The Early Word: Mass shooter’s massive sentence, MSCS’ big job ahead

Bianca Phillips By , Daily Memphian
Updated: August 14, 2025 6:22 AM CT | Published: August 14, 2025 6:18 AM CT Premium

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What’s up, Memphis? It’s Thursday, Aug. 14, and the Land Use Control Board will consider special permits for a car dealership and a funeral home in South Memphis. Those are two separate businesses to be clear.

Mass shooter sentenced: Ezekiel Kelly, the man who killed three and wounded three others in a citywide shooting spree in 2022, was sentenced to a whole lot of years on Wednesday.

‘No more patching up’: Memphis-Shelby County Schools has some help deciding which schools to close.

Next in the Germantown sexual-solicitation case: The man accused of sexually soliciting minors in Germantown’s Howard McVay Park earlier this month appeared in court Wednesday.

New at the top: The Shelby County Commission has two new leaders.

Beer rules: Microbreweries could soon be allowed in Collierville.

Thank you, next: FedEx looked outside the company to replace former executive Sriram Krishnasamy. 

Nothing but net worth: Memphis Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. is getting into the crypto game.

The new Henigan: The Memphis Tigers have a new starting quarterback who isn’t Seth Henigan.

Another day, new dollar: Memphis’ Evolve Bank & Trust, which has seen its share of troubles lately, has a new CEO, and he’s promising a “reset.”

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Bianca Phillips

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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