The 901: Memphis recovers from job loss during pandemic; Sherra Wright denied parole
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Good morning, Memphis, where the Poor People's Campaign kicked off in Memphis on Monday and Penny Hardaway gave us a bit of insight into what we can expect from the Tigers in this upcoming season.
But, first, a report from the Greater Memphis Chamber shows that the Memphis area has now recovered all the jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, our Corinne Kennedy reports.
The Greater Memphis region had recovered about 70,000 jobs lost during the pandemic as of March. In April the area hit record-high employment of 661,400.
"So to see this kind of recovery in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, I think it's surprising, sure, that element of it is," said Ted Townsend, chief economic development officer for the chamber. "But to us, we're encouraged about the buoyancy and resiliency that is our economy and the way it is growing."
Sherra Wright denied parole in Lorenzen Wright sentence
The Tennessee Board of Parole has denied Sherra Wright's request for parole, and she is not set to come before the board again until 2027, our Lucas Finton and Micaela Watts report.
Wright's request was first heard May 11, where at least one member recommended her request be rejected, but the official denial came days later and cited the severity of the crime as its reasoning.
In 2019 Sherra Wright was sentenced to 30 years after she entered a guilty plea for orchestrating the 2010 murder of Lorenzen Wright, her ex-husband and former University of Memphis and Grizzlies basketball star.
Kroger fined due to child labor law violations in Southaven
Kroger has been assessed a $13,673 civil penalty after the Southaven store allowed minors to engage in hazardous work and to exceed the hours set for minors by federal child labor standards, our Gina Butkovich reports.
The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigators found the Kroger in Southaven allowed three minor-aged workers, 16- and 17-year-olds, to load a trash compactor with the keys in the machine to allow operation. It also allowed a 15-year-old employee to work more than three hours on a school day and more than 18 hours during a school week.
Poor People's Campaign marches in Memphis
A small horse-drawn buggy led more than 200 people from Robert R. Church Park to the National Civil Rights Museum. Marching in pairs, the group stretched over half a mile long and people in the apartments and houses along the march route stepped out onto their porches to watch the line walk by, our Gina Butkovich reports.
"Ain't gonna let nobody turn me 'round, turn me 'round, turn me 'round, Ain't gonna let nobody turn me 'round I'm gonna keep on a walkin', keep on a-talkin', Marching up to freedom land," the Poor People's Campaign sang as they walked.
Memphis is the last stop of the Poor People's Campaign's latest mobilization tour before its march in Washington, D.C., on June 18. The campaign and march, called the Poor and Low-Wage Workers Mass Assembly and March on Washington and to the Polls, demands voting rights, laws for living wages, housing and access to affordable health care.
Southern Baptist Convention sexual abuse report details decades of inaction
Southern Baptist Convention leaders perpetuated a cycle of abuse for two decades by ignoring reports of sexual abuse and dismissing recommendations for reform, enabling a culture that retraumatized survivors, Liam Adams reports.
The nearly 300-page report from Guidepost Solutions contains details about how the nation's largest Protestant denomination responded to a growing sexual abuse crisis within its ranks.
"Almost always the internal focus was on protecting the SBC from legal liability and not on caring for survivors or creating any plan to prevent sexual abuse within SBC churches," Guidepost said in its report.
Humane society to receive $250,000 grant from Shelby County Government
The Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County opened a low-cost vet clinic in 2021. The venture was supported by $450,000 from the county government, with an additional $250,000 on the way, our Lucas Finton reports.
The quarter-million dollar allows the humane society to continue providing accessible pet-care, such as vaccination services, spay and neuter surgeries, and wellness exams, for pet owners receiving government assistance of any kind.
Jody Stephens moves music career forward with Those Pretty Wrongs
Jody Stephens began his musical career as the drummer for Memphis pop band Big Star, with the release of their debut album, "#1 Record.”
Now, recent years Stephens — who’s helped manage Midtown’s Ardent Studios since the late 1980s — has assumed a new role, moving from behind the kit to the front of the stage, as the singer and songwriter for Those Pretty Wrongs, our Bob Mehr reports.
“I had no idea and no plans for Those Pretty Wrongs,” marvels Stephens of the seven-year-old project. “I didn’t think we’d get past a few songs together. But here we are three albums into this. It’s been a very unexpected but wonderful development for me.”
Bob shows us how Those Pretty Wrongs came together, and he looks back at Stephens time with Big Star.
Penny Hardaway on Larry Brown, Memphis basketball recruiting
Penny Hardaway expects assistant coach Larry Brown to remain a part of his Memphis basketball coaching staff for the 2022-23 season, our Jason Munz reports.
“Coach Brown, right now, is coming back,” Hardaway said. “I don’t know to what capacity. It’s literally up to him. It’s a blessing to have him around. If it’s not (as) a coach, maybe he can be assistant to the head coach or something that doesn’t have to travel and recruit and do as much (as assistant coaches).”
Hardaway, who is heading into his fifth season at his alma mater, spoke to the media Monday for the first time since March. Jason tells us everything the Memphis coach had to say.
Ja Morant believes Grizzlies could’ve won NBA title if healthy
“If the Grizzlies were healthy, would they have won it all?” That hypothetical question could lead to an equally ridiculous answer.
Of course, the Grizzlies could have won it all! But is that really the prism through which this NBA playoff run should be remembered, our Mark Giannotto asks in his latest column.
Here’s an excerpt:
Out on that basketball court during the season, there are any number of ways in which Ja Morant is nothing like us. The way he jumps, the way he sees the floor, the way he carries himself, they’ve all coalesced to create a burgeoning NBA superstar.
But out in the world when the offseason arrives, sometimes hidden behind the designer clothes and the diamond necklaces and the stream of consciousness social media posts, Morant often seems to think like us.
Or at least tweet like us.
So it only makes sense that Morant is watching the Western Conference finals just like us.
With a sense of what could have been, and maybe even a tinge of regret.
The 901 is written by Ray Padilla, digital producer for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at raymond.padilla@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter at @Ray_Padilla_.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: The 901: Memphis hits record-high employment; Sherra Wright denied parole
