Howdy, Memphis metro. It’s Wednesday, March 19, and the Shelby County Commission just can’t stop talking about grants, which (no offense to grant writers) is typically a boring topic. But it became a hot topic when Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. got into trouble for allegedly taking kickbacks related to the County Commission’s grant program. An ad hoc committee will get an overview this morning of how the program works.

Speaking of grants, Downtown’s Center City Development Corp. will consider one today for The Ginger’s Bread & Co., which is looking to move from its Midtown spot on Union Avenue to a vacant building on the Main Street Mall.

Tonight, ABC24’s Richard Ransom will deliver his last nightly news broadcast before signing off for a new gig in public relations. And the Memphis Grizzlies continue their road trip with a game against the Portland Trail Blazers. 

The proposed state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools was approved by a House subcommittee on Tuesday. It was the first step toward a state-appointed board gaining authority over the elected MSCS board. The bill, from state Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, was originally designed to apply to any qualifying school district in the state, but White said he planned to amend it to apply only to MSCS. He also tried to convince opponents that the move wasn’t a takeover after all. Speaking of takeovers, the subcommittee also passed legislation that would abolish another kind of (failed) state-run school intervention. Meanwhile, in Memphis, all MSCS board members denounced the bill in a resolution on Tuesday. Two board members are also proposing a plan to work with Shelby County commissioners on board improvements to foster public trust. 

“You don’t suggest, as president, that a judge should be impeached for making a ruling that he felt was right,” said U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, during a Midtown town hall on Tuesday. He was blasting Trump for refusing to obey the orders of U.S. District Judge James Boasberg. Boasberg recently ruled that a deportation of Venezuelan nationals be stopped. Trump then called for Boasberg to be impeached. Cohen had plenty of even harsher words to say about Trump at that meeting, too.

Plus, Memphis Animal Services puts down more dogs, the xAI land sale is really happening and the Tigers may be shorthanded for the Big Dance.