Monday is here again, Shelby County, so let’s get going. Today is June 24, and the Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen will take a final vote on the city’s budget. And in Collierville, the BMA will consider a permit that would let kids enjoy the great indoors. Indoor World wants to open a play space with ball pits, slides, tunnels and more on Merchants Park Circle. 

Over in DeSoto County, the Board of Education will vote on the district’s biggest budget ever. And the local version of the nationwide Women’s March kicks off in Tom Lee Park at noon. For more on what’s coming up, check out This Week in Memphis. 

THE NEED TO KNOW

Julio and Amy Zuniga opened Maximo’s on Broad in 2015. Now, the restaurant is set to close Saturday, June 29. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Why are restaurants closing? It seems more and more local restaurant owners are throwing in the kitchen towel: Frank Grisanti’s, Dory, Maximo’s on Broad, SupperClub on Second and 117 Prime have all closed or are closing soon. But why? Restaurateurs say rising labor and food costs, staffing issues and a perception of increased crime are all reasons. Amy and Julio Zuniga, owners of Maximo’s on Broad, say they’ve been “hurting for staff” since 2020, and 117 Prime owner Ryan Trimm said rising costs meant having to raise prices for customers. “It’s hard for people to afford to spend $200 to $300 for a dinner for two,” he said. The Daily Memphian’s Jennifer Chandler looks at all the issues.

“We ... knew that people were beginning to understand that a college degree wasn’t absolutely essential for gainful employment in a lot of areas,” said Doug Edwards of the University of Memphis board of trustees. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file) 

Cutting class: The University of Memphis is expected to have 25% fewer first-time freshmen enrolled this fall. Known as the “enrollment cliff,” it’s a trend that university officials could see coming. The drop-off is attributed to a lower birthrate during the Great Recession, a decline in high school graduates and a larger number of students foregoing college altogether. Delays in the federal government’s financial-aid program this year was icing on the cake. And it’s not just the U of M feeling the pinch. The Daily Memphian’s Jane Roberts looks at declining college enrollment citywide — and one school that’s bucking the trend.

Elon Musk-founded artificial intelligence company xAI could build its own gray water plant, according to a person familiar with the matter. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)

No tax breaks for xAI: Elon Musk’s xAI gigafactory won’t be pursuing tax incentives from the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County (better known as EDGE). Large developments typically receive payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) deals, which can provide an approximately 75% break on property taxes. An anonymous source close to xAI explained why Musk’s company isn’t seeking a tax break and gave an update on plans for a gray water plant that would purify wastewater to cool xAI’s facility.

Katina Nuñez holds a picture of her husband Elvin, who was killed in a pedestrian crash two years ago. (Benjamin Naylor/The Daily Memphian)

Delayed justice: Tracy Totty, who is accused of killing two men after hitting them with her car in September 2022, was captured by U.S. Marshals in Colorado last week and now awaits extradition to Tennessee. Totty allegedly struck Elvin Nuñez and Roberto Nuñez, and though she was initially taken to Regional One Health after the accident, she was released and left Memphis before she was indicted for vehicular homicide-intoxication and other charges. Katina Nuñez, Elvin’s wife, talked to The Daily Memphian’s Julia Baker about how delayed justice has impacted her family. 

QUOTED

Elizabeth Lemmonds, center, with her daughters Ripley, left, and Flannery. (Courtesy Lemmonds family)

“The truth is that Elizabeth was a force of nature, whose impact on Memphis tech, art and cultural scenes cannot be overstated.”

— Music promoter Rachel Hurley
Memphian Elizabeth Lemmonds, who dedicated her life to promoting art of all kinds, died last Wednesday at age 52 of brain cancer. Her cancer battle made headlines this year when it was revealed that she had no health insurance through her job as executive director of a nonprofit arts organization. 

THE NICE TO KNOW

“I can’t lose my focus, because there are people out there that really do care about me and really care about Memphis basketball and care about the things that I do,” University of Memphis coach Penny Hardaway said in a radio conversation Thursday night. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Penny for his thoughts: Memphis Tigers basketball Coach Penny had a lot to get off his chest during The Voice of MSCS’ “Taylor Made Sports” show late last week. During a more than an hour-long episode, Hardaway spoke of what he believes to be unfair criticism from the media, and he talked about how his mother’s battle with throat cancer has taken up much of his time. He also addressed his future at the University of Memphis, following last season’s not-so-great ending. 

Harrison Williams competed in the decathlon discus throw during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials Saturday, June 22, in Eugene, Oregon. (George Walker IV/AP)

A Memphian in Paris: Former Memphis University School track-and-field standout Harrison Williams will compete in 2024 Olympics in Paris. Williams gained his Olympic spot with a third-place finish in the decathlon at the U.S. Track and Field trials in Eugene, Oregon, this past weekend.

The Brenda Rogers Resource Center opened Saturday, June 22, at 1637 Britton St. in the Hyde Park neighborhood of North Memphis. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

New in Hyde Park: Education nonprofit The Memphis Lift unveiled its new resource center in Hyde Park on Saturday. The Brenda Rogers Resource Center, named for a former Hyde Park resident who was killed by gun violence, includes a food pantry, library and community-gathering spaces. The Daily Memphian’s new intern King Jemison attended the grand opening celebration and talked to The Memphis Lift’s founder about their work to help underserved families navigate the education system.

Former Bartlett Mayor Keith McDonald (pictured) disagreed with Alderman Kevin Quinn’s characterization of the suburb’s financial status under the McDonald administration. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Bartlett mayor claps back: Bartlett Alderman Kevin Quinn is running for reelection this fall, and when asked why recently, he was critical of the financial status of the suburb under former Mayor A. Keith McDonald. “Bartlett was heading down a path towards financial difficulties when I first ran for alderman,” he said. McDonald didn’t mince words in his response. “You don’t get a AAA rating from a nationally recognized rating company and have bad finances. That’s just stupid,” said McDonald. The Daily Memphian’s Michael Waddell looks at both sides of the issue. Also in Bartlett, McDonald and others remembered former Alderman Bobby Simmons, who died last Wednesday after a battle with dementia.

Throwing the church a bone: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital recently donated a tiny bone chip, believed to have come from the body of St. Jude Thaddeus, to the Catholic Church in Memphis. The relic was certified in 1962, and it’s been sitting in the hospital’s St. Jude Spiritual Care Services office for years. Earlier this year, when a relic of St. Jude’s arm was displayed in Memphis, Mark Brown, St. Jude director of spiritual care services, recalled the bone chip relic and made plans for what to do with it. 

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

Summer has wasted no time getting started this year, and those “feels like” temps will be over 100 today and tomorrow.

Drink lots of water and stay in the shade. Or inside!

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