A proposed city ordinance that would require people to wear a face mask or some face covering in public places within the city cleared the first of three readings Tuesday, May 5, before the Memphis City Council.

Strickland says the city's $113.6 million federal CARES Act grant cannot be used to make up for revenue losses to the city as things stand now, causing a $40 million dip into the city's $78 million reserve fund without raising taxes, laying off employees or raising salaries for city employees.

Laird Veatch and the Memphis Athletic Department are working to adjust to new realities brought about by the coronavirus. 

Wells, whose journalistic roots were formed in the Memphis area, was honored by the Pulitzer Prize committee “For her outstanding and courageous reporting on the horrific and vicious violence against African Americans during the era of lynching.”

The Davidson County chancellor who ruled the state’s voucher law is unconstitutional is allowing the state to expedite a challenge before the Court of Appeals. And the Governor's Office and state Sen. Brian Kelsey are ready to go to the state Supreme Court if necessary.

In an online press conference Tuesday, Cohen also talked about offering mail-in absentee voting as an option to all in the November presidential general election.

Tuesday's total was the lowest single day total in six days, and the first time in that span the number of new tests fell below 1,200, much less 1,000.

The state has been working with the Tennessee Board of Dentistry to allow dentists to open starting Wednesday, the governor said. Small recreational facilities such as bowling alleys and putt-putt golf can reopen Friday.

Today is both Cinco de Mayo and Giving Tuesday Now. Yesterday, we reopened Shelby County's economy, the governor saw his private school voucher program run into a problem and local hair stylists got a surprise. 

FDA cracks down on testing process, says "flexibility never meant we would allow fraud." 

While children are not now in traditional classrooms, they are learning lessons. Don’t be surprised if the next generation floods the health care industry with new workers whose knowledge and ideas will be married to selfless compassion.

Strickland has three possible options for a city budget proposal in the new fiscal year that starts July 1. Also on the council agenda is the first steps toward a $354 million MLGW bond issue, a resolution calling for no restrictions on absentee voting by mail and an ordinance to require face masks in all public places in the city.

The Tennessee Department of Education and Gov. Bill Lee should use federal stimulus money to restore our children and their schools back to the position they were in prior to March 20, 2020.

Davidson County Chancellor Anne C. Martin has struck down the state’s private school voucher law, known as the Education Savings Account (ESA) Pilot Program.

Many county commissioners said their constituents don't like the wheel tax, don't know how it's used and thought it was going away.

The coronavirus pandemic may spur the NBA to test drive a new schedule starting around Christmas for the 2020-2021 season. And that would mean the closing of the summer sports gap.

Shelby County Election Commissioners will meet Thursday, May 7, online to discuss and possibly select a new voting system for the county.

The city and county can loosen restrictions, but a tour of Midtown and Downtown neighborhoods shows businesses and potential customers still have decisions to make. 

Memphis Tourism is encouraging Memphians to virtually celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week 2020. The focus is "resilience and hope in the face of the coronavirus pandemic."

Voter rights advocates are challenging Tennessee’s “restrictive excuse” requirements for absentee ballots in a federal lawsuit, arguing the state should adapt its rules to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government didn't shut down the economy. COVID-19 did that. So it'll take more than the government to open Memphis back up. 

The U.S. Postal Service will give customers additional time to collect mail that's been held by the Post Office during the COVID-19 crisis.

Former Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley donated to CodeCrew. The funds will help provide laptops and supplies for students who may need them for distance learning.

Barber and beauty shops can reopen as early as Wednesday in Shelby County under new health department directives announced Monday. 

The looming question now is how will the phased-in reopening affect the county’s progress in slowing the spread of the virus in recent weeks.