The mask ordinance is now official. Mayor Jim Strickland signed it yesterday. Read the full ordinance
To summarize
- You must wear a mask while inside any business
- You must wear a mask while inside public governmental buildings
- You must wear a mask while inside any public or private elevator
- You must wear a mask while obtaining health care
- You must wear a mask while on public transit or ride share
- Businesses must require employees to wear masks if there’s any interaction with the public
- A mask is not required at work when you have your own office and the public does not regularly visit the room
- A mask is not required inside a restaurant when you are seated
- A mask is not required for children under 2
- A mask is not required when exercising outside
- Those who have medical proof of trouble breathing with a mask on are exempt
- Class C misdemeanor
- First offense is a warning
- Second offense and thereafter will not carry a fine. Maximum $20 court fees, which can be waived by completing community service
- For frequent violators of the ordinance, a fine of $100 per violation can be instituted and the mayor can seek restraining orders against entities believed to be a public nuisance in violation
This is just a summary and I strongly encourage you to read the entire document.
Businesses are making moves to get into compliance. Longshot posted this yesterday:
We as a staff have decided that we will require guests to wear masks when entering or exiting Longshot, playing shuffleboard, moving around the dining room to use the restroom… etc. We have been watching the recent case numbers in and around Shelby County. While we are excited to be back open and doing what we love, at the end of the day we just want everyone to safe and healthy, and we want to do our part to navigate these times as respectfully and responsibly as possible. Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding!
Silly Goose has also announced they will require masks upon entering, and will move to card-only transactions – no more cash.
Three University of Memphis athletes and one athletic staff member have tested positive for COVID-19. Are we really sure football season is going to happen?
Lightnin’ Malcolm plays Loflin Yard tonight. They posted
There is a raw and relentless style of blues that came drifting out of the hills of Northern Mississippi more than a century ago, and cutting edge Bluesman and guitarslinger Lightnin Malcolm, plans on bringing it on over to our sound stage this Friday night. See you there! ⚡️
There will be no July 4 fireworks celebration on the river this year, but Memphis River Parks Partnership will have a celebration that will stretch over the first 5 days of July. During the Quintessential Summer Celebration you will be able to
- Paddle the harbor – rent a kayak for $20 an hour at 4th Cup at Riverside and Jefferson
- Take a guided kayak tour of the Mississippi
- Take an Explore Bike Share bike ride
- Take a scavenger hunt – complete it and your kids earn a River Garden badge. Details will be posted on the celebration’s Facebook page
- Buy a meal from a Downtown restaurant and have a picnic on the river
- Watch a sunset at Tom Lee Park. Watch for signage showing you how to download curated playlists from Memphis Slim House. Social distancing circles will be set up in the park
- Enjoy half-hour dynamic light shows on the bridges
- Find some peace in “Fourth Liberation” meditations led by local artists at Fourth Bluff Friday-Sunday
St. Mary’s soup kitchen is in urgent need of volunteers. Sign up on their website. The church is located at 155 Market St. near the Second Street exit off I-40.
A bartender at the former TGI Ftiday’s at Third and Union told me yesterday that the restaurant will re-open as a craft cocktail bar in 3 to 4 weeks.
The city released a progress report yesterday on meetings with activists about police reform.
Beale Street Artcrawl will move to a virtual platform this Saturday.
Grace Askew will live stream from South Main Sounds this Saturday 5-6:30 PM.
The Memphis Songwriters Series: Virtual Voices continues Saturday, with Cyrena Wages live streaming from the Orpheum 7:30-8 PM.
Developer Kenny Lipschutz plans to turn the building at 400 S. Main into three retail spaces on the ground level and 18 AirBnb units upstairs. That would be the building at the northeast corner of Main and Huling.
Edible Memphis profiles Bluff City Fungi, an exotic mushroom company that sells at the Memphis Farmers Market.
Edible also posted news about Wok’n in Pickle Co. This is a provisions company that is the side hustle of Wok’n in Memphis in Puck Food Hall. They feature locally source products including vinegars, oils, and kimchi.
From Storyboard Memphis: Church of the Walking Pants, featuring Daryl and Ashley, owners of the Walking Pants Curiosities store on G.E. Patterson.
This week I’ve been following the list of women being vetted as Joe Biden’s running mate, and a new name has emerged: Rep. Karen Bass. She has represented the South Los Angeles district in Congress since 2013 and her qualifications include
- Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus
- Chair of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations
- Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security
- Former Speaker of the California State House
- 2010 John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award recipient
- In the 1980s, Bass founded the Community Coalition, a South L.A. organization addressing the political and economic causes of addiction, crime, poverty and violence; the organization was a success and continues to this day
She sounds like a perfect running mate to me. She’d have incredible influence shaping Biden’s policies, and she’s more than qualified to step into the presidency should the need arise. I hope Biden picks her!
That’s all I’ve got for today. Back tomorrow with more.