On “Behind The Headlines,” Doug McGowen, the city’s chief operating officer, and Dr. Jon McCullers of UTHSC said multiple plans to vaccinate more than 600,000 people in Shelby County are ready to be used and adjusted to roll with the circumstances.
The two mayors, in an extended interview on “Behind The Headlines,” say new vaccines that don’t require two doses or sub-zero refrigeration could work better for meeting the need countywide.
Dr. Stephen Threlkeld, one of the city’s leading experts on the COVID-19 virus, says state and local officials need to figure out a vaccine pipeline that can keep the vaccine coming while not forgetting about the importance of testing.
The local face of a global pandemic, challenges to education and the local reaction to the death of George Floyd topped a “Behind The Headlines” review of the year 2020.
The National Civil Rights Museum’s annual Freedom Awards Friday, Dec. 11, will be basically a “greatest hits” online moment in this year of the pandemic.
Leaders of the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association and Mid-South Food Bank talked on “Behind The Headlines” about how the pandemic has changed their distribution models.
The mayors of Bartlett and Germantown are pushing Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee for a statewide mask mandate. Short of that, they’re working to create a county-by-county mandate among West Tennessee mayors.
The effort short of a statewide mask mandate includes a coalition of local leaders across West Tennessee. Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said he is also working on a long-term plan for the county to continue to deal with the pandemic through 2021 and after federal CARES Act funding runs out at the end of December.
On “Behind The Headlines,” the leaders of the two suburban school systems also agreed with the recommendation of Gov. Bill Lee not to use the results of state achievement tests this year to evaluate teachers and students. Nevertheless, they are watching to gauge the impact of the pandemic on learning and the lives of students.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland also said on the WKNO program “Behind The Headlines” that police reform still means hiring more officers.
Former Memphis City Council member Harold Collins and Just City Director Josh Spickler said on “Behind The Headlines” that for all of the talk of changing police, MPD is still policing the way it has for decades.
Germantown Municipal Schools District Superintendent Jason Manuel and Bartlett City Schools Superintendent David Stephens talked on “Behind The Headlines” about changing local health department requirements that require students in schools to wear masks and be 6 feet apart at all times.
The Arlington and Collierville school systems are using a similar mix of hybrid online and in person classes along with virtual options for elementary school students. The superintendents of the two suburban systems talked on “Behind The Headlines” about prospects for more change.
During an appearance on “Behind The Headlines,” Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray also pushed back against the narrative that no high school football games for the state’s largest school system could limit the path to higher education for student athletes.
On “Behind The Headlines,” Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. also said he sees an “appetite” for reform among law enforcement in general but has some hesitation about trying to codify reform measures he’s taken to apply to future sheriffs.
The seven public school systems in Shelby County opened in one way or another before the Labor Day weekend with plans that vary to some degree.
On "Behind The Headlines," the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate says she's raised 10 times more money since she won the August primary statewide. Bradshaw touts an alternative path back to the U.S. Senate in Tennessee for Democrats that relies on community organizers and their networks.
Council members Michalyn Easter-Thomas and Chase Carlisle were on opposite sides of the council's veto override vote on police residency this week. On "Behind The Headlines" they talked about how many police are enough and how to get to the bigger issues beyond the numbers in the ranks.
On "Behind The Headlines," Dr. James Downing talked about the gap between public health and health care as well as the research hospital's $20 million effort to keep the virus off its campus through weekly testing. Data from the testing regimen is also part of a global research effort and St. Jude is participating in clinical trials for a vaccine.
On “Behind the Headlines,” the president of the University of Memphis says some students have been living on campus through the pandemic, in part because of the digital divide and because some students will have the flexibility to remain off campus after the return with hybrid classes.
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.
Two local leaders in the pandemic fight said on "Behind The Headlines" there would be a stronger-than-usual push for flu vaccinations. Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter also said the role of schools in the pandemic makes reopening them – virtually or in person – an important part of battling the virus.
The CEOs of Regional One Health, Baptist Memorial Health Care, and Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare talk on "Behind The Headlines" about their contingency plans for the surge in COVID-19 cases locally and the numbers they look at to activate surge plans.
The Shelby County Schools superintendent said on “Behind The Headlines” that the school system is ready with a flexible plan and two teams of teachers for each school – virtual teachers and in-person teachers.
On “Behind The Headlines,” the first-term council member said the proposals to come will push further on changing the Memphis Police Department beyond nonbinding resolutions approved last month.