Welcome back, readers! Today is Tuesday, Jan. 3, which, for many, is the first day back to work after a long weekend. It’s also day one for a lot of New Year’s resolutions, now that the holiday weekend of indulgence is behind us. I wish you luck with whatever healthy goals you’re striving for in 2023.

Collierville Schools and Germantown Municipal Schools students are back in class today, and students at Houston Middle will have quite a bit more space as a new addition to the school opens. 

THE NEED TO KNOW

Gangsta Boo, also known as Lola Mitchell, 43, has died. In this file photo, she performed as the opener for Run the Jewels at the Tabernacle on Saturday, January 21, 2017, in Atlanta. (Photo by Robb Cohen/Invision/AP file)

Gangsta Boo has died: The year got off to a tragic start with the news of Memphis rapper and longtime Three 6 Mafia member Gangsta Boo’s passing. The 43-year-old Whitehaven native — born Lola Mitchell — was found dead on New Year’s Day. A death investigation is ongoing, but Memphis Police say there were no immediate signs of foul play. Mitchell joined Three 6 Mafia in 1994 when she was 15. Her first solo project, 1998’s “Enquiring Minds” (one of my most cherished albums in my college days) featured her biggest hit, “Where Dem Dollas At.”

Contact negotiations between Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee have failed, leaving parents concerned about access to the specialized care the hospital provides. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Insurance fallout affecting pediatric patients: BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee members have lost access to Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare hospitals after failed contract negotiations between the two. The fallout has some parents concerned about their children’s sudden lack of access to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital’s specialized care. One Collierville mother whose four-year-old son was scheduled to undergo a procedure at Le Bonheur on Valentine’s Day called the situation “an egregious act against children and their families.”

MLGW’s Wilson Mallory Pumping Station in Midtown. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Text me, MLGW: After extreme weather over Christmas weekend led to rolling blackouts and a citywide boil water advisory, some Memphis Light, Gas and Water customers complained about a lack of communication from the utility. But turns out, MLGW has a text alert system for situations just like those. Sign up is easy (I just did it in under one minute). Speaking of that winter weather, local home contractors and plumbers are booked up as residents deal with burst pipes and home damage from the storm. And both the University of Memphis and Christian Brothers University have reported property damage to their campuses.

Former Memphis Police Director (and current executive director of CrimeStoppers) E. Winslow “Buddy” Chapman founded Trust Pays, a program aimed at keeping Memphis schools safer. (The Daily Memphian file)

What MSCS is doing to keep kids safe: Incidents of violent and aggressive behavior at Memphis-Shelby County Schools were down 5.7% last semester compared to the first semester of last school year. That may be in part because of several efforts at MSCS designed to prevent youth violence. Trust Pays, a program that offers cash rewards to students who provide tips on potential safety incidents, has been in place since 2006, and now there’s a new partnership aimed at reducing violence in a handful of select schools. 

QUOTED

Osi Imomoh, president and general manager at Southland Casino Hotel in West Memphis, Arkansas, stands in a lounge off the main casino floor. (Houston Cofield/Special to The Daily Memphian)

“What changed [at Southland] was the faith the company had in the city and this area ... slowly but surely, we have grown from the small dog track to the leading casino.”

— Osi Imomoh, president and general manager at Southland Casino Hotel
Dog racing ended at Southland on New Year’s Eve. Now, the casino is focusing on its next move. The Daily Memphian’s Jane Roberts looks at the casino’s growth over the years.

THE NICE TO KNOW

The “Midtown is Memphis” sign was erected when the now-defunct Chiwawa restaurant opened in Overton Square. It now welcomes diners at Saltwater Crab. (The Daily Memphian file)

Midtown is Memphis: As a Midtowner of 20 years, I have mixed feelings about my neighborhood’s borders, as many Midtowners do. Sometimes, I joke that Midtown exists solely within the Parkways. But where does that leave the Vollintine-Evergreen neighborhood or the Broad Avenue Arts District? And does Midtown really extend all the way to South Parkway, or should we say it ends at Southern Avenue? Our own Chris Herrington, who might live in Midtown or North Memphis, depending on whom you ask, ponders these questions and the ramifications for the rest of the city.

