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.

Students from Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal School reached out to places where they wanted to work to land three-day internships. 

On The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, Shelby County Chief Information Officer Sandra Perry talks about the lasting impact and the security challenges of work-at-home government services and what happens when one part of county government wants its own computer system and network.

The Daily Memphian City Council Scorecard looks at a committee vote this past week on whether to send $2.6 million to the council grants program or the city’s bus system. 

Veterans Services (USA) plans to transform the East Memphis Crowne Plaza into a mixed-use development marketed to veterans and other seniors. The organization’s goal is to operate such a facility in all 50 states.

The Teacher’s Discipline Act would create a uniform referral process allowing teachers to petition for removal of a student who repeatedly or substantially interferes with classroom learning.

SCS teachers are preparing to be joined in their classrooms by students for the first time in nearly a year. 

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said the city is confident —along with its other partners like local hospitals — it can currently deliver 40,000 inoculations, both first and second doses, each week. That’s more than double the current average of 10,000 to 15,000 doses administered.

Saturday’s event – one that featured many elected officials and community organizations – was the second unity walk in a three-month span.

The Shelby County Health Department reported 192 new coronavirus cases and 12 new coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday.