Happy Monday, Memphis! I’m Holly Whitfield, filling in for Bianca Phillips today, Feb. 12. The Germantown Board of Mayor and Alderman will meet today about tightening rules on temporary parking spaces, like the ones used for curbside pickup. And whatever’s left of the Grizzlies will take on the New Orleans Pelicans tonight (Lundi Gras!) at 7 p.m. at FedExForum. Be sure to check out This Week In Memphis for more events and need-to-knows.

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THE NEED TO KNOW

The Memphis Police Department said a suspect believed to be responsible for a carjacking Sunday morning, Feb. 11, and several other shootings is at large. (The Daily Memphian file) 

What all those alerts were about: After a series of shootings Sunday, the Memphis Police Department has brought one man into custody. The unnamed suspect is believed to be involved in a Sunday morning carjacking that preceded three shootings, killing one man and injuring three others. The suspect was out on $100,000 bond for criminal attempt first-degree murder and other charges. The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office released a statement Sunday night saying they had no involvement in this suspect’s previous bond and explained what they plan to do going forward in this case.

Students listen to instruction at Hillcrest High School, a Green Dot charter school in Memphis that is part of the state-run Achievement School District. (Karen Pulfer Focht/Chalkbeat file)

Finally Feagins: After 15 months of drama, the Memphis-Shelby County School District finally selected a new superintendent in a special committee meeting Friday, Feb. 9. Marie Feagins comes from the Detroit public school system and received resounding support from the teachers in one survey. 

Marie Feagins is the school board’s choice to be the next superintendent of Memphis-Shelby County Schools. (Courtesy Marie Feagins)

Collierville Schools will also have a new leader soon. Russell Dyer takes over as superintendent next month after serving eight years as superintendent of Cleveland (Tennessee) City Schools, but it’s not his first time working a Memphis-area school system. Meanwhile, top Tennessee lawmakers may shut down a special school district established almost a decade ago as a part of Gov. Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act. Democratic State Rep. Antonio Parkinson of Memphis had strong words for the Achievement School District’s lack of success.

Lisa Shahan Choat talked about her son, Ramon McGhee, who died while in custody of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. (Ben Wheeler/The Daily Memphian)

Another jail death investigation: Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said Friday, Feb. 9, that an independent, preliminary autopsy has classified the death of Shelby County Jail inmate Ramon McGhee as a homicide. Crump’s firm represents the family of McGhee, who died in Methodist Hospital Jan. 12 after being found unresponsive at the jail on Jan. 10. During the press conference, McGee’s family members said they had been unable to reach him since last year and talked about his condition at the hospital before his death. 

Memphis Police Department officers on the scene ordered protesters to leave the Hernando DeSoto Bridge Feb. 3. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Bridge blockage: After hundreds of protestors calling for a ceasefire in Gaza blocked traffic on the Hernando DeSoto Bridge Feb. 3 for about three hours, some Memphians wondered why none of the demonstrators were arrested. Law enforcement would potentially be justified in detaining the protestors on misdemeanor charges, according to Tennessee law; however, officers on the scene chose not to. MPD responded to questions from The Daily Memphian’s Aarron Fleming about the handling of the protest with a few reasons why they let the demonstration disperse.

MEET MEMPHIS

(Courtesy Sibylline Press)

Memphian Lora Chilton didn’t learn about her Indigenous American heritage until she was nearly 50 years old. “My dad just casually mentioned that we were Indian; that was the term he used,” she said. Chilton, a former Memphis City Schools board member and ex-staffer for former U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, started digging into everything she could find on the Indigenous experience in Virginia, where her family is from, and what women’s lives were like in the Patawomeck tribe. The result of that research is “1666: A Novel,” a historic fictional account of Patawomeck culture and the tribe’s near annihilation by white colonists, that will be released this coming April. — Bianca Phillips

THE NICE TO KNOW

St. Jude patient Luna, who makes an appearance in St. Jude’s first-ever Super Bowl spot, was treated at the Memphis children’s hospital after she was diagnosed with leukemia in her home country of Guatemala. (Courtesy St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)

‘Who’ watched the Superb Owl? If you happened to watch it on TelevisaUnivision, you might have caught St. Jude’s first Super Bowl commercial. Aisling Maki reports that the Spanish language ad was aimed at potential monthly givers and features a happy moment. Speaking of the Super Bowl, remember that historic wardrobe malfunction and the man responsible for it? Justin Timberlake announced Friday that he’s coming back to Memphis on his world tour.

Memphis Grizzlies guard John Konchar, left, looks to pass against Charlotte Hornets forward Cody Martin during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Feb. 10. (Nell Redmond/AP file)

Grizzlies hit a new low, maybe should hit the gym? Saturday night, the Grizzlies hit a new, unfortunate record (for now) in their game against the Charlotte Hornets. That five of the Hornets’ nine main rotation players only joined the team last week added an extra string to the defeat, which comes after the NBA’s trade deadline last Friday, Feb. 9. The Grizzlies fell to 18-35 on the season, and now players from other teams are giving us advice, as our own Drew Hill reports.

A new youth baseball facility is under construction in Eads to fill the void after the closure of Gameday in Cordova. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Up to bat at Big Oak Park: A new youth baseball facility is going up at 280 S. Houston Levee Road, aimed at middle school and younger athletes who don’t have access to local high school baseball fields. Greg Moore and Dan Umansky of Umansky Automotive Group are involved in the project; they’re hoping to fill a void left after another baseball facility closed last year. 

Memphis center Jordan Brown, left, drives the lane against Tulane University defender Kevin Cross, right, during action on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Brown contributed 7 points and 3 rebounds in 16 minutes of action. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Hoop hopes: The hopes for an NCAA Tournament bid are still alive, thanks the Tigers’ aggressive energy against Tulane’s Green Wave on Sunday afternoon. The Daily Memphian’s Parth Upadhyaya reports on how the Tigers maintained their momentum, and played as a cohesive team, a significant improvement from some recent performances.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Tut, tut, it looks like rain. If you didn’t get enough this weekend, luckily you’ll get some more today. But it looks like by mid-week, we’ll have some sunshine and nice temperatures.

Have a great Monday! Bianca Phillips will be back with you tomorrow for more early morning words. 

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