Paul Ryburn's Journal

Looks like there’s a power outage on South Main Street. Blind Bear has posted a sign in their window that they will be closed until 2 PM. A commenter said it’s out in the area of Main and Pontotoc too. It’s working in my block of Main, between Madison and Monroe. Nothing on Nextdoor about it so far, so maybe it’s not too widespread.

Blue Monkey Downtown has reopened and the hot wing egg rolls were said to be flying out the kitchen window yesterday because there were so many orders.

It’s official: Varsity Spirit, a company that runs band and cheerleading camps, has signed its lease to move to the Snuff District in the far north part of Downtown.

Memphians turned out last night to a special movie screening at the Orpheum in memory of Chadwick Boseman. Apologies for not alerting you to this event before it happened; by the time I became aware of the event, it had “full capacity reached” on social media listings. COVID RUINS EVERYTHING!

The NCAA is discussing “bubbles” similar to the NBA playoffs bubble for the 2020-2021 college basketball season. How’s that going to work when those kids are required to attend classes? It’s like everyone is practically admitting that “going to classes” is nothing more than checking a box on athletic department compliance forms.

The 2020-21 Broadway season at the Orpheum has been rescheduled again and will now run into 2022. We live in strange times.

7:31 AM: Now I have a text from a friend saying that there were many fire trucks at the intersection of Main and Gayoso around 5:30 this morning. Not sure if this is related to the power outage. The TV stations don’t have anything about the outage on their websites and nobody has posted about it on Nextdoor. Going to go ahead and hit Publish since this is time-sensitive news. If I hear anything in the next hour I’ll post an update. Otherwise, I’ll either be back this afternoon with a COVID-19 press conference recap or tomorrow morning with more news.

Updated 7:34: Friend could smell smoke at Main and Gayoso when fire trucks were there around 5:30. Power was still on when trucks left. Trolleys are running. Light at Main and Union is out.

Update 7:40: Nextdoor post says the fire was at Van Vleet Flats.

Update 8:33: Power said to be out as far south as G.E. Patterson. Confirmed from a resident there was a fire at Van Vleet.

The Daily Memphian updated its list of restaurants that received surprise COVID-19 inspections over the weekend. Complaints had been made against all 13 businesses. Eight of the businesses were found to be in compliance, or were convinced to get into immediate compliance at the time of the inspectors’ arrival. Five others were found non-compliant and closed. They must remain closed until given permission to open by the health department. Scroll down to my COVID-19 recap yesterday for more.

The five businesses that were closed down were all on a section of Winchester between the 5900 block and the 7100 block. The health department seemed to have a particular interest in inspecting hookah lounges.

Six of the eight businesses that were either found in compliance, or which were given opportunities to immediately get into compliance to stay open, were on Overton Square. One of the six is the business I heard had been running illegal late-night hours.

So tempted to comment on the optics of this but I’ll refrain… okay I’ll allow myself one word… demographics.

Voting is ongoing for the Memphis Flyer’s Best of Memphis poll. You have until September 16.

From Rizzo’s by Michael Patrick:

Something special is getting started at Rizzos this week. City approved us a non-permanent patio. To help with increased dining options in our decreased dining room. Thanks Jerri Pesci for your assistance and the city of Memphis for approving.

Remember how I tell you how I have Google alerts set up for “downtown Memphis”? Well, now I’m getting emailed ads for escorts in the alerts. You stay classy, Memphis, you stay classy.

News about the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers are scheduled to compete in this year:

Hoops scheduling nugget: The Battle 4 Atlantis tournament is not expected to be played in the Bahamas this year, sources tell @CBSSports. The initial preferred destination for tournament organizers is the Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. Other cities are still under consideration.

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) September 8, 2020

This year’s tournament field for Battle 4 Atlantis sounds amazing! Teams include

• Creighton
• Duke
• Memphis
• Ohio State
• Texas A&M
• Utah
• Good ole West Virginny
• Wichita State

Couple of wins there would look great on the nonconference resume. Man, it’s gotta suck though, thinking you’re getting a trip to the Bahamas and instead going to South Dakota.

Let’s have a look at the Shelby County COVID-19 data dashboard, shall we? Numbers are as of 7:30 this morning.

