Howdy, Memphis. Checking in on this Monday, April 1, with big news: The Mall of Memphis will be rebuilt, complete with its popular ice-skating rink, at the site of the old Velsicol plant in North Memphis.

JK! It’s April Fools, but man, I sure do miss that ice-skating rink. Jokes aside, later tonight, the Memphis Grizzlies will play the Detroit Pistons in Michigan.

If you’re planning your week ahead, check out This Week in Memphis.

THE NEED TO KNOW

The Memphis Police Department, led by Interim Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis (pictured), created a new second lieutenant position that’s caused a riff between the department and the police union. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Dissent within the ranks: “This is the worst that morale has been,” according to one Memphis Police Department officer. Aside from the city’s crime rate and MPD’s short staffing, there’s dissent within the ranks as the police union and MPD fight over a new second lieutenant position. The Memphis Police Association says that rank and its promotions process violates an agreement between the union and the department. The MPA filed a grievance, and in early March, an arbitrator ruled in favor of the union. But last week, the City of Memphis filed a petition to vacate the results of arbitration, saying crime rates have necessitated more supervisors. The Daily Memphian’s Ben Wheeler talked to a couple officers who were recently promoted to the new second lieutenant position. If the position was eliminated, they would essentially be demoted.

Who will be questioned in the Nichols case? Attorneys for Tyre Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, want to depose more than 90 people in the civil lawsuit over Nichols' death. Among them are Memphis Interim Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis, ex-MPD Director Mike Rallings, the five ex-officers accused of killing Nichols and many, many others, including some MPD top brass. Davis is expected to testify about the now-disbanded SCORPION Unit and her experience with specialized police units in other jurisdictions.

John Materna, 76, died May 29, two weeks after he was shot during a May 15 robbery while selling watermelons at Homer Street and Wayne Avenue. (Courtesy April Stokes)

Watermelon man suspect out on bond: Demarion Tackett, the 16-year-old accused of killing watermelon vendor John Materna last May, is out of custody after posting the $100,000 bond that was set by Shelby County Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon back in February. Tackett allegedly shot John Materna on May 15, as Materna sold melons in The Heights; he died two weeks later. Tackett will be required to meet certain conditions as part of his release. 

MEET MEMPHIS

Matthew Best, an alumnus of New Ballet Ensemble & School, has returned to Memphis to serve as the executive director. (Courtesy New Ballet)

New Ballet Ensemble & School’s new executive director has come full circle. Matthew Best is an alumnus of the school, and he performed in the role of the soldier in one of the first “NutRemix'' casts in 2005. After leaving Memphis, he went on to cofound a community foundation in Austin, Texas, and to lead a recreation center for youth in Knoxville. Now he’s back in Memphis in his new role, through which he’ll help grow the ballet school programs and expand its tuition-free, in-school dance classes, like new programs in Northaven, Millington and North Memphis.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Mande Dibi’s Lamb Dibi plate. “Dibi” is a West African type of grilled meat. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Move over, pulled pork: You won’t find the ubiquitous pulled-pork barbecue at the new Mande Dibi West African BBQ Grill in Hickory Hill. What you will find: grilled lamb, beef and chicken traditional to owner Bala Tounkara’s native West Africa. The “dibi” (grilled meats) can be served on a plate with sides, like plantains or yams, but Tounkara knows his market, so he’s also put his own Memphis-style twist on how the meat is served. Don’t eat meat? No worries; Tounkara, who also owns the vegan-friendly Bala’s Bistro, offers a mushroom sandwich at Mande Dibi and plans to add more meatless options soon.

Madison Arndt puts the finishing touches on a fresh batch of donuts at Duck Donuts’ new location in Collierville. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Donut yourself: The new Duck Donuts in Collierville, which held its grand opening this past weekend, is bringing the build-your-own concept to fried pastries. Once the doughnuts come out of the fryer, you can pick your own coating, toppings and drizzles. You can even build a savory breakfast sandwich with eggs, cheese, sausage or bacon on a doughnut. But if you’re one of those purists who don’t mix sweet and savory (we can’t be friends), you can opt for a more traditional bagel or English muffin. So, where do the ducks come in? Turns out the name has more to do with the chain’s geographic origins than actual ducks.

Sarah Stevens, assistant professor of anatomy, uses the virtual operating table in Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine’s anatomy lab. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

An ounce of prevention: Baptist Health Sciences University will open the first osteopathic medical school in West Tennessee later this week on Union Avenue. Osteopathic medicine focuses on preventative care, with a look at how lifestyle and environment impact health. The new College of Osteopathic Medicine will welcome its first class of 81 students in August with plans to increase enrollment over the next three years. Baptist Health Sciences University also has a new president, Hampton Hopkins, who was inaugurated late last month. 

Showboats receiver Vinny Papale hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Case Cookus to help the Showboats win their UFL season opener against Houston. (Courtesy Memphis Showboats)

Showboating: The Memphis Showboats won their season opener, 18-12, over the Houston Roughnecks on Sunday. The Memphis team kept the lead for the entire game, scoring touchdowns from the offense and the defense. Houston had a chance at a potential game-winning drive in the last minute, but a muffed punt was recovered by the Showboats with 35 seconds remaining, and Memphis ran out the clock for the win.

A historical marker remembering the lynching of Ell Persons sits off Summer Avenue near Putt Putt Golf and Games. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Lynching sites study: The National Park Service is studying the sites of eight lynchings, which occurred between 1869 and 1940 within a 100-mile radius of Memphis. Among them is the site where Black woodcutter Ell Persons was lynched in 1917, just off Summer Avenue. Separate from the Park Service’s study, the Lynching Sites Project of Memphis is working to get the Ell Persons site listed on the National Historic Register. A previous attempt ran into a hiccup over the site’s boundaries, and now they’re trying again. 

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

Enjoy this perfect spring weather today, because storms on Tuesday are bringing those chilly mornings and nights back. 

Enjoy your April Fools Day! 

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