Monday update

MLGW announced in its Boil Water update last night that they now have been able to fill all the reservoirs, but they have been unable to maintain water pressure when they begin pumping them. That means there are additional, undetected water main breaks they have to locate and fix. The Boil Water advisory has been extended “indefinitely” past the previous announced expiration of today at noon.

Also in last night’s update, they announced they were suspending residential disconnections indefinitely and offering a new 12- month payment plan. Now, COME ON for a minute here… the utility did not just pull those plans out of its ass late on a Sunday afternoon. My guess is the PR flacks got together and said, “If we need to distract the public from bad news (i.e. the Boil Water order being extended), we have those measures in our back pocket to announce Sunday night.”

If I were a bettin’ man, I’d take even money that much of Downtown Memphis is still without water pressure at 8 AM Tuesday morning.

My (completely uneducated) guess is there’s a 25% chance Downtown still won’t have water restored at 5 PM Friday. I commented on a friend’s Facebook thread yesterday, I predict the water situation will temporarily surpass COVID as the number-one cause of inconvenience and discomfort in Memphis before things get better.

All eight Downtown Shelby County government buildings will be closed today due to lack of water or water pressure. I’m aware of private office buildings on the Main Street Mall that will also have to be closed today due to no working restrooms.

Good Morning America airs from Memphis 8 to 10 AM today and is expected to announce a deal to get food from the Rendezvous shipped to your home.

Today’s National Margarita Day and World Thinking Day. You can celebrate one or the other well, but not both.

The zoo is closed today, so don’t factor that into your plans if your office is closed due to no water.

Question for anyone who’s been to Slim & Husky’s: I’ve heard they have $10 pizzas on Tuesdays. Does that apply to all the pizzas or just particular ones? Since I’m off in the afternoons, I may walk down there tomorrow while the place is not busy.

COVID Act Now has Shelby County in the yellow zone for the first time in many months, with 9.4 new cases per day per 100k. That number will probably rise a bit, as bad weather no doubt prevented some asymptomatic testing last week. The site has the reproduction rate at 0.67, well under the target number of 1, and a positivity rate of 5.5%, approaching the 5% number that has long been the county health department’s goal. If we hit 5%, can we have our bar stools back in groups of larger than two?

The Grizzlies play Dallas tonight at 7:30 on the road.

Interesting: Nine lessons a political editor at FiveThirtyEight learned about political journalism from four years of covering the Trumpster

Time to jump in the shower – we have water pressure and hot water here, just no heat. Then it’ll be time for me to get an article published on Medium and brainstorm article ideas for the rest of the week. Later today I will spend time with beloved animals. Back tomorrow if there’s any news to report.