Wake up, Memphis! Today is Thursday, March 16, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that there are two journalism holidays on this day. It’s National Freedom of Information Day, which falls on President James Madison’s birthday; Madison was widely regarded as an advocate for openness in government. 

And it’s Black Press Day, commemorating the day the country’s first Black newspaper, “Freedom’s Journal,” hit stands in New York City in 1927.

Also happening today: The Memphis Tigers women’s basketball team will play Jackson State University in the first round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacted after being hit in the face in a game against the Sacramento Kings in Sacramento, California, on Oct. 27, 2022. The NBA has suspended Morant for eight games. (José Luis Villegas/AP file)

Ja speaks out, return is planned: On Wednesday, Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant spoke publicly for the first time since the NBA handed him an eight-game suspension after he appeared to show a gun in an Instagram Live video. Speaking on ESPN, Morant said he’s been doing Reiki treatment and anxiety breathing “and different stuff to help me … release all that stuff from my body.” Morant will be allowed to return on March 20, but he’s not been playing basketball during his time away, so Coach Taylor Jenkins said there will be a ramp-up period before we’ll see him on the court. On the show, Morant also addressed several other past incidents. The Daily Memphian’s Chris Herrington says it’s “imperative” that Morant realize his absence “was not about one bad decision in Denver” but “the culmination of a perilous pattern.” (I think it’s fair to say Morant has been having a bit of a Britney Spears moment, no?)

On Wednesday, March 15, a coalition of groups seeking to preserve the Mid-South Coliseum called on the Memphis City Council to consider repurposing the Coliseum for a multi-use facility. (Bill Dries/The Daily Memphian)

Still saving the Coliseum: A coalition pushing for the preservation of the Mid-South Coliseum is calling on the Memphis City Council to establish an ad hoc committee on possible future uses for the mothballed arena. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s sports venue improvement plan calls for a partial demolition of the Coliseum to make way for a new, $52 million, 10,000-seat soccer stadium for 901FC. But the coalition is proposing six alternative sites for a new stadium. “There are half a dozen areas that could be future sites of 901FC. They are still in the Liberty Park footprint. We can have both,” said Leah Fox-Greenberg, CEO of Memphis Heritage.

According to Federal Railroad Administration data, most of the 35 train derailments in Shelby County since 2018 occurred during yard-switching. (Sue Ogrocki/AP file)

Off the rails: Here’s a statistic that might surprise you: There have been at least 35 (!!) train derailments in Shelby County since 2018. In the wake of Norfolk Southern’s toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, last month, The Daily Memphian’s Sam Hardiman reviewed data on local derailments and found that surprising statistic. Most of those occurred during yard-switching at low speeds, but a few did involve hazardous materials. And in 2019, one person was killed when a Norfolk Southern train (the same company involved in the Ohio incident) derailed in Germantown.

Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy and Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon talked to the media following a private youth crime working session on Oct. 6, 2022. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Transparency and juvenile crime: By state law, juvenile court cases are generally closed to the public in an effort to shield youth from scrutiny as rehabilitation efforts are underway. But that means the public has limited access to information as juvenile crimes are trending toward more violent offenses. In the latest article in our “Minor Offenders, Major Offenses” series, The Daily Memphian’s Julia Baker looks at efforts, including a new data dashboard, to improve the flow of information around juvenile crime.

QUOTED

“Just one measurement of one day of [a] child’s life … does not reflect their full school year’s worth of learning. It’s a severely punitive law.”

 — Shelby County educator Sarah First
First spoke on behalf of MICAH, which opposes the state’s third-grade retention law, during a Tuesday hearing of the state legislature’s K-12 subcommittee. The retention law uses certain TCAP test scores to determine whether students get held back, but an amendment offering an alternative to the TCAP measure passed the Senate education committee on Wednesday.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Memphis players Antonio Anderson (from left), Chris Douglas-Roberts, Derrick Rose, Joey Dorsey (3) and Shawn Taggart reacted to their victory over Southern Mississippi on Jan. 19, 2008, in Memphis. (The Daily Memphian file)

Joey Dorsey’s NCAA redux: Former Memphis Tiger Joey Dorsey is heading back to the NCAA Tournament — this time as Coach Penny Hardaway’s volunteer assistant. Dorsey was part of one of the greatest seasons in Tigers history, when the team reached an NCAA title game in 2008 that ended in an overtime defeat to Kansas. In January, Dorsey joined Hardaway’s staff and has played a key role in helping the current team of Tigers make it to this year’s tournament. The Tigers will play in a first-round match-up with Florida Atlantic on Friday, and our own Parth Upadhyaya tells us what to expect. 

Decorative street lights illuminate a pedestrian plaza in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Gerry Broome/AP)

Taking flight: On Wednesday, Memphis International Airport officials announced that Avelo Airlines will offer nonstop service between Memphis and the Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina. Avelo will be the 10th airline serving MEM, and flights begin on June 14.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) worked to get past Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler on March 15, in Miami. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)

Grizz couldn’t take the Heat: The Memphis Grizzlies’ winning streak was broken on Wednesday night with a 138-119 loss to the Miami Heat. The Grizzlies squandered an early lead with fouls, sending the Heat to the free throw line multiple times in the first half. And the team’s double-digit deficit was not helped when Desmond Bane was ejected for a flagrant foul after hitting Heat forward Kevin Love in the groin (ouch). On the bright side, second-year wing Ziaire Williams came off the bench and scored more points than he’s made all year.

The Town of Collierville may purchase this vacant site south of Wolf River Boulevard and a half-mile west of Bray Station Road. (Abigail Warren/The Daily Memphian)

Land grab? The Town of Collierville may purchase a nearly 14-acre wooded site south of Wolf River Boulevard. The Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen believe the tract, owned by the late Norman Brown III’s Wildlife Properties, could be an asset to the town due to its proximity to its wastewater treatment plant, the Robbins-Halle Nature Preserve and Wolf River Boulevard. Though there are no current plans to widen Wolf River Boulevard, Collierville’s town engineer said the land would help with right-of-way issues should the town decide to widen it in the future.

DeSoto County will open a wheelchair-accessible playground this summer with features similar to this playground structure in McLean, Virginia. (Gerald Martineau/The Washington Post for AP file)

Every body can play: DeSoto County is getting its first playground with dedicated wheelchair-accessible equipment. Plans for the playground at the new Lewisburg Park in Olive Branch include an accessible playground structure that features “things that [users] can do from a visual standpoint, things that they can do with their arms …” said Ray Laughter, director of Environmental Services and Parks and Greenways for DeSoto County. The new park will also include a walking loop trail, gazebo and a multipurpose sports field. 

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

The Memphis Police Department shared this helpful reminder to lock up at gas stations. It may seem obvious, but this exact crime happened to me in 2021 at the Kroger gas station at Poplar Avenue and Watkins Street in Midtown. Someone made off with my phone, I.D. and debit card, which were all sitting in the passenger seat of my unlocked car, while I was pumping gas. I never even saw it happen. Now, I always lock my doors.

Be careful out there. See you on Fri-yay morning!

.....