Month: July 2022

Categories
Film Features Film/TV

Planned Parenthood Documentary “Standing Strong” Premieres in Memphis

Protesters at the Tennessee State Captiol in Savannah Bearden's new documentary Standing Strong.

A new documentary by Savannah Bearden about the loss of abortion rights in Tennessee in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision will have its premiere in Memphis.

Bearden, who is director of communications for Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, was there with her cameras as the organization wrestled how to respond after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg threw into doubt the precedent of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that established that the constitutional right to privacy invalidated state laws banning abortion.

What would become Standing Strong began as part of a virtual fundraiser, but as events overtook the organization, it evolved into a feature-length documentary of pain and protest. The film will make its world premiere tonight, July 26th, at Studio on the Square in Memphis. On August 1st, it will screen at Central Cinema in Knoxville, where the Planned Parenthood facility was burned to the ground in in January in an act of right-wing terrorism. It will screen at Nashville’s Belcourt Theater on August 4th. You can get tickets to the screenings at the film’s website, standing-strong.org.

Here’s the film’s trailer:

Categories
Hungry Memphis

Arbo’s Cheese Dip Coming to Kroger Stores

Andrew Arbogast's Arbo's Cheese Dip and two new dips will soon be in Kroger stores. (Credit: Michael Donahue)

More good news for Arbo’s Cheese Dip fans.

The popular locally-made cheese dip — as well as two upcoming new flavors — will be available in Kroger stores in late October or early November.

They will be available in 100 Kroger stores across five states — Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Alabama — says Andrew Arbogast, 37. They will be in Kroger stores in Memphis, Collierville, Germantown, Bartlett, Cordova, and Lakeland.

For now, the dips won’t be in every Kroger store in Memphis, but they will be in the Midtown and Poplar Plaza stores, and on Kirby Parkway and Truse Parkway.

“It feels like a huge accomplishment,” Arbogast says. “I say that now knowing how much work went into it. I had some local success and I thought that would be enough to get it into Kroger in the local section.”

Now, stores have to get approval from corporate to stock local items, he says.

“Things changed right before the pandemic,” he says.

So getting into Kroger was an “eight to 10 month process.”

But, luckily, Arbogast got to know people in Kroger’s Delta and Nashville divisions. They “were basically my champions in the corporate office.”

He also got to know Craig Gliva, a Kroger category manager, who has been his mentor through the whole process.

Arbogast throught about coming up with some non-dip-related products to offer Kroger, but Gliva told him, “It has to be a passionate venture for you. If you’re just trying to add on things that don’t align with what you are doing, those things tend to fall fast. What you should do is focus on your cheese dip brand.”

 Arbogast debuted his Arbo’s Cheese Dip on May 15, 2021 at High Point Grocery. He brought 12 cases, which is 144 tubs, and it sold out that weekend, he says.

A year later, Arbo’s Cheese Dip is now in 300 stores in the Mid-South.

On August 15th, the dips will be available in major Texas cities. They will be sold at H-E-B Grocery Co.’s Central Market stores.

 Arbogast will introduce the two new flavors — Queso Blanco and Spicy Original — in August.

“I’m going to release the two new flavors in some local stores here in the next three weeks,” he says, “maybe sooner.”

Fino’s From the Hill, Grind City Brewing Co., Oxbeau, and Doc’s Food & Spirits will be the first locations to carry the new dips, Arbogast says.

Categories
Intermission Impossible Theater

Ostranders are Back

Stephen Hancock (photo by Michael Gravois)

The Ostrander Awards are back.

After two years of pandemic mandated caution, the celebration of the local theater community is returning in person on August 28th at 6:30 p.m. at the Halloran Centre. 

The 38th Memphis theater awards will recognize and celebrate excellence in collegiate, community, and professional theater. 

The winners will be revealed at the event, but as always, the one prize announced early is the Eugart Yerian Lifetime Achievement Award, this year going to Stephen Hancock, a playwright, Ostrander-winning director, and longtime professor at the University of Memphis.

Because last year’s event was postponed, winners from 2021 will also be honored.  

Last year’s Eugart Yerian Award went to Andy Saunders. Others include the 2021 Janie McCrary Putting it Together Award, Michael Compton; the 2021 Otis Smith Legacy Dance Award, Whitney Branan; the Behind the Scenes Award, Lena Wallace Black; and the Larry Riley Rising Star Award, Donald Sutton and Abby Teel.

Tickets will be available at memphisostranders.com and will be limited to 350 guests. Tickets will be $15 in advance or $20 at the door.

Elizabeth Perkins, Ostrander director, said, “So many theatres had to postpone shows, rearrange seasons, or select different titles this year. It has been a difficult year, but also a year that has shown how supportive the theatre community is — we saw a season of actors filling in for others at the last minute all over the city.”

The nominees are:

Scenic Design for College

  • Brian Ruggaber, A Bright Room Called Day, University of Memphis
  • Brian Ruggaber, The Wolves, University of Memphis
  • Mollie West and Brian Ruggaber, R & J & Z, University of Memphis

Scenic Design for a Play

  • Jack Netzel-Yates, American Son, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Jack Netzel-Yates, Cicada, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Jack Netzel-Yates, The Secret Garden, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Jack Netzel-Yates, You Can’t Take It With You, Theatre Memphis
  • Justin Asher, The Foreigner, Harrell Theatre
  • Tim McMath, Torch Song, Circuit Playhouse

Scenic Design for a Musical

  • Chris Sterling & Andrew Chandler, Shockheaded Peter, New Moon Theatre
  • Jack Netzel-Yates, La Cage aux Folles, Theatre Memphis
  • Jack Netzel-Yates, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Jack Netzel-Yates, Urinetown, Theatre Memphis
  • Ryan Howell, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Playhouse on the Square

Costume Design for College

  • Ali Flipovich, A Bright Room Called Day, University of Memphis
  • Hattie Fann, R & J & Z, University of Memphis
  • Heather Duzan, The Wolves, University of Memphis

Costume Design for a Play

  • Allison White, You Can’t Take It With You, Theatre Memphis
  • Ashley Selberg, The Secret Garden, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • J. Faye Manselle, Mississippi Goddamn, Circuit Playhouse
  • Lindsay Schmeling, A Doll’s House, Parts 1 & 2, Circuit Playhouse
  • Lindsay Schmeling, Torch Song, Circuit Playhouse

Costume Design for a Musical

  • Amie Eoff, Hello, Dolly!, Theatre Memphis
  • Amie Eoff, La Cage aux Folles, Theatre Memphis
  • Amie Eoff, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Amie Eoff, Urinetown, Theatre Memphis
  • Lindsay Schmeling, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Playhouse on the Square
  • Shockheaded Peter, New Moon Theatre

Hair/Wig/Makeup Design for a Play

  • The Secret Garden, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Torch Song, Circuit Playhouse
  • Buddy Hart and Rence Phillips, Our Town, Theatre Memphis
  • Mississippi Goddamn, Circuit Playhouse

Hair/Wig/Makeup Design for a Musical

  • Amie Eoff, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Amie Eoff, Urinetown, Theatre Memphis
  • Buddy Hart and Rence Phillips, Hello, Dolly!, Theatre Memphis
  • Buddy Hart and Rence Phillips, La Cage aux Folles, Theatre Memphis
  • Shockheaded Peter, New Moon Theatre

Props Design for a Play

  • Andrew Chandler, The Complete History of America, Abridged, Germantown Community Theatre
  • Jack Netzel-Yates, Cicada, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Jack Netzel-Yates, The Secret Garden, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Jack Netzel-Yates, You Can’t Take It With You, Theatre Memphis
  • Reiley Duffy, Torch Song, Circuit Playhouse

Props Design for a Musical

  • Bill Short & Andrew Chandler, Shockheaded Peter, New Moon Theatre
  • Jack Netzel-Yates, Hello, Dolly!, Theatre Memphis
  • Jack Netzel-Yates, La Cage aux Folles, Theatre Memphis
  • Jack Netzel-Yates, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Jack Netzel-Yates, Urinetown, Theatre Memphis

Lighting Design for College

  • Corinne Fann, A Bright Room Called Day, University of Memphis
  • Hayes Wolfe, Ordinary Days, University of Memphis
  • Jenni Propst, R & J & Z, University of Memphis

Lighting Design for a Play

  • Haley Northington, Torch Song, Circuit Playhouse
  • Mandy Kay Heath, American Son, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Mandy Kay Heath, Cicada, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Mandy Kay Heath, The Secret Garden, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Mandy Kay Heath, You Can’t Take It With You, Theatre Memphis