• 7-day rolling new case average: 127 (180 or fewer needed for limited service restaurants to reopen)
• 7-day rolling positivity rate: 10.4% (10% of less needed to reopen; 10.4% represents a drop of an entire percent in the last two days)

Things are looking encouraging. Again, the health department won’t make any decisions about reopening limited-service restaurants, or loosening restrictions on full-service restaurants, until two weeks after Labor Day weekend.

From Texas de Brazil:

Attention VIP’s! Your VIP dining cards now expire November 30th so make sure you use yours soon at your local #TexasdeBrazil Happy dining! #VIP #Churrasco #TdB

— Texas de Brazil (@texasdebrazil) September 8, 2020

Wolf River Conservancy hosts a turtle talk this morning at 9:30.

That’s it for this post. I’ve got a writing webinar at 6, then later in the evening I will get out and see my Blind Bear folks. Back tomorrow with more news.

In today’s COVID-19 task force press conference, it was announced that there were complaints of businesses – particularly restaurants – open when they should not have been over the Labor Day weekend.

The health department has had inspectors out the past few weekends. Initially, the inspectors’ role was education and engagement, attempting to assist facilities with coming into compliance. However, for businesses that have been through that phase, the inspectors came back with enforcement in mind. They visited 12 establishments over the weekend, and found 6 to be fully in compliance, and 5 not in compliance. (No idea what happened to the other one – they didn’t say.)

The 5 businesses out of compliance were closed, in a coordinated effort with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, MPD, and local police departments within the county. Health department director Dr. Alisa Haushalter said those businesses must remain closed until given permission to open by either Dr. Bruce Randolph, county health officer, or herself. If they reopen before receiving such permission, they can be charged with a misdemeanor.

Kendall Downing of WMC asked if a list of those 5 businesses will be released. Health department official David Sweat said they had been given permission to release the list and that the department’s communications officer will get that out. I will have the list on this blog as soon as I am made aware it has been released.

(Edit: That list, per The Daily Memphian: The Indulge Lounge, 5959 Winchester; In Love Memphis, 7144 Winchester; Dubai Hookah Bar, 6700 Winchester; Menue Club, 6642 Winchester; and Height Lounge, 6813 Winchester. The place I heard got shut down is not on this list.)

Dr. Randolph advised business owners to read Health Directive No. 11 and let that be your guide as to whether you can be open, and if so what precautions you must take. He pointed out that several categories of business including limited-service restaurants, beer gardens, wine bars, and those f*cking party pedal bikes that Downtowners hate are supposed to be closed right now.

Dr. Randolph reminded patrons of full-service restaurants that they should keep their masks on until their food arrives. When seated at a table of no more than 6, you can be within 6 feet of those in your group but should not be within 6 feet of any other person at a table.

Mayor Lee Harris stressed that the main focus is on schools and education, and that getting other businesses open and increasing capacity at football games are secondary goals.

David Sweat discussed a glitch yesterday where 125 new cases were reported yesterday out of only 160 tests. There were actually more than 1500 tests reported yesterday.

Sweat said the numbers are trending in the right direction, except the positivity rate which has stuck stubbornly around 11%. He reminded the public that no contemplation of additional reopening will happen until two weeks after Labor Day weekend.

Sweat addressed a question about COVID-19 concerns as the temperature begins to decline during the fall months. He said that the virus is very little susceptible to weather, climate, temperature. However, he noted that as temps cool off, people will spend more time inside, which could lead to additional spread of the virus. He said it’s currently flu season in the Southern Hemisphere, and the same practices that have slowed the spread of COVID have been found to slow the spread of the flu (social distancing, masking, hand washing).

That’s it for today’s recap and I will be back with a list of the five businesses that were closed as soon as that information is put out there. (Now out there; scroll up to view.)

Headline story in this morning’s Daily Memphian: Most bars remain closed after two months; a few have reopened with a new license

Notable quotable: “Having us closed makes it look like they’re doing something when in effect they’ve just shut down a handful of places. They use us to look like they’re making a difference, but having us closed isn’t doing anything.” – Tami Montgomery, owner of Dru’s Place

From Bardog Tavern:

The Bardog Beer Dinner series is BACK with half the capacity & all the fun! We’re hyped to highlight some new brews from our friends at Grind City Brewing Company, paired with a special menu and a some surprises along the way.

