August 13-19, 2021, Vol. 14, Issue 33 July home sales, prices rose, but so did the number of ‘For Shelby County Schools test scores show historic learning loss P. 6 Sale’ signs P. 3 FORMERLY THE MEMPHIS NEWS FAYETTE • TIPTON • MADISON A student does class work at Bruce Elementary on Monday, Aug. 9, Shelby County Schools’ first day of school. (Brad Vest/The West Tennessee News) BACK TO SCHOOL P. 2 Shelby County Schools returns to school amid coronavirus surge GUILTY PLEA WEALTH Sherra Wright withdraws A generation plans for largest request to throw out guilty transfer of wealth in modern plea P. 3 history P. 5 A Publication of The Daily News Publishing Co. 2 August 13-19, 2021 The West Tennessee News SCS returns to school amid COVID surge Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray arrives at Bruce Elementary during Shelby County Schools’ first day of class on Monday, Aug. 9. (Brad Vest/The West Tennessee News) DAJA E. HENRY SCS had already said it would require The West Tennessee News masks even before the Shelby County On the first day for Shelby County Health Department mandated it. Schools students Monday, Aug. 9, fifth- For Megan, like many SCS students, grader Christian Stinson begged his it was the first time they’ve been in class mother to let him out of the car early so since March 2020, when schools shut- he could be interviewed. tered due to the coronavirus pandemic. His classmate, Megan Wright, wore Megan said she stayed home last her bright pink dinosaur socks, pointing school year because her mom didn’t want out the different species and sharing facts her to get sick. about their diets. This year, students enrolled in tradi- The two were among the first to greet tional public schools do not have that Superintendent Joris Ray and members option due to state legislation that bans of his leadership team who pulled up districts from offering virtual learning to Bruce Elementary in a school bus outside of virtual schools, with some ex- with Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” ceptions for disasters or emergencies. as their soundtrack, just as they did in Parents of students in grades 4-12 also March when about a third of students have the option to enroll in Memphis returned to in-person classrooms. “It Virtual School. feels great because I can see most of my “School is the best place for our chil- friends,” Megan said about her return to dren,” Ray said. “We’re at a point where in-person school. our children must be in school. And we The return to class comes amid a re- have to ensure that they’re safe.” Students were separated by sneeze barriers in classrooms at Bruce Elementary on Monday, surgence of COVID cases thanks to the According to district spokeswoman Aug. 9, Shelby County Schools’ first day of class. (Brad Vest/The West Tennessee News) Delta variant and disputes locally and na- Jerica Phillips, the district’s legal team tionwide over masking and vaccinations. and leadership are working with the state SCS continued on P7 The West Tennessee News August 13-19, 2021 3 Sherra Wright withdraws request to throw out guilty plea Lorenzen Wright, who was 34 at the time of his death, was shot 11 times July 19, 2010. His body was found in Callis Cutoff, a grassy field in Southeast Memphis. He spent 13 years playing in the NBA after playing at the University of Memphis and Booker T. Washing- ton High School. For nearly a decade, Sherra Wright said she knew nothing about the death and the case went cold. That changed after her cousin, Jimmie Martin, led police in November 2017 to the murder weapon that had been tossed into a Mississippi lake. Sherra Wright and Turner were arrested in De- cember 2017 and charged in the death. Turner maintains his in- nocence and has remained in jail on a $15 million bond. In an ESPN special, “A Murder in Memphis,” Sherra Wright last month pointed the finger at Martin as the person Sherra Wright has withdrawn her request to overturn her guilty plea in the death of Lorenzen Wright. (The West Tennessee News) who orchestrated the murder. Martin, who is in prison for killing his girlfriend, told authori- YOLANDA JONES a Nashville prison where she is facilitation to commit murder deacon at the Collierville church ties in 2017 about an unsuccess- The West Tennessee News serving a 30-year sentence. With in the first-degree in connection Sherra Wright once attended, is ful plot in which he said Sherra Sherra Wright, the ex-wife of time served, she could be eligible with her former husband’s July 19, set for Jan. 31, 2022. It was de- Wright tried to kill her husband slain basketball star Lorenzen for parole in eight years. 