MTS said it received CARES Act funding, which was distributed to students in small grants to help offset the costs of increased technological use at home.

Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter said the 700 new coronavirus cases are from several days of tests and not reflective of a 24-hour period. It's imperative to bring the positivity rate of tests below 10%, she said.

The Health Department reported 700 new cases July 14. 

The ACLU is asking a Davidson County chancellor to hold the state of Tennessee in contempt of court for violating an absentee ballot order by forcing first-time voters to cast ballots in person.

Parents are getting an education this week as they try to learn more about local school district's reopening plans for the fall, and new details have been released about Brandon Webber's police-involved death last year. Plus, a "Ban the Box" provision gets bigger. 

Plans must be approved by the Tennessee Board of Education and Shelby County Health Department.

They have until Saturday, July 18, to decide whether their children return to Shelby County Schools’ buildings or stay home to learn with the aid of a school-issued laptop or tablet.

A majority of the seats on the nine-member Shelby County Schools board are on the August election ballot. As voters make those choices, starting with early voting later this week, parents are making other choices around the new school year.

The proposal comes as County Mayor Lee Harris has 46 requests from other countywide elected officials to add positions two weeks into the new fiscal year. Harris also served notice Monday that next budget season he will be back with some kind of proposal to raise revenues to avoid layoffs and cuts in services that are a real possibility this fiscal year.

Some significant amendments to apply the program to private contractors pushed a final vote to July 21.

The Ric Nuber YMCA, 5885 Quince in East Memphis, was closed Monday, July 13, after two lifeguards tested positive for COVID-19.

Though it’s expected to be amended, Shelby County Commissioners approved Monday, July 13, a ban on alcoholic beverages being served at county facilities.

Three people working in the Legislature have tested positive for COVID-19, possibly including one lawmaker who has tested positive. Plus, a former lawmaker who gave the House prayer June 18 was released from the hospital after testing positive.

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Goldshield products have been proven to kill 99.9%-99.99% of disease-causing organisms.

Just moments after Gov. Bill Lee signed an abortion ban into law Monday, July 13, a federal judge blocked the measure from taking effect and set up a court battle with the ACLU-Tennessee.

Blind Bear and other bars and limited-service restaurants are seeking an injunction allowing them to stay open.

In regional ICUs, 62 beds are available. Forty percent of ICU patients are either COVID-19 positive or under investigation for the virus.

It's Monday, July 13, and the Shelby County Commission is planning to "ban the box," schools are still a question mark, and the Memphis Zoo has a new animal — but it's one you may not expect. 

Early voting in advance of the Aug. 6 election day begins Friday in Shelby County. 

Questions surface as city officials limit access to police brutality files and sidestep requests for comment regarding excessive force.

North, a 1-year-old golden retriever, wears a bright yellow cape as he makes the rounds at the Memphis Zoo where curator Courtney Janney is training him to be a Canine Companions assistance dog.

The proposal would remove from county government employment applications the check box or question that asks whether the applicant has been convicted of a criminal offense. 

The area’s total number of cases is now 13,702 with 221 deaths.

Gov. Bill Lee continues to call the COVID-19 pandemic a crisis, but some Memphis lawmakers question his strategy as cases spike. They say he needs to be prepared for another round of spending to help families as the school year starts.