How’s it going this morning? We’re in the ides of November on this hump day. At a meeting today, the Downtown Mobility Authority will hear how the new Mobility Center is doing so far, and members will get an update on the redevelopment of 100 N. Main.

The Memphis Light, Gas and Water board meets also today, and they’ll be briefed on employee policy revisions related to political activity, narcotics sales, theft of MLGW property and services and other topics. All of that probably sounds juicier than it is.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Some Rhodes College alumni want the college chaplain, Rev. Beatrix Weil, fired for inviting a dominatrix to speak on campus in a forum on BDSM. (Lance Murphey/The Daily Memphian file)

Kink in the BDSM plans: A Rhodes College student seminar on bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism led by a local dominatrix was canceled after it came to the attention of the college’s administration last week. And now some Rhodes alumni are calling for campus chaplain Rev. Beatrix Weil, who organized the non-college-sanctioned event, to be fired. Some students said the seminar wasn’t a big deal until it caught the attention of conservator commentator Todd Starnes. “This does tend to be an age where people start looking into that. [It was a] good idea for students who might be interested in learning in a safe way,” said one student.

Two suspects have been charged in the death of a man who was shot during a Downtown Memphis robbery on Sunday, Nov. 12. The shooting comes amid heightened concern about crime Downtown. (Mary Cashiola/The Daily Memphian)

Memphis homicides on the rise: The death of Alexander Bulakhov, a postdoctoral researcher at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, was the ninth Downtown homicide this year. Bulakhov was shot and killed while walking with his wife and child, after they were robbed by an armed man in a ski mask. Two have been charged in his death. Memphis could be on track for a record year of homicides: 334 have been recorded so far. And Bulakhov’s killing wasn’t the only homicide this week: a 17-year old student from Trezevant High School died of his injuries after being shot while walking home from school on Monday.

Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy — flanked by Shelby County Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman, Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner — announced indictments against two jailers accused in the May assault of a Shelby County Jail inmate. (Julia Baker/The Daily Memphian)

Jailers indicted over inmate assault: Two Shelby County jailers, Odell Underwood and Reginald Wilkins, have been indicted for allegedly assaulting inmate Damion Francisco Florez Ramirez on May 20. Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy said Florez Ramirez was in handcuffs after being treated with a chemical agent, and he was being taken to the medical facility inside the jail for treatment. “And at that location, we allege, without justification, the two officers assaulted Mr. Florez Ramirez,” Mulroy said. Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner said he agreed with these new indictments, unlike those of the nine correction officers indicted over jail inmate Gershun Freeman’s death. Bonner is standing by those officers, and on Tuesday, the sheriff asked to be dismissed from the civil suit filed by Freeman’s widow, Nicole Freeman.

Tennessee Department of Education officials testified to the General Assembly committee exploring the idea of rejecting federal education funding. (Ian Round/The Daily Memphian)

On the money: Tennessee Education Commissioner Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds won’t say whether she supports the state rejecting more than $1 billion in annual federal education funds. Reynolds and three of her staffers testified in a General Assembly working group exploring that possibility on Tuesday. Though she wouldn’t take a position, Reynolds and her staff shared information on how federal funds, which make up 10% of the Tennessee Department of Education’s budget, pay for meals, special education and more than 9,400 programs for students statewide. 

QUOTED

“We know that people love their schools and don’t want to have to change ... but unfortunately, it is necessary when the enrollment gets out of balance.”

— Collierville Schools Superintendent Gary Lilly
Collierville Schools held a public forum on rezoning its elementary schools on Tuesday. The proposed rezoning, which will be voted on in December, would mean 340 students would be shuffled to different schools. But Lilly said the move is necessary to equalize enrollment. Some parents broke the meeting’s format to express their concerns.

THE NICE TO KNOW

The Shelby County Clerk’s Millington office is located at 4836 Navy Road. (Abigail Warren/The Daily Memphian)

Another clerk’s office closure? The Millington location of the Shelby County Clerk’s office closed unexpectedly on Tuesday. But a sign on the door indicated the office would reopen at 8 a.m. Will it? Time will tell. Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert posted online that the office was having internet issues. The closing comes just a week after Halbert was asked to close her Poplar Plaza office after failing to pay the rent for months. The Millington branch is the only suburban clerk’s office, and if you ask our suburbs editor Clay Bailey, there should be other county locations that are easily accessible for those who live out east.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart twisted his ankle in the game against Los Angeles on Tuesday, Nov. 14. (Nikki Boertman/AP file)

This Smarts: The Memphis Grizzlies lost again. (Surprise, surprise.) This time, the 134-107 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers came in a game that was never even close. Even Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., who have been carrying the team lately, played poorly. Hey, at least Santi Aldama had a good night. To make matters way worse, Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard were ruled out in the second half with injuries. Kennard was experiencing knee soreness, and Smart turned his ankle in the middle of the first quarter after landing on the foot of Lakers guard Austin Reaves. And if Smart’s injury turns out to be serious, this could be a major blow to the already-struggling Grizzlies.

GloRilla performed at the Wireless Music Festival in Finsbury Park on Sunday, July 9, in London. (Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP file)

Glo gives back: Memphis rapper GloRilla (aka Gloria Woods) is giving back to Frayser Community Schools again. Woods surprised students at Westside Middle School in Frayser, one of her former schools, with a performance of “Tomorrow” and a $20,000 donation to expand on future field trips. “This the school that made me and raised me,” Woods said. Last fall, she performed at MLK College Preparatory High School, another alma mater, and donated $25,000 to the school’s performing arts program.

No vacancy in Arlington: Short-term rentals, like Airbnbs, may soon be illegal in Arlington. The suburb’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously passed the first reading of an ordinance to prohibit short-term rentals of less than 30 days. As of now, there are no Airbnb listings in Arlington, but Town Administrator Cathy Durant said they’re trying to be proactive before BlueOval City opens. Suburbs shutting out short-term rentals is becoming a trend around these parts; Lakeland made the same move last month.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

This Ja Morant holiday ornament, available on Amazon, is the talk of X this week. Because, um, this looks nothing like Morant, right?

Opinions varied as to who exactly it does look like. Rick James was my first thought, but other more social-savvy folks said it resembles TikTok restaurant reviewer Keith Lee. What do you think?

Alright, y’all have an amazing day!

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