Herrington: Reopening? We’ll wait and see
The city and county can loosen restrictions, but a tour of Midtown and Downtown neighborhoods shows businesses and potential customers still have decisions to make.
Some restaurants opened as rules lifted, but tables were largely empty
While takeout continued, Monday lunch was slow at restaurants that opened for the first day of dine-in since mid-March.
Calkins: Reopen Memphis? Empty shops and restaurants show it’ll take more than mayors to do that
The government didn't shut down the economy. COVID-19 did that. So it'll take more than the government to open Memphis back up.
Coronavirus live blog, May 4: Free testing set for Hickory Hill
Christ Community Health Services is hosting free, drive-thru coronavirus testing from 2-6 p.m. Wednesday, May 6 at Mendenhall Mall. No appointment is required and those seeking a test do not need to have COVID-19 symptoms.
Memphis Kindness Blog: Mike Conley donates to CodeCrew
Former Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley donated to CodeCrew. The funds will help provide laptops and supplies for students who may need them for distance learning.
Chancellor strikes down school voucher law
Davidson County Chancellor Anne C. Martin has struck down the state’s private school voucher law, known as the Education Savings Account (ESA) Pilot Program.
Hair care businesses move into first phase of local reopenings
Barber and beauty shops can reopen as early as Wednesday in Shelby County under new health department directives announced Monday.
Businesses reopen with largely sparse traffic
The reopening of businesses across Shelby County started out quiet and slow, with some stores not even taking advantage of the first day of the Back to Business plan.
Leaders weigh ‘Back to Business’ risks of reopening badly
Local leaders worry that conflicting and inconsistent policies could make "Back to Business" rules more difficult to maintain and reopening risks more difficult to control.
Collierville names Dale Lane police chief
Collierville appointed Dale Lane as its next chief of police. Lane succeeds Chief David Tillner, who retired following complaints of low morale and lack of direction in the department.
Shelby County Commission says no to Harris’ wheel tax increase
Many county commissioners said their constituents don't like the wheel tax, don't know how it's used and thought it was going away.
Houses razed for Overton Square apartments
LPI Memphis, the owner of Overton Square, plans to build a three-story, 18-unit apartment building in the entertainment and dining district.
Case count rises locally as testing continues to expand
The looming question now is how will the phased-in reopening affect the county’s progress in slowing the spread of the virus in recent weeks.
Post Office adds grace period for holding mail during pandemic
The U.S. Postal Service will give customers additional time to collect mail that's been held by the Post Office during the COVID-19 crisis.
Bartlett native sings from home in ‘The Voice’ finals
Local vocal coach Mandi Thomas performed in the Top 17 round of the 18th season of NBC's "The Voice" on Monday, May 4. On the results episode at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, the artists will be pared down to the Top 9.
Tigers Notebook: Transfer rules, Penny Hardaway briefly appears in ‘The Last Dance’
Penny Hardaway voiced his displeasure Friday with the reported delay in transfer rule changes. Does the timing make sense?
Tourism industry marks milestone sans visitors
Memphis Tourism is encouraging Memphians to virtually celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week 2020. The focus is "resilience and hope in the face of the coronavirus pandemic."
Metro
City takes aim at Nichols’ family in new court filing
The claims add a new twist to the $550 million civil rights lawsuit that Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, and his estate have filed against the City of Memphis following Nichols’ 2023 beating and death at the hands of five now-former Memphis Police Department officers.
Public Safety Man accused of citywide shooting spree will go to trial next summer
Business
FedEx lays off hundreds across three cities, including Memphis
The cuts this week are likely the result of the company’s massive work to merge its Express, Ground and FedEx Services divisions.
Downtown Downtown Malco Theater to be fenced in with conditions
Sports
Friday football report: Houston, Collierville set for Class 6A quarterfinal rematch
Ladeadrick James’ touchdown lifts Mustangs over Bartlett while the Dragons blank Germantown.Related content:
Premium Memphis Tigers Basketball Love it, Like it or Hate it: Reviewing Memphis’ win against Ohio
Food
Memphian wins 2024 World Food Championship division
Eight Memphians were among the 288 teams competing at this year’s World Food Championships; division winners take home $10,000 and a chance to compete for $150,000 in the spring.
Suburbs
Bailey: A tour around the suburbs
Honors and ground breaking for Buc-cee’s highlight a week of touring around the suburbs for news.
Arts & Culture
Pompeii exhibit gives glimpse into ‘time capsule’
Casts created in hollowed-out spaces of volcanic ash and other artifacts from the frozen city of Pompeii, which was destroyed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., are on display at Graceland starting this week.
Opinion
Herrington: Warriors a tough matchup for Grizzlies, but also a model
Friday night in San Francisco, the Grizzlies will complete their first West Coast road trip against a team that’s so far had even more success this season with a similar approach: the Golden State Warriors.
Podcasts
Tigers Podcast: Football’s senior day, basketball’s second-half magic
How will this Memphis football season be remembered if the final two regular season games play out in the Tigers’ favor? Can the Tigers’ basketball team continue to pull of their second-half magic? Drew Hill, Frank Bonner II and Parth Upadhyaya discuss.