens (which were fenced-off to protect new landscaping), but others complained that the fest felt smaller and lacked vendors. The blues tent was moved to Beale Street this year for space reasons, and that presented a few logistical issues for blues fans. Despite some challenges, our own Chris Herrington says the “vibes are better on the river,” and he thinks the new location is full of promise. The next test? Memphis in May’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. Want to relive the weekend? We’ve got photo galleries from Friday and Saturday.

In fiscal year 2014, the $32 million FedEx paid to fuel planes in Memphis represented two-thirds of the fund’s revenue for that year, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation. (Jose Luis Magana/AP file)

FedEx and taxes: By fiscal year 2025, no business in Tennessee will have to pay more than $1 million in jet fuel taxes, and that equals a big tax cut for Memphis-based FedEx. The General Assembly passed the jet fuel bill after neighboring states passed bills eliminating or capping jet fuel taxes, and the bill’s Republican sponsors — Sen. Brent Taylor and Rep. Mark White of Memphis — say the move keeps the state competitive. But those jet fuel taxes help fund maintenance at airports across the state, and Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis), who voted against the bill, said giving tax breaks to billion-dollar companies isn’t the right move.

“We don’t know if it will be five children, 10 children, 50 children — how many we can handle, how the operation will go,” said Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland on WKNO’s “Behind the Headlines.” (Screenshot from “Behind the Headlines”)

Curfews and crime: The City of Memphis plans to begin enforcing a Downtown curfew for minors in a pilot program this June. On WKNO’s “Behind the Headlines,” Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said the administration is still working out the details of the program, including where juveniles will be held. But will a curfew actually cut down on crime? The Daily Memphian’s Ben Wheeler looks at youth curfews in other cities and finds that many have had the opposite effect. 

A man braved blistering cold temperatures and icy conditions while walking in Downtown on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

TVA ‘fell short’: The Tennessee Valley Authority is accepting responsibility for rolling blackouts in Memphis on Dec. 23 and 24 last year following a winter storm. In a new 15-page “after action” report, the region’s power supplier said “TVA’s objective ... is to never interrupt power. During Winter Storm Elliott, we fell short of that objective.” The blackouts forced TVA to buy emergency power, costing customers $170 million or about an additional $5.20 per customer. But don’t expect Memphis Light, Gas and Water to leave the TVA. Despite repeated questions from the Memphis City Council and city consultant EnerVision, MLGW CEO Doug McGowen said he has no intention of bidding out its energy supply again any time soon.

MEET MEMPHIS

Attorney Leslie Ballin (left) stands with his son Blake Ballin, in front of a portrait of his late father Marvin Ballin in their Downtown offices. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

If you’re facing serious criminal charges in Memphis, there’s one household name that probably comes to mind as you’re looking to hire an attorney: Ballin. For three generations, the Ballin family — Marvin, Leslie and Blake (along with partner Steve Farese) — have taken on some of the region’s highest-profile cases, including the first-degree murder trials of FedEx pilot Michael Mullins and McNairy County preacher’s wife Mary Winkler. And soon, Blake Ballin will defend Desmond Mills Jr., one of the five ex-Memphis Police officers charged with second-degree murder in the beating death of Tyre Nichols. The Daily Memphian’s Don Wade offers a look at how the late Marvin Ballin paved the way for his son and grandson’s law practice and where they are today.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Bill Townsend entertained guests during a private gathering of Annesdale neighbors at the Annesdale Mansion that that he recently purchased. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Who is Bill Townsend? The new owner of Annesdale Mansion has made himself a bit of a local hero, buying up endangered, historic properties with plans to preserve them. In recent years, he’s purchased the old Luciann Theatre on Summer Avenue and Victorian Village’s Lowenstein Mansion, among other notable properties. And he’s working to restore those structures without gentrifying the neighborhood around them. “I want to be able to say that I improve neighborhoods for current and future residents,” said Townsend. The Daily Memphian’s Jane Roberts offers a look at the man with the plans.

iHeartMedia has moved 101.9 KISS FM’s adult contemporary station, featuring Elvis Duran, into the 102.7 signal slot and rebranded it as 102.7 KISS FM. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP file)

Reset your presets: You may have noticed that your usual radio stations aren’t where they used to be. Three media owners, Audacy, Flinn Broadcasting and iHeartMedia, are flipping their programming on local stations. This summer, longtime rock station FM100 is going country as The Wolf 94.1 moves into its slot. And other stations are moving all over the dial: Rock 103 is now Rock 102, and 101.9 KISS FM is now 102.7 KISS FM. Confused? Here’s an update on all the changes. It’s time to reprogram your car’s presets.

The Ferraro family picked up a new library card from Cordova branch librarian Kyla Matthews. (Courtesy Memphis Public Libraries)

Better late than never: Memphis Public Libraries stopped fining patrons for overdue books in November 2019, and library leaders say the change is here to stay. Prior to the change, library staff created a heat map to measure circulation at their 18 branches, and they found that areas most affected by fines had the lowest circulation. The move to do away with late fees was intended to get more people back into the library. (Confession: I stopped going to the local library over fees way back in 2004 or so. Maybe it’s time to go back.) And if you’re still holding onto an overdue book — even if it’s way, way overdue — Memphis Public Libraries executive director Keenon McCloy says “no shame.”

Memphis Showboats quarterback Cole Kelley rolled out during the Showboats game against Houston on Saturday, April 29, at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. (Wes Hale/The Daily Memphian file)

1985, revived: Cue that Bowling for Soup song. The Memphis Showboats, the city’s United States Football League team, had its first victory in about 38 years this past Saturday night at Ford Field in Detroit. Well, sort of. The Showboats beat the Michigan Panthers, 29-10, in their first win since the USFL founded the league in Memphis this season. Though the Showboats are a new team, they share a name with the city’s former USFL team. Those Memphis Showboats experienced their last playoff victory over Denver on June 30, 1985, before the league folded. 

The latest addition to Choices is a new walk-in clinic at its 16,000-square-foot building at 1203 Poplar Ave. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

More choices at Choices: Choices Center for Reproductive Health is opening a new walk-in clinic at its 1203 Poplar Ave. location offering birth control, pregnancy testing, testing for sexually transmitted infections and other services. Choices moved its abortion care services to its new clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, after Tennessee’s abortion ban went into effect last year. 

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

The 80s are here! Plenty won’t appreciate this week’s warmer temps and mugginess, but I’m here for it. Bring on summer, I say. Also, you might want to wear rain boots later this week.

Have a fantastic Monday! And let’s do it again tomorrow.

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