Hey, Memphis! TGIF, amirite?

Today is June 18, and it’s a big weekend. The Memphis Juneteenth Festival, in Health Sciences Park, begins today. There’s also the area’s first balloon jamboree (talk about a glow up) in Collierville. And live music is returning to Cooper-Young’s Bar DKDC. 

Need more ideas? Check out this week’s To-Do List.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe said Helen of Troy’s new fulfillment center’s 350 jobs will make it among the top three employers in Fayette County. (AP File Photo/Mark Humphrey)

The face that launched 350 jobs? Houseware, health and beauty company Helen of Troy Limited plans to build a 2 million-square-foot distribution center near Memphis. The Fayette County facility will work with the company’s housewares products, including OXO brand products and Hydro Flask water bottles, and create 350 new jobs despite being automated.

Delta force: With the Delta variant of COVID-19 identified in Shelby County, the local Health Department is urging those who haven’t been vaccinated to go ahead and do so. “If you are not vaccinated and you come in contact with someone who is shedding [the Delta variant of the] virus, your likelihood of becoming infected is very high,” said Health Department Deputy Director David Sweat. Four local, unrelated clusters of Delta have been discovered through sequencing and, when asked, Sweat said he was not comfortable that the variant has been contained here. In the past week, we’ve averaged about 50 new cases of the coronavirus per day, but that’s varied greatly between 12 cases and 78 cases. Also, I’ve got a correction for you: A story earlier this week talked about the number of people hospitalized with breakthrough cases being almost 60. It was 12. 

An inflatable rainbow in front of Nick Toombs’ Bartlett home has caused quite a stir. (Omer Yusuf/Daily Memphian)

Over a rainbow: Last weekend, I rented a 24-foot-high inflatable waterslide for my backyard (which I totally recommend, by the way). But it’s also the first thing I thought about when I learned that a Bartlett resident’s inflatable rainbow was deemed illegal by code enforcement — and that the city is considering banning all inflatables on residential property. Resident Nick Toombs thinks he’s being unfairly targeted because his inflatable is celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride month as opposed to, say, Christmas. Bartlett’s mayor says, because Christmas and Halloween are deemed official holidays, inflatable decorations for them are viewed differently in the city’s ordinances.

Area teacher indicted: A Shelby County Schools teacher who is also an alderman in Brighton, Tennessee, was arrested Wednesday by the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office and extradited to DeSoto County yesterday. David Boone was indicted on two counts of fondling a juvenile; he has been on leave from SCS since October 2020.

MEET MEMPHIS

Detective Madison Zuck with Derek Newport (left), Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge for Knoxville Metropolitan Region, and Rick Scarbrough, executive director of the Law Enforcement Innovation Center after Zuck graduated from the National Forensic Academy. (Submitted)

While in middle school, Madison Zuck got “suckered into the CSI effect,” becoming interested in crime scene work. She joined the Collierville Police Department in 2013 and made detective this past January. More recently, she graduated from the National Forensic Academy, one of only two Collierville officers to complete the program. The 10-week course helps train law enforcement on missing person cases, cold cases, forensic photography and blood stain analysis. Zuck was praised, in particular, for her drive and her skill at lifting latent fingerprints.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Justin Timberlake worked with a group of Stax Music Academy students on a “Song Lab” writing and production project. Students presented their completed songs to Timberlake, and their parents, via Zoom. (Courtesy of Justin Timberlake/Imprint Projects)

Liking what we hear: Eight students from Stax Music Academy completed the school’s nine-week “All Star Songwriting Lab” yesterday by Zooming with Justin Timberlake — and his reactions make me want to hear all of these students’ songs. “The melodies are so great, the hook is so catchy,” he said to one group of students. “I think I told you this before, but that one note you bent on the bridge? I love that.” The hope is that the song lab won’t just be a one-time thing and that it won’t be fully virtual in the future.

Bane selected: The Memphis Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie second-team yesterday. Selected No. 30 in the 2020 draft, Bane has led all of this year’s rookies in 3-point shooting percentage; the Grizzlies’ Xavier Tillman Sr. was also among players receiving votes.

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins smashes a ceremonial guitar before the Memphis 901 FC’s recent home game. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)

Soccer, basketball and music: On Wednesday evening, the 901 FC had their first home match — and second win — of the season. During the game, two notable things happened. The second was goalkeeper John Berner getting injured — he’s out indefinitely with a ruptured Achilles tendon — and fullback Mark Segbers having to take his place. The first, the literal first, was Memphis Grizzlies’ coach Taylor Jenkins ceremonially smashing a guitar to begin the game. Soccer is one of Jenkins’ favorite sports and, to make sure he didn’t make a fool of himself during the ceremonial smashing, well, the coach watched film — and figured out where he needed to put his feet. 

WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Full disclosure, this was on social earlier this week, but it seemed like a Friday-type thing. And it feels super Memphis. 

Yep, that says, “Baby in this junt.” If anyone knows who’s making these (I’m hoping it’s local), I’d love to know. 

Enjoy your weekend and we’ll meet you back here Monday morning, bright and early. 

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