⠀

We‘re closing to the public on Wednesday, Sept. 16 from 6:30 – 10:00 p.m. for this event, so call us 901-275-8752 before Sept. 13 to purchase your ticket and tag your friends!

GoFundMe: Save the South Main stray dog “Stan.” Stan is a female. She has been hanging out in the area of West Carolina Avenue for a few months and was trapped last week. The money is needed for vet bills to treat her for infections, get her fully vaccinated, and get her spayed so she’ll be ready for a forever home.

If you only check my blog on weekdays, you don’t want to miss this video from my Saturday post: Brawl Leads to Shooting in Downtown Memphis. This was not the shooting that was reported at MLK and Orleans over this weekend; this appears to be at the intersection of Second and Peabody Place. Where were the police? Pretty sure there’s a Blue CRUSH camera on that block.

I’ve had the song “Train Kept A’ Rollin'” stuck in my head all weekend, so you get a video.

This is the 1968 version of The Yardbirds, shortly before they broke up. Jimmy Page shows early flashes of the brilliance he would later display in Led Zeppelin.

Ever wanted to be a volunteer gardener at Elmwood Cemetery? There’s an introductory webinar tonight.

I plan on going out a lot less this week. Probably Wednesday night at Blind Bear and Saturday at Bardog will be it. All these stupid health department regulations at full-service restaurants mean half the fun at twice the cost. I’ll be better off staying home and working on my writing.

If there’s a COVID-19 task force press conference today, I may be back this afternoon with a recap. Otherwise, I’ll be back tomorrow with more news.

RIP Lou Brock. He was a base-stealing wizard who I thoroughly enjoyed watching when I was little.

My friend Katie (not Mac) posted something yesterday on Facebook that I feel is worth repeating on here. Raffe’s Deli & Beer Garden in the U of M area recently lost its lease and is looking for a new location. If you’ve never had one of Raffe’s deli sandwiches, let me use three words to describe them.

DEE.

LISH.

US.

So, I want to echo Katie (not Mac’s) sentiment that Raffe’s would be welcome Downtown. Like the U of M neighborhood, Downtown is one where there is a sense of community, where you see the same people week after week for years. Raffe’s would fit right in, and believe me, Downtown would certainly provide a built-in audience for a beer garden.

A friend of mine had to walk two miles to the train station this morning because the cab she had ordered never showed up and there were no Uber or Lyft drivers working. We will never be a world-class city until we get our transportation figured out better than this.

LOL I learned something about social media this weekend… doesn’t affect me personally but let’s just say that hot young girls have a better idea which creepy old men are stalking their profile than the creepy old men realize. Since one of my regular blog readers is a creepy old man, I won’t divulge the secret.

Quiz time: Let’s say that a full-service restaurant has signs all over the place saying that you must be seated at a table and order food to be served alcohol, as required by Health Directive No. 11. The bar area at the restaurant is covered in yellow CAUTION tape. What does this mean?

a) If you’re sitting on the patio and don’t feel like waiting for your server to come out there, it’s totally OK to walk up to the bar to order a drink

b) If you’re friends with the bartender, it’s OK to hang out at the bar and have a long conversation with them

c) SIT YO ASS DOWN

d) All of the above

c). The correct answer is c). It seems like most everyone does as they’re asked, but a small number of people, I’d guess 5-7%, don’t get it at all. It’s not that they’re bad people or don’t care about COVID-19 spread, it’s just that they’re such extroverts, so interested in connecting with other people, that they forget there are rules. You can tell these people to put their mask on, get away from the bar, and sit down a dozen times, and two minutes later they’re right back up.

Oh, man. Another RIP. Mike Sexton passed away at 72. He was the lead commentator on the World Poker Tour shows.

I get about 10 emails a week like the one below.

Hi Paul,

I would be interested in an opportunity to write a guest post for Paul Ryburn’s Journal. On page 3 of your archives from May 2014, I see that you mentioned bicycles. I have an article entitled “Best Bicycle Seats for 2020” that I believe would be of great interest to your readers. Would you be interested in such a post?

