The Early Word: How to get out of jail free and book a MEM flight right now
Good morning, Memphis. Are you ready to take care of business? Because Elvis Week kicks off today — Friday, Aug. 9 — with a tribute artist showcase. Fans from across the globe will be getting “All Shook Up” over The King all weekend and throughout next week. And whether you’re a local just trying to avoid the Graceland area during busy season or you’re entertaining out-of-towners, you can find a list of events here.
In Millington, eat cookies for breakfast at the grand opening of 2KC Cookie Co. today. And this afternoon, East Memphis’ Officer Geoffrey Redd Branch Library — located in the shadow of Clark Tower — will celebrate 60 years with a big party.
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant turns 25 on Saturday, and adults can relive their nerdy book-fair days (but with beer!) at Soul & Spirits’ Skol-astic Book Fair. (Shameless plug: The Daily Memphian’s very own Holly Whitfield will be there peddling her books, including the new “100 Things to Do in Memphis.”) That night, the Memphis Redbirds will play as the Memphis Red Sox to honor the city’s Black baseball history. And our To-Do List has you covered for more weekend fun.
Okay, how about a little less conversation and a little more news, shall we?
Turns out that “get out of jail free” Monopoly card may not be so far-fetched. Defendants are generally expected to pay 10% of their bail to a bonding company for their release from jail. But Frederick Agee, district attorney for Tennessee’s 28th judicial district, said bonding companies are allowed by state law to charge much less, and historically, there’s been no accountability for those companies when a defendant misses court. The Daily Memphian located five local companies that are charging less. Among them is Tiger Bonding, and the company’s vice president, Andrew Banyon, said the low rates are often a defendant’s only option and that their families are expected to put up collateral, usually wages or property, to get their loved ones out of jail.
Need a flight out of here, like, today? You could spend an hour digging through Priceline, Travelocity and Expedia for the best deals on flights, hotels and everything else using multiple sites. Or you could save your precious screen time for trolling Reddit and find quick deals on Memphis International Airport’s new one-stop shop, FlyMyAirport. Accessed through the airport’s website, FlyMyAirport pulls up every option leaving out of MEM, as well as hotels, rental cars and more, and you can book everything right there.
Plus, three Downtown restaurants have closed, but one is coming back. And we’ve got a hot tip on where to find good times and greasy tacos.
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Bianca Phillips
Bianca Phillips is a Northeast Arkansas native and longtime Memphian who’s worked in local journalism and PR for more than 20 years. She’s a diehard morning person who spends her free time running marathons and ultras. She’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South.”
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