It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the sooner you start planning for the future, the better prepared you’re likely to be. The same goes for retirement planning as a couple. The sooner you’re on the same page when it comes to your vision, the better the chance you’ll achieve it. The following tips can help you as you plan for retirement with your partner.
1. Decide where you hope to live.
Where you choose to live in retirement can have a big impact on your lifestyle. If you plan to move, it’s important to factor in any changes to your cost of living as you plan and save for retirement. Visit and research various locations to better understand what daily life will look like in a new city or town. Also, decide what type of home you would like to live in (e.g., apartment, condo, single-family home), as this will also impact your expenses.
2. Discuss the timing.
Not all couples retire at the same time. Although some look forward to leaving the workforce and entering retirement together, others decide to stagger their retirements. When considering the timing, it’s important to take into account your ages, your job satisfaction, the amount of savings you’ll have, your eligibility for pension benefits, your optimal Social Security timing, and more. Your wealth manager can run various projections to help you determine your ideal retirement timing so you can plan accordingly.
3. Discuss how you’d like to spend.
What will your spending priorities be in retirement? Do you hope to travel the world? Provide financial support to your children or grandchildren? Purchase a second home? Give to charitable causes?
Having an idea of your spending priorities can help you establish goals and remain focused on your values. It’s also important to know if you and your partner have different spending priorities, as you may need to implement additional savings and investing strategies to plan for these differences.
4. Discuss your retirement goals.
What’s your current lifestyle like, and what’s your vision for retirement? How are these similar to or different from your partner’s?
Make individual retirement goal wish lists and compare them. Look for common goals and identify where you have different visions. Discuss how you can each compromise on your vision or make adjustments in your current lifestyle to help ensure you both achieve happiness and fulfillment in retirement.
5. Discuss how you plan to pay for medical expenses and long-term care.
Healthcare and long-term care expenses are some of the biggest costs faced by many retirees. In fact, a 65-year-old couple retiring in 2024 could expect to spend approximately $330,000 on medical expenses in retirement.
Not only that, but an estimated seven in 10 people will require long-term care in their lifetime, which can be pricey. In 2023, the median cost of a private room in a nursing home was $9,733 per month, while the average cost of a home health aide was $6,292 per month.
These numbers highlight the importance of having a plan in place to pay for healthcare and long-term care expenses in retirement. It may make sense to set aside funds in a health savings account (HSA) or purchase long-term care insurance (LTCI). Your wealth manager can advise you on a course of action that makes sense for you, given your personal financial situation and future goals.
Katie Stephenson, JD, CFP, is a Private Wealth Manager and Partner with Creative Planning, one of the nation’s largest registered investment advisory firms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s financial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.
Four Weddings and a Funeral was already taken as a movie title, but caterer Ann Barnes says that could also be the title of the book she’s planning to write one day.
“I did four weddings and a funeral on the same day,” she says.
During her almost 50-year career, Barnes has cooked for movie stars, musicians, famous authors, ambassadors, royalty, one archbishop, and five United States presidents.
She’s prepared meals for two (a candlelight engagement party in a park) and for up to 3,000 people (the opening of Wolfchase Galleria in 1997).
“My jaws are still dropping,” Barnes says. “Just wild and wonderful opportunities. One thing led to another.”
In addition to catering, Barnes, who is owner of Corinne’s Very Special Catering (named after her mother, Corinne Batson), owned Just for Lunch restaurant, which had three locations: 4730 Poplar, 4706 Spottswood, and 3092 Poplar Avenue. Her sister Susan Overton, who owned A Very Special Tearoom in Little Rock, Arkansas, was the inspiration for her Just For Lunch restaurants.
A Dignified Start
Born in Little Rock, Barnes initially learned to cook from The Essential New York Times Cookbook, the Neiman Marcus Cookbook, and Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook. “I never cooked one time until I got married. I got all those for wedding presents.”
Barnes moved to Memphis in 1967. Three years later, she began doing cooking jobs for friends and family for fun. Her criteria has always been: “If it doesn’t look pretty and taste good, I won’t serve it.”
Dixon Gallery and Gardens was where she did her first public catered luncheon. “It was an ordinary lunch — an avocado with shrimp salad and fruit, some good rolls, muffins, and maybe aspic.”
She didn’t realize until the day after the luncheon that she’d cooked for the French ambassador, who was the honoree. “If I’d have known, I would have thrown in an extra strawberry,” she jokes.
“After that I had the good future of cooking for many ambassadors,” she says. For a particular Russian ambassador, Barnes made “ice bowls out of ice with flower petals in them so we could serve borscht. We put a little cream with the beet juice. It looked exactly like Pepto Bismol.”
Fit for a Prince
Among other dignitaries she cooked for was Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II. Prince Edward was at an event Barnes catered in Oxford, Mississippi, where she’s done many catering jobs. (She was told she “had done weddings for anyone who had a street named after them in Oxford.”)
The event for Prince Edward featured “an elevated Southern menu,” she says. She remembers making pecan-encrusted catfish. She may have made a “grits cake” (with cooked grits, butter, and cheese). And, she says, she probably served “eggs Creole,” which is made with andouille sausage and eggs with crawfish sauce poured over it.
Barnes and her staff weren’t supposed to speak to Prince Edward. “They told us, ‘Don’t talk to him. He’s very formal.’ Well, he wanted to talk. It was a fancy, seated dinner. He wanted to sample a lot of Southern dishes. He talked to servers. He talked to me.”
The dessert buffet was in another room. They served peach pan pies (aka “fried pies”), bourbon pecan pie, and banana pudding. The buffet also included crème brûlée, but not served in the thin little ramekins like those favored at restaurants, Barnes says with a bit of distaste. They were “served in casserole dishes. Served at the table. The old-fashioned way.”
“The Scotland Yard people said, ‘We’ve been all over the world and this is the best food we ever had,’” she says.
Prince Edward gave her a brass bookmark with a ribbon tied to it. “I thought that was nice.”
Barnes cooked for many former presidents, including the conversational Bill Clinton. (Photo: Courtesy Ann Barnes)
A Presidential Path
Other notables Barnes catered for include Jehan Sadat, wife of Anwar Sadat, then-president of Egypt. She prepared a high tea for her at “an intimate gathering in someone’s home.”
Barnes did a reception for 2,500 people for writer/commentator William F. Buckley Jr., host of TV’s Firing Line. It was to celebrate the episode of the show taped in Oxford, Mississippi. “He was very nice. Kind of very Harvard proper, you know what I mean? Very blue blood.”
One of the show’s guests who attended the dinner was former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. He talked to Barnes like they were old friends. “He took his shoes off. He said he was more comfortable with his shoes off.” He also took the tops off the different little sandwiches on the buffet and looked at them, Barnes says. She asked if there was a problem. “He said, ‘No, no, no. I just wanted to see.’”
Then, she said, “He would politely put them back on and pop them in his mouth.”
Barnes has cooked for former presidents Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Gerald Ford, but she didn’t get to talk to them like she did Bill Clinton, who was the guest at the home of Gwen and John Montague. He went back in the kitchen and “smiled and waved,” Barnes says. “He looked up at me. I had an apron on. [He said,] ‘What’s going on back here?’ I was trying to look dignified. He took a bite of something as he left the kitchen and said, ‘Good groceries.’”
Meeting and cooking for the Dalai Lama was one of her most cherished memories, Barnes says. “He never quit smiling.”
She made chive dumplings for him — he’s vegetarian. She made flowers out of vegetables as garnishes.
The Dalai Lama’s entourage — “big, burly men” — didn’t use plates at the buffet, Barnes recalls. “They reached into the chafing dishes and scooped it up and ate it. I tried to hand them plates. They said, ‘No, no. It’s good.’”
Chef to Stars
The laundry list of celebrities Barnes has fed includes Marlo Thomas and her husband Phil Donahue, Julie Andrews, Tiger Woods, and race car driver Dale Earnhardt.
She cooked for Sam Shepard and Jessica Lange at Just For Lunch. “Somebody called me and said, ‘These people are in town. Can they come and eat lunch?’ We were packed.”
When she learned it was Shepard and Lange, she asked some friends who had been at their table for a long time if she could have it. “Most of my customers were my friends.”
Shepard and Lange “couldn’t have been nicer,” Barnes says. Lange wanted a cappuccino, but “I didn’t have a cappuccino machine, or it was broken or something, so I put on a clean apron and walked out and said, ‘Oh, gosh. Our cappuccino maker is broken, but we have really good coffee. We have great beans.’” Lange smiled at her and said, “That will be fine.” “She was gracious about it.”
At a Southern writers conference in Oxford, Barnes cooked for Eudora Welty, John Grisham, and Willie Morris. “Willie Morris signed one of his books,” she says.
Barnes also “did a lot of backstage catering” for people. She didn’t get to talk to all of them, but she cooked at events attended by Al Green, Justin Timberlake, Aerosmith, Journey, The Temptations, Dan Aykroyd, Barry Manilow, Tom Brokaw, Katie Couric, Al Roker, and Joe Cocker.
Barnes remembers catering for Aaron Neville and his band at Germantown Performing Arts Center. “I won the joke-telling contest,” she remembers. “We all prayed together.”
She made “something Russian” for ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov at the old Ellis Auditorium in Downtown Memphis. Barnes isn’t sure what she made, but it might have been little blinis and caviar with sour cream.
Of all the celebrities Ann Barnes has cooked for, Julia Child stands out the most to her. (Photo: Courtesy Ann Barnes)
But of all the celebrities she’s cooked for, noted chef Julia Child stands out the most. “That was really the highlight in my culinary life,” she says. “Julia Child and Jacques Pépin, all those people taught me everything.”
Barnes “watched every episode” of Child’s The French Chef TV show. And at one time or another she made “every recipe” in her Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook.”
“Cooking is just magical. And what she taught me is it’s not always going to come out right. So just be fearless. And do it again until you get it right.”
She told Child, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. And I heard you make a good chicken salad.”
For the luncheon, Barnes prepared stuffed eggplant, tomato aspic, fresh fruit, and quiche, but she also made her chicken salad, which impressed Child. “She pointed to the chicken salad and said, ‘Now, that’s a chicken salad.’ It wasn’t all chock-full of grapes and stuff. It had poached chicken, a few crunchy greens like celery in it, and our homemade mayonnaise dressing. She appreciated the simplicity of it. And said so.
“No president, no queen from Egypt, or any of the top dignitaries could compare with me getting to serve lunch to Julia Child. ‘Am I in a movie? Is this real?’ But this is too real. She was as down-to-earth as you could imagine.”
Barnes gave Child some leftovers to take with her. “We wrapped some rolls and muffins in Saran wrap.”
Four Weddings
Finally, there was the memorable “Four Weddings and a Funeral” day in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
She catered three weddings that day and was turning into the driveway at a home, where the fourth wedding was to take place. “A woman came out frantically waving her arms. Kind of hysterical. I said, ‘We’re just coming to unload.’ And trying to keep her calm, I said, ‘I’ll move the truck.’ She said, ‘No, no, no! She’s dead!’”
Barnes said, “I’m so sorry. How awful. The bride?’ She said, ‘No, no. Her mother.’ I said, ‘Oh, dear.’”
Barnes was backing up the truck when another woman came out and said, “We have people from all over the world here, a lot of people from Germany and France. We are moving to the Bottle Tree Bakery and we are calling it a ‘wake’ or a ‘remembrance.’”
She ended up unloading the van “and had it all set up before the guests arrived. Put the wedding food all along the bar. All the finery, all the silver. It was unbelievable when it was happening.”
As for the couple who was going to say their vows, Barnes says, “They did not get married then, but I understand they got married the next day.”
So, technically, she says, “I guess we couldn’t count that as a wedding.”
Cooking With Purpose
Barnes doesn’t just cook for the rich and famous. “It’s never just been about the food. It’s been about the people and participating in this wild adventure.”
They had a strategy worked out for people who couldn’t afford to eat at Just for Lunch in Chickasaw Oaks. “If someone walked in and asked, ‘How much does lunch cost?’ we’d pretend they had won a contest.”
She would tell the head waiter that this person had just won that day’s contest. As the “winner,” they were treated to a free lunch. And they were treated “like they were the finest diner. I’m as proud of that as feeding the Queen of England.”
Barnes is also part of the Project Green Fork food rescue, where she gives leftover food to Church of the Holy Communion, which repackages it immediately for people who are hungry. “There are so many ways to not waste food and let people who need it, have it.”
And she’s now part of The SOW Project with chefs Ben Vaughn and David Krog. “[It’s] a completely free culinary program to teach disadvantaged people the hospitality business.”
Barnes hired one of her friends, retired restaurateur and consultant Mac Edwards, to be the manager at Just For Lunch in the ’80s. “She is one of my mentors and has always made herself available for advice and counseling,” Edwards says. “The only reason she has not had more public recognition is because she is so humble and just goes about her business of throwing great events. Ann deserves to be considered in the same light as any other prominent Memphis restaurateur or caterer over the last 50 years.”
No matter who she’s cooking for, that person stands out, Barnes says. She likes to say, “My next bride is my next most important customer.”
And she will treat her like she’s the most important customer she’s ever had.
The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) said their primary goals are to improve the agency’s operational and financial viability as interim leadership continues efforts to transform the agency.
Today the interim leadership team, comprised of TransPro consultants, gave a monthly update to Memphis City Council’s transportation committee.
John Lewis, interim CEO, said the leadership team has reviewed all non-employee spending to identify “unnecessary and redundant” charges while also stopping “non-safety certification-related travels” for MATA personnel. They have also changed the employee expense reimbursement policies.
“The majority of spending has got to be focused on putting transit service on the street and not towards supporting unnecessary or redundant administrative funding, as has been the practice in the past,” Lewis said.
Officials also said they have gained access to the agency’s American Express account to suspend usage and look into the previous spending. Lewis said this is to stop future misappropriation of agency funds.
