This week on the Memphis Flyer Podcast, political columnist Jackson Baker and Chris McCoy talk about the election and try to come to grips with what just happened. Check it out on YouTube.
A new app, created by a Memphian, launches soon and will help gym goers (and those who maybe find the gym a daunting space) find workout pals.
Let’s Gym was created (and its company was founded) by Belal Kamara who discovered how hard it can be to find workout partners after he moved to Denver for a time. He beta-tested the app in different cities, gathered user feedback, and is now readying for a public launch in Memphis.
We caught up with Kamara to hear more about Let’s Gym. — Toby Sells
Memphis Flyer: So, you’re from Memphis?
Balal Kamara: Yes, I grew up here. I left in 2019 to go Denver. I moved back this past year.
How did you get started developing Let’s Gym?
I graduated from the University of Memphis in 2019 with a degree in management information systems. I worked Downtown at Regional One Health in the IT department. I moved to Denver because the tech scene there was kind of booming. I wanted to grow that skill set that I had.
That explains the tech side of the app. What about the gym side?
Me, working out with my friends, was the reason I was in the gym, actually in there for like and hour and a half to two hours. Me, working out by myself, I was like, “Yeah, let me just get this done under 45 minutes. So [working out with friends] was a big component that I missed just leaving Memphis.
About a year and a half ago, I thought that I could not be the only one having this problem. So I put out a little tester in Denver to see if other people are having the same issue. I ran a $20 ad on Instagram and asked if anyone in Denver was looking for someone to work out with.
After a week, we had over 300 people to sign up just because all I did was create a sign-up form. It was a lot more people than I originally thought.
Coming from a technical background, I just started coding the app. I coded a super-basic version of the app, launched it in Denver, and got some pretty good feedback. I closed down the beta and created a new app pretty much from scratch just based on the feedback I gathered.
I knew what people liked and didn’t like, developed it again, and launched it on iOS and Android, originally. So it was a lot easier for people to download it, get notifications, and things of that nature.
We were doing a city-to-city launch at the time. We launched in Denver, Chicago, and San Francisco near the end of the beta period. We had a pretty good amount of users in each city at the end of the beta. That period was about a year in those three cities.
After that, I gathered all the feedback and closed the app. I redeveloped the app based on that … and we were ready for a full-on launch.
So, what’s the next step?
I’m back in Memphis, where I grew up. I feel like Memphis could be the perfect opportunity for this to be the launching point. We’re trying to wrap it up and launch by the end of the month.
What did your users tell you about the app in the beta tests?
The first app I built was kind of like a dating app clone — swipe left and swipe right to match with gym partners. The feeling was that it was too much of a dating-app-type vibe.
We re-did it in a way where you change your filter and decide, maybe, I want someone who is strength-centric, or more of an intermediate-level workout partner, or someone who works out in the morning, like I do.
Once, they select that, it shows them everyone who matches their filter within a, say, 15-mile radius. Then, they’re able to quickly just chat with them and get something scheduled, instead of “swipe left, swipe right” and matching and all the jazz.
What about good feedback? Did your app help people?
I started the app originally for people who wanted to find someone to work out with, maybe, who need that extra push. When I was speaking to a lot of users, they said, “We’re first-time people at the gym” and they were matching with someone who already goes to the gym.
They said, “When I actually had the courage to go the gym, I didn’t really know how to do it. I was under the bar but didn’t know if my form was right. I didn’t know if 10 sets was too much.”
So they’d match with someone who could teach them a lot on, like, how to benchpress correctly or squat correctly. And now they’re not afraid to go the gym because [they have] someone to work out with and realize it’s not as daunting as it seems.
The Memphis Grizzlies returned to their home court Wednesday night and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 131-114, in a wire-to-wire win. It marked their first regular season win against the Lakers at FedExForum since February 2023.
Coming off a tough loss in Brooklyn, the Grizzlies came back to Memphis with a chip on their shoulder and a renewed focus on getting back to playing their brand of basketball. It clearly paid off, with a season-high 131 points.
Memphis outscored Los Angeles 60-44 in the paint and made 17 three-pointers to the Lakers’ 15. They also demolished L.A. on the boards — out-rebounding them 50-37.
