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I-55 Bridge to Close for Two Weeks on Sunday

Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash

The I-55 Bridge across the Mississippi River will close for two weeks or more starting Sunday. 

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) said during that time contract crews “will hydro-demolition the bridge deck and provide a new polymer concrete overlay.” The overlay has strict temperature restrictions. So, all work is weather-dependent. 

The closure is the first of two allowed in the bridge contract. 

Here are details for local travelers: 

• Sunday, June 9, 8:00 pm through Sunday, June 23, 8:00 pm

• I-55 southbound will be closed at Bridgeport Road in Arkansas

• I-55 northbound will be closed at South Parkway. 

• Local traffic will be allowed to continue to the McLemore exit

• I-55 southbound ramp will be closed

• Crump Boulevard westbound will be closed

• A detour will be posted

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Former Airport CEO Passes Away

Credit: Memphis Shelby County Airport Authority

Larry Cox, the former president and CEO of the Memphis Shelby County Airport Authority (MSCAA), passed away, according to airport officials. 

Cox served in several leadership roles in his 41 years with the airport before taking the top job in 1985. He also served on numerous industry and community boards, including the Greater Memphis Chamber, Memphis Tourism, and the Mid-South Minority Business Council.

 “Larry Cox had a profound impact on the success and growth of Memphis International Airport and was a respected leader in the aviation industry,” said current MSCAA president and chairman Terry Blue. “More importantly, he was deeply committed to the Memphis community. We mourn his loss, and our thoughts are with his family.”

Cox received the Federal Aviation Administration’s 1996 Kitty Hawk Award and American Association of Airport Executives 2001 Distinguished Service Award. He was awarded the FedEx Bravo Zulu Award in 2004 and was inducted into the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame in 2005.

In remembrance, the family has asked that any charitable donations be made to the University of Memphis Larry Cox Scholarship Fund. Donations can be made here.

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TBI to Review Fatal, MPD-Involved Shooting

Memphis Police Department via X

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) will review a fatal, officer-involved shooting in North Memphis early Friday morning.

Here’s what Memphis Police Department said about the shooting in a Facebook post:

“At 3:07 a.m., officers responded to a domestic violence call in the 3000 block of Dumbarton Road.

Officers arrived and heard an active disturbance inside. Officers located a wounded adult male and were charged at by an armed suspect. One officer discharged their weapon striking
the suspect.

The suspect and the wounded male victim were transported to Regional One Hospital in critical condition. The suspect was pronounced deceased and the injured male is now listed as stable. An officer was injured on the scene unrelated to the altercation and was transported to Methodist North in non-critical condition.”

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Damaging Storm Predicted for Memphis Area

Credit: National Weather Service Memphis

Destructive winds, very large hail, and strong tornadoes are possible with a band of storms that could reach the Memphis area overnight.

The National Weather Service predicted the threat of severe storms across the area Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The storm could bring winds up to 80-plus miles per hour, and hail up to 2-plus inches. A flood watch is also in effect. 

“I urge all citizens within the Mid-South area to have multiple ways to receive weather alerts,” said Brenda Jones, director of the Shelby County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency. “There are mobile applications for your phone, local news coverage, and/or a NOAA Weather Radio.”

The agency said severe weather that occurs overnight is especially dangerous when tornadoes are involved. Scattered power outages and damage to trees and structures are possible due to damaging winds and lightning. 

The National Weather Service Memphis has been tweeting about the potential for a damaging storm all day Wednesday. The agency went live on Facebook Wednesday afternoon to talk more in depth about the storm. Follow them on X for more details as the storm develops. 

The potential storm canceled the weekly test of the tornado alert system that sounds each Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. 

As of this afternoon, Memphis Light, Gas & Water had not made any public statement about preparations for the storm. However, the utility had retweeted several posts from other agencies, noting that they were aware of the potential of damaging weather.  

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MEMernet: RiverBeat, Drama, and a Beer Prediction

Posted to Facebook by RiverBeat

Memphis on the internet.

