Executive order paves way for fall high school sports to start on time
Gov. Bill Lee's announcement allows for full-contact sports to begin practice.
Calkins: We’re shutting down high schools but not high school football? Shame on us
Of all the shameful decisions made by all our feckless leaders during this pandemic, you will have a hard time finding any more disgraceful than the decision by Gov. Bill Lee to allow high schools to resume playing football.
Kicker David Kemp joins Ryan Silverfield’s class of 2021
The five-star prospect, who spent the past two years in Kansas at Andover High, made 15 of 19 field-goal attempts last season.
FBI searches Sen. Katrina Robinson home a second time
The FBI searched state Sen. Katrina Robinson's home Tuesday for a second time. Authorities provided no details about why they were searching the home.
Straight from the horse’s mouth: Mask up
Some of Germantown's horses are now wearing masks. The new effort encourages residents to mask up as Shelby County Health Department has ordered.
Gov. Lee recommends in-person classes, outlines contingency plans
Gov. Bill Lee outlined the contingency plan the day after Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray said a safe reopening of in-person classes was "largely a myth" with the number of COVID-19 virus cases growing. The Memphis and Nashville school systems are the only two in the state starting the school year with online classes only.
Collierville Board of Education expresses preference for in-person classes
Collierville's Board of Education passed a resolution Tuesday night calling for five days a week of in-person classes, and giving the superintendent the ability to open schools in "the least restrictive manner" possible. The resolution will be sent to state legislators.
New No. 1 Rahm sees WGC-FedEx St. Jude as springboard
Now that he's reached the top spot, the Spaniard's goal is to stay there. And it begins this week at TPC-Southwind.
Graceland to offer virtual Elvis experiences
Instagrammable moments will mark Graceland's COVID-19 edition of Elvis Week.
Kirby quarterback and top prospect Tevin Carter ‘just chilling’
Highly regarded quarterback prospect Tevin Carter has seen his recruiting timeline shift considerably due to an NCAA dead period.
FedEx pilots chafe at Hong Kong’s forced quarantine
FedEx Express’ pilots union asked the company to suspend operations in Hong Kong because of “unacceptable risks for pilots related to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Amazon hiring hundreds in Olive Branch
Amazon touts $15-an-hour minimum wage and immediate benefit-package availability as it begins ramping up a large item fulfillment center in Olive Branch, Mississippi.
528 new COVID-19 cases over several days, health official says
The case total reported Tuesday is the second highest daily increase in the pandemic. Another 3,391 test results were reported with a positivity rate of 15.6%.
W.D. Merritt, former MPD homicide detective, remembered as ‘true hero’
Family members on social media attributed the retired homicide detective’s death to COVID-19 complications. He was 56.
Health officer: Testing labs improve capacity and availability of reagents
Dr. Bruce Randolph, Shelby County Health Department health officer, said coronavirus test results are coming back in three days or less in some cases. The goal is for that to be between 24 to 48 hours.
‘Taser Face': MPD officer’s repeated use of stun gun prompts excessive force investigation
A Memphis police officer's repeated use of a Taser headlines more questions about use of force at MPD and why the agency isn't referring cases for prosecutorial review.
Tennessee Supreme Court agrees to hear Graceland appeal of lawsuit dismissal
The state appeals court late last year upheld the dismissal of one in a series of lawsuits by Graceland challenging the FedExForum contract. The lawsuits specifically challenged the clause that forbids public financing of arenas that would compete with the Forum. The appeal to the state Supreme Court could revive the lawsuit.
Republican Senate primary narrows between Hagerty and Sethi as Flinn seeks different path
The three-way race is a skirmish between two to show who is closer to President Donald Trump and a different strategy by a third candidate, seen before in the 2018 GOP primary for Tennessee governor.
Race for the U.S. Senate: The fundraising threshold and the candidates
Statewide races in Tennessee are daunting tasks requiring millions of dollars to credibly campaign in a state with 95 counties and two time zones. Here are the major contenders by those fundraising standards and the other contenders in each primary.
Grizzlies get hot in scrimmage victory over Heat
The Grizzlies looked impressive in their final tuneup from the NBA bubble in Orlando.
Metro
Tigers AD remembers Marlon Dechausay, champion for student-athletes
Memphis athletic director Ed Scott said he never imagined that on a work trip he’d lose his friend of 14 years. Tigers associate AD Marlon Dechausay suffered a heart attack while in Hawaii for the Maui Invitational. He died Dec. 4.
Premium Education Why school board members can’t be recalled
Business
FedEx sees some gains in face of stubborn economy, other headwinds
The company affirms the value of its savings programs, more than $6 billion through 2027, but downgrades earnings-per-share for the rest of the year.
Premium Food News Food Files: Petra Cafe closes; Catherine & Mary’s to undergo $175K reno
Sports
Buckley: The table was set. The fans showed up. The Tigers did not.
Despite a crowd announced at more than 14,000, Memphis lost big to Mississippi State. What will FedExForum look like when Ole Miss shows up next?
Premium Memphis Tigers Basketball With ‘no excuse’ after lopsided loss to Bulldogs, Tigers look ahead
Food
$10 Deal: Ali Baba’s smoky-sweet flavors are straight from the fire
Joshua Carlucci says a Mediterranean wood flame grill is at the heart of Ali Baba’s traditional — but unforgettable — menu.
Suburbs
Collierville grad will be front and center in UT’s College Football Playoff
University of Tennessee drum major Christian Carroll, of Collierville, is only the third Black drum major in the school’s history.
Arts & Culture
Midtown’s Railgarten has shut down
Signs outside popular Midtown venue and some social media posts indicate Railgarten closing is due to renovations. But the owners aren’t talking.
Opinion
Opinion: A call for solutions and community empowerment
“While I agree that our police department can and should improve, the real question for me is this: Will a Federal Government consent decree yield the true results our community is seeking — will it make Memphis better?”
Podcasts
Sound Bites: Ice cream can make the holidays sweeter
It may be winter, but Kameisha Wilson of Kaye’s Pints & Scoops says that shouldn’t mean ice cream is off the table.
Games
Word Flower: Dec. 21
Word Flower is a fun and challenging game people of all ages can play.