Happy birthday to The Early Word! Today is Monday, Nov. 25, and your favorite (I hope!) morning news column is five years old today. If you want to throw us a birthday party, we’d love a princess theme with a vegan ice cream cake and a bouncy house. 

We may be partying, but the City of Germantown is most certainly not. The suburb’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen will consider an ordinance today to stamp out ticketed house parties, like the ones at a house on Forest Hill Irene Road that caused a stir earlier this year.

In sports news, the Memphis Tigers will play two-time defending NCAA champs UConn in their first game at the Maui Invitational. The Memphis Grizzlies will play the Portland Trail Blazers in the Pacific Northwest, and it seems Ja Morant could be a maybe. For more upcoming sports ball and other things, see This Week in Memphis.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Bill Townsend is still hosting parties at Annesdale Mansion, but the neighbors don’t mind. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

From NIMBYs to YIMBYs: After years of feuding between the Annesdale Mansion’s former owner Ken Robison and a handful of Annesdale-Snowden neighbors, there’s finally some peace around the parties held at the historic mansion. Neighbors had been unhappy with loud music from the weddings Robison hosted there. The new owner Bill Townsend is still hosting parties, but he’s been careful to work with the neighborhood to ensure they’re not disruptive. And his parties aren’t for profit; he’s been using the space for charitable events, often at no charge to the nonprofits hosting them. Townsend also owns several other historic properties — the Luciann Theater, the Lowenstein Mansion and others — and he’s got big plans for all of them. 

The planned surge of public-safety resources into Downtown comes as crime in the area continues to drop. (The Daily Memphian file)

Taking a bite out of Downtown crime: The Memphis Police Department is planning to open a new police branch near Beale Street, add 24 more officers to the area and install hundreds of cameras around FedExForum. The efforts are all part of the city’s plan to enhance Downtown safety, following months of negotiations with the Memphis Grizzlies on the team’s second long-term lease at FedExForum. But they’re also coming at a time when Downtown crime has fallen 27% year over year.

The Main Street storefront at 100 N. Main will remain with refurbished escalators and preserved gold doorways. (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian)

Retro fit: Downtown’s 100 N. Main redevelopment project is moving right along, and more than 75% of the 38-story tower has been demolished and abated. The demo process should be done by the end of spring. Then, the construction phase on what will become a mix of apartments, a Marriott hotel, office space for the City of Memphis and a 1970s-inspired basement speakeasy will soon follow. Adam Slovis with 100 N. Main Development Partners gives a detailed update on where the project stands and what people can expect from the rehabbed 58-year-old building.

Inmate dies at 201 Poplar: Lawrence Sumlin, a 60-year-old inmate at the Shelby County Jail, died while in intake early Friday morning. He was arrested for allegedly stealing from two homes in East Memphis and had not yet been booked into the jail. Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner said his office is awaiting a medical examiner’s report but that he suspects Sumlin died of a “medical emergency” and that no one else was involved in his death.

A DeSoto County court will try a third time in December to seat a jury that will decide whether or not Jashawn Jefferson is guilty of multiple felony indictments. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Judge vs. DA: The trial for Jashawn Jefferson, a DeSoto County man accused of opening fire on three teenagers in January 2022, has been delayed for a second time this year. And that’s caused rising tensions between the DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office and DeSoto County Circuit Court Judge Celeste Wilson. Jefferson was scheduled to appear for a jury seating on Nov. 18, but the DA’s office asked for a continuance due to the fact that Jefferson is currently detained in Shelby County over an unrelated homicide charge. Wilson ruled against the DA’s office and set a new date for December. 

QUOTED

“Everything is on the table.”

— Bacarra Mauldin, Memphis Area Transit Authority’s interim CEO
MATA is facing financial and operational difficulties over its entire bus, trolley and on-demand transit system. And even though Memphis Mayor Paul Young intervened before the agency laid off half its staff earlier this year, Mauldin said bus route cuts and other big changes could still be coming. It could also be next summer before MATA’s trolley system is back on track.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Hog & Hominy’s Beef & Cheddar Hot Dog is a seasoned all-beef hot dog filled with cheese, served on a salty pretzel-bread bun and garnished with yellow mustard. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Doggone? Not anymore. Hog & Hominy’s Beef & Cheddar Hot Dog, which disappeared from the menu after the restaurant reopened in 2021 after a fire, is back. And these aren’t just any old hot dogs from a package; they’re handcrafted at Buster’s Butcher shop, which might explain why they’ll cost you a pretty penny. In other local favorite dish news, we’ve got a mac-and-cheese recipe inspired by East Memphis’ much-missed Interim Restaurant.

Crosstown Concourse and Live Nation announced plans on Friday, Nov. 22, to build a 35,000-square-foot music venue at 431 N. Claybrook St. (Courtesy archimania)

Going live: Crosstown is about to get yet another music venue. Entertainment giant Live Nation is bringing a new 35,000-square-foot venue to the corner of Claybrook Street and Autumn Avenue. That’s currently home to a giant, underused parking lot across the street from the Concourse parking garage. It will join Crosstown Arts’ Green Room, Crosstown Theater and the Hi-Tone as places to see live music in the Midtown neighborhood. But it’ll also be used for comedy shows, community events, corporate meetings and more.

Memphis' Scotty Pippen Jr. scored a new career-high in points in the Grizzlies win over the Chicago Bulls, Saturday, Nov. 23, in Chicago. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)

All the points: The Memphis Grizzlies got revenge on the Chicago Bulls Saturday night with a 142-131 win over the team they lost to less than a month ago. It was just the sixth time in franchise history that the team has reached 140-plus points in a single game, thanks in large part to Scotty Pippen Jr., who reached a new point milestone. The team is now 17 games into the season, so our own Chris Herrington figured it was time for an evaluation. He offers 10 takes after the season’s first month, including a look at how many times the team’s core trio — Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. — have played on the court together. And it’s not many.

Kelsey Berry Pottery offers a subscription box that comes with a soap dispenser. (Courtesy Kelsey Berry)

Give the gift of Memphis: Unless you’re one of those Type A people who start holiday shopping before Halloween, the gift-buying season likely starts on Black Friday. Once your list is made and checked twice to see who’s been naughty or nice, you might need some guidance on what to buy. We’ve got you covered with our annual Daily Memphian gift guide, which is loaded with Memphis-made present ideas and experiences (some totally free!) from our staff. 

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

Those of you wishing for winter weather to kick off the holiday season this week are in for a treat. But if you’re traveling for Thanksgiving, our friends at MemphisWeather.net say you should be prepared for snow in a few places around the country, so airline delays might be possible. 

Enjoy this last fall-like day! See you on a cold Tuesday morning.

.....