Well, last night was historic for Memphis. But not necessarily the outcome we wanted. More on that in a moment. 

First, good morning, Early Word-ers. Today is Thursday, May 27, and FedEx Supply Chain is hosting a job fair. The company is especially interested in folks who know their way around a forklift. Today is also the last day that the public vaccination site at the Southwest Tennessee Community College Gill Center in Frayser will be open.

Local high school athletes are still in the Murfreesboro area, trying to take home some shiny, new hardware. And closer to home, another group of kids are having an adventure with “The Goonies” showing in Downtown’s Greenbelt Park.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant scored a career-high number of points last night in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

You are enough: Holy moly. Last night, Grizzlies’ point guard Ja Morant scored a career-high 47 points and set a franchise record for points in a single game. But as Morant himself tweeted after the game, it “wasn’t enough” for the Grizz to defeat the Jazz. Utah star Donovan Mitchell was back last night, after sitting out Game 1 with an injured ankle, and the top seed won 141-129 in Salt Lake City. We were following the whole thing on our live blog with Chris Herrington and after the final buzzer, he gave us a six, quick-take postmortem, including what he sees as encouraging signs from Jaren Jackson Jr. And maybe Morant’s game “wasn’t enough” to win this particular matchup, but as Geoff Calkins said, “it was enough to ensure that any Grizzlies fan who watched the game had to be pumped about the team’s future.” Next up: Game 3, Saturday at the FedExForum.

Rolling on the river: Two state representatives are pushing for a third bridge over the Mississippi River. At a press conference Wednesday, Tenn. State Reps. Joe Towns and Dwayne Thompson said the problems with the Hernando DeSoto bridge have underscored the area’s need to begin planning for an additional bridge, like yesterday. “If we don’t start the ball rolling pretty soon, it’s going to take a lot longer,” Thompson said. 

Bartlett Mayor Keith McDonald talked with attendees before giving a presentation to the Bartlett Area Chamber in early 2020. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian file)

Heir apparent: I’ve lived in the Memphis area for a while now, and I can’t remember a time that Keith McDonald wasn’t the mayor of Bartlett. (I’m not kidding; has Bartlett ever had another mayor?) But after five terms, and recent health issues, the longtime incumbent mayor has decided he won’t run for re-election in November 2022 — and two local aldermen are eyeing the office. And though the election is about 18 months away, McDonald has already made his choice known for his successor.

MEET MEMPHIS 

Firouzeh Sabri

Temperature-sensitive shipments include coronavirus vaccines, at-home meal kits and bottles of white wine. And while current solutions might be bulky, metal data-loggers or expensive and imprecise infrared sensors, a University of Memphis professor has come up with a better way. Firouzeh Sabri has patented a polymer temperature-sensing device, which is reusable and currently orbiting the earth on the International Space Station to test the extremes of space on the patch. While that is happening, the university is also looking at ways to monetize the invention.

THE NICE TO KNOW

A rendering of how the new Ida B. Wells monument might appear near First Baptist Church-Beale. (Submitted)

Statue of liberty: Ida B. Wells is returning to Memphis — sort of. “Ida B. Wells is unquestionably among the handful of people I would suggest are the most important Memphians in our city’s history,” says a local historian, and in July, the investigative journalist and early civil rights leader will be honored as such. A statue of Wells will be unveiled then at the corner of Beale Street and Fourth, near where her newspaper’s offices once were. 

Stable endeavor? Germantown’s John Bragorgos has just begun clearing the land for his latest venture and he’s already received enough calls that he believes he’ll be full by the time the business opens next spring. The idea? “Elite covered parking” for recreational vehicles, located near Bartlett on Summer Avenue. “People are spending a hundred thousand dollars for a vehicle,” Bragorgos said. “They can find a parking lot, but having it covered protects the life of them.”

The 136-guestroom Caption by Hyatt will connect to sister hotel Hyatt Centric, which opened last month. (Tom Bailey/Daily Memphian)

Caption contest: One Beale’s boutique hotel will be the first from the Caption by Hyatt brand in the United States and only the second in the world, with the other located in Shanghai. And Memphis-based architecture firm HBG Design has designed the hotel, as well as the Hyatt Centric that is also part of the project. The Caption will incorporate the facade of the historic William C. Ellis & Sons Ironworks and Machine Shop — with the hotel’s lounge named Talk Shop.

Cloud cover? It took all of five minutes for a proposed, cloud-colored, 500,000-gallon water tower to move forward this week in Germantown. Both the water tower and a softball complex planned for Houston High School were approved by the Germantown Design Review Commission without any further discussion. But then again, the additional water town has been part of the city’s plan for decades. 

WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

This (duck) call ... 

And (duck) response ... 

Enjoy the rest of your day, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow! 

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