Welcome to thaw week, Memphis. Temperatures on this Monday, Jan. 22, are expected to reach 45 degrees, and we’ll finally begin to see an end to this ice and snow. That said, there’s plenty of ice on the ground this morning, and area schools are closed again today. The University of Memphis will be closed all week, due to water-pressure problems, and other colleges are closed today because of lingering ice.

The Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen will consider beer permit suspensions for Asian Eatery and Rock & Dough Pizza after both eateries allegedly served minors in an undercover sting. 

DeSoto County’s first-ever dining week started on Sunday, and restaurants in Southaven, Olive Branch, Hernando, Horn Lake, Walls and Nesbit will offer meal deals. See a list of participating restaurants. And this evening, the Memphis Grizzlies continue their trip up north to play the Toronto Raptors. For more on what’s coming up in the warmer days ahead, check out This Week in Memphis.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Memphis Light, Gas and Water president and CEO Doug McGowen spoke at an MLGW press conference Sunday, Jan. 21. (Elle Perry/The Daily Memphian)

Boiling point: Are you tired of boiling water yet? Well, hang on because we may have to keep it up for most of this week. Memphis Light, Gas and Water president and CEO Doug McGowen said on Sunday that he expects the area’s water pressure to improve enough by Wednesday that he’ll be able to send samples off for testing. Assuming that’s the case, testing can take 18-24 hours, and if results are good, MLGW could lift the boil-water advisory Thursday. That’s bad news for some area bars and restaurants, which have been struggling under the boil advisory. Also, if you’re still dripping those faucets, you should stop now.

The City of Memphis funded a recruiting fair in San Juan, Puerto Rico last July, in an attempt to attract police officers and employees for other hard-to-fill jobs. (Brennan Linsley/AP file)

Puerto Rico and bust: Back in July, the City of Memphis sent at least 15 employees to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for a job fair intended to recruit bilingual police officers and other city employees. The trip, which occurred under former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s administration, cost taxpayers nearly $50,000 between flights, meals, tips, hotel rooms and catering services. And, it turns out, all of that spending was for naught.

“Like any other customer relationship, we are focused on ensuring it continues to make good business sense for both [FedEx and USPS] as we each realign our networks for the future,” said FedEx said in a statement. (The Daily Memphian)

FedEx, USPS contract could bring cuts: FedEx’s work with the U.S. Postal Service could be cut dramatically in 29 cities when its contract with USPS comes due in September. Back in November, one FedEx executive told supervisory pilots that the change could eliminate half of FedEx’s daytime flying hours, creating a large excess of pilots by this coming fall. Those comments were leaked from a secretly recorded internal conversation, and FedEx says they do not represent the company’s position. But the chair of FedEx’s pilots’ union, which has re-entered negotiations for a new pilots’ contract, said the leak was “intended to give our pilots pause and stand them down.”

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School in Frayser was one of the older Memphis Catholic Schools, which became a part of the Jubilee Schools network, but the school was closed in May 2019. (Karen Pulfer Focht/Special to The Daily Memphian)

New ‘Miracle in Memphis’? Years ago, the creation of nine local Catholic Jubilee Schools was hailed as the “Miracle in Memphis.” But by the 2018-2019 year, the schools closed after the money ran out. Now, Catholic education leaders are hoping Gov. Bill Lee’s proposed Education Freedom Scholarship Act, which would make private school vouchers more widely available, could buoy Catholic schools that serve low-income families. Case in point: Immaculate Conception Cathedral School in Memphis, which has benefited from the existing voucher program more than any other Tennessee school.

MEET MEMPHIS

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, left, greeted Memphis forward GG Jackson during a live interview after the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Golden State Warriors on Monday, Jan. 15. (Brandon Dill/AP)

The Memphis Grizzlies’ newest member, GG Jackson, was once a top-ranked high school recruit in the Class of 2023. Hailing from Columbia, South Carolina, Jackson was committed to the blue-blood program at North Carolina. But in July 2021, college athletes began signing endorsement deals after the NCAA changed its name, image and likeness policy, so Jackson reclassified to the Class of 2022 and opted to stay home and play for South Carolina for NIL reasons. What seemed like a dream scenario, however, turned turbulent at his hometown university. That’s behind him now though: Jackson gave an impressive showing against the Golden State Warriors last Monday, but his performance in the Grizzlies’ Saturday loss to the Chicago Bulls was far more humbling. In other news, Steven Adams is back — kind of.

THE NICE TO KNOW

The Shelby County Health Department’s mission is “to promote, protect and improve the health of all in Shelby County” in four main areas: community health; population health; epidemiology and infectious diseases; and environmental health. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Something in the air (and water): When you think of the Shelby County Health Department, you probably think of its spotlight role during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the department’s purview extends beyond illness; it also plays a role in maintaining the county’s air and water quality. The Daily Memphian’s Keely Brewer talked with local clean air and water advocates, who say the Health Department could be doing more to protect groundwater quality and to prevent toxins from being released by companies, such as Sterilization Services in South Memphis. In other environmental news, it turns out the snow that hit much of the country last week — including Memphis — could be just what the drought-impacted Mississippi River basin needed. There’s always a silver lining if you look hard enough.

Memphis Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway called out from the bench during the game against Tulane in New Orleans on Sunday, Jan. 21. (Gerald Herbert/AP)

Tigers give it away: The Memphis Tigers are quickly undoing all the work they did to make it into the Associated Press Top 10. On Sunday, they suffered a second straight loss, 81-79 to Tulane, becoming the first Top 10 team to lose to the Green Wave since 1983. David Jones scored a game-high 32 points and hit five 3-pointers, but that wasn’t enough to make up for the team’s defensive issues and poor shooting. “We did everything possible to give this game away, and [we] did,” said coach Penny Hardaway. So, where does this leave the Tigers now in the grand scheme of NCAA Tournament hopes? Our own Parth Upadhyaya says there’s “virtually no room for any additional slip-ups.” And columnist John Martin says Hardaway has one week to find the answers.

From left: Olive Branch Police Chief Bill Cox; Horn Lake Police Chief Nikki Pullen; Hernando Police Chief Shane Ellis; Southaven police chief candidate Brent Vickers; DeSoto County Sheriff Thomas E. Tuggle (The Daily Memphian files)

Fresh blood: By the end of January, 135 years of cumulative law enforcement experience will have been lost in DeSoto County. Southaven Police Chief Macon Moore is retiring at the end of this month, and leaders from the other four police departments have retired in the last 18 months. That means all of DeSoto’s law enforcement agencies will soon have fresh leaders. The Daily Memphian’s Toni Lepeska talked to the new top cops about how they’re uniting to keep DeSoto County safe and fight what they see as bleed-over crime from Memphis.

Retail giant Macy’s plans to lay off both retail and corporate employees. A spokesperson would not specify whether the layoffs will impact employees at the Memphis-area stores. (The Daily Memphian file)

Macy’s gray outlook: Memphis’ two Macy’s locations may be spared from recently announced closings of underperforming stores, but the retail giant also plans to eliminate 2,350 jobs. And it’s not clear how that will impact Memphis Macy’s employees. 

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

What felt like the longest week in Memphis history is over! The ice and snow should begin to melt today, and by Wednesday, it will practically feel like spring. There’s plenty of rain in the forecast, but it’s not sleet or snow, so that’s a win in my book. 

Have a great day, and keep boiling that water. See you tomorrow.

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