Friday update

Great news: The DMC announced in its weekly email newsletter that Food Truck Thursdays will return in August. About a dozen food trucks park in Court Square on Thursdays, offering additional dining options to those who are Downtown during the lunch hour. I am very excited to see the trucks make a comeback. It’s been too long since I had a pulled pork baked potato with Smurfey sauce.

The Shelby County COVID-19 Task Force resumed its weekly press conferences yesterday. They discontinued them last month but said they would bring them back if circumstances changed significantly. A report of over 200 new cases for the first day in months (259 to be exact) was enough to bring the conferences back. Read the full report on NewsBreak

I do want to emphasize one point from the press conference: County Health Officer Dr. Bruce Randolph was asked if bringing restrictions back would be considered if the numbers got high enough. Dr. Randolph said it’s not an issue of another Safer at Home order or imposing restrictions on businesses. It’s an issue of too many people being unvaccinated. So it sounds like our bar stools and 3 AM closing times are not in danger.

It’s Full Moon Kayak night at Wolf River Harbor. There will be free 30 minute kayak rentals and a DJ on the harbor.

Over on Mud Island tonight, it will be the next installment of Soulin’ on the River, this one featuring Devin Crutcher. This is a free show and lawn chairs, coolers, blankets, and picnic baskets are welcome.

Josh McLane, formerly in the kitchen at the Hi-Tone, will operate a small sandwich shop inside the new South Point Grocery, the Memphis Flyer reports. The grocery is set to open this fall.

Seamus will open the Brass Door at 6:30 Saturday morning for a USWNT watch party. Come support the USA ladies in Olympic soccer.

The Memphis Flyer has video of the demolition of a small building in Tom Lee Park yesterday as construction got underway.

Interesting: Texas and Oklahoma are looking to get out of the Big 12, according to this report, and the SEC is a conference they have their eyes on. They would need the votes of 11 of the 14 current conference members to join the SEC. Former Big 12 members Texas A&M and Missouri are said to be “hard nos” and Arkansas is not fond of the idea of being in a conference with Texas once again. But who would be the fourth no?

The Memphis Flyer has a story on the New Wing Order-Old Dominick Distillery partnership that produced a Maple Bourbon wing sauce. Don’t forget, Downtowners, City Market is your place to pick up some of the sauce.

Jennifer Biggs of the DM has a look at Grind City Brewing Co. this morning. Go there, even if it is a bit out of the way. It is awesome. Biggs: “The view alone is enough to keep the seats full.”

The Redbirds, currently on the road in Louisville, have won 12 straight.

Moxy Memphis at 40 N. Front will have Drag Queen Bingo tonight from 7 to 9. Aubrey Ombre will call the numbers and will give away some fabulous prizes, including a chance to win a suite at the Moxy. This seems to be the Summer of Drag… the Moxy is the third Memphis business in a month to bring on either a drag show or drag bingo.

That’s it for this post. I’m going to write until about 1, 1:30 then get out for a while. Back tomorrow with more news.