Memphis Grizzlies center Steven Adams (4) reaches for a rebound over Sacramento Kings forward Richaun Holmes (22) in a game on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023. (Nikki Boertman/AP Photo)

Grizzlies’ comeback weekend: The Memphis Grizzlies ended 2022 and began 2023 on high notes. On New Year’s Eve, the Grizzlies beat the New Orleans Pelicans, 116-101. The game was strong on defense, as the Grizzlies held Pelicans star Zion Williamson to an uncharacteristically low-scoring game. And then on New Year’s Day, the Grizzlies did it again with a 118-108 win over the Sacramento Kings. Tyus Jones and Steven Adams both tied their career highs for 3-pointers and rebounds, respectively. After the game, Ja Morant made a young fan cry with joy as he gave him the “Ja 1” shoes right off his feet. Back to those wins though: In late December, it seemed the Grizzlies had thrown in the towel as they lost four out of five games, but The Daily Memphian’s Tim Buckley has an alternate theory on what happened.

Richard W. Smith, president and CEO-elect of FedEx Express, spoke during a grand opening ceremony at the new global headquarters inside the former Gibson Guitar Factory building on Monday, April 5, 2022. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Year in review: Our health reporter Aisling Mäki takes us through some of the challenges faced by local health care officials in 2022, which kicked off with the county’s highest number of new COVID cases since the pandemic’s start. She also details challenges, such as nursing shortages, federal lawsuits and more, faced by local hospitals in the past year. Meanwhile, in the business world, construction began on Ford Motor Co.’s BlueOval City in 2022, and public companies, like FedEx and AutoZone, dealt with everything from global market softness to lingering supply chain issues. Our own Rob Moore also looks ahead to what Memphis-based public companies are predicting for 2023.

The Memphis Tigers basketball team huddles with DeAndre Williams (12) during the game at Tulane on Jan. 1, 2023. (Parth Upadhyaya/The Daily Memphian)

Tigers lose to Tulane: Things didn’t go so well for the Memphis Tigers on New Year’s Day. The Tigers got off to a slow start and never fully gained momentum in a 96-89 loss to the Tulane Green Wave in New Orleans. Point guard Kendric Davis attempted to will Memphis to a victory with a season-high 31 points, but it just wasn’t enough. The Daily Memphian’s Tigers basketball reporter Parth Upadhyaya details what he loved, liked and hated about the game. Despite the loss, our own John Martin believes the Tigers will go to the Sweet 16 this year. That’s one of several bold predictions from Martin on the upcoming year in Memphis sports.

Villa Castrioti’s second restaurant in the new Lake District in Lakeland. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

What’s ahead in Bartlett and Lakeland: Both Bartlett and Lakeland have new mayors who will oversee a number of challenges in their respective suburbs this year, especially as it relates to Ford Motor Co.’s BlueOval City. When the electric vehicle manufacturing plant opens in nearby Haywood County, the suburbs could face growing pains as it works to add housing and increase public safety. The Daily Memphian’s Michael Waddell talked to elected officials in both suburbs about challenges with education, commercial development and more in the year ahead.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Memphis has lost a legend with the passing of Gangsta Boo, and tributes have flooded Instagram since Sunday night. When I was a college kid in Arkansas, Three 6 Mafia and Gangsta Boo were instrumental in my decision to move to Memphis. I had dreams of getting out of the South after college, but I couldn’t really afford that. And their music made Memphis seem like a cool place where I’d want to live. Rest in peace, Lola. 

Alright, let’s get started on those resolutions. I’m resolving to eat less processed food, spend more time with friends and family and take mindful movement breaks throughout the day.

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