Collierville released a new reopening plan for elementary students. allowing those in Pre-K through 5th to attend school five days per week.

The positivity rate for tests released Friday, July 31, was 19%, and on Thursday, July 30, it was 53.4%. The positivity rate for Sunday, Aug. 2 is 6.6%.

Private and independent schools have far more autonomy in the decision-making process as opposed to schools in the districts like Shelby County. 

COVID-19 claimed Tom Marino's life and maybe his brother Steve's, too. Family and friends don't treat that as summary of Tom's life, but more of a footnote to be heeded. 

Phyllis Betts and Richard Janikowski have set a new bar for growing the Memphis Police Department ranks to 2,800. They talked on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast about calls for more police amid calls locally for changing the fundamentals of policing and even the share of government funds devoted to policing.

When it comes to returning children to school or keeping them home during a world pandemic, school systems and parents must decide independently what's best for them.

One Collierville High employee is at home with coronavirus.

My longtime pastor, Steve Montgomery, died of injuries from a bicycle accident earlier this week. What would Steve have said to help us make sense of his death? I asked some of his close friends. 

The health of 33 assisted living residents is being monitored after a COVID-19 outbreak in Bartlett. In Shelby County as a whole, there have been five new coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the hard-fought statewide Republican primary race for the U.S. Senate is being seen by partisans on both sides of the close race as about the conservative movement in the state.

If approved, it would call on Mayor Jim Strickland to submit a plan by Oct. 6 for getting to 2,800 police officers by the end of 2023. 

Shelby County Criminal Court jury trials had been set to resume Aug. 31 have been suspended indefinitely. Judges will monitor the situation on a month-by-month basis to see when trials can resume. 

On "Behind The Headlines," Shelby County Elections Administrator Linda Phillips says some upgraded digital scanners that are part of the new system will be used in the August vote count and again in November. She expects the November presidential general election Shelby County to be a record-setter in terms of turnout.

The Rev. Dr. Stephen R. Montgomery, whose prophetic hope and pastoral heart gently, but firmly challenged and encouraged his church and community to be more just and loving, died Friday morning at Regional One Health with his family by his side. He was 68.

For the month of July, the Shelby County Health Department has reported 83 coronavirus-related deaths. That compares to 76 in June, 59 in May and 44 in April. Nineteen deaths have been reported since July 23.

About 80% of public school students are under Shelby County Schools and will start the academic year online. But some suburban schools, charter schools, and state-run schools plan to have a mix of online and in-person instruction.

It's finally Friday and we're talking about virtual classes but on-campus living, FedEx tightening its belt and a need for more police. 

The two-pronged effort comes as two criminal justice consultants instrumental in the Blue Crush police strategy are again working with the city and recommending a police force larger than the goal of 2,300 officers by the end of this year.

Cerrito’s business was based on friends interacting at preferably crowded indoor spaces. What happens when barroom bonhomie becomes a public health problem? For Cerrito, it meant a screeching halt to his entire business. 

Collierville residents will vote in November for a replacement in Alderman Position 4 the seat vacated by Tom Allen’s recent death.

Rev. Steve Montgomery, who retired as the widely respected and beloved senior pastor of Idlewild Presbyterian Church a little over a year ago, is in critical condition in intensive care at Regional One.

Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division won't be cutting off utilities for those late on their bills. Customers now have until Aug. 24 to pay their bills or work out a payment plan with MLGW.

Evidence from a different case was incorrectly used to seek DNA testing for a Shelby County man on death row, and the petition for testing should therefore be denied, Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich said Thursday, July 30. 

The Memphis Congressman said calls at the Atlanta funeral to continue the struggle for voting rights are appropriate in the current political environment. 

Dr. Jon McCullers, a leader in the fight against COVID-19, encouraged parents and school districts to make the best individual choices when deciding on attendance for this school year.