The president also announced he will use the powers of the federal government to direct all states to prioritize vaccinating teachers.

M.A. “Mo” Myers, former head of the Memphis FBI field office, has been promoted to oversee the agency’s intelligence branch. 

The Shelby County Health Department reported 42 new coronavirus cases and zero new coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday.

Those 42 cases come from just 937 tests, giving the day a positivity rate of 4.5%.

The City of Memphis continued to transition into administering COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday, trying to streamline the process for those getting the shots.

Hometown chef is making a TV dinner, Justise prevails and, with FedEx delivering, the country has one on the way. 

The items added Monday evening to the council’s committee list include $1 million in funding for the city’s vaccine ramp-up. They join what was already a busy council day, including the 100 North Main building, street racing and sewer fees.

Former Daily Memphian reporter Wayne Risher gives a detailed account of getting his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Raleigh. 

Monday was the first day of in-person classes for Shelby County Schools.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said the county will hire a national search firm to field the applications, which are due by the end of this month.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen’s tweets on Trump’s appearance offered a contrast to the social media reaction from Blackburn and Hagerty. Republican U.S. Rep. David Kustoff didn’t comment on CPAC but did post on his vote against the Democratic COVID stimulus package that passed in the House.

According to the latest Tennessee Department of Health data, just over 10% of the Shelby County population has received at least one coronavirus shot. That compares to more than 12% of the state population.

With the approval of a new COVID-19 vaccine, FedEx is preparing to increase the number of doses it delivers on behalf of the federal government each week.

The city reopened the centers in a phased reopening of the 24 community centers across Memphis.

Shelby County Fire Department dispatchers are receiving training in dealing with mental health calls and emergencies. 

The Tigers hold hope for a bid to the NCAA tournament, Grace St. Luke’s students get out of school and the new owners of Earnestine & Hazel’s are already practicing their soul burger. 

Some Germantown residents – outside the suburb’s water system – were affected by the MLGW boil water advisory, leading the suburb to consider accelerating efforts to provide water to all residents.

Vaccine trackers reflect the daily raw data that feed them, but experts say specific comparisons are hard to make because there is so much inconsistency in data collection, among other factors. 

Gov. Bill Lee said he plans to reintroduce a constitutional carry bill. It’s a move local law enforcement leaders say they will once again oppose. 

Memphis comic LaToya Tennille finds humor in her hometown and in her own life. If that translates to making the “big-time,” great. If it doesn’t, well, maybe she’s cleared a path for somebody else. 

Going forward, vaccinating the citizens of Shelby County against COVID-19 is under the authority of the City of Memphis after the state transferred custody of the vaccine and administration of the process away from county leaders. It took a dizzying array of missteps for this to occur, and Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright says: “The public deserves to know what happened.”

Related story:
County vaccination timeline

From Feb. 1 through last Friday, Feb. 26, the missteps that led to Dr. Alisa Haushalter’s downfall as director of the Shelby County Health Department unfolded day by day. 

The Shelby County Health Department reported 136 new cases and no additional deaths on Sunday, Feb. 28.