Good morning, Memphis. It’s Friday, Oct. 6, and we have a new mayor and several new Memphis City Council members (though some races are going to runoffs). But before we recap all the election news, here’s a look at what’s going on this weekend. Tonight, it will actually feel like fall with temps in the 60s; perfect weather for the Memphis Botanic Garden’s family campfire party.

On Saturday, art lovers can start the morning at the annual V&E Greenline Art Walk and then head over to the Ravine for the Paint Memphis Festival, where more than 100 artists will be painting murals around the Edge District. At 4 p.m., Memphis native and four-star point guard Curtis Givens III is expected to announce his college commitment from an East Memphis barbecue spot. And miles away in Atlanta, longtime WLOK host Melvin Jones will be inducted into the National Black Radio Hall of Fame.

Sunday is the day Memphis Grizzlies fans have waited all summer for. NBA is back! The Grizzlies will play the Indiana Pacers at FedExForum in the first preseason game. Arrive a little early to play pickleball on Beale Street. For other weekend ideas, check out The To-Do List.

THE NEED TO KNOW

“I want to make sure that together, we go through a transformation — a transformation that’s gonna take us from from hopelessness to hopeful; from poverty to prosperity; from hurt to healed; from stalled to thriving,” Paul Young said at Minglewood Hall on Thursday, Oct. 5. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Paul Young wins mayor’s race: Paul Young beat out three other frontrunners in a 17-person field to win the Memphis mayor’s race on Thursday. In the span of a year, the Downtown Memphis Commission CEO went from a novice politician to the city’s highest office. He launched his mayoral campaign on 901 Day in 2022 and managed to raise more campaign donations than any other candidate. “The city that we love, the city that people forgot about, the one that they want to write off ... it’s time for us to write the next pages of Memphis history,” Young said in his victory speech at Minglewood Hall on Thursday night. See the vote totals for all the mayoral candidates here.

From left to right, top row, Rhonda Logan, Jana Swearengen-Washington, Edmund Ford Sr., bottom row, Chase Carlisle, Ford Canale, JB Smiley and Jeff Warren. (The Daily Memphian file)

Who was elected to the City Council? Expect to see some new faces on the Memphis City Council soon. Janika White claimed the Super District 8 Position 2 seat that incumbent Cheyenne Johnson is leaving, and Yolanda Cooper-Sutton was elected to council chair Martavius Jones’ Super District 8 Position 3 seat. And a familiar face, former council member Philip Spinosa, was elected to the District 5 seat after an expensive and contentious race with the other frontrunner, Meggan Kiel. At least seven incumbents won a second four-year term, with one incumbent apparently bound for a November runoff (more on that below). Rhonda Logan, Jana Swearengen-Washington, Edmund Ford Sr., Chase Carlisle, Ford Canale, JB Smiley and Jeff Warren will retain their seats. See the vote breakdown for all City Council races here.

Unofficial results show District 7 Memphis City Council incumbent Michalyn Easter-Thomas in a close race with Jimmy Hassan. The race will go to a runoff in November. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian) 

Headed for runoffs: Incumbent Michalyn Easter-Thomas, who faced six challengers in the District 7 race, appeared to lack the 50% plus one majority needed to avoid a Nov. 16 runoff election. The unofficial results show her and North Memphis clothing store owner Jimmy Hassan as the top two contenders for the seat. The District 2 race between Scott McCormick and Jerri Green and the District 3 race between Pearl Eva Walker and James Kirkwood are also going to runoffs. The Daily Memphian shared stories from the polls all day on Thursday in our live blog; you can find all of that coverage here.

Memphis Police officers at the scene of a shooting at Margolin Hebrew Academy on Monday, July 31. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Alleged Margolin shooter faces burglary charges: Joel Bowman, the man accused in the Margolin Hebrew Academy shooting on July 31, has been indicted on an aggravated burglary charge. Bowman was already facing charges for allegedly trying to enter the East Memphis private school while armed and for allegedly shooting at a contractor on the property. But according to court records, Bowman also entered a Bartlett home “with intent to commit theft” that same day. In other criminal justice news, a judge ruled Thursday that trials for McKinney Wright and Quandarius Richardson, the two defendants in the 2018 killing of Memphis Chamber of Commerce CEO and president Phil Trenary, can be separated.

QUOTED

Even after Memphis Tigers women’s coach Katrina Merriweather left for Cincinnati after last season, Houston High graduate Madison Griggs decided to stay. (Courtesy Memphis Athletics)

“Memphis, man. … I just love Memphis. I love home.”

— Madison Griggs, Memphis Tigers women’s basketball player
Griggs has the distinction of being the most prolific 3-point shooter in Tigers women’s basketball history. At Wednesday’s “Student Madness” basketball kickoff event, the Memphis native explained why she decided to stay with the Tigers again this season. In his column on the student event, The Daily Memphian’s Tim Buckley also shares Memphis love from new men’s basketball point guard Jahvon Quinerly.

THE NICE TO KNOW

David Grisanti will reopen his Collierville restaurant on Tuesday, Oct. 10. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Italy meets Collierville: Restaurateur David Grisanti’s eatery, which occupied the back of Sheffield Antiques Mall on Poplar Avenue for several years, will reopen next Tuesday, Oct. 10, in Collierville Town Square in the former P.O. Press. Now called David Grisanti’s on Main, the restaurant’s menu won’t change, but the space is twice the size of the old antique mall location. Grisanti said he’s made a number of changes to the space to counter some complaints he’d heard about the “industrial” feel of P.O. Press.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane reacted in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022. (Brandon Dill/AP file)

Des, Trip and Steve-o: With Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant out on a 25-game suspension as the NBA season kicks off, forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and guard Desmond Bane may get their shining Grizzlies moments. According to our own Grizzlies basketball whiz Chris Herrington, the two uplift any five-man combination you put them in, and when they shared the floor last season, the Grizzlies outscored the opposition by nearly 10 points per 100 possessions. Herrington has more on what both players bring to the court. In other JJJ news, the big man is working to slow down his pace on the court after his summer experience on the United States national team. And speaking of big men, Steven Adams is back from injury (!!), and he’s got jokes.

Straight Drop Seafood has 3/8 lb. of shrimp, four potato wedges, half a corn on the cob and half a sausage for $10. (Joshua Carlucci/The Daily Memphian)

Deal you won’t drop all your cash on: Food writer Joshua Carlucci knows a good seafood boil when he tries one. He can tell you if the meat was simmered in an unseasoned stock or if the chef let the meat and veggies soak up a flavored broth. Straight Drop Seafood in Harbor Town is the latter, and Carlucci discovered a way to enjoy this quality boil without breaking the bank. Look for the All Day Trap Meals on the menu, and you’ll find an offering with 3/8 lb. of shrimp, four potato wedges, half a corn on the cob and half a sausage for $10.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

As mentioned earlier, Memphis Grizzlies kick off preseason with a game against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. But you can get the basketball party started on Saturday with the Grizzlies’ open practice event. And if you’re still worried about safety at FedExForum following last month’s shooting there, you might be interested to learn the Grizzlies are using a new event security company.

Enjoy the real fall temps this weekend!

.....