What’s up, Memphis? It’s Tuesday, Sept. 9, and the Memphis City Council should get an update today on the latest drama at the Memphis Area Transit Authority. The city recently suspended a CEO search for the beleaguered bus system, and then most of MATA’s board quit. Sounds like the wheels on MATA’s bus aren’t going round and round, huh?

THE NEED TO KNOW

Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. accused Mayor Lee Harris of having “an unhealthy obsession with me.” (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

‘We will never do this again’: Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said Monday that he’s done trying to revive the long-dormant Shelby County Ethics Commission, after Shelby County Commissioners delayed a vote on his new appointees until next year. The ethics commission hasn’t had any new appointees or met in at least seven years. “We will never do this again. It’s not coming back,” Harris said. The vote to delay came after Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. alleged the appointments were a plot by Harris and other commissioners to remove him from office after his recent indictment on bribery charges. Commissioners also delayed — again — a vote to put all nine Memphis-Shelby County Schools board seats on one election ballot. 

New Day Tennessee wants the old Bayer building for its workforce development training ground for kids aging out of foster care. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Buyer for Bayer? The old Bayer campus on Jackson Avenue could become a live-and-work space for teens aging out of foster care. Memphis-Shelby County Schools bought the former pharmaceutical company campus in 2018 to become the new district headquarters. But the building needs a lot of repairs over the next decade, making it a candidate for closure or sale under the MSCS’ facilities plan. A group called New Day Tennessee is looking to buy the building and rent space to businesses that produce everything from manufactured homes to electric vehicles. And then teens aging out of foster care would live there and work for those companies.

Violent Sunday: Four children were injured in a shooting in Hickory Hill Sunday night. Two teens, both 15, were transported to the hospital in critical condition, and a three-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy were in non-critical condition. And that was just one of several shootings on Sunday. 

The Southaven High School Band Boosters are focused on fundraising to restore the group’s finances. (Courtesy Traci Filson)

Sour note: The Southaven High School Band Boosters are out close to $40,000 after the club’s former treasurer, Krystina Thompson, allegedly made off with the funds. Thompson has been indicted on embezzlement charges. That money was supposed to cover everything from instrument upkeep and uniforms to travel expenses and band camp. The band boosters are trying to replenish their treasury with a series of upcoming fundraisers and a GoFundMe.

MEET MEMPHIS

Molly Nelson’s year-old brand, Como Pecan Co., is helping to revive her family orchard. “My dad bought the orchard in 1995, but the trees themselves were planted around 1887.” (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

For Memphian Molly Nelson, money really does grow on trees. A little over a year ago, she revived her family’s pecan orchard in Como, Mississippi — about 50 miles from Memphis. For decades, her family ran a wholesale business selling pecans in the shell, but that became unsustainable. So, Nelson brought the dormant orchard back to life and founded Como Pecan Co., which sells shelled pecans and pecan flour. And you can find her products in local grocery stores. 

THE NICE TO KNOW

The Archives Bar & Bistro is on the bottom floor of Hotel Napoleon. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Not just one for the archives: Hotel Napoleon’s Archives Bar & Bistro, which closed in June, has been revived. Hugh Balthrop, owner of Sweet Magnolia Gelato Co., has reopened the space and retained the name, which is a nod to the building’s former life as home to the old Memphis Press-Scimitar newspaper. Balthrop is best-known for his gelato, made with locally sourced ingredients, but he says this gives him a chance to showcase his other culinary skills. For now, The Archives is focusing on breakfast, but dinner is coming soon. And yes, you will be able to get gelato there.

The Memphis Food Truck Park at Shelby Farms is the permanent home to Say Cheese and El Mero Taco. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Park it: One of the problems with food trucks is they’re always on the move. But now, you can always find two popular trucks — Say Cheese and El Mero Taco — at Shelby Farms Park. Shelby Farms just launched its new Memphis Food Truck Park near the Greenline, and those two will be permanent residents. But other trucks will make cameos, too.

New yellow markers separate the northbound and southbound traffic on Riverside Drive. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Riverside Drive changes again: Traffic patterns along Riverside Drive have changed so many times over the last five years, even Downtowners may forget the rules. And now they’re changing again. On Monday, Memphis Mayor Paul Young cut the ribbon on a new traffic configuration designed to create “a safer, slower, more pedestrian-friendly Riverside Drive.” To do that, the city is limiting how cars can access Tom Lee Park parking. 

Singer-songwriter Tonya Dyson will host the new monthly Soul Crawl bus tour. (Jamie Harmon)

Soul good: Soul food meets soul music on a new bus tour in Soulsville. Singer-songwriter Tonya Dyson is leading the new, monthly Soul Crawl bus tour, which will stop at three soul-food restaurants in South Memphis. At each stop, participants will sample small plates, and Dyson (and likely a few surprise artists) will perform and share stories of the neighborhood. 

Interns (left to right) Joel Haley, Lydia Williams and Sam Shoemaker. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Meet the interns: You might have noticed some new bylines at The Daily Memphian. Our fall interns — Joel Haley, Sam Shoemaker and Lydia Williams — have arrived. Haley is the current editor of the University of Memphis’ student newspaper, The Daily Helmsman. Shoemaker has written for some big-name sports sites (and he’s quite the athlete himself). And Williams fell in love with journalism while writing for her school paper at White Station High. Read more about all three here.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Wondering what causes the “false fall” we had last weekend? 

Alright, there’s your science lesson for today. And just so you know, that “tomorrow” mentioned in the post is today. Hope you enjoyed those cooler temps while they were here.

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