The volunteer Search & Rescue group saving lives
The AM/DM
In November of last year, two DeSoto County teenagers were in danger after their SUV crashed and went into a ravine. It had been raining, and the water in the ravine was moving fast. But the girls were lucky because one of the people who witnessed the accident was Johnathon Bigham. And Captain Bigham is the leader of DeSoto County Search & Rescue, a group of about 34 volunteers who get called to help with emergencies. Though he didn’t have any equipment or team members with him, Bigham sprang into action, saving the girls in what was DeSoto County’s third water rescue that...
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The Whalum family legacy lives on
The AM/DM
Among a city of talented musicians, the Whalums stand out. Kirk Whalum is a Grammy Award-winning saxophonist whose achievements include soloing on Whitney Houston’s smash hit, “I Will Always Love You.” Wendell Whalum was a respected organist, musicologist, composer, and longtime director of the Morehouse College Glee Club. Hugh “Peanuts” Whalum was a jazz saxophonist, singer and pianist who toured with Nat King Cole. Thelma Whalum was a classically trained pianist who played the organ at Metropolitan Baptist Church for nearly 50 years. But today’s story isn’t about...
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Don't forget to register to vote
The AM/DM
It’s a busy week, and it starts with your last opportunity to register to vote before the Shelby County primaries on Tuesday, May 5. And there's a celebration in honor of those who have helped Midtown stay Midtown. Newsletter editor Bianca Phillips is here to talk about it all and get us prepared for . Plus:
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A 'free' weekend full of fun
The AM/DM
— the ones The Daily Memphian staff are most excited about, anyway — have one very important thing in common. They are free. Newsletter editor Bianca Phillips is here to give us all the details on those events, including the absence of a price. Plus:
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New restaurant roundup
The AM/DM
Spring is often a time of renewal and rebirth, and those themes seem to be echoing in our local restaurant scene. Reporter Sophia Surrett, who writes our and tracks local restaurant openings and closings, is here today to talk to us about some of the eateries on the horizon. Plus:
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No Kings' end, ongoing fugitive search
The AM/DM
Roughly a month ago, Memphis Police Department officer Oscar Torres-Molina was shot during what should have been a routine traffic stop. Though police know who the alleged shooter is, . The Daily Memphian’s public safety reporter, Aarron Fleming, was curious about that recently, especially in light of the extra manpower on the ground due to the Memphis Safe Task Force. Fleming joins us today to talk about that, as well as his thoughts on this past weekend’s No Kings event. During his time at The Daily Memphian, he’s covered a number of protests and marches, and he said he was...
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If we need a new Regional One, where is the money coming from?
The AM/DM
Early on, the plan to overhaul Regional One was to rebuild the entire thing on its current site, and to do it in phases so the hospital could still operate during construction. But then the plan changed, to building a new hospital on the Commercial Appeal’s former home on Union Avenue. The land was purchased, for $26.6 million, and the entire project is estimated to cost upwards of $900 million. But where will that money come from? Rejoining us today is reporter Jody Callahan to talk about Plus:
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Fallen leaders, new elected officials
The AM/DM
begins with a Shelby County Commission meeting and a new member of the commission. This week also includes the three-day commemoration of the 58th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination at the National Civil Rights Museum, including the annual changing of the wreath. And, on Sunday, a new contract with a Pennsylvania company to maintain the state’s interstates begins. The Early Word writer Bianca Phillips is in the studio and we’ll be talking about all of that. Plus:
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Time to get outside and in, too
The AM/DM
This weekend brings a lot of opportunities to get outside: South Main Trolley Night, a garden party at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens and the Mane Street Food Festival. But it starts with a focus on inside. Art by Design, an ArtsMemphis fundraiser, will have a showroom at Agricenter International with art activations done by local interior designers and galleries. Today, newsletter editor Bianca Phillips joins us to talk about . Plus:
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Making a case for a new Regional One
The AM/DM
Today, Regional One is 1.2 million square feet across six main buildings and 15 acres, and it has centers of excellence for trauma and burn victims, high-risk pregnancies and newborns with critical issues. Today we’re joined by reporter Jody Callahan for part one of a discussion about . Plus:
info_outlineIn November of last year, two DeSoto County teenagers were in danger after their SUV crashed and went into a ravine. It had been raining, and the water in the ravine was moving fast.
But the girls were lucky because one of the people who witnessed the accident was Johnathon Bigham. And Captain Bigham is the leader of DeSoto County Search & Rescue, a group of about 34 volunteers who get called to help with emergencies.
Though he didn’t have any equipment or team members with him, Bigham sprang into action, saving the girls in what was DeSoto County’s third water rescue that year.
North Mississippi reporter Brandon LaGrone II recently wrote a story about the team and the changes Bigham has instituted to make it more effective. LeGrone joins us today to talk about it.
Plus:
- Pooh Shiesty's detention hearing is set in Texas
- The Memphis Safe Task Force accountability act clears the Tennessee House
- The new trial appeal in the Nichols' case is still pending
- MSCS sets the 2026-2027 academic calendar
- A judge alleges that $1.6B in child support is held up due to a third-party vendor
- GXO closes their Southaven warehouse as xAI moves in
- Memphis has reorganized its gun violence program
- MSCS advances its improvement plan