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The Daily Memphian | The Early Word
 
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The Early Word: Orgel has plans for 100 N. Main, Carrefour; Where’s Wallace mystery solved ... sort of

Good morrow and glad tidings, all! Welcome to Thursday, Jan. 20. Your Memphis Tigers will play the SMU Mustangs here at home and, for reference, the Mustangs are the top shooting team in the conference and No. 33 in the nation. 

The Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority board is also meeting, with both its master plan and its submission to the FAA for federal infrastructure funds on the agenda. And a sentencing hearing is expected in the case against state Sen. Katrina Robinson.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Billy Orgel talks with Downtown Memphis Commission office manager Christine Taylor while giving a tour of the 99 Front St. project in September 2021. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian file)

Local developers land 100 N. Main: After reviewing proposals from six finalists, the Downtown Memphis Commission staff selected a team including school board members Billy Orgel and Kevin Woods to lead the revitalization of 100 N. Main. The project will include 180 to 210 apartments, a full-service hotel, restaurant and retail space and 60,000 square feet of offices for the City of Memphis. The developers will pay the DMC $10 million in a fee simple purchase for Memphis’ tallest building and, in return, the project will be up for multiple incentives from the downtown organization. And though the developers weren’t the only local finalists for the project, most of the teams weren’t. “I look out my window each day at a vacant asset,” Woods said. “That’s been the case for almost a decade.”

Cornelius Smith (left) and Justin Johnson are charged in the killing of Memphis rapper Young Dolph. They appeared in Shelby County Criminal Court Division 7 yesterday. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)

Dolph shooting suspects in court: Two men charged in the fatal shooting of rapper Young Dolph were in court yesterday for their first appearance. Justin Johnson, 23, and Cornelius Smith, 32, have both been indicted for premeditated murder, attempted first-degree murder and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, among other charges. Johnson is a local rapper known as Straight Drop, but law enforcement has yet to reveal a motive in the case. 

Parents and students attending Wednesday’s Germantown Municipal School meeting protested the district’s mask mandate with posters and t-shirts. (Abigail Warren/The Daily Memphian)

Germantown removes its mask mandate: The Germantown Municipal School District unanimously voted last night to change the district’s mask policy to “highly recommended” but ultimately optional. School board members, who said they’ve seen a decline in pediatric COVID-19 cases under the district’s mask requirement and that it was instituted to help keep schools open, were met with a roomful of parents and students wanting a change. 

Rapid results: While the federal government is distributing at-home COVID-19 test kits (as well as free N95 masks), Shelby County is also planning to give away 180,000 self-tests. Shelby County Commissioners approved an emergency, $1.44 million purchase of the BinaxNOW kits yesterday, and those tests should arrive within the next four weeks. And while we’re waiting on them to be delivered, the Shelby County Health Department is working on a distribution plan, with a focus on those areas where vaccination rates are low and Omicron rates are high.

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MEET MEMPHIS 

Bettie Young stands in her Horn Lake driveway on Friday, Jan. 7. She is trying to spark a resurgence of the Neighborhood Watch in her DeSoto County city. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

After the pandemic and social distancing put a damper on some Neighborhood Watch programs, an alderman’s wife is hoping to revitalize Horn Lake’s. Bettie Young, the wife of Ward 4 Alderman David Young, is hosting a meeting at Horn Lake’s City Hall on Saturday. The Horn Lake Police Department is currently about 10 officers short of its official complement, and like other local police departments, they are having trouble recruiting new officers. “They need the citizens,” Young said. “They need more eyes.” 

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THE NICE TO KNOW

Memphis Tigers assistant coach Rasheed Wallace (left) during the team’s Pro Day in October. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian file)

Playing Where’s Wallace: One of the Memphis Tigers’ high-profile assistant coaches is moving into more of a consultant role, due to “health and safety” reasons. Former NBA All-Star Rasheed Wallace hasn’t been seen on the sidelines since before the Tigers’ Dec. 29th game against Tulane, and fans have been wondering where he is. Now we know he’s working remotely, which may seem a little strange for a coach. As John Martin writes, Wallace’s absence is probably not going to make that much difference but he wonders if this latest episode isn’t indicative of an entire program in which “it has just been one thing after another.”

Wait, Orgel again? The Carrefour at Kirby Woods shopping center property sold last week, but plans for a mixed-use redevelopment at the site are still moving forward. An investment group that includes Tower Ventures’ Billy Orgel bought the property for $17 million; it seems Orgel was initially interested in partnering on the project’s multi-family component before the group decided to make an offer on the entire 10 acres.

The former Macy’s at Carriage Crossing will become a furniture store after Macy’s vacated the 135,000-square-foot space last year. (Abigail Warren/Daily Memphian)

Departed department store gets new tenant: A former Collierville Macy’s will soon reopen as a furniture store. The Shops at Carriage Crossing lost its Macy’s last year as part of a nationwide spate of store closings for the retailer. Now, the family-owned Mid-South Furniture plans to occupy the location’s entire 135,000 square feet, selling furniture, a large selection of mattresses and home appliances. 

Zito is a newborn Bongo at the Memphis Zoo. (Courtesy Memphis Zoo)

Cute animal alert: Less than 20 days into the new year, the Memphis Zoo has announced the arrival of two new baby antelopes. Hinata and Zito are different species of antelope; one is a Bongo while the other is a Dik-Dik.

Boys & Girls, by the numbers: With $9 million in federal funding, 10 Shelby County Schools will get their own Boys & Girls Clubs early this year. Most of the funding will cover staff salaries at eight area high schools, including Westwood, Melrose and Raleigh-Egypt. The new clubs will be modeled after one that has operated at Craigmont High School for four years; about 400 students are signed up, with daily attendance around 150.

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WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

As we mentioned above, the federal government will give each household four free, at-home COVID-19 tests. But many people have pointed out the various flaws with this plan ... 

Here’s to a terrific Thursday, and we hope to see you back here tomorrow morning. Thanks for reading! 

 
 
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