Cue Schoolhouse Rock’s “How a Bill Becomes a Law.” It’s Tuesday, Jan. 13, and the 114th Tennessee General Assembly begins today. Here’s a preview of some bills you’ll likely be hearing about this session. 

Our Memphis politicians are back at it today, too. The Memphis City Council holds its first meeting of the year, and they’ll vote on dropping Black- and minority-owned business preferences for the city’s small-business program.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Members of the Memphis Safe Task Force, led by the U.S. Marshals Service, made an arrest in South Memphis on Nov. 26, 2025. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

After the arrests: The U.S. Marshals Service is steadily touting Memphis Safe Task Force arrest numbers in X posts. But what happens to all those cases after the arrests are made? The Trump administration made big promises about prosecuting cases federally, but the vast majority of cases — 1,700 so far — are being handled by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. And District Attorney General Steve Mulroy says his office may not be able to keep up much longer.

More AI is coming: Yet another data center is planned for Memphis, but the Nashville-based investor behind the building’s acquisition says this one won’t be “depleting the world of its resources like the big megacenters.” Nate Golden of Golden Acquisitions bought the old SentryNet building on Sycamore View Road for $1.4 million, and a partner of AI company Oracle will use the space to store data, run AI analytics and host cloud space. It’ll run on less electricity than, say, xAI and it uses forced air, rather than water, for cooling.

The Shelby County Board of Commissioners approved lease payments for County Clerk Wanda Halbert’s office in Millington. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Not living rent-free anymore: Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert can finally settle up with the City of Millington. The Shelby County Commission approved $38,400 in lease payments for the Millington clerk’s office, which covers the $28,800 in back rent that Halbert’s office owed, plus a little extra just in case. Halbert had previously failed to pay the rent, claiming she was not involved in signing any lease. In other news, County Commissioners are pushing County Mayor Lee Harris to send more than $10 million to a local organization that funds prekindergarten. Without that money, some pre-K centers may have to close.

Several Memphis-Shelby County Schools board seats remain up in the air, after a Shelby County Commission vote Monday. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Not backing down: The future of five Memphis-Shelby County Schools board seats has been in flux, and it’ll stay that way for longer, following a Shelby County Commission vote Monday. The commission voted to stand by its decision from last year to put all nine MSCS board seats on the ballot this year. That was a move that would shorten the terms of the five board members currently in those seats. Despite the new commission vote though, potential candidates are barred from checking out petitions to run for the seats while a lawsuit plays out. In other election news, we’ve got a look at who pulled petitions for the Aug. 6 state and federal primary ballots last Friday.

QUOTED

Property owners on the east side of Quinn Road have asked to be deannexed from Collierville. (Abigail Warren/The Daily Memphian)

“If I was asking you to give me 300 bucks a month every day for five years and get nothing, what would you do?”

— Collierville resident Brian Willmarth
Willmarth is among two households in Collierville that want to be deannexed from the town. Both families were annexed into Collierville more than six years ago, and though they’re paying property taxes, they’re still not getting much in return. On Monday, the Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen took up their request.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane dribbled the ball in a game against the Golden State Warriors on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in San Francisco. (Justine Willard/AP)

That’s just business: Memphis Grizzlies star Desmond Bane has a very down-to-earth take on the harsh reality of the NBA’s business side. He was traded to the Orlando Magic over the summer, and while he admits that was a bummer, he says he’s got no hard feelings. (Unlike his old teammate Dillon Brooks.) Plus, well, Orlando has Disney World, and Bane has kids. (And no pyramid-shaped tackle shop can top that, right?) The Grizzlies will play the Magic and Bane this week in Europe, which means he won’t get to return to Memphis for any games this season. (Insert sadface emoji.) But there is one familiar face — who doesn’t play on the team but is most definitely a Grizzly — who may make Bane feel like he’s back at home.

Memphians who died in 2025 include Sam Moore, Myron Lowery, Fred Smith, Jarmond Johnson and Wink Martindale, counterclockwise from top left. (Photo illustration by Kelsey Bowen)

In memoriam: Last year marked the deaths of several notable Memphians, including FedEx founder Fred Smith. Former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland called Smith “the most important Memphian of all time.” But the city also lost so many others, including legendary Stax musician Don Nix, former Memphis City Council member Myron Lowery, game-show host Wink Martindale and Neely’s Interstate Bar-B-Q matriarch Barbara Neely, to name a few. Here’s a look at who we lost in 2025.

A crew bricked a house for Grant Homes at the Lakeland Meadows residential project in Lakeland. (Michael Waddell/The Daily Memphian)

‘Lakeland’s booming’: That’s according to home builder Carey Grant. New home sales in the suburb were way down in 2025 compared to one year prior. But things started picking up at the end of the year, and Lakeland officials are expecting a boost in home sales this year. “There’s more growth and stuff being built in Lakeland right now than anywhere,” Grant said. 

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Here’s some feel-good news for you. A kid named Jax lost his teddy bear, McMuffin, at Memphis International Airport. So the airport sent out a search team.

McMuffin was found safe and sound and was reunited with Jax when his family flew back through MEM. Watch the whole video here.

And that’s a wrap!

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