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 OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
Your subscription gives you unlimited access to all of The Daily Memphian’s news, written by nearly 40 local journalists and more than 20 regular freelancers. We work around the clock to cover the issues that impact your life and our community.
You can help us reach more Memphians.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we provide free news access at K-12 schools, public libraries and many community organizations. We also reach tens of thousands of people through our podcasts, and through our radio and television partnerships – all completely free to everyone who cares about Memphis.
When you subscribe, you get full access to our news. But when you donate, you help us reach all Memphians.
Pay it forward. Make a fully tax-deductible donation to The Daily Memphian today.
Thank you for reading the local news. Thank you for investing in our community.
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.
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.