Aaron Headley, interim CFO, said MATA is also working to optimize the city’s investment. They are currently working on minimizing the amount of past-due payments with a target of less than 10 percent.
Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas questioned whether the agency had the data to show optimization of the city’s investment, to which officials said this is an intended outcome.
The presentation showed that the amount of past due payables was at 94 percent as of March 7th, and it stayed the same as of March 26th. Headley said this is because they are “laser-focused” on getting more buses on the road and making sure they don’t run out of money.
Lewis said they are working to finalize their FY26 budget with extra focus on “eliminating wasteful spending” from both administration and vendor services.
Councilman Jeff Warren questioned whether or not the agency could switch to smaller buses on routes that aren’t as full. He suggested that this may be a better spend than to continue purchasing larger buses as they could improve cost-saving measures, efficiency, and timeliness.
Lewis explained there are opportunities for smaller vehicles; however, their main concern is stabilizing the agency.
“Getting into service design is further down the road for us,” Lewis said.
Warren responded that stabilizing the agency may be difficult if only a percentage of buses are available to complete routes.
Thomas asked if they are able to receive the data that the agency is using to complete their monthly reports even though officials said they are “ongoing.” Board chair Edmund Ford Sr. said that questions such as these could not be discussed in regular session, but rather in attorney-client session.
Councilwoman Yolanda Cooper-Sutton asked how MATA plans to rebuild the community’s trust in terms of reliability and on-time performance. She said the current model is a “failing” one and advised MATA to not ask for more money if they plan to do the same thing.
“I understand that getting the money is most important, but getting the trust back — what does your model look like?” Sutton asked. “More service on the street, but you don’t have the people to ride. They’ve made other means because they were forced into a place where they had to find other means.”
Anna McQuiston, vice chair of MATA’s board of commissioners, said the interim leadership team realizes that community trust is broken, yet she didn’t think the model was broken; rather, the agency did not deliver on their promises.
“Our number-one priority right now is to deliver on the service that we tell people we’re going to provide,” McQuiston said. “We’re not doing that right now. We’ve got to deliver on time. We need the buses to show up, and that to me is the first step of many that we need to make to build back that community trust. That has been one of the priorities the board has asked for considering all these things.”
The Wolf River at Germantown Parkway on Sunday. Credit: Ian Ripple on X
Credit: Ward Archer
Last week’s storm affected Mississippi River towns differently, ranging from a mass rescue in West Memphis to “nothing happened at all” in Caruthersville, Missouri. The total damage, however, could cost $90 billion, according to one weather company.
The relentless bouts of severe weather began with tornado warnings on Wednesday, April 2nd. Lines of high wind threatened the Mid-South Thursday through Saturday. The storm finally moved on Sunday but not before dumping nearly 12 inches of rain in Memphis.
The storm fronts were wide, of course, and did not affect towns the same way. Mayors of towns up and down the Mississippi River gave highlights of their challenges and lucky misses during a news conference Monday by the Mississippi River Mayors Cities and Towns Initiative.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young said “the last few days have been a challenge.” He said the city had “historic levels of rainfall,” which created more than 600 tickets to the city’s 311 system. Also, wind and rain felled 109 trees that blocked roads, Young said. Traffic lights at intersections went out, too, and the massive amounts of water were a challenge for the city’s drainage system, he said.
“Thankfully, our teams worked really hard and they were very responsive and very prepared for the storms that took place,” Young said.
Across the river in West Memphis, teams in boats rescued nearly 100 people caught in the floodwaters created by nearly 13 inches of rain.
However, up the river in Alton, Illinois, Mayor David Goins said, “we’re doing fine.”
“I believe we dodged a bullet because most of the rain was south of us,” Goins said, noting Alton got between 3 inches to 5 inches of rain.
In Cape Girardeau, Missouri, though, limbs and trees were down all over town, said Mayor Stacy Kinder. Downtown buildings suffered roof and facade damage and blown-out windows. Flash flooding backed up sewage and water into basements in homes across town. In a typical few days, the city’s waste water treatment plant treats about 26 million gallons of water, Mayor Kinder said. Between April 2nd and 6th, the system treated 91 million gallons of water, she said.
Caruthersville, Missouri, Mayor Sue Grantham said “we got really lucky. The dear Lord was with us; we don’t have any flooding around us except at the river,” Grantham said. “Nothing happened at all. I did see one small car in a ditch. But by the time I got back around, it was gone.”
Experts at AccuWeather, a weather media company, projected Monday morning that the storm caused an estimated $80 billion to $90 billion in total damage and economic loss.
Credit: AccuWeather
”We’re heartbroken by the loss of life and destruction from this once-in-a-generation storm,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter. “ Houses and businesses were destroyed by tornadoes. Homes and vehicles were swept away by fast-moving floodwaters. Bridges and roadways were washed out or destroyed in some areas. Travel, commerce and business operations were significantly disrupted. It will take years for some of the hardest-hit communities to recover.”
