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It’s Thursday, Dec. 19, and the market watchers will be watching FedEx Corp. today as the Memphis-based shipping giant releases its second-quarter, fiscal-year 2025 earnings. 

If you’re more of a “nothing but net” person than a “net income” person (and I’m with you), you might be more interested in tonight’s Memphis Grizzlies home match against our old foes, the Golden State Warriors. And though Memphis fans still love to hate Steph Curry and Co., turns out many of you hate another team even more these days. 

THE NEED TO KNOW

The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board meeting became highly contentious on Tuesday, Dec. 17. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

What’s next for Feagins’ supporters? The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members who are trying to fire Superintendent Marie Feagins say she mishandled a number of financial matters. Feagins denied wrongdoing on all counts Tuesday, when the board voted to delay a termination vote to give all members more time. Some of Feagins’ supporters threatened to try and recall any board members who voted to oust the superintendent, but turns out that isn’t allowed under law. So, they have one option: Sway over at least one school board member. All they need is one vote of support to tip the scales in her favor, and they have a clue who the weak link could be. 

Community members gathered at the National Civil Rights Museum on Wednesday, Dec. 18, to discuss the results of a 17-month investigation into the Memphis Police Department. (Aarron Fleming/The Daily Memphian)

‘Pay now or pay later’: It should come as no surprise, but people want the cops to show citizens more respect, and they want more accountability when officers violate civil rights. That was the sentiment at a community meeting Wednesday night on the U.S. Department of Justice’s scathing report about civil rights violations committed by the Memphis Police Department. That report found that MPD discriminates against Black people and people with disabilities, uses excessive force and makes unlawful stops and arrests. The city has so far refused to enter into a consent decree with the DOJ, citing the financial cost. But at least one person at the meeting said that was a bad decision: “Pay now or pay later cause you’re going to have another Tyre Nichols situation,” they said.

Kyle Bankston, left, and Kate Ashby, right, owners of Knifebird and The Public Bistro, have closed both Midtown spots. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Pour one out for Knifebird and Cafe Keough: Goodbye, wine and bruschetta flights; you’ve been real. Cooper-Young wine bar Knifebird and its sister restaurant, The Public Bistro, have closed. And unlike with so many other closings, the owners are not blaming crime. Co-owner Kate Ashby said the happy-hour business hasn’t been the same since we entered the work-from-home era. Plus, she and co-owner/husband Kyle Bankston just wanted better work-life balance. (Who can argue with that?) Speaking of the pandemic hurting business, the same happened to Cafe Keough Downtown, and it’s closing for good this Saturday. (Fans of Bar Keough in Midtown have nothing to worry about though. Whew.) In sweeter food news, The Peabody Memphis’ kitchen elves have been hard at work creating a gingerbread display you won’t want to miss.

MEET MEMPHIS

“I love the community of our friends, and I just love the town. Where else could you go? Why would I want to leave Collierville?” said Maureen Fraser, new mayor of Collierville. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Collierville’s new mayor, Maureen Fraser, may not be a native of the suburb, but it’s been her home for three decades. Fraser’s husband, David, took a job in Shelby County in 1995, and after looking around the area, they settled on Collierville. And then Fraser dove in hard: She volunteered on Collierville Elementary’s PTA, served on the Collierville Education Foundation’s board, participated in Leadership Collierville and then ran for aldermen. On Wednesday, she was sworn in as mayor. And you’d better believe she’s sticking around.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Thermon Knighten, middle, owns the UPS store on Exeter Road in Germantown, where he will perform an occasional marriage. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

The jolliest place in Memphis … is the Germantown UPS Store. Or so says The Daily Memphian’s Geoff Calkins. The shop, which has been locally owned by Thurmon Knighten since 2008, is more than your average brown-and-yellow-logo’ed shipping shop. It’s also a wedding venue, where Knighten presides over 40 to 50 nuptials per year. Yes, really. But Christmas season is the store’s busiest time, and Knighten does it all with the help of just two other elves. Er, employees. Calkins talked to Knighten about the secret to making a UPS store a place where “you come in and you feel happy” (the actual words of a very satisfied customer).

From left to right, Savannah Latham posed with the Grizzlies puppies and Beth Aversa (owner Blues City Animal Rescue), Michelle Meierhofer (volunteer at BCAR) and Bonnie Auld (foster volunteer at BCAR). (Courtesy Savannah Latham/Blues City Animal Rescue)

All heart, all bark: Bane is looking for a new home team. No, not Desmond Bane, the Memphis Grizzly with the beautifully sculpted arms; he’s not going anywhere. But a chihuahua named Bane needs a home. Same with chihuahuas named GG and Zach, after GG Jackson and Zach Edey, natch. The pups were among seven rescued yappers that Blues City Animal Rescue named after Grizzlies stars. Some, including Ja and Yuki (sorry), have found fur-ever homes, but the three remaining free agents are still looking for a team.

Memphis star trio Colby Rogers, PJ Haggerty and Tyrese Hunter weren’t enough in the first half Wednesday, so the Tigers adjusted. (Lindsey Wasson/AP file)

Future champions? The Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team picked up a 64-62 come-from-behind victory over the Virginia Cavaliers on Wednesday after a rough first half. And they did so not in their usual style of focusing on 3-pointers but by ramping up defense and forcing turnovers. The switch-up showed fans how versatile this team can be, and after the game, both big man Dain Dainja and Coach Penny Hardaway were talking championships. The women’s basketball team had worse luck on Wednesday, as they lost their home game against Tennessee, 90-75. But the good news? The Tigers may have found the player who can get their season turned around.

GloRilla performed for students at her alma mater Melrose High. (Julia Baker/The Daily Memphian)

Whatchu kno about Glo: Orange Mound’s Melrose High is getting a new student media center, thanks to Memphis-based musician and Melrose alum GloRilla. The “Whatchu Kno About Me” rapper showed up to Melrose on Wednesday with a $25,000 donation for the center. And she surprised students, who thought they were just going to a regular, old pep rally, with a little performance and meet and greet. Even the teachers were gushing. 

On deck for Arlington schools: The Arlington Community Schools board wants to boost teacher pay and get funding for special education preschool programs, both of which are part of a 2025 legislative agenda approved by the board on Tuesday. Special-education students often have costly needs, like medical equipment or a full-time nurse, so ACS is hoping the state can help out with that. Also on the agenda: opposition to Gov. Bill Lee’s controversial school voucher program.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Some folks on X — coughJohnMartincough — are saying the Memphis Tigers’ win at Tuesday’s Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl wasn’t enough since the Tigers didn’t win the American Athletic Conference title or get into the College Football Playoff.

But plenty of others, like our own Tim Buckley, are celebrating the Tigers for making it to 11 wins for only the second time in school history. Quarterback Seth Henigan, who ended his Tigers career with the bowl game, said the victory “meant the world to me.”

You know what’s also a win? The coffee poured over Coach Ryan Silverfield to celebrate the Tigers’ victory wasn’t hot.

Coach Ryan Silverfield is doused with coffee after winning the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

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