Rise and shine, Memphis. Today is Monday, Aug. 5, and Memphis-Shelby County Schools students are back in class today. But they’ll want to save those new fall school clothes for a later date because we’re still solidly in summer with a heat index over 100 today.

For a look at what’s coming in the days ahead, check out This Week in Memphis.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Angela Christopher posed for a portrait at Collierville Town Square with a photo of her 20-year-old daughter Ava, who was killed after her car was hit by someone driving a stolen car. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian file)

Memphis is No. 1 in road deaths: Well, here’s a list you don’t want to top. Memphis had the highest increase in road deaths from 2019 to 2022 among 30 major U.S. cities, according to a New York Times analysis. There were 820 people killed in crashes during that time. The report also noted that the number of traffic citations issued in Memphis decreased sharply after COVID-19 hit, falling more than 50% from 2019 to 2021. Are the two related? It can’t be determined for sure, but there’s promising news from the past year to date.

Demetrice Johnson

MPD officer, injured motorist killed in crash: Memphis Police officer Demetrice Johnson and a yet-to-be-identified gunshot victim both died in a Friday morning crash at Danny Thomas and Mississippi boulevards Downtown. Another Memphis Police officer, who hasn’t been identified, remained in critical condition as of press time. The driver of the non-police vehicle had been shot in an argument several blocks away before the crash. Johnson, a husband and father, had been “living his dream,” according to a friend, as a police officer for just over a year.

The home at 3371 Forest Hill-Irene Road is for sale. It was placed on the market hours after the City of Germantown sought an injunction against the owner due to violation of city ordinances. (Abigail Warren/The Daily Memphian)

Party’s over: The Germantown home of Tyisha Jones, where a controversial house party last month irked neighbors and city leaders, was listed for sale on Friday. Marketing her home as an event venue called Yard@Germantown, Jones sold tickets for a well-attended party on Sunday, July 21. The City of Germantown filed a complaint on Friday, claiming the event violated city ordinances. Jones listed her home for sale within hours of the complaint. She said she believes race played a factor in the city seeking legal action against her events. 

Only 13% of Shelby County voters cast ballots in the Aug. 1 election. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

How low did it go? Just like the woman in apple-bottom jeans and boots with the fur in that Flo Rida song, voter turnout in last week’s election cycle was “low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low.” Only 77,903 Shelby County voters cast ballots in the Aug. 1 elections that saw Tami Sawyer elected as General Sessions Court Clerk and a Memphis-Shelby County Schools board overhaul. The Daily Memphian’s Bill Dries digs into the numbers and tells us about the last time voter turnout was so low. In other post-election news, The Daily Memphian’s Laura Testino looks at the political novices who were elected to the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board and the tried-and-true strategy that helped them win. 

QUOTED

“[The Last of Us] is an imaginative spin on what’s happening.”

— Dr. Brian Peters, molecular mycologist and immunologist
The HBO post-apocalyptic drama about an airborne fungal infection that transforms humans into zombies may be a work of fiction, but Peters says the threat fungal pathogens pose is real. Peters leads a research laboratory at University of Tennessee Health Science Center that’s working to fight dangerous fungi.

THE NICE TO KNOW

John-Paul Gagliano runs Ecco with his mother Sabine Bachmann and brothers Armando and Mario. The family says treating employees well is a key to success. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Restaurants that aren’t closing: The local news has been dominated with headlines of restaurants closing lately, which owners have blamed on rising costs, staffing shortages and crime. But it’s not all bad news: Several Memphis eateries are expanding, including “red sauce joint” Cocozza, fast-casual eatery Maciel’s Tortas and Tacos and upscale Italian restaurant Ecco. The Daily Memphian’s Jennifer Chandler talked to all three of the restaurants’ owners about how they’re expanding in these strange post-pandemic times. In other food news, Chandler has a hot tip on where to find an eggless brunch. 

Silver medalists Seth Rider, Taylor Spivey, Morgan Pearson and Taylor Knibb of the United States celebrated during a medal ceremony for the mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Monday, Aug. 5, in Paris, France. (Vadim Ghirda/AP)

Silver for Shelby County: Germantown’s Seth Rider helped Team USA win a silver medal in the Olympic mixed triathlon relay in Paris. The event occurred in the wee hours of Central Standard Time Monday morning, and Rider led off for the Americans and finished in 10th place before tagging his teammate for the relay’s second leg. The win came after Rider’s 29th place finish in the men’s triathlon last week. In other Olympic news, former MUS standout Harrison Williams finished seventh overall in the final day of the decathlon on Saturday. Here’s a look at where he excelled and where he struggled. Also over the weekend, former Memphis Grizzly Dillon Brooks and his Canadian NBA team knocked current Grizzly Santi Aldama’s Spanish team out of the men’s basketball competition.

The gated crypt where Elvis Presley’s remains were once entombed remains an attraction for fans from around the world. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Tale from the crypt: The Abbey Mausoleum, the gated crypt at Forest Hill Cemetery where Elvis Presley was once interred, reopens today after a seven-year closure. The 109-year-old mausoleum was remodeled, and a leaky roof was repaired. Though it only housed Presley’s body for two months before it was moved to the Meditation Garden at Graceland, the crypt has long been a landmark for Elvis fans. It remains home to governors, doctors, business leaders and World War II veterans.

Yo Gotti’s “Str8 From da North” is among Chris Herrington’s Top 21 Memphis songs since 2000. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Your new Memphis playlist: We spent last week listing out the top 25 greatest Memphis athletes of the 21st century, according to our sports team. But sports ball ain’t for everyone. If music is more your thing, we’ve got you with music expert Chris Herrington’s list of the top 25 “Memphis songs” since 2000. And by “Memphis songs,” he means any song that references the Bluff City, whether by a local artist or not. That list ranges from songs by Memphis-made rappers Juicy J and 8Ball and MJG to country star Zach Bryan and indie artist Waxahatchee. Click here to see the full list and hear some selections.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital beat out tech companies in the 2024 Career Interest Survey from the National Society of High School Scholars. (Courtesy St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)

Gen Z loves St. Jude: Young adults from Gen Z, which tops out at age 27, are choosing health care jobs over Big Tech, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is at the top of their dream job list. That’s according to the 2024 Career Interest Survey, compiled by the National Society of High School Scholars. That’s a change from 2017 when Big Tech dominated the survey responses.

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

The dog days of summer are here, and we’re in for another scorcher this week. 

Stay cool, and see you tomorrow.

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