Good morning, Memphis! It’s Monday, Dec. 23, and we’re only a couple days away from not having to hear “All I Want for Christmas is You” until at least next October. Rejoice.

Today is the first day of winter break for all Memphis-Shelby County Schools students and kids from all of the municipal schools. So, maybe take the kids to a Memphis Grizzlies game: The Grizzlies are playing the Los Angeles Clippers at home tonight. For more on what’s ahead, check out This Week in Memphis.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Harvest Church put up a prayer pavilion in honor of their members who died in the Texas plane crash in January 2023. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

What caused the Harvest plane crash? Nearly two years since the Jan. 17, 2023, plane crash that killed four of five passengers on a day trip from Memphis to Texas, the National Transportation Safety Board has released reports on what may have happened. Harvest Church pastor Kennon Vaughan was the sole survivor of the crash, which occurred only a few miles from a runway in Yoakum, Texas. The passengers, all men connected to Harvest Church, were headed to Yoakum to visit the pilot Steve Tucker’s ranch. According to the report and insight from an NTSB investigator, it’s possible that a fuel issue and foggy conditions could have been to blame.

Up grade: Fewer Memphis-Shelby County Schools earned an F grade for the 2023-24 school year than the year before. Tennessee began issuing letter grades to schools last year, and MSCS’ public schools have made some headway since then. But the number of Memphis charter schools with D’s and F’s increased. Those failing schools will have a hearing before the Tennessee State Board of Education to determine ways to improve. See how your kid’s school did here. In other MSCS news, local elected officials are weighing in on the effort to oust Superintendent Marie Feagins. And over in Bartlett, the school system did the opposite of ousting its leader this week: Superintendent David Stephens just got a contract extension.

“If you’ve got a 19-year-old who’s charged with car theft, don’t you want that judge to know when that kid was 16, 17, he had three car-theft convictions?” said Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy (left). Shelby County Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon is at right. (The Daily Memphian file)

Adult court may access juvie records: Adult court judges may soon consider juvenile court records for defendants when setting bail. Currently, judges can only access juvenile records for defendants during sentencing, not when setting bail. But state Rep. John Gillespie has filed a bill ahead of the legislature’s coming session to change that. And Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy has been working separately on an agreement with the Shelby County Juvenile Court that would allow access, too. “I’m not just waiting on the state legislature,” said Mulroy.

MEET MEMPHIS

Woman’s Exchange Executive Director Dena Nance (middle) talked with customers during lunch on Friday, Dec. 6. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

The Woman’s Exchange of Memphis was founded in 1885 to help women provide for their families anonymously when it wasn’t socially acceptable for them to work. These days, the organization, housed on Racine Street, serves as a community hub with a tea room, sewing room and pop-up shops. And the Woman’s Exchange still helps women maintain financial independence by giving them a place to showcase and sell their handiwork in the on-site consignment shop. There, shoppers will find everything from jewelry and kitchenware to bath products and apparel.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Ms. Girlee’s owner Jimmie Leach was greeted by a line of hugs while walking into her North Memphis restaurant, which closed Friday, Dec. 20, after 10 years. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

End of a soul food era: Soul food staple Ms. Girlee’s closed up shop for good on Friday, ending 85-year-old owner and chef Jimmie Leach’s 40-year cooking career. Leach opened Ms. Girlee’s on Chelsea Avenue in 2014, following a fire at her previous soul-food shop, Melanie’s Soul Food Restaurant, which had been open since 1984. The Daily Memphian’s Sophia Surrett talked to Leach and her family about their soul-food legacy and ties to the Civil Rights Movement. In other news of closings, Midtown’s Railgarten suddenly closed over the weekend and moved all scheduled music events to Downtown’s Loflin Yard. A partner in the bar said Railgarten isn’t gone for good though.

Courtney McCollum has lost 30 pounds after starting the medication Wegovy seven months ago. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Weight, weight, do tell me: If only there were a magic cure for weight loss … oh wait, maybe there is. Ozempic and Wegovy and other such weight loss drugs are everywhere these days, and plenty of people say they help get weight off fast. In Memphis, where more than a third of adults are obese, the drugs have potential to dramatically improve health outcomes. But there’s a catch: These drugs are incredibly spendy, with a monthly cost that’s far higher in the U.S. than in some other countries, and some Memphians who need them can’t afford them. The Daily Memphian’s Jane Roberts shares a few weight-loss drug success stories and digs into issues around access and affordability.

Pilar at the Memphis Zoo

Something to squawk about: If you plan to watch the new “Mufasa: The Lion King” this holiday week, listen closely for the bird Zazu’s squeaks and squawks. Those sounds were provided by Pilar, a late African red-billed hornbill from the Memphis Zoo. And those aren’t the only animal sounds from the movie that were recorded right here in Memphis. Pilar died this past summer, shortly after the recordings were made, but her squawk will live on forever. If you’re looking for more films to watch after the presents are opened, our own Chris Herrington offers his take on the best films of 2024, including one that he says “could be ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ of dad movies.”

University of Memphis guard Tyrese Hunter brought the ball up the court during a Dec. 21 game against Mississippi State. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Bad for Tigers, good for Grizzlies: The Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team suffered a blowout 79-66 loss to Mississippi State at home on Saturday. It seemed Coach Penny Hardaway had everything lined up (a ranked team, a big home crowd), but then his team just fell into a hole. The women’s team also had a bad day with a 87-68 loss to Louisville at FedExForum. And in other Tigers losses, the football team is losing linebacker Chandler Martin, who will forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility to enter the 2025 NFL Draft. In much happier news, the Memphis Grizzlies continued their “destruction tour” with a wire-to-wire 128-112 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. 

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

I’m dreaming of a wet Christmas? Is that how the song goes? Because that’s what we’re likely getting, according to our friends at MemphisWeather.net.

If you’re still on the clock today, good luck getting through your massive to-do list before the holiday. I’ll see you back here bright and early on Christmas Eve.

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