Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian | John Klyce

Memphis' forgotten figures: Jimmie Lunceford

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Sun, 5 Apr 2026 04:00:00 -0500

You might not have heard of Jimmie Lunceford, a jazz musician and band leader. But in the 1930s, this Memphian was a major star.

Meet the Memphian who's preserving handmade anime history

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Thu, 2 Apr 2026 18:52:50 -0500

Jonathan Walker has collected about 6,000 sketches, cels and storyboards from the late 1990s anime series “Nazca.” And he’s using them to launch a preservation project honoring the craftsmanship of the art form.

Embracing Memphis: Why an acclaimed poet shares his passion for writing in his adopted home

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:01:34 -0500

Award-winning poet and U of M professor Marcus Wicker has been in Memphis for nearly a decade. Here’s how he developed a passion for poetry, and why he’s sharing it with the community.

Ask the Memphian: How did the Black community help save Memphis during the Yellow Fever Epidemic?

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 04:00:14 -0500

The Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878 was one of the worst disasters in American history, and it devastated Memphis. But during one of the saddest, darkest periods of the city’s history, Black Memphians helped save it.

‘A force of nature’: Colleagues, family describe late Varsity Spirit founder

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:43:22 -0500

Webb stands among Memphis’ most consequential entrepreneurs, and he’s credited with revolutionizing cheerleading and turning it into what we see today.

'I read every last one of them’: New Fox13 reporter Rob Sneed on his viral Memphis welcome

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 17:32:17 -0500

Thanks to his viral Facebook post, new Fox13 reporter Rob Sneed is recognized everywhere he goes in Memphis. And after a 17-year career and one of the most challenging years of his life, all the attention is especially meaningful.

Ask the Memphian: Is the zoo still considering adding a members entrance off North Parkway?

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 04:00:02 -0500

The Memphis Zoo is planning to turn its North Parkway property into a 300-space parking lot. Exactly who it’s for, however, remains to be seen.

Inside the world of Memphis model railroaders

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Mon, 9 Mar 2026 13:26:37 -0500

Every Saturday, local model railroaders meet to socialize, operate trains and work on their layouts in a warehouse-sized space.

How an East High student who liked to wear suits became a CEO who sports one every day

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Sun, 8 Mar 2026 09:41:19 -0500

When Cortney Richardson was a sophomore in high school, he started working with a fledgling nonprofit, Peer Power, as a tutor. Now he’s running the organization.

Ask the Memphian: Who was the oldest person in Memphis history? She was also the oldest person in the world.

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Mon, 2 Mar 2026 06:11:46 -0600

When Elizabeth Bolden died in 2006, she was 116, and had 40 grandchildren, 75 great-grandchildren, 150 great-great-grandchildren, 220 great-great-great-grandchildren and 75 great-great-great-great-grandchildren.

A New Yorker who helps others share their stories rewrites her own tale in Memphis

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Mon, 2 Mar 2026 05:54:53 -0600

Hayley Brooks started out in the entertainment industry. Here’s how she became an entrepreneur and why she’s grown so fond of Memphis.

The 'life-changing' lessons medical students learn from dissecting cadavers

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 05:40:15 -0600

Faculty sets a tone: Bodies will be treated with dignity. Usually, however, students don’t need the reminder. At the end of the semester, many even linger to say goodbye to their bodies.

When wild birds of prey are injured, rehabbers aim to fix damage done by other humans

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 04:00:01 -0600

Since its inception in 2003, the Mid-South Raptor Center, which is run entirely by volunteers, has rehabilitated and released more than 2,000 wounded wild birds of prey.

They've been married for 72 years. Here's how they met — and their advice for other couples.

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 04:00:08 -0600

Joy and Red Rodenmeyer have been together for more than seven decades, and in that time, they’ve lived abroad and crisscrossed the country. This is their story and their thoughts on what makes a long and happy marriage.

Rhodes' prison program adds bachelor's degree

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 04:00:05 -0600

As Rhodes College professor Stephen Haynes puts it, “If you met somebody coming out of prison, wouldn’t it impress you if they had a degree from Rhodes College?”

Chris Loveland always cared for homeless people. After his death, his family and friends are doing the same

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:36:27 -0600

Chris Loveland regularly gave pillows and blankets to homeless people. After his death, his family and friends have started Sheets for the Streets to continue his work.

One of Memphis' oldest churches is wrestling with its past, planning memorial for thousands of enslaved people

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Sun, 8 Feb 2026 10:22:46 -0600

For a decade, Calvary Episcopal Church leaders and parishioners have been wrestling and reckoning with a disturbing truth: In the mid-1800s, Christians worshipped God in their church while enslaved men, women and children were sold right outside.

Uncovering the Legacy at 87 Adams: Downtown Memphis church will memorialize thousands

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Fri, 6 Feb 2026 16:30:32 -0600

From 1855 to 1862, about 3,800 slaves were sold in what is now Calvary Episcopal Church’s parking lot. The church is shedding a light on this history, and it received a major grant for its effort.

Ask the Memphian: What was The Gray Hat Mystery?

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Mon, 2 Feb 2026 04:00:08 -0600

A slain businessman, known as the “Hot Tamale King.” A young, fedora-wearing detective. And a tantalizing clue: a gray felt hat, left near the scene of the crime.

'A huge mark:' 100-year-old Memphian Peggy Bodine dies, family, friends, reflect on life of service

jklyce@dailymemphian.com (John Klyce) — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 06:08:39 -0600

Peggy Jemison Bodine, an historian and building preservationist, former president of the Junior League of Memphis as well as former president of the Memphis Symphony League, died on Jan. 22. She was 100.