It's Wednesday, July 15, and the 901 FC has its first (second) game today, Collierville is being sued, and a glasses company has seen a new opportunity. 

Dick Williams has died at age 92. He and his wife Virginia hosted a television magic show for children and families each week for 23 years, a record.

American Paper Optics – best known for its solar eclipse and special effects glasses – is now making and marketing face shields as an added layer of protection, especially for students.

The spending plan or budget was reconstructed several times in bargaining and changes in federal rules for how the grants could be used. Along the way, there was talk of animals moving out of the zoo and how to fund laptops and tablets for Shelby County Schools students.

The city administration says problems with garbage collection services aren’t solved yet but that the situation is improving.

A civil rights lawsuit has been filed against Collierville following a June 2019 officer-involved shooting that killed one person.

Gov. Bill Lee is not considering making a statewide mask mandate or shutting down parts of the economy again to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, even as cases surge.

A lawsuit seeking the release of medically vulnerable detainees from the Shelby County Jail because of COVID-19 has ended. Both sides now will wait to see how the court rules. 

Harvard and MIT were the first to contest the policy, but at least seven other federal suits had been filed by universities and states opposing the rule.

There are a lot of hard choices to make during this pandemic, but postponing high school football shouldn't be one of them. It's time to move the season to the spring.

Under the 2020-21 calendar approved by the Shelby County Schools board, students and teachers will have a fall break in October and start the second semester in February instead of January. 

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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