Reporter
Don Wade has been a Memphis journalist since 1998 and he has won awards for both his sports and news/feature writing. He is originally from Kansas City and is married with three sons.
There are 474 articles by Don Wade :
“Long COVID” symptoms that include fatigue, brain fog and shortness of breath may strike women more often than men — many ages 20-50 — and are just as likely to occur among those whose initial case was very mild.
Maverick doesn’t speak. Nor does he perform heroics worthy of his ancestor, the TV star of “Lassie.” But the crisis response dog can listen, as he did for Kroger employees after the recent mass shooting in Collierville.
Pre-pandemic, many clergy were exhausted. The pandemic has only heightened the challenges. A workshop featuring psychologist Dr. Tony Headley will give faith leaders tools to take care of themselves, their families and their flocks.
The director of hospital services at Vanderbilt Behavior Health says the pandemic-associated stress has become like the underlying conditions that make the virus itself more dangerous. Related Story: A year and a half in, how COVID fatigue is affecting us
“We’re tired,” Sutton Mora, executive vice president and COO of the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis (CFGM) said, speaking for one and all. “That’s the word I keep using over and over.” Related story: Coping with pandemic stress: From walks outside to a new furry friend
If you contract COVID-19, you should be in quarantine. But so should your dog, cat or ferret.
Landing an NFL team for Memphis proved to be the dream that got away in Billy Dunavant’s professional life. But when the scores are added up, he won much more than he lost. And so did those who were fortunate enough to know him well.
In the first of two parts, leading physicians speak to the history of COVID-19, its possible origins, the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, and the the role of masking, among other topics.
In the second of two parts, Dr. Jon McCullers of UTHSC and Dr. William Schaffner from Vanderbilt Medical Center tackle questions about vaccination, length of immunity, ‘long COVID,’ the possibility of COVID ‘passports’ and continuing to live in a coronavirus world.
The 1918 influenza pandemic killed tens of millions worldwide, but 30 to 40 years later, it had evolved into a much less serious disease. COVID-19 will likely follow a similar path — never going away, but becoming less deadly over time.
While proponents of merging the City of Memphis and Shelby County governments cannot promise that consolidation would mean a spike in economic development, they believe it is the straightest line to major growth. Opponents aren’t so sure and worry about negative fallout.
Violent crime is both a national problem and a Memphis problem. But when criminals point guns your way, as 26-year-old engineer Manuel Rodriguez discovered, it forever becomes part of your personal history. So much so, that you consider leaving the city you have always called home.
June’s inflation rate jumped up 5.4% from the same time in 2020 and that has economists examining the causes and predicting what may lie ahead. Meantime, consumers with discretionary wealth continue to buy ‘optional’ items, but those with tighter budgets feel the pinch at the grocery store.
‘The whole idea was to make it modern so when someone gets off the plane, they say Memphis is going places and Memphis is cool,’ said Scott Brockman, president and CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority.
The COVID-19 vaccine is readily available, but many people are still deciding against vaccination – at least for now. The moment of urgency has passed and instead has been replaced by a relaxed attitude, even as the Delta variant spreads and puts unvaccinated people at risk for severe illness and even death.
In a world with ever-increasing access to news and information, Americans find it more difficult to trust in core institutions, such as government, business and media, and in each other. But perhaps on the local level, there is more hope. Opinion: Reporters and readers have a shared responsibility to pursue truthRelated story:
Don Wade: ‘It’s on the journalist to never assume the facts. ... And it’s on you, the news consumer, to hold journalists accountable. But yourself, too. Just because you read it, saw it, or heard it — perhaps in a literal click or snap — does not guarantee that you can treat the information as fact.’
Don Wade: ‘Their efforts to stop a pipeline from running through southwest Memphis were spirited and admirable. But they weren’t supposed to win. And then they did.’
The COVID-19 pandemic reduced some revenue streams to a trickle at four-year colleges and universities. But coming out of the pandemic, administrators believe they are smarter and more efficient. “Really, what the pandemic did is it accelerated the pace of change,” said U of M President M. David Rudd.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in canceled weddings, postponed weddings and reimagined “micro” weddings. That cost professionals in the wedding industry much revenue and caused couples to adjust their plans.
As America comes out of the pandemic, workers are embracing the opportunity for career change while employers large and small scramble to adjust to a new paradigm.
Messaging about COVID-19 precautions still isn’t keeping pace with evolving information about the virus, including that it readily spreads via smaller airborne particles.
Many Americans saw pre-existing health conditions worsen during the pandemic. Medical appointments were delayed or canceled. And vaccination resistance remains.
Vaccination offers the best path to being protected against COVID-19, but even if herd immunity is achieved this novel coronavirus may be with us for decades — and perhaps longer considering its viral descendants.
Instead of contracting services and jobs during the pandemic, Youth Villages has been adding positions and has a job fair set for Tuesday, May 25. “A lot of organizations stopped taking kids” once the pandemic hit,” CEO Patrick Lawler said. “We did not. We kept our doors open.”