Turnovers remain a struggle for Memphis, with the Grizzlies giving up 22 points off 18 turnovers.
The Grizzlies still have a lengthy injured list, but they welcomed Luke Kennard to the lineup for the first time this season. Kennard suffered a strain in his left foot in the preseason game against the Indiana Pacers, which left him sidelined for the team’s first eight games.
On the personnel front, Memphis was also without head coach Taylor Jenkins, who is away from the team after a death in his family. Assistant coach Tuomas Iisalo stood in as acting head coach.
Los Angeles was missing center Anthony Davis, who had aggravated a heel injury against the Pistons, and Grizz killer Rui Hachimura, who was listed as out due to unspecified illness.
Teamwork makes the dream work.
The Lakers were led by superstar LeBron James and supporting actors Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell. James put up a game-high 39 points, and added seven rebounds and seven assists, while Reaves and Russell scored 19 and 12 points, respectively.
But Los Angeles was no match for the collective force put forth by the Grizzlies, who finished the night with seven players in double-digits.
LeBron James is unquestionably one of the best players ever to pick up a basketball, but Ja Morant remains one of the most dynamic players in the league. Morant fears no man, not even King James himself.
From their starters, Memphis was led by Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and rookie Jaylen Wells, who each scored 20 points. Santi Aldama added 11 points and 12 rebounds.
The second unit was led by Scotty Pippen Jr., who scored 14 points on on five-of-nine overall shooting, including three of four from beyond the arc. He added six rebounds, and four assists.
Jake LaRavia contributed 13 points, five rebounds, and eight assists.
Jay Huff finished with 11 points, three rebounds, and four assists. He was four of seven in overall shooting, including three of six from three-point range, with all his points coming in the third quarter.
The crowd and the players cheered as two-way guard Yuki Kawamura scored his first NBA points, a pair of free throws with 33 seconds remaining in the game.
Who Got Next?
Friday night, the Grizzlies will face off against the Washington Wizards at FedExForum. Tip-off is at 7 PM CST.
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) board of directors approved the request from Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW) to power Elon Musk’s controversial xAI project during a meeting on Thursday.
TVA policy requires the board to approve any project that requires over 100 megawatts of power. According to the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), MLGW requested that (TVA) provide 150 megawatts of power to xAI. SELC said this demand is enough to power 100,000 homes.
Officials from TVA said this load is consistent with their wholesale power contract, and that xAI has agreed to specific demand response terms so that TVA and MLGW can provide power according to the requested timeline.
They added that xAI has “met or exceeded” conditions established by MLGW, including energy storage solution, recycled water solution, and positive community impact.
MLGW CEO Doug McGowen spoke with the TVA board Wednesday about an investment in the water cycling system to reduce reliance on the Memphis Sand Aquifer, TVA officials said.
When the project was announced, several groups asked city leaders to deny an electricity deal for the project and demanded a public review of the project. A letter from the SELC outlined community concern and condemned McGowen for approving an electricity deal.
“Recycled water from this system could also be used for cooling water supplying to our Allen Combined Cycle Plant and nearby industrial users – reducing aquifer usage by millions of gallons per day,” Dan Pratt, senior vice president of regional relations for TVA, said.
Board member Michelle Moore said both MLGW and the Memphis Chamber of Commerce told her of the importance of the xAI project as an economic development for the future of a “digital Delta.” Moore also said they heard from neighbors regarding pollution concerns, specifically on respiratory health.
“We have an obligation to serve our customers — MLGW serves xAI; our obligation is to serve, “ Jeff Lyash, president and CEO of TVA, said. “We can’t say no. We can say when and under what system conditions we can serve that load.”
Lyash went on to say that xAI has agreed to a demand response program that enables them to adjust their load, allowing TVA to approve the request.
“Because we don’t control it, I can’t speculate as to how they will use their generation in the future,” Lyash said. “Once their facilities are complete, then TVA in partnership with MLGW is in a position to supply 150 megawatts of low-cost, clean energy for this phase of their installation.”
In regards to the xAI’s supplemental water treatment facility, Lyash added that at this stage TVA is only aware of what the intent of the project is, and can’t see why it can’t be “brought to reality.”
