The Commercial Appeal
Loaded rifles and shotguns in parks?
Republicans gave first approval to a bill — opposed by law enforcement — that would allow people as young as 18 to carry loaded shotguns and rifles in public parks and on greenways. House Bill 2064, as amended, would allow adults legally allowed to...
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MDEQ board approves permit for turbines
On March 10, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Permit Board approved an operations permit for 41 turbines at xai’s Southaven power plant. The board rubber-stamped the permit — classified as a Prevention of Significant Deterioration...
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Matthew Szalaj to fill Ford Jr.’s seat on the Commission
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners is now officially a board of 13, again. During the board's March 9 regular meeting, members voted to place Matthew Szalaj in the District 9 seat after three rounds of voting. He was sworn into office after the...
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Decision coming soon on XAI permit for Southaven turbines
As Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company continues expanding in Memphis and North Mississippi, the company awaits a decision on a permit from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). On Feb. 17, the MDEQ held a public hearing...
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MSCS, local lawmakers draft alternative to TN takeover
Memphis-shelby County Schools and a collection of local partners are proposing an accountability plan to counter a potential state takeover. The school district, which has struggled with poor academic performance for years, came under fire last year...
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Former presidents honor civil rights icon Jackson
CHICAGO – Former presidents, music legends and thousands of people were celebrating the life of the Rev. Jesse Jackson on March 6, as mourners gathered to honor his vision of social justice and advancing civil rights. Jackson, one of the world’s...
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Trump ousts Noem as DHS secretary
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced March 5 he was firing Homelandsecuritysecretarykristinoem. He said on social media that Noem would be succeeded by Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-oklahoma, effective March 31. Noem will become special envoy for...
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Luhrmann talks Elvis, Malco
Whether attracted to the theater by Margot Robbie, Elvis Presley or an animated goat, Memphis moviegoers at many locations have been greeted by an unexpected celebrity: Baz Luhrmann. Luhrmann, the director of the new documentary “EPIC: Elvis Presley...
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United States’ foreign relationships strained
WASHINGTON – On the night he was elected to a second term, President Donald Trump tried to put to rest concerns raised by his critics that he would lead the United States into war. “I’m not going to start a war,” he said during his victory speech...
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IN SEARCH OF ‘A SILVER BULLET’
Members of The Sycamore Institute, a nonprofit research organization out of Nashville, traveled to Jackson to discuss the supply, demand and price constraints of housing in the West Tennessee region. Sycamore Institute President Brian Straessle opened...
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U.S. fighter jets crash in Kuwait; crews unhurt
Three American fighter aircraft crashed in Kuwait on March 2, with crews surviving “unscathed” and in stable condition, the Middle Eastern country’s defense ministry and the Pentagon said, as the congressional debate over President Donald Trump’s...
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Wings, wine and tumbling
The Shops at Carriage Crossing in Collierville continues adding to its mix of retail, restaurant and service options. An April 9 ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for the five new spots that are opening as part of Carriage Crossing’s Pop Local...
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‘To see it shut down like this is very tough’
American malls were once the mecca of commercialism. h They were once the destination for socializing for Gen Xers and older Millennials. h Now, venues such as Oak Court Mall in East Memphis are becoming footnotes in a city’s history — and will perhaps...
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Pothole problems?
As the winter storm that swept the Mid-south in late January has abated, potholes and poor road conditions have left some drivers with damage to their vehicles. “We’ve seen a pretty significant uptick in damaged wheels and busted tires,” said...
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Joe’s Records looks to bring ‘throwback’ mall experience
This week, St. Louis-based retailer Joe’s Records officially took over the property for its first Mid-south location, a 4,200-square-foot space inside Wolfchase Galleria in Cordova. Owners Joe Smith and his wife/business partner, Jennifer Seifrig,...
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Trump touts economic gains in speech
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump declared the country is booming, his opponents are “crazy” and his administration is engaged in unprecedented levels of “winning” in a marathon State of the Union address that comes as polls showed deep skepticism of...
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What Tenn. data says about crime and undocumented immigrants
As Tennessee lawmakers bring forward a sweep of immigration enforcement bills, a recently released statewide report offers a clearer view of how often people suspected of being in the country unlawfully are charged with other crimes. Most charges...
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How will SCOTUS strikedown of Trump tariffs affect state?
The Supreme Court determined that the president cannot impose broad tariffs on his own authority, delivering a significant setback to his economic plans. The court on Feb. 20 struck down the tariffs which are the centerpiece of Trump’s economic policy...
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Rev. James Lawson celebrated in new book
“What happened here in Memphis changed our world.” Those words were spoken Feb. 20 at the National Civil Rights Museum by former New York television news anchor Carol Jenkins, moderator of what was billed as “a national book launch event” that was...
