Ethylene oxide, or EtO, has been on the community’s radar since the Environmental Protection Agency identified a Florida Street business as one of 23 high-risk polluters. 

Hours after Federal Judge Thomas L. Parker called Tennessee’s Adult Entertainment Act, more commonly referred to as the drag ban, unconstitutional, floats carrying flamboyantly dressed passengers roll down Beale.

Related story:

Federal judge rules Tennessee drag ban unconstitutional

The Downtown Memphis Commission kicked off its free beginners’ bike class series in the Raymond James parking lot, starting with the basics. 

If approved, it would become the sixth TacoNGanas location, with trucks in Cordova, Midtown and East Memphis. 

Memphis Lift broke ground on an expansion of a resource center honoring North Memphis resident Brenda Rogers. Rogers was affectionately known as the “Cake Lady” for baking homemade cakes for friends and family.

The stadium will be the first turf football field for the Memphis-Shelby Police Athletic League, with $500,000 in funding in place toward goal of $8 million.

The number of available lifeguards has dropped, forcing organizations like Memphis Parks and YMCA to “be creative” with their public swimming pool schedules. 

Esco Restaurant & Tapas is scheduled to open this year on the ground floor of the 200 S. Second parking garage at 156 Lt. George Lee Ave.

As late as the spring of 2022, a letter was filed with the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development, indicating a plan to build a Hard Rock Hotel at 326 Beale St.

“The astonishing thing about this campaign is that the first $100 million was raised without a rendering or a clear visual of what the new museum will look like.”

Related story:

Brooks Museum breaks ground on new site Downtown

A neighbor saved the Burke’s Book Store aluminum sign from demolition heap. It spent the last 16 years on her back fence, and now it’s coming back. 

John Materna, 76, died on Monday, May 29, two weeks after he was shot during a May 15 robbery while selling watermelons at Homer Street and Wayne Avenue in The Heights neighborhood.

“I do keep telling myself that, 100 years from now, this will be another great Calvary story in the lore.”

The City of Memphis pushed back the opening of its public pools a week this summer, partly due to a nationwide lifeguard shortage. 

Downtown Memphis has a new rooftop party series and a crystal skull may or may not be involved. 

The Works and Big Green recently gave away 100 raised garden beds for free, complete with seeds, starters, a watering can, fertilizer and more than 60 pounds of soil. 

The Youth Villages program has partnered with Renardo Baker, who was already embedded in the community, to reach out to the neighborhood’s most high-risk residents.

“When people think about Calvary, I want them to think these babies got good care and good love,” said Audrey Ivory, who’s worked at Calvary Place Child Care for more than 20 years. “I hope that people remember the legacy of Calvary as like a family...”

Runners power along the Mississippi for the Great American River Run as this year’s Memphis in May crosses the finish line. 

“We hear a lot of people say our Frayser community is important,” said Trezevant student Trinity Watson. “Now show it to us.”

Memphis City Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas recaps a community meeting she cohosted alongside Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis on Tuesday. She also details a plan of action.

Memphis in May wraps up this weekend with the Great American River Run. We’ve got tips for runners in the half-marathon, 10K or 5K races, plus tricks to up your spectator game.

”We don’t have the capacity to pick up children and take them where they need to go,” Davis said, after announcing that the Greenlaw Community Center won’t be used to hold curfew breakers.

Related story:

MPD to share Greenlaw Community Center with city parks department.

The Parks and Recreation Department’s website shows that open youth and adult gyms currently operate out of the center. MPD will also run its ongoing community programming from the center. 

More than 80% of the 840 UMC churches — and 87% of the members — in the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Annual Conference have chosen to remain with the United Methodist Church.