Good morning, Memphis. It’s Tuesday, July 1, and beginning today, you could face up to six months in jail and a fine of $500 for shining a laser pointer into the eyes of someone driving a car, boat or plane. That and a bunch of other state laws go into effect today. 

THE NEED TO KNOW

An SUV ran into Celtic Crossing on Monday, June 30, causing damage to the roof and patio area. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Celtic crashing: An SUV crashed into Celtic Crossing Monday morning, less than 24 hours after the Cooper-Young Irish pub wrapped up its weekend-long 20th anniversary party. Reports from witnesses on social media suggest the driver lost control. But no worries, Guinness fans, a contractor for the restaurant group says you won’t have to wait too long for the bar to reopen. 

A view of the climbing walls inside Memphis Rox. A man has been charged in a shooting of two men that took place at the gym. (Houston Colfield/The Daily Memphian file)

Man charged in Rox shooting: Farris Haley, 28, has been charged in connection with Sunday’s fatal shooting at the Memphis Rox climbing gym. According to police, two men got into an argument inside the gym, and gunshots were fired. Two men, including one Memphis Rox employee, were killed. Though the police haven’t formally identified the victims, media reports say the employee who died was 25-year-old Jarmond Johnson, who spoke to The Daily Memphian last year about how Memphis Rox helped steer him away from a life of crime. 

Back to the budget: On Monday, the Shelby County Commission restored the $23 million in cuts it made to the county budget last week. And they approved about $23 million of additional spending that the original cuts were supposed to cover. A chunk of that money will impact the new plan to turn management of the county juvenile detention center from the sheriff’s office to the county corrections department. The cuts also affect vacant positions across county government, something Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. threatened to sue over last year.

QUOTED

Staff and developers of the games in Game Nite Lounge, from left to right, Ian Bishop, Josh Taylor, Madyson Chapman, Keith Edwards and Alexander Drown tested a game in The Brightest Timeline room. (Greg Campbell/Special to The Daily Memphian)

“It’s like game night meets game show.”

— Keith Edwards, Puzzol Creative co-founder
Puzzol Creative are the folks behind Memphis Escape Rooms and Amuse Adventure Museum. And now they’re bringing a new Game Night Lounge to Midtown’s old Bari space. It’ll have 10 themed rooms, each equipped with a 70-inch TV screen preloaded with interactive games. And there’s a food-and-drink menu. 

THE NICE TO KNOW

The Memphis Grizzlies worked some deals with (from left) Santi Aldama, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ty Jerome Monday, the first day of NBA free agency. (AP file)

JJJ is here to stay: The Memphis Grizzlies wasted no time during NBA free agency, which officially began at 5 p.m. Monday. Within an hour, the team had made a move to ensure Jaren Jackson Jr. is here through the 2028-2029 season. They also offered a contract extension to free-agent Santi Aldama, added two-way player Cam Spencer to the main roster and brought in a new guard — Ty Jerome — who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season. What does it all mean? Basketball wiz Chris Herrington weighs in.

Tennessee State head coach Brian Collins directed players during the first half of a game against Murray State on Feb. 10, 2022, in Nashville. (Mark Zaleski/AP file)

Our two cents: In other Memphis Grizzlies news, the team is hiring Coach Penny. No, not that one. The team is bringing on Tennessee State head men’s basketball coach Brian “Penny” Collins as the new player development coach. And turns out Collins already has a history with Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo. Now, is this town big enough for two Pennys? Time will tell. 

Daily Memphian reporter Aarron Fleming is part of the team that placed first for breaking news reporting. (Courtesy Shelby County Sheriff’s Office)

Yay, us! The Daily Memphian’s staff took home a whole bunch of awards from the Tennessee Press Association’s 2025 contests, including first-place spots for Breaking News, Best Single Feature and Best Sports Writing. Those top wins came from our group coverage of the U.S. Department of Justice’s scathing report on discrimination by the Memphis Police Department, Jane Roberts’ feature on the longest-serving exoneree in state history and a whole portfolio of stories from our sportsball writers. See all of The Daily Memphian’s TPA awards here.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Desmond Bane just doesn’t look right in that uniform, y’all. 

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already a subscriber. But tell your less cool friends that we have a summer sale going on through Monday, July 7. They can use code SUMMER to get a free month with the purchase of an annual subscription.

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