How was your Labor Day weekend, Shelby County? I squeezed in a visit with my parents in Arkansas, a Lord T. & Eloise show at Railgarten and a hiking trip in Tennessee’s Big Hill Pond State Park. 

But enough about my weekend! Today is Tuesday, Sept. 6, and that means we’re solidly in The Daily Memphian’s anniversary month. To thank our subscribers for supporting us these past four years, we’re offering a big anniversary giveaway with free Memphis Grizzlies and Memphis Tigers tickets, as well as Memphis Food & Wine Festival passes. Click here to enter.

THE NEED TO KNOW

According to documents stored in the Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk’s office, some judges have missed as many as 32 days from the bench since the beginning of 2022. (Daily Memphian file)

Not-so-perfect attendance: Some Shelby County judges have missed as many as 32 days on the bench since January, according to logs from the Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk’s Office. Meanwhile, there are currently around 465 pending trials in Criminal Court, with only 32 trials completed this year as of Aug. 12. At least one judge said the absences are partly due to courtroom shutdowns because of COVID-19 infection. The Daily Memphian’s Julia Baker looked at which judges have missed the most days and talked to a man who said he’s been waiting for his trial to begin for three years.

Eliza Fletcher

Eliza Fletcher abduction: St. Mary’s Episcopal School kindergarten teacher and mother of two Eliza Fletcher was violently forced into a black SUV around 4:30 a.m. on Friday while running along Central Avenue near the University of Memphis. Early Sunday morning, the Memphis Police Department announced the arrest of Cleotha Abston, who was charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence. Abston has a previous kidnapping charge from 2000. On Monday, Abston was also charged in connection with a wallet theft unrelated to the Fletcher case. Memphis Police searched areas all over the city throughout the long weekend. A body was discovered on Monday afternoon in South Memphis, but police did not immediately confirm the identity of the remains.

Richard Kennedy, executive director of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, spoke to lawmakers Tuesday, Aug. 30. “More money is going to provide more services to more children,” he said. (Screenshot from General Assembly livestream)

Problems at DCS: The state Department of Children’s Services is “near collapse,” according to one juvenile court judge, as it experiences a high rate of turnover and low morale among underpaid caseworkers, along with inadequate facilities and too few places to send children. A committee is working on a list of recommendations for lawmakers to consider in the upcoming legislative session. And the Tennessee Department of General Services is looking into a new site for the Wilder Youth Development Center facility in Fayette County, which Disability Rights Tennessee accused of abuse and endangerment in a scathing report earlier this year.

FedEx Ground filed a complaint seeking an injunction against Route Consultant and its CEO Spencer Patton for what it calls a “coordinated and multi-faceted campaign” from Patton. (AP file)

State of FedEx Ground: Late last month, FedEx Ground confirmed that it had terminated all of its contracts with Nashville-based Route Consultant, one of its largest service providers. That decision came after Route Consultant CEO Spencer Patton spoke out against the company, demanding increased compensation for all FedEx Ground contractors. FedEx’s decision to cancel those contracts has created some uncertainty around the company’s business model, so The Daily Memphian’s Rob Moore took a deep dive into FedEx Ground’s history and the state of its network.

MEET MEMPHIS

Nighte Pickering of Memphis 901 FC smiles during a game against the Hartford Athletic at AutoZone Park on Aug. 6. (Memphis 901 FC)

Memphis 901 FC recently added 17-year-old forward Nighte Pickering from Birmingham, Alabama, to the team. Pickering, who wears his unique first name on the back of his shirt, previously played for FC Dallas' academy and has also represented the United States at the under-19 level. “I’m a goal-scorer. I think I can bring a lot of goals to the club. And I’m a playmaker,” said Pickering.

THE NICE TO KNOW

The Greater Memphis Chamber is pushing for a third bridge in its 2022-2023 Metro Advocacy Agenda, a position it feels uniquely suited to address. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Third bridge talk is back: The conversation around an additional bridge over the Mississippi River is back. The Greater Memphis Chamber is pushing for a third bridge in its 2022-2023 Metro Advocacy Agenda, more than a year after the Hernando-DeSoto Bridge was temporarily shut down due to a crack in a steel beam. But talks about a third bridge date back to at least 2006, when the Tennessee Department of Transportation conducted a study on the feasibility and proposed five possible locations. “For 20 years, there’s been this thought of the need to build a new bridge. What we’re looking to do now is relaunch those efforts with an understanding that the chamber is key to playing a role in this moving forward,” said Bobby White, the chamber’s chief policy officer.

If all goes as the city plans, Liberty Park (under construction in a Feb. 9, 2022, photo) is anticipated to bring in $193 million in sales tax revenue over the next 30 years. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Almost as fun as Disney: A soft opening for the new Memphis Sports & Events Center at Liberty Park is slated for November with a grand opening expected in December. The facility, which one city employee claims will be nearly as fun as Disney, will be the anchor tenant of a planned $126 million mixed-use project on the fairgrounds site that has been a long time coming (former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton and former Memphis Housing Authority director Robert Libscomb were involved when the project started, if that tells you anything). Besides the sports center, the mixed-use development will feature a High 5 family entertainment center that could offer laser tag, bowling and more. Yet despite these plans, the future of the long-vacant Mid-South Coliseum looming next door remains uncertain.

Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan (5) sets up to pass against Mississippi State during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Starkville, Mississippi, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. (Rogelio V. Solis/AP photo)

Tough start for Tigers: The Memphis Tigers football team lost their season opener against Mississippi State, 49-23, in a game that was delayed for more than two hours Saturday night, due to lightning. The Daily Memphian’s Geoff Calkins said the loss was reminiscent of opening games against Mississippi State during the notorious Larry Potter era. But he believes the team still has a chance to bounce back. On Monday, Tigers coach Ryan Silverfield admitted the team has a lot of work to do. Of Saturday’s game, he said, “Not a whole lot of great things to take away, let’s be real with it. A lot of teachable moments.”

Members of the Tennessee State band performed during halftime at the Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis on Sept. 11, 2021. The 33rd annual game will take place Sept. 10. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian file)

The last Classic as we know it? Later this week, the 33rd annual Southern Heritage Classic kicks off at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. And if Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders has his way, it may be the last Classic they play in. Jackson State announced earlier this year that it was pulling out of the annual game against Tennessee State (and Sanders discussed a few reasons on social media). Now Summitt Management, which manages the Classic, is suing Jackson State and the Southwestern Athletic Conference for millions of dollars. But one thing is certain — this year’s game is happening, and founder Fred Jones is preparing for business as usual. Going to the game? Here’s where to park.

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

Well, would you take a look at this? Not a single day in the 90s. We’ve got some scattered storms in the forecast today and later this week, but with that comes cooler weather. I guess I’ll be breaking out the pumpkin spice everything.

Have a great Tuesday! See you on Wednesday.

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