The Early Word: Rittenhouse in an empty house; Tigers in the Dainja zone
It’s Thursday, Feb. 26. Who’s ready to get down to business? Cue this song by Tiësto. And then make plans to be at The Daily Memphian’s Women and Business Seminar this afternoon at Memphis Botanic Garden. You’ll hear from Tina Sullivan (former director of Overton Park Conservancy), Ursula Madden, (communications head at Memphis Light, Gas and Water) and Leigh Mansberg (CEO of Junior Achievement of Memphis).
Kyle Rittenhouse, the Second Amendment advocate who was acquitted of killing two people and wounding another at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, got another chance to speak at the University of Memphis Wednesday night. He was run off by protesters during a speech here last year. But this time around, he spoke to a mostly empty theater. Protestestors far outnumbered audience members at the event, and though he didn’t get run off this time, students and faculty who opposed the talk had plenty to say. Said one faculty member: “It’s strange that he thinks he has wisdom to share. On what? How to bring your rifle?”
Watch out, because Memphis Tigers big man Dain Dainja is on a tear. The Tigers were in an all-too-familiar predicament Wednesday night, facing what looked to be a nail-biting finish against the Rice Owls, when Dainja stepped up and helped his team seal a 84-72 win. He finished with a career-high 25 points as well as 10 rebounds, three blocks, two assists and one steal.
Plus, a new coalition protests a possible state school takeover, Germantown gets a first look at First Watch and we say sew long to a chain craft store.
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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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