Kinfolk brings a country diner feel to Harbor Town (Credit: Cole Jeanes)
Kinfolk is slated to fully open in late March at 113 Harbor Town Square.
The eagerly-awaited breakfast-lunch restaurant was conceived by chef/owner Cole Jeanes, 34. His square-cut biscuits or “cathead biscuits” are the centerpiece of the menu, which includes breakfast sandwiches, breakfast bowls, French omelets, steak and eggs and hash browns, oat pancakes, and other breakfast staples, including the MVP a.k.a. the “Most Valuable Plate.”
Kinfolk (Credit: Jordan Finney)Kinfolk (Credit: Jordan Finney)Kinfolk (Credit: Jordan Finney)
Jeanes and Natalie Lieberman of collect + curate came up with the interior design for the 1,500 square-foot restaurant. Jeanes knew what he wanted, but Lieberman reined him in somewhat, or, as Jeanes says, helped him “bring it back a little bit.”
“I tend to take it a little too far and I didn’t really understand the cost of things,” he says. “She helped me be realistic.”
Kinfolk (Credit: Cole Jeanes)
He adds, “I knew what I wanted. I love Danish interior design. And I love Japanese simplicity and things like that. So, that still falls into this space as well. I just wanted really expensive wood.”
He also likes the esthetic of “joinery,” which is “no nails. Everything is held together through precision cutting and fitting. “But,” he adds, “I wanted all those things and I also wanted a Southern country diner. So, yeah, bring it back a little bit.”
The restaurant looks like a diner, Jeanes says. “Pieces we bring into it, little knick knacks and things we have in here, lean more toward the country side of things.”
For now, Kinfolk will be open for grab-and-go and coffee from 6 to 7 a.m. and the full breakfast menu from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch will begin at 10:30 a.m., Jeanes says. He plans to eventually “work in a happy hour” from 4 to 8 p.m. “Our lunch menu and our key items will kind of carry over to that with our bar program.”
, Cole,Luca, and Courtney Jeanes. (Credit: Jordan Finney)
A Memphis podiatrist faces 50 years in federal prison in a $4 million fraud case involving foot baths.
A jury recently convicted Nathan Lucas, 59, of Memphis on five counts of health care fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. Officials said Lucas had his pharmacies to submit nearly $4 million in fraudulent claims from October 2018 to September 2021.
Lucas owned and operated Advanced Foot & Ankle Care of Memphis, which had two in-house pharmacies. Officials said he regularly prescribed antibiotic and antifungal drugs to be mixed into a tub of water for patients to soak their feet.
These drug cocktails included capsules, creams, and powders that were not indicated to be dissolved in water and some of which were not even water soluble. He chose these medications to prescribe and dispense based on their anticipated reimbursement amount, rather than medical necessity, officials said.
The podiatrist caused his pharmacies to submit nearly $4 million in claims to Medicare and TennCare for dispensing expensive foot bath medications that were not medically necessary and not eligible for reimbursement. For this, Lucas’ pharmacies were reimbursed more than $3 million.
Lucas is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20th. He faces a maximum penalty for 10 years in prison for each of the five counts for which he was convicted.
Entrance to a Memphis Velsicol plant. (Photo: Ashli Blow)
A chemical company in North Memphis that spent decades dumping toxic materials into waterways is looking to renew a state permit that would allow hazardous waste operations to continue at its defunct facility.
Unlike other Velsicol facilities across the United States that have become Superfund sites — a federal designation that allows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fund cleanup of contaminated areas — the Memphis location, 119 Warford St., has worked under a state-sanctioned permit since 2014. Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) in Tennessee, companies can store, treat, and dispose of hazardous waste. The primary difference between the two is that RCRA addresses the management of hazardous waste and Superfund is geared toward the remediation of abandoned sites with contamination.
Environmental advocates and residents question whether a hazardous waste permit is the appropriate avenue for Velsicol or whether the company is using it as a means to circumvent national Superfund site status.
People will have a rare opportunity to ask during a public meeting on March 21 at 6 p.m. at the Hollywood Community Center, when Velsicol representatives plan to discuss its plans to renew and update its corrective action permit.
