Hi, there. As we enter the holiday season, we wanted to thank you, our readers, for helping us create a brand new newsroom for Memphis and supporting a new generation of journalists. And we wanted to give something back. So, whether you are a subscriber or not, you are getting the subscriber-only version of this article. We hope you enjoy it. (Want to become a subscriber? Go here.)

We’re in for stormy weather on this Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29, but hopefully, that won’t put a damper on your spirit. Speaking of giving, our own Jennifer Biggs offers a suggestion for where you can eat burgers today and give back to Church Health at the same time.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (always Mayor Pete in my heart) will meet with FedEx leaders and hub employees in Memphis today to tout infrastructure funding that will help get goods from planes to shelves this holiday season. And if you’re in DeSoto County and need a little extra cash to shop for those holiday goods, you might consider popping by an event today in Hernando to see if you’re due any unclaimed property.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Back, left to right: Kenneth Walker II, Leon Pattman, Angela Whitelaw, John Barker, Cathryn Stout, Patrice Thomas and Genard Phillips. Center, left to right: Shawn Page, Jaron Carson, Lori Phillips, Yolanda Martin, Carolyn Jackson, Lakshmi Visvanathan. Front: Joris Ray and Toni Williams

Who’s left at MSCS: After former Memphis-Shelby County Schools superintendent Joris Ray resigned in August amid an investigation into allegations of misconduct, there was a bit of shake-up amongst the top-level district leadership. The Daily Memphian’s Aarron Fleming offers a primer on who among the top brass has left the district (and why) and who remains.

In early November, Collierville’s Planning Commission reviewed a rezoning for “Project Solution,” although the user remained a mystery. On Monday, that user was revealed to be hardware industry distributor Orgill. (Submitted)

Mystery revealed: Orgill, a hardware industry distributor and consultancy that serves more than 12,000 retail stores, has been revealed as the large mystery user for a 47-acre site recently rezoned by the Collierville Planning Commission. Earlier this month, the commission approved the rezoning request for something called “Project Solution,” but commissioners weren’t told the name of the business that was requesting the rezoning. It seems the answer was right under their noses; the site in question is adjacent to Orgill’s current building near South Houston Levee Road and Bailey Station Road.

Greater Memphis Chamber President and CEO Phil Trenary, who was killed in 2018, spoke at a commercial real estate seminar at the Brooks Museum of Art. The trial for his murder has been delayed due to a conflict of interest in the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. (The Daily Memphian file)

Phil Trenary murder trial delayed: A potential conflict of interest in the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office has led to the delay of a planned Dec. 5 trial for the suspects in the 2018 slaying of Greater Memphis Chamber President and CEO Phil Trenary. Lorna McClusky, who was the lead defense attorney for suspect McKinney Wright, is now employed by the DA’s office. The case isn’t the first one impacted by McClusky’s appointment to the DA’s new Post-Conviction Justice Unit.

TVA maintenance coordinator George Czeiszperger (center) led a tour of the Allen Combined Cycle Plant in 2018. A legal challenge of the TVA’s long-term contracts will reach a crossroads on Thursday, Dec. 1. (The Daily Memphian file)

TVA contracts face legal challenge: On Thursday, a federal judge will hear a case related to the legality of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s long-term contracts. The Memphis Light, Gas and Water board recently delayed a planned vote on a 20-year contract with the TVA, and the outcome of this case could eliminate the board’s option to sign the long-term agreement, depending on how it goes. The legal challenge stems from a lawsuit filed two years ago by the Southern Environmental Law Center, claiming the 20-year contracts violate two federal laws.

QUOTED

Families gathered for the Shelby County District Attorney's Office’s annual “Season of Remembrance” ceremony, where attendees placed ornaments to honor loved ones who were victims of homicide. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

“We’re not just talking about statistics in a Crime Commission report. Each one of these people was a living, breathing, cherished, loved one.”

— Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy
The DA’s office hosted its 12th annual “Season of Remembrance” event on Monday night to remember the county’s homicide victims during the holiday season. So far in 2022, 274 people have fallen victim to homicide in Shelby County. 

THE NICE TO KNOW

From left to right, Michael A. George, Linda A. Goodspeed, Earl G. Graves, Jr,, Enderson Guimaraes, Brian Hannasch, D. Bryan Jordan, Gale V. King, George R. Mrkonic, Jr., William C. Rhodes III and Jill A. Soltau. (Photos courtesy of AutoZone)

Meet AutoZone’s proposed board: In December, AutoZone shareholders will vote on 10 nominees for the Memphis-based company’s board of directors. The Daily Memphian’s Rob Moore walks us through each proposed board member, with a look at their professional backgrounds and their total compensation in 2022.

Verizon proposed putting a cell tower on Bushrod Cove in Collierville. The cell company’s preferred location is in front of a house under construction. (Abigail Warren/The Daily Memphian)

Call ended in Collierville: Residents of Collierville’s Bushrod Branham neighborhood won’t have to worry about a Verizon Wireless cell tower going up in their area after the town’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously rejected Verizon’s appeal for a tower on Monday night. The commission said the planned structure was taller than other poles in the area and didn’t comply with the town’s guidelines for small wireless facilities. It also would have been in front of future Bushrod resident Nadim Siddiqui’s new house (and he wasn’t thrilled about that).

“We used Franklin, Tennessee, as a model for this ordinance,” said Arlington town planner Jeremy Credeur, referring to proposed restrictions on short-term rentals. (Michael Waddell/The Daily Memphian file)

Arlington’s growing pains: Future Airbnb hosts, gas station owners and hotel developers could face hurdles in Arlington if the town’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen approves several zoning changes. Last week, the Arlington Planning Commission unanimously recommended ordinance changes that would only allow one short-term vacation rental at a time per lot and requires that the owner lives on-premises. (If you’ve ever stayed at an Airbnb with nosy/weird, on-site hosts, you know this could be a problem.) The ordinance changes also limit where new hotels and gas stations can open.

University of Memphis guard Alex Lomax (in a file photo, reacting to a teammate’s dunk) cracked the Tigers’ top 10 all-time steals list Friday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Things we like about the Tigers: The Memphis Tigers took fifth place overall at the ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, Florida, over the weekend after one loss and two wins. And where the team seemed to be lacking in raw talent, they made up for it in fight and resilience. In his regular post-game column, The Daily Memphian’s Parth Upadhyaya runs down his likes, loves and hates from the invitational. Spoiler alert: Fifth-year guard Alex Lomax seems to be finding his groove, and that gets a lot of love from Upadhyaya.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

The NBA season is at the quarter-mark, and the Memphis Grizzlies are in third place in the Western Conference with a 12-8 record. And that’s all without having the team’s ideal starting lineup on the floor together this season (not even once), due to injuries that have plagued the team. The Daily Memphian’s Chris Herrington thinks the Grizzlies look like a good bet to win the West.

Please give generously today to causes you care about! And your early words will be right here waiting for you at this time tomorrow.

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