Wakey, wakey, Memphis. You can get your eggs and bakey and a fluffy cathead biscuit this morning at Kinfolk. Chef Cole Jeanes’ popular breakfast pop-up officially opens in its new permanent space in Harbor Town today — Wednesday, March 27.

Black mayors from 12 states will be in Memphis today for the new Black Mayors’ Coalition on Crime’s first event, hosted by Mayor Paul Young.

Prosecutors in Shelby County Judge Melissa Boyd’s criminal case will seek to revoke her bond today — meaning she could be going back to jail — after she tested positive for cocaine and alcohol on two separate drug screens. And tonight, the Memphis Grizzlies play the Los Angeles Lakers at home.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland will serve as dean of the University of Memphis Law School. (Courtesy University of Memphis)

Next up for Strickland: Former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland spent years running the city; now he’ll run the University of Memphis’ law school. Strickland, an alumnus of the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, will join the law school’s faculty as a professor on April 8 and become dean on June 1. Strickland has several big goals for the law school, but his No. 1 issue will be boosting the first-time bar passage rate.

A representative from the Tennessee Department of Transportation said the bridges over the Mississippi River are designed for a “barge impact.” (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

Could our bridges take a hit? On Tuesday, we all woke up to the absolutely terrifying news of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. The 1.6-mile-long bridge plunged into the river after it was struck by a container ship, and six construction workers are presumed dead. So, that begs the question: What would happen here if our bridges were struck by boats? The good news is that our bridges were designed for barge impact up to a certain load. The bad news? Since the I-55 bridge (aka “the old bridge”) was designed in 1949, when barge loads likely weren’t as large, there could be some concerns. But the bridge has been hit before.

“We have this case ... in Southaven where people are shooting at officers. I don’t know where in the world that’s okay, but it’s certainly not going to fly here,” said DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton. (Rob Moore/The Daily Memphian)

Charges elevated after police shooting: Colby Alan Towles of Olive Branch is now facing attempted murder charges for allegedly opening fire on police officers during a traffic stop. Olive Branch police were conducting a stop on March 11 when Towles, who was driving a motorcycle, allegedly pulled over and opened fire on officers. Towles had been charged with aggravated assault, but DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton elevated those charges on Tuesday. Towles’ bond was also raised, and Barton made it clear that he’s trying to send a message to those who fire at police officers.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members are finalizing a contract with incoming Superintendent Marie Feagins (above) that includes an ethics clause and a pay bump. (Courtesy MSCS)

Fool us once … Memphis-Shelby County Schools learned its lesson after former Superintendent Joris Ray departed the district in a scandal over abuse of power and policy violations. The contract for incoming Superintendent Marie Feagins, which was approved by the school board on Tuesday, includes a new ethical conduct clause that would allow the board to terminate the contract if necessary. In other MSCS news, supporters of a new state proposal to recognize the University of Memphis campus schools as its own district say the move wouldn’t lead to takeovers of MSCS schools. But there are still some lingering concerns over the proposal.

QUOTED

“I feel like if we can look good on the outside, we can feel good on the inside.”

— Frayser resident Tammy Reed
Reed was one of many citizens who spoke out about litter and other problems in Frayser during Memphis Mayor Paul Young’s third “One Memphis” community meeting. While crime was definitely a concern for many attendees, others, like Reed, had a lot to say about trash in their neighborhoods. 

THE NICE TO KNOW

The Commercial Appeal facility once totaled 278,398 square feet, but it was recently split it into two entities: an office building and a warehouse. (The Daily Memphian file)

New life for the old CA: The former Commercial Appeal printing building at 495 Union Ave. will soon be a place where you can stash all of that junk you’ve been hoarding. The property sold on Tuesday for nearly $4 million to California-based Global Storage Partners, which plans to turn the building in a self-storage facility. And in this week’s Inked column, The Daily Memphian’s Sophia Surrett has updates on a counseling clinic opening in Poplar Towers and a new community event center opening on Holmes Road.

Co-owner/art director Cameron Hansom inside Memphis Art Salon’s first official art gallery at Minglewood Hall. (Brad Vest/Special to the The Daily Memphian)

New art alert: A new art gallery is opening soon inside Minglewood Hall. Memphis Art Salon, an 1,800-square-foot gallery space inside the former Oasis Memphis vape and hookah lounge, will feature work by 20 artists at its grand opening on Friday. Art Salon co-founder Cameron Hansom and curator/music director Kolby Tipler hope to eventually host private dinner events and concerts in the space as well.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, left, had his first City Hall press conference on Tuesday, March 26, with Memphis Mayor Paul Young and MPD Interim Chief Cereleyn “C.J.” Davis. (Bill Dries/The Daily Memphian)

Somebody’s watching you: The Memphis Police Department is getting new federal funding for surveillance cameras and upgrades of other police equipment, thanks to U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen. Memphis Mayor Paul Young, Memphis Police Interim Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis and Cohen held a joint press conference to discuss the funding on Tuesday. Cohen said more cameras could help tackle auto thefts and vehicle break-ins, and Davis explained why certain ZIP codes may get more cameras. In more public safety news, community leaders talked about ways to stop crime at a violence-intervention conference on Tuesday. 

“Coach Sampson … went through his battles and his bruises and his bumps, and now he’s on a high. I’m chasing that,” Tigers Coach Penny Hardaway (right) said of Houston Coach Kelvin Sampson last March. (George Walker IV/AP, Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Deep thought about sports: Columnist John Martin watched the Houston Cougars score one of the most unlikely wins in the history of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at FedExForum, and it made him think about Memphis. Or, more specifically about what was missing from the Memphis Tigers this season. And in Grizz thoughts, our own Chris Herrington offers some analysis on how the team’s works in progress — namely GG Jackson, Santi Aldama and Jake LaRavia — are progressing.

Collierville plans to renovate and expand the town’s library soon, doubling the size of the building next door to town hall. (Abigail Warren/The Daily Memphian file)

Gonna need a bigger library: Collierville’s library will double in size from 26,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet. The suburb’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen reviewed the library expansion plans on Monday. Those include a bigger children’s section, new meeting rooms and an outdoor reading space. But if you were also hoping for an in-house coffee shop, you may be out of luck — at least for now.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

The Pollening is here, but we’re also in Third Winter this morning. The good news: Actual Spring appears to be coming this weekend.

Have a happy hump day, and I’ll see you on the other side.

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