“I think it’s exciting,” he said. “It’s the right environmental thing. If that facility is brought into reality and the water meets the requirements we need for the Allen Combined Cycle Plant, we would be excited about transitioning our facility to that source.”
The project has been condemned on several fronts from environmental groups to city leaders. Many have condemned the Chamber for its lack of transparency, specifically towards those in the Black community, and said its decision goes against the 17 principles of environmental justice.
“Construction and other industrial activities at Musk’s facility should be stopped until the community has been given a voice—through open processes conducted by state or local offices with authority over electricity planning (TVA), water system planning (MLGW), or environmental safety (TDEC),” the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy said in a statement. “Subverting or ignoring these processes has already led to public outcry, but the true downsides—weaker infrastructure and higher rates of pollution, illness, and other maladies—can still be avoided.”
Local and state leaders have mixed emotions about former president Donald Trump’s reelection.
Early Wednesday morning, it was announced that the Republican nominee had procured more than the 270 electoral votes needed to win against Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced on election day that he would be casting a vote for Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance in hopes of restoring “conservative leadership” in the White House.
Once it was announced that Trump was the winner, Lee congratulated him on what he called a “decisive victory.”
“There is no doubt our country will again be stronger with President Trump in office, and as a result, our children and grandchildren will enjoy greater opportunity, security and freedom,” Lee said. “President Trump will unify our country by strengthening the economy, securing our Nation’s border and restoring safety in our communities.”
It was also announced that Marsha Blackburn would be reelected to the Senate, prevailing against Rep. Gloria Johnson. As she celebrated her victory, saying she was excited to “serve in a Republican majority” and “defend conservative values,” she welcomed Trump back to the White House and said the “golden age of America is ahead.”
“Last night, the American people made their choice clear – now it’s time to rebuild our nation with President Donald J. Trump’s leadership,” Blackburn said.
David Kustoff, who had been reelected to represent Tennessee’s 8th congressional district for a fifth term, also celebrated Trump’s win.
“Congratulations to @RealDonaldTrump on being elected the 47th President of the United States! I am looking forward to working together to Make America Great Again!” Kustoff said via X.
While Trump’s reelection signifies a further lean-in toward conservative values — which some see as a win — others see this announcement as a disappointment, fearful of what his administration may mean.
Molly Quinn, chief executive director of OUTMemphis, called the outcome “dreadful” for the LGBTQ+ community. Quinn advised people to take care of themselves and promised unity for marginalized groups.
“Our solidarity is a foundation for our safety and our futures and that’s especially important for trans, Black and brown people, who are most at risk under a MAGA regime,” Quinn said. “[OutMemphis] will be fearless in our defense of one another, and we will hold safe and affirming spaces within our walls.”
Francie Hunt, executive director of Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood (TAPP), called the result a setback and said it wasn’t what they hoped for. Abortion rights proved to be a major issue on the ballot this year. While abortions were outlawed in the state in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade, TAPP along with Planned Parenthood have continued to push for reproductive freedom.
“Let us grieve and then, we begin the fight again. Let this be a chance to rebuild and strengthen our movement. We may have lost this round, but we have not lost our resolve,” Hunt said.
Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director at the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, issued a statement recognizing the next four years as a challenge, but promising to fight back.
“Many immigrant Tennesseans left everything they know to make a better life for their families in our state and are more resilient than Donald Trump could ever imagine,” Luna said. “We’ve been building power and preparing for this moment for more than 20 years, and our members are ready to organize their families, defend their rights, and challenge these dangerous policies at every step. We’re ready to dig deep, fight back, and use every tool in our toolbox to make sure that Tennessee’s immigrant and refugee community has the freedom to thrive and live with dignity.”
On October 24th, Contemporary Arts Memphis (CAM), a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting under-resourced student artists, opened its newly renovated home base at 652 Marshall Avenue in the Edge District.
Founded in 2022 by Memphis-born artist Derek Fordjour, CAM’s initial and primary mission was to offer a no-cost, four-week summer arts-intensive fellowship to Memphis-area high school juniors and seniors. Through this program, students spend three weeks in a sleepaway-style camp in North Memphis before spending another week in New York City. The students also receive college-level instruction, dual enrollment through the University of Memphis, and mentorship.
