Final walk throughs were taking place Monday as the county prepares for the first vaccination site outside Memphis.

Two local men charged in the U.S. Capitol insurrection Jan. 6 appeared in court Monday. Matthew Bledsoe appeared in Memphis and Ronald Sandlin was in court in Nevada, where he fled after the Washington events. 

Greater Memphis Chamber CEO Beverly Robertson sent a letter to Shelby County Schools superintendent Joris Ray and the board to urge them to reopen Memphis area schools.

The 376 new cases reported Monday come from 5,085 tests, giving the day a positivity rate of 7.4%.

First-dose openings are available at Appling location, too. 

The pandemic is taking its toll, Beale Street could be bookended and the surprising group of people who are reluctant to get a vaccine. 

It has been almost 11 months since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Shelby County, and we are tired. Even those who want to follow all the protocols and continue the good fight are more likely to ‘slip’ now and then. It’s called human nature and surveys show that across the country, Americans are weary of the pandemic. 

Despite public health experts’ pleas to get vaccinated, health care workers are among a third of reluctant Americans wanting to wait to get a COVID-19 shot. 

Vaccine distribution will begin this week at Walmart locations across Shelby County, some as early as Wednesday.

The Shelby County Health Department reported 225 new coronavirus cases and 11 virus-related deaths Sunday, Jan. 31. 

After being laid off from her writing job, Sami Harvey used her newfound free time to rack up the 200 hours of training need to become a certified rehabilitator and open her own nonprofit, Out of the Woods Wildlife Rescue & Rehab. 

Since March, Shelby County Health Department has reported 82,428 total coronavirus cases and 1,254 deaths, classifying 77,021 cases as inactive/recovered. 

The City Council’s most recent session featured a rare motion to table an item that didn’t have seven votes to pass, at least for now, and a vote to close a street even though the council could very well vote down the development that will follow the street closure.

Before Shelby County Commissioners and Memphis City Council members get together to talk about changing the most used tax incentive in local economic development, they want to do more than watch PowerPoint presentations on PILOTs – payments in lieu of taxes.

J&J said its vaccine works consistently in a broad range of people: A third of participants were over age 60, and more than 40% had other illnesses putting them at risk of severe COVID-19, including obesity, diabetes and HIV.

Issues still vexing at Pipkin, but the road to vaccine has been so long, few giving up.

Related story: Third day goes smoothly at Appling vaccination site

The city auto inspection station on Appling City Cove bustled with volunteers Friday, three days into giving second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Those scheduled for vaccinations were urged to come no more than an hour before their scheduled times. 

Tennesseans will be vaccinated against COVID-19 faster beginning early next week after President Joe Biden announced a massive purchase of doses, an increased weekly allocation to states and other moves to manage the pandemic.

The 270 new coronavirus cases come from 2,837 tests, giving the day a positivity rate of 10.5%.

Education commissioner Penny Schwinn says the Tennessee Department of Health is recruiting schools as vaccination sites and school nurses to give the shots “wherever feasible.” 

SCS students won’t go back to school on Feb. 8.

Eleven Walmart stores are participating in Shelby County.

We’re talking about depression, what’s the next play for schools at the state level and Memphis mailboxes being full of mashed potatoes. Just your typical Friday. 

With help and creativity, children as young as 7 can think about adult careers and becoming an entrepreneur.

People are asked to not come hours early and have proof of their appointment, but the lines were long once again at the Pipkin Building on Thursday.