TGIF, Memphis! It’s Feb. 17, and NBA All-Star Weekend starts tonight with the Jordan Rising Stars game, featuring Memphis Grizzly Kenneth Loften Jr. and former Memphis Tiger (and current Detroit Piston) Jalen Duren.

If you’re looking to get an early start to Fat Tuesday, Olive Branch is hosting its first-ever Mardi Gras parade on Saturday. Or if bird watching is more your thing, you can help Lichterman Nature Center count birds. 

On Sunday, you can eat soup to benefit Youth Villages, and the Memphis Tigers play the Houston Cougars. Later that night, Memphis Grizzlies Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. will play in the 72nd NBA All-Star game. For more weekend fun, check out The To-Do List.

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THE NEED TO KNOW

Kimbrly M. Freeman, the mother of Gershun Freeman, posed for a portrait outside of the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center on Feb. 16, where her son died while in custody after a physical altercation with officers. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Details emerge about 201 Poplar inmate death: Gershun Freeman, a Shelby County Jail inmate who died on Oct. 5, 2022, after an altercation with corrections officers, was struck multiple times by hands, batons and a pepper spray can, according to one of his family members and local attorney Jake Brown. The details were revealed on surveillance footage viewed by Brown and Freeman’s family. Freeman’s death has been ruled a homicide. Freeman’s family and friends gathered to protest in front of 201 Poplar Ave. on Thursday. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump will host a press conference today to call for the U.S. Department of Justice’s involvement.

Tim McCarver, a member of the St. Louis Cardinals' 1967 World Series championship team, died on Feb. 16, 2023, in Memphis. (Jeff Roberson/AP file)

Tim McCarver dies: Memphian and Hall of Fame Major League Baseball broadcaster Tim McCarver died of heart failure on Thursday at age 81. McCarver played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1959 to 1980, during which time the team won two World Series. McCarver’s namesake stadium at the Mid-South Fairgrounds was the home of the Memphis Chicks and later the Memphis Redbirds before the team moved Downtown to AutoZone Park.

A new report found that Memphis Light, Gas and Water picked a bad economic time to search for a new power supplier. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Consultant says MLGW should revisit power search: According to an independent analysis, Memphis, Light, Gas and Water couldn’t have picked a worse economic time to price out potential alternative power suppliers. The report from EnerVision, a consultant hired by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland to analyze MLGW’s consideration of leaving the Tennessee Valley Authority, determined the inflationary environment and other factors in 2022 made it a less-than-ideal time to seek bids from TVA’s competitors. MLGW rejected a long-term deal with TVA last fall, but the utility opted to stay on its TVA evergreen contract. EnerVision recommends MLGW revisit the market when conditions approve.

Memphis City Council members plan to introduce a referendum ordinance in the near future that would require future mayoral candidates to live in the city for at least one year before taking office, according to Councilman Jeff Warren (center). (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Council could toughen mayoral residency rules: The Memphis City Council plans to take up a referendum ordinance soon that would require future mayoral candidates to live in the city for at least one year before taking office. If passed, the ordinance would not apply to the upcoming 2023 mayoral election. At present, the city charter includes a five-year residency requirement, but Memphis City Council attorney Allan Wade issued a legal opinion that candidates only need to be residents of the city at the time of their election. Three of the 2023 Memphis mayoral candidates would have faced residency issues under the city charter rules.

QUOTED

“Dang, we won. We actually won. It feels like Christmas morning.”

— Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite
Musselwhite expressed joy over Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves’ proposal to spend about $125 million to widen Interstate 55 south of Southaven. The long-awaited funding announcement came after DeSoto County elected officials launched a social media campaign to turn up the pressure.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Memphis forward DeAndre Williams (12) hugged teammate Damaria Franklin (55) after the game-winning shot against UCF on Feb. 12, 2023. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Franklin’s big steal: The Memphis Tigers managed a last-second 64-63 win over the University of Central Florida Knights on Thursday night, after a rollercoaster game. And we can thank Illinois-Chicago transfer Damaria Franklin for that. The Tigers were leading early, but point guard Kendric Davis, who broke the AAC’s all-time career scoring record during the game, went down with an ankle injury before halftime. And the Tigers were soon plagued by turnovers. But Franklin played the hero with what Coach Penny Hardaway called the “biggest steal of the year” in the game’s final minutes, and that turned things around. The Daily Memphian’s Geoff Calkins said there’s a lesson in this game: “There is no such thing as inevitability in sports.” As for Davis’ ankle, Hardaway said it’s a recurring injury, and he’s optimistic that it may improve in a couple of days. Fingers crossed!

Memphis Police officers gave away steering wheel locks on Oct. 26, 2022, at the Austin Peay Station. They’re giving away more wheel locks at precincts while supplies last. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Free steering wheel locks: Kia, Hyundai and Infiniti owners, listen up. The Memphis Police Department is giving away 800 steering wheel locks at local precincts while supplies last, but they’re only for drivers of the aforementioned car makes. Auto thefts are up 109% so far in 2023 compared with the same timeframe last year, and those three brands are stolen most often. 

Memphis-based First Horizon’s headquarters in Downtown Memphis. As part of its merger with First Horizon, TD Bank announced a community benefits agreement. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

For the community: Toronto-based TD Bank, which is taking over Memphis-based First Horizon Corp., will contribute nearly $50 billion in Memphis and other First Horizon markets as part of its five-year community benefits plan. That includes a pledge to open 25 bank branches in marginalized communities and to increase mortgage loans for first-time homebuyers, among other commitments. In a meeting held by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency last fall, community groups questioned the merger, citing its lack of a community benefits agreement.

The Germantown Commissary offers a barbecue baked potato for $10.95. (Chris Herrington/The Daily Memphian)

Barbecue everything: In Memphis, any genre of food is fair game for a barbecue makeover — nachos, spaghetti, even beer. (Anyone remember the barbecue beer at Jack Magoo’s? Actually, does anyone even remember Jack Magoo’s?) So for this week’s $10-ish Deal, The Daily Memphian’s Chris Herrington has a barbecue meal for you: Germantown Commissary’s barbecue baked potato. It’ll run you $10.95, but Herrington says it’s “substantial enough to share for lunch.”

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Sha' Hughes creates Memphis-themed clothing and accessories for her company Black & Beale, and I think I’m going to have to order this Barbie-inspired Junt sweatshirt. She’s also created an enamel pin of a Jerry’s Snow Cone and one of the vintage Memphis City Schools logo, as well as plenty more nostalgic and uniquely Memphis designs. 

I hope you have a fantastic weekend. See you back here on Monday.

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