Can you feel the beat, Memphis? It’s Friday, May 3, and the new, three-day Riverbeat Music Festival kicks off tonight at Tom Lee Park. This riverfront fest is not operated by Memphis in May, but after yesterday’s rain, it seems “Memphis in Mud” is still a thing. May want to wear your rain boots.

Also happening today: The Memphis Botanic Garden cuts the ribbon on its new tropical-plant house. And New Moon Theatre Company opens “A Monster Calls” at TheatreWorks.

May the fourth be with you on Saturday — Star Wars Day. Nerd out as the Memphis Symphony performs the hits from the film franchise. And may the luck be with the Memphis Showboats as they try to break their losing streak in a home game against the Birmingham Stallions. 

Sunday is Cinco de Mayo, and you can get the party started very early with a 10 a.m. beer mile at Global Cafe. That’s four beers consumed over the course of one mile, and I can say from experience that it’s just as hard as it sounds. For more weekend plans, check out The To-Do List.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Memphis City Council members Jerri Green (from left), Ford Canale and JB Smiley Jr. attended a town hall on the city budget at Hope Presbyterian Church on May 2. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Another hike in city budget: Not only does Memphis Mayor Paul Young’s proposed city budget contain a 75-cent property-tax hike, there’s also a $6.89 monthly solid-waste fee hike. That would bring the current fee to $36.85 a month and allow the administration to overhaul the city’s solid-waste services. But at a public meeting in Cordova on Thursday, support for both a property-tax and waste-fee hike was mixed. Speaking of budgets, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris’ proposed county budget, which doesn’t include a tax hike, will fund the first phase of a multi-year rebuilding of the Regional One Health campus. But the county will now pay more for that project after state funding fell through.

“Right now, we have a sense of urgency about what our equipment looks like in the Memphis Police Department, and how we can make sure that our officers are not outgunned as well,” said Interim Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis during a joint press conference with District Attorney Steve Mulroy and Mayor Paul Young on Thursday, May 2. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Police outgunned? The Memphis Police Department is considering changing how it arms its officers and what type of guns they carry. Interim Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis said Thursday that she wants to make sure officers aren’t outgunned and that it’s becoming more routine for officers to find guns with switches, which turn regular guns into machine guns, when making arrests. Speaking of those switches, Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy and Memphis Mayor Paul Young are pushing legislators to bump up possession of a switch from a Class E to a Class C felony. Mulroy said on Thursday that body camera footage from the shooting death of Memphis police officer Joseph McKinney confirmed the suspects used a gun switch, though authorities believe McKinney was actually killed by friendly fire.

Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk, left, gave his opening statement in the murder trial of Gregory Livingston on April 30. The beer and cigarette made another appearance on Thursday. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Beer, cigs make appearance in Livingston trial: Both the state and defense rested their cases in the murder trial of Gregory Livingston on Thursday, and Livingston declined to testify. He’s charged with shooting and killing Alvin Motley Jr. at an East Memphis Kroger gas station during an altercation over loud music from his girlfriend’s car. During Thursday’s proceedings, the prosecution demonstrated how Motley allegedly approached Livingston with a Budweiser in one hand and a Newport in the other, making the case that Motley couldn’t have been a threat to Livingston with both hands full.

MEET MEMPHIS

Memphis running back Mario Anderson played four seasons at Newberry College, a small Division II school located in Newberry, South Carolina, before rushing for 707 yards at the University of South Carolina in 2023. (Courtesy Memphis Athletics)

South Carolina transfer running back Mario Anderson opted to leave the University of South Carolina, an SEC school, and spend his final year with the Memphis Tigers. It was a decision he attributes to his higher power. “[It was] something God was telling me to do,” said Anderson. “He told me to humble myself, I felt like.” Despite rushing for more than 1,110 yards in each of his last two high school seasons, Anderson’s high school recruitment didn’t go as planned, which he blames on his immaturity as a teenager. But over the past few years, Anderson said he’s had to grow up fast, and Coach Ryan Silverfield says the Gamecocks transfer has grown into a pro.

THE NICE TO KNOW

The University Memphis has organized a six-person advisory committee to assist university President Bill Hardgrave in the search for an athletic director. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

AD search is on: The University of Memphis has formed a new advisory committee to assist in its search for a new athletic director. Former AD Laird Veatch left for a job at the University of Missouri last month. The six-person committee is made up of some big names, including FedEx President and CEO Richard Smith. Just last month, Memphis secured a $25 million name, image and likeness deal from FedEx. In other U of M sports news, former SMU forward Tyreek Smith committed to the Tigers basketball team Thursday night.

Belltower’s chicken sandwich is available on griddled sourdough with mixed greens, sliced tomatoes and a choice of sauce. (Joshua Carlucci/Special to The Daily Memphian)

The simple things: Food writer Joshua Carlucci calls “cafe camping” one of “life’s many simple pleasures.” That’s when you post up inside a coffee shop for a lengthy work session. You might order a latte or two, but at some point, you’ll need to eat. And if you’re “camping” at Belltower Coffee, Carlucci has just the thing: a simple, grilled chicken sandwich that’s just filling enough to power you through without causing an afternoon slump. 

Interim prez at CBU: Chris Englert, who headed Christian Brothers High School for 29 years, has been named interim president of Christian Brothers University. That news comes after CBU’s former head, Dave Archer, abruptly retired last month. Englert is taking over a campus that’s on probation for financial instability with its accrediting agency. CBU administrators cut $4 million from the budget, including 28 faculty positions, last fall. 

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James drove to the basket during a April 12 game against the Memphis Grizzlies. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

The new guard: There’s a generational shift happening in the NBA playoffs right now. Three of the biggest stars still in the playoffs, including Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, are between 29 and 30 years old, and the older guard, which includes the Los Angeles’ Lakers’ LeBron James, are pushing 40. But The Daily Memphian’s Chris Herrington points out that there’s a new wave of 22- to 26-year old players, like Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, rising into the second round. And notably absent from the new wave is Memphis Grizzlies’ star Ja Morant. All he can do for now is watch and wait, but Herrington believes the Grizzlies still have a chance next season to re-enter the playoff fray as a still-young team.

GOT GAME?

Today, we’re highlighting some of The Daily Memphian’s best games of the past week. 

BB King celebrated his 9th birthday during Bark in the Park at AutoZone Park on April 27. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Jigsaw: The Memphis Redbirds went to the dogs last Saturday with its dog-friendly Bark in the Park game night. Can you put together this photo of one of the game’s cutest four-legged fans?

Word Search: Memphis-made Blue Note Bourbon has been named the official bourbon of Major League Pickleball. Yes, major-league pickleball is actually a thing. Once you let that sink in, try searching for related words in this week’s Word Search.

Crossword: The Memphis Showboats are on a losing streak, but you don’t have to be. See if you can win at this week’s Showboats-themed crossword.

Game on! And see you on seis de Mayo.

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