Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian | Brandon LaGrone II

CodeCrew receives $1M from Anthropic to build national tech HQ in North Memphis

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:29:28 -0500

The organization hosted its 12th annual youth “hackathon” at the FedEx Institute of Technology July 16-18.

District 8 congressional candidates make final pitches ahead of August primary

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 10:25:46 -0500

Local Democrats closed out their candidate forums for the city’s three newly drawn congressional districts in, while a Millington event drew a Republican nominee for county mayor and videos from two contenders for governor.

Mound-ing frustrations: Orange Mound town hall ends early after disruptions

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 05:50:21 -0500

Initially billed as an opportunity for residents to connect with local resources and hear from top public safety officials, the event was cut short after repeated outbursts from the crowd.

Some courts close a second day — but jail AC improves

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 20:17:55 -0500

Several divisions of General Sessions Criminal Court and all divisions of City Court will be closed a second day Tuesday as work continues on damage from a June water leak. Meanwhile, air conditioning problems in the Shelby County Jail have improved.

As jail conditions reach 'crisis' levels, Sheriff’s Office demands action from mayor

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Wed, 8 Jul 2026 20:37:35 -0500

Shelby County Sheriff’s Office officials outlined a series of hazards at the main jail, including a diesel fuel leak and air conditioning failure, and called out Mayor Lee Harris for failing to address life-threatening conditions inside the facility.

‘Inhumane’ heat crisis unfolding at Shelby County Jail, staff warns

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Tue, 7 Jul 2026 17:54:01 -0500

Jail employees are warning Shelby County officials of extreme heat, rising medical emergencies, and what they describe as “cruel conditions” inside the facility after month-long air conditioning issues.

Red, white and the blues: World Cup fans gather for US vs Belgium

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Tue, 7 Jul 2026 06:05:11 -0500

Soccer fans gathered at AutoZone Park for a free watch party, hoping to witness the United States Men’s National Team advance in the 2026 World Cup. Instead, they watched history repeat itself.

Heart to heart: How a Memphis man’s diagnosis started his fight against silent suffering

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Sun, 5 Jul 2026 04:00:15 -0500

Marlon Qualls Jr.'s emotional trauma as a teenager turned into a health crisis that nearly cost him his life but eventually transformed him into a passionate advocate for men’s health.

Shooting, grooming and booking: New laws that take effect July 1 in Tennessee

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 04:00:06 -0500

Here’s a look at some new state laws that may have slipped under the radar.

201 Poplar courts closed for 'imminent health hazard'

wrogin@dailymemphian.com (Wallis Rogin) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:25:10 -0500

Signs on the doors of 201 Poplar say: “This building ‘must not be occupied’ until” the Health Department grants permission to reopen.

Scrum-believable: After years without a home field, Memphis Inner City Rugby puts down permanent roots

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:56:25 -0500

After years of away games and borrowed park grass, Memphis Inner City Rugby celebrated the grand opening of its permanent $1.1 million home field complex in South Memphis.

At St. Louis Church, amateur golfers are swinging for top prize

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:44:00 -0500

All week long, amateur golfers have been hitting buckets of golf balls on the grounds of St. Louis Catholic Church for the chance to win $1 million.

Former Tigers wide receiver named AutoZone Liberty Bowl president

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 10:34:41 -0500

Wayne Dowdle, a native Memphian who graduated from White Station High and was a wide receiver for the Tigers in the 1970s, succeeds outgoing president Shone Bynum.

Man convicted of manslaughter in Memphis chef’s death sentenced to six years

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 06:18:44 -0500

Armed with about 50 letters from the community, prosecutors pushed for a harsher penalty, but legal parameters restricted the sentence.

Against the current: How a Memphis grandmother is swimming her way to the Senior Olympics

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:13:14 -0500

As a child, Marquinne Yancey struggled to learn how to swim. Decades later, she not only has overcome that hurdle, but is headed to the Senior Olympics regional competition.

Making waves: How the Memphis police harbor patrol keeps the city’s western border safe

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 09:43:08 -0500

Where the pavement ends on Memphis’ western edge, a police Harbor Patrol Unit navigates the unpredictable Mississippi River as the city’s last line of defense.

‘Bigger than the devil’: Hernandez Govan is back in custody, only this time it’s federal

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:06:49 -0500

A federal magistrate judge denied Govan’s request for bail following a hearing that detailed explicit threats of violence, extortion and a criminal history spanning decades.

Tami Sawyer indicted, faces federal corruption charges

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:09:36 -0500

The Shelby County General Sessions Court clerk was seen in custody at the Odell Horton Federal Building.

Talking in Memphis: How GloRilla inspired a local accent research project

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 04:00:02 -0500

Memphis rapper GloRilla said she puts an R in any word that has a U in it. Now, linguistic researchers are hearing her out.

Cracking the code: Memphis first stop on Black Girls Code summer camp tour

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 04:00:00 -0500

Older campers coded platform games similar to “Super Mario Bros.” from the ground up while younger participants worked on the fundamentals of coding by designing game worlds and characters.