The public meeting comes in the wake of the company’s recent bankruptcy filing and their obligation to submit a new work plan to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) to address contamination at a neighboring property, an affordable housing apartment complex.
“This [RCRA] permit is really supposed to be used for facilities that have hazardous materials on site … it’s not really supposed to be used for a long-term cleanup,” said Sarah Houston, executive director of watchdog group Protect Our Aquifer. “Really that should be something that has more federal oversight like the Superfund program, and we just see that this permitting structure has really made this a very slow cleanup process and isn’t doing the real due diligence of removing the toxins from the soil and the groundwater and really finishing the job.”
Velsicol created chemicals so dangerous that it changed environmental policy nationwide. Their pesticide production with chemicals like dieldrin and endrin became the center of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” published in 1962 and credited with the start of the modern environmental movement. Carson described the chemicals as the “elixirs of death” and warned of its neurological effects on people and wildlife, as well as its nearly irreversible pollution in ecosystems.
As America responded with federal regulation, such as banning chemicals for domestic use, Velsicol continued to make chemicals like chlordane through the early 1990s in Memphis — more than 30 years after the national reckoning. Meanwhile, the Black community around it was left to live with an enduring toxicity.
The Memphis facility closed in 2012, but to this day, as people pass by Velsicol, the 62-acre site appears unchanged from behind the chain-link fence. Many think it is a Superfund site, because of its appearance resembling that of a desolate lot.
The secretive operations of today’s Velsicol
In Southwest Tennessee, Velsicol is known for disposing of their chemicals in two landfills that became Superfund sites: One in the Hollywood community in Memphis and the other in Toone, an hour east of Memphis. Their cleanup at these dumps, and subsequent lawsuits and settlements, were heavily followed by mainstream media and politicians, but little public understanding exists about the facility where the chemicals were originally produced.
In anticipation of its permit renewal, something that only happens once every 10 years, the Lookout conducted a months-long investigation into Velsicol in 2022. We reviewed 125 public records that documented 40 years of its cleanup efforts. Under RCRA, Velsicol is required to submit a yearly Corrective Action Effectiveness Reports (CAER). To accurately understand the technical data in these reports, the Lookout talked to lawyers, policy analysts, and chemists who work with site remediation.
According to those reports, since 1999, Velsicol has been trying to reduce a fluctuating plume of chemicals beneath the facility that’s mass measured around 126 acres, which is roughly the size of Liberty Bowl stadium. The company calls the plume “under control.” It monitors a network of wells to calculate the boundary and weight of the plume, made mostly of carbon tetrachloride – a chemical used as house cleaner that is now also banned for consumer use by the EPA.
Their plume has decreased from over 80,000 pounds to 7,000 pounds of chemicals over 20 years.
“The fact that they have removed 90 percent doesn’t mean that it’s 90 percent less toxic. There’s much more in terms of threat and potential injury than just the total,” Christopher Reddy, a marine chemist who analyzes drinking water for pollutants, including pesticides, told The Lookout in 2022.
Velsicol reported to TDEC that it extracted another 2,659 pounds as of 2023, and it is unclear how much of the plume remains.
Scientists such as Reddy and advocates like Houston express concern about lingering chemicals and the groundwater’s flow, as these concentrations of chemicals may move downward into the ground and potentially reach layers of the Memphis Sand Aquifer, the primary drinking water source for over one million residents in the region.
But there are even more concerns about what lies above the surface.
Bankruptcy, residential contamination
Guided by RCRA regulations, the remediation for topical contamination in soil has unfolded gradually, marked by a series of inspections, investigations, action plans, status reports, and investigations.
During their permit tenure, Velsicol incurred minor violations from TDEC for mislabeling materials. However, following The Lookout investigation, Velsicol faced a different array of violations and deficiency notices from TDEC.
Last August, when attempting to file its latest CAER, Velsicol submitted a document that did not include analytical laboratory reports. This January, TDEC gave Velsicol a violation for not having documentation of hazardous waste management training in recent years. According to monitoring reports filed over the last decade, Velsicol employs two people at its Memphis facility.
The fact that they have removed 90 percent doesn’t mean that it’s 90 percent less toxic. There’s much more in terms of threat and potential injury than just the total.
