The Early Word: A judge is under fire, and Tigers find their fire in second half
Who’s ready for a little holly jolly? Because ready or not, Christmas creep has crept, and we’ve got a slew of holiday events around Memphis this weekend.
Today is Friday, Nov. 22, and you can get a start on gift shopping at the openings of both the Memphis Art Collective holiday market and the Memphis Potters Guild holiday show. Also tonight, Santa is rolling into Bartlett in a red Corvette, and “Who’s Holiday,” the story of a grown-up Cindy Lou Who, opens at Circuit Playhouse.
On Saturday, the Downtown Memphis Commission flips on the lights of the giant holiday tree at Peabody Place and the Main Street Mall. And then you can either keep the Christmas theme going with “Nut Remix” at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. Or, you can leave Christmas where it belongs (firmly after Thanksgiving, thank you very much) and catch Justin Timberlake’s show at FedExForum. (But first, you might want to give his 2002 solo debut, “Justified” a listen, and here’s why.)
You can also avoid early Christmas celebrations by watching basketball. The Memphis Tigers women play Murray State at home Saturday afternoon, and the Memphis Grizzlies play the Chicago Bulls on TV that night. Sunday brings an entirely seasonally appropriate event: The Turkey Trails 10K and 5K at Overton Park. Now there is something I can get behind. But if you want more holiday stuff, check out The To-Do List.
State House Speaker Cameron Sexton is reviewing Shelby County Judge Bill Anderson’s criminal cases after a series of controversial bail decisions drew fire from both Republican leadership and Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy. Sexton said, depending on what he finds, that he wouldn’t rule out an ouster petition. Earlier this week, Mulroy said he’d appeal two of Anderson’s decisions to release shooting suspects without bond, including one in which a man shot at police officers during a nearly 12-hour standoff.
The Tigers got off to a slow start on Thursday against San Francisco, trailing by nine points at the break. Things were looking a little hopeless, but then within four minutes of the second half, they took their first lead of the night and didn’t stop there. The Tigers won 68-64, thanks in large part to center Dain Dainja’s 18 points and seven rebounds.
Plus, cameras are coming to Hickory Hill, a new brewery opens in the Edge and we’ve got tips on a stress-free Thanksgiving.
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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. 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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