Happy Monday, Memphis! Today is Dec. 5, and boy are my legs tired. I ran the St. Jude Memphis Marathon on Saturday — all 26.2 miles of it — and delayed onset muscle soreness is real. You can read all about my experience in this race recap. Congrats to all the runners, and big thanks to the spectators and donors!

In a closed-to-the-public session before its regularly scheduled meeting today, Shelby County commissioners will talk to their attorneys about a possible lawsuit over a transfer of Memphis-Shelby County Schools to the Germantown and Millington school districts.

The Arlington Board of Mayor and Aldermen will vote tonight on a first reading of a proposed zoning change for convenience stores and a new Interstate Commerce Overlay district. And the Memphis Grizzlies are back home tonight at FedExForum to play the Miami Heat.

THE NEED TO KNOW

A pedestrian crosses Manassas Street. Memphis has seen increasing pedestrian deaths in the past decade. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Walking in Memphis: Memphis was recently ranked the third most dangerous city for pedestrians by Smart Growth America, and when you look at the rise in pedestrian deaths here, it’s no wonder. There were 75 pedestrian deaths in Memphis to date in 2022 compared with just 11 in 2012. One of those killed this year was former Memphis Zoo zookeeper Richard Meek, who was struck by a vehicle in a Midtown hit-and-run on Oct. 7; Meek died of his injuries on Nov. 13. The city has developed a $19 million Pedestrian Safety Action plan to help reduce such deaths, but funding is an issue.

The Pinch District stretches across the western part of Uptown Memphis. It’s one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. (The Daily Memphian file)

Reimagining the Pinch: Alex Turley, CEO of Henry Turley Company, has a vision for The Pinch District as a neighborhood that pays homage to Memphis’ immigrant population. “We’re thinking about a Jewish deli and an Irish pub. And what if we could get a really nice Lebanese place that would be a nod to St. Jude?” Turley said. The Turley development, which would span the family’s parcels in the block-long stretch between Commerce and Jackson avenues, could bridge the $200 million city investment in the Renasant Convention Center and developer Tom Intrator’s planned $1 billion remake of the Pinch. But the Turley plans would have to clear a few hurdles before becoming reality.

Gipson Mechanical employees work in the HVAC mechanical room at Westside Elementary. Gipson was the only bidder on the project. (Courtesy Memphis-Shelby County Schools/The Daily Memphian file)

MSCS will audit federal relief fund spending: Memphis-Shelby County Schools has hired national accounting firm Forvis to audit its procedures in spending millions in federal COVID-19 relief funds. The audit firm was hired a month after The Institute for Public Service Reporting published an examination of the MSCS’s COVID-19 relief fund spending that found the district likely overspent millions on HVAC upgrades that benefited one local company. Shortly after that article was published, MSCS fired a senior facilities manager for “gross misconduct” in connection with construction contracts awarded to a school district vendor. 

MEET MEMPHIS

Tommie Dunavant recently spoke at the Memphis Zoo to announce an $800,000 donation, courtesy of The Dunavant Foundation, for the zoo’s animal hospital fundraising initiative. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian file)

In 2005, Tommie and Billy Dunavant, one of the world’s largest cotton merchants, founded Conservation Through Art to raise money for both ArtsMemphis and Ducks Unlimited. Since then, CTA has raised more than $7 million to foster conservation efforts and art in Memphis, benefiting groups and institutions such as Stax Music Academy, Arrow Creative, Prism Ensemble and dance and theater groups. Billy Dunavant died in 2021, but Tommie carried on with their work, netting a record $1.1 million for CTA in the last year.

THE NICE TO KNOW

“[City government] thinks that cutting back all that overgrowth now is the best course of action, and they couldn’t be more wrong,” said local farmer Theo Davies. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Hard out here for a pollinator garden: Years ago, a thriving Vietnamese community was displaced from the 14-acre Washington Bottoms property near Crosstown to make way for a development project that fell victim to the Great Recession. Remember the Midtown Target rumors? Now, The Works Inc. is trying to bring new life to the area with a pollinator prairie to host wildflowers, native bumblebees and a vibrant butterfly population. But in the eyes of the City of Memphis, a pollinator garden is considered blight. The Works Inc. reached an agreement with the Public Works department to allow their garden as a pilot project, but that hasn’t stopped crews from coming in to cut it down.

Memphis guard Alex Lomax celebrates during action against Ole Miss on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

‘Legendary’ Tigers win: The Memphis Tigers had a great night on Saturday, ending in a 68-57 win against Ole Miss inside the rowdy FedExForum. The win seemed a sure thing for the first half when everything, including foul calls, went the Tigers’ way. But at times in the second half, it seemed the winner was anybody’s guess. But we can thank DeAndre Williams with his 17 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists (all game-highs) and Alex Lomax’s 14 points and four steals for coming through with a win. After the win, Lomax called the game “legendary,” an adjective our own Geoff Calkins can’t argue with.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant reacts after dunking against the Detroit Pistons during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022, in Detroit. (Jose Juarez/AP)

Ja-wsome weekend: It was a winning weekend for the Memphis Grizzlies. Let’s start with Sunday night and Ja Morant’s masterclass on how to win an NBA game. Morant nailed showy basket after basket and led the Grizzlies to a 122-112 win over the Detroit Pistons, while also breaking his previous record of points scored in the third quarter. Backing up to Friday night, the team took on the Philadelphia 76ers and their seven-foot, 280-pound center Joel Embiid. And despite Embiid’s impressive 35 points, the Grizzlies still came out on top with a 117-109 win. The team embraced former Grizzly De’Anthony Melton, who plays for the Sixers now, after the game. “That’s my guy, but inside those four lines you can’t have friends,” said Morant. Speaking of stuff Morant said, the point guard has been fined $35,000 for “inappropriate language toward a game official” following his ejection in the Nov. 30 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Damian and Beth Gonzalez share a bite to eat while stopping by Sidestreet Burgers in Olive Branch, Mississippi, on Nov. 17, 2021. Olive Branch will soon host food trucks in its Old Towne district. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

New for Old Towne: Olive Branch’s Old Towne Design Review Advisory Committee unanimously approved an application for food trucks in the district last week. Olive Branch city officials created the entertainment district, which allows patrons to carry alcohol as they walk around and shop, about a year ago. Now a concrete slab in the district will serve as a parking spot for food trucks. “I think it’s a new, positive pulse of energy for Old Towne,” Mayor Ken Adams said.

Memphis Tigers head football coach Ryan Silverfield watches from the sideline in the first half of an NCAA college football game between Memphis and Central Florida on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in Memphis. (Mark Humphrey/AP file)

Let’s go bowling: The Memphis Tigers football team will play Utah State in the First Responder Bowl on Dec. 27 in Dallas. The Tigers ended their regular season with a 34-31 loss at Southern Methodist University, and they’ll be back in that same stadium — Gerald J. Ford Stadium — for this bowl game. Tigers coach Ryan Silverfield said a win in the same stadium could soften the blow. Looking ahead, the Tigers received two commitments for 2023 over the weekend.

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

You’ll want to dig out your rain boots this week, but at least it won’t be cold. 

Try to stay dry, and I’ll see you mañana. 

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