Commissioner Mick Wright

This week Herman Cain fell victim to complications of COVID-19, becoming one of the most high-profile Americans taken by the virus.

Cain, 74, was a one-time presidential candidate and for a time led the field in the 2012 Republican primary. Born in Memphis, Cain was a successful businessman and public servant.

Cain’s age and previous battle with cancer in 2006 may have placed him at higher risk. He was diagnosed with the coronavirus in late June and, due to breathing troubles, was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he died four weeks later.

This week parents had to decide whether to send kids back to school or to have them continue with remote learning.

According to early reports, 77% of SCS parents opted to keep kids home for the first half of the year.

Back to School plans:

• Bartlett City Schools
• Lakeland School System
• Shelby County Schools

Mask mandate. It’s been a week since the Shelby County Health Department’s countywide mask mandate went into effect. The directive orders everyone over the age of 12 to wear a facial covering over their nose and mouth, with exceptions.

It will be interesting to see if the mask mandate has any measurable impact on the rate of spread.

The big news this week is the announcement of a countywide mask mandate announced Friday by the Shelby County Health Department.