Good morning! Would you care for a spot of tea? It’s Monday, April 21 — National Tea Day. So, unless you’re in the “tea just tastes like hot water” camp, maybe swap out that coffee for a cup of orange pekoe this morning.

And while you’re sipping, plan your week with This Week in Memphis. Now, let’s get to the real tea, er, news.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., left, drove against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams, right, during game one on Sunday, April 20, in Oklahoma City. (Nate Billings/AP)

Grizz get out-Thundered: Before last night’s thunderstorms rolled into the Memphis area, the Memphis Grizzlies were in a storm of their own in Oklahoma. And as our own Drew Hill says, the “Grizzlies amounted to the family dog shaking on the bathroom floor.” Because the Oklahoma City Thunder absolutely clobbered the Grizzlies in the first playoff match-up, 131-80. The game was so bad that the Grizz were trailing by 50 points well into the third quarter. So, on the bright side, maybe there’s nowhere to go but up in game two on Tuesday. But first, let’s look at everything that went wrong.

Mass shooting in Medical District: Five people were shot, and one later died, on Saturday during a candlelight vigil near Mosby Avenue and North Dunlap Street in the Medical District. As of Sunday evening, the Memphis Police Department was looking for a suspect in a gray, four-door sedan.

While it has a considerably higher number of inmate deaths, Shelby County also has a larger inmate population. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Inmate deaths by county: Shelby County’s jail deaths outnumber those in every major Tennessee county. Since 2019, 61 men have died while in the custody of the Shelby County Jail due to overdose, suicide and various health issues. That number is higher than the number of inmate deaths in Davidson, Hamilton and Knox counties, but Shelby County also has the highest inmate population. That said, when accounting for average population, Knox County has had proportionally more inmate deaths than Shelby County.

MPD sued for wrongful arrest: Ladarrius Perry, now 20, is suing the Memphis Police Department for $5 million for his 2020 arrest over a murder charge that was later dismissed. Perry was 17 at the time he was charged with killing a 41-year-old woman in Southwest Memphis, and he spent 2 1/2 years in the Shelby County Jail. The lawsuit alleges Perry gave a false confession, because the MPD used illegal tactics and threats during a police interrogation. 

QUOTED

“We joke [that] I’m the new DOGE of DeSoto County. I do know how to watch out for taxpayer money.”

— Amelia Lovorn, president of DeSoto County Convention and Visitors Bureau
The DeSoto County CVB made headlines when its board fired Landers Center director Todd Mastry earlier this year. Mastry alleged that he was let go for booking Black artists. While she won’t discuss Mastry’s firing, Amelia Lovorn sat down with The Daily Memphian to talk about a broader shakeup with the CVB board that she says will take local DeSoto tourism to another level.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Construction began on Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on July 20, 2024. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

What happened to Liberty Stadium concerts? Last week, the University of Memphis announced that the controversial R&B artist Chris Brown will play a show at the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in October. It’ll be the first show at the stadium in 30 years. But why the music drought? That’s what our own Jody Callahan looked into for his latest installment of Ask the Memphian. The last show at the then-Liberty Bowl was U2 in 1997, and it was the second-lowest attended show on the first leg of their tour. That may offer some perspective on what happened to Liberty Stadium shows, but it seems the venue itself may also be to blame.

The Gulf fish at Felicia Suzanne’s has a cornbread crust topped with crabmeat and a lemon butter sauce. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

What to eat at Felicia Suzanne’s: Felicia Suzanne’s finally reopened this month in its new South Main Arts District space after a three-year hiatus. But fans of the old Felicia’s will be glad to know some of Chef Felicia Willett-Schuchardt’s signature dishes are on the new menu. The Louisiana-style barbecue oysters are there, and so are the chicken crepes. But one new highlight are three kinds of deviled eggs, including one that’s safe for lacto-ovo vegetarians. Here’s a rundown of some more menu standouts. 

Collierville leaders are trying to decide whether to include an expansion of the Lucius E. and Elsie C. Burch Jr. Library in the 2025-26 budget. (Benjamin Naylor/The Daily Memphian file)

Not a novel idea: Collierville aldermen are currently trying to decide if they should budget for a library expansion — an idea that’s been tossed around for 11 years. Architects from Haizlip Studio developed a plan for renovation and expansion over a decade ago, but nothing has been done since. The plan calls for doubling the library’s size with new areas for teens and children and adding an adult reading center and more meeting space. But the price has risen quite a bit over those 11 years.

Brad Campbell (second from left), executive chef instructor, helped students cook skillet-braised chicken. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Sowing seeds: More than 70 people, many of whom have never had a job, are now employed in Memphis kitchens and in other food-service roles. That’s thanks to a free culinary training program from longtime chef and restaurateur Ben Vaughn. The Sow Project is run out of Girls Inc. of Memphis’ Frayser campus and combines hands-on culinary education with mentorship, financial literacy and job placement support. “We’re putting out 500 meals a day,” said Chef David Krog, who also helps with the program. “For someone who’s never been in a kitchen, that’s a big deal. But they’re rising to it.”

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

If you can get out on a patio today or tomorrow, do it. Because we’re in for a wet one later this week. 

There’s your tea. Now go have a great day!

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