The Early Word: Lowery is hip to the hop; Frayser may not be hip to a landfill
Happy Friday, Memphis. It’s July 5, and I hope your July 4 was filled with fun and fireworks. There was a lot going on around town, and you surely couldn’t get to every celebration, but we’ve got recaps of neighborhood parades in Memphis and a fireworks extravaganza in Southaven.
The holiday may be officially over, but there are likely still weekend cookouts and pool parties planned. If you’re heading to one, be extra careful on the roads because the Memphis Police Department will be out in full force along Highway 64 all weekend as part of a multi-county crackdown on traffic violations and impaired driving.
Better yet, just stay home and watch “Down in the Valley,” Memphis native Katori Hall’s new, six-episode docuseries on life in the South. It premieres on Starz tonight.
Memphis Wrecking Co. wants to double the size of its Frayser landfill, which is used solely for construction debris. But that plan would move the landfill closer to Whitney Elementary School, which already blames the landfill for rodents and odors at the school. The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board passed a resolution opposing the landfill’s expansion late last month. It’s not the first time Memphis Wrecking has tried to expand its landfill, and the last time didn’t go so well. But this time, they’re making more concessions to try and work with the surrounding neighborhood.
If hip-hop music were a person, it’d have its AARP card by now. The genre turned 50 years old last year, and a new hip-hop museum is in the works for Memphis. Shelby County Commissioner Mickell Lowery is leading the effort, which is now in a feasibility study stage with two firms — one from Memphis and one from California — testing the concept. Lowery said the museum could focus on Southern hip-hop and will likely include interactive exhibits, much like the National Civil Rights Museum. Learn more on The Daily Memphian’s On the Record podcast.
Plus, Memphis-Shelby County Schools saves a closed charter school, Elwood’s Shack owner gets frank on hot dogs and we look at Ed Scott’s long to-do list.
Topics
The Early Word Subscriber OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
Your subscription gives you unlimited access to all of The Daily Memphian’s news, written by nearly 40 local journalists and more than 20 regular freelancers. We work around the clock to cover the issues that impact your life and our community.
You can help us reach more Memphians.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we provide free news access at K-12 schools, public libraries and many community organizations. We also reach tens of thousands of people through our podcasts, and through our radio and television partnerships – all completely free to everyone who cares about Memphis.
When you subscribe, you get full access to our news. But when you donate, you help us reach all Memphians.
Pay it forward. Make a fully tax-deductible donation to The Daily Memphian today.
Thank you for reading the local news. Thank you for investing in our community.
Bianca Phillips
Bianca Phillips is a Northeast Arkansas native and longtime Memphian who’s worked in local journalism and PR for more than 20 years. In her days as a reporter, she covered everything from local government and crime to LGBTQ issues and the arts. She’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South,” a cookbook of vegan Southern recipes.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.