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

Buckner names new command staff, sets priorities for crime reduction and jail safety

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:02:31 -0500

“These leaders tonight will help me make decisions that would change the conditions of our jail, make it more humane, make our jail one of the safest jails in the United States of America,” Shelby County Sheriff Anthony Buckner said.

Lowery’s transition team delivers recommendations for Shelby County’s future

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:01:06 -0500

New Shelby County Mayor Mickell Lowery said the county government’s financial situation is manageable but requires changes in how the government handles revenue and expenses.

Memphis takes center stage before more than 550 arts funders

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:41:24 -0500

More than 550 arts funders from across the country are in Memphis this week for a national conference examining how investments into local artists and organizations can strengthen communities.

Booker T. Washington High celebrates 100 years

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 14:27:35 -0500

Booker T. Washington High opened in 1873 as Clay Street School but moved to its current location in 1926.

Memphis students bring 1963 civil rights case to federal courthouse exhibit

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 08:23:04 -0500

A Supreme Court decision that helped end segregation in Memphis public parks is finding a new audience through the work of 19 high school students who spent their spring break studying the federal judiciary and the city’s civil rights history.

Millington pauses new data center applications for 6 months

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:03:11 -0500

Officials say they want zoning rules in place before a large-scale computing facility is proposed.

Accessible baseball field coming to Tobey Park

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 09:50:43 -0500

A new baseball field designed to give children and adults with disabilities greater opportunities to participate in sports is coming to Tobey Park.

2 Memphis college programs named to Billboard’s top music-business schools

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:15:43 -0500

Billboard magazine has highlighted two college music programs in Memphis, each with its own unique approach to music industry education.

Sheriff Buckner taps new chief inspector

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 17:09:30 -0500

A law enforcement career that began as a teenage volunteer has led to a top leadership position in the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

Memphis students bring 1963 civil rights case to federal courthouse exhibit

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 04:00:06 -0500

Memphis and Jackson-area students unveiled a five-panel exhibit at a federal courthouse exploring the 1963 Supreme Court case Watson v. City of Memphis and its role in desegregation.

Good music and dusty shoes: Local musicians take center stage at Mempho festival

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 11:47:21 -0500

Local acts Degenerate Breakfast and Zoë Dominguez brought incredible energy to the Mempho Music Festival stage on Friday as attendees braved the dust for a great day of live music.

MLGW proposes gas and water rate hikes for 2027 and beyond

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 10:58:13 -0500

Memphis Light, Gas and Water CEO Doug McGowen said none of the proposed utility increases “have anything to do with the increased costs of operation because of data centers.”

Broadband internet access expands in Orange Mound

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Fri, 2 Oct 2026 18:10:09 -0500

The Orange Mound location is the first of 116 planned anchor sites across the city that will provide free, public, high-speed Wi-Fi.

Freedom Award honorees urge action against civil rights rollbacks at 35th ceremony

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Fri, 2 Oct 2026 16:22:51 -0500

The National Civil Rights Museum honored four leaders at its 35th Freedom Award ceremony, amid calls to protect historical truth and civil liberties from ongoing rollbacks.

New chief jail inspector brings nearly 50 years of experience

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 14:44:42 -0500

After a two-year retirement, 46-year veteran Anna Barnett is returning to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office to serve as chief inspector of the jail amid ongoing operational challenges.

Minnesota artist claims fourth victory at national duck stamp competition

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 20:57:04 -0500

The winning artwork will appear on the 2027-28 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp. Sadly, no readers met Geoff Calkins' challenge to predict the winner.

Memphis Grizzlies and FedEx unveil new Dream Court at Northeast Prep Academy

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 09:16:26 -0500

Northeast Prep Academy students celebrated the unveiling of a vibrant new Memphis Grizzlies and FedEx Dream Court featuring a hand-painted mural by local artist Siphne Sylve.

ACLU presses for immediate court intervention against Memphis Safe Task Force

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:14:32 -0500

A federal judge heard arguments about whether to temporarily block the Task Force from enforcing a Tennessee buffer law and retaliating against citizens who film police operations.

Kratom explained: The gas station plant raising red flags across the Mid-South

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 20:58:48 -0500

With a recent string of arrests, deaths and new legislation, the word “kratom” is suddenly everywhere across the Mid-South. But what exactly is the substance frequently seen advertised at local gas stations and smoke shops?

Colin Kaepernick to appear in Memphis

blagrone@dailymemphian.com (Brandon LaGrone II) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:53:33 -0500

Event organizers said that the gathering is designed to activate and honor the continued legacy, courage and determination associated with today’s civil rights movement.