Omigod, you guys, it’s Friday, May 31! And that means “Legally Blonde: The Musical” takes the stage at the Germantown Community Theatre. Prepare to have this song stuck in your head for days. But first, Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert is due in court for a preliminary hearing in the ouster suit she’s facing. And Memphis Italian Festival is well underway with all the carbs.

Get your rainbow gear ready, because the Memphis Pride Parade and Festival is happening on and around Beale Street all day Saturday. And later that night, you’ll want to change into your daisy dukes for a good old-fashioned, Beyoncé-themed hoedown.

There’s more Queen Bey on Sunday with a Bey Out Pride Party at Black Lodge. And if you’d rather watch football than slay all day (hey, to each their own), the Memphis Showboats and Houston Roughnecks play at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. And Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Theismann will be honored at the annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl Distinguished Citizen Awards. For more weekend ideas, consult our To-Do List. 

THE NEED TO KNOW

Former U.S. President Donald Trump waited for the start of proceedings in Manhattan Criminal Court, May 28, in New York. (Julia Nikhinson, Pool/AP)

Local reaction to Trump guilty verdict: Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you surely know by now that former U.S. President Donald Trump was found guilty Thursday afternoon of 34 felony charges in a federal hush-money trial. The moment made history as Trump became the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes. The reaction from the city’s elected representatives in Washington varied widely on Thursday, ranging from Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen’s all-caps “YES” on X to Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn calling the trial a “total witch hunt.”

Ex-cop will stay behind bars over 2021 killing: Former Memphis police officer Patric Ferguson, who is accused of kidnapping and killing a man in 2021, will remain in detention while his case is pending. That was the decision of U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Parker on Thursday. Jealousy was said to be the motive in the shooting death of Robert Howard, who purportedly had a relationship with the same woman that Ferguson did. Friends and family sent letters of support for Ferguson, but Assistant U.S. Attorney David Pritchard argued “the facts of the case are so egregious” that there was no justification for Ferguson to be out on bail. 

“The bill was designed to stop this taking of commercial vehicles hostage and (making people) pay a ransom to get them back,” said state Rep. G.A. Hardaway, D-Memphis, a cosponsor of the new towing and booting bill. (Nam Y. Huh/AP file)

‘Predatory’ towing gets the boot: If you’ve ever had a vehicle towed from a private lot because you didn’t see a tiny, hidden sign, this one’s for you (and yes, that has happened to me). A new state law that goes into effect July 1 imposes stiff new regulations on when, where and how a vehicle can be towed or booted anywhere in the state. It’s welcome news for some trucking companies, like Church Transportation and Logistics in Birmingham, Alabama, which has rerouted trucks around Memphis to protect its drivers.

Shelby County Commissioners Edmund Ford Jr., left, and Amber Mills, center, proposed three items totaling $4.2 million that would come from the county’s reserve fund. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

County Commission makes it rain: Shelby County Commissioners added nearly $11 million to Mayor Lee Harris’ county budget proposal during their Wednesday committee session. Some of those funds, if approved by the full commission, will go toward education, homelessness and county tax relief programs, among other services. Problem is, Harris’ budget was already balanced, so there’s work to do if commissioners approve the new funds. Speaking of budgets, Collierville’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen are moving toward final consideration of a budget with no tax increase.

QUOTED

Judge Julia Gibbons attended her portrait unveiling on Thursday, May 30. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

“The legal profession is more diverse in many ways than it was in 1981. And we’re better for it.”

— Julia Smith Gibbons, judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Gibbons spoke at her portrait unveiling on Thursday at the Shelby County Courthouse. She was the first female judge for a trial court of record in Tennessee, and she said many doubted her abilities when she was appointed in 1981. At the time, the legal profession was made up of only 10% women.

THE NICE TO KNOW

This Aldi opened in Lakeland in 2021, but a new one may be coming to the Medical District. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

For the Aldi ‘Aisle of Shame’ lovers: Discount grocery chain Aldi may be coming to a neighborhood near you, Downtowners and Midtowners. The no-frills shop is eyeing a spot in the Medical District, which would make it the largest grocery store close to Downtown (which is practically a food desert, let’s be honest). It would also prevent the need for Midtowners to haul it out east to Summer Avenue to buy stuff they don’t need from the store’s famous “Aisle of Shame.” (Because of course you needed that purse that dispenses wine from a box.)

Ellen and Frank Grisanti in Frank Grisanti’s, their East Memphis Italian restaurant, in 2021. The restaurant closed Saturday, May 25. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Goodbye, Grisanti: Frank Grisanti Italian Restaurant in the Embassy Suites by Hilton Memphis has served its last Elfo Special. The restaurant closed last weekend after 35 years in business. But no worries, Grisanti fans: The family still has four restaurants left in the area. Read more about that in Food Files, plus a big change for Plant Based Heat’s still-kinda-new Downtown location. In other food news, we’ve got your guide to local pizza chains and by-the-slice counters. And in this week’s $10 Deal, food writer Joshua Carlucci tells us what to order at Indian restaurant Sai Biryani Point — and it’s not biryani.

Pet owners are urged to be extra vigilant this summer as two cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever have been reported in dogs since February. (The Daily Memphian file)

Summer fever: Here’s a new thing to worry about: Rocky Mountain spotted fever. So far, two cases of the tick-borne illness have been spotted in dogs at an Arlington vet clinic. And that may not sound like many, but veterinarian Dr. Charles A. Rahm Jr. at Arlington Pet Hospital says it is “alarmingly high.” Rahm said his clinic typically sees a couple cases every two to three years. The disease, which is more prevalent during summer tick season, can be deadly in dogs — and in humans. 

The Daily Memphian’s Chris Herrington thinks these basketball players should be considered by the Memphis Grizzlies during the NBA Draft. (The Daily Memphian files)

Lucky No. 9? The NBA Draft is four weeks away, and the Memphis Grizzlies have the No. 9 pick. The team could go into trade mode, but if they choose the path of least resistance, they’ll just select a player at nine. So, who should that be? The Daily Memphian’s Chris Herrington looks at nine players that he thinks should be under consideration. And in other draft-related news, in the Grizzlies Insider, we look at five non-lottery players who have reportedly worked out for the Grizzlies.

GOT GAME?

Felicity Whartenby raised the flag on Saturday, May 25, during the Boy Scouts of America’s annual Memorial Day Flag Placement at Memphis National Cemetery. (Ziggy Mack/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Forget that old, analog American flag puzzle hiding in the depths of your closet. Our digital flag Jigsaw puzzle — based on a photo from the Boy Scouts’ Memorial Day flag placement — is probably less time-consuming, and you won’t have to risk a closet avalanche to find it. 

Mr. Lincoln’s Costume Shoppe in Overton Square will close on Saturday, but our Word Search inspired by the store will live on the internet forever.

And you might want to save our Crossword for after lunch, lest No. 8 across will give you a sudden urge to visit Broadway Pizza. 

Happy Pride, y’all. Oh, please take a minute to vote on the best local pizza in our poll. And one more thing: Chris Herrington will be waking up with you on Monday and Tuesday morning. I’ll return on Wednesday.

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