The Early Word: No Music Fest, no Peer Power contract, no In-N-Out (for now)
Dig in, Memphis! It’s Thursday, Feb. 6 — National Chopsticks Day. If you were looking for an excuse to order lo mein takeout for dinner, this is it. But why wait until tonight to use chopsticks? You could make Korean jeon (savory fritters) for breakfast and have ramen for lunch.
While you’re shoveling food into your mouth all day, you might want to check our website for updates on any Memphis Grizzlies trade moves. The NBA trade deadline is at 2 p.m. today, and our own Chris Herrington says there’s a chance Jake LaRavia, John Konchar, Luke Kennard or even Marcus Smart could go. Here’s a look at his most recent trade rumor round-up.
For the second year in a row, the Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival isn’t happening. MIM announced on Wednesday that the fest, which went on “pause” in 2024, would be paused again in 2025. But if you’re still holding out hope to see random acts like Jimmy Eat World, Snoop Dogg, Nickelback, Phoebe Bridgers and Boyz II Men all in the same weekend, never fear. The fest best-known for mixing up throwback artists with current hitmakers should be back in 2026 — just not in Tom Lee Park. (Note: That is not a real line-up, but would anyone be surprised to see all those names play Music Fest in one weekend?)
Former Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins alleged in a lawsuit that the status of Peer Power Foundation’s tutoring contract with the district was central to the MSCS board’s plot to fire her. Feagins’ suit claimed board members had been secretly planning to fire her for months. And it traced that plan back to an incident where Peer Power board member Dow McVean, angered that the foundation’s contract had not been renewed, yelled at Feagins in a parking lot. On Wednesday, McVean released a public letter apologizing for his outburst and denying at least one claim in the suit. Peer Power’s contract with MSCS was never renewed, but its tutoring work has continued in charter schools.
One more news bit: If you’re waiting for Memphis to get an In-N-Out, you might be waiting a while.
Plus, state lawmakers try to deny education access, the County Commission may order a Memphis-Shelby County Schools audit and business owners deal with egg-flation.
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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. In her days as a reporter, she covered everything from local government and crime to LGBTQ issues and the arts. She’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South,” a cookbook of vegan Southern recipes.
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