Good morning, friends! Today is Wednesday, Nov. 25, and it’s a particularly noteworthy day around here because it’s The Early Word’s birthday. Yes, we started this endeavor exactly a year ago, and with another big birthday, no less. (Also, do y’all remember watching “Bluff City Law” on television?)

We’ve all been through a lot this year, some of us more than others, and I just want to thank you for reading. Whether you’ve been with me since Day 1 or you just signed up yesterday, you guys make my 4:30 a.m. wake-up call worth it. 

Before it gets too mushy around here, Tigers basketball is scheduled to begin its new season today, taking on Saint Mary’s at 1 p.m. in the first round of the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Now, I’ve got to go find some breakfast cake. Or at least a candle for my oatmeal. 

THE NEED TO KNOW

A chalk mural of Snoopy and Woodstock decked in medical scrubs adorned the parking lot of St. Francis Hospital in August. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian file)

A new high/low for hospitals: Memphis hospitals hit their highest number of admitted coronavirus patients yesterday since the pandemic began. There were 410 COVID-19 patients in the area’s hospitals, according to Tennessee’s Healthcare Resource Tracking System, and that number is one to keep in mind as we consider this: Health Department officials said at yesterday’s regular Tuesday briefing that they expect more than 500 people to be hospitalized on Christmas Day (though projections will continue to change with our behavior). Also of note at the briefing, Memphis COO Doug McGowen talked about people who underwent asymptomatic assurance testing this past weekend in preparation for Thanksgiving: Of those more than 2,600 tests, about one in 10 came back positive (and, again, these were people who did not think they had the virus).

More rooms, more testing: For more than a decade, Room in the Inn has used buildings belonging to area faith-based and nonprofit organizations to provide shelter and meals to the homeless. More than 50 organizations participate, but the program itself — up to now — has also been homeless. By the end of the year, that should change, and it seems it can’t come soon enough. Room in the Inn and similar organizations, such as the Hospitality Hub, are struggling under the pandemic, and the city’s two largest shelters require men to show evidence of a negative COVID test before checking in. But, there is a new plan to make coronavirus testing more accessible to homeless people. 

Commercial Filter employee Yasmany Lage helps the company make about 7 million air-conditioning filters a year for buildings. (Tom Bailey/Daily Memphian)

Check your filter: Yesterday, we talked about how a longtime Memphis manufacturer was leaving the city for Piperton, a move that was heralded by the governor. Lynn Stage started Commercial Filter, a company that now makes about 7 million air filters each year for commercial buildings, in 1981 “with $700 to [his] name.” It’s already moved several times within the city to accommodate its growth, and with COVID-19, well, you can imagine how it’s affected a company that makes air filters. But staffing is a challenge — and Stage believes he can recruit better employees from the smaller towns around Piperton than he’s able to hire in Memphis.

Speaking of the governor: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee wants you to wear a mask, but he’s still not going to tell you that you have to. Amid a rising number of coronavirus cases in the state, the governor is hoping people will take personal responsibility for their health and the health of others. And it might be a while before this conversation goes away; the state’s health commissioner estimated yesterday that a vaccine will be widely available to us by late spring or early summer.

MEET MEMPHIS

Jermaine Johnson

Former Melrose High School coach Jermaine Johnson came up in Memphis right behind Penny Hardaway, Johnson attending Snowden Middle while Hardaway was a rising star at Treadwell High. One of Johnson’s teammates was Hardaway’s cousin, and eventually, Johnson came to think of Hardaway as a mentor. Now, the two longtime friends are co-workers. Johnson, most recently an assistant coach at Troy University, is the new assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers. But, it’s actually Johnson’s second coaching stint with the Tigers; he was a student assistant under John Calipari for four years.

THE NICE TO KNOW

The Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant shows off the team’s new “Soul City” uniforms. (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

We can dig it: The Grizzlies have already revealed their 20th anniversary season throwback uniforms. But, now they’ve got something really special up their sleeves. So to speak. Their “Soul City Editions” pay tribute to Stax Records and superstar Isaac Hayes, with tiny gold sunglasses, embossed black-on-black vertical stripes (like your favorite record), a very recognizable font and other nicely executed details. 

College basketball is back: Have I mentioned the Tigers are expected to begin their season today? The team often travels to a hot spot for tournaments and this year is no different; they’re just traveling to a coronavirus hot spot. (Too much? Maybe?) At any rate, the team made it to Sioux Falls for a tournament that has already seen six other teams drop out. But, given everything else that has happened, coach Penny Hardaway is feeling fortunate to be there, even if ‘there’ is South Dakota.

A pedestrian crosses Mulberry Street at Collierville's historic Town Square. (Daily Memphian file)

Light time: If you’ve ever wanted to attend Collierville’s Christmas tree lighting, well, this isn’t exactly the year. But you can get into the spirit of the season with a virtual lighting of the Town Square.

WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

The University of Memphis’ “alternative” spring break will offer students not a full week off in the spring but a two-day wellness break near the beginning of March and another near the beginning of April. 

Who knows? Maybe this could become a thing even post-COVID.

Or not.

That’s the word for today. Hope you have an enjoyable Thanksgiving, even if it’s a little different this year. (Maybe the silver lining to a smaller holiday is fewer political squabbles with the family?) 

The Early Word will be on hiatus tomorrow and Friday, but news never sleeps so feel free to check in with our site for the latest. And this column will return Monday, bright and early and maybe just slightly doughier. Until then, stay safe.

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