Morning, Memphis! It’s Friday, Feb. 21, which is National Caregivers Day. A new caregiver sculpture will be unveiled in Medical District Park for the occasion.

Also today, the five former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols are expected back in court, and one of them will receive a new bond condition after an alleged violation. Also today, the City of Memphis Board of Ethics is set to discuss an ethics complaint against Memphis Fire Department Chief Gina Sweat.

On a lighter note, Hard Times Deli is having a grand opening party this morning at 10 a.m. There will be free beer. (Hey, it’s Friday, live a little). This evening, the Memphis Grizzlies play the Orlando Magic on the road.

On Saturday, Crosstown Brewing Co. is having a pirate party to celebrate seven years of beers. And five former Tigers athletes will be inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame. You can also watch the current Tigers athletes from the women’s basketball team play South Florida on TV.

Sunday is Youth Villages Soup Sunday, which couldn’t have come on a more wintry week, though it should be a tad warmer by then. As for basketball, the Grizzlies play the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road, and Tigers men’s team plays Florida Atlantic from home. For more weekend fun, check out The To-Do List.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant’s home was burglarized in December, with thieves apparently taking as much as $1 million in merchandise. (Jessie Alcheh/AP file)

Not the kind of steals Ja wants: Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant’s home was burglarized sometime in the evening of Dec. 19 or the wee hours of the next day. As much as $1 million worth of jewelry, watches and luxury bags were taken in what was believed to be part of a theft operation run by seven men from Chile and targeting star athletes from across the country.

“I would want experts in the field in all of these areas that can go in and see what’s not working, why is it not working, and then have the authority to implement changes,” state Rep. Mark White said. (George Walker IV/AP file)

School takeover bill coming soon: State Rep. Mark White’s bill allowing for a state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools is coming together and should go before lawmakers in about two weeks. If approved, state Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds would appoint a management board of Memphis experts in education finance, facilities and curriculum, and that board would have authority over the MSCS board. The new board would also be able to recommend and potentially appoint a superintendent. Critics of the bill point to another school-related state takeover that’s largely failed to improve the city’s low-performing schools.

Former Memphis police officer Emmitt Martin III pleaded guilty last year at the federal level to his role in Tyre Nichols’ death. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Ex-cop in Nichols case arrested: Emmitt Martin III, one of the five former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols, was taken into federal custody on Thursday, after his child’s mother told the federal probation office that he had been harassing her and their child. That would be a violation of his bond conditions, so he’ll be given an additional bond condition at a scheduled court hearing today. 

Cold case thaws out: The Memphis Police Department announced the arrest of Timothy Davis, 33, in connection with the killing of Calvin Wilhite Jr. 10 years ago. Wilhite was shot and killed while walking near FedExForum with his girlfriend on May 24, 2015. The MPD initially arrested the wrong man, and then the case went cold for a decade. Davis was charged with second-degree murder, and now, police are looking for a second suspect.

QUOTED

“While there’s a right to representation, there’s no guarantee of representation,” said Casey Bryant, executive director of Advocates of Immigrant Rights. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

“There’s now an expectation that a child should be able to represent themselves, even if a child is two years old.”

— Casey Bryant, executive director of Memphis’ Advocates of Immigrant Rights
Hundreds of immigrant children in the Mid-South who arrived in the U.S. without a parent may lose their lawyers, thanks to federal funding that was abruptly paused on Tuesday. Those children are among tens of thousands in the U.S. who will be affected. Because they are children, they are not deported and have a right to legal representation in their immigration cases.

THE NICE TO KNOW

The building at 716 W. Brookhaven Circle, the location of the former Dory restaurant, will be a special event venue. (Samuel Hardiman/The Daily Memphian)

Party house: The former Dory restaurant on West Brookhaven Circle will become a new private party and event venue. Chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman will run the new Little Flour Private Events space through their Enjoy A|M Restaurant Group. Read more on that in Food Files, plus news of a new spot to get your coffee-and-doughnut fix in Millington.

Another Tops Bar-B-Q restaurant has caught fire. The first recent Tops fire happened early on the morning of Oct. 17, 2024, at this location on Summer Avenue. (Houston Cofield/The Daily Memphian file)

Up in smoke — again: Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, they say, and that’s certainly been the case at Tops Bar-B-Q lately. The third Tops location (this time at 3970 Rhodes Ave. near Getwell Road) in four months caught fire early Thursday morning. Tops CEO Randy Hough blamed “mechanical issues,” the same cause blamed for recent fires at Tops on Summer Avenue and Thomas Street. Anyone craving a Tops Bar-B-Q Fireman burger?

Bánh xèo, which translates to “sizzling cake,” gets its name from the way the batter crisps up in a hot pan, creating a delicate yet substantial crepe-like shell. (Joshua Carlucci/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Bánh xèo 4Ever: In this week’s $10 Deal, Vietnamese bánh xèo enthusiast Joshua Carlucci takes us to Pho 4Ever, which is he says is home to the “best bánh xèo in Memphis.” Carlucci says this Cordova spot’s savory rice-flour crepe hits all the right notes: lacy, deeply golden, with just the right balance of crispiness and chew. He’s also got a hot tip for how to eat bánh xèo, which I’ll be trying with my next order. I’m something of a bánh xèo enthusiast myself, and I haven’t tried Pho 4Ever yet. But I’d recommend Pho Saigon’s version as my personal fave (sub tofu for the meat filling, and order sans fish sauce). 

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant tried to stop Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard in Indianapolis, Thursday, Feb. 20. (Michael Conroy/AP)

Tough return to office: Even the Memphis Grizzlies struggle at work after a long break. The Grizzlies returned from the NBA All-Star break Thursday night with a 127-113 road loss to the Indiana Pacers. In the beginning, they were tearing through those emails (er, baskets) with an early lead in the first quarter, but they quickly got bogged down as the Pacers caught up and surpassed a 51-51 tie midway through the second quarter. That set a new (and unwelcome) record for the Grizz.

GOT GAME?

The start of baseball season means spring is coming, even though it may not feel like it just yet. Dream of warmer days ahead with this week’s Jigsaw.

Memphis shortstop Creek Robertson celebrated after sliding safe into home plate in the fourth inning of the season opener against Southeast Missouri State. (Greg Campbell/Special for The Daily Memphian)

Forget “The Godfather.” There’s a new movie dropping on March 6 dedicated to The Grindfather. It’s all part of the Memphis Grizzlies’ jersey retirement party for Tony Allen, and you can get hyped for it with this week’s Word Search. 

Want a hint for this week’s 5 by 5 crossword? It’s what you’ll drink at the Hard Times Deli’s grand opening party today.

Have a good weekend, and see you on Monday.

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