Lighting Design for a Musical

  • Justin Gibson, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Playhouse on the Square
  • Mandy Kay Heath, La Cage aux Folles, Theatre Memphis
  • Mandy Kay Heath, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Mandy Kay Heath, Urinetown, Theatre Memphis
  • Melissa Andrews, Shockheaded Peter, New Moon Theatre

Sound Design for College

  • Andrew Boone, The Wolves, University of Memphis
  • Anna Johnson, R & J & Z,  University of Memphis
  • Micki McCormick, A Bright Room Called Day, University of Memphis

Sound Design for a Play

  • David Newsome, Cicada, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Jason Eschhofen, The Secret Garden, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Jason Eschhofen, Torch Song, Circuit Playhouse
  • Joe Johnson, American Son, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Marques Brown, Clue: Onstage, Germantown Community Theatre

Sound Design for a Musical

  • Eileen Kuo, Bright Star, Germantown Community Theatre
  • Gene Elliott, Shockheaded Peter, New Moon Theatre
  • Jason Eschhofen, Urinetown, Theatre Memphis
  • Nathan Greene, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Nathan Greene, La Cage aux Folles, Theatre Memphis

Music Direction for College

  • Angelo Rapan, Pippin, University of Memphis
  • Tracy Thomas, Ordinary Days, University of Memphis

Music Direction for a Musical

  • Gary Beard, La Cage aux Folles, Theatre Memphis
  • Jason Eschhofen, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Playhouse on the Square
  • Jeff Brewer, Hello, Dolly!, Theatre Memphis
  • Jeff Brewer, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Tammy Holt, Urinetown, Theatre Memphis

Choreography for College

  • Michael Medcalf, The Wolves, University of Memphis
  • Sean Carter, R & J & Z, University of Memphis

Choreography for a Musical

  • Courtney Oliver, Urinetown, Theatre Memphis
  • Daniel Stuart Nelson, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Playhouse on the Square
  • Kathy Thiele, The Addams Family, Harrell Theatre
  • Travis Bradley and Jordan Nichols, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Whitney Branan, La Cage aux Folles, Theatre Memphis
  • Whitney Branan, Shockheaded Peter, New Moon Theatre

Featured Performer in a College Production

  • One nominee

Featured Performer in a Play

  • Anne Marie Caskey, Cicada, Theatre Memphis
  • Eileen Peterson, The Secret Garden, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Hiawartha Jackson, Our Town, Theatre Memphis
  • Lance Raikes, Torch Song, Circuit Playhouse
  • Susan Brindley, You Can’t Take It With You, Theatre Memphis

Featured Performer in a Musical

  • Atam Woodruff, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Atam Woodruff, Urinetown, Theatre Memphis
  • Cassie Thompson, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Jimmie Hoxie, Bright Star, Germantown Community Theatre
  • John Brenton Strauss, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Susan Brindley, La Cage aux Folles, Theatre Memphis

Supporting Actor in a College Production 

  • Austin Wall, R & J & Z, University of Memphis
  • Jasper Lane Pippin, A Bright Room Called Day, University of Memphis
  • Lance Raikes, R & J & Z, University of Memphis
  • Oscar Garcia, Pippin, University of Memphis

Supporting Actor in a Play

  • Gregory Boller, The Lifespan of a Fact, Circuit Playhouse
  • Marcus Cox, American Son, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Mark Pergolizzi, A Doll’s House, Part 1, Circuit Playhouse
  • Steve Swift, Cicada, Theatre Memphis
  • Tony Isbell, Outside Mullingar, Germantown Community Theatre

Supporting Actor in a Musical

  • JD Willis, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • JD Willis, La Cage aux Folles, Theatre Memphis
  • Kevar Maffitt, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Marcus King, Porgy and Bess, Hattiloo Theatre
  • Mateo Rueda Calvo, La Cage aux Folles, Theatre Memphis

Supporting Actress in a College Production

  • Ali Milan, The Wolves, The University of Memphis
  • Axum Langford, A Bright Room Called Day, The University of Memphis
  • Camille Long, R & J & Z, The University of Memphis
  • Jada Farmer, The Wolves, The University of Memphis

Supporting Actress in a Play

  • Ann Marie Hall, Torch Song, Circuit Playhouse
  • Ann Marie Hall, The Lifespan of a Fact, Circuit Playhouse
  • Cecelia Wingate, Cicada, Theatre Memphis
  • Daneka Norfleet, Mississippi Goddamn, Circuit Playhouse
  • Patsy Detroit, A Doll’s House, Part 2, Circuit Playhouse