2010, death, she told Shelby Coun- layed because of the coronavirus in Atlanta. Wright, has withdrawn her re- As a result of the withdrawal, ty Judge Lee Coffee she under- pandemic. Martin also told authorities he quest to overturn her guilty plea Wright can never make the re- stood she was waiving her right Asked why his client with- and Turner helped Sherra Wright in the death. Wright appeared in quest again. Sherra Wright filed to appeal the 30-year sentence. drew the petition, court-appoint- clean up the crime scene after Lo- court Tuesday, Aug. 10, to make the petition for post-conviction She was sentenced July 25, 2019. ed attorney Roberto Garcia Jr. renzen Wright’s death and that the request. She was transport- relief earlier this year. At the The trial of her co-defendant said Tuesday that Wright did not he led police to the gun used to ed to the Memphis court from time Wright pleaded guilty to in the case, Billy Ray Turner, a want him to talk to the media. kill Wright. July home sales, prices rose, but so did the number of ‘For Sale’ signs TOM BAILEY month. The 2,514 homes listed for sale is a The West Tennessee News 12.1 percent increase over June. “Honestly, The threat of COVID-19 may be mer- it’s definitely a sellers’ market now,” Bell- curial, but home prices and the number Warren said in explaining why more houses of houses for sale continue to rise steadily. are hitting the market. Meanwhile, the surge in cases of the CO- And potential sellers who saw the vac- VID-19 Delta variant prompted the Mem- cination rates climb and number of infec- phis Area Association of Realtors to start tions drop have become more comfortable requiring anyone entering its office to wear allowing home shoppers into their houses, a mask, even if they are vaccinated, associa- she said. “And it’s a great time (to sell),” she tion president Cassandra Bell-Warren said said. “Values are increasing.” “… I think that Monday, Aug. 9. everything that’s coming onto the market is However, the Realtors organization selling as soon as it comes on the market,” has not re-imposed restrictions on open Bell-Warren said. houses among its member agents, she “We’re still in a low-inventory market.” said. Memphis-area home transactions in While the inventory has risen since Febru- July rose 20.4 percent from July 2020, with ary when just 1,976 houses were for sale, a 2,391 sales recorded in Shelby, Fayette and year ago 2,938 houses were on the market, Tipton counties by the Memphis Area As- according to the Realtors’ statistics. sociation of Realtors. The latest sales numbers speak for That’s also a 29.2 percent rise from June, themselves, she said. “July was an incred- when 1,851 sales were made. The average ible month and it’s been a very good year sales price last month was $251,968, up 13.4 for home sales.” percent from a year earlier. Perhaps the So far this year, the total value of all best stat for home buyers involves inven- homes sold in the three counties totals $2.9 tory of houses for sale. The number of “For billion. That’s a 32.4 percent increase over It’s a sign of the times in real estate: Homes continue to sell quickly. Sale” signs climbed for the fifth consecutive the first seven months of 2020. (Tom Bailey/The West Tennessee News) 4 August 13-19, 2021 The West Tennessee News Binghampton FAYETTE • TIPTON • MADISON President & Chairman Production Assistant Development Corp. PETER SCHUTT LAURIE BECK General Manager Emeritus CFO/Human Resources ED RAINS PAM CAPSHAW optimistic about job Publisher & CEO Administration Assistant ERIC BARNES WHITNEY LOGAN training venture Public Notice Director Circulation/Distribution Coordinator DON FANCHER ASIA MITCHELL Senior Production Assistant Pressman SANDY YOUNGBLOOD PETE MITCHELL Published by: AUDIT PENDING THE DAILY NEWS PUBLISHING CO. 193 Jefferson Avenue • Memphis, TN 38103 P.O. Box 3663 • Memphis, TN 38173-0663 Tel: 901.523.1561 •Fax: 901.526.5813 www.memphisdailynews.com The Daily News is a general interest newspaper covering business, law, government, and real estate and development throughout the Memphis metropolitan area. The Daily News, the successor of the Daily Record, The Daily Court Reporter, and The Daily Court News, was founded in 1886. The Binghampton Development Corp. is set to launch its business hub initiative later this Public Records year. (Mark Weber/The West Tennessee News) OMER YUSUF needs more than six months, the BDC The West Tennessee News will work with them and keep them in the & Notices Later this year, Binghampton job train- program.