Nordstrom Rack among the local businesses ready to reopen doors this week.

Sports are returning and, eventually, fans too. But will fears of contracting the coronavirus keep Grizzlies and Memphis Tigers fans home? That depends – on a lot of things. 

Wearing a mask or facial covering, and whether it should be mandated or suggested, is one of the ongoing debates as people emerge into the public arena as part of the COVID-19 recovery.

The call for an executive order by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is the latest, including three lawsuits pending in Nashville. Lee has said he will not issue an executive order dropping state law's present restrictions on the mail-in ballots.

The Tennessee Court of Appeals rejected the state's efforts to keep working on the Education Savings Account program while it's under appeal and set an Aug. 5 hearing for arguments, which could make it difficult for the program to get the go-ahead in time to start offering vouchers this year.

Detainees at 201 Poplar who had tested positive for COVID-19, upset they were being returned to their original housing, were pepper-sprayed Tuesday, May 19, after staging a sit-in, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

The city council approved a resolution that asks the mayor to seek specific information on what it would take for MLGW to break ties with TVA and pursue another electric power supplier. But the effort will wait at least until a first draft of a comprehensive report commissioned by MLGW is released May 29.

Alisa Haushalter, Amy Weirich, Michael Dunavant and other local officials continue to raise concerns over Shelby County's latest surge in drug overdoses.

Leigh Anne Rainey, a former Collierville High School science teacher, is returning to the district as chief academic officer.

Germantown Municipal School District 5K Stampede and Color Run will not happen in its normal format next month.

Tennessee House Education Committee Chairman Mark White agrees with federal guidelines diverting a great share of CARES Act funds to private schools, but Memphis Democrats say the decision creates a wider gap in education resources.

Alisa Haushalter provided guidelines for residents to follow that will help move the county toward Phase 3. Additionally, she addressed Shelby County Commission's decision to provide additional funding for hiring 141 new positions.

Memphis in May will remain at Tom Lee Park in 2021, MIM organizers announced Tuesday, May 19.

The testing money would come from the city's $113.6 million allocation of federal CARES Act funding. Strickland's proposal, presented Tuesday to the Memphis City Council, also includes an immediate $2.7 million to beef up health department contact tracing and long-term city funding of the health department beyond that.

Shelby County surpassed its testing goal Monday and performed more than 2,600 tests. The county also reported an additional 116 cases and three new deaths.

Spread across 29 hospitals in 28 Tennessee counties, the grants help smaller hospitals bridge funding gaps created by reduced patient volumes while federal funds become available.

As our new normal emerges, we must remember that SCS students are children first, and admonitions of “social distancing” go against the very notion of being a child. Students need authentic opportunities to interact with one another, be seen, and be heard and we commit to making that happen.

Dr. Alisa Haushalter and Dr. Bruce Randolph of the Shelby County Health Department say it's important to wear face coverings and maintain proper distance when interacting with people not from the same household.

SCS announced yesterday it is looking at a hybrid model for schools in the fall, and we're talking about making masks mandatory for Shelby County. Plus, a few Tigers are going toe-to-toe and we're looking on the bright side with an ophthalmologist. 

You see it all the time when you're out shopping — people breaking the new norms around COVID-19. So what's to be done about it? Nothing at all. 

Up for discussion Tuesday is a move to get a proposal from a specific TVA competitor and a legal opinion that could put off an electric rate hike scheduled to take effect July 1.

The latest edition of our tracking of Memphis City Council votes includes May council moves on an ordinance that would require masks for face covering to be worn in public and some larger issues that showed up in votes on Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division bond issue votes.

Grappling with finances in the pandemic era, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says the entire budget is up for review, including funds tied to the Education Savings Account, though he favors keeping the program intact as the Legislature gets ready to convene June 1.

The commission calculated cuts and additions to the $1.4 billion budget, which must be approved by June 30.

The resolution urges Health Department officials to require Shelby County residents and visitors to wear masks when out and about.