This new space in the Edge District will expand on Fordjour’s mission by offering ongoing support and studio space year-round for even more students, removing the barrier to access, whether that’s to the space, the cost of art supplies, or art instruction.
“Contemporary Arts Memphis is a safe space, dedicated to the growth and development of young high school students from all schools in the county,” Fordjour said at CAM’s ribbon cutting ceremony. “Public, private, charter, whatever neighborhood you’re from, it doesn’t matter. What home you live in, doesn’t matter. What matters is that you share our passion for art, and that is our currency.”
The 4,700-square-foot space includes working studio spaces, a computer lab, and an art library with books donated from leading art museums. The walls are lined with student artwork and, currently, a piece by Fordjour, with plans to rotate these student pieces and include work by a Memphis artist, courtesy of Sheet Cake Gallery.
Already, CAM has launched its Teen Art Labs program for high school students to deepen their art skills through classes at no cost. From Monday through Fridays, 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and every other Saturday, students in Art Lab, fellows, and CAM alumni will have full access to the studio, including art supplies and storage for their work. Local contemporary artists will serve as mentors and instructors.
Deja Bowen, a CAM alum from the first cohort, looks forward to using this studio. “As an artist living in a house where I never had my own space to grow as a person, or an artist, a place like CAM could easily become a second home,” she said.
Now a student at the University of Memphis, she looked back on her days of completing her art assignments on her family kitchen table. “As you can imagine, I was turning my pieces into food stains, fingerprints, and all types of smears on the back and even the front.
“It didn’t help that my materials were usually cheap art supplies I would buy on Amazon or little things I brought home from school,” she continued. “Having my home be the center of all of my art making also sucked because I had no chance to talk with other artists or really seek advice that could benefit my artwork or artistic journey.
“But, with our new space, all of that will change. With this new building, I’m excited to have the opportunity to … be pushed into the art scene even more than I am now. As an alum, I look forward to watching the younger fellows flourish in our new space while growing as an arts community together.”
That’s what Fordjour imagined all along, he said, pointing out that his inspiration for CAM found its origin in his own fond memories of his high school art community. “[Bill Hicks], an art teacher at Central High School, essentially transformed his classroom into an incubator for artists,” he said. “We, his students, were abandoned misfits, the art kids who loved drawing and painting and making things. He opened his classroom for us to continue art making long after the last bell of the day. We pored over his extensive art book collection to study great works of art. He made it clear to us that we could never be competitive without putting in the extra hours outside of school.
“So we organized small groups of figure drawing, painting sessions, and very soon we were winning prizes, all on par with the student athletes. He told me, and countless others, that we could make it as artists. And we believed him. Under his tutelage, we formed friendships that would last for decades. We went into the world with confidence in our skills and ourselves, and 35 years later, he is still with us.”
Fordjour, for his part, has become a world-renowned artist. Though he now resides in New York City, he said in an interview with Memphis Magazine, “I attribute my success to having grown up in Memphis.”
Registration for the fall semester of Teen Art Labs has closed. Students can apply for CAM’s Summer Fellowship 2025 here. Learn more about CAM here.
Seven months after Gov. Bill Lee’s first universal school voucher bill died over disagreements within the legislature’s Republican supermajority, GOP leaders were unified as they introduced new legislation Wednesday.
House and Senate majority leaders William Lamberth and Jack Johnson filed identical bills to create Education Freedom Scholarships giving $7,075 each in public funding for a private education for up to 20,000 students, beginning next fall.
Recipients in grades 3-11 would be required to take a national or state standardized achievement test to track the program’s effectiveness.
In an effort to garner support among public school advocates, the proposal calls for giving every public school teacher in Tennessee a one-time $2,000 bonus. It also would direct 80 percent of tax revenues from Tennessee’s new sports betting industry toward local school building costs, especially for emergency needs and for 38 rural counties designated as distressed or at risk.
In a statement, the governor said he looks forward to delivering on his promise for more education choices for parents.
