Let us eat cake, Memphis! It’s Wednesday, June 11, National German Chocolate Cake Day, and if you need an easy recipe (that works fine with a boxed cake mix), here’s one from our archives. 

THE NEED TO KNOW

Hope House was founded by the Junior League and is celebrating its 30th year. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Losing hope? Memphis’ Hope House, which helps children and families affected by HIV and poverty, offers a range of mental health and life skills services to its nearly 700 clients. So, why does chief executive officer Lenox Warren feel “dread” and “a lot of uncertainty and fear” as the organization approaches its 30th anniversary? The Daily Memphian’s Geoff Calkins explains how President Donald Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill” could negatively impact organizations like Hope House.

“I feel good about the budget,” Memphis Mayor Paul Young said. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

All about the Benjamins: The Memphis City Council approved a city budget on Tuesday with lower-than-originally promised raises and money for the city bus system (but with conditions). Raises for city workers were lowered from the 5% promised earlier this year to 3%, despite pushes for more from a couple of council members. The property-tax rate is changing to adjust for higher property-tax values after this year’s reappraisal. And the Memphis Area Transit Authority will get $30 million to keep going, but half of that money will only be released if MATA checks off a few boxes. Meanwhile, in Collierville, property taxes are going up. 

Just for Memphis: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s crime lab in Jackson, Tennessee, is adding two scientists just for Memphis Police Department needs. They’ll test DNA and ballistics to help speed up solve rates for Memphis crime cases until we get our own independent crime lab.

Former Memphis police officer Desmond Mills, left, asked for his sentencing date to be moved. (Brad Vest/The Daily Memphian file)

Save the dates: Court watchers, take note. Former Memphis police officer Desmond Mills Jr., who was convicted in the 2023 death of Tyré Nichols, is getting his wish for a new court date. He asked for his June 17 date to be rescheduled for a week later because two of his character witnesses were unavailable. In other court news, two Ghost Mob gang members charged in the 2019 killing of the gang’s “supreme elite chief” will go to trial next spring.

QUOTED

Suzette Hughes, center, arrived at the new Raising Cane’s location in Southaven the night before its grand opening on Tuesday, June 10, to be the first in line. (Brandon LaGrone II/The Daily Memphian)

“I absolutely love Raising Cane’s … When I heard they were coming here, I vowed that I wanted to be the first one in line.”

— Suzette Hughes, Raising Cane’s super fan
Hughes, who describes herself as “just a Southern girl who loves Cane’s,” was the first customer at the Memphis metro region’s first Raising Cane’s, which opened in Southaven Tuesday to much fanfare. Hughes, along with her grandson and “bonus grandbabies,” camped out overnight for some chicken fingers.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Stephen Ellis teed off while participating in the Overton Park 99 on Monday. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Got 99 problems but a hole ain’t one: The second annual Overton Park 99 (yes, that’s 99 holes of golf) was Monday, and it went off without a hitch — despite Monday’s stormy forecast. The rain missed Midtown, so 21 golfers were able to play Overton’s nine-hole golf course 11 times, all while walking and carrying their bags (no golf carts). This year’s event raised double the amount of money from last year, and it’s going toward Overton Park’s youth golf open.

Cordell Jackson, known as the '‘Rock N' Roll Granny,'' in the recording studio in October 1996. (Courtesy Memphis Music Hall of Fame)

Baby, remember their names: The Memphis Music Hall of Fame announced its 2025 class on Tuesday. Among them are two living legends, including the owner and operator of the historic soul-turned-gospel radio station WLOK. One other highlight: Cordell Jackson, who became known as “Rock ‘n’ Roll Granny” in the 1980s and ’90s. Read up on all of the new inductees here.

Mimi’s Design Studio, which will feature a hair and nail salon, as well as other personal care services, will soon take over the former 850-square-foot Jojo’s Espresso spot in Thornwood Germantown. (Abigail Warren/Daily Memphian)

Flat whites to flat irons: The former Jojo’s Espresso spot in Germantown will soon be a hair and nail salon. Mimi’s Design Studio just signed a five-year lease for that Thornwood shopping center location, which means you’ll soon be able to get your nails done after dessert at TCBY and margs at Uncle Goyo’s. (You deserve it.) Read more on that and other commercial real estate news in Inked.

Basketball rules: When the Memphis Tigers 2025-26 season starts back, you might notice a few changes. An NCAA panel released a slew of new college basketball rules this week, including one that increases the foul level for hitting another player in the groin. (I am not a man, but I can only imagine this is welcome news.)

Writer-director Celine Song’s “Materialists” opens nationally this week and at just about every theater in Memphis. (Courtesy A24)

Wes-side stories: Movie buff Chris Herrington previews “Materialists,” the new rom-dram with Dakota Johnson, in his Memphis Movies This Week column. But more interesting is his take on director Wes Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme.” And even more interesting than that is Herrington’s ranked list of the best to worst Anderson films.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Science is cool.

Alright, go eat your cake!

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