Bonjour, Memphis! It’s Bastille Day, so break out the baguette with jam and cafe au lait for breakfast. Today is Friday, July 14, the first day for early voting in the state House District 86 race. And you can sip on 12 cocktails at a summer fest at Shelby Farms (don’t worry; they’re sample-sized). The Memphis Redbirds open a three-game series against the Gwinnett Stripers at AutoZone Park tonight, and the Memphis Grizzlies play the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA 2K24 Summer League in a super-late game.

On Saturday, the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission will host a walk against gun violence in Westwood. Back on sports, “The Grindfather” Tony Allen returns to the Grindhouse with the Big3 basketball league. And Memphis 901 FC — led by USL coach of the month Stephen Glass — plays Sacramento Republic FC in an away game. 

On Sunday, the Metal Museum hosts an opening reception for new works made from salvaged materials by artist Richard Carr. And a host of well-known local artists will be selling trading card-sized artworks at an event at Art Bar. For more weekend ideas, check out The To-Do List.

One last thing: Our hot deal on Daily Memphian subscriptions is so hot, it’s about to fizzle out. Today is the last day to save 25% with the code HOTDEAL. So grab a subscription now and keep getting the full Early Word in your inbox. 

THE NEED TO KNOW

Larry Pickens appeared in Collierville Municipal Court for an arraignment on July 13. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Update on alleged Campbell Clinic shooter: Campbell Clinic staff called Germantown Police twice on July 5 over what they said was unusual behavior exhibited by Larry Pickens, the man charged with killing Dr. Ben Mauck on Tuesday, July 11. Mauck was shot in an exam room at Campbell Clinic’s Collierville location, and police detained Pickens shortly after. Pickens was arraigned in a Collierville court on Thursday. This isn’t Pickens’ first brush with the law. He was previously arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder in 2016 and aggravated assault in 2014; both charges stemmed from alleged incidents with his mother’s partner. Neither of those cases against Pickens moved forward.

Lisa Marie Presley was the only child of Elvis Presley. She died in January of this year. (AP file)

Lisa Marie’s cause of death: Lisa Marie Presley died of natural causes, according to a medical examiner’s report released on Thursday. Presley’s cause of death was apparently a bowel obstruction caused by scar tissue from a previous bariatric surgery. She died on Thursday, Jan. 12, after being rushed to the hospital from her Calabasas, California, home. A memorial service was held at Graceland on Jan. 22.

A couple watches the Mississippi River pass by from the American Queen’s Front Porch Cafe. (Keely Brewer/The Daily Memphian file)

Going to need a bigger dock: Cruises returned to the river about 10 years ago, and yet Memphis still only has one proper dock at Beale Street Landing. When cruise boats dock upriver at Greenbelt Park, crews have to tie the boats to a tree and refill water from a hydrant on the street. The dock conditions aren’t ideal for passengers either. But the city has plans for a $35 million expansion of its docking infrastructure as it bets on the future of the overnight river cruise industry, despite fluctuating demand due to cruise market saturation. In the first of a three-part series, The Daily Memphian’s Keely Brewer takes a look at the industry a decade after its return.

FDA approves OTC birth control: Women will soon be able to buy birth control over the counter without a prescription, thanks to the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Opill oral contraceptives. Local reproductive health experts say the pill could be a game-changer for underinsured and uninsured women in Memphis. “Now, they will just be able to go to the CVS and get it right off the shelf and not have to find transportation to get to the doctor’s office or hope their insurance is good enough,” said Dr. John Schorge, chair of OB/GYN at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. 

MEET MEMPHIS

Former Arlington High player Nathan Hoover (left) played for the Memphis Grizzlies at an NBA summer league game against the Los Angeles Clippers. (Drew Hill/The Daily Memphian)

Former Arlington High player Nathan Hoover’s pro basketball career has been a bumpy one, due to circumstances beyond his control. But earlier this week, he finally got a chance to shine as a starter for the Memphis Grizzlies (filling in for Vince Williams Jr.) with the NBA 2K24 Summer League. Hoover graduated from college in 2020, just as the pandemic was shutting down professional basketball chances. He finally got his shot at going pro in the Belarusian Premier League in 2021, but the Russia-Ukraine war sent him home five months later. As for what’s next, Hoover hopes to find an opportunity in the U.S., mostly for language reasons. In other Grizz news, the team is hiring former Miami Heat assistant coach Anthony Carter.

THE NICE TO KNOW

The new Blue Note Bourbon tasting room includes a bar and lounge area; the wooden interior was constructed from recycled oak pallets used to store barrels. (Courtesy Blue Note Bourbon)

Whiskey business: Blue Note Bourbon, which launched in Memphis a decade ago, celebrates the grand opening of its new tasting room in New Chicago today. The tasting room is part of the company’s 27,000-square-foot production facility, and it features a bar and lounge. Staff will offer tours of the facility, and there’s a shop where bottled bourbon and merchandise is available for purchase. Earlier this year, two Blue Note brands, Juke Joint and Crossroads, won awards at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Carol Coletta, president and CEO of the Memphis River Parks Partnership, spoke at Fourth Bluff Park at a Tom Lee Day celebration on May 8, 2021. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Coletta in the top 100: Carol Coletta, president and CEO of the Memphis River Parks Partnership, is among the top 100 most influential urbanists of all time, according to a newly updated list from urban planning news site Planetizen. Coletta was ranked No. 62, up a few points from her ranking when the first list was released in 2017.

Alabama guard Jahvon Quinerly looked to pass the ball against Texas A&M in an NCAA game on March 4, 2023, in College Station, Texas. (Sam Craft/AP file)

Another new Tiger: Former Alabama guard Jahvon Quinerly is joining the Memphis Tigers basketball team. Quinerly spent the past four seasons with the Crimson Tide, and he’s coming to Memphis on his last season of NCAA eligibility. Quinerly’s stats from last season are modest, but those numbers hardly tell the full story.

Gwendolyn Sutton, the new TCAT Memphis president, said she wants to increase the availability of night classes and dual enrollment for high schoolers. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Old buildings, new money: The Tennessee College of Applied Technology’s Memphis campus, which leaders there say is in poor condition, will get a rebuild, thanks to a $89 million from the state. The State Building Commission approved almost $718 million to upgrade the state’s technical colleges, and TCAT Memphis received the most funding. In other news of a planned renovation, the Olive Branch Airport received $500,000 from the Mississippi Transportation Commission to rehabilitate the airport’s south apron. And in real estate news, two office buildings in East Memphis’ Eastgate Shopping Center could be up for sale soon. 

The shiro wat at Horn of Africa is a little more than $10, but it’s still a deal. (Joshua Carlucci/The Daily Memphian)

Wat a deal: In this week’s $10 Deal, Daily Memphian freelancer Joshua Carlucci explored the cuisine of Ethiopia at Horn of Africa. He actually went over budget a little on the vegetarian shiro wat (a chickpea flour stew that’s a personal favorite of mine) at $10.99, but the hearty meal is probably all you need (you might want to pack some mints). There are a couple of legit $10 deals on the menu though — mandazi fried bread and sambusa savory pastries — and Carlucci tried those, too. 

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Danielle Ballard, who starred for Central High’s state title team in 2011, was killed on Thursday after being hit by a car at Coleman Road and Raleigh-Lagrange Road. Ballard, 29, was part of a star-studded Warriors basketball team that won Central’s first state championship in 89 years. She went on to have a successful college basketball career at Louisiana State University. Social media was flooded with tributes to the star on Thursday.

Rest in peace, Danielle Ballard.

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