It’s a tee-utiful Friday, Memphis. It’s Oct. 27, and you’ve probably already guessed, thanks to my silly golf pun, but Topgolf is opening today. It’s also the first day for early voting in three Memphis City Council runoff elections; we’ve got your ballot basics guide here.

There’s also a Shelby County Health Department-sponsored flu and COVID-19 vaccination pop-up Downtown today. Tonight, the Memphis Grizzlies get another go at a win as they take on the Denver Nuggets at home. Fingers and toes crossed!

On Saturday, India Fest, my favorite local festival, is back at Agricenter International after a three-year hiatus, and Rock-n-Romp (the concert series for parents and kids) is back after a much longer break. It’s also the last day to eat at Local on the Square before it becomes the second Overton Square business to close in a month’s time. As for sports, the Memphis Tigers football team takes on North Texas in quarterback Seth Henigan’s hometown. And the Memphis Grizzlies will play against former teammate Tyus Jones, now with the Washington Wizards, for the first time. Saturday evening is essentially Halloween for grown-ups, making it the perfect night for witchy woman Stevie Nicks to take the stage at FedExForum. 

Memphis Tigers basketball kicks off at FedExForum on Sunday with the first exhibition game against Lane College. For more weekend fun, consult our To-Do-List.

THE NEED TO KNOW

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the stabbing of a jail inmate in a holding area behind Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Paula Skahan’s courtroom on Thursday, Oct. 26. (The Daily Memphian)

Jail detainee killed in court: Shelby County Jail detainee Deion Byrd, 25, died on Thursday after being stabbed by another inmate behind a criminal courtroom. A Daily Memphian reporter was in Judge Paula Skahan’s courtroom at the time and heard the commotion in a holding area. Skahan called the stabbing a “disaster waiting to happen,” and another Criminal Court judge, Chris Craft, said inmates are supposed to be checked for weapons before entering the courtroom. The inmate who allegedly killed Byrd has not yet been identified. 

Poll workers helped voters on Thursday, Oct. 5, at Second Baptist Church. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Get out the vote — again: If you live in Memphis City Council Districts 2, 3 or 7, you’ll need to get back to the polls. Early voting for runoffs in those districts starts today and runs through Nov. 11; Election Day is Nov. 16. In District 2, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris’ advisor Jerri Green is up against former Memphis City Council member Scott McCormick. In District 3, retired Memphis Police colonel James Kirkwood is in a race with Whitehaven activist Pearl Walker. And in District 7, incumbent council member Michalyn Easter-Thomas is fighting to keep her seat in a runoff with men’s clothing store owner Jimmy Hassan. Our own Bill Dries has this rundown of the runoffs, and a guide on what to expect at the polls.

Sherwood Middle School eighth grader Devin Donerson checked his work on an algebra problem before submitting his answer into virtual classroom software. (The Daily Memphian file)

Report cards for schools: A 2016 Tennessee law requires the state to assign each public school a letter grade, from A to F, based mostly on student test results. And after seven years with no grades issued yet, report card time is finally coming in November. But the state’s education department, led by new Commissioner Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds, is changing the grading formula in a way that could result in worse grades than expected for many schools, especially those serving students from lower-income families. Schools that get D’s or F’s could face hearings or audits of spending and academic programming. Some public school leaders think Gov. Bill Lee’s school choice agenda is driving the move to tougher grading. 

MEET MEMPHIS

University of Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan said being the son of a high school football coach influenced his drive to play well. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Memphis Tigers quarterback Seth Henigan is a coach’s kid. His dad, Dave Henigan, is the head coach at Denton High School in Denton, Texas, and though he never tried to sway his sons into playing football, it came naturally. And Seth Henigan went hard. He would sleep overnight in the locker room during fall camp heading into his freshman year at Memphis, just so he could watch more game film. And when Seth asked for more coaching, Dave was there for extra throws or bonus time in the weight room. “People pay a lot of money to get one-on-one private quarterback training,” said Dave Henigan. For his sons, it was free. This Saturday, the Tigers will be in the Henigans’ hometown as they play North Texas, and the elder Henigan said the team can expect a sea of blue in the bleachers. 

THE NICE TO KNOW

Terrence Howard will host the premiere of “Showdown at the Grand” at the Malco Powerhouse Cinema Grill. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP file)

A date with DJay: Academy-Award nominated actor Terrence Howard, who played DJay in Craig Brewer’s breakout hit “Hustle & Flow,” is coming back to Memphis. Howard stars in the new film, “Showdown at the Grand,” which will premiere at the Malco Powerhouse Cinema Grill on Wednesday, Nov. 8. “Something about [Memphis] brings out the very best in me, and maybe it’s just because the city is no frills. It is what it is,” Howard said. The event will serve as both a fundraiser for the Memphis and Shelby County Film and Television Commission and the kickoff for Howard’s campaign to get people back in movie theaters post-pandemic. As for “Hustle & Flow,” Howard spilled some tea: He’s in the process of suing Paramount for musical royalties related to the film.

Dino’s Grill is located at 645 N. McLean Blvd. in Midtown’s Vollintine Evergreen neighborhood. (Joshua Carlucci/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Just like grandma’s house: Italian food doesn’t have to mean date-night fancy. Skip the candlelit spots and head to Midtown’s Dino’s Grill, where Italian-American comfort food like country-fried steak and homemade lasagna is served in a no-frills dining room for a decent price. It’s the kind of place that reminds food writer Joshua Carlucci of his great-grandmother’s house. You’ll even find a few $10 Deals, like Italian sausage and veal parmesan sandwiches, which are both topped with a red sauce that Carlucci describes as “heavy on the onions and oregano, just like any decent Sunday gravy should be.”

A rendering of what the Hotel Chisca sign could look like. (Courtesy LSI Graphics)

New LYFE for Chisca sign? The LYFE Kitchen in Downtown’s Chisca Building closed way back in 2018 (RIP, Quinoa Crunch Bowl). But did you know the restaurant’s sign is still atop the building? I guess I never look up. But it’s there, and the building’s owner has filed a request with the Downtown’s Design Review Board to replace it with a Chisca sign.

University of Memphis forward Mya Jones (9) scored the Tigers’ two goals in the first half. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Goal digger: The Memphis Tigers women’s soccer team ended its regular season with a 2-0 win on Thursday at Tulsa. That was thanks in part to two first-half goals by senior forward Mya Jones. She scored her eighth goal of the season in the third minute of play and followed that up with her ninth goal in the 45th minute. Up next, the Tigers will play in the first round of the AAC Championship against UAB on Halloween.

A rendering of the $25 million veteran community center planned as part of the redevelopment of the Lakeland Gateway district. (Courtesy Midsouth Veterans League Inc.)

For the vets: Plans for a new veterans center in the Lakeland Gateway area include a rental hall, a basketball court with disabled access, a museum on the history of Mid-South vets, youth areas and picnic tables. What it won’t have: a bar. “Everyone always says ‘American Legion, VFW, how big’s your bar going to be?' We’re not having a bar. We’ll have a refreshment area instead since we want it to be a community center,” Adams said. Negotiations are still underway on the property, but Midsouth Veterans League’s president is hoping construction will be underway by next spring.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Memphis Grizzly Luke Kennard pledged to make a donation to St. Jude for every 3-pointer he makes this season. So far, he’s not gotten off to a good start. Here’s hoping Cool Hand Luke gets his groove back this weekend.

If you’re dressing up for a Halloween party on Saturday, you might get wet, but you’ll be warm.

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