The Early Word: 12’s No. 2 Nike shoe drops, and a ‘superhero’ is honored

Bianca Phillips By , Daily Memphian
Published: September 26, 2024 6:14 AM CT Premium

Good morning, Memphis and Shelby County. It’s Thursday, Sept. 26. You know those awkward annual job performance reviews that you dread every year? Well, even Memphis-Shelby County Superintendent Marie Feagins has to sit through them. Tonight, the MSCS board will meet to discuss the evaluation “tool” (to use the corporate jargon quoted in MSCS documents) they’ll be using for her review.

Today is the day, sneakerheads: Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant’s Nike Ja 2s are now on sale. The sequel to last year’s Ja 1 has more of a high-top design, and the first colorway, “Purple Sky,” was inspired by the idea that watching Morant in action is as mesmerizing as looking up at a purple night sky. That may sound a bit too poetic, but in more practical terms, the colors are also those of Morant’s Sumter, South Carolina, high school. And there are even more tiny details on the shoe that tell a story about Morant’s life. 

Will Drennan, who drowned two years ago while saving a child from rushing rain waters in a Germantown park ditch, was posthumously given the Carnegie Medal. The award is given to civilians who perform heroic actions. Drennan’s wife, Lauren Drennan, said their son, who was six at the time and witnessed his dad’s death, has been calling his dad a “superhero” since the incident and was very excited about his dad’s new medal.

Plus, cell phone data tracked an alleged Young Dolph shooter, the state’s drag ban is allowed to stand and a Memphis expat reflects on the meals he misses most. 

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Bianca Phillips

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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