Hey, friends and fam. It’s Tuesday, May 25, and the TSSAA Spring Fling begins today and runs through the rest of the week. It will determine the state champions in high school baseball, tennis, soccer, softball and track and field. And, yes, we have a look at what all of our local teams can expect while they are in Murfreesboro. 

There’s also a wine dinner at East Memphis’ Dory tonight, with French wines from Michael Corso Selections and a six-course tasting menu. The National Civil Rights Museum is hosting “Where do we go from here? State of race relations & policies,” beginning at 6 p.m. The City of Memphis is set to start construction, beginning today, for Liberty Park’s anchor, the Memphis Sports and Events Center. And Youth Villages will hold a job fair with 150 openings for bachelor’s degree-level jobs and starting pay at $46,000 or above.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Kevin Hyneman (left) died Sunday, May 23. His younger brother Rusty Hyneman (right) died Dec. 4. (Courtesy photo)

The end of an era? Longtime local real estate developer Kevin Hyneman reportedly passed away this weekend in Destin. Recently, Hyneman had been working on a 120-acre development planned for Lakeland but he was involved in a wide swathe of real estate deals, including selling 35 acres in Cordova to a very popular, Sweden-based furniture retailer. “He was not only smart, he knew the markets he was in,” said a close friend. “He was just phenomenal at building and knowing the markets he catered to.” Hyneman’s younger brother, Rusty, also a developer, died in December.

A penny saved is a penny gained? Because of a state law saying local governments can’t round up or enjoy any windfall from a reappraisal, Shelby County’s recertified tax rate could actually end up costing it about $230,000. (And, to be fully transparent, I am rounding up.) Instead, the Shelby County Commission is looking at enacting a small tax increase — but it would have to be a whole penny instead of the 0.001 of a cent it’s losing with the recertification. The result would be about $2.5 million added to the budget. In other commission news, the body officially asked Gov. Bill Lee not to sign a bill banning critical race theory and the history of racism from being taught in Tennessee public schools. Several teachers and a student spoke against the bill during the meeting, with one comparing it to “removing fundamental algebra in our math classes.” But, ultimately, the governor went ahead and signed the measure.

Wait? Now two Whataburger location are in the works? (Eric Gay/AP)

Cordova ketchup: After a certain Southaven mayor revealed the secret sauce about Whataburger coming to his city, it appears the fast food joint is also headed to Cordova. Whataburger recently filed a building permit for new construction — with a drive-thru, natch — on Germantown Parkway.

An affair of the heart: A very small number of teenagers and young adults, mostly male, who received a COVID-19 vaccine have also developed inflammation in the heart. The condition is not dangerous in most cases — except when it is and leads to permanent damage that can require sufferers to need a heart transplant. Local medical experts say we haven’t seen any cases here but, with 12-to-16-year-olds now getting vaccinated, it’s something they are keeping their eyes on.

MEET MEMPHIS 

Bill Hewitt (left) and his son Owen Hewitt at the Memphis Grizzlies game Friday, May 14, 2021. (Drew Hill/Daily Memphian)

Owen Hewitt, a high school student from St. George’s Independent School, is probably the only person in Memphis who’s ever been blocked by John Konchar’s dad on Twitter. (It was a misunderstanding.) Hewitt runs a “John Konchar Fan Account” on the popular social media platform and has tweeted more than 800 times from the stan account about — who else? — the Grizzlies’ Konchar. But Hewitt doesn’t consider himself the guard’s biggest fan, because “he learned quickly that the title is difficult to snatch from the Mastodon fans of Purdue-Fort Wayne,” where Konchar played college ball. 

THE NICE TO KNOW

Rachel Heck drives off the tee during the Division 2 girls regional golf tournament during her St. Agnes days. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian file)

A Heck of a thing: Former St. Agnes standout and current Stanford University student Rachel Heck won the NCAA golf championship yesterday in Scottsdale, Arizona. The four-time Division 2-AA Tennessee state champion shot a final-round 74 and is now one of only three women in history who have swept conference, regional and national tournaments.

Sea bass with forbidden rice is one of the entrees at Zen. (Jennifer Biggs/Daily Memphian)

And a moment of Zen: Given all the challenges facing restaurants in the past year, The Daily Memphian’s food and dining editor Jennifer Biggs visited Zen Japanese Fine Cuisine in Germantown last November — but didn’t write about it. Most of what she ordered at the time wasn’t widely available and restaurant capacity was still limited. She went back recently, though, and tried the miso and cream soup, the Jamaican Drift sushi roll and a sea bass. And though a staffing shortage is still in effect (yes, practically everywhere), she gave Zen her seal of approval, finding “it a different place, one with everything on the menu seemingly available and up to snuff.” 

Back with a bang: Collierville is ready to show out for Independence Day. The town is bringing its annual July 3 fireworks display back to H.W. Cox Park this year and it plans to make it its biggest show ever.

WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Memorial Day travel. Crossing over the Mississippi River might be slow during the holiday weekend but maybe not as slow as it could’ve been? 

Just something to keep in mind if you have travel plans ... 

That’s the itinerary for today! Thanks for reading and please keep us in your plans for tomorrow! 

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