Supporting Actress in a Musical

  • Cassie Thompson, Urinetown, Theatre Memphis
  • Carly Crawford, Urinetown, Theatre Memphis
  • Dawn Bradley, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Emily Garrett, Bright Star, Germantown Community Theatre
  • Tracy Thomas, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis

Ensemble in a College Production

  • Ordinary Days, The University of Memphis
  • Pippin, The University of Memphis
  • The Wolves, The University of Memphis

Ensemble in a Play

  • American Son, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Cicada, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Mississippi Goddamn, Circuit Playhouse
  • The Complete History of America, Abridged, Germantown Community Theatre
  • Torch Song, Circuit Playhouse

Ensemble in a Musical

  • Porgy & Bess, Hattiloo Theatre
  • Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Shockheaded Peter, New Moon Theatre
  • Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Playhouse on the Square
  • Urinetown, Theatre Memphis

Leading Actor in a College Production

  • Lance Raikes, Pippin, The University of Memphis
  • Will Draper, R & J & Z, The University of Memphis

Leading Actor in a Play

  • Emmanuel McKinney, The Mountaintop, Hattiloo Theatre
  • JS Tate, Mississippi Goddamn, Circuit Playhouse
  • Kevar Maffitt, Torch Song, Circuit Playhouse
  • Kinon Keplinger, American Son, Theatre Memphis
  • Luke Conner, Cicada, Theatre Memphis

Leading Actor in a Musical

  • Andrew Chandler, Shockheaded Peter, New Moon Theatre
  • Bruce Huffman, Urinetown, Theatre Memphis
  • John Maness, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Jonathan Christian, La Cage aux Folles, Theatre Memphis
  • Justin Allen Tate, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Randall Hartzog, La Cage aux Folles, Theatre Memphis
  • Ryan Scott, Shockheaded Peter, New Moon Theatre

Leading Actress in a College Production

  • Aly Milan, R & J & Z, The University of Memphis
  • Raina Williams, A Bright Room Called Day, The University of Memphis

Leading Actress in a Play

  • Alice Rainey Berry, Cicada, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Anne Marie Caskey, The Goodbye Levee, POTS@TheWorks
  • Eileen Peterson, A Doll’s House, Parts 1 & 2, Circuit Playhouse
  • Jessica “Jai” Johnson, American Son, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Jessica “Jai” Johnson, Mississippi Goddamn, Circuit Playhouse

Leading Actress in a Musical

  • Caroline Simpson, Urinetown, Theatre Memphis
  • Debbie Litch, Hello, Dolly!, Theatre Memphis
  • Deborah Manning Thomas, Marie & Rosetta, Hattiloo Theatre
  • Emily Draffen, Bright Star, Germantown Community Theatre
  • Haley Wilson, A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline, Playhouse on the Square
  • Jazmin Snowden, Porgy and Bess, Hattiloo Theatre
  • Lauren Duckworth, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis

Best Original Script

  • Ivanka vs. Reality, Theatreworks@ the Square
  • May We All, Playhouse on the Square
  • The Goodbye Levee, Theatreworks@ the Square
  • The Secret Garden, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Tumbling Down, Hattiloo

Direction of a College Production

  • Holly Derr, The Wolves, University of Memphis
  • Jamie Warrow, A Bright Room Called Day, University of Memphis
  • Thomas “TeKay” King, Ordinary Days, University of Memphis

Direction of a Play

  • Dave Landis, Torch Song, Circuit Playhouse
  • Jared Thomas Johnson, American Son,  Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Jason Spitzer, The Secret Garden, Theatre Memphis
  • Jerre Dye, Cicada, Theatre Memphis
  • Lawrence Blackwell, Mississippi Goddamn, Circuit Playhouse

Direction of a Musical

  • Ann Marie Hall, Urinetown, Theatre Memphis
  • Cecelia Wingate, La Cage aux Folles, Theatre Memphis
  • Daniel Stuart Nelson, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Playhouse on the Square
  • Kevin Cochran, Shockheaded Peter, New Moon Theatre
  • Travis Bradley and Jordan Nichols, Ragtime, Theatre Memphis

Best College Production

  • A Bright Room Called Day, University of Memphis
  • R & J & Z, University of Memphis
  • The Wolves, University of Memphis

Best Production of a Play

  • American Son, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
  • Cicada, Theatre Memphis
  • Mississippi Goddamn, Circuit Playhouse
  • The Secret Garden, Theatre Memphis
  • Torch Song, Circuit Playhouse

Best Production of a Musical

  • La Cage aux Folles, Theatre Memphis
  • Ragtime, Theatre Memphis
  • Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Playhouse on the Square
  • Shockheaded Peter, New Moon Theatre
  • Urinetown, Theatre Memphis
Categories
News News Blog News Feature

Monkeypox Case Confirmed In Shelby County

Credit: CDC

Monkeypox has arrived in Shelby County. 

The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) confirmed the first reported monkeypox case in a news release Monday evening. The health department said it is working with the patient and the patient’s health care providers to identify anyone who may have been in contact with the patient while they were infectious.

Monkeypox was first confirmed in the U.S. in May. The number of cases nationally is now around 3,487, according to the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Tennessee now has 18 confirmed cases, according to the CDC. Arkansas has four and Mississippi has one, the CDC says.  New York has the most cases with 990.

Credit:CDC

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The White House said the move was “a call to action for the world community to stop the spread of this virus.” 

To fight the outbreak, the Biden Adminstration said it has “dramatically” scaled up the procurement, distribution, and production of vaccines, expanded access to testing and treatments, and communicated with communities most at risk of contracting the virus., but noted, ”that is not enough” and promised to ”step up our work to aggressively combat this virus and protect communities in the United States that have been affected by monkeypox.”

Monkeypox is a rare disease in the same family of viruses as smallpox. According to the CDC, the monkeypox virus can spread from person to person through:

• direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids

• respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling, or sex

• touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids

• pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta

Infection may begin with fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion before the developing rash. Many of the cases associated with the 2022 outbreak have reported very mild or no symptoms other than rash.  

The virus can be transmitted from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. Most people recover in two to four weeks, but the disease can be serious in rare instances, especially for immunocompromised people, children, and those who are pregnant. 

People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others. Contacts are monitored for several weeks, as it can take as many as 21 days after exposure for symptoms to develop. The public is advised to be alert for the appearance of any new rashes characterized by sores, bumps, or fluid-filled bumps and seek medical evaluation from their primary care physician or health care provider if they have symptoms or concerns. 

An effective vaccine against monkeypox exists, but there is no recommendation for vaccination for those without a known exposure to confirmed cases, and the vaccine is not yet available to the general public. 

For more information visit:

Tennessee Department of Health monkeypox page

CDC monkeypox page

CDC guidance for health care professionals

Categories
Politics Politics Beat Blog

DA Candidates Clash in Aftermath of Eason-Wiliams Murder

As real-world circumstances will do, a tragic incident is having an impact on a political race. The event was the carjacking and killing of the Rev. Dr. Autura Eason-Williams, revered pastor and district superintendent for the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of The United Methodist Church. Dr. Eason was slain in her driveway Monday afternoon of last week.  Two young suspects were apprehended.

One of the issues in the Shelby County District Attorney’s race between incumbent Amy Weirich and challenger Steve Mulroy is the matter of when a juvenile suspect between the ages of 14 and 17 should be transferred to Criminal Court for prosecution. 

Mulroy has criticized Weirich for effecting too many such transfers. She has responded that juvenile transfers occur only for the most violent of crimes, especially when a subject’s background suggests incorrigibility.

Upon the arrest last week of a suspect, 15-year-old Miguel Andrade, Weirich moved to have him transferred to Criminal Court. A second suspect, 15-year-old, Brayan Carrillo, also 15, was arrested, and Weirich wishes him tried in Criminal Court as well, “because of the facts, the serious nature of this case and this offender’s criminal history.” Similar words had attended her request for the transfer of Andrade.

After the first arrest and the request for transfer of Andrade, Mulroy issued a statement critical of Weirich. 

It said in part: “…When the crime is serious  and the defendant  has a long prior record, this merits transferring to adult court. But this  defendant should never have been out on the street where he could’ve killed a beloved pastor,  since he had committed prior crimes, including a prior carjacking. The fault for this lies with Amy Weirich, who for all her tough talk lets off too many serious criminals with her plea deals, including this plea deal.”

Weirich responded: 

“The  death of Rev. Dr. Autura Eason-Williams was a brutal crime and the accused murderer should face the most serious consequences and that is why I have requested his transfer to adult court. My opponent has opposed the transfer of youths who have committed violent crimes.  He has staked out a dangerous platform and has been rewarded with over a quarter of a million dollars from radical out-of-state criminal defense attorneys. His latest statement is a shameful and disgusting attempt to use the death of a beloved community leader to try to advance his campaign, and the voters of Shelby County should be outraged by his platform, his campaign donations, and his desperate last minute attack on my office.”

Categories
News News Blog News Feature Uncategorized

Private School Voucher Opponents Ask Tennessee Court to Block “Rushed, Haphazard” Rollout

State Capitol (Credit: Tennessee State Government)

Opponents of Tennessee’s private school voucher program went to court again Friday in another attempt to block its launch as a rapidly growing number of families and private schools signed up to take part.    

Lawyers behind one of two long-running lawsuits asked judges to halt the state’s work on its education savings account program, which aims to provide families in Memphis and Nashville with public funding to pay for private schooling. Lawyers in the second lawsuit, representing parents in those cities, were expected to file a similar motion later Friday.

Gov. Bill Lee has ordered his education department to roll out the program for the school year starting in early August, prompting the latest flurry of legal activity.

As of Friday, about 1,500 families and at least 76 private schools had submitted forms this week indicating their interest to participate, said Brian Blackley, a spokesman for the state education department.

“None of these have been vetted for eligibility; the next steps are formal applications,” Blackley said.

In their legal filings, lawyers representing local governments in Nashville and Shelby County called the state’s rollout “haphazard” and “rushed” and said the consequences of the state’s 2019 voucher law “go far beyond politics.”

The state “plainly will stop at nothing to see this Act implemented,” said the 45-page motion. “The fallout will be disastrous, and it will be irreparable. A temporary injunction is the only solution.”

A spokeswoman for the state attorney general’s office did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment about the latest filing.

The Tennessee Supreme Court upheld the state’s voucher law in May. That set the stage for a three-judge panel last week to lift an earlier order that had blocked the program’s original launch in 2020. 

That same panel will hear the latest legal challenge. The judges are expected to decide quickly — maybe as soon as next week — whether the program will proceed or pause while lawyers challenge the law’s constitutionality based on several remaining claims in the case. 

Meanwhile, the number of families and private schools interested in participating essentially doubled in three days.

On Wednesday, before Lee flew to Memphis to meet with private school leaders there, he told reporters near Nashville that the response had been swift and that 600 families and 40-plus private schools had completed online forms published a day earlier to show “intent to participate.”

The state education department has scrambled since the order was lifted, and Lee’s education chief, Penny Schwinn, told Chalkbeat earlier this week that “we’re really trying to catch up and meet the governor’s office’s expectations on this.”

On Friday, the department hosted a webinar for families interested in applying to move from public to private schools. 

While the law allows up to 5,000 participants in the program’s first year, Blackley acknowledged that the expedited launch is challenging because the state must manually review applications to ensure families and schools meet the state’s eligibility standards. 

It’s likely that families who want to participate immediately will have to start the 2022-23 school year in public schools, then pivot to private schools if they’re approved for the program.

“This process is moving rapidly, and we are doing the best that we can to handle it,” Blackley said.

The state also must set up systems and processes for redirecting public education spending in Memphis and Nashville, the only two cities where the program is operating, to private schools and vendors.

Research on the effectiveness of vouchers is mixed. Recent studies have found that using a voucher tends not to help — and may even harm — students’ test scores, especially in math. Other studies, though, have found neutral or positive effects of vouchers on high school graduation and college attendance. 

The two lawsuits challenging the program cite provisions in the state constitution that guarantee equal protection under the law. They argue that while the state is obligated to maintain a system that provides for substantially equal educational opportunities for its residents, vouchers would create unequal systems by targeting two counties and diverting funds from their public school systems to private and home schools.

“The General Assembly intentionally and unapologetically excluded every other school district in Tennessee from the Act’s application to ‘protect’ those districts from the Act’s harmful impact,” the motion said. “And it did so without any justifiable rationale and without tailoring the program to any educational goal.” 

Marta W. Aldrich is a senior correspondent who covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

Categories
Film Features Film/TV

Music Video Monday: “Don’t Break The Dam” by Turnstyles

Today, we have a world premiere music video by two of the hardest-gigging musicians in Memphis. Seth Moody and Graham Winchester are Turnstyles, and if you’ve been out and about in the last few years, you’ve probably seen the garage-surf duo.

“As a band, and particularly a duo, Turnstyles has played so many random shows, from big stages to the corner of someone’s humid basement,” says Winchester, an acclaimed drummer who has accompanied everyone from Jack Oblivian to Devil Train. “But we always try to see the positive with every single show, and with that mentality, the music always takes us to a higher spiritual place.”

“Don’t Break The Dam,” is the first of many planned singles from their upcoming double LP on Black and Wyatt records. The video was conceived and directed by Coco Moody, and features cameos from Coco and Seth’s daughter Sulli and son Baker.

“I’m so glad Coco conceptualized a fun and funny video out of the lyrical message,” says Winchester. “Seth had the lyrics to the song over 20 years ago, but we just recently teamed up and put the words to music. I suppose the message here is that you can take a bad situation and gripe your way into a much worse place, hence ‘breaking the dam.’ I love how Coco used a blacklight room in the video to depict that preferred headspace. I’m also glad to have her making videos for us in general.”

Hop in the van for this world premiere from a pair of Memphis originals!

If you would like to see your music videos featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.

Categories
From My Seat Sports

Redbirds Report: Playoff Push and the Walker Watch

Jordan Walker (photo courtesy Springfield Cardinals)

Just over two months of baseball remain in the Memphis Redbirds’ 2022 season. The team will alternate six-game series at home and on the road the next 10 weeks. Playing their first season in the International League, the Redbirds have a chance at their first playoff berth since winning the 2018 Triple-A national championship. Here are four story lines we’ll follow as the fabled “dog days” arrive.

• The Redbirds must beat Columbus . . . oh, wait. Memphis occupies third place in the IL’s West Division, behind Nashville and Columbus. So it stands to reason the Redbirds need to handle the Clippers if they’re to climb toward first place. Well, it’s problematic as the teams don’t play each other this season. For whatever reason, Memphis does not face four teams in its own division (also Louisville, St. Paul, and Toledo). We now live in a world where six-game series are the norm for cost-cutting minor-league operations. But please, let’s reconsider schedules so teams play those it must beat to reach the postseason. (Memphis does play first-place Nashville nine more times. Alas, all the games are in Middle Tennessee. Worth the drive, especially, perhaps, the last three games of the season: September 26-28.)

• The Jordan Walker watch continues . . . and grows. The slugging third-baseman has climbed to seventh in some rankings of minor-league prospects. Only 20 years old, Walker has hit .301 with an .873 OPS at Double-A Springfield. He could be a one-man infusion of offense for a Memphis team that already leads the International League in home runs.

But will Walker even be in the St. Louis Cardinals’ system by the time you read this? The Cards have been in the mix of the saltiest trade rumor this summer, one that would have Washington Nationals’ star Juan Soto — the 23-year-old All-Star turned down a 15-year, $440 million offer from his current team earlier this month — headed to Busch Stadium. It’s hard to envision such a deal taking place without Walker going to D.C. (His journey to the big leagues would be accelerated in the Nats’ system as the club occupies the cellar of the National League East.) Here’s hoping we get a glimpse of Walker at AutoZone Park, even if it’s brief.

• Memphis Mafia II? A friend asked me last week if the Cardinals would receive any promotions from Memphis for their postseason push. My answer: They already have. St. Louis has already been impacted by Brendan Donovan, Juan Yepez, and Nolan Gorman, all players who started their season with the Redbirds. It calls to mind the famed “Memphis Mafia” of David Freese, Allen Craig, Jon Jay, and Daniel Descalso, a quartet who made their big-league debuts in 2010, then helped the Cardinals win the World Series in 2011. Donovan is a Rookie of the Year candidate, having started games at six different positions for St. Louis. Gorman has added nine home runs with the Cardinals to the 15 he slammed for Memphis to start the season. And Yepez, frankly, was born to DH, an important component now of National League batting orders. Keep in mind, also, that one of these players could be in a trade package to acquire Soto from Washington. Impact, indeed.

• DeJong’s example. Say what you will about Paul DeJong, for five years the Cardinals’ regular shortstop before a demotion in May when he struggled to begin the season. But acknowledge the veteran’s professionalism. He’s taken his work to Triple-A ballparks, searching for the consistency at the plate that eludes so many on their way to the big leagues, but escapes even major-league All-Stars at certain career crossroads. DeJong is making $9 million this season and is under contract for one more with the Cardinals, which makes him yet another trade candidate, particularly with Tommy Edman having taken over at short for St. Louis. He’s hit 15 home runs and has an eye-popping 49 RBIs in 49 games for Memphis. DeJong’s next call to the major leagues may feel even better than his first.

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Politics Politics Beat Blog

The Parties Judge the Judges

(Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm / Unsplash)


In our July 14 cover article, “Kind of Blue,” we reviewed the August 4 countywide ballot and published  a list of candidates for judicial offices, along with the results of a Shelby County Bar Association poll showing local lawyers’ preferences in each judicial race. Both the Shelby County Democratic Party and the Shelby County Republican Party have issued their own preferences, which we indicate below from lists provided by the parties.

DEMOCRATIC JUDICIAL PICKS


REPUBLICAN JUDICIAL PICKS

Juvenile Court 
Dan Michael 

Circuit Court
Division 1 — Felicia Corbin-Johnson
Division 2 – Kenneth Margo
Division 3 – Valerie L. Smith
Division 4 – Gina Carol Higgins
Division 7 – Mary L. Wagner
Division 8 – Robert “Bob” S. Weiss

Chancery Court
Part I – Gadson “Will” Perr­y

Criminal Court
Division 1 – Paula Skahan
Division 2 – Joseph Ozment
Division 3 – James Jones 
Division 5 – Chris Lareau
Division 6 – David Pool
Division 7 – Lee V. Coffee
Division 8 – Chris Craft
Division 9 – Mark Ward
Division 10 – Jennifer Mitchell

Probate Court
Division 1 – Kathleen N. Gomes

General SessionsDivision 1 – Lynn Cobb
Division 2 – Phyllis B. Gardner
Division 3 – Lincoln Hodges
Division 4 – Deborah A. Means Henderson
Division 5 – Betty Thomas Moore
Division 6 – Lonnie Thompson
Division 7 – Bill Anderson, Jr.
Division 8 – Lee Wilson
Division 9 – Gerald Skahan
Division 10 – Greg Gilber
Division 11 – Karen Lynne Massey
Division 12 – Silvio Ronald Lucchesi
Division 13 – Louis Montesi
Division 14 – Danny Kail

Categories
Politics Beat Blog

Mulroy Endorsed by Victims’ Group

Mulroy, Jacob Blake Sr., and Rep. Joe Towns. Photo: Scoobert Doobert

The families of several well-known deceased or seriously wounded citizens — most of them fallen during encounters with a law-enforcement agency in the nation during the last year —  were in town this weekend, with several missions in mind.

The group, organized as Families United, was here primarily to commemorate and honor their lost kin — including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake, and Freddie Cox  — and to support the second annual Stomp the City award show, an anti-crime event at the Convention Center on Saturday night. 

Their first stop in Memphis, though, was at the campaign headquarters of Democratic district attorney candidate Steve Mulroy on Friday., where a generous crowd had gathered to welcome them.  Without exception, the family members made a point of endorsing Mulroy as the best bet locally to bring about justice, racial and otherwise. 


Typical was Jacob Blake Sr., father of a Toledo, Ohio, man who was shot in the back several times by a police officer and left severely wounded — a circumstance that led to serious disruptions and protests elsewhere, including nearby Kenosha, Wisconsin, where two persons were killed and another shot by a self-appointed “peacekeeper.”

Said Blake, “It’s apparent that in Shelby County we have ethical problems [affecting] black and brown bodies, so we need solutions. We don’t need any more drive-by politicians who drive by our communities and wave at us. We’re not waving back.” 

And, in endorsing Mulroy, he echoed one of the candidate’s allegations against incumbent Republican D.A. Amy Weirich, as having the “worst professional misconduct in the United States” by a D.A. Blake continued: “So what are you going to do Memphis, sit around on your hands or go vote? I personally endorse Steve Mulroy!”


Among the other political candidates on hand for the event — besides Mulroy, who shared the stage with the family members — were judicial candidates Sanjeev Memula and Ken Margolis, County Commissioner-elect Erika Sugarmon,  Juvenile Court Judge candidate Tarik Sugarmon, state House minority leader Karen Camper, and state Representatives Dwayne thompson, G.A. Hardaway, and Joe Towns Jr, the latter being one of three official hosts for the event, along with  Mulroy and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris.