Good morning on this chilly Wednesday. I hope you survived last night’s windy weather, and get ready for severe cold coming later this week.

Wind and cold weather aside, it’s Jan. 10, and beginning today, you can share your life story with StoryCorps. The nonprofit’s mobile booth will be parked at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library through Feb. 10. Select stories may be shared on NPR, giving you your 15 minutes (or less) of fame.

Also today, Downtown’s Design Review Board will consider a proposal to add wrought-iron fencing, new sidewalks and lighting updates to a multi-family residence on Georgia Avenue. And tonight, the Memphis Tigers play the University of Texas at San Antonio at FedExForum.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis made her case for reinstatement to the Memphis City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 9. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Three yeses and a maybe later: Three of Memphis Mayor Paul Young’s directors were appointed by the Memphis City Council on Tuesday: new City Attorney Tannera Gibson, new Information Services Director Eric Keane and returning Memphis Fire Department Chief Gina Sweat. A vote for Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis was pushed to the Jan. 23 council meeting. But in a committee session Tuesday, council members grilled Davis on a number of things, from her leadership of the department to that time in 2022 when her city-issued handgun was stolen out of her car. Davis didn’t pass a test vote in that session, but Young said he will work to get the votes she needs to be reappointed in two weeks. In other council news, members delayed a vote on extending city health insurance benefits to two-term council members.

Protesters cheered and held signs during the Tennessee House of Representatives’ first meeting of the year. (Ian Round/The Daily Memphian)

Lawmakers vs. protestors: The first day of the Tennessee General Assembly’s 2024 legislative session was marked by restrictions on space for protestors. Members of the public were only given a fraction of the seats in the two galleries overlooking the House floor, limiting the space where protestors can stand. “Half the gallery has been sold to the highest bidder,” said state Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville. The issues between lawmakers and protestors carried over from last session, when gun reform protests filled the Capitol following March 2023’s Covenant School shooting. Tuesday’s start of the new session brought more protests over democracy and gun reform to the State Capitol rotunda.

Members of the Tennessee State University band performed in the halftime show of the Southern Heritage Classic against Jackson State University in Memphis, Tennessee on Sept. 10, 2022. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Planning way, way ahead: The Earth might not even exist eight years from now, but Southern Heritage Classic founder Fred Jones will be ready if it does. Jones has secured game dates at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium through 2032, and he says he’s wrapped up negotiations with the City of Memphis and University of Memphis. Although the Memphis City Council approved the transfer of the stadium to the U of M in mid-December, there was a chance the transfer would be reconsidered if Jones wasn’t satisfied. Now that he is satisfied, the transfer of the stadium was finalized in Tuesday’s council meeting.

Ashley Coffield (left), CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, posed with Jennifer Welch (right), CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, at the new Carbondale health center. (Courtesy Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi)

Abortion destination: Carbondale, Illinois, is about to get another abortion clinic. Planned Parenthood held a ribbon-cutting for its new health center in the city that’s a little more than three hours away from Memphis by car. Memphis-based Choices Center for Reproductive Care opened a Carbondale abortion clinic last year, in response to Tennessee’s total-abortion ban. The new Planned Parenthood center is just four miles away from the Choices clinic, and it will offer in-clinic abortions, cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing and treatment and gender-affirming health care. 

QUOTED

“We definitely want higher standards exhibited by our police department. We also want to live in a community that’s safe.”

— Pastor J. Lawrence Turner of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church
Today, Jan. 10, marks one year since Tyre Nichols died three days after being beaten by Memphis police officers. In the year that followed, the city has tried to balance healing and calls for police reform with a need for robust police force in the face of rising crime.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane drove against Dallas Mavericks center Dwight Powell in Dallas on Tuesday, Jan. 9. (LM Otero/AP)

Ja, who? The Memphis Grizzlies proved on Tuesday night that they can still shine without star player Ja Morant, who was ruled out with a season-ending shoulder injury this week. The team, led by Desmond Bane, dominated the Dallas Mavericks with a 120-103 win, and that was without Jaren Jackson Jr., too (out with a knee injury). Coach Taylor Jenkins called it one of the most impressive wins of the season. The bad news? Marcus Smart left the game in the third quarter with a finger injury. Man, those injuries just keep piling up. After the loss of Morant, some fans are saying it’s time to tank the season, but our own Drew Hill says the Grizzlies should just take a cautious approach with its star players and focus on the draft ahead. Even The Daily Memphian’s Geoff Calkins, who is usually ever the optimist, says the Grizzlies should probably just start focusing on next year. This is where I would say “I’m not crying, you’re crying,” but Morant and Bane were all smiles last night, so maybe we should stay positive, right?

Crosstown Brewing Co. patrons enjoying craft beers. The brewery is asking patrons to reconsider Dry January. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Dry January deserts: It’s Dry January, and that means half of your friends suddenly aren’t available for Wine Down Wednesday. And that drop in imbibers also means a drop in alcohol sales for local businesses, like Crosstown Brewing Co. “A lot of us here [are] just small businesses trying … to feed our families … And Dry January absolutely has an impact on our business,” said Clark Ortkiese, co-founder of Crosstown Brewing Co. So, what’s the solution? Some bars, like Art Bar at Crosstown Arts, shift the focus to mocktails and alcohol-free beers. But Ortkiese promises to keep a secret if you cheat a little.

O.V. Wright

They’ve got the Blues: The 2024 Blues Hall of Fame class will include the late Memphis-area singer O.V. Wright, Chicago blues guitarist Lurrie Bell and Mississippi author William R. “Bill” Ferris (who co-founded the Center for Southern Folklore in Memphis), among several others. The class was announced on Tuesday by the Memphis-based Blues Foundation, and the official induction ceremony is planned for May 8 at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts.

Zoned out: Collierville Schools likely won’t be rezoning for a while. Jeff Jones, interim superintendent, plans to recommend a delay until the 2025-26 school year. The board approved rezoning last summer, but the final attendance boundaries are still in limbo. The delay would give new superintendent Russell Dyer the chance to lead the process, rather than having him inherit new attendance zones. Dyer comes to Collierville from the Cleveland (Tennessee) City Schools district, where he led a rezoning process in 2019.

“We are proud of this new facility and look forward to setting the pace in the commercial van industry,” said Brandon Earl, new truck sales director at TAG Truck Center. (Courtesy Jamey Logan)

Van life: Take note, #vanlife fam, there’s a new Mercedes-Benz Van Center on American Way. The dealership, which has been under construction since this past summer, opened on Tuesday, offering van sales, as well as sprinter van parts and service. Read more about the new TAG Truck Center, as well as the Shelby County Health Department’s new facility in Whitehaven, in Sophia Surrett’s Inked column.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Ja Morant is getting shoulder surgery soon, and Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke are still recovering from their procedures. Since the forecast for a postseason is looking grim, now would be a time for the rest of the team to get some work done. 

See you tomorrow!

.....