Good morning! We’re offering The Early Word free to all readers for two weeks. Think of it as an early holiday gift. 

It’s Friday the 13th, Memphis! So, you could stay home tonight and watch some Jason movies. (That’ll give new meaning to “nightmare before Christmas.”) Or, you could celebrate Tay Tay’s 35th birthday at Soul & Spirits Brewing, which is releasing six new Taylor Swift-themed beers for the occasion.

It was literally gonna rain on Saturday’s Beale Street holiday parade, so that’s been canceled. No worries though: You can stay inside and watch Memphis Tigers basketball on TV. The men’s team plays Clemson, and the women’s team plays Troy, both in away games. We’re back on horror films Saturday night with a Time Warp Drive-in screening of holiday slasher flicks, including one where Santa actually slays.

For more weekend fun (think a Swedish Christmas feast and a Godzilla holiday party), check out The To-Do List. 

THE NEED TO KNOW

“It’s cannabis in a safe, fun, legal environment,” said Buds & Brews founder Michael Solomon. (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian)

Yes, we cannabis! Buds & Brews, a Nashville-based cannabis-themed restaurant, officially opens today in the old Bounty on Broad space. At the first-of-its-kind spot for Memphis, customers can order THC-infused sauces for their burgers and wings, as well as craft cocktails made with cannabis — or alcohol if that’s more your thing. They just won’t mix booze and THC together, which as many of us know from our college days, that’s probably a wise choice. So, how is this legal, you ask? THC derived from hemp products is allowed in Tennessee, which remains one of the few holdout states for medical or recreational marijuana legalization.

The home at 3371 Forest Hill Irene Road is for sale. It was placed on the market hours after the city sought an injunction against the owner following a ticketed house party. (Abigail Warren/The Daily Memphian file)

Party’s over in Germantown: Large, ticketed house parties are officially banned in Germantown. The Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen updated the city’s rules on ticketed events earlier this week, after months of discussion stemming from two large house parties on Forest Hill Irene Road. That house was advertised as “The Yard @ Germantown,” and its owner, Tyisha Jones, charged admission for large parties with live music. The home has since been listed for sale. The new rules do allow for a couple of exceptions though. 

DeSoto County Sheriff Thomas Tuggle was ordered to appear before a grand jury in connection with a defendant’s escape. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

DeSoto sheriff subpoenaed: DeSoto County Sheriff Thomas Tuggle and his chief deputy, Justin Smith, were subpoenaed before a grand jury on Thursday, after a defendant tried to escape custody earlier this week. Stephen Graham Russell made a run for his car outside the DeSoto County Circuit Court on Monday, after being sentenced to 10 years on drug trafficking charges. Russell drove away but was caught less than a mile from the courthouse. Following Russell’s capture, DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton said his office was looking into filing additional charges.

QUOTED

“These next four games are pivotal for us for seeding and positioning [ourselves] for the NCAA [Tournament],” said Memphis Tigers Coach Penny Hardaway. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file) 

“In our minds, [ASU was] a bad loss. But there’s a way to make up for it. ”

— Coach Penny Hardaway
The Memphis Tigers men’s basketball coach said on Thursday that he’s viewing the next four games, starting with this Saturday’s match-up against Clemson, as his team’s chance to redeem themselves after last Sunday’s loss to Arkansas State. After those four games, the Tigers will start their 18-game American Athletic Conference play, so Hardaway called this time “pivotal” for NCAA Tournament seeding.

THE NICE TO KNOW

City Silo Table + Pantry added a veggie burrito to its menu at its new East Memphis location. (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian)

Foxy BBQ is back: If you’ve been missing your barbecue spaghetti squash sandwiches from City Silo, no worries. The plant-forward eatery reopened this week in a new space on South Mendenhall Road, just blocks away from the old spot that closed for a couple weeks during the move. Diners will find more plants, more light and new menu items. Read more about that in Food Files, plus news of the new local owner of Farm Burger (a familiar name if you’ve spent time in Crosstown Concourse restaurants). In this week’s $10 Deal, food writer (and sauce fan) Joshua Carlucci stopped into a chicken spot on Summer Avenue, where he found firewood-smoked pollo asado so good, it didn’t even need sauce. 

The Liquor Store’s beverage manager Ben Wiley (left) and co-owner Brittney Cabigao (right) curated a holiday-themed menu to match the restaurant’s Christmas pop-up. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Get into the Christmas spirit(s): It’s that time of year again when The Liquor Store on Broad Avenue is magically transformed into a holiday wonderland. The New York-based Miracle Christmas pop-up concept takes over with thoughtfully crafted holiday cocktails. “Miracle at The Liquor Store” is a big hit, but it’s also a little hard to get a table since everyone and their mom wants to toast with a Christmapolitan. So, SOB Hospitality Beverage Director Ben Wiley stopped by our “Sound Bites” podcast to offer some tips on how to make festive cocktails at home.

New digs for Lakeland Schools: The Lakeland School System will move into new district office space on Davies Plantation Road next March. That space is currently home to A2H Engineers Architects Planners, but they’re moving to Cordova soon. For the last couple of years, the district has operated its central office out of extra classroom space at Lakeland Preparatory School’s new high school wing. The district planned to construct a whole new HQ on U.S. 70, but that plan was delayed after receiving higher-than-expected construction bids. 

GOT GAME?

If you ran the St. Jude Memphis Marathon last weekend, you’re probably glad it’s over until next year. I’ve enjoyed not running all week! But this week’s Jigsaw puzzle lets you relive the memories without lifting a foot.

Runners took off in the St. Jude Memphis Marathon on Saturday, Dec. 7. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

If you’re not hungry yet, you will be after you do this week’s pizza-themed Word Search, inspired by the new food menu at Hampline Brewing Co. And yes, cold pizza is a perfectly acceptable breakfast, so if you’ve got some, eat it. 

Fellow vegans and vegetarians, beware of 8-across in today’s 5x5 Crossword.

Have a great weekend! And if you want to save 20% off a subscription, get one now using the code EARLYWORDEVERYDAY.

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