1 Jacob Evans pulls out a concealed pistol and shoots a would-be robber and killer. Police determine that Evans, convicted of a murder some 20 years ago, violated his parole by purchasing the gun, and he now faces a year in prison. We understand that felons aren’t supposed to have firearms, but shouldn’t this case be an exception? Doesn’t it kind of seem like he needed it?
2 Congressman Harold Ford Jr.’s office sends a “staff-written” letter to the parole board, asking “consideration” for convicted killer Phillip Michael Britt. The GOP calls it “a disgraceful act.” Ford back-pedals, saying the letter was a mistake, and he does not support parole for Britt, convicted of killing Deborah Groseclose in 1977. It just goes to show that you’ve got to be careful when you buy one of those fancy-shmancy signature stamps.
3 After 22 years as chef de cuisine at The Peabody, Jose Gutierrez decides to open his own restaurant. That’s probably bad news for the hotel but good news for Memphis. We had always fretted that an eatery in some other city would someday lure away Gutierrez, consistently ranked one of our top chefs.
4 On August 27th, a Whitehaven man became Memphis’ 100th homicide victim this year. There are plenty of goals a city aims for. This certainly isn’t one of them.
5 Hunters report stumbling on meth labs tucked away in the woods. That’s progress, we suppose. We’ve come a long way from rotgut whiskey, stills, and “revenooers.”