The Early Word: Artist pay fight plays out in court, and a new judge is named
Hidey-ho, Memphis. It’s Tuesday, Feb. 25, and Memphis City Council member Michalyn Easter-Thomas will host a public meeting about the proposed Chelsea Avenue Greenline, which will transform a 2.4-mile section of the Union Pacific railway into a bicycle and pedestrian path.
Over in Bartlett, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen will discuss possible city charter changes around term limits for aldermen and the suburb’s animal-control program. And tonight, you can pick your in-person basketball poison: Either head to the Elma Roane Fieldhouse to watch the Memphis Tigers women’s basketball team play Temple, or go to FedExForum to see the Memphis Grizzlies play the Phoenix Suns.
If you haven’t heard the name Paint Memphis, you’ve no doubt seen murals created during its annual mural fest, which draws well-known and up-and-coming artists from Memphis and beyond. Now, the nonprofit has come under fire for questionable payments to staff and the artists it’s worked with. Earlier this month, a General Sessions judge ordered Paint Memphis to pay former employees David Yancy and Kirsten Sandlin for their work as co-directors of the organization. Paint Memphis is now appealing that ruling. In addition, some artists have said they only received partial payments for their work.
Taylor Bachelor, an assistant district attorney general and former Juvenile Court magistrate, will take Judge Bill Anderson’s place as the new General Sessions Criminal Court judge for Division 7. Bachelor was chosen by the Shelby County Commission on Monday out of 13 applicants for the retiring judge’s spot.
A fired federal worker is back on the job, the next sheriff may get a pay raise and there’s a new way to have a cozy afternoon in Germantown.
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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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