– Christopher Reddy, marine chemist
TDEC is also now requiring that Velsicol submit an interim measures work plan by the end of April to address contamination at the neighboring Cypress Gardens Apartments on 1215 Springdale Street. The property manager of the affordable housing apartment complex hired an independent environmental consulting agency, Tioga, to collect soil samples. The Lookout reached out to the property manager, but they did not respond to comment.
Tioga took the tests to a lab that found several pesticides including aldrin and endrin with dieldrin exceeding the EPA’s contamination limit for residential properties.
“The findings of this assessment indicate that soil contamination associated with the former Velsicol plant still remains on the property and could potentially post a continued risk,” said the report, signed by Tioga Geologist John Luke Hall.
The report specified that the western building alongside Cypress Creek, where Velsicol disposed of their hazardous waste for years, was most at risk. The environmental consultants recommended the removal of the soil between the apartment building and Cypress Creek.
It would be a part of existing work that Velsicol does to extract patches of contaminated soil on its property, where a baseball diamond-shaped consolidation pile at the northwest corner of its property Each time soil is added to the pile, a tarp-like impermeable liner is put over it and welded into place. Eventually, the pile will be capped and “monitored in perpetuity to ensure the cap is not compromised.
“[The permit] comes around every decade,” said Kathy Yancey-Temple. “So we’re here again, and we have to fight them off again.” (Photo: Ashli Blow)
The Lookout reached out to Velsicol’s Vice President George Harvell for comment, but he had not responded to our request by the publication of this article.
Velsicol Chemical LLC and its parent corporations filed for bankruptcy in September, and Harvell wrote in a letter to TDEC that the company plans to reorganize. It’s a similar step that the Velsicol plant in Michigan, which operated under a different corporate parent, took, also filing for bankruptcy and relying on the EPA and State of Michigan for funding to clean up its site. It’s now one of the country’s costliest Superfund sites.
“[The permit] comes around every decade,” said Kathy Yancey-Temple. “So we’re here again, and we have to fight them off again.” (Photo: Ashli Blow)
Kathy Yancey-Temple lives near the Velsicol facility in Douglass Park, a historic community established by a formerly enslaved individual to provide safe property ownership for Black families during the Reconstruction era. The neighborhood is now surrounded by industry.
Yancey-Temple believes that Velsicol’s toxic practices have been at the expense of her community’s health and livelihoods.
As an organizer for the Center for Transforming Communities, Yancey-Temple has had difficulties in getting clear answers about the company’s actions over the past decade, submitting her own public record requests to the state for information. Despite her efforts, neither she nor other community members have received outreach from the company about health implications of the contaminants that linger.
Years of committed environmental justice advocacy efforts played a crucial role in the company’s closure. Yancey-Temple is confident that continued community organizing can be instrumental in navigating this next phase and advocating for a thorough cleanup to conclude, allowing the property to be redeveloped.
“[The permit] comes around every decade,” she said. “So we’re here again, and we have to fight them off again.”
Tennessee Lookoutis part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on Facebook and Twitter.
Every week on Music Video Monday, we bring you a video by a Memphis musician or filmmaker — usually both. These can range from relatively simple imagery to complex visions. But they are, for the most part, handmade, grassroots productions.
Today on Music Video Monday, we have something special. Justin Timberlake is the biggest star to come out of Memphis in the last twenty five years. His new album Everything I Thought It Was just dropped after a spectacular soft opening show in Memphis at the Orpheum. Timberlake tapped director Ti West to make a visual for the first single “No Angels,” and it’s something special. West is the director behind modern horror classics Xand Pearl, and his hand is evident in this super creepy video. It’s got blood, doppelgängers, and lotsa sexy ladies. Timberlake sings “there’s no angels on the dancefloor,” but there’s no shortage of demons pulling shapes in this supernatural banger. Take a look, if you dare!
If you’re not Justin Timberlake (and maybe if you are) and you’d like to see your music video on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
Rev. Jesse Jackson (second from right) and members of the clergy gather to lay the ceremonial wreath on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King last stood. Jackson was present at the Lorraine on that fateful day.
