Coronavirus live blog, April 13: Tennessee up to 5,610 cases, 109 deaths
The state reports 1,331 confirmed cases in Shelby 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 3900 articles by Bill Dries :
-
May 2020
-
Coronavirus
-
-
April 2020
-
Coronavirus Coronavirus live blog, April 14: Tennessee up to 5,823 cases, 124 deaths
There have been 633 hospitalizations and 1,969 people are classified as having recovered from the disease.
-
Metro BLDG Memphis hosts Zoom forum with ‘Beale Street Dynasty’ author
The group BLDG Memphis is hosting a forum on Zoom Thursday, April 16, with “Beale Street Dynasty” author Preston Lauterbach. -
Coronavirus Reopening the economy looks to be phased and possibly different for Shelby County
The early discussions locally suggest businesses will reopen in waves and possibly with some new restrictions.
-
City of Memphis City offers loans, EDGE grants for small businesses hit hard by pandemic
The working capital for small businesses is partially a response to complaints from local businesses that they either can't reach the Small Business Administration or their bankers for help in getting federal stimulus funds or they have been denied the federal funding.
-
Premium
City of Memphis‘How long’ is big question for city sales tax hit from pandemic response
Mayor Jim Strickland takes his budget proposal to the Memphis City Council in one week for the new fiscal year that starts July 1. And the unknown factor is how much sales tax revenue the city will lose in the shutdown of many businesses as nonessential during the pandemic.
-
Podcasts Politics Podcast: Secret bids, legal opinions and new voting machines
Shelby County election commissioners Brent Taylor and Bennie Smith talk about the complex path to making a decision on new voting machines.
-
Elections Path to new voting machines still complex, secretive
Two Shelby County Election Commissioners say on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast that the method being discussed for making the choice on new voting machines would keep the price of the machines a secret until the decision is made because of legal opinions.
-
City of Memphis Young says pandemic exacerbating digital divide problem
The director of the city's division of Housing and Community Development said on "Behind The Headlines" that Wi-Fi access for students living in public housing is a challenge that has become more acute with classes suspended in the COVID-19 pandemic.
-
Exclusive
CoronavirusMetro hospitals release ICU, ventilator counts; Health Department refuses
Twice this week, county Health Department officials have said they were forbidden from releasing hospitalization figures, including numbers of patients in ICUs and on ventilators, because the statewide Hospital Resource Tracking System is not public data.
-
Premium
ElectionsElection Commission waits to set August ballot until possible appeals
The withdrawal deadline for the Aug. 6 ballot passed Thursday with several withdrawals from races on the Shelby County ballot. But much of the attention is on the decision the day before by the Tennessee Democratic Party to remove four contenders from the party primaries in Shelby County.
-
Coronavirus Social distancing measures still recommended through end of May
The recommendation from the Shelby County Health Department to keep precautions in place until the end of May remains despite some modeling showing an earlier date for the peak of the pandemic.
-
Analysis
MetroWhere public health and public policy meet and part ways
The immediate goal is to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. But the elected leaders and health experts who are working toward that goal come from different experiences with different responsibilities beyond dealing with a pandemic.
-
Coronavirus First local COVID numbers on race confirm disparity in virus spread
The incomplete Shelby County Health Department analysis shows two-thirds of the confirmed COVID cases with detailed information were among African Americans and more than 70% of the deaths examined were among African Americans.
-
City of Memphis Leffler was a natural on Memphis City Council in a life with many roles
Former City Council member Florence Leffler died this week, ending a life as an educator, actress and politician and sometimes a blend of all three.
-
Coronavirus Coronavirus Live Blog, April 7: Tennessee at 4,138 cases, 72 deaths
Shelby County has 19 fatalities compared to 9 in Davidson County.
-
Coronavirus Questions about race and locations of COVID-19 outbreaks gain attention
“The goal isn’t so much to expand the volume of testing but the equity of testing, both demographically and geographically,” said Jenny Bartlett-Prescott, chief operating officer of Church Health who is leading the task force’s testing subgroup.
-
City of Memphis City Council to take up vehicle-registration expiration, school zone speeding cameras
The council's second online meeting includes a pared-down agenda of 17 items and a committee discussion on changes to the city's upcoming budget season that means no council community grants.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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 .
-
Premium
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.
-