I’m ba-ack! Hopefully that doesn’t evoke too many scary “Poltergeist II” memories. I just returned from a long weekend in Northwest Arkansas, and I’m ready to get back down to business.

It’s Wednesday, Nov. 16, and the EDGE board is expected to award a jobs payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) incentive to DHL Supply Chain. The Center City Development Corporation board meets today, too, and they’ll hear an overview on Mighty Lights. I must say, after my long, late-night drive back to Memphis from Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Mighty Lights were a mighty welcome sight.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland (left), FedEx founder Fred Smith and Memphis Showboats head coach Todd Haley attend a press conference announcing the team’s return to the USFL Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Showboating: The Memphis Showboats — the city’s USFL pro football team from the mid-1980s — are back. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland joined Memphis Showboats head coach Todd Haley, FedEx founder Fred Smith (who apparently had a hand in the deal; Geoff Calkins has more on that) and others on Tuesday to announce that the team has signed a one-year lease to play at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (and there’s a letter of intent for two more years beyond 2023). The Daily Memphian’s Tim Buckley offers this primer on the Showboats, and he says the deal could boost Strickland’s bid to land state financing for his $684 million Memphis sports venue enhancement plan.

City Council member Chase Carlisle said that third-party oversight between Memphis River Parks Partnership and Memphis in May International Festival would “ensure everyone is doing what they say they will do.” (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Somebody’s watching May? On Tuesday, the Memphis City Council discussed adding a fiscal watchdog to oversee the load-in and load-out of the Memphis In May International Festival’s two biggest events in Tom Lee Park next May. The third-party arbiter, which was included in an amendment to the city’s proposed $500,000 “park restoration fund” for Tom Lee, would make sure there aren’t any further disputes between the festival and Memphis River Parks Partnership. In other council news, council members were surprised by a request for a 5% tourism surcharge for the Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel that would finance a long-planned renovation. The hotel has a 25-year payment-in-lieu-of taxes (PILOT) that runs out next year, and that was supposed to be used for the renovation. Also on Tuesday, both the city council and the Shelby County Commission approved the Klondike neighborhood’s tax-increment-financing (TIF) on the second of three readings, but on the commission side, Klondike’s own commissioner, Henri Brooks, tried to delay the vote.

The Mississippi River is on the rise. Marion, Arkansas resident Douglas Music and his dog Pumpkin search for treasures and artifacts on a large sandbar along the Mississippi River on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

River on the rise: The Mississippi River is slowly rising after a month of record lows. A nine-foot rise in nine days, due to forecasted rainfall upriver, is expected to bring the river above zero early next week, though a long-lasting La Niña is complicating the forecast. “While that’s certainly not going to solve our problems, that’s eight feet more river than we currently have,” said Mike Johnson of the National Weather Service of Memphis. So all you would-be treasure hunters out there had better get down to the river before it’s too late. 

Ezekiel Kelly talks to his defense attorneys during an Oct. 18, 2022, hearing. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Kelly indicted for Southaven carjacking: Ezekiel Kelly, the man allegedly responsible for a citywide shooting that left three dead and three wounded on Sept. 7, has been indicted on charges related to a carjacking in Southaven, Mississippi. In that incident, Kelly allegedly carjacked a victim at gunpoint for their gray Dodge Challenger, and the victim was uninjured. It was the last incident in a string of crimes that began at 12:56 a.m. in Memphis and ended back in the city at 8:58 p.m.

MEET MEMPHIS

Erick Anderson doesn’t have a law degree or clients, but few argue anyone is more integral to the daily functioning of Burch Porter & Johnson. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Erick Anderson has been the reliable jack-of-all-trades at the Burch Porter & Johnson law firm for 40 years. He was hired in the 1970s as a temp worker in charge of running the old crank-shaft elevator, but he quickly made himself indispensable by doing a little bit of everything. Anderson is the one person lawyers trust to run last-minute filings to the courthouse. “If I need the clerk’s cooperation in anything, it’s better for Erick to ask than me. ... He has lots of credibility with the judges too,” said attorney Molly Glover. He’s also the one who carts lunches to the office, watches the restroom tissue, picks up the mail, monitors the lightbulbs and photographs all the law firm’s social events with his Nikon, among many other duties.

THE NICE TO KNOW

A giant river otter arrived at Tom Lee Park on Tuesday. The interactive, wooden sculpture will be part of the park’s new playground. (Bill Dries/The Daily Memphian)

Plays well with otters: A larger-than-life river otter and sturgeon arrived at Tom Lee Park on Tuesday. The wooden structures will soon be joined by a salamander (parts of it are already in the park), a caterpillar and a second otter in the park’s new playground. The interactive animal sculptures were designed for kids to climb on. “It’s the biggest Ikea set that you’ve ever seen,” said George Abbott with the Memphis River Parks partnership.

Memphis rapper GloRilla and producer HitKidd are nominated for a Grammy for their song, “F.N.F.” In this file photo, GloRilla surprised students at her old school, MLK College Preparatory High School, in September. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

GloRilla’s Grammy nom (and more): Memphis rapper GloRilla and local producer Hitkidd are nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance for their hit song “F.N.F.” They’ll be up against Doja Cat, Kendrick Lamar, Gunna and DJ Khaled for the award. Other Memphis Grammy nominees include the blues/rock band North Mississippi Allstars for Best Contemporary Blues Album and hip-hop artist and social activist Marco Pave for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

University of Memphis forward DeAndre Williams (12) goes for a layup on Nov. 15, 2022, against Saint Louis. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

You lose some: Tuesday night wasn’t great for Memphis basketball. The Memphis Tigers lost to the Saint Louis Billikens, 90-84. The Tigers’ 3-point shooting was better in the first half, but in the second half, a lack of ball movement, a handful of contested 3-point attempts and poor defensive execution gave the Billikens the game. But if you ask Geoff Calkins, he’ll tell you he’s not worried; we lost, and that’s fine. Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies also lost on Tuesday to the New Orleans Pelicans, 113-102. That’s despite a 36-point performance from point guard Ja Morant. One problem: The Grizz didn’t land many 3-pointers, likely due to the absence of Desmond Bane, who is out with a toe sprain. But hey, Jaren Jackson Jr. was back; he’s just got to find his rhythm.

Whataburger operating partner Cedric Joyner (left) poses with first-in-line winners Danyel Bonds, Sherrie Taylor and Jim Lord outside Whataburger in Cordova on Monday, Nov. 14. (Courtney Vick)

Whataburger’s biggest fans: Three Memphians — Jim Lord, Danyel Bonds and Sherrie Taylor — will get a free Whataburger meal every week for a year after waiting in line for about 17 hours at the restaurant’s third Memphis-area location at 1040 N. Germantown Parkway on Monday. All three camped out in their cars in the drive-thru lanes. Lord and his wife took turns in shifts during the night (smart move), and it’s not the first time he’s been recognized by the restaurant for being its biggest fan.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Tuesday was a big news day for a Mississippi river-themed football team and river-inspired playground equipment. The news of the Memphis Showboats return to the city brought about this fun fact. See for yourself in this “Spongebob Squarepants” episode clip (fast-forward to about 3:05 minutes in).

Our own Bill Dries live-tweeted the arrival of Tom Lee Park’s new giant otter and fish sculptures/playground equipment. And that, of course, led to plenty of otterly ridiculous humor.

Don’t tell this guy, but the Buc-ee’s logo is actually a beaver. Still funny though.

I hope you have an otterly fantastic day! 

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