The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel will present a commemoration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and legacy on Thursday, April 4, the 56th anniversary of his death. Martin Luther King III, wife Arndrea Waters King, and daughter Yolanda. Renee King will participate in the ceremony, which will be live streamed for those who cannot attend in person. This year, the Museum introduces a youth component with the performing winners of its Youth Poetry and Spoken Word Competition.
The event entitled “Remembering MLK: The Man. The Movement. The Moment.” will be held in the Museum’s courtyard at 4:00 pm Central with a musical prelude followed by the commemorative service at 4:30 pm. Participants can also join the live stream via the museum’s website, YouTube and Facebook platforms.
Martin Luther King III, the oldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, will deliver the keynote address. Mr. King is a civil rights advocate and global humanitarian, focusing on addressing the most pressing social justice issues of today. Amplifying his father’s work, Mr. King has devoted his life to promoting global human rights and eradicating racism, violence, and poverty, earning a reputation as a respected international statesman and one of the world’s most passionate advocates for the poor and oppressed.
As chairman of the Drum Major Institute (DMI), a nonprofit rooted in his father’s work over 60 years ago, Mr. King collaborates closely with his wife, Arndrea Waters King and daughter, Yolanda Renee King, to advance Dr. King’s vision of a more just and equitable world. Founded in 1961, the organization focuses on continuing the King legacy through education, action, engagement with world leaders, and collaboration with socially conscious organizations.
Arndrea Waters King, social justice activist and President of Drum Major Institute (DMI), has championed several nonviolence, anti-hate and social change initiatives throughout her life, designing programs to advance understanding and activism. She is a strong supporter of youth activism and believes in helping young people take a peaceful, effective stand for the world issues that concern them most. As president of DMI, she plays a critical role in creating strategic partnerships and managing the daily operations of this active social justice organization.
At 15 years old, Yolanda Renee King, the only grandchild of Dr. King, is an activist and children’s book author having recently published We Dream A World, a tribute to her grandparent’s legacy. Having appeared on the world stage and in national media interviews, she uses her voice to speak up on key issues including gun violence, climate change, and racial equality.
As a teen creative, Yolanda King will lead the youth segment of the commemoration with words of inspiration and introduction of the “I AM the Legacy” poetry and spoken word winners to be announced this month. The competition is designed for high school students to use the performative art of poetry on topics that identify their thoughts, solutions, or designs on how they envision freedom, equality, and justice for their future. The competition is made possible by The Memphis (TN) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.
“This year, the commemoration is poignant as we elevate the ‘drum major instinct’ Dr. King expressed, but with the fierce urgency of now,” said Dr. Russ Wigginton, Museum President. “Given today’s climate, we recognize we all must move toward greater justice, peace, and righteousness from wherever we stand,” he said.
Each year, the Museum commemorates the tragic event that occurred on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in 1968. This year’s event features a keynote speaker, special performances, fraternal tribute, and changing the balcony wreath with a moment of silence at 6:01 pm Central when Dr. King was slain.
Rev. Dr. Dorothy Sanders Wells, the Rector of St. George’s Episcopal Church, will give remarks. Wells has recently been elected the first woman and first Black person elected as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi.
W. Crimm Singers AKA Wakanda Chorale, a professional ensemble-in-residence of Tennessee State University’s Big Blue Opera Initiatives, will perform music of the Black experience throughout the diaspora and every genre connected to it with major emphasis on the Negro Spiritual, African American operatic, and concert repertoire, hymnody, and anthems.
During the 4:00 prelude, recorded speeches by Dr. King will broadcast in the museum courtyard. In the event of rain, the event will be held inside the museum’s Hooks Hyde Hall. For more information, visit April4th.org.
Members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. gather to present a wreath in memory of their fallen brother. Dr. King was a member of the fraternity.
This article is sponsored by National Civil Rights Museum.
Desmond Bane returned to the lineup for the Grizzlies for the first time since January 12th. Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE for Getty Images.
The Memphis Grizzlies fell short to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night at FedEx Forum. With a final score of 118-112, the Thunder’s win over the Grizzlies completed their sweep of the season series against Memphis.
It was a night for celebration for Memphis fans, insomuch as anything has been this season.
Desmond Bane returned to the lineup for the first time since January 12th.
Jaren Jackson Jr. returned after a two-game absence.
In a season that has been plagued by injuries, the return of key members of the starting lineup was something to be excited about.
