On this week’s On The Record podcast, Bill Dries is joined by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland. 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine impacts business in the Mid-South, the Snuff District’s Conwood II project gets an extension and a group requests a racial audit of Amy Weirich and her office.

Martha Hample, Carmeon Hamilton and Vonesha Mitchell shared stories of their professional challenges and successes at The Daily Memphian’s Women and Business seminar.

As The Daily Memphian enters its fourth full year covering the Memphis area, we wanted to take a moment to thank you, our readers and supporters.

Legal and community advocates request that Shelby County commissioners hire an independent auditor to conduct a racial equity audit into Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich and her office.

The Fox singing competition series’ tour will take the stage at the Orpheum Theatre on Friday, July 8. 

While Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo was in the city, the state’s two Republican Senators in Washington remained vocal critics of Biden administration economic and energy policies.

The agreement, which also preserves the Overton Park greensward in its entirety, draws on a lot of the ideas that have been proposed individually during the years-long controversy.

Related story:

Zoo to turn over Old Forest, leave Overton Park greensward intact 

The multi-part deal between the Memphis Zoo, the City of Memphis and the Overton Park Conservancy includes a new North Parkway entrance for the Memphis Zoo as well as 300 parking spaces.

The Senate race for District 31 seems to be heating up, Arlington takes another step toward a new Town Hall, and a health and beauty company plans to pretty up a building in Bartlett.

The owner of Shroomlicious, one of this year’s Memphis Black Restaurant Week pop-ups, is focused on buying a food truck and growing the business into a mobile mushroom operation. 

Former Probate Court Clerk Paul Boyd says he hasn’t made up his mind on filing his qualifying petition for the August ballot.

Memphis police said a newborn was found dead on the side of Raleigh-LaGrange Road Sunday. They are searching for information about who left the child along the roadway. 

The Senate last year approved a statewide ban on residency requirements, making an exception for Hamilton County. But last month, the House passed an inverted version, allowing them everywhere except Memphis.

In other win/loss news, the Memphis Grizzlies win against Magic and lose to the Rockets. Plus, Memphis Black Restaurant Week is underway and a state bill would allow 18-year-olds to carry firearms without a permit. 

Nikodem Niziolek, a Christian Brothers University student from Poland, and his family helped the Ukrainian relatives of Memphis realtor Oksana Piven escape Russian attacks. 

Germantown Municipal Schools District hired a demographer who predicts little growth, which doesn’t help efforts to control Germantown Elementary, Germantown Middle School and Germantown High.

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally said, “I think the legislature has adequately addressed the issue of gun rights,” and the House Civil Justice Subcommittee was told the bill proposed by Rep. Chris Todd of Jackson would risk reciprocity with 21 other states.

Last year, Big Momma’s & Granny’s in Bartlett saw sales soar during Memphis Black Restaurant Week. This year’s event runs March 6-12, with 28 restaurants participating. 

“This clinic is a way to offer people opportunities to get them back on the right track,” Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk Heidi Kuhn said.

Lakeland wants to purchase the sewer assets in the Stonebridge community so the suburb can continue to separate itself from the Memphis system.

On Behind The Headlines, the outgoing University of Memphis president said none of the crises were in academia. He also discussed leveraging sports to fund academic growth and said a Liberty Bowl decision is coming.

The Shelby County will commission fill the vacancy at its March 21 meeting. Most of those who applied for the appointment plan to run for a full four-year term in the August elections.

A second person has been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Drew Rainer, a Rhodes College student who was killed last year during a home invasion robbery. 

Kelsey announced the decision in a Twitter post Friday, March 4. The end of the current legislative session in Nashville will mark the end of an 18-year run in Nashville for Kelsey, who first came to the General Assembly as a state House member.