Good morning, Early Word-ers. Today is Tuesday, May 11, and your Shelby County Commission will begin budget sessions today in what could be another contentious budget cycle. 

The Center City Revenue Finance Corp. will also meet and take up two PILOT requests, one for the Museum Lofts and another for 47 Diana St. Memphis Light, Gas & Water is hosting a virtual Power Hour meeting to talk with customers. And the Memphis Grizzlies will take on the Dallas Mavericks at FedExForum. 

THE NEED TO KNOW

Shili “Shirley” Fan’s company, NCE Realty, bought the vacant Central Police Station at 128 Adams Ave. in 2016. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian)

Police building back in play: The future of Memphis’ historic police headquarters is once again up in the air. The Downtown building was eyed by several groups as a potential boutique hotel before being included in plans for the new Loews convention center hotel, planned for Civic Center Plaza. But Loews let its contract for the property lapse last week, and owner Shirley Fan says her company won’t return to its original plan for the building “even if the opportunity comes back to us.” The other question is perhaps what this latest move means for the entire Loews project. The hotelier planned to use the property for back-of-house functions, a parking garage and meeting space. 

A real-life experiment: For as much as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is an absolute miracle and one of the best things about Memphis, it is also one big lab, trying to find the very best ways to save lives. It’s recently been mining its own COVID-19 data, collected as the hospital tried to remain open and continue treating children during the pandemic. The results of that data dive show that the vaccine works similarly in the “real world” as it did in clinical trials, but the numbers are also “a reminder of the many hidden cases in the population, which makes containing the virus a big challenge.” In related news, a young neonatologist is reminding us today that we still don’t have an effective treatment for those who get sick from COVID and is urging millennials to get vaccinated: “The mRNA technology that makes up the Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations has been studied and perfected for three decades.” In other words, though he doesn’t say this, the technology is actually older than some of us. 

Memphis Grizzlies center Jaren Jackson Jr. (middle) makes a pass from the floor against the New Orleans Pelicans defense during action on Monday, May 10, 2021. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Seven-Eight, play them straight: The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the New Orleans Pelicans last night, and “they looked like the Memphis Grizzlies again — the exciting version that once won seven in a row, not the group that struggled against the Pistons and Magic.” Better even than that, the win puts the team squarely into the play-in for the play-offs and, with four regular-season games remaining, the Grizz could end up in what’s being called the “Seven-Eight Game” or the “Nine-Ten Game.” This part is also good: At the beginning of the season, NBA experts and the oddsmakers in Las Vegas thought the Pelicans would be headed to the play-in and the Grizz wouldn’t and, as Geoff Calkins writes, “It’s a reminder that this has been a season of accomplishment for Memphis, no matter what happens the rest of the way.”

Teens arrested, charged: After two members of a Violent Crime Unit task were injured in a shooting last Friday afternoon, four teenagers have been apprehended and charged with attempted first-degree murder. A Memphis police officer and a federal ATF agent were searching for a carjacked vehicle in North Memphis last week when several people in a red sedan allegedly opened fire. The Memphis officer was hit in the arm while the ATF agent was hit in the leg; both have now been released from the hospital. 

MEET MEMPHIS

In this 2015 photo, Sara Hammond puts up a shot between the defense of NC State’s Jennifer Mathurin, left, and Miah Spencer during the second half of their NCAA basketball game in Louisville, Kentucky. Hammond is the new girls basketball coach at Lausanne. (AP file photo/Timothy D. Easley)

A gold medal-winner at the 2014 FIBA World Championships in Russia is Lausanne’s new girl’s basketball coach. Kentucky native Sara Hammond played college ball with the University of Louisville, competing in three NCAA Tournaments (and one Final Four game) during her time there. In fact, her 15 NCAA Tournament games are a high for the Louisville program. “My goal as a coach is to take my experiences as a player and use (them) to connect and build relationships with the players and to help sharpen their skills, basketball IQs and development of becoming well-rounded young women,” she said.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Richard Myers has been spearheading — and pickaxing — the courtyard project at White Station High School. Volunteers spent last Saturday working on landscaping as part of the half-million dollar project. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

High school oasis: For the last several years, Glankler Brown attorney and parent Richard Myers has been leading a project to transform White Station High School’s “prison-like courtyard into an oasis.” To do so, volunteers have had to raise $550,000 and put in their own sweat equity, too. They’re not quite done yet, but the goal is to have a ribbon-cutting on June 5, right before graduation. And there was also a move afoot to name the new courtyard after the school’s longtime trainer.

Commission takes up truce: In something of a strange vote, four members of the Shelby County Commission voted yes to an ordinance that would require oil pipelines to be 1,500 feet from houses, schools and places of worship. But seven of the other members abstained. Since it was only the first reading of the ordinance, designed with the Byhalia Connection pipeline in mind, two more votes will be taken in the future — and the commission indicated that those will be delayed to line up with the Memphis City Council’s measure, and it’s so-called “truce,” on the same subject.

A rendering of the mini-golf facilities proposed — but voted down — in Collierville. (Courtesy Town of Collierville)

A hole in none: Malco’s dream of mini-golf in Collierville has been denied. Malco Theatres was planning to open an 18-hole course on the same property as its Collierville Towne Cinema Grill and MXT, but the town’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen rejected the project yesterday, with concerns over the location.

Lamar leaves: Memphis’ director of solid waste has left city government, after problems occurred with garbage collection in Cordova, Hickory Hill and East Memphis. Al Lamar, a former senior operations manager for Williams Sonoma, became the head of the city’s brand-new solid waste division more than two years ago during an overhaul of trash services. 

WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Memphis in May might not be totally back to normal but Memphis in May road closures are. 

When I worked Downtown, I used to love this time of year because it would make turning left onto Riverside Drive from George Avenue so easy. All you had to watch out for were the golf carts. ... I mean, there are other reasons to love this time of year, too. Obviously. 

On that note ... have a great Tuesday, and look out for golf carts. 

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