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$253,761.30
Until Memphis Fire Department Chief Gina Sweat’s retirement in October 2025, the City of Memphis’ two highest-paid employees were women. Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis and now-former Memphis fire Chief Sweat were tied at the top,...
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Challenges persist for TN GOP despite control
As Republicans maintain a firm grasp on power across Tennessee ahead of elections this year, one Republican party trailblazer is questioning whether the single-party control that Tennessee has had for the last 15 years has resulted in quality...
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Wu-tang Clan to Dave Matthews Band: 2026 Riverbeat lineup
Veteran rock act Dave Matthews Band, hip-hop greats Wu-tang Clan and Alabama country combo The Red Clay Strays will headline the 2026 Riverbeat Music Festival. h Produced by Mempho Presents, the music festival will return to the Mississippi...
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Crowd voices opposition to XAI turbines in Southaven
For Southaven resident Angie Davis, the sound of xai’s turbines near her daughter’s Colonial Hills home is like that of a jet engine. “This is really rushed, and our safety is not part of this rush,” Davis said during a Feb. 17 public hearing...
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Civil rights icon ‘kept the dream alive’
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering civil rights icon who battled alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., negotiated global hostage releases and shamed corporations for their lack of diversity and failure to support voting rights, died on Feb. 17. He...
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Elvis back on the big screen
“The big man with the big voice deserves the big screen.” That sentiment — expressed during a recent interview in front of a 21-foothigh display of floor-to-ceiling Elvis jumpsuits — currently functions as both mission statement and marketing slogan...
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Richmond hired as MSCS superintendent
Memphis-shelby County Schools officially has a superintendent again. On Jan. 21, 2025, MSCS fired former superintendent Marie Feagins. Some members of the board said she violated eight policies in her employment contract which led to her firing. The...
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‘An open wound’
Filmmaker Suzannah Herbert was raised in Memphis. But her new movie focuses on what Herbert calls “the beauty and tension and sorrow” of a different riverbluff town. h Like the pilgrimage organizers and tour operators in its diverse cast of real-life...
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Federal health funding could hinge on reform
If Tennessee wants to accept about $1 billion in funding for rural health care over the next five years, the Trump administration says lawmakers have to loosen restrictions around what health care professionals in different practices can do, and...
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MSCS appoints Richmond as the next superintendent
The Memphis-shelby County Schools Board appointed interim superintendent Roderick Richmond to the permanent position, but his contract will still be in the works over the next few days. h During a rescheduled board meeting on Feb. 11, Richmond was...
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STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS
Mayor Paul Young delivers the State of the City address Feb. 10 at First Baptist Church Broad Avenue in Memphis.
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FORD’S OUT
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners accepted the resignation of Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. on Feb. 9, a week after Ford plead guilty to five counts of attempted tax evasion. The resolution recognizing Ford’s resignation passed...
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Arlington’s Kenneth Walker III wins Super Bowl MVP
Arlington native Kenneth Walker III won Super Bowl 60 MVP after the Seattle Seahawks downed the New England Patriots on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California. Walker was the star of the Seahawks offense in the biggest game of the year, totaling 135...
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Le Bonheur brings virtual classrooms to patients
On the morning of Feb. 5, assistant teacher Hannah Pirami sat next to Jazzy, a 3-year-old patient at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, in Jazzy’s room. Through a video call, Jazzy joined an in-person classroom and participated in a morning meeting...
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Residents making noise about XAI
Since 1982, Eddie Gossett has lived along Stanton Road in Southaven. He remembers when the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) began building the nearby Southaven Combined Cycle Plant, and he recalls when Duke Energy operated its gas power plant. h What...
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Locals push back on ICE detention centers
A Trump administration plan to rapidly expand immigration detention sites has hit a snag: Many locals don’t like the idea of warehouses in their communities becoming deportation detention centers. Since December, Immigration and Customs Enforcement...
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10 new businesses to watch for in Desoto County
Desoto County’s growth seems poised to continue in 2026. h The much-anticipated Fancy Cat Cafe opened in January in Southaven. And there are plenty more new businesses in the works, from restaurants and retail spots to a pickleball facility that is...
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Lawmakers turn focus to reform Trump’s ICE
WASHINGTON – The latest government shutdown is over, and Capitol Hill is already bracing for another high-profile brawl over President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts that could land one federal agency with a shutdown all its own. As...
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$80M for crime prevention
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee highlighted the work of the Memphis Safe Task Force during his State of the State address on Feb. 2 and announced more money to help with the work. During the annual state of the state address, Lee’s final, he said he has...
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Collierville boy starts community food pantries to help those in need
A Collierville 11-year-old is showing you can make a difference in your community no matter how old you are. In November, Jack Knight — along with the help of his father, Alex Knight — launched Help Memphis, which focuses on addressing food insecurity...
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How Oxford residents are recovering from ice storm
OXFORD — Brindin Chandler was walking across a road to his home just outside Oxford city limits when he heard cracking above him. He froze and watched a tree, heavy with ice, tear a hole in his bedroom roof. “If I’d been there sleeping,” Chandler, 20,...
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‘SINNERS’ TO GRAMMYS
When the 68th annual Grammy Awards are handed out Feb. 1 in downtown Los Angeles, one Memphian who will be in attendance and paying close attention is Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell. h Mitchell, who operates the famed Royal Studios in South Memphis, is...
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Ole Miss to stay closed until Feb. 8
The University of Mississippi campus will remain closed through Sunday, Feb. 8, as Oxford works to recover from damage left by Winter Storm Fern. Oxford was hit hard by the storm starting on Jan. 23, and by the early morning hours of Jan. 25, the city...
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Birthday vigil to celebrate Presley’s ‘life, legacy, light’
Elvis Presley has millions of admirers around the world, but Jacob Jeffery of Little Rock prefers a different member of the Presley family. h Since childhood, he has devoted much of himself — his thoughts, his enthusiasms, his internet activism, even...
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Electrical workers union says NES turned them away after ice storm
The local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) said it offered linemen to help Nashville Electric Service after a crippling ice storm knocked out power for more than 230,000 customers but was turned away Rory Larget,...
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Judge orders ICE director to court
MINNEAPOLIS − Minnesota’s chief federal judge ordered the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to appear in court over what he says is the Trump administration’s repeated failure to grant detained immigrants bond hearings despite judicial...
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When to expect clear roads after the winter storm
As the winter storm leaves Memphis, leaving a trail of snow, ice and frigid temperatures in its wake, the City of Memphis expects major roads to clear in the coming days. Back roads and neighborhoods — and roads that see lesser through-traffic — will...
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Memphis braves frigid temps, snow and sleet
Snow, sleet and ice covered Memphis and much of Tennessee this weekend as an impactful winter storm entered the area. Memphis faced freezing rain, snow, sleet and bitterly cold temperatures this weekend. The Memphis office of the National Weather...
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Your next medical visit could be to a pharmacist
The next time you have a sore throat, an ear infection or pink eye, you might find medical help from an unexpected person — your local pharmacist. h The national shortage of doctors in rural communities and beyond is expected to continue to worsen...
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‘VERY DISAPPOINTING’
CHICAGO – In Chicago’s workingclass Pilsen neighborhood, a 1960s-era oil-fired power plant rises up from an industrial lot behind Dvorak Park, which in warmer weather is packed with children climbing on its colorful playground and zooming down...
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18 inches marks biggest snowfall in Memphis history
For the third January in a row, Mother Nature is preparing to sock Memphis in the face with a big fat snowball. According to weather forecasters, Memphis is likely to receive more than 3 inches of snow between Friday and Sunday, Jan. 23 and Jan. 25,...
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Memphis and the Oscars: 10 Academy Award wins with ties to Bluff City
Nominations for the 98th annual Academy Awards of Merit — commonly known as the Academy Awards, or, the Oscars — will be announced Jan. 22. The winners will be announced during the annual Oscars ceremony — which will be broadcast on ABC and streamed...
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TN GOP proposes host of immigration bills
Tennessee Republican leaders have proposed cracking down on taxpayerfunded benefits for undocumented immigrants by creating a host of new requirements for proving legal status to access grocery and housing benefits, school enrollment, professional...
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Germantown weighs first TIF
The firm behind the redevelopment of a former Germantown shopping center is continuing to work through the suburb’s first proposed tax-increment financing (TIF) application. The Standard Germantown — a mixed-use, lifestyle center at 6685 Poplar Ave. —...
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School will soon be ‘anchor’ in Klondike-smokey City again
For Laquita Mcclelland and Scarlett Wright, seeing the Northside High School active again is surreal. h “It means everything,” Mcclelland said. “It was heartbreaking when we heard they were going to close the school.” h Both Mcclelland Wright graduated...
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A fish worth fighting for
Lake sturgeon can grow up to 7 feet long and weigh 200-300 pounds – roughly the size of a female ostrich. h Some have lived up to 150 years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says. h “Lake sturgeon is just an incredible fish,” Tennessee Valley...
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XAI continues expanding in the Memphis area
It has been a very busy 18 months for Elon Musk’s XAI since the company first announced plans for its Memphis data center in June 2024. Since then, the company and its affiliates have acquired 1,156.62 acres of land, including three warehouse...
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New restaurants among many Lakeland projects for 2026
New housing. New restaurants. New retail. It’s all in the works in Lakeland — along with a possible new-to-market grocery store. The noteworthy Ashmont mixeduse development project is expected to bring housing options as well as restaurants, retail...
