The Early Word: DMC fights Intrator’s blight; Feagins is over overtime abuse
Bottoms up, Memphis. It’s Wednesday, July 24 — National Tequila Day. You could always go out and enjoy a nice margarita, but since it’s a weeknight, here’s the recipe for Babalu’s signature Baba Rita that you can make at home. Somebody pass the salt, please.
The Downtown Memphis Commission has filed lawsuits against eight properties owned by developer Tom Intrator, including the old T.J. Mulligan’s and Cafe Francisco spots in the Pinch District. Those Pinch properties were involved in Intrator’s $1 billion-plus plan to revive the district, a project that hasn’t seen progress since it was proposed in 2019. The old Royal Furniture on South Main Street, where Intrator planned to develop his Dream Hotel, is also among the properties being sued.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins claims the district has lost $1 million to overtime abuse, and she’s trying to put a stop to it. At a non-voting school board meeting on Tuesday, Feagins said some employees were receiving payments they didn’t earn, and she proposed a new policy that would require advance approval. The MSCS board will consider the new policy next week.
Plus, Friend’s of George’s plans to appeal last week’s drag ban ruling, MLGW could power the city with Tesla batteries and the “Chick-fil-A of entertainment” may be coming to Midtown.
Topics
The Early Word Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
Subscribers to The Daily Memphian help fund our not-for-profit newsroom of nearly 40 local journalists plus more than 20 freelancers, all of whom work around the clock to cover the issues impacting our community. Subscriptions - and donations - also help fund our community access programs which provide free access to K-12 schools, community organizations, and more. Thank you for making our work possible.
Bianca Phillips
Bianca Phillips is a Northeast Arkansas native and longtime Memphian with two decades of experience in local journalism and public relations. She’s a diehard morning person who spends her free time training for marathons and ultras. And she’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South.”
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.