I will check back with you in a few days to make sure you received this communication.

Best wishes,

Scarlett

The best one of these emails I received was from someone who didn’t understand how to fill out a spammy marketing template, and the email I received was

Hi BLOGGER_NAME,

I would be interested in an opportunity to write a guest post for BLOG_TITLE. On REFERENCED_POST, I see that you mentioned TOPIC. I have an article entitled ARTICLE_TITLE that I believe would be of great interest to your readers. Would you be interested in such a post?

I will check back with you in a few days to make sure you received this communication.

Best wishes,

YOUR_NAME

Now, while I turn down every one of these generic requests, I have to say there is a guest post I would totally allow. I’ve been noticing something on Facebook. There are people who go for YEARS without posting a clear picture of their face as their profile pic. They might make their profile pic

• a sports logo, like Tigers or 901 FC
• their pet
• a logo of the company they work for
• a blurry photo
• a photo where half their face is cut off
• a logo of a community organization they hold dear

However, in 2020 these people, for the first time, post a photo of their face… and it’s behind a mask. I would love to have a psychiatrist or psychologist write an analysis of such behavior. Why have a social media presence if you’re going to hide who you are?

In a few such photos I’ve seen, the wearer of the mask gets double bonus points for hiding who they are and value signaling at the same time.

That’s it for today. I was going to stay home today and focus on my writing, but I am getting a strong intuition of “no, go out today, there’s something for you out there.” I have learned not to doubt my intuition, so out I go. We will see if there is indeed a payoff. Probably back tomorrow with more news, but the day after Labor Day tends to be a slow news day as well, so it could be Wednesday.

Let’s get right to the good stuff.

Video: Brawl leads to shooting in Downtown Memphis. I believe this is the intersection of Second and Peabody Place. Is that the Saucer in the background?

Gossip on the street (which I have not confirmed) is that a Memphis restaurant got busted Friday night for running an illegal speakeasy. Meaning, at 10 PM, the mandated closing time for restaurants under Health Directive No. 11, they turned off all outward indications that they were still open, but if you knew, you could still get in and drink. I won’t name the restaurant, but it is not located Downtown.

4537 fans watched the Memphis Tigers struggle to pull out a win against the Arkansas State Red Wolves yesterday at the Liberty Bowl. I am not surprised it was close. A-State is a good team! They will likely get to a bowl, if there are bowls this season, which there probably won’t be.

Leave it to the Tennessee Vols to screw up the first Saturday of college football season without even playing a game. They had to cancel scrimmage yesterday because 44 players were unavailable. The head coach said “seven or eight” (you’d think he’d know the exact number) players had tested positive for COVID-19, and others were out due to contact tracing concerns or injuries. Sounds like the ‘rona is tearing through Tennessee’s team in a way that usually only the Florida Gators can.

Memphis 901 FC drew with Birmingham last night at AutoZone Park.

I saw an early draft of the Blind Bear’s new menu, set to roll out toward the end of this week. Just let me say this… the past 8 years, people walking out of the Peabody Place parking garage onto the Main Street Mall have asked, “Where are we going to go drink, Blind Bear or Silly Goose?” The new question is going to be, “Where are we going to go eat, Blind Bear or Majestic?”

News from the World Championship Hot Wing Contest, whose People’s Choice award went virtual last weekend:

Part of the event last week was to raise much needed funds for @RMHMemphis and our 24 competition teams came through in a BIG way! Thanks to their fundraising efforts and the support of people like you, $17 thousand was raised for the families of Ronald McDonald House!

— World Championship Hot Wing Contest & Festival (@WCWingContest) September 4, 2020

I have to brag for a minute. Overnight, I TRIPLED my lifetime income as a paid writer for Medium.com! Readership of the articles I wrote caused four cents to trickle into my September earnings, on top of the two cents I earned for the month of August.

Here’s the way I look at it… that 16-foot-long, 1200-pound crocodile who lies in wait in the Nile River and dines on an endless buffet of wildebeest, zebra, and antelope was once a 3-inch long hatchling. He struggled to learn how to close his mouth at precisely the right time, and one day he got it right and caught his first prey, a dragonfly.

My time as a well-paid writer will come, but for now, I gotta eat my dragonflies.

And with that, I will bring this post to an end. Labor Day can be a slow news day, so it may be Tuesday before I’m back with more news.

I made a first visit to Downtown Liquors and Wines on Madison near Main yesterday afternoon. The prices are very reasonable! They have a good selection and really took advantage of every inch of space in that little shop. If you live in the area and have not checked it out yet, please do! The shop is just to the east of Winfield’s clothing store, and Mr. Winfield is the new owner.

One tip: Not only do you step up to get into the shop, but there’s an additional step up once you get inside. That second step can be easy to miss when you have a face mask on, so be careful!

I stopped by the Blind Bear last night. Jeannette told me that now the Bear is a full-service restaurant, they’re going to roll out a new menu toward the end of next week. “We’re going to have a ribeye and shrimp sub,” she said, and I noted that in my phone. Now that I’m home typing this post, I wonder if that means they’re going to have a ribeye sub and a shrimp sub, or both on one? Either way sounds good.

Speaking of menus, new Downtown gumbo shop Ben-Yay’s rolled out its full menu yesterday. Here’s a look (click or tap for larger, zoomable size):

Ben-Yay’s is at 51 S. Main, next to Family Dollar, in the building that used to be DejaVu. I see they’ve retained one of the DejaVu dishes under the name DejaVu Special” – fried catfish topped with crawfish etouffee, the dish Chef Gary Williams called The Arkansas Outlaw when he owned the place. Nice to see gator on the menu in the form of bites, a po’boy, and gator sausage.

Those of you new to Memphis who want to jump into the food scene here should check out this A to Z list by the Daily Memphian’s Dan Conaway. I’d add a few more:

• Amazing Island Club at Bardog
• Duck Fried Rice at South of Beale
• Lobster Pronto Pup at Rizzo’s by Michael Patrick
• Also, Silly Goose should be on the Pizza list (for now, you’ll have to get it to go)

All right, people. We’ve got a situation tonight I want to warn you to expect in advance. The Memphis Tigers host the Arkansas State Red Wolves in a nationally televised game on ESPN tonight at 7. Many of you are going to want to watch the second half while dining at your favorite restaurants.

That’s where we have a problem.

You see, the current health directive says that restaurants must close to in-person dining at 10 PM. College football games don’t typically get over in three hours. There is no “but you can stay open until the end of the game” exception in the health directive. I have little doubt that Code Enforcement is fully aware of the game time and will be out for surprise inspections tonight, looking to cite restaurants that serve past 10.

So, if a restaurant kicks you out in the middle of the fourth quarter, please be understanding. They’re trying to keep their doors open in the middle of a pandemic. If you have the ESPN app on your phone, get logged on in advance so that you can watch the final minutes in your car in the parking lot, or on the walk home if you’re a Downtowner dining at a neighborhood restaurant.

Local Memphis reports that a defensive back for the Tigers was shot in the leg earlier this week on Spottswood near campus.

Chris Burns, a writer/vlogger for sneaker site ARCH, visited Downtown boutique Stock & Belle to look for clothing to pair up with his new kicks from Downtown L.A. sneaker manufacturer COMMUNITYmade.

I’m taking a break from Bardog brunch this morning. I’ve had inspiration for an article to write for Medium, this one about beliefs, for over a week now, but I didn’t really put the entire thing together until this morning as I lay in bed. So I plan to spend much of the day writing. I’ll be out at Blind Bear about 8 this evening to watch the Tigers. GTG and I’ll be back tomorrow with more news.

It’s official: The NBA named the Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant 2019-2020 Rookie of the Year. Ja received 99 of 100 first-place votes, the sole dissenter voting for the 2019 draft’s top pick Zion Williamson. Ja’s teammate Brandon Clarke finished 4th in the vote, an accolade not only for Clarke, but for the front office who took the 4th best player with the 21st pick.

WREG reports that a Memphis man was arrested after calling 911 and asking dispatchers if they would like to buy some egg rolls.

