Welcome to the weekend, friends. It’s Friday, Feb. 28, the first day of Ramadan, which means you may have some friends and co-workers who are fasting from sunup to sundown until March 29. Later, after sunset, the Memphis Grizzlies will play the New York Knicks at FedExForum.

On Saturday, your dog can let the good times roll at Mardi Growl at Overton Bark, and you can help get guns off the street and into the garden at a safe-surrender event at Evergreen Presbyterian Church. Also, the Grizzlies play the San Antonio Spurs, and the Memphis Tigers women’s basketball team will play Tulsa — both at home.

On Sunday, you can pick art or basketball or both. The Metal Museum opens its “Light as Air” group exhibition, and the Memphis Youth Symphony Program hosts spring concerts. But also, the Tigers men’s basketball team plays UAB on the road. You’ll find other stuff to do in The To-Do List.

THE NEED TO KNOW

The FBI searched a home associated with Edmund Ford Jr. in May 2023. The home is owned by his father. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Ford Jr. to surrender: Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. is expected to turn himself in to federal authorities today. Federal court documents don’t show any indictments or cases related to Ford, so his potential charges are unknown at press time. But the FBI searched a home associated with Ford in May 2023. At the time, Assistant District Attorney General Jeff Ridner said the search was part of an ongoing criminal investigation in relation to Junior Achievement. 

Memphis-Shelby County Schools board member Keith Williams, far right, has served as the executive director of MSCEA throughout his term as a school board member. (Greg Campbell/The Daily Memphian file)

Is Williams ‘double dipping’? Earlier this week, the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board struck down a complaint between the district’s two teachers’ unions that was holding up negotiations over teacher salaries and benefits. The complaint, filed by the Memphis-Shelby County Education Association, alleged that the school board interfered in the teacher-bargaining process. The whole ordeal has raised conflict-of-interest concerns over school board member Keith Williams, who also leads the MSCEA. One board member accused Williams of “double dipping.”

The Peabody’s rooms will receive new carpet, furniture, bedding, decor and more in an $18 million renovation. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Peabody gets a makeover: The Peabody Memphis will begin renovating its 464 rooms in early March with a goal to finish by September. The $18 million renovation will be done one floor at a time, and each room is getting new carpet, furniture, bedding, decor, paint and other improvements. The rooftop will also be getting a facelift this summer, and that means an early end to this year’s rooftop parties. Even the ducks are getting cleaned-up digs.

QUOTED

“I know everybody wants to be Chick-fil-A. ... That’s just not what we’re dealing with here.”

— Robert Sloan, Germantown planning commissioner
Starbucks wants to build a drive-thru location in Germantown’s Exeter Village. Alderman Tony Salvaggio and Commissioner Jim Jacobs voted against the project with concerns about pedestrian access and traffic. But Sloan pointed out that Starbucks choosing a location off of Poplar Avenue was a bonus (Shade at Chick-fil-A, much?).

THE NICE TO KNOW

From left to right: Former News Channel 3 (WREG-TV) evening anchors Claudia Barr and Richard Ransom delivered the news with meteorologist Jim Jaggers. (The Daily Memphian file)

Ransom leaves TV news: The TV news guys who created WREG’s “Pass It On” segment will pass on his current ABC24 anchor chair to someone else. The local ABC affiliate’s longtime anchor Richard Ransom announced on Thursday that his last broadcast will be in a couple weeks. Ransom wouldn’t say what’s next, only to “stay tuned” and that he “couldn’t be more thrilled about” his next chapter. Ransom moved to Memphis in 1994 for a morning-news anchor job at Action News 5, and he went on to work at WREG, where he created the station’s popular “Pass It On” segment, in which he awarded cash on the spot to unsuspecting Memphians. He’s been with ABC24 since 2017.

Grand Mart’s grocery area will be 33,000 square feet, while the other 27,000 square feet will be divided between the restaurant, food court, bakery and other projects. (Courtesy Tommy Fan)

International town: Looking for durian or halal meat? You’ll find both and much more at a new hub for Asian produce, cuisine and community planned for the former Life Church on N. Germantown Parkway. Called Grand Mart, the space will be home to an Asian supermarket, an upscale restaurant with a bar, Asian and Mexican food stalls, a Tous Les Jours bakery, an art gallery and more. “There are Chinatowns, Indiatowns, Koreatowns all over the United States, but Memphis doesn’t have one,” said Tommy Fan, the man behind the mart.

The Medical District Aldi at 785 Union Ave. is opening soon. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

It’s a sign: If you needed a sign that the Medical District Aldi store is opening soon, here it is. The beloved discount chain has erected a sign at its newest Memphis shop in the old Office Depot on Union Avenue. And it’s set to open this spring with 15 to 20 employees. Aisle of Shame, here we come.

Todd Graves, CEO of Raising Cane’s, posed at a restaurant in New Orleans. The chain is planning its third Memphis location, though none are open yet. (Bill Haber/AP file)

Counting their chickens: Raising Cane’s clearly isn’t afraid to count their chickens before they hatch. The chicken-tendie chain is planning its third Memphis location before the first one even opens. The new spot is coming to the former Red Lobster on Winchester Road, which closed last May. Read Food Files for more on that, plus a new Mediterranean spot serving Iraqi dishes and a place to get Greek food to go. In other food news, gas-station sushi just got outdone by gas-station parking-lot crawfish for less than $10. 

GOT GAME?

If you don’t like the weather in Memphis, just wait a day (or two). That was certainly the case this past week, which offered spring-like temps as a welcome change from last week’s snow. Personally, I’d rather not think back to colder days, but if you actually like winter weather, this week’s Jigsaw puzzle is for you. (Even this dog looks miserable.)

A person braved the frigid temperature and snowy conditions to walk their dog on Wednesday, Feb. 19. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Crosstown Concourse and Live Nation revealed the name of their new music venue at a groundbreaking this week. It’s one of the words you’ll search for in this week’s Word Search.

We saw Ja Morant dance this week for the first time in a while. That celebratory strut is a clue for this week’s 5 by 5 Crossword.

Enjoy the sunshine this weekend! And I’ll see you in March!

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