There are certain times of the year when news seems to crawl a bit slowly. Christmas to New Year’s is always a downtime. The Thanksgiving holiday has stretched from Thursday and Friday to most of the week.

And then spring break.

The slow weeks seem to coincide with times when the people with whom you need to talk are out of the office. When officials head off to family destinations for holidays or entertain out-of-towners.

Spring break seems a bit different. Vacation-esque. Destinations where phone service must be limited. Or people more readily push the “go-away” button when a call comes in on their phone. (This button, of course, is known by other names that we can’t print here).

Anyway, the March holiday week resulted in a limited number of stories. Oh, there were some important ones. Germantown changing directions on skeletons in the yards, and Millington breaking ground on a new middle school.

Collierville and Germantown filled an unincorporated doughnut hole on Winchester that somehow got left out of both cities in past annexations. My sports colleague -- Drew Hill – gave us an interesting read on Daiki and Chisato Sato, a couple from Japan who came to Southaven for their honeymoon. And to see Grizzlies G League player Yuki Kawamura of the Memphis Hustle.

Since Southaven is part of our DeSoto County coverage, the honeymoon made it over to the suburban section.

But suffice it to say – without any tipping off of the competition – there were any number of stories put on hesitation because, well, people were on spring break.

Unavailable for comment. Not returning calls.

On a normal workday, I would push a reporter to keep pestering the person. Make them call you back. Don’t let them ghost you.

That’s hard to do during spring break. Reception may not be very good in the Smoky Mountains. Or at Dollywood. Or rafting on the Ocoee.

If you are relaxing on the shores of the Gulf of Whatever, there’s a good chance that cell phone ain’t gonna be in your swimsuit pocket.

So, you let it go for that week. Pull together what stories are available and consider it one of the few weeks out of the year where stories just have to wait.

Of course, the same situation arises next week.

The suburban school districts are out for spring break starting Monday.

I wonder if we can just re-run this column next Friday. — Suburbs editor Clay Bailey

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Officials have dismissed charges against a resident who filed a federal lawsuit saying the suburb violated her First Amendment rights. The bone of contention? An 8-foot-tall skeleton yard decoration.

Collierville approved an agreement giving a piece of a pipe to Germantown and requesting the neighboring suburb to cap it. By Abigail Warren

It may not be Santorini, Greece or an all-inclusive resort, but the Landers Center was the perfect honeymoon destination for these Japanese newlyweds. By Drew Hill

A couple of new-home developments in Lakeland and Arlington have run into unexpected delays that are setting back completion by more than a year. By Michael Waddell

Through April 6, art pieces are brightening the vacant spot in the shopping center where Brooks Brothers used to be until a new tenant arrives. By Abigail Warren

Bartlett and Whitehaven (Class 4A), Memphis Business Academy (Class 2A) and Middle College (Class 1A) set to represent Shelby County this week. By John Varlas

“We’re expecting a lot more growth in the next five to 10 years,” MMSD Director of Schools James “Bo” Griffin said. “Adding onto the middle school will help us to be ready for that growth.” By Michael Waddell

Former Olive Branch police chief Don Gammage faces Dion M. Jones and Mike Hutchins in the April 1 Republican Primary to serve as the city’s Ward 3 alderman. By Toni Lepeska

Preliminary plans for the 25-lot Cedar Grove development southeast of Winchester Road and Peyton Parkway receive endorsement. By Abigail Warren

The company, with brands including Spam, Skippy, Applegate and Planters, will open a 280,000-square-foot facility at 8690 Tulane Road. By Sophia Surrett

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