RiverBeat

The inaugural RiverBeat Music Festival drew throngs to the Mississippi last weekend. Most on the MEMernet agreed Tom Lee Park was amazing and the production value was second-to-none.

But being Memphis and that park in particular, detractors complained the crowd was smaller than Memphis in May’s Beale Street Music Festival and that hurt Downtown businesses. Others griped that ticket prices didn’t match the lineup.

Drama

If you are looking for a local drama rabbit hole to fall into, head over to the Memphis subreddit and look for “Fox and Cat Vintage drama.” The basic story is there to get you started. Then, follow the links to fall as far as you’d like. Yowza.

Beer Prediction

Posted to Reddit by u/etherian1

“Only a matter of time before someone turns Germantown Lumber into a brewery/tap room,” u/etherian1 predicted on Reddit.

It’s a fitting prophecy for our beer-soaked issue, focused on the winners of our 2024 Beer Bracket Challenge.

“First round on me for whoever can will this into existence,” wrote u/HeyYouGuuys.

Agreed. Second round on us.

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SmokeSlam BBQ Showdown Announces Concert Lineup, Ticket Sales

Photo: SmokeSlam | Facebook

The first annual Mempho Presents SmokeSlam‘ BBQ Festival will be held Thursday, May 16th, through Saturday, May 18, 2024, at Tom Lee Park. Festivities announced today include musical performances by War, The Bar-Kays, Hope Clayburn’s Soul Scrimmage, and St. Paul and The Broken Bones.

Nearly 60 barbecue teams will compete for $250,000, and festival-goers will have the opportunity to sample dishes and enjoy fare from local food vendors. The official contest will culminate in an awards ceremony Saturday evening hosted by Michelle Buteau, comedian, actress, and host of Netflix’ BBQ Showdown.

“In our first year, we are proud to host a capacity roster of 59 incredible teams that are champions in many different circuits,” said Melzie Wilson, SmokeSlam Organizer, in a statement. “The competition will be fierce, and we have ensured that judging will be rigorous through our association with sanctioned bodies MBN and WFC. Our vision was to create an inclusive event, where every ticket felt like a VIP experience. SmokeSlam is where the BBQ enthusiast can mingle with festival-goers and go beyond the pits and smoke to a festival for the whole family, where shared passions transcend state lines.”

One-day general admission tickets are $24.99, and three-day general admission passes are $65. VIP tickets are $240 for one day and $599 for all three days.

All tickets include access to the NBBQA BBQ Bazaar featuring products from celebrity chefs as well as Q&As, and demos from Carey Bringle, Thyron Matthews, Ray Sheehan, Melissa Cookston, and many others. The Smokeslam Market will include more retail options including products from local businesses like Memphis Flavor and other barbecue must-haves.

For more information on the entertainment lineup and schedule, VIP experience, and other details, visit smokeslam.com.

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MEMernet: Memphis Masters, Go Glo, and Who to Follow

Posted to X by Memphis Football

Memphis on the internet.

Memphis Masters

The University of Memphis football team got into Masters Week with a little golf on the turf.

Go Glo

Posted to X by CMT

GloRilla is everywhere. She was recently seen at the White House with President Joe Biden. Last weekend she was on the red carpet for the CMT Music Awards.

“GET ’EM GLO!” CMT tweeted.

Who to Follow

Posted Instagram by heybertflex

Heybert Flexworthy is a Memphis comedian and musician. A video posted to Instagram last week had the city’s number with lines about high MLGW bills, never going to Graceland, potholes, slang, Dixie Queen, and how the city turned Ja Morant into “a thug.”

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Giraffe Born at Memphis Zoo

Credit: Memphis Zoo

A new giraffe was born at the Memphis Zoo this week.

Fitz is six feet tall and weighs 150 pounds. He was born Tuesday, April 2nd, which is also his father Niklas’ birthday.

Fitz is Niklas’ 10th calf and the fourth calf for mother Wendy. Fitz will be on exhibit at the African Veldt section of the zoo, exploring and playing close to his mother.