There will be a vegan cookout on the patio of Lew’s Blue Note Bar & Grill at 341 Beale Saturday from 1 to 7 PM. Menu items include smoked vegan burgers, vegan ribs, vegan Italian sausages, vegan hot dogs, and vegan brisket. Grab & go is preferred, but a few patio tables will be available and the inside of the restaurant will also be open for socially distanced seating.

The Kentucky Derby finally happens tomorrow. Lifehacker has your streaming options for the race. No stands filled with seersucker suits and fancy hats this year.

Local 24 has a look at the Rendezvous’ new outdoor seating.

Slider Inn Downtown has released its live music schedule for this weekend.

• Today: The Dantones 6-9 PM
• Saturday: Brimstone Jones 1-4 PM; Compact Main Street 5-9 PM
• Labor Day: DJ Alpha Whiskey 4-8 PM

As your number-one source of news and information about the Edge District, it is my pleasure to notify you that there will be an unveiling at Edge Motor Museum, 645 Marshall, at noon on Saturday. Can’t make it to the museum in person? No problem, they’ll stream the ceremony on @edgemotor Instagram.

Treat Yo Self… Walgreens has buy one, get one free pints of Haagen-Dazs ice cream with your card this week. Got a pint of Dulce de Leche waiting for me to get home from work this afternoon.

Tin Roof will have a College Football Saturday brunch tomorrow and every Saturday during the season from noon to 5. They’ll have the games on all the TVs, a new brunch menu, and bottomless mimosas. How ridiculous is it that this event is legal under the health directive, but having a socially distanced PBR on Max’s Sports Bar’s spacious outdoor patio is not permitted?

Reminds me… I changed my mind and did a Shelby County COVID-19 task force press conference recap yesterday afternoon. Keep scrolling after you get done with this post to read it. Quick summary of the points readers of this blog care about:

• It will likely be September 21 or later before any decision is made about allowing limited-service restaurants to open or loosening restrictions on full-service restaurants
• However, I did pick up (from the tone and body language of health officer Dr. Bruce Randolph) a sincere desire that the numbers continue to move in the right direction, so re-opening can proceed
• The task force would consider reopening limited-service restaurants in certain cases where the majority, but not all, of the five criteria in Health Directive No. 11 are met

End of an era: Taco Bell is phasing out the Mexican pizza later this year. Shredded chicken items will be gone too. Items that are most effective at giving customers “the shits” including the bean burrito will remain.

I have had an awesome latter half of the week. Wednesday I published a third article on Medium.com, this one for people who keep a journal of their dreams as I do. I showed how to create an electronic index of dreams to enhance their handwritten journal, leading to a deeper understanding of the symbols used in their dreams. I then illustrated how I used this system to dig deeper into one of my own dream symbols, alligators.

Overnight Wednesday night, an editor for one of Medium’s content publications, The Innovation, saw my post and sent me a message inviting me to apply to have my article included in The Innovation. I applied yesterday morning, and four hours later it was accepted. Progress! From what I’ve read, it’s somewhat unusual for a writer with such a small portfolio to receive that kind of invitation.

I also learned of some freelancing work I should easily qualify to do once I have a couple months’ professional writing experience under my belt. It could turn into a side hustle income spigot I can turn on as much or as little as I want and need.

My reptilian brain must be working overtime this week, because one of the Medium posts I have on deck involves crocodiles.

Off to work. I am going to curb my going-out to some extent this weekend because I want to work on my writing and because of the stupid restaurant regulations. Back tomorrow with more news.

Well, I was wrong, there was enough newsworthy information in today’s COVID-19 news conference to warrant an afternoon post.

Dr. Bruce Randolph, Shelby County Health Officer, wanted to stress that any changes to the current health directive are unlikely to occur until approximately two weeks after Labor Day. This is because this week, we have the triple whammy of schools being back in session, people attending football games, and the long weekend. The health department wants to see what the results look like on the other side of those events before making any decisions. The virus has a 14-day incubation period, so it sounds like limited-service restaurants will remain closed until at least September 21.

