Business
Ask the Memphian: Why does Memphis require liquor stores to be 1,500 feet away from a church or school?
In this week’s “Ask the Memphian,” we explain how that distance came to be and compare it to other populous cities across Tennessee.
Jody Callahan
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.
There are 467 articles by Jody Callahan :
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December 2025
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EducationU of M fires head of foundation, leading board to resign
The University of Memphis has fired the head of its foundation, prompting the entire board to resign from the organization that oversees donations to the school.
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Neighborhoods Aspiring skateboarders coast in for free boards, helmets and gear
The sport is on a roll in Memphis and organizers of a Hickory Hill event aim to help kids get the equipment and training they need.
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Business Alcohol Commission postpones decision on The Station for three weeks
Ethan Edwards has been trying for more than a year to fully open The Station, which is only selling non-alcoholic products now.
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EducationCBU announces another 16 positions cut
Days after being taken off probation by its accrediting body, CBU eliminates another 16 faculty positions
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Education Memphis Theological Seminary could close in 2026
The Board of Trustees recommends that Memphis Theological Seminary shut its doors in 2026.
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MetroAsk the Memphian: How did an Australian prime minister lose his pants in Memphis?
The Memphis Trousers Affair: One night in 1986, a former Australian prime minister endured his worst day in the Bluff City.
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Spirit of MemphisIt’s alive! Everyone thought this insect was extinct, but 2 Memphis scientists discovered the truth.
As far as anyone knew, the greater chestnut weevil was long gone, a victim of the same blight that has killed an estimated 4 billion chestnut trees in the U.S. in less than a century.
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MetroIt’s about to get really cold in Memphis
Beginning late Saturday night, temperatures in Memphis will free fall.
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Business The Station owner trying again for liquor license
The owner of The Station, a proposed high-end liquor store in East Memphis, will appear before the city’s Alcohol Commission next week to ask for a permit.
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Arts & CultureMetal Museum plans to open Overton Park space in 2026
The new Metal Museum space will include a cafe, which officials hope will become a destination on its own.
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Education CBU exits probation after two years, school announces
The decision ends a two-year period in which the Midtown university cut numerous faculty positions and programs and more than $4 million in expenses.
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Music No Beale Street Music Fest for 2025
The three-day festival was “paused” in 2024, Memphis in May officials said at the time, largely due to issues regarding the reconfigured Tom Lee Park that led to a less-than-successful 2023 installment of the event.
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BusinessAsk the Memphian: How did the St. Jude marathon grow from a small race to a mighty behemoth?
How did such a small-time endeavor grow into a massive phenomenon that requires 4,000 volunteers and the cooperation of an entire city for a safe and well-organized event?
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Metro‘Goofiest, happiest dog in the world’ has spent nearly 1,500 days in a shelter
Jelly has spent nearly 1,500 days in a kennel at the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County. Can you give him his forever home?
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DowntownSupporters prepare to hit the ground running ahead of St. Jude’s biggest fundraising event
“I’m just running a little race,” said a St. Jude Memphis Marathon weekend participant about the organization’s annual fundraiser to help end childhood cancer.
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Spirit of Memphis Marathon runners are called St. Jude Heroes, but ‘everyone knows’ young patients are the truly brave ones
More than 22,000 runners took part in the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Saturday, which officials hope will raise $16 million for the hospital
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Spirit of MemphisDan Aykroyd, Vernon Reid, Dave Davies and others remember Stax great Steve Cropper
As news spread of the death of Stax legend Steve Cropper on Thursday, Dec. 4, musicians and others who knew the giant took to social media to pay tribute.
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Visual Arts ‘A little bit cowboy, a little bit visionary': Metal Museum founder James Wallace dies
With his bushy mustache and a Stetson on his head, James Wallace didn’t exactly look like a man who literally willed a museum to life, then nurtured its continued existence for nearly three decades afterward.
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Music Legendary Stax star Steve Cropper dies at 84
A founding member of Booker T. and the MGs as well as a songwriter and producer, legendary guitarist Steve Cropper has been inducted into just about every music hall of fame imaginable.
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Ask the MemphianAsk the Memphian: What in the heck is going on with the San Diego Cantina restaurant?
What’s the deal with the once-popular Mexican restaurant in East Memphis? Why is the giant sign still glowing even though the place has been closed for eight years?
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MetroBeyond ‘get in line:’ Why becoming a US citizen is harder than you think
The process of becoming a U.S. citizen is extremely complex, taking years — sometimes decades — and thousands of dollars. Here’s how people do it.
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November 2025
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Ask the MemphianDid Prince ever play Beale Street?
Yes, and it was legendary.
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Spirit of Memphis ‘We needed to answer:’ From church kitchens to city streets, volunteers serve holiday meals to the hungry
Memphians across the city spend part of their Thanksgiving holiday helping to feed the hungry.
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Arts & Culture Skilled chess players, from crafty kids to adult experts, battle across the boards
Memphis Chess Club’s 65th annual tournament draws players from around the region to three-day competition.
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