Cheers, Memphis! It’s Wednesday, Jan. 24, and I’m raising a tall glass of clean Memphis tap water. Plus, there’s no snow in sight, and it feels like spring. Maybe those positive vibes will rub off on the Memphis Grizzlies as they take on the Miami Heat tonight, fresh off a Monday night win against the Toronto Raptors.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis addressed the Memphis City Council while flanked by Memphis Mayor Paul Young during a Jan. 23, meeting. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Police chief appointment tabled: On Tuesday, Memphis Mayor Paul Young withdrew his reappointment of Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis — for now. But he plans to bring back her appointment at a future date, and until then, she’ll serve in an interim role. The Memphis City Council was expected to vote on reinstating Davis at its Tuesday meeting, but her reappointment failed a council test vote two weeks ago. Another Young reappointment, that of Public Works Director Robert Knecht, faced pushback from the council, too. But they did approve nine other division directors on Tuesday. In other Young-City Council showdown news, the mayor vetoed a referendum ordinance that would allow the council to set its own pay and that of city division directors, only to have the council vote to override that veto.

Sheahan Pumping Station on Grandview Avenue. Pumping stations send water drawn from wells to customers through the mains. (The Daily Memphian file)

Come on in, the water’s fine: Pour yourself a glass of tap water, friends. In fact, put it in a champagne flute because we’re celebrating. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably already know Memphis Light, Gas and Water lifted its precautionary boil-water advisory on Tuesday, four days after it was issued. But if you haven’t cleared your lines yet, here’s how. What’s with all the weather-related water woes in recent years? MLGW President and CEO Doug McGowen blamed them on a combination of changing weather patterns and aging infrastructure. In short, Southern cities — just like their residents — weren’t built for extreme winter weather. The Daily Memphian’s Keely Brewer looks into what’s going wrong with our water and what MLGW is doing to prevent future boil-water advisories.

BOLO: Two inmates in DeSoto County are on the run after escaping custody on Tuesday morning. Gene Dewayne Saulsberry, who was serving time for shoplifting, and Moumen Rafat Mawlawi, serving time for auto theft, were trusties working at a job site at a Hernando-based nonprofit at the time of their escape. One alleged accomplice has been charged.

QUOTED

Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy exited the Odell Horton Federal Building on Nov. 2, 2023, after Desmond Mills pleaded guilty for his role in the death of Tyre Nichols. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

“To say that that first year was a challenging one would be an understatement.”

— Steve Mulroy, Shelby County District Attorney General
In his first year as DA, Mulroy’s office handled more than 87,000 cases with an average caseload of 498 per prosecutor, according to a report released Tuesday. Included in that number are cases related to the death of Eliza Fletcher, Tyre Nichols and those killed during a citywide shooting spree in September 2022.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Sara Lewis (middle) attended Memphis City Council member Jeff Warren’s (left) swearing-in ceremony in January. Judge Jayne Chandler delivered the oath. (Courtesy Jeff Warren)

Remembering Sara Lewis: Longtime Memphis City Schools board member Sara Lewis, died on Monday, Jan. 22, of heart failure at age 87. Lewis, a fierce advocate for public education, served 14 years on the school board and was a former principal of Lauderdale Elementary. Described as “energetic, feisty and opinionated” by former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, Lewis was the first Black person elected to a leadership role in the Memphis teachers’ union. The Daily Memphian’s Jane Roberts offers this look back on her life and legacy.

Jerome Wright

Remembering Jerome Wright: Memphis journalist Jerome Wright, who worked at The Commercial Appeal for “45 years, seven months and 16 days” (his words), died on Monday at age 74. Though Wright retired from the CA in 2017, he was working a part-time job as an editor at the Tri-State Defender at the time of his death. Wright, who had a “belief that everybody deserved to be heard,” got his start in local journalism a few years after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. In this remembrance, The Daily Memphian’s Geoff Calkins describes Wright as “kind and passionate and fair and tough … deeply informed and … relentlessly curious.”

Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway instructed his team during a game against UTSA on Wednesday, Jan. 10, in Memphis. (Nikki Boertman/AP)

Penny is done playing: Memphis Tigers coach Penny Hardaway admitted on his radio show this week that he’s been less aggressive with his team this season than in years past. But after two back-to-back losses and a fall from the Associated Press Top 10, it’s going to be no more Mr. Nice Guy. “I’ve given them the first three months off, really, as far as … letting guys miss practices because of little knickknack injuries. We really didn’t practice like I usually do. This week is gonna be a good week,” Hardaway said. Our own Tim Buckley breaks down, play-by-play, what went wrong in the Tigers’ loss to Tulane and how to fix it. But if you ask one college basketball analyst, it may already be too late for the Tigers.

The Collierville Schools Board voted to retain Wright Cox as board chair. (Greg Campbell/The Daily Memphian file)

Rezoning delayed: Collierville Schools elementary students and their parents won’t have to worry about shuffling around to new schools until the 2025-26 school year. On Tuesday night, the Collierville Schools Board of Education voted to delay a planned rezoning of its elementary schools for a number of reasons. For one, new Superintendent Russell Dyer won’t start until mid-March, and the board wants him to lead the process. In other action, the board voted on its chair and other officers Tuesday night. 

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

I sure hope that water cooler jug is filled with tap water. Drink up, Memphis. 

Happy hydration! And I’ll see you tomorrow.

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