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.

While we are providing this content for free, producing it is not free. If you are a subscriber, thank you for your support of independent local journalism. If not, please consider joining our team.

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.

The annual fundraiser of the Memphis Branch NAACP was held online Saturday and featured appearances by the national president and CEO of the nation's oldest civil rights organization as well as recent Democratic presidential contender Julian Castro. 

The Tennessee Healthcare Resource Tracking System reports 93% of regional ICU beds are being used, with 112 patients identified as COVID-19 positive and 26 additional patients under investigation.

With hospitals 90% full in and right at the red range of capacity, leaders are working their plans for the COVID-19 surge.

The Shelby County Commission will reconsider a proposal they initially voted down: John Porter's Quinn Ridge Development in Collierville. Some commissioners believe the project would yield significant financial gain for the county, but others believe it would be more of a financial burden.

Kids who go to school risk exposing themselves and others to COVID-19. But many kids who stay home are more vulnerable to adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs.