The 901: Shelby County district attorney candidates Amy Weirich, Steve Mulroy engage in debate
Good morning, Memphis, where plans have been made to film the third season of “Young Rock.” The NBC show becomes the first major film or television project to be based in Memphis since “Bluff City Law.”
But, first, Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich and challenger Steve Mulroy met for an in-person debate, answering questions submitted by the Rotary Club of Memphis, our Lucas Finton reports.
During the debate, the two candidate stuck closely to their talking points, with Mulroy advocating for criminal justice reforms, including bail reform, along with his disdain for the truth-in-sentencing law that went into effect at the beginning of July.
Weirich, the incumbent district attorney who has held the position since 2011, portrayed Mulroy as a radical activist who does not have experience as a prosecutor and someone who "sued the sheriff asking for the release of everyone at 201 Poplar."
Read Lucas’ story to hear what each district attorney candidate had to say during the debate.
Will investigation of Joris Ray impact how MSCS Board rates his performance?
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray receives an annual evaluation from board members. This year, the evaluation is set to begin while an external investigation into "allegations of impropriety" will likely be ongoing, our Laura Testino reports.
The annual evaluation of Ray's performance in the 2021-22 school year is set to begin July 22, and responses by board members are due Aug. 3, the day before Election Day.
Board chair Michelle McKissack, and Althea Greene, who chairs the evaluation committee, said the two reviews will be separate and one will not interfere with the other.
State comptroller has ‘concerns’ as Memphis considers backing One Beale debt
The city of Memphis' chief financial officer Shirley Ford told the Memphis City Council that State Comptroller Jason Mumpower has 'concerns' about the city backstopping 100% of the bonds that will be issued for the One Beale development, our Samuel Hardiman reports.
The city's investment would back bonds on the One Beale project so the developer Chance Carlisle, the brother of Councilman Chase Carlisle, can build a 350-plus Grand Hyatt hotel.
The Strickland administration appeared to not quite be ready to back all of the debt. But seven members of the City Council are sponsoring a resolution to up the city's backstop of the debt reserve fund to 100%.
Memphis ranks third in nation for pedestrian fatalities
Memphis was ranked as the third deadliest city for pedestrians in a report presented by Smart Growth America, a non-profit that focuses on urban growth policies, our Micaela Watts reports.
For every 100,000 residents, 3.93 were killed by cars while walking in 2020, according to the research conducted for the report.
"This is not a big surprise because many of these metro areas grew and developed after automobile ownership was widespread. So they were built at a scale to prioritize high-speed travel," said Rayla Bellis, a program director for Smart Growth.
Theatre Memphis to honor Priscilla Presley with gala, scholarship
Theatre Memphis announced it will host a black-tie gala event July 22 to honor Priscilla Presley’s contributions to Memphis art and tourism, our Niki Scheinberg reports.
“Honoring Priscilla Presley: The Artist, The Woman” will feature a live musical tribute. Guests can enjoy dinner and an open bar, as well as appearances by special guests, and a meet-and-greet with Presley will take place for sponsors and VIP ticketholders.
“We are so pleased to be the designated venue for this event honoring Priscilla for our shared passion and for her contributions to the community and the arts,” Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch said.
‘Young Rock’ series to film third season in Memphis
"Young Rock," the NBC television series that chronicles the pre-stardom career and misadventures of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, will shoot its third season in Memphis, our John Beifuss reports.
"Young Rock" was based in Australia for its first two seasons, so the decision to move the show to Memphis is something of a surprise.
"The project will engage local crew, suppliers and other vendors to support all phases of production, including construction, catering, transportation and set decoration," the Universal corporate communications reported in a statement.
Shooting begins in September and continues through the end of January. The season will consist of 10 to 12 episodes.
Will Penny Hardaway fill Memphis basketball’s roster?
It's likely this off-season's timeline for Memphis basketball won't be quite so back-heavy as last year. But there are still some things in need of addressing before the first tip-off, our Jason Munz writes in his latest mailbag.
In his mailbag, Jason answers questions that you all had, including if Penny Hardaway is done with the rest of the roster, and if there are any pleasant surprises so far during summer practice.
The 901 is written by Ray Padilla, digital producer for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at raymond.padilla@commercialappeal.comor on Twitter at @Ray_Padilla_.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: The 901: Shelby County district attorney Amy Weirich, Steve Mulroy debate
