Happy Tuesday! It’s June 10, and the Memphis City Council will be talking numbers today as the city budget deadline looms. Among the discussion topics: a plan to move money around in the Memphis Police Department budget.

THE NEED TO KNOW

“They’re not putting as much emphasis on speeding tickets as they are suspended licenses and things like that,” said Kathy Thurmond-Edwards, a State Farm representative. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Distracted driving is the new speeding: Back when I was a new driver in the 1990s, cell phones were bricks, and if you were lucky enough to have a car phone, it was only good for making calls. Speeding was the thing we were all worried about, because a ticket could affect your insurance. But these days, insurance companies are more concerned about distracted driving, as we learn in Jody Callahan’s series on extreme speeding. Today’s installment is the final piece, but in case you missed it, check out the other stories on the rise in traffic deaths — despite a decrease in speeding tickets — and how technology could help police departments crack down on speeding once again. Most of us know what a traffic stop feels like from a driver’s perspective (that sinking feeling in your stomach!), but how does the cop feel? Callahan covers that, too.

“What we are doing is we’re establishing the training of physicians here in Memphis,” said Dr. James E.K. Hildreth, president and CEO of Meharry Medical College, during a press conference on Monday, June 9. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Meharry meet: Meharry Medical College, the state’s historically Black medical school, is branching out beyond its Nashville campus to open a college in the Medical District. Meharry will be located on Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church’s property, and the move is the first step in the church’s massive neighborhood development plan, which was announced last week. That plan also includes apartments, a hotel, retail and more. 

Memphis City Council member Pearl Walker proposed an amendment that would give all city employees a flat 3% raise across all divisions as a budget compromise. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

City raises lowered: Bad news for Memphis city workers. The 5% raise that the Memphis City Council approved in May may be taken down a few notches. As part of a budget compromise approved by a City Council committee on Monday, city employees will likely only get a 3% raise (if the compromise passes a full council vote today). Memphis Mayor Paul Young had warned of possible layoffs if the 5% raise were to happen. (So, maybe it’s not such bad news for those people, huh?) That budget compromise also includes a plan for xAI’s property tax funds. 

Former Memphis police officer Desmond Mills Jr. (left) is asking for his June 17 sentencing to be pushed back a week. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Ex-cop in Nichols case wants a new date: Former Memphis police officer Desmond Mills Jr., who is scheduled to be sentenced for his role in Tyré Nichols’ death on June 17, wants his sentencing delayed by a week. Two character witnesses who are supposed to testify on his behalf are unavailable, and there are family reasons, too. 

QUOTED

Environmental groups, NAACP chapters and faith leaders, led by state Rep. Justin J. Pearson (bottom row, blue tie), protested xAI’s turbine plans on Monday, June 9, at Springfield Baptist Church. (Brand LaGrone II/The Daily Memphian)

“We prefer our lungs to Elon Musk profits. ”

— state Rep. Justin J. Pearson
Pearson led a meeting Monday of environmental groups, NAACP chapters and faith leaders opposed to xAI’s plans to install additional gas turbines in the Memphis metro area. Pearson took the opportunity to call out Memphis Mayor Paul Young for his support of xAI.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Henry Douglas

Songs for St. Jude: Eight-year-old Henry Douglas wanted to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, especially since a family friend is a patient there. So, he started an Instagram account where he takes song requests and sings them. There are various donation levels, and you’ll pay the max price if you want to hear Taylor Swift. “She’s my worst favorite singer,” Douglas said. The fundraiser has been going well, and as our own Geoff Calkins shares today, Douglas recently got a special request from a very Memphis-famous Spaniard. 

A 2024 rendering shows the proposed fieldhouse basketball arena at Houston High. (Courtesy Germantown Municipal School District)

More money for Houston: Houston High school has seen few updates since it opened in 1989, and some students and parents aren’t too happy about that. Germantown leaders on Monday decided to throw a little more money at Houston for improvements, though the new dollar amount is still very shy of the $100 million requested by the Germantown Municipal School District. At a Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting on Monday, one student even said his parents were considering sending his younger sibling elsewhere.

The Lake District erected a monument sign in 2021. (Brad Vest/The Daily Memphian file)

Better Lake than never: They say life moves slower at the lake, and that seems to apply to Lakeland’s troubled Lake District mixed-use development, too. Its former developer, Yehuda Netanel, filed for bankruptcy last year, and the property was purchased in a foreclosure sale in May. Work on the site has stalled, including on model homes that have sat partially completed for more than 18 months. But things are looking up: Late last week, the Lakeland Board of Commissioners made a move that allows work on The Lake District to pick back up. 

Zach Edey sprained his left ankle in a training session last week, and now he’s likely to miss the start of next season. (Brandon Dill/AP file)

Cruel summer: The Memphis Grizzlies were already in for a challenging summer before second-year center Zach Edey sprained his left ankle. Now, he’ll have surgery and will likely miss the start of next season. That means there are injury concerns for both the starting and backup centers (that’s Brandon Clarke, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in March). But an even bigger concern is what to do about star forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who is headed for free agency in the summer of 2026. The Daily Memphian’s Chris Herrington outlines three scenarios for what could happen with JJJ this summer.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

The University of Memphis announced in late September that it would remain in the American Athletic Conference instead of jumping to the new-look Pac-12. But on Saturday, Boise State’s athletic director tweeted that he’d “never say never” to Memphis joining his team in the Pac-12. Memphis Tigers AD Ed Scott responded Sunday, less than 24 hours later.

Have a great Tuesday, y’all!

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