Happy Tuesday, Memphis! It’s Oct. 8, and Riley Keough’s memoir, “From Here to the Great Unknown,” drops today. In it, Elvis Presley’s granddaughter tells the story of her late mother Lisa Marie Presley. Tonight, Oprah Winfrey will air an interview with Keough that was filmed at Graceland.

In newsier news, the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. will consider bonds for the city’s planned purchase of the Sheraton hotel, as well as bonds for AutoZone Park updates and parking improvements at 100 N. Main. 

And in sportier news, the Memphis Golf Association City Amateur begins today in Collierville, thanks to one local golfer who saved the 100-plus-year-old tournament from going under. 

THE NEED TO KNOW

From left to right: Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith were on trial for Tyre Nichols’ death. (From left to right: George Walker IV/AP file; Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian; Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Most ex-cops in Nichols trial free for now: Two of the three former Memphis police officers convicted in Tyre Nichols’ death will be released until their sentencing in January. Tadarrius Bean and Justin Smith were convicted of witness tampering in their federal trial and found not guilty of other charges. But Demetrius Haley was found guilty of tampering, as well as two civil rights-related charges, and he will remain in federal custody. Desmond Mills Jr. and Emmitt Martin III, who both pleaded guilty ahead of the federal trial, are also free pending their sentences.

Shelby County Commissioner Henri Brooks and Commissioner David Bradford worked on a team-building exercise at a September retreat. (Bill Dries/The Daily Memphian)

Dysfunction junction: The Shelby County Commission held a retreat late last month to work on how they can all just get along. When asked by the retreat moderator to describe the commission’s weaknesses, members cited “personality clashes,” “big egos,” “grudges,” “gaslighting” and “toxic culture.” (Yikes.) So, understandably, there were no trust falls; they probably weren’t ready for all that. But they did break up into teams and take part in an activity (likely, a safer one) of building towers with plastic cups. The Daily Memphian’s Bill Dries looks at some of the commission’s problems and the one member who didn’t show up. 

In July 2023, Judge Paula Skahan ruled that a Tennessee law granting exclusive authority to the state attorney general in collateral review of death penalty convictions violates the state constitution. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

DAs and the death penalty: A state law passed in 2023 took the power to review death penalty cases away from local district attorneys. And last week, the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that law is, indeed, constitutional. Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy had challenged the law last May, along with attorneys for first-degree murder convict Larry McKay. McKay has been on death row since 1984 for killing two people in an armed robbery. Shelby County Judge Paula Skahan sided with Mulroy in July when she ruled the law unconstitutional.

Two shootings, four wounded: A teenager is in critical condition after Memphis police officers shot him while responding to a prowler call in Hickory Hill early Monday morning. A Nissan Maxima fled the scene, but officers located the car crashed a couple miles away. According to the Memphis Police Department, several armed suspects fled the car, and an officer shot and injured one suspect. The Maxima was later determined to be stolen. In a separate event in Southaven, three people were wounded in a shooting on Cherry Drive Sunday, across from DeSoto Central Primary School.

MEET MEMPHIS

After the MAAR Commercial Summit in November 2023, Kaitlyn Grant (left), Laura Meanwell (middle) and Jennifer Campbell (right), decided they were going to create CREW Memphis. (Courtesy Tamara Oppenhuizen)

Commercial real estate may be a male-dominated industry, but women in the CRE field are organizing. Laura Meanwell, certified broker at Cushman Wakefield | Commercial Advisors, helped restart a Memphis chapter of Commercial Real Estate of Women (CREW) Network, a place for women in CRE to exchange ideas and support one another. It’s not the first CREW chapter in Memphis, but past groups have failed for one reason or another. As for men, well, they’re not technically excluded from the club, but Meanwell says they’re not quite ready to let them in just yet.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, left, drove past Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall, front right, during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game in Dallas, Monday, Oct. 7. (Gareth Patterson/AP)

Grizz win — with a scare: The Memphis Grizzlies won their first preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks, 121-116, on Monday. But the W didn’t come without a couple of nail-biting moments as star Ja Morant, back on the court for the first time since shoulder surgery, left the court twice with an ankle injury. After the game, Coach Taylor Jenkins assured it was just a “minor little tweak” and nothing to worry about. (Fingers crossed.)

In other Grizz news, The Daily Memphian’s Chris Herrington looks at what roles Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart may play this season, including a hint about a possible starting lineup gleaned from marketing photos of a few players. Plus, he reminds us about “forgotten man” John Konchar. (Glad I’m not alone in completely forgetting about Jitty.)

“Until we have further information, it does us no good to sit here and panic and say, ‘What if,’” said Memphis Tigers football Coach Ryan Silverfield about the possibility of Hurricane Milton canceling Friday’s USF game. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Milton may cancel football: Hurricane Milton, which reached Category 5 status on Monday, is expected to make landfall along Florida’s west coast on Wednesday. And the Memphis Tigers are set to play USF in Tampa on Friday. As of now, the game is still on, but there’s a good chance it could be postponed. And if so, rescheduling might prove difficult for the AAC.

Melonee Wise, chief technology officer at Agility Robotics, gave the opening speech at the Humanoid Robot Forum on Monday, Oct. 7, at the Renasant Convention Center. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

That’s Ms. Roboto to you: “The Jetsons”-style future of robot maids is almost here; Hanna-Barbera was just about 60 years ahead of its time. On Monday, a speaker at the one-day Humanoid Robot Forum in Memphis predicted that humanoid robots should be “out of the cage in 18 to 24 months.” Currently, those two-legged robots work behind fences or cages to do repetitive and dangerous jobs, but Agility Robotics plans to have them working cooperatively with humans very soon. There are still some safety issues that need to be worked out before Rosey can be deployed in your home though. (No word yet on flying cars.)

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Musician Jack White closed out Mempho Music Festival on Sunday with a performance that combined some of his new stuff with some classic White Stripes songs. But earlier in the day, he was spotted all over town, including at the Arcade Restaurant and River City Records.

Enjoy this sunny and mild day! 

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