Variant doesn’t appear to be more virulent but could ramp reproduction rate here from 1.07 to 1.57 and dramatically increase deaths. 

Shelby County Health Department reported 639 new cases from more than 4,300 tests. Eight deaths were reported, bringing the total to 1,024.

A Memphis police officer has been relieved of duty after being arrested and charged with kidnapping and killing a man.

Groups such as the Gangster Disciples, Crips, Bloods and Latin Kings are splintering into neighborhood cells with names like the Choppa Gang in Hickory Hill, Concrete Cartel in East Memphis, 4 Corners in Orange Mound, and Dixie Homes Murder Squad, Major Frank Winston of MPD’s Multi-Agency Gang Unit said.

SCS Superintendent Joris Ray and his counterparts in Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga appeared virtually for an hourlong panel discussion with members of the House Democratic Caucus ahead of this year’s legislative session.

From Dec. 26, 2020 to Jan. 9, 2021, the Health Department reported an average of 601 cases and 3,870 test results a day yielding a 15.5% positivity rate.

The 552 coronavirus cases reported Saturday came from 4,752 test results, yielding a 11.6% positivity rate. The health department also announced that all vaccine appointments for January have been filled.

The Daily Memphian’s City Council Scorecard opens the new year with two council decisions — one on a familiar issue in council discussions. The other is a close vote on a lower speed limit.

As of Wednesday, 40% of Tennessee’s 95 counties had moved into the priority group that includes teachers. Those areas have smaller populations and fewer health care workers to inoculate after years of rural hospital closures.

Appointments may be made online, now. People without internet access may call 901-222-SHOT to schedule an appointment beginning Monday at 8 a.m.

Former local Democratic party Chairman Corey Strong, on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, says the Georgia model of bringing activists and organizers into the state party machinery will take time — probably six to 10 years to take Tennessee from red to purple.

The $8.6 billion waiver must be approved by the Tennessee General Assembly and sets a cap on TennCare funding with the state keeping a share of any savings if its spending comes in below the cap. 

U.S. Attorney Michael Dunavant issued a statement Friday saying the Department of Justice and the FBI would pursue charges against Mid-Southerners who participated in rioting at the U.S. Capitol.

The searches included the homes of former Republican House Speaker Glen Casada and state Rep. Robin Smith.

Portal will not reduce demand for the shot or scarcity of supply, but is expected to eliminate long lines, disappointment.

More than 1,000 Shelby Countians are now reported to have died from the novel coronavirus.

The tension between the Memphis leader and state officials illustrates the differences in how Tennesseans are responding to school safety concerns related to the virus. 

We’ve got Grizzlies taking a knee, an adorable letter-writer and a second-generation Memphis company becoming a Texan. 

The Shelby County Commission votes Monday, Jan. 11, on the proposed $2.5 million fund drawn from county reserves. 

Dr. Stephen Threlkeld, one of the city’s leading experts on the COVID-19 virus, says state and local officials need to figure out a vaccine pipeline that can keep the vaccine coming while not forgetting about the importance of testing. 

Jonah McCoy, 8, is a patient at St. Jude. He could teach us a thing or two. 

The Memphis Zoo’s first new baby of the year was an African penguin chick, born on Jan. 2.

Dr. Miriam DeCosta-Willis, a civil rights pioneer and champion of gender and racial equality, has died at age 86. 

Gov. Bill Lee approved a $15,000 reward for information on who shot and killed 13-year-old Demont’e Johnson in 2019. 

The Health Department expects to double down on enforcement, targeting workplaces associated with spread, including warehouses and other industrial settings.