Memphis

MEMPHIS — The MLGW Board of Commissioners approved a budget on Oct. 21 that raises rates by 12% for residential customers, 20% for commercial and industrial customers and 30% for data centers, WMC reported. The plan now goes to the City Council, which has final authority over rate changes. Earlier in the process, MLGW's schedule had the council receiving it Nov. 11, with a full vote tentatively set for Nov. 24. CEO Doug McGowen has described a three-year gas and water increase that would add about $18 a month to the average gas bill and $10 to the average water bill. He says it is unrelated to data centers. He cites a $17 million jump in repaving costs under new city rules, plus modernization spending. Councilman JB Smiley Jr. said it is the wrong time to ask residents to pay more.

MEMPHIS — The Memphis City Council voted Tuesday for a nonbinding resolution calling for ICE and the Tennessee National Guard to leave the city. The Daily Memphian noted that the council rejected a similar measure in September 2025. The council has no power to remove either force, and the vote put it on record. Dozens of speakers backed the measure. It targets the hundreds of agents assigned to the Memphis Safe Task Force, which President Trump created last September. The resolution cites MPD reporting that crime had already fallen to a 25-year low before the deployment. Per WMC, it also cites concerns about due process and family separation, and says six people have died in task force operations. The vote came days after U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the task force would stay "as long as it takes."

MEMPHIS — The 135-day data center pause the Memphis City Council approved Tuesday was amended on the floor, and its final text was not immediately available for review. The council also voted 6-6 against a longer moratorium of up to 18 months. Councilwoman Jerri Green said members needed more time to understand the changes. Sponsor Rhonda Logan said her ordinance had not changed, and that the council's authority is limited to land use. Chairwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington said the measure still includes a pause and guardrails. Some opponents at the meeting said the ordinance was drafted by ChatGPT and rubber-stamped by SpaceXAI. State Rep. Justin J. Pearson said voters should respond at the polls next year. Mayor Paul Young's 90-day study of rules for hyperscale data centers continues alongside the council's work.

MEMPHIS — Iron & Wine, the project of singer-songwriter Samuel Beam, plays Satellite Music Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 27, with the show starting at 7 p.m. Beam is known for hushed acoustic guitar and soft vocals, and the Memphis date is one of only a few on the current run. Live Nation's tour listing shows a Thursday stop in Columbia, S.C., two days later. Ticketmaster limits buyers to four tickets per order and sells add-ons including coat check, a vinyl-room pass and a soda-and-popcorn voucher. The venue is a Live Nation room in Midtown, and the quieter booking offers a contrast to the heavier shows on its calendar this week. Because the date is only two days away, buyers should check the Ticketmaster page for remaining availability before heading out.

MEMPHIS — After opening the 2026-27 season with a 123-103 home win over Utah, the Grizzlies are on the road for most of this week. Per ESPN's schedule, they play at Sacramento tonight, Sunday, Oct. 25, and at Utah on Monday. Both games tip at 9 p.m. Eastern, which is 8 p.m. in Memphis. They finish the trip Thursday, Oct. 29, at Portland, with a 10 p.m. Eastern tip, or 9 p.m. Central. Fans can follow the games through NBA League Pass, and Ticketmaster lists the road seats. The team returns to FedExForum on Saturday, Oct. 31, to host Sacramento, a game covered separately. With Halloween night split between the Grizzlies and Tigers football, the road swing gives local fans three weeknight games to watch from home. Ticket prices for each arena are on the Ticketmaster and ESPN listings.

MEMPHIS — The Overton Park Shell's Shell on Wheels program, which carries the venue's programming into neighborhoods, ends the week with a Halloween-eve date at Wiseacre OG on Friday, Oct. 30. The Shell's calendar bills it as the start of Halloweekend, with live music, micheladas and more. A start time and lineup were not listed. The Shell is also running its Baptist Health & Wellness fitness series in the park, including a SCULPT session on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 1928 Poplar Ave., and a breath work and meditation class on Saturday, Oct. 31. The Shell's calendar also lists the rescheduled Indigo Girls show with Linda Perry in the Shell Yeah! series. Readers should check the Shell's event pages for lineup, time and any admission fee.