Credit: Memphis Zoo
Credit: Memphis Zoo
Credit: Memphis Zoo
Credit: Memphis Zoo
Credit: Memphis Zoo
Credit: Memphis Zoo

“If the weather is nice, Fitz will be out on exhibit first thing in the morning and be out for a few hours each day,” the zoo said in a statement.  

In the wild, giraffes as a species are undergoing what has been termed a “silent extinction” as they’re rapidly disappearing in their native habitat. The population overall has declined 40 percent in the last 30 years.

“This calf’s birth is very significant and is part of a Species Survival Plan,” the zoo said. “Species Survival Plans manage the breeding of a species to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable.”

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Immaculate Conception Cathedral School to Close

Credit: Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception via Facebook

Immaculate Conception Cathedral School (ICCS) will close at the end of this current school year, officials announced Wednesday morning. 

The parish could not overcome financial hurdles nor a “constant struggle with enrollment” at the Midtown school, said Father Robert Szczechura, pastor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The school will work with parents to direct their students to other Catholic schools in the area. 

“We had hoped that our collaboration, promotion, and recruitment efforts for the school, combined with the availability of Tennessee’s Educational Savings Accounts program, would enable our enrollment to grow,” said Kadesha Gordon, ICCS principal “However, it became increasingly clear that our hopes were not sustainable. And, despite everyone’s hard work, the expense of maintaining a school is far beyond what the parish and community were able to support.” 

The school operates classes from preschool through eighth grade. ICCS was established by the Sisters of Mercy in 1921, on the corner of Rozelle and Central in the Central Gardens.

“This is a very heartbreaking decision given the rich history of our school,” said Szczechura. “We prayed often, and our school board, parents, and parish leaders met many times to collaborate on all possibilities from several angles to keep the school open. Unfortunately, the ongoing lack of financial stability and our constant struggle with enrollment made it impossible for the parish to continue operating the school.” 

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School Board Sued by The Satanic Temple

Credit: The Satanic Temple

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) filed a lawsuit against the Shelby County Board of Education on behalf of The Satanic Temple over what the club calls discriminatory practices. 

The club has sought to bring its After School Satan Club to Chimneyrock Elementary School since November. The program is “not interested in converting children to Satanism” but only to focus on “free inquiry and rationalism.” The Satanic Temple says it “does not worship or believe in the existence of Satan” and will “only open a club if other religious groups are operating on campus.”

Nonprofit organizations can rent facilities from Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS). The Satanic Temple said the board rents space for the Christian Good News Club. That club is run by Child Evangelism Fellowship, “a Bible-centered organization composed of born-again believers whose purpose is to evangelize boys and girls with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and to establish (disciple) them in the Word of God and in a local church for Christian living…”

The After School Satan Club was allowed to meet at Chimneyrock on January 10th after what it described as a laborious process involving attempts to thwart its efforts. The group then submitted four new rental requests for monthly meetings at the school. 

Credit: The Satanic Temple

The board assessed a “special security fee” of $2,045.60 on the Satanic Temple for “additional security.” It also levied a $250 fee for field lights. The Christian Good News Club were not charged any of these fees, according to Satanic Temple. But Satanic Temple paid the fees anyway. These fees are the crux of the FFRF lawsuit. 

MSCS “cannot pick and choose how much it charges an organization renting its facilities based on how much it does or does not favor the organization’s viewpoint, the content of its speech, or its religious beliefs,” reads the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. The district’s “unconstitutional behavior has chilled The Satanic Temple’s speech and substantially burdened its ability to exercise its religiously motivated practice of offering inclusive, welcoming religious clubs at public schools.”

The move violates the group’s First Amendment rights, the lawsuit says. Precedence on the matter has already been set in a Georgia lawsuit decided by the U.S. Supreme Court that ruled such fees against disfavored groups violate free speech laws. 

The Satanic Temple wants prompt approval of its reservation requests without any “discriminatory” rental fee. It also wants a judge to say the school board’s actions violate First Amendment rights. Finally, it wants to stop the board from continuing its discrimination against the After School Satan Club.