Pump up those bike tires, Memphis. It’s Friday, May 15 — Bike to Work Day. This afternoon, you can ride over to Cooper-Young for the commemoration of the Hell-o Strip, seven tiny gardens along Southern Avenue. Today is also the deadline for candidates to file under the new U.S. House congressional map.

On Saturday, the National Civil Rights Museum reopens its Legacy building with new galleries that trace the last 50 years of the civil-rights movement. Bigfoot will be on Beale Street, and you can see “wrasslin’ and tasslin’” (aka wrestling and burlesque) at Wiseacre OG.

For more weekend fun, check The To-Do List.

THE NEED TO KNOW 

The Tennessee General Assembly approved the new congressional map on May 7. (Noah McLane/The Daily Memphian file)

Map quest: A federal judge ruled in favor of Tennessee’s new congressional map on Thursday. Judge William Lynn Campbell Jr. denied the request to pause the new map that splits Memphis into three districts and dilutes the Democratic vote. That ruling was related to two lawsuits: one by a coalition of Democratic voters and congressional candidates and the other by the ACLU of Tennessee. It’s not the last chance for an injunction though. Two more lawsuits — both involving the NAACP — remain active, including a fourth one filed this week. There’s another hearing for a temporary injunction next week.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is one of many federal agencies working under the Memphis Safe Task Force. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP file)

More on the Task Force shooting: The man who was fatally shot by a Memphis Safe Task Force agent was wanted on charges of aggravated assault, aggravated burglary and a weapons violation. Darrin Pigram was killed by a DEA agent Tuesday at a Frayser Burger King. His warrant charges stemmed from a January arrest, when he allegedly kicked down a neighbor’s door and pointed a gun at him over loud music. 

MEET MEMPHIS

Edward Payton is the new executive director and CEO of the Memphis VA Medical Center. (Greg Campbell/Special for The Daily Memphian)

Edward Payton, the new executive director and CEO of the Memphis VA Medical Center, wanted to be a doctor when he grew up. So, he shadowed a surgeon when he was a teen. “I almost passed out in the operating room,” he said. And that was the end of that dream. But Payton didn’t give up on a healthcare career. The Jackson, Mississippi-native got a master’s in healthcare from the University of Mississippi and later went on to various leadership roles within the VA. When the Memphis job came open, he knew he wanted it, because “I could eat barbecue all day, and I can go to my mom’s house.”

THE NICE TO KNOW

Arleen Sirota, left, and Dekater Horton shared a laugh while catching up on May 14. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

The more things change … the more they stay the same. Today, Geoff Calkins introduces us to Arleen Sirota and Dekater Horton, a white woman and a Black man who met in Fayette County during the Civil Rights Movement in 1968. Sirota came down from New York as a young college kid eager to help out during a time when Black sharecroppers were evicted from their land in retaliation for registering to vote. Horton’s mom led that historic voter registration effort, which ultimately helped inspire the Voting Rights Act of 1965. That act was just effectively discarded by the U.S. Supreme Court. Sirota and Horton reconnected this week.

The 2026 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest started on Wednesday, May 13, with sauce wrestling. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

On the sauce: Well, here’s something that almost never happens: A restaurant is opening ahead of schedule. Bain Barbecue expects to open its Germantown location one month early. They’re aiming for co-owner Bryant Bain’s birthday next week. In other barbecue news, we’ve got a look at that very messy, age-old Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest tradition: sauce wrestling. And in more food news, The Artist Table has packed up and left Downtown — but it may be coming back.

Houston guard Milos Uzan drove against Idaho in an NCAA tournament game on Thursday, March 19, in Oklahoma City. (Nate Billings/AP file)

Going back for seconds: Yesterday, we looked at which NBA Draft prospects the Memphis Grizzlies are likely to pick at No. 3. But the Grizzlies hold two more picks, including No. 32. It may be a lot further down the line, but the team has a good track record of finding talent late in the NBA Draft. Just look at Jaylen Wells and GG Jackson. So, who might the Grizzlies pick at 32? We’ve got a look, starting with Houston guard Milos Uzan.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Yo-Yo Ma was in Memphis this week for American Revival, and he stopped by the National Civil Rights Museum to play this lovely tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.

Have a great weekend!

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