Lunch plans yet, Memphis? It’s Thursday, Aug. 24, National Burger Day, and our food writers have offered plenty of suggestions over the years for where to find the best. You could check out the “California-style” burgers at Tommy’s Burgers, or you could stay under budget with a $10 Deal burger from Crosstown’s Flip Side (more money left for pinball!). Or if you’re thinking really cheap, check out our “Sound Bites” episode on the best and worst fast-food burgers.

Burgers aside, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s board of directors will vote today on whether to replace combustion turbines with more energy-efficient ones that would not only ease local adoption of renewable energy but also help avoid power trips and blackouts. (Fingers crossed for no more Christmas blackouts.)

Also, feminist gift shop Archd, which just won a “technology makeover” from Comcast, will open its brick-and-mortar location today at 65 Monroe Ave. And there’s a ribbon-cutting today for the Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center’s new clinical space on the the University of Tennessee Health Science Center campus. The clinic offers no-cost occupational therapy for underserved children.

THE NEED TO KNOW

The Memphis City Council held a surprise birthday party for Chairman Martavius Jones at Fat Tuesday on May 9. (Samuel Hardiman/The Daily Memphian)

Fat birthday tab: Memphis City Council Chair Martavius Jones celebrated his birthday at Fat Tuesday on May 9. And according to public records reviewed by The Daily Memphian, you paid $1,800 for it. That’s right, you, the taxpayer. The event was billed as an “employee appreciation event” for council staff during the busy budget season, but it was also a surprise birthday party for Jones that included food and drinks. Documents show council staffers, with approval from Jones and Council Vice Chair JB Smiley Jr., secured a budget for the event. Jones later posted on Facebook that he was “98% surprised.” Now, state Rep. John Gillespie (R-Memphis) is asking the Tennessee State Comptroller to look into the council’s spending.

Gun-reform advocates chanted “you’ve done nothing” after the Tennessee Senate concluded its Wednesday, Aug. 23, session. (Ian Round/The Daily Memphian)

Special session does ‘nothing’: The Tennessee Senate passed a bill that could improve background checks for guns, one that creates an awareness campaign around free gun locks and one that requires a report on human trafficking. All three continue things the state government already does. “You’ve done nothing,” chanted gun-reform advocates in the Senate gallery after the meeting closed on Wednesday. A fourth bill was passed to cover the cost of those bills and the week of legislative expenses. The House will still need to pass each bill today, when the special session is set to conclude. It is unclear if more legislation will pass before the expected end of special session.

Michael Oher, center, filed a motion on Monday, Aug. 21, to compel the Tuohys to file an “account” covering the 19-year span of the conservatorship, which Oher wants to terminate. (Jason DeCrow/AP file)

Show Oher the money: Michael Oher, former NFL lineman and inspiration for “The Blind Side,” filed a new motion in his ongoing legal battle with Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy this week. Oher’s motion compels the couple to file an account of itemized receipts and expenditures from the 19-year span of the conservatorship he claims the Tuohys tricked him into agreeing to. State law requires that information to be submitted annually, but Oher alleged in the filing that the Tuohys have never submitted such an account. Last week, Oher filed a petition to end the conservatorship that’s been in place since he was 18.

Man charged with killing girlfriend, her grandson: Herman Hollins-Brown has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, among other charges, in the deaths of his girlfriend, Anneria Turman, and her 15-year-old grandson, Syquavius Hoyett. Turman’s body was found on Aug. 17, and Hoyett’s body was discovered three days later. A witness told police Hollins-Brown held him at gunpoint and forced him into helping dispose of the bodies. “[Hoyett] was just a bright, brilliant, young teenage boy who was just trying to live and grow up into become something and do something with his life,” said Rev. Melvin Watkins of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church.

