I hope you’re off to an awesome fresh start on this beautiful Monday! I don’t know about you, but I’m excited about all the extra sunlight we’ll have this evening, thanks to daylight saving time. 

Today is March 14, the first day of spring break for Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Bartlett City Schools, Collierville Schools and Germantown Municipal Schools. And it looks like the weather will be perfect for the break (more on that down below). That said, remember last Friday when I said we were in for a light dusting? Maybe you shouldn’t listen to me.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Memphis fans celebrate while watching the NCAA tournament selection show, as the Tigers are selected as the No. 9 seed on Sunday, March 13, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

No. 9 seed: The Memphis Tigers are going to the NCAA Tournament! Sure, they lost in Sunday’s AAC Tournament title game against the Houston Cougars, 71-53. But they’re going to the NCAA Tournament, and that’s all that matters (The Daily Memphian’s Geoff Calkin’s certainly thinks so). The Tigers won 12 of their past 14 games, including Saturday’s AAC semifinal against SMU (70-63), and they were selected as the No. 9 seed in the West Region for the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The team hasn’t done this well since the 2013-2014 season when Josh Pastner was coach, and as Calkins points out, that’s back when “people were dumping ice water on their heads to raise money for ALS research. The worldwide pandemic was Ebola.”

International Paper announced Friday, March 11, it is considering selling its 50% ownership interest in a Russian forest products company. (The Daily Memphian file)

Ukraine update: International Paper is joining the list of Memphis-based businesses that are altering operations in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On Friday, IP announced that it’s considering selling its 50% ownership interest in a Russian forest products company. FedEx Corp. announced on Feb. 24 that it would suspend operations in Ukraine for the safety of its employees, and IP’s spin-off, Sylvamo Corp. announced a suspension of Russian operations on March 7. The Memphis-based businesses are among hundreds of U.S.-based companies cutting ties with Russia as the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine worsens. Meanwhile, Memphis-born filmmaker/journalist Brent Renaud died Sunday in Ukraine after Russian forces opened fire on his vehicle. He was gathering material for a report on refugees. 

Blowing hot air? In part two of his series on indoor air quality, The Institute for Public Service Reporting’s David Waters looks into controversial technology that Memphis-Shelby County Schools is using to cleanse the air inside schools. MSCS spent $25 million last year on an unproven air-cleaning technology called bipolar ionization. The company behind the technology claims it offers a “99.4% reduction rate on a SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) surface strain within 30 minutes.” But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency and others beg to differ.

Youth Villages is starting an ambitious new initiative, Memphis Allies, aimed at making a dent in the local gun violence problem. (Daily Memphian file)

Allied against gun violence: There were nearly 700 homicides in Memphis over the last two years, but a new program from Youth Villages aims to curb that number. Their $60 million Memphis Allies initiative has a goal of reducing Memphis homicides by 30% over the next four years. They’re targeting seven local communities with the highest rates of gun violence, beginning with Raleigh-Frayser. Memphis Allies will hire 316 people to work on gun violence prevention in those communities. The initiative will also utilize life coaches, case managers and clinical specialists to help change the trajectory of people who may be involved with gun crime.

The murder trial of defendant Billy Ray Turner, charged in the fatal shooting of former NBA star Lorenzen Wright, begins March 14. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian file) 

Lorenzen Wright defendant in court: The trial for Billy Ray Turner, the last defendant in the Lorenzen Wright murder case, will begin today. Turner and Lorenzen Wright’s ex-wife Sherra Wright were arrested in 2017 for the fatal shooting of the NBA star. Lorenzen Wright was killed on July 19, 2010, and his murder remained unsolved for nearly a decade. Sherra Wright was eventually charged after her cousin led police to the gun used in Lorenzen’s murder. Sherra pleaded guilty in July 2019 to the facilitation of first-degree murder, and she was sentenced to 30 years (with the possibility of parole). 

QUOTED

“[A Memphis-to-Nashville Amtrak line has] been a longtime desire of many Memphians and many Nashvillains, too. It would be great for tourism, and it would help commerce between Memphis and Nashville.”

— U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen
Amtrak released its “Connect US 2035” plan last month, and while it includes new service routes between Nashville, Chattanooga and Atlanta, a Memphis-to-Nashville connection was not part of the plan. Cohen has been pushing for a Memphis-Nashville route since 1984. State Rep. Jason Powell, whose district is in Nashville, recently formed a Train Travel Caucus to focus on ways to increase railroad infrastructure in Tennessee.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Rachel Jones and Scotty Dill take ready-to-adopt dog Big Show for a walk outside Memphis Animal Services. MAS is hiring a pet reunification specialist to increase the number of animals returned to their owners. (Daily Memphian file)

Something to bark about: The days of the dog catcher picking up strays and hauling them off the animal shelter without a second thought are no more. “We’ve really changed that mindset, and we are going to be better off if that officer places that pet on a leash and talks to neighbors — walks to those doors,” said MAS director Alexis Pugh. Memphis Animal Services is hiring a pet reunification specialist with a $50,000 grant from a national animal welfare nonprofit. In Memphis, the return to owner rate for lost or stray animals is 8%, compared to 50% in some other cities of similar size. The new specialist will work to increase the number of lost pets returned to their owners. 

Oklahoma City Thunder center Aleksej Pokusevski (17) collides with Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) and is called for a foul in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 13, 2022, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

All white: Well, that was awkward. When the Memphis Grizzlies showed up on the court Sunday to play the Oklahoma City Thunder, they quickly realized there was a problem. Both teams were wearing white jerseys. “I think everyone had a nice laugh there,” said Grizzlies Coach Taylor Jenkins. After a quick wardrobe change, the teams got going. Dillon Brooks was back after sitting out since early January with a sprained ankle, and he helped lead the team to a 125-118 win, with Brooks totaling 15 points, four assists and two rebounds.

The former MLK Transition Academy/Porter Junior High School will house the planned South City Museum and Culture Center. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

South City plans: The planned South City Museum and Cultural Center is expected to open in 2024 in the old Porter School at 620 S. Lauderdale. Through exhibits curated by the Museum of Science and History (MoSH), the museum will highlight the history of South Memphis and its locally famous inhabitants, including civil rights activist Maxine Smith, former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton and Grammy-winner Booker T. Jones among others. The Daily Memphian’s Julia Baker takes a dive into what the museum will offer and the people working to make it happen.

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

Spring officially arrives on Sunday, but we’re getting a preview of spring temps this week. Finally! Expect some showers on Tuesday and Friday, but the forecast for St. Patrick’s Day — Thursday — looks absolutely perfect for enjoying a green beer on a patio.

I hope you have a fantastic start to the week. And if you’re celebrating spring break, have fun!

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