We’ve got Cummins and goings, the death of a local legend, and excitement in Orange Mound. 

The Monday County Commission meeting includes a possible six-month moratorium on new PILOTs. And there is a compromise with Sheriff Floyd Bonner that would rewrite the ordinance requiring him to get approval from the commission to acquire surplus military hardware from the federal government.

The week featured some social media sniping, a MLK Day rebuke and a video plea from Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray.

Dr. Jon McCullers, a Memphis infectious disease expert, says greater ‘central control’ was needed at both the federal and state levels for a more effective response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The health department reported five additional deaths among people who tested positive for COVID-19. A total of 1,187 people in Shelby County have died who had the virus. The number of Tennesseans who tested positive and died is 8,859.

Melrose School has been an anchor in Orange Mound for 83 years and will soon have a second life.

University of Memphis historian Beverly Bond says there are important differences between the contested presidential election of 1876 that ended Reconstruction and the contested 2020 election. But there are some broader connections between the reactions then and now.

From Jan. 9 to Saturday, the Health Department reported an average of 482 new cases and 4,054 test results a day yielding an 11.9% positivity rate.

The move wrapped up the legislature’s four-day special session on education, called by Gov. Bill Lee to address learning disruptions for students during the coronavirus pandemic, plus perennial challenges with teacher pay and literacy.

The 537 COVID-19 cases reported Saturday resulted from 5,804 tests, yielding a 9.3% positivity rate.

An online petition opposing the opening of a Petland shop in Memphis has drawn more than 21,000 digital signatures. But the daughter of Petland’s founder mounts a defense, complete with Shelby County statistics on dogs placed into homes by animal welfare organizations in Shelby County.

The emergency-use therapy is available for people who test positive and who could become severely ill due to age or underlying conditions.

The new Tennessee Democratic Party chairman says on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast that challenging Republican majorities in the Tennessee Legislature will take longer. 

Michael Rallings retires in April. Mayor hopes to present candidate to City Council in mid-March.

The family of a man who was a detainee last year at the Shelby County Jail has filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging health officials at the jail did not do enough to help the victim, which led to his death at the hospital. 

Those who received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine can begin making appointments for a second dose starting at 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 25.

The governor and education commissioner have touted districts won’t be penalized based on test results. However, that’s only if 80% of students take the exam. Superintendents are concerned as so much uncertainty surrounds the requirements.

Intent on returning kids to classrooms, reversing months of “learning loss” and improving literacy, the Tennessee General Assembly approved a handful of bills Thursday and Friday, Jan. 21-22, and $110 million in spending.

The 337 cases come from 4,172 tests, giving the day a positivity rate of 8.1%.

Hear the experiences of three exceptional women in business as they tell the story of their professional journeys at our Women in Business Virtual Seminar on Feb. 25 at 3:30 p.m.

Superintendent Joris Ray posted a video Friday, Jan. 22 urging state legislators to vote against a bill that could “defund public education” if Shelby County Schools remain closed. 

We’re ready for a celebration: A long fight for $15 finally bears fruit, the Tigers win and our coronavirus reproductive rate is the lowest it’s been since the pandemic started.

Bartlett’s coronavirus vaccination rate is the second lowest in Shelby County, according to data from the Memphis-Shelby County COVID-19 Task Force. Only Memphis (2,163.7) has a lower vaccination rate.

On “Behind The Headlines,” Doug McGowen, the city’s chief operating officer, and Dr. Jon McCullers of UTHSC said multiple plans to vaccinate more than 600,000 people in Shelby County are ready to be used and adjusted to roll with the circumstances.

Anonymous donors are willing to fund the operation of a Universal Parenting Place, if they can find a qualified site operator.