Hi there, Memphis. I am Kelsey Bowen, and it’s Friday, Oct. 17. Your regularly scheduled Early Word writer is out today. (Happy late birthday to her!) But I’ve got my Bianca cap on, and I am ready to party.

The Memphis Grizzlies are back in the swing of things — which, for now, means losing. But, the Claw Crew will be at the Overton Park Shell tonight from 6 to 7:30 p.m., handing out free swag, and that’s a team I can support.

It is spooky season, and not one but two murder-themed shows open tonight at local theaters.

Plus, this weekend, you can peruse local art Downtown at River Arts Fest, so long as you don’t mind some potential rain. Maybe you’ll go on a Vietnamese culinary culture adventure right here in Memphis or check out the Grammy-winning Soweto Gospel Choir. Get more weekend ideas in The To-Do List. Or you can listen to today’s AM/DM podcast, which I am also on, so you get an extra dose of Kelso today. Lucky you!

THE NEED TO KNOW 

As of Thursday afternoon, Oct. 16, there were 2,911 people booked into Shelby County Jail, according to a spokesperson for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. The jail’s stated capacity is 2,400 inmates. (The Daily Memphian file) 

Overcrowding the overcrowded?: Since the Memphis Safe Task Force has been here, law enforcement agents have made hundreds of arrests in the city. And those arrests have gone straight to 201 Poplar, straining an already overcrowded facility. One judge said he saw 50 to 70 more cases last week. Josh Spickler, of local criminal justice reform nonprofit Just City, said, “Everything about the system is overwhelmed and is going to break eventually.” Here’s a look at the Shelby County Jail average population from January 2024 to October 2025.

“Shelby County and Millington leadership established a non-binding agreement MANY YEARS AGO to serve the community, its surrounding areas and the military community by processing Motor Vehicle Services (at no cost),” Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert wrote in an email Wednesday afternoon. (Benjamin Naylor/The Daily Memphian file)

Lawsuit on the table or rent check in the mail?: Wanda Halbert has been living rent-free in minds across the county. But, now, her check might be due. The deadline for the Shelby County clerk to pay rent for an office in Millington is approaching. The city says it will seek legal action if it doesn’t get its money. However, Halbert says she doesn’t owe anything and that she never signed any lease in Millington, despite using the office. No rent has been paid in more than 21 months, and the math says Halbert’s office owes $39,200.

“Our goal is to make sure that as this task force is working that we are trying to direct them toward the things and the work that we have already been doing,” said Memphis Mayor Paul Young, seen here in a file photo. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Young’s controversial strategy: While leaders in Chicago and Portland, Oregon, are pushing against potential National Guard deployment, Memphis Mayor Paul Young is taking a different approach. While Young said he disagreed with the deployment of the Tennessee National Guard to the city, he plans to work with the Task Force instead of trying to contest it. In a “Behind the Headlines” episode, Young said he is trying to steer the surge of law enforcement to address violent crime. The mayor said immigration enforcement is a “top concern” for him, the same concern that Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said could result in a lawsuit. While acknowledging his position is controversial, Young said he wants to “apply these resources to address the challenges that we do have.”

MEET MEMPHIS 

Jeremy Liu, an eighth grader at West Collierville Middle, practices his routine at the East End Skating Center. Liu has been selected to represent Team USA and the World Artistic Roller Skating Championships in Beijing, China. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Jeremy Liu, an eighth grader at West Collierville Middle School, is representing Team USA in this weekend’s World Artistic Roller Skating Championship in Beijing. Liu, who is now 13, got his start with roller skating at age 7 after a casual family trip to an ice rink. He wanted to keep skating, but he told his mom, “Let’s do something like the four wheels, so I can stand there steady.” These days, he takes private lessons five days a week, and this weekend marks his first time competing in another country. — Bianca Phillips

THE NICE TO KNOW

“When we started this company in 2013, my brother (Davin Bartosch, left) was set on making an amazing Pilsner and that quickly shifted to, ‘Let’s be one of the best lager-making breweries in the world,’” Kellan Bartosch, right, said. (The Daily Memphian file) 

Pint o’ gold: Memphis’ own Wiseacre Brewing Co. won big this past weekend at the Great American Beer Festival. The brewery’s Sky Dog Amber was awarded gold in the International Amber Lager category, while Tiny Bomb earned silver in the German-style Pilsener category. Since 2013, Wiseacre has been a staple brewery in Memphis with locations on Broad Avenue (which just opened a sandwich shop, BTW) and B.B. King Boulevard. 

University of Memphis player Julius Thedford is introduced during the “Memphis Madness presents Ballin’ on Beale” event. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Tigers ball out on Beale: The unofficial start to the Memphis Tigers men’s and women’s basketball season painted Beale Street blue — well, at least full-sized court worth of it. Coaches Penny Hardaway and Alex Simmons and their players and a whole lot of Tigers fans gathered Downtown to celebrate together — despite the National Guard’s presence. As columnist Geoff Calkins said, it didn’t require agreement, just people to “be in the company of other Memphians on a beautiful night in the city.”

Little Petals in East Memphis is open now. (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian)

Big news for Little Petals: Little Petals, the drive-thru-only version of the Sichuan restaurant Petals of a Peony, is now open in East Memphis, serving up American Chinese food and spicy specials for those on the go. The restaurant also announced a Collierville location is in the works. Plus, Tonica Downtown opens, and a dirty soda shop is planning its grand opening.

Memphis Tigers tight end Matt Adcock (32) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during an Oct. 4 game against Tulsa. (Josh Blake/Special to The Daily Memphian)

245 pounds of determination: When he was in fifth grade, Matt Adcock was 5 pounds too heavy to play as a lineman at his local football program. It took him two weeks to lose that weight and snag his desired spot. He even resisted cake at a birthday party! What kind of fifth grader does that? Now, Adcock is a tight end for the Memphis Tigers, and he still plays with that same determination he had when he was a child. 

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT 

If you liked the sound of those Wiseacre beers, you’re in luck. Tonight, you can those award-winning brews for $4 at the Broad Avenue location.

Now this has been a hoot, but all good things must come to an end. I am gonna get one of those first-place lagers, see ya there! 

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