Coronavirus Live Blog, April 7: Tennessee at 4,138 cases, 72 deaths
Shelby County has 19 fatalities compared to 9 in Davidson County.
Bill Dries
Reporter
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for almost 50 years covering a wide variety of stories from the 1977 death of Elvis Presley and the 1978 police and fire strikes to numerous political campaigns, every county mayor and every Memphis Mayor starting with Wyeth Chandler.
There are 3833 articles by Bill Dries :
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April 2020
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Metro Council gives final approval to speed cameras
Memphis City Council members approved Tuesday, April 7, speed enforcement cameras in more than a dozen school zones and s-curves across the city. -
City of Memphis City Administration: No need for reserves, sales tax has cushion
Mayor Jim Strickland plans to keep his April 21 date to present his budget proposal for the new fiscal year to the city council as his administration evaluates the impact of the COVID-19 virus on sales tax revenues that finance some of the city's biggest construction projects.
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Coronavirus Local COVID-19 effort takes critical look at optimistic virus modeling
The city's chief operating officer says the model assumes 100% compliance, and that is "not realistic." Meanwhile, racial demographics are missing from local data on the virus as some are concerned areas historically underserved by health care may need more attention in the city's response to the virus.
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Coronavirus Cohen sees fourth aid package from Congress, questions Lee’s motivation for Safer at Home order
During a conference call with reporters Tuesday, Cohen said a fourth aid package of federal funding will likely deal with more funding for unemployment compensation and forgivable loans to small businesses instead of infrastructure money.
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Coronavirus Coronavirus Live Blog, April 6: Shelby County deaths now at 17
The number of coronavirus cases in Shelby County currently stands at 789, according to the Shelby County Health Department.
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City of Memphis Strickland: New COVID optimism based on social distancing
The mayor extended the Memphis' state of emergency through April 21 and said the city is preparing for a second emergency field hospital, also arranging for housing and testing of the homeless population .
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Coronavirus Coronavirus live blog, April 3: MATA to get more than $35 million
The funding comes from the Federal Transit Administration through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that became law.
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ElectionsKustoff unopposed in 8th Congressional District August primary
The Thursday filing deadline also saw 14 confirmed candidates in the statewide Republican primary for U.S. Senate and five in the companion Democratic primary for the open seat.
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EducationWoods: Pandemic’s toll on schools prompted reversal of his school board exit
On The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, SCS board member Kevin Woods says Shelby County Schools face a possible $130 million hole in its budget from the loss of sales tax revenue.
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Podcasts Politics Podcast: A surprise at the filing deadline
Shelby County Schools board member Kevin Woods talks about his decision to run for re-election and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public education.
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City of Memphis Gateway Shopping Center to house temporary hospital as city braces for COVID-19 surge
The state plans to build a temporary hospital of non-acute care beds at the Gateway Shopping Center on Jackson Avenue. Other sites are being evaluated.
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ElectionsThree incumbents unopposed at filing deadline for Aug. 6 election
A recap of the fields in the five Shelby County Schools board races and 16 races for the Tennessee Legislature.
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City of Memphis Kane: Record year for Memphis tourism stopped day global pandemic declared
The head of Memphis Tourism said on "Behind The Headlines" that the recovery of the tourism sector in the city could stretch into 2022. Kevin Kane was appointed recently to a state task force on the economic recovery from COVID-19.
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Coronavirus Coronavirus live blog, April 2: Shelby County at 638 cases, 7 deaths
Governor Bill Lee will sign Executive Order 23 requiring that Tennesseans stay home unless they are carrying out essential activities as data shows an increase in citizen movement across the state.
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Coronavirus City braces for surge; will announce hospital site
City braces for surge in COVID-19 cases. An announcement is expected Friday, April 3, on the site of a 1,000-bed temporary hospital to accommodate the coming surge, local leaders announced Thursday.
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Coronavirus Coronavirus live blog, April 1: Marshall Co. Schools suspends meal plan
Health Department medical director Dr. Bruce Randolph said 5,506 have been tested, with 9% positive.
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ElectionsThursday filing deadline for August ballot includes last-minute surprises
Five incumbents could effectively win re-election at Thursday's noon deadline, but that's not a sure thing for most of them. And eight of the 16 seats in the Shelby County delegation to Nashville on the Aug. 6 ballot will likely be decided with the primaries as the winners run unopposed in the November general election.
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ElectionsConference call glitches and secret bids sideline voting machine decision
County purchasing officials won’t make bid documents on a new voting system public until after the Election Commission makes a final decision.
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City of Memphis Spring fever and COVID-19 concerns meet in parks
Rain Tuesday morning helped decrease the crowds in some parks after the city also closed some roads into and through city parks. The parks remain open but are battling sunshine and pandemic cabin fever to moderate the crowds. And planners are working on life after COVID-19 at Tom Lee Park.
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Education Woods changes course on leaving school board
Shelby County Schools board member Kevin Woods has changed his mind about not seeking another term.
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March 2020
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Coronavirus Coronavirus daily blog, March 30: Gov. issues safer at home order; Strickland limits park access
Gov. Bill Lee has ordered all nonessential businesses to close and Mayor Jim Strickland announces access to Memphis parks will be limited, starting Tuesday.
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City of Memphis Strickland concerned about lax COVID-19 response outside Memphis
The Memphis mayor also announced he is closing access roads to and in city parks, including Riverside Drive by Tom Lee Park, to discourage large crowds like those that gathered last week during two sunny days. The move stops short of closing city parks outright, but Strickland said he is willing to consider that too.
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