Welcome back to the work week. It’s Monday, July 8, and Memphis Grizzlies basketball is back! The NBA Summer League starts today in Salt Lake City, and the Grizz play the Utah Jazz. This will be our first chance to see new big man Zach Edey in action.

In Germantown, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen are talking signs — specifically, new rules for permanent curbside pick-up signs at shops and restaurants. And in Collierville, the BMA will consider some town requests to buy heavy-equipment trucks, including a one-ton dump truck.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Shelby County early voting begins July 12. To help voters prepare, The Daily Memphian is launching a series of articles on the Aug. 1 ballot. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Elections are coming: Early voting opens in Shelby County for the August ballot this Friday. This is not the U.S. presidential election; that’s in November. But this election is still important with 82 candidates in 43 races. Five of the nine seats on the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board are up for grabs, and the only countywide contest is for a new General Sessions Court Clerk. The ballot includes primary elections for all 13 of the state House districts covering Shelby County and two of the five state Senate seats, along with the primaries for U.S. Senate and U.S. House seats. The Daily Memphian’s Bill Dries offers an overview. Ten of the 43 races are unopposed, so we’ve also got a look at who’s already won. 

General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Sheila Renfroe (pictured) accused public defender Melody Carlisle of having body language ... “disruptive to the court’s operation and beneath the standard of professional conduct expected by a lawyer in a courtroom.” (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Judge of that? General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Sheila Renfroe is disputing recent allegations of bias made against her by public defender Melody Carlisle. In late June, Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Chris Craft removed Renfroe from 28 cases that involved Carlisle after Carlisle accused Renfroe of personal bias against her. Hours later, Renfroe filed an order disputing the allegations, claiming Carlisle routinely makes “disrespectful outbursts” and “sarcastically questions the authority of the court.” In that motion, Renfroe attempted to keep herself on some of those 28 cases, but Craft then filed a motion canceling Renfroe’s motion. 

Shelby County Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon said youths often fall into crime because of family issues, including a lack of vital resources and uneducated parents. (Brad Vest/The Daily Memphian file)

Crime perception vs. reality: There’s a prevailing narrative in Memphis that crime is on the rise and kids are to blame. But statistics show overall crime was down in the first quarter of the year, and the number of delinquency cases filed for juveniles were lower as well. Shelby County Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon addressed the perception problem — and the complex family circumstances that drive youth crime — on WKNO-TV’s “Behind The Headlines.” He also discussed the juvenile court’s new youth-development specialists, who help prevent crime by making sure underprivileged kids have the resources they need.

QUOTED

Jerry Lee Lewis' 1983 Cadillac Eldorado Paris Opera edition was loaded into a trailer to be transported from Beale Street to the Jerry Lee Lewis Ranch. (Courtesy Todd Herendeen)

“When I think of Elvis, I think of the Stutz Bearcat ...when I think of Jerry, I think of this Cadillac.”

— Todd Herendeen, new owner of Jerry Lee Lewis’ 1983 Cadillac Eldorado
Herendeen is in the process of purchasing Lewis’ former home in Nesbit, Mississippi, with plans to turn it into a museum honoring the late star. Earlier this month, Herendeen purchased Lewis’ car from a Beale Street bar and returned it to the ranch.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Robert “Prince Mongo” Hodges didn’t come close to winning the 1991 mayoral race, but his entry may have affected the outcome. (The Daily Memphian files)

Who is Prince Mongo? If you’ve lived in Memphis for awhile, that question needs no answer. We already know. But the former Memphis mayoral candidate and native of Planet Zambodia wasn’t in the headlines for years until a local nonprofit announced its plans to turn some of Mongo’s properties into arts hubs. So, Memphis transplants might need a Mongo refresh. Guest writer Jody Callahan shares wild tales of the man who’s shown up to court wearing a loincloth and no shoes, once decorated his East Memphis yard with commodes and coffins, and may have altered Memphis history with his 1991 run for Memphis mayor.

Jason March, who previously coached the G League Memphis Hustle, is coaching the Memphis Grizzlies during NBA Summer League. (Frank Ramirez/The Daily Memphian file)

Bears of Summer: As mentioned in The Early Word intro, the Memphis Grizzlies play their first NBA Summer League game tonight. Newly drafted center Zach Edey will be on the court, as well as rookies Cam Spencer and Jaylen Wells. Plus, GG Jackson and Jake LaRavia will get some extra practice in Summer League, too. Here’s a look at the full roster and the summer coach. Speaking of coaches, Coach Taylor Jenkins has added four new names to his staff. We’ve got a look at the new guys and the full coaching staff. And for all you numbers nerds, we’ve broken down the Grizzlies’ NBA Draft history with charts on the average age of Grizz draft picks, player efficiency ratings and more.

Dr. Ray Osarogiagbon, chief scientist at Baptist Memorial Health Care and director of the cancer center’s thoracic oncology research group, is working with AI to analyze scans that detect future lung cancer risk. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Dr. AI: Baptist Cancer Center in Memphis is testing AI algorithms on tens of thousands of lung scans. The CT scans are run through Sybil, an AI algorithm that has detected with more than 90% accuracy who will develop lung cancer a few years down the road. Tests so far have found cancer risk in both heavy smokers and those who don’t smoke much or at all. And Baptist hopes further tests with a more diverse gene pool will help determine Sybil’s accuracy on a “conventional, mixed population,” according to the chief scientist at Baptist Memorial Health Care. 

Kitchen staff prepared food for the family meal at Amelia Gene’s. (Benjamin Naylor/The Daily Memphian)

Like family: Staff at Amelia Gene’s don’t have to start their shifts hungry. Every night the restaurant is open, a few line cooks arrive early and prepare a big family meal for their co-workers. And then servers, hosts and kitchen staff sit down and break bread before the restaurant welcomes in diners. The meals are never made with fried or processed foods, and each dinner includes a salad and vegetable. It’s both a chance to make sure staff, some of whom work two jobs and don’t have time to cook at home, get a made-from-scratch meal and get to know one another. 

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

We’re in for another hot, muggy Monday. But Hurricane Beryl will bring rain and cooler temps for mid-week. 

Good luck to the Grizz! And have a good start to your week. 

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