Greetings, Shelby County. It’s Monday, May 22, the first day for Memphis mayoral hopefuls and other city candidates to pull qualifying petitions. Want to run for mayor but haven’t lived in the city for five years? No worries.

Over in Collierville, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen will vote on the sale of the former University of Memphis satellite campus to the town’s school system for use as the district’s central offices.

And Memphis-Shelby County Schools board chair Althea Greene will meet today with community leaders to discuss the banning of five local activists from MSCS properties following a contentious meeting on the stalled superintendent search.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Physical therapist Justin Morris helped a long COVID patient with joint pain stemming from her long COVID-19 symptoms. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Living with long COVID: Long COVID is a bit of a medical mystery. The “Post-COVID-19 Condition,” as it’s officially designated by the World Health Organization, causes over 200 signs and symptoms, including brain fog and fatigue, but each patient’s experience differs. It also doesn’t seem to matter how bad a person’s original case of COVID was; both mild and severe cases can result in enduring and diverse symptoms. The Daily Memphian’s Don Wade talked to a few Memphians living with long COVID about the struggles they face as they navigate daily life.

Speaking of COVID: Now that the federal public health emergency for COVID has expired, TennCare will soon take away health coverage from ineligible enrollees. Under the health emergency declared in March 2020, state Medicaid agencies were prohibited from cutting anyone’s coverage. But beginning in June, some could lose coverage, and thousands are expected to be cut over the next year. If you or someone you know has TennCare now and want to make sure you retain all health coverage, you’ll want to read this story.

Memphis mayoral candidates spoke at a mayor’s race forum at Mosaic Church on April 29. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

On the ballot: Today is the first day for potential candidates for City of Memphis offices to pull a petition for the October ballot. The Daily Memphian’s Bill Dries offers a look at the Memphis City Council races so far. And he was on-hand this weekend at Dreamfest, where a People’s Convention meet-and-greet featured five Memphis mayoral candidates. Some of those candidates doubted the accuracy of a recent Greater 901 Initiative poll that showed Floyd Bonner and Van Turner leading the mayoral race. (It did, after all, include Jesus as a candidate.) And they offered their thoughts on Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins’ recent ruling that Memphis doesn’t have a five-year residency requirement. Speaking of that ruling, with residency out the window, The Daily Memphian’s Geoff Calkins says the possibilities for mayor are endless and makes a few tongue-in-cheek suggestions: Justin Timberlake? The Rock? Former Memphis Grizzlies star Zach Randolph? (Mayor Z-Bo does have a nice ring to it.)

Attorneys argued over the release of more evidence in the death of Tyre Nichols in Shelby County Criminal Court on Friday, May 19. (Julia Baker/The Daily Memphian)

Tyre Nichols evidence on hold: The release of additional evidence in the Tyre Nichols case, which has been held up in court, remains on hold following a hearing on Friday. A protection order, filed by an attorney representing Desmond Mills (one of the five Memphis police officers charged in Nichols’ death), is preventing the release of additional video, audio and other evidence. And a verbal gag order has held up the release of personnel records for Demetrius Haley, another of the five officers charged. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed the motion to intervene in the State of Tennessee v. Haley and the other defendants in the case. (The Daily Memphian and other local news organizations are parties in the suit.)

MEET MEMPHIS

Memphis Jewish Home & Rehab resident Teresa James, 67, wished for a large family dinner at The Butcher Shop. Her daughter will travel to Memphis for the celebration. (Courtesy Paige Miller)

Nonprofit nursing home Memphis Jewish Home & Rehab in Cordova recently launched its new Wishmakers program, and residents have, so far, been making fairly modest requests: a picnic at Herb Parsons Lake, a visit to Crosstown Concourse. Kaliope “Popi” Pitta recently enjoyed her wish of a gathering with her large family at Memphis Pizza Cafe. Some of the wishes may take a little extra work for rehab staff though: One resident wants to meet Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry. (Hey, go big or go home, right?)

