Shelby County is set to pay millions as part of class action lawsuits, we’ve got COVID in schools and we’re asking people to eat, drink and be mask-y. 

The widely believed notion that COVID-19 is only an adult problem is patently false.

Shelby County “lost” potentially thousands of people in the county court system during the launch of a digital management software system by Tyler Technologies in 2016. 

The commission scorecard focuses on a rare veto by the county mayor and the County Commission’s vote earlier this month to override that veto. It’s another chapter in a contentious political saga as the commission enters the last year of its current four-year term of office.

The Lab School is a private and independent micro-school which currently serves six students of mixed ages 4-6. The day-to-day learning environment sees educators teaching students topics such as problem-solving, critical thinking and communication, along with developing math, science and reasoning skills.

Restaurateurs worry that Shelby County’s new mask mandate might scare customers, but prefer it over more stringent restrictions on their businesses.

Schools saw COVID-19 even when universal masking was required. The numbers from the first week of school, prior to Gov. Bill Lee’s order, provide a baseline.

Masks will be required in all public, indoor settings, including restaurants and bars.

The CEO of the region’s trauma center and safety net hospital said national competition among hospitals for the skilled specialists needed to put 21 beds back in use at Regional One is intense and costly. 

There are also questions about whether the move back to masks is legal, given the governor’s recent executive order.

Related story: 
Health Dept. Director: Shelby County mask mandate ‘needs to happen quickly'

“I anticipate, honestly, that everyone that got the vaccine is going to want the booster. That is the feedback I have been getting,” says Melanie Keller, CEO of Meritan.

Suburban districts shared the number of students opting out following Gov. Bill Lee’s order. However, most students continue to mask.

“We must have a universal mask mandate in Shelby County and it needs to happen quickly,” Health Department director Dr. Michelle Taylor told the County Commission Wednesday. 

Related story: 
Most — but not all — county commissioners support return to masks

Memphis City Council members cool on consolidation, Collierville Schools has hundreds of students in quarantine and we barely knew Patrick Beverley. 

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.