MEET MEMPHIS

Kimberly Horton

Kimberly Horton has been at the helm of The Blues Foundation in an interim role for more than a year, but she was recently tapped to be the permanent president and CEO. And she’s the first leader in the foundation’s 40-plus years who’s worked on both the artist and business sides of the music industry. Horton owns booking/management agency Heathrow Muzik Box, through which she’s represented four International Blues Challenge winners, among other artists. In her current role, Horton is charged with breathing new life into the foundation, which serves as the mothership for 173 blues societies around the world. The foundation — and live music in general — suffered through the pandemic, but Horton has big plans for bringing back the blues.

THE NICE TO KNOW

The Daily Memphian’s Geoff Calkins and Jennifer Biggs interviewed longtime University of Memphis tailgater David Merritt before a 2019 University of Memphis home game. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Treasuring the ‘visits’ with Biggs: The Daily Memphian’s late dining editor (it’s still hard to say “late”) Jennifer Biggs often used the word “visit” in the most Southern sense. Whether you knew her personally or read her work often enough to get to know her on paper (because with Biggs, that was very possible), you know that “visit” meant Biggs would sit and stay awhile, really investing time and energy with people. In this week’s Table Talk, our own Chris Herrington reflects on Biggs’ equally empathetic, acerbic and playful personality and how that led to rich interactions with so many.

Barry Lichterman, far right, was on hand for the groundbreaking of the Lichterman Nature Center’s Discovery Forest on Aug. 23. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Child’s play: The Lichterman Nature Center broke ground on its new Discovery Forest playground on Wednesday. The “interactive and unstructured” play area was inspired by the forest that Barry Lichterman, whose family once lived on the land, played in as a kid. When it opens this spring, kids can explore “play stations,” like the Frog Grotto (for younger kids) and the Squirrel Cafe (where kids can mimic the work happening in the Lichterman’s greenhouse).

Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves is making a bid to grab the unofficial title of Best Young American Player. (John Locher/AP)

Battle for Best Young American: There are plenty of NBA rankings out there, but Best Young American Player is an unofficial title up for grabs. Does it still belong to Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant? Perhaps, says The Daily Memphian’s Chris Herrington. But at the moment, it’s looking like that title could go to the Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards. Morant is facing a 25-game suspension following a series of bad decisions. And Edwards is shining on the international stage right now with Team USA as it prepares for FIBA World Cup play. Morant and Edwards will have their first showdown of the season in January. You might want to save the date. Want more? Herrington and Grizzlies beat writer Drew Hill discuss all the important dates on the schedule in this week’s Grizzlies podcast.

Midfielder Luiz Fernando tried to head the ball into the goal as Indy Eleven goalkeeper Tim Trilk caught it during Wednesday’s match at AutoZone Park. The game ended in a 0-0 tie. (Greg Campbell/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Call it a draw for 901 FC: Memphis 901 FC’s first home game in a month was a scoreless draw against Indy Eleven. That could be considered a disappointment, but 901 FC Coach Stephen Glass was looking on the bright side last night, pointing to the fact that his team has gone four games unbeaten in the month of August after losing its last home match.

Examples of weatherization include adding insulation to attics or walls and installing new windows. (The Daily Memphian file)

Lowering the energy burden: The City of Memphis received a $971,000 federal grant to help low-income residents weatherize their homes and lower their energy costs. The grant will go to the city’s Weatherization Assistance Program, which helps residents add insulation to attics or walls and install new windows, among other energy-saving improvements. Recent stats show that Memphis has the highest energy burden of any U.S. city.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

The Walgreens at Poplar Avenue and Cleveland Street is now playing classical music on outdoor speakers in an attempt to curb loitering. In this story from WREG, a representative from Walgreens said the music “is only loud enough for the immediate area around the store and cannot be heard by residents in surrounding neighborhoods.”

But as a resident in a surrounding neighborhood, I can say that’s definitely not true. My neighbors and I can hear it blocks away, and several commenters on X (formerly known Twitter) say the same.

But hey, it’s least it’s not death metal. Or that Kid Rock song they play at every Grizzlies game!

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