The letter circulating Tuesday warns of “catastrophic” effects that could “affect health care at every level.” Meanwhile, the city council is urging Gov. Bill Lee to rescind his executive order to allow parents to opt out of school mask mandates.

Some students at the University of Memphis are petitioning to make the hybrid model a permanent option for all courses. 

Students are still mandated to wear masks, unless parents present a formal, written request to school officials to opt out.

Some restaurants are once again closing because of employees testing positive, and a group of employees walked out of Soul Fish’s Midtown location on Sunday because it didn’t close.

An attorney representing the Kroger security guard accused of fatally shooting an unarmed Black man does not want videos of the incident released saying the videos could “taint” a jury pool. 

The earliest the City Council could vote on setting up a charter commission is its Sept. 7 meeting. 

The final “Be a Good Neighbor” vaccination event will be held from 3-6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21 at Greenlaw Community Center.

Health care workers say they are standing in solidarity with colleagues in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Texas who have petitioned their state governments to remove mandates that interfere with public health.

State calls in National Guard to help out at over-burdened hospitals, new flights are taking off at Memphis International, and the grass is almost greener at Overton Park. 

The newly planted greens of MiniVerde Bermudagrass are 99% ready. But the Bermuda Certified 419 fairways and tees still have bare spots, and the tall fescue for the natural areas and habitats must be reseeded this fall, the city’s top golf official says.

Memphians are not happy with Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order allowing parents to opt their children out of mask mandates in schools. 

Tennessee’s two Republican U.S. senators were highly critical of President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw U.S. military forces before his speech Monday, Aug. 16. They were more critical after the speech.

Suburban school districts are no longer requiring mask mandates for students, in line with Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order. However, the Shelby County mandate still affects staff.

Shelby County Schools leaders, however, say the school system’s mask mandate remains in place despite the executive order that also includes mask mandates by school systems. Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner is suggesting the county should take the issue to court.

In the first 15 days of August, there were more hospitalizations than there were in any full month of the pandemic, although not all of those were due to the coronavirus.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting involving the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

Gregory Livingston, the Kroger security guard charged with fatally shooting Alvin Motley, has hired high-powered criminal defense attorneys Leslie Ballin and Steve Farese to represent him. 

A total of four daily, nonstop flights to the New York area will return this fall.

Breakfast restaurant has a longer than anticipated wait, protesters urge a boycott and Scott Street is taking to a change like a viaduct to water. 

EcoPro Services, a division of Empower Employs, provides jobs to the disadvantaged who sanitize agencies working with the homeless in Memphis.

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.