Pour that cup of coffee, Memphis, because it’s Monday again. Today is Oct. 28, and the Shelby County Commission will return to a pair of resolutions that may increase the Circuit Court Clerk’s budget.

And the Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen could take the first step toward making Germantown mayor a full-time job. In Collierville, the BMA will discuss a renovation for the town’s police back-up dispatch center.

The Memphis Grizzlies play their second home game of the new season tonight, against the Chicago Bulls. And the Memphis Tigers play the Rocket City Classic against Alabama, their last exhibition game before the real season starts.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Elon Musk has said he wants xAI to be the most “truth-seeking” artificial intelligence, its training not swayed by ideology. At present, its training appears to not be swayed by anyone, including Musk. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP file)

Grok vs. Musk: It’s no secret that xAI founder Elon Musk is throwing his support to former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. He’s also made a number of wild claims about the election, including an allegation that Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is a puppet of an unnamed conspiracy. So, what does Grok, Musk’s xAI-trained chatbot have to say about all of this? The Daily Memphian’s Samuel Hardiman had a little chat with the chatbot, and it said Harris “is not ‘controlled’ by any individual or entity in a manner that implies puppet-like influence over her decisions.” Grok also had a lot to say about Musk’s other claims.

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr, left, and Juvenile Court judge Tarik Sugarmon, right. (The Daily Memphian files)

Juvenile disagreement: The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Shelby County Juvenile Court have been disputing who should be doing what for some time. In the latest example, the sheriff’s office refused to transport detainees from the Youth Justice and Education Center on Getwell Road to the Downtown juvenile court, just as the court was planning to reopen following mold and asbestos remediation. The sheriff’s office claims it can’t afford to transport all those detainees to court. The latest dispute comes after months of disagreement between the two entities over who should operate the juvenile detention center.

Ty Coleman

The tea on Ty: Suspended Memphis Animal Services Director Ty Coleman remains under investigation by the City of Memphis and the state after a dog died this summer from being left outside for hours on a very hot day. But this isn’t Coleman’s first brush with trouble on the job. A public-records request revealed that Coleman was fired from an animal-services manager position in Sherman, Texas, for lying during an investigation into allegations that he hired his romantic partner, had sex on the job and harassed the ex-partner at work after the two broke things off. 

Much of the work at The Lake District has stalled since developer Yehuda Netanel filed for bankruptcy and lost the property in a foreclosure sale. (Brad Vest/The Daily Memphian file)

What’s up with The Lake District? Back in May, TIG Romspen US Master Mortgage LP acquired The Lake District in Lakeland in a foreclosure sale after failed attempts by developer Yehuda Netanel to save his troubled mixed-use project. Things have been pretty quiet since, but there’s been plenty of work going on behind the scenes, including some changes to the original plan’s mixed-use components. Like, for one, Romspen is probably going to remove some of the plan’s parking. 

QUOTED

Gene Brady was an institution at The Commercial Appeal for 42 years. (Courtesy of Helen Anne DiMeglio)

“[Gene Brady] was such a character! And I can’t disagree.”

— Helen Anne DiMeglio, Brady’s niece
Gene Brady, who worked at The Commercial Appeal for 42 years, died earlier this month when his car hit a telephone pole on Poplar Avenue. He was 89. For years, Brady ran the newspaper’s morgue (the library of old paper clippings), and he continued helping out there for free after his employment ended. The Daily Memphian’s Geoff Calkins shares a few endearing stories that show just what a character Brady was.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Sam Macklin Sr. (left) and son Sam Macklin Jr. run Macklin Candy Co. in Whitehaven, which has been operating since 1992. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

We want candy: It’s a good time to be a candy man (or woman). As Halloween quickly approaches, two Memphis candy shops are making bank right now: Wayne’s Candy Co. Downtown and Macklin Candy Co. in Whitehaven. Wayne’s saw record-breaking sales last year, and this one seems to be booming, too, as employees come in early and stay late to meet customer demand. Macklin struggled a bit during the pandemic, but things seem to be picking up, as does demand for Long Boys and Chic-O Sticks. “We ain’t worried about anything. Business is still pretty good,” said co-owner Sam Macklin Jr.

Ruth Johnson and Kiri Ness paused their morning walk on Sunday, Oct. 27, to admire the newly designed crosswalk on Wolf River Boulevard. (Greg Campbell/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Cross colors: There’s a bright, new crosswalk at Wolf River Boulevard and Kimbrough Road in Germantown, designed by former Houston High student Madison Montgomery. Now a student at the University of Memphis, Montgomery created the crosswalk as part of a contest from the city’s Public Art Commission when she was still in high school. To most drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, the crosswalk just looks like a cool geometric design, but Montgomery’s abstract art has a deeper meaning that’s intended as a nod to Germantown’s community vibe. 

Wearing a classic Vancouver Grizzlies uniform to mark the franchise’s 30th anniversary, forward Jaren Jackson Jr. drove the lane against Orlando Magic defender Paolo Banchero. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Grizz (and Tigers) throw back a win: The Memphis Grizzlies had a throwback night in more ways than one on Saturday in their 124-111 home opener win over the Orlando Magic. For one, they were sporting the classic Vancouver Grizzlies uniforms. The game was also a throwback to 295 days ago, which was the last time Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Ja Morant all played together at the same time. A couple of the new things though: Fans got a stellar show from two-way player Jay Huff, who scored a career-high 18 points, and an appearance by new fan fave, Yuki Kawamura. That Saturday win was a nice palette cleanser after Friday’s Grizz loss to the Houston Rockets. In other Grizz news, we’ve got pics from Ja Morant and Nike’s block party in Midtown Sunday. In other weekend sports news, the Memphis Tigers football team survived a big scare against Charlotte on Saturday with a 33-28 win.

“I don’t think this certification will change my wine list much, but it will definitely give me more opportunities and put Bari on the map a little bit more,” Bari co-owner Rebecca Severs said. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Bari’s grape mind: Memphis is now home to one of only 409 Italian Wine Ambassadors in the world. Rebecca Severs, owner of Bari Ristorante e Enoteca, earned the prestigious certification through the Vinitaly International Academy, a process she started way back in 2019. It took her three tries to pass the course. So, what does this mean for Bari’s wine list? Probably not much. 

Rob Jacobs, the man behind the voice telling you never to leave your bags unattended at the airport, leads the bus tour across the MEM airfield. (Jane Roberts/The Daily Memphian)

In plane view: Want to take a ride across the Memphis International Airport’s airfield and scope out FedEx’s 940-acre jet-parking lot? You can do that in one of MEM’s Jon K. Thompson World Class Tours, a monthly seminar on how the airport works with a 45-minute coach tour across the property. As a bonus, there’s also a chance to ask questions of Terry Blue, president and CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority. So, if you’ve got a burning question about why your luggage is always late to the claim area, here’s your chance. Though Blue actually answered that question here. The only catch about these tours: You’ll have to wait a few months.

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

We might be in for a wet Halloween, but until then, expect warm temps and sunny skies. 

And now you’re all caught up from the weekend! For a look at the week ahead, consult This Week in Memphis.

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