South African strain has shown to be more resistant to vaccines than other known variants.

James C. Beasley Jr, a former Shelby County Criminal Court judge, died Sunday, Feb. 21. He was remembered as fair and a well-respected judge by his friends and colleagues. 

Just before schools are set to open next week, more than 6,000 Shelby County Schools employees will receive their first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. 

No firm timeline has been set for ending the “boil water” notice affecting Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division customers, MLGW officials said Monday, Feb. 22.

The Governor’s Unified Command Group is looking into how more than 1,315 doses of coronavirus vaccine were wasted in Shelby County. State Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey will address the issue on Tuesday.

MLGW is planning to hold daily press conferences this week at 3 p.m. 

A group of smaller utilities that are also part of TVA want to be able to use TVA transmission lines if they break with TVA. MLGW is considering leaving TVA as well and filed along with the city to intervene in the lawsuit, saying the decision could affect its decision to stay or leave.

Offerings include two pop-up locations at local churches. Beginning Wednesday, Feb. 24, teachers, child care providers and people 65 and older are eligible to be vaccinated and may sign up for appointments.

Cases rose over the weekend from low of 42 on Friday.

Potholes are popping up in the aftermath of last week’s ice and snow, but the City of Memphis has a plan in place to handle them. 

‘We are in a crisis situation,’ said Sen. Raumesh Akbari of Memphis, who chairs the Senate Democratic caucus. A GOP spokeswoman responded that the Republican Party is proud of its record on education since taking control of the legislature in 2010.

Can Chick-fil-A make local coronavirus vaccinations more efficient? We’ve also got a nutty story and a secret Rendezvous.

Whitehaven’s vaccination site saw an overwhelming response over the weekend. 

The commission is also slated to take up a resolution by Mick Wright that calls on the state of Tennessee to send the National Guard, with the assistance of logistics industry professionals, to oversee the vaccination process in Shelby County.

When the city’s water system became a crisis last week, Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division was several months underway with a five-year $142.4 million overhaul of water system infrastructure. 

Faced with the monumental challenge of trying to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of people against COVID-19, city and county officials haven’t been shy about consulting with business executives for tips on how to improve their operating efficiency.

SCS is requiring all in-school personnel to report to their school buildings, health concerns notwithstanding.

Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division will suspend service cutoffs for nonpayment until further notice and extend its pandemic payment plan option. The boil water advisory remains in effect.

The County Trustee’s office is the exception, staying open for the last week of county tax filing season. Some county employees will be working from home if possible as the administration decides on a day-to-day basis when to open the buildings.

Long lines marked most of the eight sites the city operated Sunday, Feb. 21, to give families with no or slow-flowing water a case of bottled water per car. 

There have been 104,364 vaccines administered in Shelby County, with 74,619 people receiving at least a first dose, and the remaining 29,745 doses given to people who are now fully vaccinated after receiving a second dose. 

A tiny boat crunched through Wolf River Harbor until a four-legged passenger decided to jump out and test the ice.

On The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, city Parks Director Nick Walker says community centers would remain free but with fees for specific programs. He also talks about “open play areas” like David Carnes Park in Whitehaven.

Those eligible for phase 1b will be able to make appointments starting Wednesday, Feb. 24. That includes teachers, residents above age 65 and childcare workers. 

Memphis, Light, Gas and Water’s water pressure situation has improved since Friday, but the utility organization’s president J.T. Young said it’s still “a critical patient.” He may have a better timetable Sunday on lifting the boil water advisory. Meanwhile, City Council members look at the water crisis.