Have you voted yet, Shelby County? It’s Wednesday, April 30, and if you answered no, you’d better go today, or you’ll have to wait for Election Day.

It’s the last day to vote early in the county primary election, and you should probably expect lines at some locations. Find everything you need to know in our free election coverage. 

THE NEED TO KNOW

Two Republican candidates for Tennessee governor, John Rose (left) and Marsha Blackburn, are calling for congressional redistricting to eliminate the state’s only Democratic seat. (AP files)

Painting this town red? Two Republican candidates for Tennessee governor are trying to make the state completely red by “flipping Memphis.” U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and U.S. Rep. John Rose, both gubernatorial candidates, are calling on the state General Assembly to reconvene and “redistrict another Republican seat in Memphis” after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Wednesday that weakened the 1965 Voting Rights Act. That would mean redrawing lines that encompass Memphis’ 9th District, which is currently represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen.

Texas A&M guard Josh Holloway is transferring to play basketball for Memphis. (Nate Billings/AP file)

Ja’s accuser chooses Memphis: The basketball player who sued Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant over a fight in 2022 is a Memphis Tiger. Memphis native and Texas A&M transfer guard Josh Holloway chose the Tigers over Missouri and West Virginia. His shooting percentages are pretty impressive, but he’s best known for accusing Morant of punching him during a pickup basketball game at the Grizz star’s home. Holloway’s lawsuit was dismissed last year. 

Germantown residents and those who frequent the city have the opportunity to weigh in on the city’s future. (Benjamin Naylor/The Daily Memphian file)

Future Germantown: The City of Germantown is planning ahead, and it needs residents’ help. The city is kicking off a 16-month process to develop a plan that will guide its growth through 2050. Suburban leaders are looking at possibly adding different kinds of housing and more apartments, as well as other ways to grow the population and tax base. Residents get their first chance to weigh in next week.

QUOTED

“How will our kids be protected? How will our kids still have the funding that they need?”

— Memphis mom Shelby Pearson
Pearson, who has a son at Idlewild Elementary, is worried that the state-appointed takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools could mean funding cuts for after-school programs and nullified school-district contracts with Black-owned businesses. There are efforts underway to fight the takeover, but opinions vary on whether they’ll be successful.

THE NICE TO KNOW

The Hampton Inn at Poplar Avenue and Estate Drive was sold for $5.5 million. (Andy Ashby/The Daily Memphian)

Hotel refresh: The Hampton Inn at Poplar Avenue and Estate Drive in East Memphis has new owners. Local company Lotus Holdings LLC purchased the circa-1985 hotel for $5.5 million with plans to spend $4 million on upgrading the rooms, lobby, fitness center and more. Rishi Patel of Lotus Holdings said the new mixed-use development planned for the former Houston’s site down the street made the property more appealing. 

The Daily Memphian’s new food reporter Sophia Surrett tried Ritzie’s Barbecue food truck this past weekend. (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian)

Winner, winner, BBQ dinner: You’ve no doubt seen reporter Sophia Surrett’s name on all kinds of Daily Memphian business stories. But you’re about to start seeing her byline on our food coverage. Surrett is our new food and restaurant reporter, and she’s here with her first Table Talk newsletter, where she gushes about her love of meat. And she reviews the brisket and ribs at Ritzie’s Barbecue food truck. 

The Memphis Grizzlies are likely to trade Ja Morant before next season. Who will take his place? (Brandon Dill/AP file)

On guards: This summer’s NBA Draft pool is mostly locked in, and the Memphis Grizzlies currently have three picks: Nos. 6, 16 and 32. That No. 6 pick could change after next Sunday’s draft lottery, but either way, they’ll be casting a wide net this year. The Daily Memphian’s Chris Herrington is doing a multipart deep dive on the Grizzlies’ prospects, starting with guards, since the team is more than likely ditching Ja Morant this summer.

A Stanley Bleifeld-designed statute called “The Lone Sailor” sits outside The Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. (Rick Chase/AP file)

Seas the day: Millington is about to be one of only 20 places in the world where you can see a Lone Sailor monument. The suburb, which is home to a U.S. Naval station, reached its initial $100,000 fundraising goal for the statue. It will be a replica of sculptor Stanley Bleifeld original bronze “The Lone Sailor” statue, created in 1987 for the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. There are still more funds needed though, and organizers are selling a way for veterans to share their stories.

In a roundabout way: Lakeland drivers might want to start practicing on Memphis’ newish I-55/Crump roundabout. Because the city may eventually be roundabout central. The Lakeland Board of Commissioners approved a study on a series of four roundabouts along U.S. 70 that planners say would slow traffic and reduce accidents. It’s just a study, not a solid plan. But at least one resident is speaking out against it.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

When one door closes, another opens ...

But The Daily Memphian’s Tim Buckley says we should think of Josh Holloway as someone other “than just the kid punched by Ja Morant.”

Tomorrow, it’s gonna be May. See ya then!

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