This morning I found a fantastic smartphone app called GoVoteTN. You enter your address and it will show you a list of all races in the upcoming election. It will also show you polling locations, districts, and other useful information to know.
Bad news for the Memphis Grizzlies: Justise Winslow, who was projected to be the starting small forward for the team in the seeding games starting nine days from now, is out for the rest of the season with a hip injury. Winslow was acquired from the Miami Heat in a trade back in February, but had not played for the Grizz yet this season. I wonder what the plan will be now? Start Kyle Anderson at small forward? Or start DeAnthony Melton at shooting guard and move Dillon Brooks over to the 3 position?
The news from the COVID-19 task force meeting yesterday was mostly not good. Testing is near 100% of capacity and therefore they are asking that you only make an appointment for testing if
- You’re displaying symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, a dry cough, or loss of taste or smell; or
- You’ve been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 – meaning, you’ve been within 6 feet of them for 15 minutes or longer, or had direct contact such as hugging or kissing.
They are asking people who are not displaying symptoms to hold off on testing right now. Also, the Health Department is asking employers not to require a second test for employees quarantined due to a previous positive test to return to work. If the employee has been isolated for 10 days and has shown no symptoms for 3 days, the Health Department deems them safe to come back.
Health Department director Dr. Haushalter said in the noon press conference that she had an afternoon meeting scheduled to discuss “tripwires,” thresholds at which additional restrictions would be automatically triggered, with Mayor Harris and the other mayors in the county. She expected to have a draft document by next week. She stressed, however, that if we all wear masks or face coverings when out in public, none of the additional triggers will ever be hit.
Dr. H encouraged those who are awaiting testing results to start making a list of anyone they had been in contact with over the past 2 weeks. That will help contact tracers hit the ground running should the test come back positive.
The Rendezvous has once again closed its dining room due to the increased levels of spread of the coronavirus, They will remain open for take-out and their shipping kitchen will remain open.
The creation of a commission responsible for renaming streets was approved yesterday by the Memphis City Council. However, the renaming of Poplar between Front and Danny Thomas to Black Lives Matter Avenue was shelved and referred to the commission.
Stats site FiveThirtyEight has released its Major League Baseball predictions for 2020. For fans of the St. Louis Cardinals, parent team of the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, the forecast is pretty blah. The Cards are given a 37% chance to make it to the postseason, a 21% chance to win their division, and 2% to win the World Series. Three of the four other teams in the National League Central, the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Milwaukee Brewers, are higher up in the list.
The Grizzlies invite their fans to wear Grizzlies gear as they walk, run, or bike the riverfront, then report the number of miles covered here. Collectively, the goal is for fans to cover the 831.4 miles from Memphis to Orlando so Memphis can “Be There for Tip-Off” on July 31. Look for updates on Facebook and Instagram. Once the 831.4 is achieved, those who participated will be entered into a drawing for some sweet prizes.
If you want to try a beer from Uptown’s new brewery Grind City Brewing Co., head to Slider Inn Downtown where they have Viva Las Lager on tap.
Downtown Neighborhood Association president Jerred Price is forming a new committee to save the Mud Island Amphitheater.
River Time Market & Deli on Court Square is now offering grab & go meals that are always fresh, never frozen, and for which there is no contact after cooking. Below is a photo of their slow cooked beef with rice:
That’s it for today. Let me once again encourage you to PLEASE WEAR YOUR MASKS so businesses in Memphis do not have to close again. Believe me, I don’t like wearing a mask any more than you do, but I certainly prefer it to a second lockdown, which is where we may be heading if the numbers continue to go in the wrong direction. Back tomorrow with more news.