Why is it taking nearly two decades to fix Elvis Presley Boulevard? I invited state Senator Raumesh Akbari to join me in my 2015 minivan for a drive-along. Here’s what I learned.

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Why does it matter that the wrecking balls are coming for 495 Union? Because it’s not just a building that is being destroyed. An institution is imperiled, too.

At the age of 60, Joe Ford started pole vaulting. And started passing his wisdom along. He’s now retiring as a volunteer coach at the age of 75. But you can bet he’ll still be around. 

Back in 2010, John Isner and Sam Querrey met each other in a memorable ATP final at The Racquet Club. On July 25, they’ll be back in Memphis for an exhibition to help celebrate the return of professional tennis to the city. 

Memphis coach Charles Huff said Memphis plans to join a Power 4 conference in 2028. Was it a guarantee? Not exactly. “I think you’ve got to speak things into existence,” he said. 

Brittnye Ostrom-Robinson — a former dancer for the Memphis Grizzlies and U of M Pom — is stuck in the hospital with a difficult diagnosis. So how did friends and family lift her spirits? With a dancing flash mob, of course. 

“I remember us being chased by the Klan in Moscow, Tennessee,” Dekater Horton said, “because you are driving in a car with a white woman. It was in the middle of the day. We got on a dirt road, and they couldn’t catch us. It was normal, honestly.”

There is a single spot in Memphis where you can stand in all three congressional districts. It’s an absurdity, yes. And a cause for rage.

They’re a married couple — and two of the very best students graduating from the University of Memphis Saturday. But the best part of their story is the way they’ve embraced the city they now call home.

“They’re killing an iconic American city,” said U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, who flew in to join Tuesday’s protest. “It’s a terrible day for Memphis and it’s a terrible day for Tennessee.”

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“Memphis is in a corner. Memphis is its own place. To divide the 9th Congressional District into thirds would be ‘like putting the Black vote in the back of the bus.’”

When Noah Schepman was one, his dad built him a tiny wheelchair. Now Schepman’s tennis coach calls him “the fastest kid — on feet or wheels — that I’ve ever seen.”

If you were an owner intent on keeping a profitable NBA team in Memphis, wouldn’t you do whatever you could to tap into the Nashville market? To bring some of those Nashville riches over here?

Ted Butler didn’t want to teach golf lessons. That was nearly 100,000 lessons ago. The math is absolutely staggering. But the man is not about to stop.

Did the Grizzlies mistreat Ja Morant? No, of course not. But it’s telling (and unfortunate) that the question had to be asked. 

“Will Elon Musk follow through on his promise to build a water-recycling facility? It’s up to Memphians to make sure he does.”

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They fell in love with the Grizzlies on their first date. But after Monday’s game, they’re giving up their season tickets. And they’re not alone.

Memphis State student Arthur Allen was hailed as a war hero when he was killed in a bombing mission over Germany. More than 80 years later, Allen’s family will be presented with the diploma that Allen well and truly earned.

“It was a disappointing cheap shot from a guy who grew up in Akron, Ohio, who should know something about hardscrabble towns.”

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“Women’s basketball is booming. Except in Memphis, where it’s been a drag. Hana Haden — the new coach of the Tigers — is going to change that.”

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The Daily Memphian asked local Iranians how they feel about the war. The prevailing sentiment? “The bombs do not scare us; what scares us is the war ending and the Islamic Republic still ruling Iran.”

President Donald Trump came to Memphis to declare victory over crime. Two Friday night shootings were a reminder that work still remains.

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Justice Amy Coney Barrett is returning to Rhodes College to speak Wednesday. Why isn’t Rhodes talking about it? That’s complicated.

“Penny Hardaway is returning as Memphis coach. How can he fix things? He can start by accepting that the disaster that was this past season wasn’t some ‘one-off.’ ”

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Sam Bielich was famous in Memphis as the Medicine Man. Now he’s recovering from triple bypass surgery — and his old friends from the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity are trying to help.