It is fitting that Desmond Bane scored the first points of the game, hitting a three-pointer on his first attempt since January. Bane shot two of two from three-point range in the first quarter, scoring six points and two assists in just under eight minutes to start the game.
The game started okay, but as we have seen many times this season, this Memphis team was not able to keep it together down the stretch and was not able to overcome the lead Oklahoma City had built over the first three quarters.
Surprisingly, the Thunder’s leading scorer in this matchup was not MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who finished the night with 20 points, but sophomore forward Jalen Williams with 23 points and rookie center Chet Holmgren with 22 points.
Memphis outshot the Thunder from beyond the arc handily (40.9 percent vs. 34.3 percent) and from the free-throw line barely (76.9 percent vs. 76.2 percent). Oklahoma City did better in overall field goal shooting (51.7 percent vs. 45.7 percent) as well as having seven more shot attempts than Memphis.
Desmond Bane led the team in his return with 22 points, three rebounds, seven assists, and one block while shooting four of nine from beyond the arc.
Jaren Jackson Jr. added 19 points, six rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one block while shooting three of four from three and seven of 11 overall.
GG Jackson also put up 19 points along with four rebounds, four assists, and one block.
Santi Aldama finished the night with 16 points, six rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block.
From the second unit, Jake LaRavia added 14 points, four rebounds, and two steals.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are hitting the road again, this time headed to the West Coast. They will face off against the Sacramento Kings on Monday, March 18th.
This is going to be a late game, so get your caffeinated beverages of choice ready.
Katy O'Brian and Kristen Stewart get pumped in Love Lies Bleeding. (Courtesy A24)
Here’s your weekly guide to what’s new and worth your time on the big screen in Memphis.
The movie with the buzz this weekend is Love Lies Bleeding. Kristen Stewart stars in this erotic thriller from director Rose Glass and A24. Stewart is Lou, a gym manager in the steroid jungle of Las Vegas in the 1980s. Her life is upended when Jackie (Katy O’Brian from The Mandalorian) starts training at her gym, and spending the night in her bed. When Lou’s mob boss dad (Ed Harris) gets involved, bodies start to hit the floor.
The second film opening this weekend which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival is The American Society of Magical Negroes from first-time helmer Kobi Libii. The magical negro, a stock Black character who shows up in stories to make white people feel better about themselves, is a long tradition in American fiction. David Alan Grier stars as a trainer for the secret society, designed to keep on a lid on race relations, who bites off more than he can chew with his hapless new recruit Justice Smith.
The Malco Summer Drive-In is reopening for spring, and Time Warp Drive-In is back with Night In The City: The Deadly Urban Worlds of Martin Scorsese. The first of the triple feature is a favorite of Marty heads everywhere. Goodfellas is a flawless film about the lure of the underworld and the consequences of the lifestyle. Early in the film, Scorsese drops one of the all-time great long takes, called a “oner” in movie parlance. Watch as Marty simultaneously introduces Ray Liotta and Lorraine Bracco’s characters Henry and Karen Hill and paints the world around them in a single tracking shot that lasts a little over three minutes.
Taxi Driver is where the legend of Marty really got rolling. Robert De Niro stars as Travis Bickle, a cabbie with a violent streak who develops a crush on a campaign worker played by Memphian Cybill Shepherd. On set, De Niro served as a mentor to Jodi Foster, who was twelve years old when she was cast as a child prostitute who Bickle tries to rescue from a life on the street.
I’m just going to say it: Oppenheimer was mid. Killers of the Flower Moon should have won the Best Picture Oscar. It’s now my favorite Scorsese joint. Anyway, here’s the trailer to my now second-favorite Scorsese, and the third film on the Time Warps’ killer triple bill, which rolls on Saturday at dusk, After Hours.
Credit where it’s due, Kung Fu Panda, the animated series of furry wuxia parodies is way better than it has any business being. That’s mostly thanks to the flawless voice work of human cartoon character Jack Black, but you gotta give the inventive animators props, too. The fourth one in the series is currently the number one movie at the American box office.
If you haven’t caught Dune: Part Two yet, the sci fi epic is worth seeing on the biggest screen you can find. If you have seen it, maybe go again.
