Hello there, Memphis! It’s 901 Day, the Bluff City’s special day to celebrate all things Memphis. If you’re looking for ways to get down in the M-town this evening, we’ve got you covered with a handy 901 Day event guide.

This morning, Memphis Light, Gas & Water management will make a recommendation to the MLGW board on whether or not to keep the Tennessee Valley Authority as the area’s power provider.

The Memphis City Council also meets this morning to fill the District 4 seat vacated by former council chair Jamita Swearengen, who will start her new role as Shelby County Circuit Court Clerk today. In fact, all the newly elected county government officials, including Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy and Shelby County Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon, will take office today.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Legislation passed earlier this year could affect the ownership of Germantown Middle School, as well as Germantown Elementary and High Schools and Lucy Elementary in Millington. (Abigail Warren/Daily Memphian file)

MSCS on 3Gs: The Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education approved a resolution on Tuesday night related to the future of four suburban schools that it stands to lose as part of legislation passed earlier this year. The resolution allows MSCS’ administration to “explore any and all options and remedies in response to [the legislation]” affecting ownership of Germantown Elementary, Middle and High Schools and Lucy Elementary in Millington. The so-called 3Gs legislation (because it primarily affects the Germantown schools) states that one school system cannot operate within the boundaries of another, and all four schools are located in municipal school district boundaries.

In a board meeting on Wednesday, the TVA refuted claims that it leaned on another electricity provider during some of the hottest days of the year. In this file photo, Mark Whitten (left) with TVA conducted a tour of the Allen Combined Cycle Plant in 2018. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian file)

TVA denies reliance on MISO: At a board meeting on Wednesday, the Tennessee Valley Authority denied claims that it relied on Midcontinent Independent System Operator — or MISO — for about 10% of its energy demand during hot days in June. A Southern Alliance for Clean Energy report used Department of Energy data to make that claim, but TVA chief operating officer Don Moul called it a misinterpretation of the data (although he did admit that TVA turned to MISO for a smaller percentage of energy). This morning, MLGW’s board will make a recommendation on whether or not the utility company should leave TVA as its power provider, and MISO is a competing network. “It’s OK to say, ‘Yes. We’re strapped for resources. We needed to purchase from a neighbor.’... It just makes it harder [for TVA] to then turn around and say your neighbor is unreliable,” said Maggie Shober of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

Construction continued at the new $40 million Lakeland Prep high school on June 2. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Federal funds for suburban schools: Tennessee schools are getting more than $4.5 billion from the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund (part of the 2019 CARES Act). In the suburbs, school districts are using those funds on everything from a new fine arts building at Arlington High to programs aimed at pandemic-era learning loss at Bartlett City Schools. The Daily Memphian’s Michael Waddell and Abigail Warren look at how much each municipal school district is getting and what they’re doing with those funds.

QUOTED

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy gets sworn in at the Shelby County Commission on Aug. 31. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

“To those who did not support me, I ask this — give me a chance to prove to you that public safety is indeed my number one priority. But be patient. The flood of violent crime will not decrease overnight.”

—District Attorney General Steve Mulroy
Mulroy was sworn into office on Wednesday and officially starts his new role as DA today, as do all newly elected county officials. Shelby County Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon was also sworn in on Wednesday, and he’s already appointed his chief magistrate.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Church Health founder Dr. Scott Morris (left) administers a cortisone shot to the knee of patient Glen Edwards inside Church Health’s space at Crosstown Concourse. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian file)

Happy birthday, Church Health: Although it’s a coincidence, it seems fitting that Church Health, the walk-in, nonprofit clinic serving the city’s uninsured, shares its birthday with the city’s civic pride holiday. Church Health got its start on Sept. 1, 1987, in a single Midtown bungalow, and it’s since become the largest tenant at Crosstown Concourse, serving more than 60,000 uninsured patients and additional walk-ins. The Daily Memphian’s Shera Avi-Yonah caught up with Church Health founder Dr. G. Scott Morris to discuss how the organization has evolved and what a typical (or not so typical) day looks like. Morris also wrote a guest column explaining why the work of Church Health is so important (and why some people can’t just pay for insurance).

Daily Memphian digital producer Andrew Smith’s car after driving through the I-55 Alfredo sauce spill. (Andrew Smith/Daily Memphian)

Getting sauced: On Tuesday, an 18-wheeler hit a retaining wall on Interstate 55 at McLemore Avenue, spilling creamy Alfredo sauce all over the highway, and turns out Daily Memphian digital producer Andrew Smith drove right through it! In this week’s edition of Table Talk, The Daily Memphian’s Jennifer Biggs shares Smith’s saucy tale and points out that the whole creamy incident could have been prevented if folks were making their own Alfredo at home. Don’t worry; she provides a recipe, so “you can feel good knowing you’re doing your part to keep our highways clean of white sauce.”

John Avis and his daughter, Ashli, display his plaque from when Avis was inducted into the University of Memphis College of Education Health and Human Sciences Alumni Hall of Fame. Avis was honored with the plaque during half-time of a Tigers football game on the field. (Submitted)

Memphis educator dies: John Avis, who worked for then-Memphis City Schools from the mid-1970s until he retired in 2005, died in a car accident early Wednesday morning. Avis taught for 10 years, before going on to serve as a principal and in various administrative roles. After retirement, he went on to help found The Collegiate School of Memphis. “Whatever he did, he did it thoroughly and with a lot of passion,” said Avis’ lifelong friend and former colleague, Steve Simpson.

The Tigers are anticipating the match Saturday against Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach and his air raid style of offense. (Rogelio V. Solis/AP photo file)

Line of defense: The Memphis Tigers are preparing for the Mississippi State Bulldogs air raid offense led by quarterback Will Rogers in Saturday’s game. The Tigers’ defense will look a little different this season, with a 4-man front under new defensive coordinator Matt Barnes instead of the 3-man front the Bulldogs saw last year. In the Tigers Football Insider, The Daily Memphian’s Frank Bonner II took a stab at predicting which players will be the offensive and defensive MVPs.

Doritos performs a light installation on the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid on Thursday, Aug. 25. (Ziggy Mack/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Bass Pro Dorito: If you’ve found yourself suddenly craving Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos (the best flavor) when driving by the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid, it’s not just you. It’s a clever marketing campaign by Doritos that has transformed our “tomb of doom” into a 535,000-square-foot tortilla chip. The Pyramid was one of three buildings nationwide chosen to kick off the Doritos’ Triangle Tracker challenge.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Since today is 901 Day, and we’re talking all things Memphis, I figured I should share this image that I came across in our Daily Memphian files. It’s a photo from New Memphis Institute’s 901 Day “celebrity kickball” tournament at AutoZone Park in 2017. That’s me in the red shorts doing a very bad job playing “celebrity kickball” with restaurateur Kelly English, rapper Al Kapone and WMC-TV anchor Joe Birch. The one thing I remember from that game is that English takes kickball very seriously. 

Kelly, if you’re reading this, sorry I suck at sports. I hope you all have a fantastic day in “the beautiful land in the world.” 

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