The Early Word: More bang for the Buc-ee’s, and Halbert ouster is hung up
Happy Water Wednesday, Memphis. It’s Oct. 30, and yes, that’s a real thing today. Protect Our Aquifer is hosting its quarterly happy hour at Wiseacre Brewing Co. And Memphis Light, Gas and Water President and CEO Doug McGowen will be discussing the Memphis Sand Aquifer, xAI’s water usage and more. But don’t worry: They’ll be serving more than water.
Also tonight, the Memphis Grizzlies have a home game against the Brooklyn Nets, and here’s hoping they’ve fixed that “terrible defense” from Monday’s loss to Chicago.
And if you’re looking for something Halloween-y to do, you might check out tonight’s screening of the 1922 silent documentary on witchcraft, “Haxan,” at Crosstown Theater. Alex Greene & the Rolling Head Orchestra will perform a live score. You can read more on that and other films coming up this weekend in Chris Herrington’s Memphis Movies This Week column.
Move over, Fayette County. Buc-ee’s is coming to West Memphis. The cult-like, Texas-based gas station chain will open a 74,000-square-foot travel center with more than 120 fueling stations (and all the Beaver Nuggets you can eat) just over the bridge. This essentially means Midtown and Downtown Memphis is getting a Buc-ee’s, right? Now, you can stock up at the West Memphis Walmart, the Walgreen’s liquor store (IYKYK) and Buc-ee’s all in one go. It’ll be the second Buc-ee’s in the Mid-South; the company announced in April that a location was coming soon to Fayette County.
Who can oust her? That is the question that Circuit Court Judge Felicia Corbin-Johnson is still weighing in the ouster case against Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert. Corbin-Johnson dismissed the first ouster lawsuit against Halbert, which was made on grounds that she had willfully neglected her duties of office. Now, three months after a second ouster attempt was filed, Corbin-Johnson is still considering what to do. The Shelby County Attorney’s office hired special counsel to bring the lawsuit, due to a conflict. But Halbert’s lawyer says the county can’t hand off an ouster complaint to outside special counsel. The Daily Memphian’s Bill Dries offers an update on the complex and drawn-out case. And in case you need a refresher course on all of the twists and turns, you’ll find a timeline here.
Plus, the Memphis Police Department goes after fugitives, a Florida man admits to stealing from FedEx and a new sneaker shop brings sole to the Broad Avenue Arts District.
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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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