Photo Credit: Shelby County Division of Corrections
Community organizations are partnering to build relationships between incarcerated women and shelter dogs through an intensive training program.
The Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County, Shelby County Division of Corrections, and Allegiance Canine recently announced the launch of the Pawsitive Training Program designed to emphasize the positive impact on both parties.
The program takes cues from a 2021 University of Washington study that found that programs like these help incarcerated people and pets alike.
“Studies have shown that canine training programs have mutual benefits,” said Deputy administrator of Shelby County Office of Reentry, Dominique Winfrey-McKinnie. “ The programs enhance inmates’ social and emotional IQ, accountability and sense of responsibility, and the trained dogs may find their forever homes quicker. It’s a beautiful exchange of empathy and understanding that transforms both hearts and minds.”
Winfrey-McKinnie said this is an “innovative and creative” initiative for Shelby County as it enhances the inmate population through rehabilitation programs. She notes that the Division of Corrections has done a “phenomenal” job with programs for women, however much of the training focuses on “hard skill” trades such as operating forklifts, welding and barbering.
“We wanted programs that worked on responsibility and accountability and teach interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence,” Winfrey-McKinnie said.
Ellen Zahariadis, executive director of the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County said they believe in the “transformative power of compassion,” and this program allows participants to build meaningful connections.
“Together, we are creating second chances for everyone involved,” Zahariadis said.
During the six-week program five dogs will be paired with five groups of two women. Organizers say they will go through a “rigorous interview and assessment process, while the dogs will undergo training from Allegiance Canine. All training will be held at the Shelby County Division of Corrections.
Zahariadis said the dogs will benefit from this “one-on-one, intensive training” as they’ll “learn their manners” before they’re adopted. In turn, this will make them more likely to be adopted by people who are looking to bring dogs into their homes.
“It’ll give them a better sense of being in a home and interacting with people out in the community,” Zahariadis said. “Anytime our animals are able to spend more time with people and have those kinds of interactions — it’s so much better for them.”
The dogs will learn marker words, recall and sit commands, manners around humans and other dogs, and more. Zahariadis added the participants also learn patience and other traits through positive reinforcement, which is the primary method used.
“It really reinforces those personal skills in people. It could also turn out to be a career path for somebody when they’re learning how to work with animals,” Zahariadis said.
Not only will the program help women with accountability and responsibility, Winfrey-McKinnie said this program will also help participants to engage in meaningful relationships.
“Although it’s with an animal, animals have emotions, animals have character — they have personality,” Winfrey-McKinnie said. “Learning how to navigate those things while also being gentle, yet firm — it’s a skill that’s necessary for all of us as adults, which will be helpful for them as well when they come home.”
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris calls this program a “win-win training initiative.”
“Not only do inmates get to assist in transforming the lives of shelter dogs, but they also gain crucial skills and experience as canine trainers that may lead to future employment,” Harris said.
You’re in luck this weekend as Silky Sullivan St. Patrick’s Parade returns to Beale Street. (Photo: Courtesy Silky O'Sullivan's)
WWE: Friday Night Smackdown FedExForum Friday, March 15, 6:45 p.m. The Rock is coming to Memphis, and so are some other wrestling superstars like Logan Paul, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, Jimmy USO & Solo Sikoa, and Kevin Owens. But the ROCK is coming to Memphis. Tickets ($20+) for the show … I mean, sporting event can be purchased here.
RiverRoots Festival The Greensward at Overton Park Saturday, March 16, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. I usually reserve the weekends for cleaning. Pop on a podcast, do a little laundry, a little dusting, a little scrubbing, a lot of vacuuming. But, hey, the outside needs cleaning, too, thanks to pollution and global climate change and all that fun stuff. Easily as daunting as any indoor cleaning. So join Clean Memphis and Overton Park Conservancy for an afternoon of engaging with local organizations working to make Memphis cleaner and greener while enjoying games, contests, and giveaways. Thanks to the Tennessee Environmental Council, free tree seedlings and planting kits are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Plus, in celebration of World Water Day and The Memphis Sands Aquifer, Clean Memphis is giving away reusable water bottles, supported by the EPA. Reserve a spot for this free event here.
