There are 32 article(s) tagged Doug McGowen:

• July 2020

  • COVID Task Force in search of ‘testing czar’

    City of Memphis COO Doug McGowen said the local COVID-19 task force is in search of a “testing czar” to look at coronavirus testing in Shelby County.

    By Omer Yusuf July 23, 2020

  • The local fight against COVID-19: ongoing, often coordinated, far from finished

    Memphis/Shelby County made progress in the struggle against COVID-19, coming out of a Safer at Home order and advancing into a Phase 2 reopening. But Phase 2 has been modified, cases have spiked again, and there remain major concerns going forward, including whether or not elementary and secondary schools can reopen in the fall. 

    By Don Wade July 20, 2020

  • As COVID-19 transmission spreads, conversation about phasing continues

    Shelby County reported its highest single-day increase of new coronavirus cases with 394 Thursday. Over the past seven days, the county is averaging 273 new cases a day.

    By Omer Yusuf July 02, 2020

• June 2020

  • Phase 3 reopening to see partial restart of Riverside Drive traffic

    Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter says despite the recent spike in daily confirmed cases, she sees little reason to put off a move to Phase 3 on Monday.

    By Bill Dries June 11, 2020

  • Council ends budget season with core services intact

    Passing the $707.8 million city budget saw $1.8 million from a dozen line items moved around to items council members wanted and the use of city reserves that leaves the rainy day fund at a low level of 7% of the budget that starts July 1.

    By Bill Dries June 02, 2020

• May 2020

  • Phase 2 reopening decision likely to come Monday

    A Phase 2 reopening of the Memphis area economy appears imminent after Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter said Friday, May 15, she sees no significant barriers to a continued loosening of restrictions.

    By Bill Dries May 15, 2020

  • Surge prediction pushed to summer, broad compliance seen with ‘Back to Business’

    Three days into the first round of local business reopenings, there are lots of questions about the specific safeguards businesses are to take.

    By Bill Dries May 06, 2020

  • Behind the Headlines: Memphis COO discusses metrics to open city

    City of Memphis COO Doug McGowen discusses the metrics Memphis’ elected officials and health officers studied to determine when to start gradually reopening the city. 

    By Eric Barnes May 01, 2020

• April 2020

  • Temporary hospital could have life after pandemic

    The city's chief operating officer said on Behind The Headlines that the hospital is one example of how the pandemic has changed and will continue to change how the city addresses issues that existed before COVID-19 arrived.

    By Bill Dries April 30, 2020

  • 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. 

    By Bill Dries April 14, 2020

  • Health officials note diminishing COVID-19 intensity, but urge vigilance

    COVID-19 Task Force briefing revealed rate of the novel coronavirus spread is slowing, but officials reiterate that citizens shouldn't relax on social distancing.

    By Jared Boyd April 10, 2020

  • Unprepared for COVID-19: Did Memphis, state missteps early on cost us?

    Did we do enough – soon enough – to avert a catastrophe that could overwhelm our local hospitals?

    By Marc Perrusquia, Natasha Senjanovic April 10, 2020

  • Where 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. 

    By Bill Dries April 09, 2020

  • 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.

    By Bill Dries April 07, 2020

  • 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.

    By Bill Dries April 07, 2020

  • Predictions on COVID-19 surge differ, but all agree it’s coming

    Hundreds of people in government, health care, academia and business are working around the clock to predict and prepare for the coming COVID-19 surge.

    By David Waters April 06, 2020

  • 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.

    By Bill Dries April 03, 2020

• February 2020

  • Questions surrounding MLGW break from TVA surface at meeting

    Those who will make a recommendation on whether the Memphis utility supplier should cut ties with the TVA want a scenario on switching to Midcontinent Independent System Operator included in the research.

    By Bill Dries February 27, 2020

  • Inventory of old projects could ease some of city’s budget tension

    The roundup of line items with relatively small amounts of money comes as the Strickland administration offers its first details of what the coming city budget proposal will include in a "tight" budget season at City Hall.

    By Bill Dries February 20, 2020

  • Anton Mack new leader at Explore Bike Share

    Anton Mack replaces Trey Moore as the leader of Explore Bike Share.

    By Linda A. Moore February 18, 2020

• December 2019

  • Strickland signals solid waste cuts early in new year unless council reconsiders rejection of fee hike

    Mayor Jim Strickland has raised the possibility of layoffs and garbage service cutbacks six days into the new year if the Memphis City Council doesn’t reconsider its decision to reject a solid waste fee hike.

    By Bill Dries December 06, 2019

  • City Council addresses length of sanitation employees’ work day

    The city administration lost the vote on a solid waste fee hike, but it has taken one issue with sanitation services off the table as fewer routes mean longer routes and close to an eight-hour work day for sanitation workers. 

    By Bill Dries December 06, 2019

  • Council votes down solid waste fee hikes, delays MLGW rate hike vote

    A solid waste fee rate hike was voted down by the City Council Tuesday in its next to last session of the year and of the current council's term.

    By Bill Dries December 04, 2019

• August 2019

  • Some on council question city’s $3M toward tennis center expansion

    The city's $3 million commitment to the $19 million undertaking would come from a source some city council members say could have been tapped for other priorities.

    By Bill Dries August 07, 2019

• May 2019

  • Memphis budget season offers different path to resolution

    The city council still has some difficult decisions to make. But past budget seasons show there is also still some compromise possible between what the mayor proposed and what the council decided last week.

    By Bill Dries May 25, 2019