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Gov. Bill Lee faces budget strain, political crossfire
As Tennessee heads into a financially strained and politically charged legislative session, Gov. Bill Lee is racing the clock to expand school vouchers and charter schools — cornerstone priorities of his tenure — before leaving office. h The path ahead...
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Fans from around world celebrate Elvis’ 91st birthday at Graceland
An enthusiastic group of fans from across the globe gathered on Graceland’s front lawn early on the morning of Jan. 8 to mark what would have been Elvis Presley’s 91st birthday. The event honoring the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll — born Jan. 8, 1935, in...
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Drive-in, hotels & more: Memphis businesses we said goodbye to in 2025
The Memphis area saw several new businesses open their doors in 2025, from grocery stores to international retailers. h But the year also brought a number of permanent business closures, including Shelby County’s last remaining drive-in, a casino and a...
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10 new area businesses worth checking out
There was no shortage of openings around the Memphis area in 2025, especially on the retail and commercial side. h The area saw more than 50 new restaurants open over the last 12 months — and even more new concepts are on the way. h Hard Times Deli is...
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Trump says Memphis crime down 77%
In a Jan. 3 press briefing about U.S. actions in Venezuela, President Donald Trump also said crime in Memphis was down 77%. The City of Memphis was unable to confirm that number and it was not clear where the president was getting the data. The...
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FROM 201 POPLAR TO MORE BIG GLO
2Commercial Appeal staff 025 was a very busy year in Memphis. h It saw the introduction of the Memphis Safe Task Force, the Memphis-shelby County Schools board firing a superintendent and naming a new one in one night, a host of restaurant openings...
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Museums to mixed-use
There was no shortage of development news in 2025 around Memphis and Shelby County. Notable tech companies such as XAI and Google announced expansions and new development plans within the region. Additionally, local developers made progress on...
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Is Buc-ee’s opening in 2026 in TN?
While many may be anticipating new Tennessee Buc-ee’s locations in the new year, the gas station giant has revealed that 2026 might not be the year of the beaver in the Volunteer State. Tennessee has been among the newest areas of expansion for the...
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Memphis airport lands record 11 new flights in 2025
Memphis International Airport had a banner year when it came to air service. Glen Thomas, communications director for the Memphis-shelby County Airport Authority, said the 11 new flights that launched in 2025 at Memphis International mark the highest...
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Layoff notices impact 1,375 jobs in Shelby Co.
In October, Georgia-pacific LLC filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) notice for a pair of closures in Shelby County. On Oct. 17, the Portland-based company filed a WARN notice with the Tennessee Department of Labor and...
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Area author Yellin recalls Lawson’s brilliance, legacy
“For at the heart of racism is the idea that a man is not a man, that a person is not a person. You are human beings. You are men. You deserve dignity.“ These words from the Rev. James Lawson Jr. are inscribed on the I AM A MAN memorial in...
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A look back at 2025 in Memphis
With 2025 almost in the books, many are looking back at the year and all it brought. And what a year it was for Memphis and the Mid-south. h The past 12 months brought the inception of the Memphis Safe Task Force, with the associated uptick in...
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Meet the best in hooves
Gravel crackled under the tires of cars as they pulled into a fenced-in lot in North Memphis. A barn and acres of torn grass wedged itself between factories. It was a brisk 30 degrees, and the sun had just come into full view. By 7 a.m., the barn’s...
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Trump orders 2 new federal holidays near Christmas
Christmas break for some workers may be extended this year thanks to a new executive order from President Donald Trump. On Dec. 18, Trump issued an executive order that designates Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas as federal holidays in 2025....
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Goodwill Excel Center graduates 70 adult learners
On Dec. 3, over 70 adult high school graduates received their high school diplomas on stage at the Orpheum Theater. The graduates all attended Goodwill’s Excel Center to complete the remainder of their high school coursework. The Excel Center, a...
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Meet the artists behind the music of ‘Song Sung Blue’
Filmed in New Jersey, “Song Sung Blue” is the story of Milwaukee entertainers who perform the music of Neil Diamond, a pop superstar from Brooklyn. But don’t put away the road map yet. “All the music was made right here in Memphis,” said Craig Brewer,...
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ON THE SET OF ‘YOUNG WARRIORS’
During his time on the HBO series “Entourage,” Jeremy Piven won three consecutive Emmy Awards for best supporting actor in a comedy series. This distinction places Piven in exclusive, even extraordinary company. The others who matched this feat are...
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Elephant picks Liberty Bowl winner
Asali, an African Elephant at the Memphis Zoo, has her prediction for who will win the Autozone Liberty Bowl. The matchup between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Navy Midshipmen is set for Jan. 2, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. Asali, who turned 40 years old in...
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