Sam Hardiman of the CA asked, if all other factors continue to head in the right direction after Labor Day, but the positivity rate remains above 10%, will the health department consider allowing limited-service restaurants to reopen? (THANK YOU SAM!!!) Dr. Randolph said the parameters are listed in the health directive, and that all 5 parameters do not have to be met for the health department to consider making changes.

The health department’s David Sweat noted that an analysis of the surge in the month of July found that the 21-30 age group was far and away above any other as a driving force of the virus. They more actively acquired it and transmitted it. Sweat appealed to those in that age group to avoid gatherings where 6 feet of distance is not possible, to follow the mask ordinance, and to practice good hand washing protocol.

Sweat pointed out there are currently less than 2500 active COVID-19 cases in the county, whereas many days in July that number was over 6000. Both he and Dr. Randolph agreed that this weekend is an inflection point. Behavior this weekend and the results produced from it will affect whether we are allowed more freedom going forward.

Dr. Randolph wanted to point out that it will be quite a while before we can return to that way things were: people crowding bars, seated shoulder to shoulder at movie theaters, attending large gatherings.

Dr. Randolph pointed out that some American Conference schools are not allowing fans at football games at all, while Memphis fans have the privilege of attending the Tigers game Saturday night. He requested that fans who attend that game observe all safety measures so that they continue to have that privilege. Dr. Randolph reminded everyone that tailgating will not be permitted at the game.

Asked if higher attendance could be allowed at Tigers game if the data continues in the right direction following Labor Day, Dr. Randolph said that is unlikely to be under consideration. The 12-foot distancing rule feels proper at an event of this type.

Randolph also reminded the public that placing people in quarantine is the sole purview of the health department, not of schools or employers. There are entities that seem to think they can implement their own quarantine and contact tracing policies. That is incorrect.

Sweat noted that we do not have a candidate vaccine, one that has displayed efficacy in tests. However, we can go ahead and set the groundwork for distributing the vaccine once one is ready. Setting up the groundwork takes a while in terms of getting permits and identifying distribution locations. The influenza vaccine will be used as a proxy to help get set up.

Sweat said that when a vaccine is ready, essential workers in safety, law enforcement, and health care will be the likely targets of the first doses.

The vaccines under testing are multi-dose – you get the vaccine, wait a few weeks, then get a second vaccine. This differs from the flu vaccine where one dose is good to get you through the season.

Sweat also gave some statistics. Co-morbidities were present in a large number of COVID-19 deaths, with cardiac conditions (including high blood pressure) a factor in nearly 78% of cases, diabetes in 40%, and respiratory conditions in about a quarter. However, the deaths are still COVID-19 deaths.

Minority populations continue to be over-represented in deaths. 88.6% of deaths occurred in patients 55 and over.

Those were the important takeaways. Back tomorrow with more news.

Let’s do another trivia question, one that is extremely relevant this time of year here in Memphis. What color attracts mosquitoes twice as much as any other color? Answer at the end of this post.

COVID ruins everything: The Peabody laid off 57 employees. Revenue is way down because many people are canceling or postponing travel plans because of the pandemic. The ducks, considered essential employees, were not among the layoffs.

Looks like the building that formerly housed Peabody Place Mall may get a new logo soon. ServiceMaster is selling off almost all of its brands, keeping only Terminix, and will rebrand as Terminix.

Hospitality HUB will soon open a daytime plaza for the homeless at 590 Washington. There will be a water station, bathrooms, and ports where they can charge handheld devices. In summer there will be a misting area, and in the winter heating stations will keep guests warm. There will be an office nearby where the HUB will offer its services. The old vehicle inspection station on an adjoining lot will be torn down to make way for an emergency shelter for women.

A permit has been filed to turn 64 S. Main into a lifestyle hub. That’s the building just north of City Market near Main and Union. The owner says possible uses could include co-working, pop-up retail, and group dining events. A rooftop patio is under consideration as well.

Memphis 901 FC took a 4-0 loss to Charlotte last night at home. They remain fourth in their group.

It’s a grand week for the University of Memphis, which received a world ranking for the first time ever by the Wall Street Journal.

Trivia answer: blue. I don’t expect much from the COVID-19 task force press conference at noon today, so I will probably wait until morning and include any relevant news in tomorrow’s post. Back then with more news.