Rise and shine, Memphis. It’s Thursday, Sept. 10, and a new hotel could be flying into the airport area if the Land Use Control Board grants the project a permit today. Property owner Rajeev Chauhan said “there are no really good hotels close to the airport,” and he wants to do something about that.

Here’s hoping you’ve had breakfast already, because there’s a lot of food news in today’s Early Word:
- the scoop on a new French restaurant for Collierville,
- a look at Wahlburgers Wild’s menu relaunch,
- and a review of something called a “quesabirria.”

THE NEED TO KNOW

Shelby County Commissioner Will Richardson, middle, participated in a meeting on Sept. 9, just before he was arrested. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Not off to a great start: Talk about an embarrassing first day on the job: New Shelby County Commissioner Will Richardson was arrested Wednesday, the same day he attended his first commission meeting. He’s been charged with two counts of falsifying Tennessee tax figures. There are no specifics available yet, since he was still in jail as of press time, but court records show the alleged offenses date back to New Year’s Eve 2020.

Wanda Halbert was the Shelby County clerk for eight years. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Halbert’s legacy: Former Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert left a little gift for her successor: a backlog of 2,600 car titles and registrations. New County Clerk LaSonya Hall told Shelby County commissioners Wednesday that she’s discovered crates of packets from car dealerships awaiting certification and renewal. Hall said her office is limited on overtime dollars, so she’s planning to shift some workers from other areas to try and knock out as much of the work as they can — in just one day. 

Dirty work: Arlington leaders have been talking trash and sewage this week. The town’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved a solid-waste rate increase with Waste Pro that will have residents paying about $2 more per month. And the town took a major step in doubling the capacity for its sewer system. The latter doesn’t sound like sexy stuff, but Mayor Mike Wissman said “sewer is going to drive what makes Arlington grow.” (Hey, if it worked for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ...)

QUOTED

Memphis-Shelby County Schools is no longer issuing student laptops. (Getty Images)

“The parents don’t know what to provide, the teachers don’t know what’s coming... ”

— Sarah Hadskey, parent of a White Station ninth-grader
Memphis-Shelby County Schools has quietly ended a policy of giving every student their own personal laptop or tablet. Parents and teachers were caught by surprise, and now some schools are going back to paper and pencil. Superintendent Roderick Richmond recently said the district’s laptop policy was unsustainable.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Dan and Lane Causgrove are opening a new restaurant in the former Raven & Lily location in Collierville Square. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Say bonjour: A new French restaurant is opening in Collierville Square. Owners Dan and Lane Causgrove are self-professed Francophiles, and Dan, the chef of husband-and-wife duo, is well-trained in French cuisine. Their new restaurant, to be called Terra Tara, is set to open in February with a menu of steaks, tartare, French onion soup, brioche and sourdough fougasse.

From left to right: Chef Paul Wahlberg, actor Mark Wahlberg, fisherman Bill Dance and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris at the ribbon cutting ceremony. (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian)

From the window to the Wahlburg: Wahlburgers Wild is taking over all of Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid’s dining operations, just as Bass Pro unveils renovations to its Lookout restaurant and Mississippi Terrace bar. Two of the Wahlberg brothers (sadly, not Donnie) were in Memphis this week for the ribbon-cutting. Among the changes: Wahlburgers Wild is returning some old faves to the menu, and The Lookout now features an ocean theme. If you’re looking for something to try at Wahlburgers Wild, Mark Wahlberg (swoon) recommends the Our Burger, which is topped with government cheese.

El Agave opened in the former San Diego Cantina building off Poplar Avenue. (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian)

The lights are on and someone is home: El Agave has been open in the long-vacant San Diego Cantina spot in East Memphis for a few months now. You know, the restaurant by Whole Foods that had the lights on — but wasn’t open — for eight years. Now that someone is home, food writer Sophia Surrett stopped in to try El Agave’s quesabirria, a cross between a quesadilla and a birria taco. She’s got a review of that in this week’s Table Talk.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Well, that didn’t take long.

May your work day go by as fast as Taj Gibson’s time with the New Orleans Pelicans.

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