Mornin’, friends. It’s Thursday, Sept. 4, and Memphians can get an in-person sneak preview tonight of the new Hulu documentary on Memphis Rox climbers tackling Africa’s Mount Kenya. The series features Jarmond “Mond” Johnson, the Memphis Rox employee who was shot and killed at the gym earlier this summer. Can’t make it to tonight’s screening at Crosstown Theater? The series drops on Hulu Friday.

THE NEED TO KNOW

“State intervention in Memphis schools has historically failed to improve outcomes,” Memphis-Shelby County Schools Interim Superintendent Roderick Richmond said at a town hall on Wednesday. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

‘State intervention … has historically failed’: Those were the words of Memphis-Shelby County Schools Interim Superintendent Roderick Richmond at a town hall meeting Wednesday to push back against a possible state takeover of the district. Shelby County Republicans Rep. Mark White and Sen. Brent Taylor are expected to revive their takeover proposals this winter, so Richmond presented some evidence on how previous state intervention — in the form of the Achievement School District for low-performing schools — failed in the past.

Kids and drunks with guns: A recent state appeals court ruling seemingly made it legal for a 10-year-old to carry a semiautomatic rifle to a community basketball court or a drunk person to have a gun on Beale Street. The ruling invalidated two state gun laws: one on carrying guns in parks or playgrounds and one the ambiguous offense of the “intent to go armed.” How the ruling would allow those above-mentioned scenarios is a little complicated, but it was enough to make state Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti ask the court’s three-judge panel to pause the ruling. 

University of Memphis President Bill Hardgrave makes $650,000 a year at the base level of his contract, although he also receives other perks like a housing allowance. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

More bills for Bill: If you’re friends with University of Memphis President Bill Hardgrave, it’s fine to let him pick up the next dinner tab. Hardgrave, who already makes $650,000 a year, was approved for a $100,000 performance bonus on Wednesday. The approval vote by the U of M’s Board of Trustees came just days after Hardgrave angered a bunch of folks by ending the university’s DEI efforts. In other news from the Trustees meeting, some board members had concerns over the U of M’s fundraising numbers, even though the university had a record year.

Hyosung Hico bought the 360,000-square-foot facility at the former Mitsubishi Electric Power Products site at 2865 Riverport Road in 2020 for $45 million. (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian file)

Power moves: South Korea-based Hyosung Hico, which makes power transformers, announced a nearly $60 million expansion of its South Memphis facility back in May. Now, we’re getting a more detailed look at those plans. The expansion would double Hyosung Hico’s capacity and add more than 100 jobs.

QUOTED

“We’re in great shape,” said University of Memphis athletic director Ed Scott to the school’s Board of Trustees Wednesday. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

“Not only is Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on time and on budget, we actually have ... savings in that project.”

— Ed Scott, University of Memphis athletic director
Scott said Wednesday that not only is the $227 million stadium renovation on track, but cost-saving measures in the project are allowing the university to add some extras. Those include a new surround-sound system and equipment “to do a light show for night games [or] when we score a touchdown.”

THE NICE TO KNOW

St. Mary’s Episcopal School first grader Alana Lanfranco (right) read a book in the school’s new library. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Liza’s Library: St. Mary’s Episcopal School will cut the ribbon today on its new library, named for slain St. Mary’s teacher Eliza Fletcher. She was killed three years ago after being abducted on an early-morning run. Liza’s Library, which features a “reading tree” inspired by Fletcher’s classroom and a cozy book nook, is part of St. Mary’s $10 million renovation. There’s even a new Liza’s Book Club with books the school thinks Fletcher would have loved.

Ellen Chamberlain’s LA Spud order is customized with steak, onions, spinach, extra sour cream, light butter and cheese. (Ellen Chamberlain/The Daily Memphian)

Taters gonna tate: Daily Memphian food writer Ellen Chamberlain thinks potatoes are the world’s most perfect food. So, she went on a quest to find the best baked potato in Memphis. And she found it — in Southaven. Fans of the loaded potatoes at the long-gone East Memphis Pizza & Subs will be happy to know the owner has opened a new spot, called LA-91, south of the border. And according to Chamberlain’s math, LA-91 has 43,000 topping combinations. If that’s overwhelming, just try her fave first. 

This rendering shows plans for The Cooper mixed-use development. (Courtesy LRK)

Look inside The Cooper: The residential portion of The Cooper mixed-use development near Cooper-Young will have 275 apartments and townhomes, a fitness center, a pool and a clubhouse. That’s high-class modern living for Midtown, where many apartments are more than a century old. The design for what will be called The Cooper Residences was approved Wednesday by the Downtown Memphis Commission’s Design Review Board. Developers also gave an update on the rest of the project, which will include a 125-room hotel.

A large crowd watched Collierville leaders play pickleball at Suggs Park. Arlington is getting in on the pickleball trend. (Courtesy Town of Collierville)

Arlington relishes pickleball: Pickleball is finally coming to Arlington. Well, it’s been there. But players have been taking over tennis courts. That’s changing, thanks to a move this week by the Arlington Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The BMA approved the start of planning an expansion at the Arlington Tennis Center that could bring 12 pickleball courts and two new tennis courts. But if this pickleball trend ever dies, there’s a plan for that, too.

Delphi Borich, left, and Dan Hoy, right, star in “Austen’s Pride: A New Musical of Pride of Prejudice” at The Orpheum Theatre. (Phillip Hamer/Courtesy The Orpheum Theatre)

From Main to Broadway: Typically, musicals come to the Orpheum Theatre after leaving Broadway. But next week, you can see a show in Memphis before it gets to New York City. “Austen’s Pride: A New Musical of Pride of Prejudice” is stopping in Memphis on a tour of Southeastern cities, with a goal of eventually premiering on Broadway. The Orphuem’s Brett Batterson explains how Memphis audiences can help shape the show’s future. And in other arts news, the new Ballet Memphis season starts with murder and ends with suicide.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Make it happen. Maybe on Mount Moriah? 

Only one more work day after this one to go!

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