Howdy, Memphis. It’s Tuesday, April 1, and Memphis Tigers Coach Penny Hardaway is the new head coach for the Memphis Grizzlies.

April Fools! The Grizzlies, still led by interim Coach Tuomas Iisalo, do play the Golden State Warriors at home tonight though, and that’s no joke. In fact, it’s kind of a big deal, and they really need to win. 

In other real news, Green Leaf Container Cafe+Farm Stand is officially opening today near LeMoyne-Owen College. The mini kitchen in a shipping container will serve healthy meals (including some vegan options) made with produce grown by kids at Knowledge Quest.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Roderick Richmond was appointed Memphis-Shelby County Schools interim superintendent in January 2025. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Richmond’s big ideas for MSCS: Roderick Richmond, Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ interim superintendent, wants to reorganize the district into five regions, rather than its current seven networks of schools. The regions would be based on school feeder patterns, with the exception of the fifth region, which would be a return of MSCS’ Innovation Zone for low-performing schools. Richmond also wants to revamp student performance assessments and replenish some staffing roles cut by former Superintendent Marie Feagins. His proposals are a response to an audit of MSCS by the Council of Great City Schools that said MSCS lacked vision. In other MSCS news, the Shelby County Commission delayed a vote Monday on creating an advisory group to work with the MSCS board. 

Wing Guru owner Billy Richmond has been charged with theft of property and falsification of state revenue. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Wing Guru owner indicted: Billy Richmond Jr., the former Memphis Tigers basketball player behind the Wing Guru chain, was arrested on Monday following a Shelby County grand jury indictment for theft and tax fraud. And it’s not the first time Richmond has been in the news for financial issues. Last year, an independent arbitrator ruled that he owed Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant more than $365,000 for breaching a name, image and likeness deal.

Downtown shooting suspect dead: Jayden Dandridge, the 21-year-old accused of fatally shooting Memphis rapper Sayso P, has been found dead in Houston. The shooting of Sayso P, which also wounded Houston rapper Sauce Walka, happened in the afternoon on March 22, right across from FedExForum. Another suspect, Kevin Brown, remains at large. In other criminal justice news, another inmate has died after being held at the Shelby County Jail.

“While we are no longer in the accreditation process, we remain committed to maintaining high standards based on national best practices in our service delivery and public safety efforts,” Memphis Police Department spokesperson Faith King wrote in an email. (George Walker IV/AP file)

MPD no longer in accreditation process: The Memphis Police Department has withdrawn from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, an organization that provides accreditation to ensure police departments meet certain standards. The MPD won’t say why it withdrew, but a spokesperson said the department remains “committed to maintaining high standards.” CALEA head Craig Hartley said it’s common for agencies to withdraw, and the reasons can vary from budget issues to policy reform. 

QUOTED

“We are demanding a democratic process in the face of an authoritarian billionaire oligarch who has no regard for our families, our city or our county.”

— KeShaun Pearson, cofounder of Memphis Community Against Pollution
The Shelby County Commission passed a resolution on Monday urging the county health department to hold a public hearing on xAI’s permit for natural-gas turbines. Environmental groups like Pearson’s pushed for the resolution to be passed. Pearson’s comment criticized xAI founder Elon Musk. The health department will open a public comment period on xAI’s permit today.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant called to teammates in a game against the Boston Celtics on Monday, March 31, in Memphis. (Brandon Dill/AP)

Grizz keep losing: If the decision to fire Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins was supposed to make a difference for a losing team, well, it’s not working yet. The Grizzlies lost their second straight game Monday, 117-103, to the Boston Celtics, since Jenkins was fired late last week. The bears were competitive through the first three quarters though, but they let the Celtics pull away in the fourth. For what it’s worth, forward Santi Aldama said he’s noticed “a level of trust and togetherness” amongst his teammates that was lacking before the Jenkins move. But here’s some good Grizz news: Brandon Clarke, who has been out since March 19 with a knee injury, will not need surgery after all. 

Every DeSoto County household now has access to high-speed internet service, thanks to the county’s Broadband Connectivity Program. (Ted S. Warren/AP file)

Internet for everyone: Now the people of rural DeSoto County towns, including Lewisburg, Nesbit, Bankston and Eudora, can waste as much time as the rest of us by mindlessly scrolling Instagram. A DeSoto County project to connect every household to high-speed internet has wrapped up, and that means 3,520 more households can finally watch the latest season of “Severance.” Dean and Beverly Garrison of Love, Mississippi, were among the final households to get hooked up, and they’ve found a new pastime: watching wildlife on their Ring camera. 

Cemetery won’t get buried: There hasn’t been a burial in Arlington’s Wells Cemetery since the 1800s, but it sits on land that’s currently being cleared for farming. And the owner, Fogelman Properties, could possibly build a commercial development on that land one day, once a sewer issue gets worked out. Should that happen, the cemetery would be protected by state law, so a development would have to be built around the graveyard. It sounds weird, but it’s been done before, as was the case with the old Bettis Family Cemetery on the Cash Saver lot in Midtown.

The new Aldi store at 785 Union Ave. will open on Thursday, April 10. (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian)

Date for deals: The new Medical District Aldi, housed in the old Office Depot on Union Avenue, is opening on Thursday, April 10. The first 100 customers will get some pretty sweet swag, so you might want to go ahead and plan on camping out if you want to beat (or heck, join) the AOS fan club (that’s Aisle of Shame). Just don’t be surprised if you hear some bird caws in the aisles. 

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Let the April Fools jokes begin! JEM Dining has already gotten started by announcing a new duck pond planned for the dining room, to complement The Peabody Memphis’ duck march.

Now get to fooling some folks!

.....