The Early Word: MSCS board may lose power; Richard Ransom notes new gig
Happy Pi Day, Memphis. It’s Friday, March 14, and if you’re looking for a pie recipe to celebrate 3.1415926535, Jennifer Chandler’s bourbon-chocolate pecan pie is a good place to start.
The No. 1 seed Memphis Tigers will play their first game — against Wichita State — in the American Athletic Conference Tournament at noon today. And the No. 2 in the West Memphis Grizzlies play the No. 1 in the East Cleveland Cavaliers tonight at FedExForum. Speaking of sports, we’re doing a live Q&A with our Memphis Tigers reporters next Tuesday, but it’s only for the first 50 subscribers who sign up. You can do that here.
Saturday is not St. Patrick’s Day, but it’ll feel like it when the Silky Sullivan’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade rolls down Beale Street. There’s a good chance of rain, but the parade is set to happen rain or shine, so pack a green umbrella. It’ll be worth getting wet to see former Memphis Grizzly Tony Allen in the parade’s royal court. Later that night, the Grizzlies will retire his No. 9 jersey during a game with the Miami Heat.
Sunday marks the start of Memphis Black Restaurant Week, when Black-owned eateries will be offering deals all week. For more weekend fun, let The To-Do List be your guide.
The yet-to-be-filed state proposal allowing for a takeover of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board would give a new state-appointed board most of the control. The MSCS board would only be permitted to discuss items like hiring a superintendent when the state board authorizes its meetings, and then the new board could still veto the MSCS board’s decisions. The legislative proposal, which is set to be discussed next week, would also allow for such a takeover in other districts statewide. And it would allow the state education commissioner to recommend that public schools be taken over by charter operators.
ABC24’s nightly news anchor Richard Ransom is making a career shift that so many journalists have made at least once in their careers: a move into public relations. He’ll sign off from TV news on March 19 after more than 30 years in the anchor chair at several local stations. And beginning March 24, he’ll be the director of strategic communications for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. Ransom announced his plan to leave ABC24 a few weeks back, but he just revealed the new position on Thursday.
Plus, juice shops are making moves, local designers “Stand on Grizzness” and the Tigers will get tested in today’s tournament.
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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.
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