The Early Word: Cam trash talks Durant, and the state may trash ASD
Good morning! It’s Tuesday, March 11, and if you’re all mixed up and don’t know what to do, it’s probably just because it’s 311 Day. Start your morning with a little 1990s reggae-rock, and bet on yourself now, star. ’Cause that’s your best bet. By the way, 311 is coming to the Graceland Soundstage this May if you want more.
In newsier news, the Bartlett Board of Mayor and Aldermen will consider a permit for a small residential development near Nesbit Park (aka Stanky Creek).
A newly filed legislative proposal from Republican state lawmakers would scrap the state’s Achievement School District, which allows the state to take over low-performing schools. In its place would be a new series of interventions for all of the schools on the state’s priority list, about half of which are in Memphis. In the worst cases, those changes could include the state mandating a school be closed.
The Memphis Grizzlies got a 120-118 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night, and Suns star Kevin Durant got an earful. The trash talk came from Grizz rookie Cam Spencer, who said words to Durant that he couldn’t repeat to the media after the game. Those words got Spencer a technical foul and a $2,000 fine, but no worries because the senior Grizzlies players were taking bets in the locker room over who would cover the fine for Spencer. In just his 13th NBA game, the two-way guard came off the bench and drilled four 3-pointers that pulled Memphis out of a sluggish start, so yeah, he deserves a little help from the guys with bigger contracts.
Plus, protesters oppose tuition for immigrant children, Germantown says “bone-jour” to a holiday decor charge and a new gym is pushing body positivity.
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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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