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The Daily Memphian | The Early Word
 
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The Early Word: Local hospitals under pressure, as is Tigers basketball

Hi, everybody. Good morning. Today is Friday, Jan. 21, and the Memphis Grizzlies will be taking on the Nuggets in Denver. 

Tonight is also “The Right Time” for a Spillit Slam from Memphis’ popular storytelling series. That’s happening at Black Lodge. Ballet Folklórico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez is at the Orpheum Theatre while magician Mike Super is at the Halloran Centre

THE NEED TO KNOW

The average of COVID-19 patients being treated in local hospitals over the past seven days was 760. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian file)

Which do you want first? Yesterday’s local COVID-19 briefing was once again a space for both good and bad news. The good news was that the area’s hospitalizations appear to have plateaued after the recent (and ongoing?) omicron variant surge. The bad news is that the plateau is at an average of 760 COVID-positive hospitalizations, “the highest number of people we’ve ever had hospitalized for the longest period of time,” according to Memphis COO Doug McGowen. 

Deadly day: Four people died in fatal crashes early yesterday. One person was killed by a train in East Memphis, in the 4700 block of Poplar Avenue. A driver was also killed in a one-car crash on Kingsview Drive in Alcy-Ball. And another motorist and an on-duty Memphis Police Department officer were both killed in an early morning collision at East Shelby Drive and Pleasant Hill Road in Capleville.

The ETA for the latest phase of Memphis International Airport’s modernization project is next month. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

5G and B: Expect to see B gates on your boarding passes again real soon. Memphis International Airport plans to reopen its modernized B concourse on Feb. 15, with departing flights beginning to use the updated gates the next day. After the change, the A and C concourses will be shuttered, and part of C will even be removed completely. The Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority also held its monthly meeting yesterday, and board members discussed the issue of potential 5G interference. While the situation shouldn’t have any impact on the airport itself, it could have an effect on FedEx. Last thing, The Daily Memphian got an inside look at the airport’s almost completed modernization project in December if you want a sneak peek — no TSA screening required. 

State senator may lose seat: A Tennessee Senate committee has recommended expulsion for Sen. Katrina Robinson, after she was convicted on two counts of wire fraud. Robinson asked to be represented by an attorney during the Ethics Committee proceedings, but the committee — composed of four Republican men and one Democratic woman — denied that request. “This is just a recommendation to the body,” said state Sen. John Stevens. “This is not the appropriate place for a trial; the trial is later on.” The committee’s recommendation now goes to the full Senate.

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MEET MEMPHIS 

Daron Schoenrock plans to retire at the end of the current season as the University of Memphis baseball coach. (Courtesy Memphis Athletics)

After 37 years coaching college baseball, the University of Memphis’ coach plans to retire. Daron Schoenrock, who started his career as an assistant pitching coach at Tennessee Tech, is entering his 18th season at the U of M. He was the 2013 Conference USA Coach of the Year and led the Tigers to eight seasons with at least 30 wins. 

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THE NICE TO KNOW

University of Memphis guard Earl Timberlake (0) hangs his head on the bench during the Jan. 20, 2022, game in Memphis. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)

More on Tigers and coaches: Last night was “one of the worst games of the year” for Memphis Tigers basketball. The team lost a crucial matchup against SMU, 70-62, falling into a 14-2 hole midway through the first half. Geoff Calkins notes, “It was an embarrassing display of basketball, made worse because Memphis — for some unfathomable reason — asks its fans to stand until the home team scores a point. So there the fans were, standing in misery, while their team with two projected NBA lottery picks looked as hopelessly inept as a team can possibly look.” After the game, Calkins asked Coach Penny Hardaway if he had lost faith in himself and got an earful in return. With that in mind, the Daily Memphian’s Steven Johnson says “it’s clear the problems around Memphis go beyond just injuries and missing players.”

All-Star vibes: In the latest round of fan voting results for the NBA All-Star Game, the Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant is about 700,000 votes over the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic. Voting ends Saturday, so this year could very well be the point guard’s first All-Star appearance.

The Liars’ Lunch group meets each Thursday. Members include (from left): John St. Clair, Dave Brown, Dave Woloshin, Don DeWeese, and Jerry Lawler. (Jennifer Biggs/The Daily Memphian)

Counting their chickens: Longtime readers may remember a story in July 2020 about a group of local celebs who had lost their lunch — and were angry about it. Pro wrestler Jerry Lawler, retired meteorologist Dave Brown, voice of the Tigers Dave Woloshin, NCAA referee John St. Clair and Gibson’s Donuts owner Don DeWeese are part of a group they call the Liars’ Lunch, and Houston’s had stopped serving their favorite dish, the chicken tenders. But after trying a lot of tenders over the past 18 months or so, at many different restaurants, the group has finally found some they think are comparable

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WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

How ding dang dong cold it was yesterday. 

Seriously, I wrote this entire column huddled under a blanket.

With that, I am going to wish you a warm weekend and a fun Friday.

Thanks for reading The Early Word, and we’ll be back Monday, bright and early. 

 

 
 
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