The Early Word: Beale’s future, Carter’s past and the Tigers’ present
Happy New Year! It’s Wednesday, Dec. 31, so let’s say goodbye to 2024, the year we all learned the phrase “gigafactory of compute” and lost more restaurants than you can count on two hands. If you’re looking for places that’ll be poppin’ bottles tonight, here’s our guide to New Year’s Eve events.
If you’re staying in to watch the ball drop on TV, you might consider flipping channels to catch some of the Memphis Grizzlies game against the Phoenix Suns.
Beale Street has been run by the Downtown Memphis Commission for over a decade, but that could be changing next year. Memphis Mayor Paul Young said the city may examine Beale Street’s governing structure and create a new entity to oversee the street. The changes could come as the city continues negotiations with the Memphis Grizzlies on a long-term lease at nearby FedExForum, and Young didn’t rule out the possibility that the Grizzlies would have a say on any future Beale board. The city is also stepping up efforts to control crime in and around the entertainment district.
Former President Jimmy Carter died on Sunday at age 100, more than a year after entering hospice care. And though the peanut farmer-turned-president hailed from Georgia, Carter came through Memphis several times, including campaign stops in his 1976 bid for the presidency. He was also here in 2016 to work on a Habitat for Humanity project in Uptown. The Daily Memphian’s Bill Dries offers this rundown of the former president’s journey through Memphis.
The Memphis Tigers, after falling out of the Associated Press Top 25 last week, are back in the rankings. The Tigers have three times been in the cycle of making the Top 25, falling out and coming back. This time, it was their Saturday win over Ole Miss that bumped them back up. They’re also No. 25 in the Coaches Poll, but Hardaway thinks Memphis isn’t getting the respect it deserves.
Plus, Collierville may crack down on parties, Ja’s injury could be worse and we’ve got your recipe for good luck in 2025.
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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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