How’s it going, Shelby County? The Memphis Light, Gas and Water board will take up several resolutions for large contracts that require Memphis City Council approval, including a purchase of half-ton pick-up trucks. The dollar amounts for MLGW employee salaries and contracts that require council approval have been a hot topic as of late.

Tonight, the Memphis Grizzlies are in Milwaukee to play the Bucks. Here at home, Broadway classic “Wicked,” about a green-skinned girl who’s more than a little misunderstood, opens at the Orpheum Theatre.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Located at 1669 Central Ave., Immaculate Conception Cathedral School serves children in Pre-K through 8th grade. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Midtown private school to close: Immaculate Conception Cathedral School will close at the end of the school year, due to declining enrollment. The co-ed parochial school on the campus of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception serves students in pre-K through eighth grade, and it’s been around since 1921. But a curriculum change in 2022 wasn’t popular with some parents, and enrollment has been declining since. School leaders’ hopes that the state’s new education voucher program would help save the school haven’t panned out. 

Judge Melissa Boyd appeared in court on March 27 for a hearing to determine if her bond would be revoked. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Judge Boyd steps down: Shelby County Judge Melissa Boyd resigned on Tuesday, halting a planned Thursday vote by state lawmakers to remove her from the bench. Just days ago, a letter from her attorney said she planned to resign on May 31, but that wouldn’t have stopped the vote. Boyd has been suspended over alleged drug use, and she’s currently in jail for bond violations related to alleged harassment of her former campaign manager.

“Another layer of supervision is a part of the process to prevent us from being under a consent decree,” Memphis Mayor Paul Young said about the second lieutenant position within the Memphis Police Department. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

New police rank may prevent federal oversight: Memphis Mayor Paul Young told Memphis Police Department officers that the additional supervision created by a new, controversial second lieutenant position could “prevent us from being under a consent decree” by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Memphis Police Department is currently under investigation by the DOJ for unlawful stops, excessive force and racially discriminatory practices. But the new second lieutenant position has led to a fight between the MPD and the police union, which claims the MPD violated an agreement by creating the new rank. An arbitrator ruled in favor of the union in early March, but the city filed a petition to vacate that ruling last week. Meanwhile, officers have said the situation has led to “complete chaos” within the ranks.

Officials are planning a $550 million renovation to FedExForum. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

FedExForum reno projects approved: On Tuesday, the Memphis and Shelby County Sports Authority approved spending up to $8 million of the $550 million in planned renovations for FedExForum. The board also approved two FedExForum projects, including a new seating bowl sound system and new rigging for concerts. The latter is needed, according to the firm running the renovations, because Memphis is being skipped over for concerts. The bids for both projects came in lower than expected, and some board members questioned where those bids came from.

QUOTED

Collierville Schools Superintendent Russell Dyer has been visiting schools as a part of a plan to relearn the suburb’s schools and community. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

“ [Russell Dyer] understands he is the face of the school system. ... We chose very well in who we picked.”

— Collierville Schools board Chairman Wright Cox
Dyer, the new superintendent at Collierville Schools, is making his rounds at each of the suburb’s schools this week to meet with students and teachers. Cox commended the new school leader for getting to know the community he’s serving.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Melissa Mackey pets Alfalfa, a rescue dog who has been paired with women in the Shelby County Department of Corrections to receive training. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Pawsitive vibes only: Forget “Pit Bulls & Parolees,” the Animal Planet show where ex-cons help rehabilitate dogs on the outside; a new program with the Shelby County Department of Corrections starts the training on the inside. In its first five weeks, the new dog-training program has so far three paired dogs from the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County with six incarcerated women. They spend time training basic commands, like “sit” and “roll over,” to make the dogs more adoptable. And the program gives the women skills they can use on the outside.

University of Memphis guard Carl Cherenfant (middle) during practice on Sept. 27, 2023. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Another one bites the dust: Memphis Tigers basketball guard Carl Cherenfant likely won’t return to the team next season. Cherenfant plans to join backup point guard Jayhlon Young and reserve wing Jonathan Pierre in the NCAA transfer portal. Also, it sounds like Tigers star David Jones is on the fence, too. He weighed his options in a recent interview for a sports show in his native Dominican Republic. But in other Tigers sports news, there will be one familiar name returning to the football team: Coach Ryan Silverfield. The coach, who guided the team to 10 wins last season, has agreed to a new contract. And in Tigers baseball news, the team scored a 9-4 victory over Ole Miss on Tuesday.

Not old school but new school: Christian Life Church in Bartlett is one step closer to building a new school on its property after the Bartlett Municipal Planning Commission recommended its approval this week. The church has plans for a school that could enroll up to 150 students, but last month, the planning commission delayed a vote on the school after neighbors shared traffic concerns. Bartlett’s engineering director said this week the city has a plan to address that traffic. 

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Remember when October was the busiest month for events in Memphis? Now, it seems that’s April; just check out all of the events in our April food guide.

Alright, I’m off to try and whittle down my social calendar for the month. Good luck if you’re trying to do the same. 

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