Let’s get physical! The sun is setting an hour later, so that means everyone’s favorite free outdoor fitness classes are coming back slowly but surely. So far Tom Lee Park and Overton Park Shell are back in action, and the Dixon has been offering stuff all year-round, babes. Check out some of the offerings this week, and you better keep an eye out as more get added to our events calendar.
Yoga,The Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Thursday, March 21, 6-6:45 p.m.
Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County’s The Fast & The Furriest 5K Shelby Farms Park Saturday, March 16, 8 a.m. There are some lovely animals in Memphis, whose luck hasn’t always been the best. Places like the Humane Society help them out by giving them a second chance, and The Fast & the Furriest 5K is just one of the ways folks can support them. So sign up here. Best part? You can bring your two-legged and four-legged kids to race with you.
St. Patrick’s Celebrations You best wear green this weekend. It can get hairy out there with all those pinchers. Freaks. All that to say, it’s St. Patrick’s Day this Sunday, and the celebrations are popping up all weekend long. Peep them below and find more at our full events calendar.
St. Patrick’s Day at Celtic Crossing: Green beer, live music, corned beef and cabbage dinner, Memphis Pipe Band and Irish dancers, face painting, and more. Celtic Crossing, Saturday-Sunday, March 16-17
Slider Inn St. Paddy’s Weekend: Two-day celebration with live music, DJ sets, raffles, giveaways, green beer, and more, plus Dose Pilates, HIGHER, Memphis Spine & Sport, YogaSix, and Rumble Boxing activations at Downtown location. Slider Inn (Midtown & Downtown), Saturday-Sunday, March 16-17
51st Annual Silky Sullivan St. Patrick’s Parade: Enjoy marching bands, steppers, twirlers, floats, and all sorts of sights. The parade starts at 2 p.m., followed by the Raising of the Goat at 5 p.m. and Blessing of the Keg at 5:30 p.m. Beale, Saturday, March 16, 2 p.m.
The Official Lucky’s St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl: The ultimate St. Paddy’s bar crawl in Memphis, where the holiday spirit and good times collide. Atomic Rose, Saturday, March 16, 4 p.m.-11:45 p.m., $14.03
St. Patrick’s Day at Bog & Barley: Green beer all day, giveaways, corned beef and cabbage dinner, face painting, and music by Adam Heart, Twin Soul, and Charvey. Bog & Barley, Sunday, March 17, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Grind City’s Annual Saint Patrick’s Day Party: A day of drinking green beer and the new green sour, listening to live music, eating great food, playing yard games, and winning prizes. Grind City Brewing, Sunday, March 17, noon-8 p.m.
St. Paddy’s Day Crawfish Boil: Crawfish, beer, and live music by Terry Greene Band. Crosstown Brewing Company, Sunday, March 17, 1-5 p.m.
Memphis Irish Society St. Patrick’s Day Parade: This lively family-friendly festive event promises to be a joyous celebration of Irish heritage, Memphis community unity, and the luck of the Irish. Cooper-Young Historic District, Sunday, March 17, 2 p.m.
St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun Movie Party: An especially drunken marathon of three of the best/worst of this now iconic horror legacy. Black Lodge, Sunday, March 17, 5 p.m., free, 18+
St. Patrick’s Day at Overton Square: Ballygran performs classic Celtic songs with traditional instruments in a free concert. Overton Square, Sunday, March 17, 5-7 p.m.
Memphis Black Restaurant Week Memphis Sunday, March 17-March 23 Memphis Black Restaurant Week is an opportunity for Black-owned restaurants to offer dining deals to bring in new customers and raise awareness. See participating restaurants here.
Taste of Place – Cheeses of France Grey’s Fine Cheese and Entertaining Tuesday, March 19, 6 p.m. Say cheeeeese! Or should we say, fromage? At this class, you will enjoy five French cheeses/fromages (?) and learn about the creamery/cheesemaker, tasting notes, and what best to pair each with. Tickets for the class are $45 and can be purchased here. (P.S. Grey’s offers cheese and pairing classes each week, check out the full schedule here. Next week’s class is a Wine of France wine-tasting, where you’ll enjoy four French wines paired with cheese.)
