Are you staying cool, Shelby County? We’re in for another scorcher today (and all weekend to be honest). It’s Friday, June 30, and NBA free agency starts tonight. That means we’ll soon learn the fate of outgoing Memphis Grizzlies player Dillon Brooks. 

The Arlington fireworks show is tonight. And tomorrow, look for fireworks after the Memphis Redbirds play the Nashville Sounds at AutoZone Park. Plus, there are Saturday fireworks at Graceland and in Horn Lake. Check out our July 4 guide for more on those shows and other holiday events.

One way to cool off this weekend: Overton Park is rolling out waterslides all over the Greensward on Saturday. Later that night, you can catch Memphis rapper Preauxx at the Overton Park Shell. And after the show, there’s a late soccer match (10 p.m.) between Memphis 901 FC and Phoenix Rising on ESPN2. For more weekend fun, check out The To-Do List.

THE NEED TO KNOW

A special prosecutor has been appointed to investigate Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Special prosecutor will investigate Halbert: A Shelby County judge has appointed a special prosecutor from Chattanooga to investigate Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert for possible removal from office. The Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office received complaints back in March from public officials concerning the operations of her office. And on Thursday, the local DA’s office announced it had requested the move to an outside prosecutor “to avoid a conflict of interest and any appearance of impropriety.”

Mike Morris of Tennessee Disaster Relief cut up a large tree on Oak Road in Bartlett. (Michael Waddell/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Hot stuff: Highs will hover around 100 degrees for the next several days, and the Tennessee Valley Authority is projecting higher-than-average electricity demand. Memphis Light, Gas and Water is asking customers to conserve energy and keep thermostats set around 78. Doug McGowen, MLGW’s president and CEO, offers this practical (albeit dad-like) advice: “Step outside for a moment and come on back in, and you’ll feel very cool.” (Can you feel my eyes rolling?) Speaking of MLGW, McGowen said the power outages from Sunday’s storms could linger through the weekend. MLGW has replaced about 350 utility poles following the storm (and more have to go). The Daily Memphian’s Michael Waddell checks in with residents in some of the hardest-hit areas to see how they’re getting by in this heat.

Last summer, Madeline Johnson was carjacked when leaving Flip Side. (Brad Vest/The Daily Memphian file)

Carjacking victim considers a move: Last week, The Daily Memphian shared results of a public safety poll that found 39% of Memphians and 53% of Shelby County residents had considered moving away because of crime. In his latest column, Geoff Calkins shares the story of one Midtowner who could count herself among them. Madeline Johnson moved to Memphis from Chicago for a teaching job. Since then, she’s been carjacked once and narrowly escaped an attempted carjacking just 11 months later. Now, she’s considering whether to stay in Memphis.

Family and friends of Jarveon Hudspeth called for transparency in his June 24 death following a traffic stop in Raleigh. (Julia Baker/The Daily Memphian)

Hudspeth family hires Ben Crump: The family of Jarveon Hudspeth, the 21-year-old college student killed during a traffic stop on June 24, has hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump, the same lawyer representing Tyre Nichols’ family. According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, a still-unnamed Shelby County Sheriff’s deputy approached Hudspeth’s parked car in Raleigh. The TBI says the situation escalated, and Hudspeth allegedly tried to leave the scene, dragging the deputy who was caught in the car’s door. The deputy then shot Hudspeth, who died on the way to the hospital. At a press conference on Thursday, Hudspeth’s family called for transparency.

Trans-rights advocates, standing on the balcony of the Tennessee House of Representatives, protested bills that would stunt access to care for trans youth on Thursday, Feb. 23. (Courtesy Tennessee Equality Project)

State will appeal decision on trans youth care: Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti began the appeal process after a federal judge partially blocked the state’s new law banning gender-affirming care for trans youth. On Wednesday, a judge wrote that it was unconstitutional for the state to ban treatments, such as puberty blockers to aid in gender transition, when they are legal to treat other conditions. Skrmetti’s office filed an emergency motion asking the court to reverse the preliminary injunction.

