Good Wednesday morning from Memphis! Or is it? Some of us are a little bleary eyed after all of the recent unwanted fireworks displays. More on those in a sec, but first...
After months of pining for the big screen, soothed only by buttery vats of home-delivered Malco popcorn goodness, Greater Memphis finally has a return-date for movie theaters.
Even though Shelby County has hit "pause" on Phase 3 of the local reopening plan amidst a spike in COVID-19 cases, the Shelby County Health Department announced yesterday that movie and live-performance theaters will be allowed to reopen early, our Micaela Watts reports. Memphis-based theater chain Malco could begin reopening some theaters — including the plushy Collierville Towne Cinema — as soon as July 3.
Malco's flagship theater, the Paradiso, will remain shuttered until July 31, when it will reopen with trendy, new recliner seats and wider aisles, per Micaela.
But "back to business" doesn't mean "back to business as usual." Or, at least, that's the catchphrase of the reopening. Here are some of the new rules theater-goers can expect:
Patrons must also be screened at the door for fever, and event staff must ask them if they are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, or if they have been in contact with anyone who has contracted the virus.
According to the directive, the theater cannot host patrons who would be "engaging in loud talking, yelling, shouting, or singing."
Additionally, theater-goers must limit their groups to six people or less if arriving together for one show or performance.
But while movie theaters may be open, whether there will be anything worth watching — in the first few weeks, at least — remains to be seen. Lots of the blockbusters have been rescheduled to what studio execs hope will be happier and more lucrative times.
Speaking of movies: "The Evil Dead" (the first one, released 1981) is speeding faster than a shaky hand-held camera toward Memphis. The movie will be screened Friday at Malco's already-reopened Summer Quartet Drive-In, our John Beifuss reports. He spoke with the movie's star, Bruce Campbell, for the story, so be sure to check that out.
What's up with all of the fireworks?
Perhaps out of boredom, perhaps to celebrate Juneteenth, perhaps fueled by stimulus checks, but the number of people setting off fireworks across the country has rocketed.
And Memphis is also experiencing a fireworks boom.
The Memphis Police Department has seen an explosion (sorry, but these puns just write themselves) in the number of fireworks-related noise complaints, our Micaela Watts reports. She contrasts the change this year versus last year:
From June 18 through June 22 in 2019, MPD received eight noise complaints related to fireworks. This year MPD has already received 238 fireworks-related complaints in the same time period, an increase of 2,875%.
No one seems to know for certain why fireworks usage is soaring, as Micaela notes in her story. Some people think the protests have made Juneteenth — which commemorates the emancipation of slaves during the Civil War — a bigger celebration this year, even though reports of fireworks pre-date the June 19 holiday.
The most entertaining theory is that the government is behind it all — although there's not much clarity on what the endgame supposedly is. Something about psychological warfare, sleep deprivation, yada yada. People obviously aren't getting enough sleep.
The more likely scenario? Anthony Kelly, a sales associate at the Mid-South distributor of Missouri-based Dynomite Fireworks, chalks up the fireworks boom to people being really bored, with lots of time on their hands. Here's what he told Micaela:
"This is the first big holiday we've had since Easter, and people are over it. You can't go anywhere, you can't do all the things you normally do, so yeah, I think people are ready to gather with grandpa and grandma and relatives and just shoot some fireworks," Kelly said.
TVA: MLGW exit would cost, not save
Contradicting multiple studies, the Tennessee Valley Authority this week advanced a bold new argument: Memphis would drastically increase its costs by leaving TVA.
Our Sam Hardiman does a masterful job dissecting and analyzing this new development, so be sure to read his story. But here's the gist: Instead of saving $122 million a year, switching power providers could cost Memphis $261 million more per year, according to a letter TVA sent to Memphis Light, Gas and Water leaders and Mayor Jim Strickland. TVA also claims MLGW would need to hike rates by 20%.
Here's Sam's summary of TVA's argument:
The letter, and a one-sheet provided the CA, argue that Siemens, the firm that conducted the IRP [integrated resource plan], is underestimating how long and how much it would cost to build the transmission lines and power facilities necessary for MLGW to leave TVA as well as pay down the debt associated with those investments. It also argues Siemens is overstating TVA's long-term rates.
If that's all there is to the objection, then investigating whether TVA is right should be relatively quick and easy. It's a factual question, and the facts will bear out whether TVA's claim is true or false. Maybe this is the death struggle of TVA, as my friend Richard Ransom argues over at Local 24. But even though TVA clearly has an agenda, Memphis still has to investigate. If it's not true, great; TVA just lost all credibility. But if it is true, then changing power suppliers would be a luxury Memphians can't afford.
What else is happening in the 901
- The latest local COVID-19 numbers: Cases rose by 109 and deaths by two yesterday.
- Walmart has removed all state flags that incorporate the Confederate battle flag — so, Mississippi's — from its stores, our Max Garland reports.
- The Memphis Grizzlies yesterday announced it would distribute 20,000 "Believe in Memphis" masks through a number of community partners, our Evan Barnes reports. Those will come in handy if and when the city begins implementing an ordinance requiring people to wear face coverings in most public settings.
- I don't mean to be an apologist for economic development incentives. There are many good, reasonable objections to them, and reasonable people can disagree about how and when they should be used. But the claim that Shelby County would be rolling in money without them is, largely, nonsense. Case in point: County Assessor Melvin Burgess is arguing that Comcast shouldn't have received a $1.4 million tax breaks in exchange for NBC generating nearly $35 million in projected tax revenue from the first (and last) season of the filmed-in-Memphis legal drama "Bluff City Law," our Desiree Stennett reports. Maybe COVID-19 has reduced those projections, but on its face, giving up $1.4 million in taxes to get $35 million — not to mention prime time publicity for the city — doesn't seem like a raw deal.
- Some good news for Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray: Most of the school board sees him "favorably," according to his first evaluation by the board, our Laura Testino reports.
- Down in the 662: Want fair food without the fair crowds? The Mid-South Fair will host a food truck "Fair Food Roundup" today through Sunday at the Landers Center in Southaven, our Jennifer Chandler reports.
- RIP, Steve Bing: The well-known Los Angeles film and music producer, who resurrected the career of Jerry Lee Lewis (a resident of Nesbit, Mississippi, south of Memphis) and championed Memphis music, has died, our Bob Mehr reports.
- Oh, and about that NASCAR noose: It had been in the garage since 2019, long before anyone knew that particular garage would be assigned to NASCAR's only Black drive, Bubba Wallace, per the FBI. That's not Memphis-specific news, but I referenced the noose in a blurb in Monday's column about the National Civil Rights Museum logo adorning a NASCAR car, so I thought I should set the record straight.
The Fadeout: Compton McMurry
Fading us out today, Memphis transplant Compton McMurry has a new love-in-space-themed music video for his song "Coming In" off of his recently released album "East"...
Like The Fadeout? Check out The 901's Spotify playlist
Columnist Ryan Poe writes The 901, a running commentary on all things Memphis. Reach him at poe@commercialappeal.com and on Twitter @ryanpoe.
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