Weather Channel reporter Charles Peek caught some great photos of lightning strikes in Memphis during last week’s severe storms.
Park Damage
Posted to Facebook by Overton Park
Those storms were unkind to Overton Park. A large tree fell over the paved trail close to Overton Bark and the limestone running trail “suffered significant erosion,” park officials said.
Park officials warned that the effects from the storm might not be over. The soil is still saturated and that “may mean that more trees are vulnerable even in the beautiful weather to come. So, please use caution on the trails and refrain from any high-impact usage of the dirt trails until they have a chance to dry out.”
Praise Be
Posted to Reddit by u/Hunterwho43
Redditors praised Memphis Light, Gas & Water’s tree-trimming efforts that likely kept the lights on for thousands of customers during the rainfall torrent. They also praised the weather-bending magic of Mongo and the Crystal Skull.
Work has begun on a project that will forever end parking on the Greensward at Overton Park and open new trails in a new part of the Old Forest, according to the Overton Park Conservancy (OPC).
A decades-long struggle to end Memphis Zoo overflow parking on the park’s signature field ended with an agreement by the zoo, OPC, and the city of Memphis in 2022. Read our story about the deal and a timeline of the saga here.
Credit: Overton Par Conservancy
Parking project
The project to end Greensward parking is a multi-phase dance with specific choreography. OPC outlined those steps in a Greensward update on its website Monday.
The first phase — repaving and re-striping the zoo’s main parking lot — is complete.
Credit: Overton Park Conservancy
The second phase will include demolishing crumbling asphalt in the park’s southeast corner (an are close to the corner of Poplar and East Parkway). That area will then be leveled and paved for a new public parking lot. This phase will also include getting some old city-owned buildings ready for the zoo’s new maintenance facility.
This phase is now in the engineering and permit phase, OPC said, and work will begin when those permits are in hand. No timeline was given for its completion.
When all the construction in Phase 2 is complete, the zoo will move its maintenance and adminstrative functions to that space, the former General Services facility on the park’s east side. This move will leave empty the zoo’s current maintenance area along North Parkway.
That area will, then, be razed for a new parking lot there in Phase 3 of the plan.
“When that lot opens,” OPC said in a statement Monday, “cars will no longer park on the Greensward.”
Credit: savethegreensward.com
In Phase 4, OPC will create a new walking loop around the Greensward.
”We appreciate your patience as we complete all these steps!” OPC said. “We’re very fortunate that this project is being funded through a $3 million HUD Community Project Funding grant, thanks to Congressman Steve Cohen.
Credit: Overton Park Conservancy
“We received HUD’s approval to proceed in fall 2024 and began the environmental review process at that time. Since then, the Conservancy has been working closely with the city and the zoo to refine the design of the parking area and new zoo maintenance facility.
“We’re happy to be teaming up with our partners at the zoo and the city on this long-awaited project, and to see so much progress underway.”
New trail, Old Forest
The deal for parking also included the zoo restoring 17 acres of forested parkland back to the OPC and the Old Forest. Work to open these acres has already begun and it will intensify and continue. OPC hopes to have access open and new trails ready by fall.
Credit: Overton Park Conservancy
“If you’ve walked in the forest recently, you may have noticed some activity in the fenced acreage that’s currently on zoo property and will come under Conservancy management soon,” the statement said. “Crews have finished building a new boundary fence for the zoo that will allow us to eventually remove the old fence and open up these forested acres to the public.
“Before the old fence comes down, we have two more tasks to complete. We’ll be going out to bid in the next few weeks for a contractor who will build the new walking trail over the summer.
“After the trail is created, we’ll have another contractor come in to remove invasive plants. When that work is substantially complete, we’ll take the fence down. Our goal is to have a ribbon-cutting and open the trail this fall!”
The Memphis Police Department (MPD) identified the two rappers targeted in Saturday’s shooting Downtown.
MPD said Monday that Letorian Hunt, 27, was killed in the incident, which occurred at the Westin Hotel, one block west of FedExForum. Albert Mondane, 34, was transported to the hospital with non-critical injuries.
Hunt was a rapper performing under the stage name Sayso P. He was arrested in 2020 by Las Vegas police for pimping and pandering. Police there became suspicious of Hunt after numerous Instagram posts and seeing lyrics to one of his songs, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Mondane performs under the stage name Sauce Walka. His father has told media outlets that the Houston-based rapper was shot in the thigh and is expected to make a full recovery.
“We want to assure our community and visitors that Downtown Memphis is a safe place,” MPD tweeted when news of the shooting surfaced this weekend. “This was not a random act of violence. We understand the concern and reiterate that this was not random. MPD is committed to bringing those responsible to justice.”
MPD is still investigating the shooting and say they will provide updates on the investigation as they come in. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.
Rachel Simone Webb and the company of the North American Tour of & Juliet (Photo: Matthew Murphy)
The Orpheum Theatre Group has announced its 2025-2026 Broadway season, kicking off this October with A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical. In total, the season includes eight shows.
“I really am excited about this season because — everybody always says there’s something for everyone — but this season really does have something for everybody. Each show is different,” says Brett Batterson, president and CEO of the Orpheum.
A Beautiful Noise, a jukebox musical, is based on the rock icon Neil Diamond’s life. “[The Orpheum] invested in the Broadway production of a Beautiful Noise, and then we also invested in the tour,” Batterson adds. “So, we have a little piece of ownership.”
In addition to A Beautiful Noise, four other shows will make their Memphis premieres this season: The Notebook: The Musical (October 28th-November 2nd), adapted from the Nicholas Sparks’ novel that inspired the romantic film; & Juliet (November 25th-30th), which flips the script on Shakespeare’s classic; The Outsiders (January 20th-25th), based on the S.E. Hinton novel; and Back to the Future: The Musical, adapted from the beloved cinematic classic.
Returning this year to the Orpheum’s stage are The Sound of Music (February 17th-22nd) and Six (April 21st-26th) about the six wives of Henry VIII. Disney’s 30th anniversary production of Beauty and the Beast will conclude the season on June 2nd to 7th. “Beauty and the Beast has been here five times, but this is a new production that Disney has produced, new staging, new costumes, new scenery, that kind of thing,” Batterson says.
“I’m just really glad to bring this season and have people come and enjoy themselves with the Orpheum because I think they’ll enjoy every single show on the lineup this year.”
Current season ticket holders can renew now. Ticket packages for new season ticket holders will be available starting Friday, May 2nd. Those interested in becoming a season ticket holder can join a special priority list starting now until April 25th to secure access to a 48-hour presale ahead of the public on sale. More information can be found at orpheum-memphis.com/season. The public sale for individual shows and group tickets will be announced later.
You’re in luck if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to go muddin’ in the Wolf River bottoms near Covington Pike. ATV content creator Jp Stephens Youtube posted a Facebook Reel that takes you there without getting your work clothes dirty.
Monday Mood
Posted to X by Memphis Zoo
Yawning gibbons drowsed in the spring sunshine last week in a post with the hashtag #mondaymood. I mean, you’ve gotta rest up if you’re going to entertain kids at the Cat House Cafe.
Cohen On Musk
Posted to X by Steve Cohen
U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-Memphis) promised to fight a DOGE proposal to close the Odell Horton Federal Building in Memphis. The closing would leave no place for federal court to meet, Cohen argued, while the Trump administration considers new judges to be named.
“Maybe we just take this bill and hold it for awhile until the greatest, most brilliant, smartest, most absolutely phenomenal judicial and real estate mind in the world, Elon Musk, can come and tell us what he’s going to do with the judges,” Cohen said.
Elon Musk’s xAI will further expand its Memphis operations with the purchase of a 1 million-square-foot facility in Whitehaven, the Greater Memphis Chamber announced on Friday.
The acquisition builds on xAI’s December 2024 announcement regarding the expansion of its Colossus supercomputer facility and the attraction of major tech partners. The facility at the former Electrolux building in Southwest Memphis, which opened last year, powers “Grok,” the company’s artificial intelligence system.
“xAI’s acquisition of this property ensures we’ll remain at the forefront of AI innovation, right here in Memphis,” stated Brent Mayo from xAI. “We’re committed to expanding alongside this community and doing what’s best for the city. As we transform this property and enhance our facility, we’ll bring more employment opportunities and economic growth to the area.”
The expansion announcement follows news of an $80 million water recycling facility to be in Frank C. Pidgeon Industrial Park. The facility will process up to 13 million gallons of wastewater daily, eliminating the need to draw from the Memphis Sand Aquifer for industrial use. This facility is expected to save about 4.7 billion gallons of water in the aquifer annually, a 9 percent reduction in demand as it will serve other major industrial users in the region.
The new facility also features the world’s largest Tesla Megapack system, designed specifically for supercomputing and data center operations, ensuring the facility won’t draw from the grid during demand response periods, prioritizing the energy needs of Memphis residents and surrounding communities, according to the Chamber.
The price tag of the investment on the new facility was not given by the Chamber.
A new collaboration between Cxffeeblack and Castle Retail Group will expand the Black-owned coffee brand’s reach, but the deal goes beyond the shelf, principals said.
Cxffeeblack’s products will now be found in Cash Saver stores, High Point Grocery, and South Point Grocery. The deal will also make Cxffeeblack the wholesale coffee provider for the in-house coffee shop at Castle Retail Group’s upcoming location, South Point Grocery at Silo Square in Southaven.
“This isn’t just about coffee on a shelf,” said Bartholomew Jones, founder of Cxffeeblack. “This is about partnership. About seeing each other. About making sure our kids and grandkids don’t have to fight the same battles we did. And most importantly, it’s about Memphis. Because Memphis is not just a place where things happen — it’s a place where the future is being built.”
The partnership “ensures that Memphis-grown Black coffee culture continues to expand,” the companies said in a statement.
“This is the kind of partnership that can change a city,” said Rick James, owner of Castle Retail Group. “Too often, we let barriers divide us — race, neighborhood, history — but at the root, our stories are more connected than we think. We’re all tied to the land, to labor, and to the pursuit of dignity. That’s what this is about.”
The woman who sought to steal Graceland from the Presley family pleaded guilty to fraud charges in court Tuesday.
According to court documents, Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City, Missouri, orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland — using a fake company, forged documents, and false court filings.
Findley falsely claimed that Elvis Presley’s daughter had pledged Graceland as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death. Findley threatened to foreclose on Graceland and auction it to the highest bidder if Presley’s family did not pay or settle the claim against the estate.
In court, Findley pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18th and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence.
Germantown ticketed Alexis Luttrell, saying her decorations were against city law. (Credit: FIRE)
A Germantown resident sued the suburb in federal court Wednesday after she was cited by the city for her Christmas decorations.
Alexis Luttrell was popped by the city late last year because her Christmas decorations included skeletons. A photo of the scene shows a simulated human skeleton wearing a red-and-green tutu holding a leash of garlands attached to a skeleton dog wearing a Christmas tree hat.
Germantown ticketed Alexis Luttrell, saying her decorations were against city law. (Credit: FIRE)
But the city of Germantown says the display is against city code. It even has a law against it on the books.
According to the Luttrell lawsuit, Germantown law says that decorations “shall not be installed or placed more than 45 days before the date of the holiday for which said decorations are intended and shall be removed within a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 30 days, following the date of the holiday for which said decorations were intended. Holiday lights, even if not illuminated, are not permitted to remain on any house or structure year-round.”
But Luttrell thinks the law is a violation of her First-Amendment right to free speech. She sued the city in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. Aiding Luttrell in the suit are lawyers from the Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
“There is simply no good reason for the government to care how and when a resident celebrates a holiday in their own front yard,” said FIRE attorney Colin McDonell. “When government officials try to stop that resident from expressing their holiday spirit to others, that violates the First Amendment.”
Luttrell’s skeletons went up in October for Halloween. Later, they held political signs for Election Day. In December, though, a Germantown code enforcement agent left a notice that the skeletons violated city law. She dressed them up for Christmas anyway.
In early January, Luttrell got a citation from the city, reminding her the skeletons still violated city law. If she didn’t pay the ticket, she’d have to appear before a judge this month. If she was found guilty, she’d be fined, and given a court order that she could never use skeletons in her holiday displays. City officials, she was told, could even enter her property and forcibly remove the skeletons.
“You don’t have to like my decorations, but that doesn’t mean Germantown has the right to force me to take them down,” Luttrell said in a statement. “This is America. Even our local government has to respect our rights.”
FIRE says the ordinance is unconstitutional, and that city governments can impose restrictions on displays that address safety, noise, or light pollution, but Germantown’ telling residents how and when they must celebrate a holiday’s law “is simply targeting protected expression.”
Luttrell’s skeletons are still up as of Wednesday, dressed in a “Love Is Love” theme for Valentine’s Day. She plans to costume them for St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and Pride Month.
“Perhaps for President’s Day, I’ll dress the skeleton like a Founding Father and give him a copy of the Constitution,” said Luttrell. “Maybe a visual display will make it finally sink in when they ask me to tear it down.”
“I took it upon myself to study the faces of Memphis fans after this [Isaiah Hartenstein] dunk and it was pure gold,” tweeted OKC Thunder Gal during the Grizzlies loss to Thunder last Saturday.
Super Tigers
Posted to X by Memphis Football
“[University of Memphis] is now 4th all-time with 75 points scored in Super Bowl history!” Memphis Football posted to X after Super Bowl LIX last weekend.
Three former Tigers — Kenneth Gainwell, Bryce Huff, and Jake Elliott — suited up for the Philadelphia Eagles in the game.
Showboatin’
Posted to X by Memphis Showboats
If you’re sad to see football’s end, the Memphis Showboats got you. Their UFL season kicks off at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on March 30th against the Michigan Panthers. Go Boats!