Memphis Mayor Young said his team is watching the Mississippi River now, though. The river is expected to peak here on April 14 at about 37 feet.
“For us, flood level is about 34 feet,” he said. “We do think we have enough things in place to manage [flooding] at that level, however. It is something that we’re going to be paying attention to.”
David Welsh, a senior hydrologist with the National Weather Service, said he anticipates a “long, broad crest” on the Mississippi that could last for up to two weeks. However, no rain fall is yet predicted for the next week, which might give the river a little bit of time to start coming down.
Images from previous Indie Memphis festivals (Photo: courtesy Indie Memphis).
In an email to filmmakers sent this morning, April 4, 2025, the arts nonprofit Indie Memphis announced an “intermission.”
“Starting today, Indie Memphis will pause all programming — including our annual film festival — as we explore strategic paths forward for the organization. This includes evaluating potential partnerships and organizational models that can sustain our mission and community impact long term,” read the email.
“This decision was not made lightly. It reflects both the challenges we’ve faced and our deep commitment to preserving the spirit of Indie Memphis. We remain proud of the filmmakers, artists, and stories we’ve supported — and we’ll be sharing more about what’s next in the weeks to come.”
In addition to the annual film festival, which has been a staple in the Memphis fall events calendar for 27 years, Indie Memphis has also presented Shoot & Splice, a monthly program which presents workshops and forums for filmmakers looking to hone their craft; Microcinema, a semi-regular program of short films from around the world; the Indie Memphis Youth Film Festival, which helps high schoolers get a start in the art; the IndieGrant program, which funded more than 20 short films by Memphis filmmakers in the last decade; and most recently the Black Creators Forum, an annual conclave which brings together African-American artists and filmmakers from all over the country. All of those programs are currently suspended.
Indie Memphis executive director Kimel Fryer says this is not the end for the organization. “Indie Memphis has been around for 27 years. This intermission is to make sure that we are around for another 27 years because we are being intentional and thoughtful about what we’re providing to the community.”
Artistic director Miriam Bale resigned from Indie Memphis in 2024, and Kayla Myers took over as head programmer for last year’s festival. Fryer confirms that Myers and operations manager Joseph Carr have left the organization this year. Marketing director Macon Wilson had previously taken a position with the Orpheum Theatre.
Film festivals nationwide have been struggling in the current economic and cultural environment. First, the Covid-19 pandemic shuttered theaters and prevented in-person gatherings for two years, beginning in March 2020. Buoyed by government relief funds, “We didn’t slow down programming. Indie Memphis actually increased programming during the pandemic,” says Fryer. The nonprofit embraced streaming films with the help of Memphis-based Eventive, which was itself a spinoff of the festival’s ticketing system. The 2020 festival was entirely virtual, and all editions of the festival since then have had a streaming component.
But just as Covid relief funding was drying up, dual strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG/AFTRA) shut down film production for most of 2023. The resulting disruption of the production pipeline has put the industry under stress. “The film industry has changed a good three times since I’ve been here, and I haven’t even been here that long,” Fryer says. “But this is not film industry specific. … For all nonprofits across all industries, corporate sponsorship was down by 45 percent.”
The Trump administration’s draconian slashing of federal funding for arts nonprofits, plus the increasingly uncertain economic environment, has hit all arts nonprofits hard in the bottom line, says Fryer. “It’s not just federal grants but all grants — state grants, foundations, and federal grants are all a piece of our revenue, and there’s a lot of ambiguity as to how a lot of that’s gonna work out. So this is really a way for us to think about how we can get stronger, how we can really utilize strategic partnerships, maybe in ways we’ve never done before, or maybe in ways that we used to do, and we just haven’t in a long time.”
“We’re not just a film festival; we are a nonprofit, thinking about sustainable ways for us to continue to thrive,” says Fryer. “Regardless of what’s going on, regardless of what might be happening with grants or whatever, as a nonprofit leader, you always want to be able to be in a place of being able to plan and move forward with this. I think we know what we need to work on. We’ve got a strategic plan, and we’re looking at a lot of different things.”
Citing the festival’s longstanding relationships with Malco Theatres and Crosstown Arts, Fryer says she believes one way forward for Indie Memphis is through new partnerships. “This intermission is also for us to think about partnerships with a lot of different organizations, maybe organizations we’ve partnered with in the past and maybe some that we haven’t. It’s a time for us to think about how we can come back in a way that is sustainable, strong, and serves our community — and maybe introduces us to more community members that maybe want to be a part of Indie Memphis but don’t know it yet. So I wouldn’t be opposed to any partnership with anybody, but I wouldn’t say a particular name at this point.”
Even the flagship independent film festival in the United States, Sundance Film Festival, has had to rethink operations. Sundance recently announced a move from the festival’s longtime home in Park City, Utah, to Boulder, Colorado — a decision that the Sundance organization had been pondering for more than a year. “I know that a lot of people are gonna be nervous and maybe even sad, but I really do think that this is a really a good place for us to rethink about how things are gonna be in the future, especially when you think about how one of the biggest festivals in the world, Sundance, took the time to think about what made most sense for them as a location, even though they’ve been at Park City since forever and they actually are moving to Boulder because it’s just a better fit for them.”
(Fryer clarifies that Indie Memphis is not considering moving. “Memphis is in our name!”)
“Yes, we can be upset or sad that there’s not gonna be a film festival this year, but at the same time, [think about] what new possibilities that it opens for us. There are some things I can’t talk about, but I think that being able to take a pause, take a beat, and be intentional about your next steps, that’s one of the bravest things that you can do, and Sundance kind of did that first. There are a few other festivals that have paused and then came back in a stronger, more intentional way, and it’s worked out for them. Indie Memphis provided 27 years of programming, and I do hope that, after going 27 years straight, there is some grace given. I think that if we’re able to think about what could be next, I honestly think that it might be phenomenal; it might be so much better than if we were to just keep doing the same thing that we’re used to doing.”
This storm system has already caused five deaths in West Tennessee. It has dumped around 4 to 6 inches of rain on Memphis already.
Credit: National Weather Service Memphis
“Generational flooding” is expected in the area as the storm delivers more rain on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This could deliver up to 10 inches of rain to areas along and north of I-40 through the weekend. If “generational flooding” was not enough to concern you, the NWS Memphis also predicts the storm could yield “catastrophic flooding.”
Credit: National Weather Service Memphis
However, Memphis fares better in the NWS outlook for Friday than other areas. The agency predicts moderate chances of severe weather, damaging winds, tornados, large hail, and excessive rainfall compared to other areas.
Saturday, though, brings an increased risk for all of those here, especially excessive rainfall.
Credit: National Weather Service Memphis
Even when the storm system moves on, its effects will remain in the Shelby County watershed. The briefing predicts an above moderate flood risk for the Wolf River. But it predicts an “above major flood” for the Loosahatchie River, which runs through Frayser and more.
Credit: National Weather Service Memphis
Water levels in the Mississippi River began rising Thursday and are expected to continue until April 15th. River levels had sunk to around five feet early Thursday morning. By Friday morning, levels climbed to nearly 13 feet. The NWS predicts river levels will rise continually, peaking at around 36 feet by mid-April.
Credit: National Weather Service Memphis
Gov. Lee Surveys West Tennessee storm damage
Credit: State of Tennessee
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee surveyed storm damage in McNairy County Thursday evening after severe storms ripped through part of West and Middle Tennessee.
Lee immediately issued an Emergency Declaration, which was quickly approved by the Trump Adminstration.
Crews in several Tennessee counties continued to survey storm damage Friday and search sites for evidence of tornadoes.
Body camera footage shows Tennessee troopers, McNairy County deputies, Selmer Police officers and firefighters searching the debris of a home for trapped or hurt survivors after severe storms battered West Tennessee in the early morning hours of April 3, 2025. (Photo: Tennessee Highway Patrol)
A chain of severe storms and a possible tornado killed at least five people across West Tennessee early Thursday.
The storms left a path of major damage in Fayette, Hardeman and McNairy counties, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA). An EF-3 tornado struck the town of Selmer, Tennessee, according to preliminary surveys from crews deployed by the National Weather Service Memphis.
Residents of West and Middle Tennessee received multiple severe storm, tornado and flood warnings throughout Wednesday night into the early morning hours Thursday.
The National Weather Service issued more than 70 severe thunderstorm warnings, more than 50 tornado warnings and 21 flash flood warnings in the last 24 hours, TEMA reported Thursday afternoon.
NWS received reports of observed tornadoes and damage for seven of those tornado-warned storms.
State officials warn that “generational flooding” — flooding so severe it happens once a generation or once a lifetime — continues to pose a threat to multiple counties in Middle and West Tennessee as multiple rounds of heavy rain are forecast to stretch into Sunday.
Rain totals could reach at least 10 inches in areas of West Tennessee north of Interstate 40 by the end of the weekend, according to National Weather Service Memphis. The northwest corner of the state could see up to 15 total inches of rain.
Gov. Bill Lee requested an Emergency Declaration for Tennessee and TEMA Director Patrick Sheehan issued a State of Emergency Wednesday evening in anticipation of the severe storms and flooding.
Lee’s request includes federal assistance for debris removal, emergency protective measures and direct federal assistance.
President Donald Trump approved Lee’s request around 11 a.m. Thursday, making FEMA assistance available to all 95 Tennessee counties. Under the declaration, FEMA can provide equipment and resources to support emergency response, and direct federal assistance under the public assistance program will be provided at 75 percent federal funding, according to the agency.
The state remains under a level 3 State of Emergency status, which allows state resources to support local requests for assistance following severe weather while continuing to provide support for ongoing Tropical Storm Helene recovery efforts in East Tennessee.
Five deaths, multiple injuries reported
At least five people have been reported dead, state and local officials confirmed.
The Tennessee Department of Health confirmed one death each in McNairy County, Obion County and Carroll County.
A 48-year-old man was pronounced dead in Fayette County around 2 a.m. Thursday after the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call reporting a tornado had overturned a modular home, according to the Fayette County Emergency Management Agency.
Four other family members were transported to a nearby hospital, two in critical condition and two in stable condition. The man’s 16-year-old daughter later died at the hospital, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
Tornado damage assessments begin
NWS Memphis does not yet have an exact number of confirmed tornadoes from Thursday morning’s severe weather event.
Teams are assessing tornado damage in Selmer, Tennessee and Lake City, Arkansas to confirm and classify the strength of tornadoes, according to NWS Memphis.
Selmer saw an EF-3 tornado with peak winds estimated at 160 miles per hour, according to preliminary survey results released by NWS Memphis Thursday afternoon. The agency suspended further surveys of the area out of concern for surveyors’ safety in ongoing storms.
In Arkansas, the preliminary survey shows Lake City also saw an EF-3 tornado with top winds around 150 miles per hour.
Ratings could change after surveys are complete, NWS Memphis stated.
The agency received additional reports of tornados in the region from spotters and radar but crews have not yet been able to survey damage or confirm.
Tennessee Highway Patrol deployed a strike team to McNairy County to support local officials, according to TEMA.
“My heart breaks for our city and county at this time,” Selmer Mayor Sherry Inman stated in a social media post expressing gratitude for those who have offered assistance or prayers. “Please continue to pray for all the families and homes that have been lost.”
State officials report power outages, roads blocked by water or debris
About 9,700 power outage reports remained active statewide as of 11:30 a.m. Thursday, according to TEMA. This is down from more than 15,400 outages reported as of 4 a.m.
Communications systems are experiencing problems in McNairy County and TEMA is working with local officials to remedy the situation.
Customers served by the Grand Junction Water Department in Hardeman County do not have water. The Henderson Water Department in Chester County is under a boil water advisory.
Multiple roads throughout Middle and West Tennessee have been impacted by downed trees and power lines and flooding, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). Crews are working to clean up debris.
Excessive rainfall to come
Excessive rainfall continued Thursday with the “bullseye” of enhanced risk storms encompassing most of West Tennessee from Memphis to Clarksville along Interstate 40. Widespread flash floods were expected, according to NWS Memphis.
Most areas of Middle and West Tennessee have seen between 3-5 inches of rain over the last 18 hours, with some areas nearing 7 inches, according to TEMA. Another 3-4 inches was forecast for Thursday evening, and 5-7 inches are projected on Saturday.
Severe weather forecasts also include continued tornado, large hail and damaging wind threats in addition to flood risks.
This is a developing story.
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Photo Credit: Memphis Public Libraries via Facebook
Thanks to a new grant, the Memphis Library Foundation will be able to further aid in workforce development by helping residents grow in fields such as entrepreneurship, culinary arts, and digital media. This is all part of the foundation’s Innovator-in-Residence program, which will expand as a result of funds from Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD).
Today, foundation officials announced they received a $300,000 grant from the department. This represents a portion of $167 million in grants TNECD has allocated across Tennessee for workforce advancement.
“This two-year grant will specifically enable the Foundation to expand upon successful Memphis Public Libraries programs and offer additional resources, expertise, and training to local community members seeking to enhance their digital skills and workforce development opportunities,” Memphis Library Foundation officials said in a statement.
As participants work to sharpen their skills, the program will connect them with professionals such as podcasters, chefs, lawyers, and more, who will help them “monetize their talents” while also contributing to growth in the city.
The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Industry Report 2024 by the Greater Memphis Chamber and Greater Memphis Economic Research Group found that as of 2021, small businesses accounted for 98.9 percent of businesses in the area.
“By providing access to professional guidance and resources, we aim to create a robust network of aspiring entrepreneurs, contributing to the overall economic growth in our city,” Christine Weinreich, executive director of Memphis Library Foundation, said.
Memphis has been referred to as a “hotbed for entrepreneurship” by Epicenter Memphis. The organization said the city has an advantage over places like San Francisco and New York, which tend to show “startup saturation.”
The Urban Libraries Council noted the opportunities this Innovators-in-Residence program opens to the city — specifically to African-American communities the library serves.
“Memphis Public Libraries provides access to resources, opportunity, and hope,” the Urban Libraries Council said. “Cossitt Library serves Downtown, where 52 percent of residents are African American and 14 percent live in poverty. The area faces economic disparities, with wealthy neighborhoods near some of the poorest. Raleigh Library patrons are 76 percent African American, and 26 percent live in poverty.”
The program is tailored to the offerings of each library branch. Cossitt Library was home to the initial pilot of the initiative, which led to Ena Esco’s podcast, Verbally Effective. Weinreich said the grant will allow them to expand to five different innovators as opposed to one.
Other libraries will be involved in the program, including Raleigh Library, which houses an “on-site kitchen” where they will focus on culinary skills and development. Officials said they plan to bring in local chefs to help advise participants on how to secure funding for a business and how to manage restaurants.
On Wednesday, April 9, Soul Coughing will play the Hi Tone. It will be only the second time the band has played Memphis. The first was in 1995, when they opened for Jeff Buckley at the New Daisy on Beale Street.
A lot has happened since then. After three innovative albums and a string of hits unlike anything else on the radio, the band broke up acrimoniously in the late 1990s. Bandleader Mike Doughty pursued a solo career which took him all over the world. Ten years ago, he moved to Memphis, where he still resides today.
Last year, the classic lineup of Soul Coughing patched up their differences and embarked on a modest comeback tour. To the surprise of everyone involved, the tour sold out in a matter of minutes.
Now, the band is headed out on the road again, and they’re kicking it off in Doughty’s adopted home town of Memphis. The Hi Tone will be the smallest venue on this leg of the tour, so this is a chance to see the 90s underground legends in an intimate setting.
On this week’s Memphis Flyer Podcast, Mike Doughty sat down with Chris McCoy for a wide-ranging conversation about music, Memphis, and life.
When Boshi Botanicals first opened in 2024, one of the questions that owner Becky Beloin repeatedly heard was “Is Memphis ready for-zero waste?”
Boshi is the city’s first zero-waste store. Located at 3092 Poplar Avenue, Suite 16, the shop offers a number of eco-conscious products, such as refillable bathroom cleaning kits, reusable feminine pads and liners, scrap-felt polish pads and more.
From an optic standpoint, Beloin said Memphis may not appear to be a sustainable city, since it is still common for people to use plastic bags when shopping, and many restaurants still use plastic straws and cutlery, as well as styrofoam to-go containers.
Such habits may indicate the city isn’t prepared to change to a zero-waste lifestyle, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t hope. Beloin said initiatives such as Project Green Fork and Clean Memphis show that efforts are being made to increase understanding of an eco-friendly way of living.
Boshi Botanicals’ goal is to amplify the resources needed for sustainability, while also making them accessible. Beloin said customer feedback has shown that Memphians want to move towards a waste-free way of living, but there hadn’t been a place locally that could sustain it.
Photo Credit: Boshi Botanicals
“We live in a society where it’s so easy to order from Amazon,” Beloin said. “You can order pick-up from Target and obviously [if you purchase from these retailers] you don’t have to remember to bring your bottles.”
Beloin’s store not only encourages customers to bring their refillable bottles and containers, they reward them for it.
The costs of zero-waste can also pose a barrier. The University of Memphis’ “2024 Poverty Fact Sheet” showed that the city’s poverty rate is 22.6 percent. Beloin noted that the standard cost of living has become increasingly expensive — with many thinking that a shift towards sustainability costing significantly more.
However, she explains, this is a misconception. Many of the items sold at Boshi are refillable and reduce costs, including as wool dryer balls, which can last three-to-five years.
“It may seem a little higher up-front, but when you actually end up breaking it down, it ends up saving you money,” Beloin said.
“There’s interest [in zero-waste],” Beloin added. “I think a lot of it is education and getting the information out that there are things that we can all do as individuals to be more sustainable, but I think the city government needs to do things that could increase sustainability as well.”
She acknowledges that individuals can take certain steps towards an eco-friendlier lifestyle, such as using reusable shopping bags. However, she said the city shares a responsibility as well. Beloin suggested that the city evaluate different aspects of non-sustainability that they’d like to eradicate, and look into passing legislation that prevents wastefulness.
“There’s a cost to everything,” Beloin said. “People may say ‘Well, the plastic bag is free’ or ‘styrofoam is free,” but it’s not. It’s built into the cost of your food and it’s also built into the cost of [an] individual’s health.”
Beloin said the Mid-South may not be known for its sustainability, but she thinks Memphis can pioneer a movement by getting rid of pollutants such as styrofoam and plastic.