“For more than a year, I have worked in partnership with the General Assembly to introduce a unified school choice plan that empowers parents when it comes to their child’s education and further invests in Tennessee’s public schools and teachers,” Lee said.
Both Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Cameron Sexton issued statements of support.
The bills were the first legislation introduced for the next General Assembly to consider when it convenes Jan. 14, signaling the governor’s intention to make the issue his top legislative priority for a second straight year.
The proposal arrived one day after pivotal elections in which vouchers were an issue in numerous legislative races across Tennessee, and on the ballot in other states. Republicans retained their grip on both of Tennessee’s legislative chambers, while voters in Colorado, Kentucky, and Nebraska rejected measures that would have steered public dollars toward private schools.
Lee is expected to speak with reporters later Wednesday about his latest plan, including whether he intends to call a special session in January to focus on it exclusively.
The governor successfully pushed for a 2019 law to create a smaller voucher program in Nashville and Memphis, which has since expanded to Chattanooga. The state comptroller’s first report on that “pilot” program’s effectiveness is due Jan. 1, 2026.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
November is the Rodney Dangerfield of months. It gets no respect, no love, except maybe a few laughs. There are no great songs about November, and poems about the 11th month always seem to be dreary things — odes to cold wind, fallen leaves, gray skies, death, etc. Sure, there’s a big holiday near the end of the month, but no one would really care if it got moved to September.
November is a transitional month, a boring layover in our annual trip around the sun, coming as it does just after October’s crisp blue skies and glorious autumnal foliage, and just before the crushing avalanche of December’s major holidays. November is meh. Six hours at the Omaha airport.
I decided to see if I could find anything good written about November because I’m a nerd at heart and that’s the way I roll. I went to Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations and found November getting kicked around like a rented mule by various literary lights through the centuries, from D.H. Lawrence to Thomas Hood to Sir Walter Scott, who wrote:
November’s sky is chill and drear,
November’s leaf is red and sear …
See what I mean? And in 1562, Richard Grafton (you remember ol’ Richard, don’t you?) penned these immortal words:
Thirty days hath November …
Now there’s a man who went out on a limb, poetically speaking. The best thing he could find to write about November was that it had 30 days! Sadly, a few years after his death, the poem was amended to the more familiar “Thirty days hath September …” And now they’ve got all those sexy months — September, April, May — up there at the top of that piece of doggerel. Like I said, November gets no respect.
Except for in presidential election years, when the word “November” is bandied about for months, as both a beacon of hope and a harbinger of doom, depending on what poll you last saw or which pundit you most recently read. The column you are reading right now went to press on Tuesday — Election Day — so I have no idea what kind of mood you will be in when you read this. You could be filled with joy and hope for our country or you could be pondering a move to the sunny coast of Portugal.
All of which makes me want to offer you a bit of beauty to use as solace or in celebration. It’s a poem by Molly Peacock called, well, “November.”
Novembers were the months that began with No.
“Oh no.” They died in embers. Above were
V’s of geese in skies lit from these low
Even fires. The fires of fall were
Mirrors for the feelings I felt before
Being. I’m telling you now I feel I
Exist for the first time! Neither the bareness nor
Roughness demoralize — I realize I
See much clearer what leafless branches show.
It’s a zen-like puzzle-box of a poem. You can read it over and let the words slide around and small tricks and secrets reveal themselves. I found it comforting and calming. And I’m wishing as I write this that Molly’s poem — and the events of this long-awaited November Tuesday — bring us all some kind of joy, some sense of peace.
“Meat” rhymes with “eat,” so that’s apropos for the “Meat Me in Memphis” gala. Everyone was encouraged to eat.
Kaytie Price
Billy Dunavant and
Mark Genereaux
The gala is the annual fundraiser for the Monogram Foods Loves Kids Foundation.
Monogram founders Karl Schledwitz and Wes Jackson, and their wives Gail and Suzanne, were at the food tasting event, which was held October 21st at the Renasant Center.
Suzanne Jackson with her husband Wes
Jada Stewart, and Elisha Gold
Kimberly Bolan
Michael Frances and
Halle Frances
About 700 attended the gala, which, in addition to cuisine from 12 food stations, featured music by Sound Fuzion from University of Memphis and both live and silent auctions.