MEET MEMPHIS

Southaven poet William Hill represented Mississippi at a national poetry slam in Iowa. “It sounds kind of trite, but I write what’s on my heart,” he said. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Southaven poet William Hill didn’t start writing until later in life. As a child, he feared teachers would judge him because of his dyslexia. “I finally figured out that what people said didn’t matter,” Hill said. Just last week, the 74-year-old member of the Mississippi Poetry Society represented the Magnolia State at the BlackBerry Peach National Poetry Slam in Iowa.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Cullen Kent, longtime owner and chef at Cafe Society, sold the restaurant to new owners. (The Daily Memphian file)

Cafe Society sold: Midtown’s Cafe Society will close after today and reopen soon with new, mystery owners. “They’re going to come in and do a reboot, and [it will be] something not too terribly different,” said longtime owner Cullen Kent. Kent, who has run the Belgian/French/American cafe for 18 years, plans to spend more time with his family in Memphis and Texas. 

Germantown citizens listened to Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy, who spoke during his town hall series at Germantown City Hall on Thursday, June 29. (Ziggy Mack/Special to The Daily Memphian)

About that Germantown party: On Thursday night, Steve Mulroy, Shelby County district attorney general, addressed a recent Germantown party that has residents of the Oakleigh subdivision up in arms. According to residents, guests at the Saturday, June 24, party raced cars up and down the street and brandished guns. “I’m sure that the party was loud and obnoxious, and I’m not trying to trivialize that. But the thing that really concerns me is [the racing and guns] because that’s an actual public safety issue.” Mulroy encouraged residents to send video from the event and said he’d prosecute any suspects. Mulroy also addressed the status of the Eliza Fletcher case and trial backlogs.

Sterilization Services of Tennessee is located in South Memphis. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Skrmetti’s been busy: In more Jonathan Skrmetti news, the Tennessee attorney general is leading a coalition in opposition to federal rules that would limit cancer-causing emissions in South Memphis. The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed new regulations that would cut ethylene oxide, or EtO, emissions at Sterilization Services of Tennessee by about 80 percent. Skrmetti said the rules would hurt the national medical device supply chain. The EPA says EtO exposure increases a person’s lifetime cancer risk to 2,000 in a million. But Skrmetti isn’t totally pro-chemicals: On Thursday, he filed a lawsuit against 20 companies that manufacture so-called “forever chemicals” for firefighting foam.

The Lucius E. and Elsie C. Burch Jr. Library on Poplar View Parkway in Collierville is 22 years old and smaller than advised for the town’s population. (Abigail Warren/The Daily Memphian)

Collierville library may turn the page: Collierville has about 20,000 more residents than it did when the town’s Lucius E. and Elsie C. Burch Jr. Library opened in 2001. A consulting firm hired by the Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen recently shared results of a study looking into an expanded library that would include lower shelves for children’s books, more space for studying and hosting meetings and more teen activities.

The sweetness of the fruit in Emerald Thai’s pineapple fried rice balances out the spice of the chili, with notes of fish sauce and finished with a squeeze of lime. (Joshua Carlucci/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Thai gem in Lakeland: Greater Memphis is essentially a Thai food desert. After the losses of Bhan Thai (still not over that one) and Thai Basil (closing today), only a few Thai oases remain. One of those is Emerald Thai in Lakeland, and Daily Memphian freelancer Josh Carlucci tells us about the restaurant’s pineapple fried rice in this week’s $10 Deal. He also explains the difference between Thai fried rice and the more ubiquitous Chinese-American version. 

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

On Monday, Drake received the key to Shelby County at Railgarten. Since then, he’s been spotted around town, even making a stop at the University of Memphis Tiger Bookstore.

Alright, well, I guess keep those thermostats set at 78 degrees (groan). I’ll see you back here on Monday if we don’t all melt first. 

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