THE NICE TO KNOW

Debbie Jones said she tried to create a home life that equipped sons Tyus Jones (left) and Tre Jones to reach their potential. (Courtesy Debbie Jones)

Mr. Jones and mom: Before there was Memphis Grizzlies Coach Taylor Jenkins, there was Coach Debbie Jones. Grizzlies backup point guard Tyus Jones was coached by his mom until he reached the eighth grade, which by the way, was the same year he received his first college offer. In the final installment of this year’s “Mama Bears” series on Grizzly moms, we meet Debbie Jones, who raised two basketball stars (Tyus’ brother Tre Jones plays for the San Antonio Spurs) and a basketball trainer (her eldest son, Jadee Jones). In other weekend sports news, The Daily Memphian’s Parth Upadhyaya lets us in on what former Memphis Tiger Kendric Davis has been up to. And a group of Tigers basketball alumni are getting the gang back together. Plus, the Memphis Showboats earned their third consecutive win over the Pittsburgh Maulers, 22-0, on Saturday.

Phillip Cox, pictured, and Amanda Martelli are Lakeland residents who are opening the Owner’s Box Sports Grill in the Lakeland Town Square off U.S. 70. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Raising the (sports) bar: Sports bars aren’t typically fancy, but a new Lakeland bar is aiming to step up the game-night bar game. “What we’re going for is a little more upscale. We’ll have a nice wine selection and bourbon list, and we’ll have steak and shrimp on the menu,” said Phillip Cox, co-owner of The Owner’s Box Sports Grill, which is opening soon in Lakeland Town Square. The restaurant will boast 36 high-definition TVs with all the sports packages (including a cornhole network) and an elevated private room designed to feel like an owner’s box.

The Sweet Cheeks team celebrated winning the top prize in the shoulder category. Team leader Alex Boggs said, “They told us when I took over this team that you can’t be a party team and still compete. And we’re proving the people wrong.” (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Up in smoke: Memphis in May International Festival’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest wrapped up on Saturday. Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krewe took home the Grand Champion prize, marking the first time in 22 years that a team in the rib category won the top prize (a whopping $25,000). The Daily Memphian’s Holly Whitfield was there for all the barbecue revelry and offers this rundown of the winners and how the fest went in the newly renovated Tom Lee Park. In other barbecue news, “the winningest woman in barbecue,” Melissa Cookston, says this past barbecue fest will be her last competition.

A. Maceo Walker Middle School counselor Tosha Spears (right) and assistant principal Terry Smith Sr. led a session of Project RESTORE, a program aimed at curbing violence in district schools. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Reset and restore: Just months after its launch, a new Memphis-Shelby County Schools program is already having a positive impact on troubled students. Project RESTORE offers “restorative circles” where students who have received disciplinary measures, like suspension, can sit together and discuss their feelings in a safe space. Two hundred students from 25 schools were selected for the program. “Two weeks ago I was about to make the wrong decision. … then I just took a breath and walked away from it,” said one seventh grader from A. Maceo Walker Middle School’s RESTORE group.

The Memphis Zoo’s Sumatran tiger cubs were born as a part of a worldwide breeding program for endangered species. (Courtesy Memphis Zoo)

Cool cats and kittens: Two rare Sumatran tiger cubs were born at the Memphis Zoo earlier this month. The World Wildlife Fund estimates there are only 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild, and the two new cubs were part of a worldwide captive breeding program designed to keep the species in existence. Memphis Zoo curator Dan Dembiec said the cubs’ parents — Dari and Gusti — have been courting for quite some time. (And by the way, Dari, the mother, is a bit of a cougar.) “With two first-time mates, it took almost a year for them to understand what to do, but clearly, they figured it out,” Dembiec said. 

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

Could a forecast be any better? This week looks like a dream.

Enjoy that perfect weather today. And if you’re running for office, go pull those petitions!

.....