How about that game, huh? It’s Monday, Feb. 9, and if you’re like me, you’re still full this morning from multiple plates of chips and dip. 

The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board is in court today over their lawsuit to keep a handful of board seats off the 2026 ballot. And the Shelby County Commission is meeting for the second time in less than a week. They’ll be officially setting the dates for ex-commissioner Edmund Ford Jr.’s replacement.

The Memphis Grizzlies are in San Francisco to play the Golden State Warriors, where Draymond Green stayed past the trade deadline, despite talk of a trade. For more on what’s coming, check out This Week in Memphis. 

THE NEED TO KNOW

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III held the Lombardi trophy after the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl 60 on Sunday, Feb. 8. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Super star: If you watched the Super Bowl last night (and who didn’t?), you probably saw a lot of Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III. But did you know he’s from Shelby County? Walker was a high-school football star at Arlington High School, and after last night’s game, he was named Super Bowl MVP. As the engine of the Seahawks’ offense, Walker helped his team beat the New England Patriots, 29-13. Now, he’s heading into free agency — with a shiny ring on his finger.

“There’s financial record mismanagement, waste and abuse of contracts, disorganization at a level that’s unprecedented,” state Rep. Mark White said of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools audit. (Photo illustration by Kelsey Bowen/The Daily Memphian)

‘Unprecedented’: That’s the word Republican state lawmakers are using to describe the level of “financial record mismanagement, waste and abuse of contracts” at Memphis-Shelby County Schools. That’s based off their preliminary look at an MSCS audit that’s currently underway. No details have been made public and likely won’t be until spring. But one Senate leader did say the audit shows “concerning” details of record-keeping and ex-employee access to district systems. Republican lawmakers are likely to use the audit findings to back up school takeover legislation.

Memphis Theological Seminary’s home, called the Joseph Newburger House, was built in 1912 in the Beaux Arts style, with Memphis Heritage calling it “one of the most beautiful and impressive buildings in Memphis.” (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Closing the doors: Memphis Theological Seminary will close on July 31, and that means some prime real estate on East Parkway will likely go up for sale. The seminary has been struggling with enrollment for a few years, and a merger that could have helped save it failed. Current students will get a chance to finish out their education through online classes with a Dallas-based seminary. But the historic Midtown home that houses the school, which is owned by Cumberland Presbyterian Church, will likely go on the market. Luckily, that 1912 Beaux Arts-style home has some protection against being torn down.

A handicap-parking sign is posted in front of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Prime pregnant parking? Pregnant women may soon get the good parking spots by the door. A state bill would allow pregnant women in their second or third trimester, or those with high-risk pregnancies, to park in spaces reserved for people with disabilities. The bill has bipartisan support here, but a similar program in Florida was met with a legal challenge from Florida’s disabled community.

QUOTED

Holocaust survivor Mark Schonwetter spoke in the Greenstein Sanctuary of Temple Israel in Memphis. (Jason Terrell/Temple Israel)

“The things we lived through are real. And if we forget them or do not take them seriously, they can happen again.”

— Mark Schonwetter, Holocaust survivor
New Jersey resident Schonwetter, 92, is one of only about 200,000 Holocaust survivors left. And he was in Memphis last week to share his experience in a talk at Memphis University School. But once that was done, Schonwetter had a little fun — at Graceland.

THE NICE TO KNOW

The interior of the new Fuego Vivo was designed by Filipao Nunes Architects, an architecture and interior design firm based in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian)

Where there’s smoke: Fuego Vivo, the fifth restaurant from the Tekila Group, is now open in the former Carrabba’s Italian Grill near Clark Tower. And though the restaurant group specializes in Mexican fare, you’ll also find Italian, Asian and American food on the menu. It’s prepared in an open kitchen with a live-fire grill, using wood and charcoal shipped in from Mexico. In other restaurant news, longtime Cooper-Young staple Tsunami is calling it quits. Chef and owner Ben Smith said he’ll shutter his Pacific Rim-inspired eatery on Feb. 21 after 28 years in business. He cited rising costs and decreasing business for his decision, saying “I simply can’t afford to do this anymore.” 

Memphis Tigers forward Aaron Bradshaw (11) handled the ball against the Charlotte 49ers during a game at FedExForum on Feb. 8. (Wes Hale/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Weekend sports: The Kenneth Walker III show (er, the Super Bowl) wasn’t the only game on Sunday. Before the Big Game, the Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team had a big game of their own: They crushed Charlotte, which had been ahead of them in the conference standings, 77-54 at FedExForum. Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies played the Portland Trail Blazers twice this weekend — and lost both games. But on Friday, we did see some fresh faces: Walter Clayton Jr. and Taylor Hendricks, both acquired in the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, made their Grizz debuts, and Scotty Pippen Jr., fresh off an injury, played in his first game since October. 

A commemorative marker in John Corlew Park in Midtown. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

What’s up with John Corlew Park? I’ve lived in Midtown for 24 years, and I’ve never heard of or noticed John Corlew Park. And maybe you haven’t either. It’s a tiny green space at Florence Street and Linden Avenue, just behind McDonald’s on Union Avenue. And its origin story is pure Midtown: It became a park after a neighborhood uprising against a McDonald’s expansion. The lawyer who helped fight the fast-food chain was John Corlew. In today’s Ask the Memphian, we learn about Corlew and the tragedy that struck soon after his legal victory for the neighborhood.

Jazzy, 3, participated in story time with other children through an iPad in her hospital room at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. (Greg Campbell/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Little Tigers: Young, long-term patients at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital may not be able to attend traditional pre-kindergarten, but now pre-K is coming to them. The hospital’s new Tigers at Heart pilot program allows kids to get a headstart on learning while they’re living at the hospital for treatment. The program currently serves 10 patients, who get to take part in classroom activities with their 3-year-old peers. And it’s totally free. 

Chef Kelly English’s famous jambalaya. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Meat of the matter: Mardi Gras is on Feb. 17, and Chef Kelly English, who hails from New Orleans, says Fat Tuesday is the day to eat “all of your meat so it won’t go bad” before Lent. Whether or not you participate in Lent, many of you will likely take any chance you can get to eat all the meats, so here’s English’s very meaty chicken and andouille jambalaya with bacon. (I’ll just be over here with my beans and rice.)

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

X users were full of Kenneth Walker III love last night. He’s the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP in 28 years!

Now I’m off to eat leftover dip for breakfast. Have a great day!

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