Dale Sanders Film Premiere: The Man, the Myth, the Mississippi Malco Paradiso Cinema Grill & IMAX Wednesday, March 20, 6:30 p.m. When I’m 87, I plan on being dead. Dale Sanders, he canoed down the entire length of the Mississippi River just because he could — well, and so he could reclaim the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to paddle the river. Crazytown, USA. Obviously, a film got made out of it, and it’s getting an exclusive screening at the Paradiso. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Oh, and Sanders will be there himself and will do a lil Q&A after the film ’cause he’s just that cool.
There’s always something happening in Memphis. See a full calendar of events here.
Mar 13, 2024 - Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson (45) handles the ball as Charlotte Hornets guard Vasilije Micic (22) guards during the first half at FedEx Forum. (Wes Hale Photo)
The Memphis Grizzlies (23-44) were defeated 110-98 by the Charlotte Hornets (17-49) at FedExForum on Wednesday night. Despite not having done so since the 2018–2019 season, the Hornets cruised to a 2-0 series victory.
For the game, Memphis extended their franchise record for most starting lineups in a season with 40 different lineups deployed.
There were stretches when the Grizzlies cut the lead to single digits, but Charlotte always had a counter.
In this game, turnovers were the deciding factor. In all, 41 turnovers were committed by both squads. The Hornets finished with 20 turnovers, while Memphis finished with 21. The Grizzlies scored 24 points off of turnovers, while Charlotte scored 31.
“We were flat to start,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins on the team’s performance. “[The Hornets] definitely took advantage of that in the first half. Too many miscommunication breakdowns, transition, rotations, definitely pick-and-rolls. Not our best effort tonight.
“Obviously, we have a bunch of guys out there that have never really played together, so the chemistry is going to take some time,” said Jenkins on the costly turnovers.
“We tried to force the issue a little bit. We fumbled the ball at times. Guys trying to get some game reps as guys are in and out, but overall, I was still impressed that we were trying to move the ball. Our spacing was off. We didn’t really bounce the floor really well, so that made it tough to find those passes.”
With the Grizzlies, GG Jackson II is firmly establishing a long-term significant role. With Memphis battling a number of injuries, the 19-year-old got the nod to start for the third time in his career.
Jackson II led the Grizzlies with 26 points while connecting on six 3-pointers. The rookie is averaging 25 points in his last three games.
“With guys in the locker room like Des [Desmond Bane] — I talk to him a lot — he tells me when everybody’s out, much of the load may be on me to shoot those shots,” said Jackson II on his increased production with consistency.
“You just have to take everything day by day, watch film and study where you can get better at. Because I’ve been watching film, I feel like I’ve been passing a lot recently, and if I continue to do that, the sky’s the limit.”
Scotty Pippen Jr. was back in action after missing the Grizzlies’ previous 12 games with a lumbar disc bulge and joined the Grizzlies starting lineup and came through with a top-notch performance. Pippen Jr. had a near double double with nine points, 10 assists, two steals plus a highlight dunk.
His father, six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen, was in attendance to watch his performance and had an awesome reaction to the dunk.
Jenkins had complimentary things to say about Pippen Jr. after the game: “What we’ve learned from Scotty in his few weeks with us is just his ability to get to the paint, touch the paint, come off the pick-and-rolls, close out situations.”
“He had 10 assists and got a couple of turnovers,” Jenkins added. “It’s his first game in a long time playing, so he was just kind of finding his rhythm, but just him being able to get down, low center of gravity, get blows, defend and create advantages for us by touching the paint, and then his ability to distribute, I thought was really on point tonight. That’s what we love about him — his ability to kind of play that playmaking role. He’s got some scoring ability, of course, with the fact that he’s embracing that playmaker role is impressive.”
Injury Update
Grizzlies star guard Desmond Bane is a step closer to returning to action after spending the last two months out with an ankle sprain. Bane, Brandon Clarke (left Achilles tendon repair), and Yuta Wabanabe (right wrist sprain) were assigned to the G League’s Memphis Hustle for practice earlier on Wednesday.
Prior to the game, Jenkins said Bane is on course to return in the next game or two while Clarke will hopefully return later in the month.
Up Next
The Grizzlies will have two days off before returning to action on Saturday inside FedExForum to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7 p.m. CT.
