You'll soon have a new way to get there from Memphis Delta Air Lines announced May 3 that it will launch nonstop service between Memphis International Airport (MEM) and John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City The New York City market is the Memphis airport's second largest with 352 passengers traveling daily each way between the two cities according to a news release from the airport MEMPHIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: Why Memphis airport officials are 'optimistic' about getting another international flight “We are excited to see Delta’s continued expansion at MEM,” said Michael Keeney chairman of the Board of Commissioners for Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority “The addition of JFK service provides our passengers with another option to the New York City area and expands connectivity to Europe and other international destinations.” The JFK flight, which will use a 76-seat Embraer 175 aircraft, brings Delta’s number of destinations at Memphis International Airport to nine. It also provides service to Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York (LaGuardia Airport) and Salt Lake City. The Memphis-Austin flight will launch May 7 *Schedule is subject to change; tickets are on sale at www.delta.com About Us | Contact Us | Email Preferences | Help | Donate Subscribe Log In href="/section/business" aria-current="page" href="/section/opinion" aria-current="page" href="/section/sports" aria-current="page" href="/section/arts-culture" aria-current="page" href="/section/suburbs" aria-current="page" href="/section/neighborhoods" aria-current="page" href="//marketplace.dailymemphian.com/" aria-current="page" href="https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-daily-memphian-23209873738" href="/section/businessreal-estate" aria-current="page" href="/section/businessfinancial-services" aria-current="page" href="/section/businesshealth-care" aria-current="page" href="/section/businesstransportationlogistics" aria-current="page" href="/section/businessmovers-and-shakers" aria-current="page" href="/section/business-ford-megasite" aria-current="page" googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1575557230823-0'); }); googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1575558347846-0'); }); Transportation & Logistics Delta plans new nonstop flight from Memphis to New York By , Daily Memphian googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1576080080820-0'); }); A Delta Connection Embraer 175 aircraft, foreground, taxis to a gate at Logan International Airport in Boston. (Charles Krupa/AP file) googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1568903208082-0'); }); if (document.body.classList.contains("column-article")) googletag.eventListeners = googletag.eventListeners || {}; googletag.eventListeners.onRenderEnded = googletag.eventListeners.onRenderEnded || {}; var handlers = googletag.eventListeners.onRenderEnded["div-gpt-ad-1576080080820-0"] || []; if (typeof handlers === 'function') handlers = [ handlers ]; var $adContainer = $("#div-gpt-ad-1568903208082-0").closest(".Ad").parent(); var adSlot = googletag.pubads().getSlots().find(s => s.getSlotElementId() === 'div-gpt-ad-1568903208082-0'); $adContainer.insertBefore($adContainer.siblings(".AuthorCallout").first()); $adContainer.addClass("Ad-container--full-float"); googletag.eventListeners.onRenderEnded["div-gpt-ad-1576080080820-0"] = handlers; The nonstop flight will be between the Memphis International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport, Delta said in a release, and the first flight is scheduled to launch Sept. 8. Jody Callahan graduated with degrees in journalism and economics from what is now known as the University of Memphis. He has covered news in Memphis for more than 25 years. Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.  Sign up for the latest business news and developments each week Please check your inbox to finish the signup process 10 minutes, check your spam/junk folder or contact us at support@dailymemphian.com for assistance Manage Your Email Subscriptions Landmark Clayborn Temple total loss after pre-dawn fire Ask the Memphian: Who is Prince Mongo? And he’s from where? Trial blog: Defense rests at end of Day 6 in Tyre Nichols trial Budget takeaways: What Wanda Halbert’s mistake cost and more Memphis Athletic Ministries closing, will merge with Streets googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1533927466764-0'); }); googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1533927600831-0'); }); Sign up for our morning and evening editions Become a subscriber to keep reading Help Log In The Daily Memphian | Contact Us | FAQ | Additional Subscription Options | Work With Us | About Us | Privacy Policy | Donate It's a separate element as animating opacity is faster than rgba() PhotoSwipe keeps only 3 of them in the DOM to save memory window.dmConversions = window.dmConversions || {}; window.dmConversions.conversionEventQueue = []; window.dmConversions.captureConversion = function (conversion) { if (window.PARSELY && window.PARSELY.loaded) { dmc.conversionEventQueue.push(conversion); window.dmConversions.trackParselyConversion = function (conversion) { window.PARSELY.conversions.trackSubscription(conversion.label); window.PARSELY.conversions.trackCustom(conversion.label); window.PARSELY.conversions.trackNewsletterSignup(conversion.label); window.dmConversions.Conversion = function (data) { self.existingContact = data.existingContact; for (var i = 0; i < dmc.conversionEventQueue.length; i++) { "name": user.firstName + " " + user.lastName median?.onesignal?.externalUserId?.set?.({ window.median?.onesignal?.externalUserId?.remove?.(); median?.onesignal?.externalUserId?.remove?.(); var allowAnonymous = await waitForWindowVariable('median_allow_anonymous'); $main.append("*If you do not already have an account please subscribe on The Daily Memphian website prior to using this app a player expected to gradually grow into a productive role That was the moment where he first looked like a player who could be spending many more years in Memphis He is entering restricted free agency after his fourth and most effective season yet averaging 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds in 65 games Aldama’s progression led to confidence internally about his future with the Grizzlies heading into restricted free agency “Me and the team have a great relationship,” he said on April 27 I don’t know how (free agency) will look like Hopefully we will have good conversations as soon as we can.” The restricted free agency processAldama’s situation is notable because of the timeline and Brandon Clarke all signed contract extensions before reaching restricted free agency The team could have signed Aldama before the 2024-25 season He also made the decision to switch agents last summer — odd considering the major career decisions on the horizon But the 24-year-old forward has a good idea of what he’s looking for this summer NEXT UP: Continuity wins for Memphis Grizzlies, new head coach Tuomas Iisalo, but is that wise move? just winning basketball,” he told The Commercial Appeal on April 26 Whatever fits that is really what I want.” CBA rules allow the Grizzlies to negotiate with their own free agents immediately following the NBA Finals They will have a head start on the rest of the league in the Aldama negotiations but a deal can’t be signed until the official start of NBA free agency NBA teams can begin contract negotiations on July 30 but agreements won't be finalized until July 6 If another team reaches a deal with Aldama before the Grizzlies do they will have the opportunity to match the offer sheet before letting him go The current NBA climate has not been friendly to restricted free agents Many teams are operating above the salary cap meaning there won’t be much money going around to pluck free agents from other teams EUROPEAN INFLUENCE: Intense prep, speed, 'murderball': What makes Memphis Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo tick All current signs point to that being the case The Grizzlies tied a franchise record with 56 wins in Aldama's rookie season; the next season they won 51 games and made the playoffs as a No He has experienced a lot of winning in his short NBA career with all of the team's injuries and roster changes “It’s been a tough year in that sense,” he said I think we got to be thankful for just having the opportunity to do it with this group.” Clarke and Zach Edey are all under contract at the power forward and center spots They give the Grizzlies a formidable frontcourt with versatility to play big or small against different opponents Aldama isn’t the same level of defender as those three The next two months will determine just how much those skills are valued “I always love playing for the Grizzlies,” Aldama said Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X which landed them in the eighth seed of the Western Conference where they were unfortunately swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder which they were able to build upon in the following 15 games It was only in the second half of the season that things started to derail compared to the hot start It was on March 28 that the Grizzlies announced they were parting ways with their head coach which was less than a month away from the start of the playoffs Thank you, Grizz Nation 〽️ pic.twitter.com/tMerUPMkO3 the Grizzlies had named Tuomas Iisalo as the interim head coach as he was formerly an assistant coach of the team The Grizzlies organization has announced that they will be officially naming Tuomas as the new head coach Grizzlies President and General Manager Zachary Z Kleiman had this to say in regard to the new move "I have full confidence in Tuomas serving as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies going forward," said Zachary Z "Tuomas' teams at every level have been disciplined tenacious and connected on both ends of the floor We look foward to the same in Memphis." The @memgrizz today announced the team has named Tuomas Iisalo as head coach. pic.twitter.com/U1PgFvuzOu Although the Grizzlies didn't finish out the season the way they wanted they have a bright future ahead of them with a seasoned coach at the helm Nine-Year NBA Veteran Wants Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade to Warriors' Rival NBA Trade Idea Sends Elite Shooter to Eastern Conference Contender Scotty Pippen Jr. Reacts to Controversial Ja Morant Statement FARBOD ESNAASHARI12-year NBA veteran that's covered the league on Sports Illustrated, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and ESPN The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Iisalo served as interim head coach for the remainder of this season after Memphis fired Taylor Jenkins in March The Memphis Grizzlies have removed the “interim” label from Tuomas Iisalo’s title and hired him as their head coach, the organization announced on Friday stepped in as interim head coach this season after the Grizzlies fired Taylor Jenkins in late March Iisalo was the lead assistant on Jenkins’ staff joining the organization ahead of the regular season In nine regular-season games in the interim role, Iisalo went 4-5 to bring Memphis’ regular-season record to 48-34. The Grizzlies qualified for the NBA Playoffs as the No 8 seed in the Western Conference after making it out of the play-in 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round Iisalo coached for several years in Europe He won the 2023-24 EuroCup championship and EuroCup Coach of the Year award in his first season as head coach of Paris Basketball The promotion in Memphis makes Iisalo the first Finnish-born head coach in NBA history Real Estate Former Fred’s HQ to become AI data center By , Daily Memphian Updated: May 05, 2025 1:38 PM CT | Published: May 05, 2025 1:38 PM CT 5C Group will open an artificial intelligence data center at 4300 Getwell Road, the former Fred’s headquarters, this summer. (Submitted) The data center is expected to create more than 250 direct and indirect jobs in the Memphis area, with an investment of more than $500 million. Dima Amro is a native Memphian who covers commercial real estate and economic development for The Daily Memphian. She received her B.A. in journalism at the University of Memphis and M.A. in investigative journalism at American University. Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInMEMPHIS (WMC) - Delta Air Lines is adding more ways to connect Memphis and The Big Apple They announced the new nonstop service between Memphis International Airport (MEM) and John F Delta will use a 76-seat Embraer 175 aircraft for the route The New York City market will be MEM’s second largest The JFK flight brings Delta’s number of destinations at MEM to nine The Memphis-Austin flight will launch on May 7 We are excited to see Delta’s continued expansion at MEM The addition of JFK service provides our passengers with another option to the New York City area and expands connectivity to Europe and other international destinations.” Click here to purchase tickets Click here to sign up for our newsletter Click here to report a spelling or grammar error The Killers paid tribute to The Killer, and rock music had its spotlight moment as the second day of the second annual RiverBeat Music Festival in Memphis came to a close Sandwiched in between hip-hop futurist Missy Elliott’s opening night performance, and what’s expected to be big a finale from R&B showman Anderon .Paak May 3's headlining turn from The Killers found the multiplatinum Las Vegas group as the only big name rock band at the top of the RiverBeat bill As the wind kicked up and temperatures cooled down on the riverfront at Tom Lee Park, fans flocked to the Orion Financial Stage to catch The Killers’ first Memphis show since their last appearance at Tom Lee in 2019, part of the old Beale Street Music Festival RIVERBEAT IN MEMPHIS: Public Enemy's Flavor Flav and Chuck D talk peace, unity & praise for Memphis at RiverBeat The Killers — featuring singer Brandon Flowers bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci — have earned a reputation for tailoring their sets and offering special surprises specific to the locality The first hints that something unique might be in store for Memphis came as the lights dimmed and the PA system began playing “Also sprach Zarathustra,” by Richard Strauss the classical piece that served as the theme to Stanley Kubrick’s "2001: A Space Odyssey" but is perhaps best known as Elvis Presley’s walk-on music in the ‘70s As the song reached its rumbling climax, frontman Flowers — outfitted in a turquoise suit — emerged just as the band tore into a surprise cover of a song by another Memphis legend, playing the Jerry Lee Lewis’ classic “Great Balls of Fire.”   It was a neat gesture that paid homage to local history, with the 1957 hit having been recorded just a couple miles away at Sun Records connecting the new RiverBeat fest with the spirit of the old Beale Street Music Fest an event where Lewis himself was a perennial performer Though The Killers’ signature synth-pop style hardly suggested that louche boogie-woogie would be in their wheelhouse they delivered a fairly thrilling rendition of the song with Flowers offering a delightfully leering impression of Lewis (without kicking away the piano bench or berating the band “That was a nod to your hometown,” said Flowers as the song ended “and this is a nod to ours.” With that The Killers blazed into the opening of  “Somebody Told Me,” and for the next 70 minutes delivered a non-stop set of hits and album cuts from across the band’s nearly 25-year career RIVERBEAT 2025: RiverBeat delivers the blues with all-star Mississippi musicians including Bobby Rush I’ll be your host this evening — let me know if I can help in any way,” Flowers told the crowd early on I believe you people ordered some rock ‘n’ roll tonight the band’s performance — which was highlighted by versions of “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine,” “When We Were Young” “Smile Like You Mean It” and “Shot at Night,” among others — soared from start to finish While rock’s place isn’t what it used to be — either in the culture at large or at a Memphis’ riverfront festival — at least on this night The Killers offered a reminder of just how engaging a great rock 'n' roll band could be href="/section/sportsmemphis-grizzlies" aria-current="page" href="/section/sportshigh-school-sports" aria-current="page" href="/section/sportsfedex-st-jude-championship" aria-current="page" href="/section/sportsgrizzlies-podcast" aria-current="page" href="/section/sportsmemphis-tigers-basketball" aria-current="page" href="/section/sportsmemphis-tigers-football" aria-current="page" href="/section/sports-tigers-podcast" aria-current="page" Memphis Tigers Basketball New Memphis Tiger Julius Thedford eager to finally play for hometown team By , Daily Memphian Julius Thedford grew up a Memphis Tigers fan, played his high school basketball at Whitehaven High and Cordova High, and looks forward to being able to play for ‘The City’s Team.’ (Courtesy Memphis Athletics) In an era in which it’s far from a given that the best local talent stays home to play for the Tigers Julius Thedford is the type of player Memphis diehards point to when making the case for the Tigers still owning the title of “The City’s Team.” who starred at Cordova High as a senior in 2023-24 and at Whitehaven High before that watched those who came before him make the jump Though Thedford had to wait a little longer than he would have liked for his opportunity to be a Tiger he knows the timing couldn’t have worked out better This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe. Parth Upadhyaya covers the Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team. A Raleigh, N.C., native and a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Media and Journalism, Upadhyaya is a longtime college hoops junkie. Prior to joining The Daily Memphian in 2022, he covered high school sports in western Pennsylvania for the Beaver County Times and Penn State football for the Centre Daily Times. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Week 6 of the 2025 UFL season continued with the Houston Roughnecks (3-3) getting a win over the Memphis Showboats (1-5) at TDECU Stadium on Saturday – Memphis women's basketball announced its first roster additions for the 2025-26 season on Monday with Jordan Hunter and Amauri Williams signed on to Alex Simmons' third squad at Memphis Hunter joins the Memphis Tigers from Auburn where she played in all 30 games as a true freshman in 2024-25 and she logged 15 or more minutes in eight of Auburn's 18 SEC games "Jordan is someone who I have known for a very long time; she is a vocal leader who comes from a circle of people with high morals and values," said Simmons "She will be a great example in this program of what it looks like to balance being a successful student-athlete and businesswoman."  A highly recruited guard out of Trussville, Alabama, Hunter was ranked the top prospect in the state and 50th in the nation by Hoopseen. Her 19.9 points, 4.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds in her senior season at Hewitt-Trussville earned her Alabama 7A Player of the Year in 2024. She played AAU basketball for Alabama Southern Starz EYBL with fellow rising sophomore Tamya Smith from 2021-22 Williams comes to Bluff City from Prairie View A&M where she averaged 8.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in 2024-25 She posted 12 points on 50% shooting and three rebounds in the first round of SWAC Tournament "I am ecstatic to have Amauri join our program her talent and ability is great but she is someone that has a passion for the game and a determination to win," said Simmons "Her presence will be felt quickly in our program."  The 6-foot-4 Williams spent two years in Prairie View after a season at Vanderbilt where she averaged 6.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in 2022-23 She has a proven ability to draw fouls as an interior scorer averaging 3.1 free throw attempts per game in her career with a 71.1% clip Williams was a four-star recruit with a 91 grade from ESPN StyleBlueprint These Memphis FINDS will help you navigate the busyness of May — from Mother's Day to graduation season Create your free profile or log in to save this article stay ready for every occasion with this roundup of local FINDS From stylish accessories to eye-catching stationery we’ve gathered fresh picks from some of our favorite Memphis shops The pressure to show up to celebrations in an outfit no one’s seen you wear before is real. That’s why we’re all about this versatile piece — you can dress it up or keep it casual for your desired effect. With its classic silhouette and soft ivory hue, it’s a timeless staple you’ll reach for again and again. Find it for $262 at Monkee’s of Germantown This tied top instantly elevates any look — it’s all in the details. Available in a warm-weather-ready cream, the ruffles and puff sleeves are sure to add a little oomph to your wardrobe. Find it at Mozelle Boutique for $62 We love dresses for spring and summer, but we especially love when they’re lightweight. This square-neck, relaxed-fit maxi is perfect for midday errands, graduation parties, brunch, and everything in between. Find it at Sorelle Boutique for $119 Lighten your load with this mini messenger bag. Made of checkered raffia, it’s the perfect transition piece for spring and summer. Spacious enough to fit all your daily essentials, the bag can be worn on your shoulders or as a crossbody. Find it at Oak Hall for $295 A little bling goes a long way. These six metal bangles pair well with all kinds of outfits. Layer them, or keep it simple with just one or two. Available in ivory at Lansky Bros. Available in over 15 colors, these classic hoops will carry you through a busy social season. Plus, they’d make a great gift! Grab a pair (or a few) from Southern Avenue Company for $38 Wherever your adventures take you, a tote is a practical piece that will help you get there — and carry everything you need. We love this lightweight option for its practicality and colorful detailing. Find it for $64 at Ultimate Gifts Channel ocean blues, saltwater spray, and sand beneath your feet—all from the comfort of your home. This soy candle features notes of citrus, sea salt, musk, and amber and burns for over 70 hours. It’s available at Magnolia House for $39 A season of celebrations usually means a season of thank-you notes, too. To help you get started (or caught up), we found this playful pack from City & State these are sure to make the recipient smile You can never go wrong with gifting stationery, especially for new graduates who want to stay in touch as they move on to their next chapter. These darling letter sets are a perfect choice and come in a pack of 10. Pick some up for $17 at Avenue Wrapping A great gift idea as we approach Mother’s Day, this leather journal prompts moms to document day-to-day memories and milestones. Available in pink leather with gold foil detailing, you can find it at One Cozy Home for $20 What’s a celebration without a bit of champagne? Unwind from the busyness of the season with this fragrant soak and let your skin drink in the benefits of rosehip oil. This mini bath salt soak in ‘Champagne & Rose’ is $10 at Pickering Boxwood A luxe robe makes a thoughtful gift for moms and recent grads. It’s something anyone would use, but might not think to splurge on themselves. Embroidered with delicate blue florals, this piece elevates a spring and summer shower routine. Find it at Stovall Collection for $153 Whether you’ve got trips on the books or just need a midday pick-me-up, a spritz of Classica Donna offers a refreshing burst of florals, citrus, gardenia, and more. Grab a 1.7-ounce bottle at Dazzle for $75 Looking for more great local FINDS? Follow StyleBlueprint on Instagram Business By , Daily Memphian Programming and keynote speakers for the conference will be announced in the coming months. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file) The DelTech Conference is slated for October 8-10 at the Downtown headquarters of Epicenter Memphis, a nonprofit known for its business-accelerator programs. Aisling Mäki covers health care, banking and finance, technology and professions. After launching her career in news two decades ago, she worked in public relations for almost a decade before returning to journalism in 2022. As a health care reporter, she’s collaborated with The Carter Center, earned awards from the Associated Press and Society of Professional Journalists and won a 2024 Tennessee Press Association first-place prize for her series on discrepancies in Shelby County life expectancy by ZIP code. Sign up to get the latest news and analysis from our business reporters From the hip-hop meets Cirque Du Soleil-style production of Missy Elliott to the rapid fire hit parade of Ludacris to the raw, wild-style rhyming of Busta Rhymes, the kickoff of the 2025 RiverBeat Music Festival was a feast for the eyes and ears and a boon for rap fans The festival’s opening night on May 2 saw several of hip-hop’s most beloved veteran stars shine at Tom Lee Park in Memphis as large and enthusiastic crowds came out early and stayed late for a thrilling back-and-forth volley of performances on the Orion Financial and Bud Light stages Busta Rhymes brought his A-game and Brooklyn flair to an entertaining Joined by his partner and fellow MC Spliff Star the two — in matching red and white suits — played off one another cajoling and generally working the crowd with comedic flair as Rhymes delivered tongue-twisting speed raps while serving up hits from “Just Make It Clap” to “Do It To Me.” “This don’t even feel like a concert,” Rhymes said at one point The end of Rhymes' show saw crowds quickly heading for the Bud Light Stage in the south end of Tom Lee for a concert by Atlanta rapper Ludacris Dressed in some local finery — specifically a full Vince Carter throwback Grizzlies uniform — Luda's 20-song set featured a succession of hits and offered a medley of his greatest features as he celebrated a quarter century of success since his 2000 debut ENTERTAINMENT NEWS: Public Enemy's Chuck D honored by Soulsville Foundation for work as artist, activist & more Even before Ludacris had signed off for the night the assembled masses began a collective move north through Tom Lee to get in position at the foot of Orion Financial Stage for the evening’s headliner Coming off a much buzzed about performance at the Coachella Music Festival in California Elliott’s high-concept futuristic stage production certainly lived up to the pre-show hype as well as eye-popping pyrotechnics and visuals Elliott pulled out all the stops during her 70-minute set She worked her way through all the expected hits from “Cool Off” to “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” to “Work It." But it was the overall effect of the show’s relentless spectacle that left fans both dazed and delighted capping an eventful and satisfying first night of RiverBeat and something I'll carry with me throughout my career my NFL career," Henigan told The Commercial Appeal on May 4 "Hopefully my extensive and long NFL career Definitely when I go into games I'll remember that and remember that feeling But at the end of the day you've just got to play good and you'll be able to stick around in the league." He earned an NFL draft combine invite and had a shot to get drafted, but he quickly signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars after going undrafted in April He said he hadn't talked to the Jaguars that much during the pre-draft process but he ultimately chose them because of the opportunity to make the roster "Mainly just fit and how the quarterback room is for them right now," Henigan said "Just the opportunity to try to make a roster and stick in some capacity There were a couple teams that I could've potentially gone to for free agency but at the end of the day I felt like that was the best opportunity to make it in the league." More: How Memphis football quarterback Seth Henigan's family shaped his past and future While Henigan didn't hear his name called during the draft, the Tigers did break a two-year drought when the New England Patriots picked cornerback Kobee Minor with the final pick of the draft A slew of Henigan's teammates — including receiver Roc Taylor linebacker Chandler Martin and tight end Anthony Landphere — signed as free agents after the draft ended There will be an adjustment period for Memphis fans this fall when they see someone besides Henigan line up under center for the Tigers native won the starting job in 2021 and held it until the end of 2024 breaking nearly all the Memphis passing records in the process 'Memphis − the team and the city − means a lot to me," he said "And I want to see us thrive and continue to win And I want them to win a conference championship I want them to achieve all their goals as a team to help elevate this university and the city Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan Hearing scheduled for Friday as residents receive anonymous leaflets that downplay pollution dangers The first public hearing with the health department is scheduled for Friday, where county officials will hear from all sides of the debate. In the run-up to the hearing, secretive fliers claiming xAI has low emissions were sent to residents of historically Black neighborhoods; at the same time, environmental groups have been amassing data about how much pollution the AI company is likely generating. Read moreThe dispute came to a head earlier this month when the Southern Environmental Law Center revealed that xAI had quietly moved in at least 35 portable methane gas turbines without air permits to help power its supercomputer The group says this many generators have the capacity to power an entire city and are enormous emitters of toxic and carcinogenic pollution The law center made the discovery by taking satellite images of the xAI facility Days after the news broke, Memphis mayor Paul Young spoke in a public forum and said he had been in contact with xAI and that the company was not using all of the gas generators, according to WREG News who has long supported xAI’s operations in Memphis noted that the company has a pending permit application with the Shelby county health department to run 15 generators but there are only 15 that are on,” Young said Thermal images in Memphis Photograph: Steve Jones/Flight by Southwings for Southern Environmental Law CenterNow the Southern Environmental Law Center has taken new photos of xAI that include thermal imaging These photos show 33 turbines giving off significant amounts of heat meaning they were all likely in use at the time the photo was taken Young and the Shelby county health department did not return requests for comment Last month, he purchased another property in Memphis to expand xAI’s infrastructure there Artificial intelligence requires an immense amount of energy to carry out computations and provide quick responses to user queries the majority of that electricity comes from burning fossil fuels Within a couple of miles of xAI are several residential neighborhoods that have long dealt with industrial pollution This area is historically Black and has higher rates of cancer and asthma and a lower life expectancy than other parts of the city thousands of residents here said they received fliers in the mail that downplay the pollution emitted from xAI’s gas turbines The fliers come from an anonymous group called Facts Over Fiction and have a bullet point list that alleges the turbines are “cleaner tech” and “minor” polluters because they use gas The fliers say that the generators are low emissions and are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Shelby county health department Both of those agencies have said they did not issue permits for xAI’s gas generators “They’re specially designed to protect the air we all breathe.” Justin Pearson, a Tennessee state representative who is from this part of Memphis, said in an Instagram post that the fliers are “lying to us about xAI’s methane gas pollution” and “we know methane gas leads to more asthma attacks, leads to more respiratory illness”. He demanded to know who sent the fliers and encouraged all community members to attend the public hearing on Friday. “We have to combat the lies and misinformation,” he wrote. “Clean air is a human right and the [Shelby county health department] has a duty to protect the air we breathe.” Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. The Rev. Ralph Abernathy, right, and Bishop Julian Smith, left, flank Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during a civil rights march in Memphis, Tenn., March 28, 1968. (AP Photo/Jack Thornell, File) Striking sanitation workers and their supporters are flanked by bayonet-wielding National Guard troops and armored vehicles, during a march on City Hall in Memphis, Tenn., March 29, 1968, one day after a similar march erupted in violence, leaving one person dead and several injured. (AP Photo/Charlie Kelly, File) In this April 8, 1968, file photo, people gather at the Clayborn Temple as they prepare to march in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King in Memphis, Tenn., four days after the civil rights leader was assassinated. (AP Photo/File) Sadyya Rockett-Miller grieves (center)The historic Clayborn Temple, a landmark from the civil rights movement with ties to Martin Luther King, caught fire Monday, April 28, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht) Sadyya Rockett-Miller and her husband Andre LeMoyne Miller grieve outside of the historic Clayborn Temple, a landmark from the civil rights movement with ties to Martin Luther King, that caught fire Monday, April 28, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht) A bronze and steel sculpture honoring a sanitation workers strike that brought the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis in 1968 was dedicated on April 5, 2018, in Memphis, Tenn. The memorial sits next to the Clayborn Temple, which served as the headquarters of the strike. (AP Photo/Adrian Sainz) The historic Clayborn Temple, a landmark from the civil rights movement with ties to Martin Luther King, caught fire Monday, April 28, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht) Talibah Safiya and Tamika Turner grieve outside the historic Clayborn Temple, a landmark from the civil rights movement with ties to Martin Luther King, that caught fire Monday, April 28, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht) This March 25, 2017 photo shows the Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) This March 26, 2017, file photo, shows the Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) This March 25, 2017 photo shows the damaged pipe organ in the Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, file) Tennessee National Guard troopers in jeeps and trucks escort a protest march by striking Memphis sanitation workers through downtown Memphis, Tenn., March 30, 1968. (AP Photo, File) People gather at the Clayborn Temple as they prepare to march in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King in Memphis, Tenn., on April 8, 1968, four days after the civil rights leader was assassinated. (AP Photo/File) People hold signs resembling the signs carried by striking sanitation workers in 1968 as they join in events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on Wednesday, April 4, 2018, in Memphis, Tenn. King was assassinated April 4, 1968, while in Memphis supporting striking sanitation workers. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) “The inside is a total loss, but we’re still somewhat hopeful that some of the facade will be able to be left standing,” Memphis Fire Chief Gina Sweat said at a Monday morning news conference about the fire at Clayborn Temple. She said the blaze was reported at 1:39 a.m. through a commercial alarm service. Local fire and police officers are investigating the cause, along with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is “way too early” to know anything more, Sweat said. Workers wanted to unionize, and fought for higher pay and safer working conditions. City officials declared the strike illegal and arrested scores of strikers and protesters. AP correspondent Haya Panjwani reports on a fire in a historic Memphis church. “This morning we woke up to heartbreaking news: a devastating fire has ravaged one of our city’s greatest treasures, Clayborn Temple,” Memphis Mayor Paul Young wrote in a statement posted to social media. “Clayborn is more than a historic building. It is sacred ground. It is the beating heart of the civil rights movement, a symbol of struggle, hope, and triumph that belongs not just to Memphis but to the world.” Just south of Beale Street, Clayborn Temple was built in 1892 as the Second Presbyterian Church and originally served an all-white congregation. In 1949, the building was sold to an African Methodist Episcopal congregation and renamed Clayborn Temple, according to the release. Memphis sanitation workers started striking in February 1968 after Cole and Walker were killed on the job. The Clayborn Temple hosted nightly meetings and the campaign’s iconic “I AM A MAN” posters were made in its basement. The temple was also a staging point for marches to City Hall. They included a March 28, 1968, march led by King, a rally that turned violent when police and protesters clashed on the iconic Beale Street, and a 16-year-old was killed. When marchers retreated to the temple, police fired tear gas inside. People broke some of the stained-glass windows to escape. King promised to lead a second, peaceful march in Memphis, but he was killed by a sniper while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel on April 4. Clayborn Temple was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Anasa Troutman has been leading the restoration effort as executive director of Historic Clayborn Temple. “To everyone who has loved, supported, and prayed for Historic Clayborn Temple, we are still committed to her restoration,” she wrote in a Monday statement urging supporters to donate money if they are able. Jimmie Tucker, one of the architects who has worked on the restoration for years, spent Monday morning working on a plan to try to shore up the exterior walls. “As a native Memphian, this project is personal,” he said. “It has so much meaning.” Tucker said he had been speaking to some of the people who helped after a similar Memphis fire at First United Methodist Church in 2006. He said that project gives him hope because they were able to rebuild. He was also encouraged that the mayor pledged to support the project. Young said in a social media statement that the city will “help ensure this sacred place rises again.” Loller reported from Nashville, Tennessee. We rely on contributions from you, our viewers and listeners to do our work. If you visit us daily or weekly or even just once a month, now is a great time to make your monthly contribution. The facility is next to historically Black neighborhoods and is powered by 35 pollution-spewing methane gas turbines the company is using without legal permits Musk says he wants to continue expanding the project “What’s happening in Memphis is a human rights violation,” says KeShaun Pearson executive director of the environmental justice organization Memphis Community Against Pollution “Elon Musk and xAI are violating our human right to clean air and a clean healthy environment.” His brother Justin J a Tennessee state representative for Memphis says Musk is “perpetuating environmental racism” by ignoring the wishes of local residents: “They are abusing our community where Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company X The facility is next to historically Black neighborhoods and runs on 35 methane gas-powered turbine generators which emit significant amounts of nitrogen oxide and other toxic chemicals The Southern Environmental Law Center says the turbines are operating without a permit Those permits are the focus of a Shelby County Health Department hearing taking place today as Musk says he wants to continue to expand his project Elon Musk explained why he decided to build Colossus in Memphis for factories that had been — that had been abandoned like a company had gone bankrupt or something home of Elvis and also one of the oldest — I think it was the capital of ancient Egypt AMY GOODMAN: This is Tennessee state Representative Justin J is operating 35 gas turbines in southwest Memphis in the neighborhood where myself and my entire family lives They are increasing the amount of nitrogen dioxide which causes smog and continues to harm people with asthma executive director of Memphis Community Against Pollution as you’re quoted all over about what’s happening in your community where Elon Musk wants to build — is trying to expand Colossus Explain what’s happening and the community response and what you’re planning to say today at the health department hearing KESHAUN PEARSON: What’s happening in Memphis is a human rights violation Elon Musk and xAI are violating our human right to clean air and a clean Today I plan to address the Shelby County Health Department in stating that this has not been a transparent process and this is not the way that we can move forward healthily for our community whether it has been TVA in their Valero plant sterilization services in their ethylene oxide plant We have continued to be looked at as the path of least resistance Today I will make and explain to our Shelby County Health Department that we are not the path of least resistance We are a resilient community that deserves the human rights of clean air We should not continue to bear the burden of the negative health impacts of this facility and its rapid pace and movement “environmental intersectionalism” — KESHAUN PEARSON: — explains how Black — yeah Elon Musk claims he chose the former Electrolux building in Memphis because he wanted to get his AI applications up as fast as possible He decided to use the abandoned building instead of a brand-new one Can you talk about what Electrolux was before the process it took for Musk’s company xAI to purchase the building KESHAUN PEARSON: Electrolux was a company that scammed the city of Memphis Electrolux came to our city and promised jobs They left without fulfilling the promise of jobs They left without fulfilling the tax — the tax recommendations and the taxes that they said that they would provide that would elevate our community This is the same process that we’ve seen Elon Musk do in Texas what we’re seeing right now is that this continual process is continuing to happen with a new tenant and he is scamming the city of Memphis while putting out pollution This is an interesting inside-outside strategy Tennessee Democratic state Representative Justin J the representatives who were forced out of the Legislature then reelected back in by their communities If you can talk about your opposition to Elon Musk and xAI Very interesting that your fellow Republicans who have a supermajority in the Tennessee state House recently passed a resolution recognizing Musk as “a brilliant businessman who’s saving lives and helping to restore America as a valuable ally of Donald J Trump.” Talk about your concerns about what this AI data center will mean my concern is that Elon Musk is buying and paying for access to pollute our mayors and elected officials and appointed officials — Mayor Lee Harris Shelby County Health Director Michelle Taylor — and the Greater Memphis Chamber all decided that the community of 38109 could be on the auction block for Elon Musk to buy horrendous project that is having serious ramifications for our community The reason that in legislation that my colleagues passed praising Elon Musk I put several amendments was to tell the truth that Elon Musk is polluting the air of Tennesseans He is continuing and perpetuating environmental racism and environmental degradation in our community This project is an application for 15 gas turbines but we know today that they have 35 turbines and yesterday a report showed 33 of those in operation despite the fact that the mayor of Memphis said only 15 of them were being used because that’s what xAI had told him and it’s having horrible ramifications — 17.2 tons of formaldehyde being sprayed into our air because of these gas turbines making them a larger polluter than the Memphis International Airport It’s happening right now in our community And elected officials and appointed officials have a responsibility to the people who they were elected and appointed to serve not to the billionaires and the oligarchs who are misusing and abusing their authority to hurt our community AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about Memphis Mayor Paul Young offering to earmark a portion of the roughly $15 million in tax proceeds from xAI’s operation Mayor Young’s idea that he’s going to give us tax money in place of our health and our lives is completely asinine and it’s an insult to the people in this community But it isn’t just Mary Young who is problematic It’s Mayor Lee Harris of Shelby County who has said nothing about this project since it started and he was all praise and all happy-go-lucky about it despite the fact that the health department is under his purview he hasn’t come out with a statement saying that we need to protect our air And that is giving license to Elon Musk and to xAI that they can pollute our community the democracy that is being shown here by people of all constituencies is showing that we are not going to yield to the anti-democratic We are not going to yield our lives and our lungs to Elon Musk We are not yielding our lives for the profits of the richest man in the world This is ridiculous that the Greater Memphis Chamber and so many other people have literally decided that we can be sacrificed for the benefits of a data center and a supercomputer That isn’t the way that economic development is supposed to go And if that is the way that economic development needs to go in our city It’s an insult to the people in Boxtown in Coro Lake that we are being treated this way and that the people who have a responsibility and an obligation to do something about it are refusing to do so AMY GOODMAN: Democratic state Representative Justin J I wanted to extend my condolences on your baby brother’s death talk about what you feel this all has to do with communities that have cancer clusters and are in environmentally really fragile shape as a result of pollution one of the reasons that it’s so important that we do something about this gun violence epidemic And he was a proponent and a super advocate in our community and would have been at this public hearing today fighting alongside of us and the same type of breast cancer that my grandmother died from We know that environmental injustice is having a serious impact on the very lives and the health of the people in our communities It is no coincidence that 75% — if you are Black you’re 75% more likely to live near a toxic hazardous waste facility It’s no accident that in this district we’re four times likelier to have cancer in our bodies It’s no accident that in this community there are over 17 Toxics Release Inventory facilities surrounding us — now 18 with Elon Musk’s xAI plant It is a consistent practice that is a part of the history of our country and if you look at those same maps and where industrial facilities are being placed None of this is accidental or coincidental and our lives are continuously and consistently being hurt and harmed by the actions of corporations and by leaders like the Greater Memphis Chamber who are not stepping up to the plate to say We do need to find out more information about the environmental consequences before we greenlight projects like this.” AMY GOODMAN: That’s Tennessee Democratic state Representative Justin J who’s holding a news conference today at 4:30 in Memphis executive director of Memphis Community [Against] Pollution Democracy Now! currently accepting applications for an individual giving manager to support our fundraising team We are hiring for an Individual Giving Manager to support our fundraising team playPJ Haggerty gets the steal and layup for Memphis (0:22)PJ Haggerty gets the steal then runs for the floor for an and-1 layup Memphis star guard PJ Haggerty the AAC Player of the Year and a second-team All-American Haggerty now becomes the most sought-after player in the portal A 6-foot-3 redshirt sophomore, Haggerty started his career with six games at TCU before transferring to Tulsa in the spring of 2023 He spent one season with the Golden Hurricane and then stayed in the AAC and moved to Memphis Haggerty led Memphis to a 29-6 record and both the regular-season and conference tournament championships in the AAC He ranked third nationally in scoring at 21.7 points per game while also averaging 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists Haggerty also took a step forward with his perimeter shooting hitting better than 36% of his 3-point attempts and making more than one per game He was named a consensus second-team All-American We recognise you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore cannot grant you access at this time e-mail us at News@fox13memphis.com or call us at 901-320-1313 Nothing in recent NBA history can match the shock level of the Dallas Mavericks sending Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Memphis Grizzlies parting ways with a widely respected coach whose team was tied for fourth place in the Western Conference despite having dealt with significant injuries to key players made little sense to many within the league when it was announced Friday — at least at first glance But when it came to Taylor Jenkins and his future in “Grind City,” the writing was on the wall last summer. And it was written in tears. In early July, three months after a disastrous, injury-riddled 27-55 season had come to an end, the Grizzlies front office led by executive vice president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman made the unilateral choice to swap out five members of Jenkins’ coaching staff who was hired by Memphis as a first-time head coach in the summer of 2019 and went on to record more wins than any coach in the franchise’s 30-year history (250-214) Jenkins became emotional in those final exchanges with his jettisoned coaching colleagues While Jenkins consulted with the front-office on the hires for six replacements to his staff those final interactions between Jenkins and the assistants he was forced to fire would set an uneasy tone for the season to come As some close to the Grizzlies saw the situation it was only a matter of time before Jenkins would be gone The fourth-place Grizzlies letting go of the 40-year-old Jenkins caught the league by surprise if only because of the timing — with just a few weeks remaining in the regular season and with Jenkins under contract beyond just 2024-25 dubbed the Western Conference’s next great young squad not long ago A subpar playoff record (9-14) and record against .500-plus teams this season (11-20) clearly hurt Jenkins’ cause with league sources indicating the Grizzlies’ most recent struggles were the main reason he was fired whom the Grizzlies hired before this season He and fellow newcomer assistant Noah LaRoche were driving forces behind Memphis implementing a renovated which lifted the Grizzlies to sixth in points per possession it’s clear Jenkins’ diminished organizational support coupled with the Grizzlies’ decline over the past two months did him in Despite All-Star point guard Ja Morant missing 30 games due to injury — including the last six — Memphis is 44-29 dropping 13 of their last 22 games after a 35-16 start that placed them second in the West at the time 8 with a 125-112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder the same group that throttled Memphis in Jenkins’ final game as head coach The Grizzlies can’t seem to beat top-notch competition They have lost nine consecutive games to teams at or above .500 by an average of 12.8 points The defense has dipped during this 22-game falloff over which Memphis is allowing 116.7 points per 100 possessions The return of Defensive Player of the Year candidate Jaren Jackson Jr. who missed five games after spraining his left ankle on March 3 and returned two weeks ago The team had vaulted to the top five in defense for most of the season’s first half the Grizzlies worried greatly about buy-in when they unraveled against the NBA-best Thunder After grabbing a two-point lead with under eight minutes to go in regulation OKC decimated the Grizzlies in a 125-104 blowout Even the wins lately haven’t been all that sweet during a 37-point shellacking of the Utah Jazz starting guard Desmond Bane and reserve Santi Aldama exchanged shoves on the bench after a disagreement about defense According to a league source who witnessed the interaction in person effort — or lack thereof — was the focus of their friction It began when Bane asked Aldama a rhetorical question “Are you gonna f—ing guard anybody?” he shouted Now it’s Iisalo’s job to persuade these Grizzlies to get back to winning Memphis enticed him to come over from Europe this season with an above-market deal for an assistant worth millions and also paid a buyout to Paris Basketball And though this is Iisalo’s initial NBA season the Finnish native has succeeded as a head coach before he deployed a similar motion offense to the one Memphis runs as the head coach of Paris Basketball which Iisalo helped to victories in the Leaders Cup and the EuroCup championship Iisalo’s inventive offense was impressive enough that after he left for the Grizzlies last summer Paris Basketball’s search for a replacement included one mandate according to a league source: No new coach could change the system The team ended up hiring former NBA player Tiago Splitter In large part because of its first-year assistants Memphis has revamped an offense that formerly struggled in the halfcourt it now leans on clever cutting and off-ball movement The Grizzlies set fewer screens than any other NBA team This philosophical shift was a point of contention as this season progressed the inevitable question in the wake of the Jenkins decision is this: What does this mean for Morant’s future in Memphis was upset that last summer the team let go of one assistant with whom he was particularly close who worked with the two-time All-Star more than anyone on staff a former trainer with individual players who was in his first season as an NBA assistant and played a pivotal part in implementing the new offensive system Morant played his entire career for Jenkins and remained supportive of the coach up to the end He has played in just 43 games this season missing this most recent stretch because of a hamstring injury while also dealing with right shoulder soreness Morant has complained about the new scheme which takes the ball out of his hands and removes the screens he likes to use as a ball handler to make plays One league source who has seen Morant work out with the Grizzlies recently said “Some days he looks like he’s ready to play and some days he looks like he doesn’t want to be there … because he hates the offense.” Jenkins had begun to reinstall some of the plays Morant likes reimplementing the pick-and-roll and other plays involving screens Morant could use to break free If doing so angered Kleiman and played a role in Jenkins’ firing but LaRoche was the driving force behind the Grizzlies going away from ball screens to begin with — and he’s gone too and the man primarily responsible for the offense Morant didn’t like “3-to-3” which means the Grizzlies need to race from defense to the 3-point line in three seconds — and Morant is as dangerous as any player in the NBA in transition But when it comes to a player of Morant’s star power the discussion is never really about whether he fits into a coach’s offense is a two-time All-Star in the middle of a five-year He has struggled to stay healthy and been suspended for off-court incidents on multiple occasions He could return to the court Saturday against the Lakers against the notion that he might trade Morant this summer “I can’t blame other ‘executives’ for fantasizing about us trading Ja,” Kleiman said at the time and we will let our performance on the floor speak for itself I’m not going to give this nonsense further oxygen and look forward to getting back to basketball.” questioned the demand for Morant in the trade market while the Grizzlies are headed for the playoffs with just two weeks left in the regular season isn’t going to quell questions about where whether Morant will want to remain there for the long term extended it to 34-14 in the first quarter and were up 66-41 in the second quarter Dallas trailed 75-68 midway through the third quarter The Mavs didn't have enough gas to keep up Memphis’ five starters scored in double figures led by Jaren Jackson Jr Ja Morant (22 points) and Desmond Bane (22 points) MORE: Heat a perfect 10, beat Hawks in OT. But do they have enough depth to beat 64-win Cavs? The Grizzlies earned the No. 8 seed and will play the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in a Western Conference first-round series starting with Game 1 on Sunday Here are three takeaways from Friday’s Grizzlies-Mavericks play-in game: Grizzlies star guard Morant turned his right ankle in the third quarter of Wednesday’s play-in loss to Golden State and was listed as questionable for Friday’s game Morant started and scored 12 points in the first quarter including a sky-scraping one-handed putback dunk giving the Grizzlies a 29-14 lead with 4:27 left in the quarter He also got to the free throw line five times and made all five and had three assists three rebounds and two steals in the opening quarter Morant got his 22 points on 7-for-24 shooting (1-for-5 on 3s) and 7-for-7 on free throws The Mavericks’ future is under the microscopeThe faster the Mavericks, who are one season removed from an NBA Finals appearance, can put this season behind them and get further from the Luka Dončić trade the better The trade was a public relations disaster and the impact it has had on an angry fanbase will linger, but the best thing for Dallas and Nico Harrison the team’s embattled general manager/president of basketball operations free agency and the start of next season with a roster as healthy as possible Jaden Hardy and Naji Marshall should all be ready for training camp in the fall It’s clear – obviously so – that Harrison believes Davis can be the key to a championship He finished with 40 points and nine rebounds It didn’t help that two Dallas starters (Lively and Washington) failed to score The Mavs’ front office and coaching staff (and an irked fanbase) want to see how this team performs when and if fully healthy Grizzlies face 68-win Thunder in first-round seriesThe reward for getting the No 8 seed in the West through the play-in game format A first-round series against Oklahoma City which set a franchise record with 68 victories But the Grizzlies aren’t your typical eighth seed They won 48 games and are just two seasons from a 51-win season and three seasons from a 56-win season With Morant and Jackson plus other players who probably don’t get enough recognition (Bane the Grizzlies are capable of making this tough on the Thunder the Grizzlies were 35-16 and in second place in the West It’s also a high-profile job audition for Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo The Finnish coach took over for Taylor Jenkins who was fired March 28 There is belief around the league that the Grizzlies want Iisalo to have a good showing so they can give him the full-time job and documents viewed by Business Insider show the company is putting hundreds of millions of dollars toward it Fourteen construction permit applications have been filed with a local planning and development agency since June 2024 they represent a total of $405.9 million in estimated project costs The filings also show that xAI won't be able to get enough power from the local grid to run 1 million GPUs in Memphis as Musk has said the company plans to do — unless it builds its own power generation on-site The permit applications were submitted for a range of electrical including a $30 million installation of computer equipment and the construction of a $3.9 million perimeter fence built to withstand car crashes The most recent permit application on file is for the construction of a new electrical substation Musk and Memphis city officials have touted the billionaire's choice of location for the data center powering xAI's Grok 3 as a "multibillion-dollar investment" that will position Memphis as the "global epicenter of AI." The projected construction costs are roughly in line with estimates for Stargate's initial facilities in Texas Darana Hybrid Electro-Mechanical Solutions a midsize general contractor based in Ohio Darana has previously worked on two other industrial construction projects in the Memphis area Darana is owned by Darryl Cuttell, a prolific small donor to President Donald Trump's 2024 reelection campaign. He made 21 contributions in amounts ranging from $100 to $1,000 between July and December last year A data center industry veteran who reviewed the permit applications said it's unusual for a smaller company like Darana Hybrid to handle a project of Colossus' scale They were granted anonymity because they were not authorized by their employer to speak to BI Gas and Water did not respond to requests for comment Hardware costs will likely add up. Musk has said that Colossus is powered by a mix of Nvidia's H100 and H200 chips This means hardware for the Memphis sites could cost upward of $4.3 billion now and $27 billion for 1 million GPUs at the price of the cheaper H100s It's unclear if xAI is purchasing the chips or renting computing from a cloud service provider xAI spent $700 million on hardware for a separate data center in Georgia that it shares with Musk's social media company X In permitting applications for on-site natural gas turbines the company said getting access to the full 300 MW of grid power will depend on "significant infrastructure upgrades" and transmission improvements in the region xAI has been supplementing its power supply with gas-powered generators from Caterpillar subsidiary Solar Turbines driven by power demand from xAI and other data centers and battery manufacturers expanding in the region a spokesperson for TVA said that its board of directors "would need to review and approve any new load that exceed 100 MW to ensure reliability of the power system can be maintained." xAI could likely power 200,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs though adding additional computing would be challenging an electrical and computer engineering professor at the University of California Riverside but that means an aggressive oversubscription strategy is used," Ren said referring to a practice used by data centers to "overbook" customers with the expectation that they won't all need to use the amount of power they've contracted for at the same time one million GPUs could require over 1 gigawatt of electricity to power or quadruple the amount xAI currently has access to in Memphis an LLC tied to xAI paid $80 million for 186 acres of land south of its initial site One of the parcels includes a one-million-square-foot industrial warehouse xAI has asked TVA to assess the site for access to 260 MW of grid power In January, MLGW CEO Doug McGowen said during a Memphis city council meeting that the city's power grid might not be capable of powering a project of that magnitude and I think that's important for our community — that we get excited about opportunities that are coming there's pragmatic realities about a lot of things," McGowen said 2025: This story has been updated with a statement from a spokesperson for TVA Advocacy group says the firm has doubled the number of methane gas burning turbines it’s using without permits KeShaun Pearson took a seat in front of the Shelby county board of commissioners in Memphis, Tennessee a small group of people held up signs that said “Our air = our lives” and “Our water Our future.” With a manner-of-fact demeanor “I’m here because today we’ve learned that xAI is using 35 methane gas burning turbines,” said Pearson, who is the director of the advocacy group Memphis Community Against Pollution “They have submitted a permit to our Shelby county health department for 15 yet they are using double that amount with no permit.” “xAI has essentially built a power plant in South Memphis with no oversight, no permitting, and no regard for families living in nearby communities,” Amanda Garcia, senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center, said in a statement. “These dozens of gas turbines are doing significant harm to the air Memphians breathe every day.” Read moreThe 35 generators xAI is using are “illegal” and a “major source of air pollution” the law center wrote in a letter to the Shelby county health department on Wednesday It says these high emission rates violate the Clean Air Act including specified limits on toxic and carcinogenic pollution Artificial intelligence requires an immense amount of energy to carry out computations and provide quick responses to user queries. For example, a query with ChatGPT needs nearly 10 times as much electricity as a typical Google search query, according to a report by Goldman Sachs the majority of that electricity comes from burning fossil fuels like coal and gas which are primary drivers of climate change xAI already has contracts to draw 150MW of electricity from Memphis’ local utility, which is enough to power 100,000 homes a year. But Musk has said he needs even more energy to deal with power fluctuation issues at the plant When the first few methane gas generators appeared outside the xAI facility last summer it caused a stir because the Shelby county health department and the Environmental Protection Agency said xAI wasn’t using permits to run those generators It appears the company found a loophole in the system that allows it to use the gas generators as long as they’re not in the same location for more than 364 days xAI applied for a permit for 15 generators but there was no mention of the additional 20 units in the application The company has yet to be awarded any permits Environmental Protection Agency and xAI did not immediately return requests for comment The Southern Environmental Law Center says these generators are running 24/7 and pump harmful nitrogen oxides into the air Within one to two miles of xAI are several residential neighborhoods where the people who live there have long dealt with industrial pollution the Southern Environmental Law Center says an emergency order should be issued that requires xAI to cease or suspend the use of the 35 generators it should be penalized $25,000 each day it violates the Clean Air Act was on the agenda to speak with the Shelby county board of commissioners on Wednesday The commission chair said she sent three emails to Mayo notifying him of the meeting and that “we did not hear back from him” A representative for the Chamber of Commerce which has worked with xAI to set up its facility in Memphis told the commissioners that xAI didn’t get the emails did speak to the commissioners on Wednesday They all had concerns with xAI’s pollution and the multiplying of its gas generators Pearson is from one of the neighborhoods near xAI and said both of his grandmothers died of cancer in their 60s He believes their deaths were caused by living so close to Memphis’ industrial zone “Nobody else should be burying their families because these rogue racist people continue to build projects that are suffocating us,” Pearson said Three former Memphis police officers have been convicted in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols but were acquitted of the harshest charges they faced Tyre Nichols’ family gathered in prayer as a jury deliberated the future of three former Memphis officers charged with violating Nichols’ civil rights in a fatal beating in 2023 Three former Memphis police officers were convicted Thursday in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols but were acquitted of the harshest charges An Associated Press reporter explains how the family of Nichols reacted to the verdict leave the federal courthouse after three