“We believe this year’s Monogram Loves Kids Gala raised the most money from one event in the history of Memphis,” Schledwitz says. “Over $1.1 million.
Belinda and Calvin Anderson and B.J. Worthy
Joel and Tracy Gallagher
Liz and Michael Parsons
“This was our 14th year and each year it keeps getting bigger and better. And this year was no exception. It was phenomenal.”
Least Competent Criminal
When 33-year-old Ravesh Rabindranauth attempted to steal a Corvette in a Miami Beach, Florida, parking garage on Sept. 17, he encountered a little trouble, Local10-TV reported. He got stuck inside the car, which is where its owner, Julio Solano, found him. “Can I get out?” Rabindranauth asked Solano as Solano recorded the incident on his phone. “No, you can’t get out. We’re calling the police.” Solano said the car’s security system wouldn’t allow the thief to start the car or escape. “He didn’t know about the manual door release under the seat,” Solano said. Rabindranauth was held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on $2,500 bond. [Local10, 9/18/2024]
Crème de la Weird
Literally. Sean Edward Uribe, 35, was arrested on Sept. 12 in the wake of two incidents over the summer at Miami clothing stores, The Smoking Gun reported. During the first encounter, at a Ross Dress for Less in June, Uribe allegedly used a medical syringe to squirt a substance on the back of the shorts of a juvenile as he recorded with his phone, police said. Witnesses alerted store employees and the victim as Uribe fled the scene. In late August at a Marshalls store, Uribe allegedly struck again, this time targeting an adult woman to “spray an unknown substance on the victim’s left buttocks area,” police said. When Uribe was taken into custody, he confessed and said the liquid in the syringes was moisturizing lotion. Then he called his father, as police listened, and instructed him to go to his house and remove hard drives. “Put them under lock and key,” he said. Officers got there first and seized the drives, along with loaded syringes. So far, he’s been charged with battery on a child, two misdemeanor battery counts, and tampering with evidence. [The Smoking Gun, 9/19/2024]
The Golden Age of Air Travel
A Scandinavian Airlines flight from Oslo, Norway, to Malaga, Spain, was diverted to Copenhagen, Denmark, on Sept. 18 after a mouse crawled out of a passenger’s in-flight meal, the BBC reported. Jarle Borrestad, who was sitting next to the passenger whose meal harbored the rodent, told the BBC that people on board remained calm, but he put his socks over his pant legs so the mouse couldn’t crawl up his leg. Oystein Schmidt, SAS spokesperson, said such events happen “extremely rarely”; passengers were transferred to another plane and went on their way. [BBC, 9/20/2024]
Oops
On Sept. 24, as the Kamloops, British Columbia, city council met in the council chambers, someone zooming in online queued up a pornographic video clip while sharing their screen, the CBC reported. The council’s public participation segment of the meeting allows people to ask questions or comment on agenda items, but Councilman Bill Sarai said Tuesday’s incident was the final straw for him. “It’s really swayed far, far away from what it’s meant to be,” Sarai said. He wants to eliminate the public portion of the meeting and ask the public to interact through email or in-person meetings. [CBC, 9/25/2024]
Awesome!
In November, Stack’s Bowers Galleries in Boston will offer an extremely rare three-pence coin from 1652 for auction, CBS News reported. The coin, which was minted in Boston at the Hull Mint, was purchased from a shop in the Netherlands. It is one of only three known coins like it, one of which was stolen and hasn’t been seen since. Store manager Stanley Chu expects it to fetch well over $1 million. [CBS News, 9/20/2024]
Overreaction
Socorro Camacho, 54, died in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Sept. 23 after getting into a dispute with another man over a song played on a jukebox, WSVN-TV reported. The argument started in the wee hours at Antojitos Mexicanos restaurant when Camacho insulted the other man over his song choice, witnesses said. The insulted man “pulled his weapon and started shooting,” Mauro Bonilla said. Fort Lauderdale police are investigating and trying to identify the gunman. [WSVN, 9/23/2024]
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
© 2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication.
Reprinted with permission.
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