former Memphis police officers were convicted of witness tampering charges in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols leaves the federal courthouse after three former Memphis police officers were convicted of witness tampering charges in the 2023 fatal beating of Nichols FILE - The image from video released on Jan shows Tyre Nichols during a brutal attack by five Memphis police officers on Jan FILE - This combo of images provided by the Memphis FILE - The screen at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans honors Tyre Nichols before an NBA basketball game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Washington Wizards one of three former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols arrives at the federal courthouse with his attorney Michael Stengel arrives at the federal courthouse for the day’s proceedings Thursday comfort each other during a prayer vigil outside the federal courthouse as jury deliberations begin for the trial of three former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 fatal beating of their brother A sign is seen outside the federal courthouse during the trial of three former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols leave the the federal courthouse after three former Memphis police officers were convicted of witness tampering charges in the 2023 fatal beating of Nichols speaks during a news conference outside the federal courthouse after three former Memphis police officers were convicted of witness tampering charges in the 2023 fatal beating of Nichols Attorney Ben Crump speaks during a news conference outside the federal courthouse after three former Memphis police officers were convicted of witness tampering charges in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols speaks during a news conference with RowVaughn Wells outside the federal courthouse after three former Memphis police officers were convicted of witness tampering charges in the 2023 fatal beating of their son Nichols speaks during a news conference with his wife RowVaughn Wells Jurors deliberated for about six hours before coming back with the mixed verdict for Tadarrius Bean All were convicted of witness tampering related to the cover-up of the beating but Bean and Smith were acquitted of civil rights charges Haley was acquitted of violating Nichols’ civil rights causing death but convicted of the lesser charge of violating his civil rights causing bodily injury He was also convicted of a conspiracy to witness tamper charge that the others were acquitted of The court remained silent as the verdicts were read The judge ordered all three officers to be taken into custody He planned to hold a hearing Monday to hear from the defense lawyers about releasing them pending sentencing The witness tampering charges carry possible sentences of up to 20 years in prison The civil rights charge against Haley carries up to 10 years in prison They had faced up to life in prison if convicted on the harshest charges who oversees the Justice Department’s civil rights division said “Tyre Nichols should be alive today.” “We hope this prosecution provides some measure of comfort as the law enforcement officers tied to his death have been held accountable,” Clarke said Bean and Smith were seen on video wrestling with Nichols and holding his arms but the jury was not convinced those actions amounted to civil rights violations An FBI agent said Smith told him he punched Nichols but defense lawyers argued Bean and Smith were merely slapping Nichols’ hands away as they tried to put handcuffs on him told The Associated Press outside the courtroom: “A win is a win “This has been a long journey for our family,” RowVaughn Wells “I’m actually in shock right now because I still can’t believe all the stuff that’s going on But we’re happy that they all have been convicted and they have been arrested.” Attorneys for Bean and Haley did not respond to requests for comment ran from the traffic stop despite being hit with pepper spray and a Taser Defense attorneys sought to portray Martin as a principal aggressor yet he acknowledged punching and kicking Nichols in the head Martin’s attorney did not immediately respond to a phone message The police video shows the officers milling about and talking as Nichols struggles with his injuries An autopsy report shows he died from blows to the head and cuts and bruises on his head and other areas other investigations and court action still aren’t settled The five officers also have been charged with second-degree murder in state court although Mills and Martin are expected to change their pleas A trial date in state court has not been set The Justice Department also has a separate review concerning use of force de-escalation strategies and specialized units within Memphis police a Memphis activist who has long called for investigations of the city’s police said he hopes the probes “provide for us the remedies we so rightly deserve.” said the verdicts “bring a measure of accountability for his senseless and tragic death.” “Our fight for justice for Tyre is far from over,” the lawyers said in a joint statement Associated Press reporter Travis Loller also contributed from Nashville playMichallik: Brazil need Neymar's personality (2:08)Janusz Michallik talks about Neymar's call up to the Brazil national team following his return to Santos Neymar and Memphis Depay are among the stars to criticise the Brazilian Football Confederation's (CBF) new rule to punish players that stand on the ball with both feet The CBF notified all clubs of the domestic league that from now on players who do so will be shown a yellow card while the opposing team will be awarded an indirect free kick According to the CBF's letter the act of standing on the ball "in addition to the player risking an injury is considered a provocation to a rival and disrespects the game." "Football is getting more and more boring," Santos captain Neymar wrote on Instagram. Corinthians star Memphis Depay says there are more important things referees should focus on than whether a player is standing on a ball Depay recently did that action and it provoked Palmeiras players during the Campeonato Paulista final The Netherlands international said after Saturday's 3-0 league win against Vasco da Gama: "I don't know what the VAR did in the first half they should have checked they prefer to create rules here [in Brazil] like not being able to get on the ball those who decide things in soccer are doing the wrong things when asked how serious Green was about leaving the franchise he'd won four titles with to join the young upstarts he'd feuded with so publicly during a heated six-game playoff series a year earlier Every analysis the team did on its season called for swapping out brash, bruising forward Dillon Brooks for a more mature veteran, someone with a similar edge whom Morant and uber-talented young power forward Jaren Jackson Jr Green, who'd had a controversial year of his own in Golden State was the Grizzlies' top choice and Memphis did everything it could -- even offering more than he ultimately signed for in Golden State because he saw not only how good the Grizzlies were during their epic 2022 playoff series "Memphis is going to get their reality check," Green said after that series everything that has happened in Memphis since that high-water mark in 2022 has been something of a reality check Ultimately, Memphis pivoted to sign veteran Derrick Rose and trade for guard Marcus Smart in an attempt to fill the void left by Brooks whose toughness and work ethic were critical cultural tone-setters for the young Grizzlies prompting the Grizzlies to trade him to Washington in a salary-dump deal before this year's deadline They'd also tried to trade for Mikal Bridges and Dorian Finney-Smith because they knew they needed an elite wing defender to replace Brooks It remains to be seen whether Morant, Jackson and Desmond Bane are good enough to develop into the kind of championship contenders they once seemed destined to become what will it take to get them back on that track was the decision they made that longtime coach Taylor Jenkins would not be the man to lead them there in one of the more shockingly timed firings in recent NBA history just nine games before the playoffs were set to begin And they're running out of time to find the right leadership and direction to do so Despite being the winningest coach in franchise history Taylor Jenkins was fired by Memphis on Saturday. Petre Thomas-Imagn ImagesONE DAY AFTER the team fired Jenkins Memphis general manager Zach Kleiman stood in front of a lectern and explained his decision to fire his head coach and two assistants so late in the season "Urgency is a core principle of ours," he said "My expectations are clarity of direction." He didn't elaborate beyond those two main points But anyone close to the team this season knows the lack of clarity he was referring to the Grizzlies had become something of a science experiment this season offering glimpses at how several radical offensive concepts from Europe and spacing principles found in hockey and soccer but also how difficult it is to get full buy-in from players to implement them had never met either of the assistants before interviewing them the Grizzlies paid a seven-figure buyout to Paris Basketball which Iisalo (pronounced EE-za-lo) coached to a EuroCup championship last season Memphis also gave Iisalo and LaRoche seven-figure salaries That's especially lucrative for a second-row assistant such as LaRoche but it's also extraordinarily unusual for a second-row assistant to have his fingerprints all over the revamping of a team's offensive system Memphis hired LaRoche first (in May 2024) with the intention of building the staff of assistants around him The club wouldn't bring in Iisalo until nearly two months later Kleiman insisted Jenkins replace five of the assistant coaches who'd been with him throughout his time in Memphis: Brad Jones "Taylor shouldn't have allowed that to happen." The coach was so upset at the news he'd have to deliver to each of his longtime assistants he invited each over to his house in Memphis for individual sessions The front office felt the new approach needed space to get off the ground So the club cut ties with virtually everyone associated with the team's ways of the past "It was a total shock because we'd already had our exit meetings and were preparing for the summer," one former assistant said "We'd all gone away for a few weeks and came back to start work again But apparently they decided to go in another direction." "Going in another direction" has become cliché -- a nice way of glossing over a difficult situation and avoiding specific issues But in this case that's exactly what it was "They were going all-in on these new concepts," another source close to the situation said unintended effect was to signal to the rest of the league "Players aren't stupid," another source said "They know where this is heading when you fire five assistants after the season." And when the job is getting players to buy into new offensive concepts already uncomfortable for most NBA players being taught different schemes by two assistant coaches immediately undercut Jenkins' authority He had overcome that already after Kleiman hired him as a first-time head coach in 2018 Jenkins had established a strong reputation as an assistant on Mike Budenholzer's staff in Atlanta and Milwaukee But he had a nontraditional background to say the least having graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's prestigious Wharton School of Business and eschewing a career on Wall Street for NBA coaching He had played high school ball and intramural basketball at Penn players routinely said he won them over with his work ethic 6-foot-3 guy who could jump in against anyone on the court But this was an entirely different challenge the amount of movement that we're going to have from off of the ball is going to be significantly different," Jenkins said on the first day of training camp a luxurious private school on the outskirts of Nashville "But some of our lead core guys that drive our offense we have to react to how they're adopting the system and make sure that we're all fitting in the right place." Memphis' offense consisted of utilizing pace with purpose and keeping the ball off the floor otherwise morph into attack mode to break down and tax the opposing defense Some of the offense was predicated on a player breaking down his man one-on-one without a screen Morant seemed open to the new concepts that Jenkins and Kleiman had considered a year before implementing them "I'm seeing a lot of different looks now," Morant said "I'm getting a lot of catch-and-shoot opportunities so I feel like it plays right into my hands and allows me to get better looks and not have to create so much." But when asked how he felt about playing off the ball more Ja Morant has struggled on pick-and-roll plays throughout his NBA career. Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty ImagesFOR ALL OF his individual gifts Morant has never been a great pick-and-roll player Morant averages just 0.99 points per direct pick as the ball handler in his career when using an on-ball screen That ranks 39th among 56 players to run at least 5,000 on-ball screens as the ball handler since 2019-20 He also has just a 44.7% effective field goal percentage on jumpers when coming off an on-ball screen in his career. Only Russell Westbrook has been worse among 111 players to take at least 750 jumpers when coming off an on-ball screen since 2019-20 The appeal of an offense that doesn't rely on pick-and-rolls is obvious for a franchise built around Morant's offensive talents LaRoche's system replaces pick-and-rolls with relocations Players move away from the ball handler into space instead of bringing their defender toward the player with the ball The goal is to create space and quality shots in the shortest time possible Iisalo's expertise was to be deployed in coaching pace and the transition offense Download the ESPN app and enable Shams Charania's news alerts to receive push notifications for the latest updates first. Opt in by tapping the alerts bell in the top right corner. For more information, click here pace and ranked second in offensive rebounding rate as they bolted to a 35-16 record the big man averaging 22.4 points with a true shooting percentage of 59.7% The Grizzlies set the fewest ball screens in the league by a wide margin -- 40.4 per game The Grizzlies have run a total of 49.8 ball screens and dribble handoffs per game the fewest in the NBA since tracking began in the 2013-14 season Opponents seemed confused by the new offense and Memphis was making them pay What they're doing is weird," Green told reporters after Golden State's home win over Memphis on Nov a little more than a month before the Grizzlies routed the Warriors by 51 points in Memphis most rotations and patterns are pretty similar Jackson sat out five games in March because of a sprained ankle Morant has been in and out of the lineup all season sitting out extended stretches because of a hip subluxation sprained AC joint in his surgically repaired right shoulder and a hamstring strain that sidelined him for the final six games of Jenkins' tenure Morant returned for Saturday's home loss to the Lakers And as the sample size grew larger, other issues and side effects started to emerge. The new offense worked great against bad teams but not against good ones. Memphis' loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb when Morant finished with 16 points on 7-of-19 shooting the Grizzlies have lost their past 11 games against teams that currently have winning records Perhaps most concerning was how Morant was functioning in the offense Instead of freeing him up in transition and for moments of individual brilliance the system was effectively taking the ball out of his hands Morant is averaging career lows in touches average touch length and dribbles per touch this season Morant's 22.4 points per game is his lowest scoring average since 2020-21 and his field goal percentage (.448) is the worst of his career and he voiced his frustrations publicly and privately losing six of eight after the All-Star break pressure mounted to the point where one Western Conference general manager believed that the team would be forced to shop Morant this summer He started calling for more pick-and-roll sets Memphis ran 59.8 on-ball screens and handoffs per game up significantly from the earlier months of the season On March 7, Morant capped a comeback road win over the injury-ravaged Dallas Mavericks by scoring 11 of his 31 points in the final 6:15 All five of his buckets down the stretch came off of pick-and-roll or isolation the sort of dribble-centric plays the Grizzlies had gone away from for most of the season Morant had exhibited his delight in the final minute by flexing in the paint after making a floater and dancing while pretending to play guitar after drilling a dagger 3-pointer a stark contrast to his often dour mood this season the old Ja," Morant said postgame while describing those moments How often had Morant felt like that this season this could've gone down as a good adjustment offensively and defensively -- once the strength of the team The Grizzlies rank 20th in defense since the All-Star break giving up 117.1 points per 100 possessions including a 6-7 record with Morant on the court The feeling within the Grizzlies' organization was that Jenkins had "lost the locker room," a predictable development after the summer reconstruction of his coaching staff "You could just tell no one was on the same page," one team source said is a key part of the young Grizzlies core that the Memphis front office hopes can compete for titles. Photo by Justin Ford/Getty ImagesSTILL THE GRIZZLIES seemed to be in a relatively good place they were fifth in the Western Conference with nine games to play and Morant about to return from his hamstring injury Their likely first-round opponent, the Lakers, had also been scuffling, losing four of five games in March, and struggling against younger teams such as the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic Kleiman weighed all of his options and decided the urgency to see what this core group could do together outweighed the benefits of letting Morant come back from injury and hoping Jenkins could reconnect the team and get it back on track before the playoffs The anticipation had been that Jenkins would be fired after a first-round playoff exit Kleiman decided there was no benefit to waiting who'd joined the staff the previous season to also work on the offense Iisalo was promoted to interim head coach and tasked with clarifying the vision offensively which had become muddled in its attempt at radical simplicity The hope is a new voice will connect with and elevate a core that has stagnated since that epic series against the Warriors in 2022 just as the Cavaliers have this season under new coach Kenny Atkinson for sticking with a core group they believe in and making the right adjustments around the margins and at the top Memphis is committed to extending Jackson and Aldama this summer And Kleiman publicly denied trade rumors and affirmed the commitment to Morant in February But those decisions -- and leaning into a pick-and-roll-heavy offensive system again under Iisalo -- signal Memphis' commitment to Morant is much more than lip service There are doubts throughout the league about whether Morant whose superstar ascension has been interrupted by off-court issues and injuries Can he win multiple series as the best player but is it good enough to contend for a title Three years ago there was little question -- or urgency -- about that And another "reality check" is coming in Memphis ESPN Research's Matt Williams contributed to this report href="/section/metrocity-of-memphis" aria-current="page" href="/section/metroshelby-county" aria-current="page" href="/section/metrostate-government" aria-current="page" href="/section/metroeducation" aria-current="page" href="/section/metropublic-safety" aria-current="page" href="/section/metroelections" aria-current="page" href="/section/metrospirit-of-memphis" aria-current="page" href="/section/metrothe-early-word" aria-current="page" href="/section/metrobehind-the-headlines" aria-current="page" href="https://dailymemphian.com/article/50732/ask-the-memphian-your-questions-answered" aria-current="page" City of Memphis Ask the Memphian: Why are there so many temporary tags in Memphis Updated: May 05, 2025 8:04 AM CT | Published: May 05, 2025 4:00 AM CT A car with drive-out tags speeds down Watkins Street. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian) a homeowner in the Parkway Village area surprised two thieves who were trying to steal his daughter’s Hyundai from his driveway wearing a black hoodie and white face mask pulled a pistol and fired 13 shots at the homeowner then jumped out of the car and fired three more shots at the terrified victim before running away Ask the Memphian: Who is Prince Mongo? And he’s from where? The victim then pulled out his own pistol and fired at least 18 shots at the suspects he did manage to shoot up both his daughter’s car and his nephew’s car parked nearby This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe Coverage of the key happenings in our city including city hall Shelby County Political Roundup: Why Republicans want partisan school board primaries By , Daily Memphian Updated: May 04, 2025 4:26 PM CT | Published: May 04, 2025 4:26 PM CT Shelby County Republican Party Chairman Worth Morgan was among those who used to oppose the idea of partisan school board primary elections who voted for them Thursday, May 1, at the GOP’s executive-committee meeting. (Bill Dries/The Daily Memphian) The Shelby County Republican Party is hoping having partisan primaries in school board races will help them crawl back to relevancy in the Democratic-dominated county, even if they have little chance of winning some races. Never miss an article. Sign up to receive Bill Dries' stories as they’re published. Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for almost 50 years covering a wide variety of stories from the 1977 death of Elvis Presley and the 1978 police and fire strikes to numerous political campaigns, every county mayor and every Memphis Mayor starting with Wyeth Chandler. Sign up to get the latest articles from Bill Dries Manage Your Email Subscriptions was charged with attempted second-degree murder and employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony Officers were able to chase the suspect behind Davinchis Restaurant and Lounge on 299 South Main Street The victim was in critical condition and is now in non-critical condition Click here to sign up for our newsletter Click here to report a spelling or grammar error