Amy Weirich’s new unit targeting police brutality is off to a fast start, charging two officers so far, yet faces challenges ahead.

A former MPD patrolman escapes prosecution for the liberal use of his Taser, yet a new District Attorney unit aims to hold brutal cops accountable.

A Tennessee Department of Health report on Shelby County vaccine distribution problems recommends more training and establishing a clear chain of command but concluded no one needs to get revaccinated. 

Shortly after the CDC announced vaccinated Americans could ditch the masks in most situations, Shelby County government said Health Directive No. 21, set to go into effect Saturday, may be in for a rewrite.

Shelby County children as young as 12 were starting to be vaccinated against COVID-19 on Thursday, May 13.

Local health officer Dr. Bruce Randolph has said that the new rules will allow people to vote with their feet.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris says he’s found nothing to validate accusations that doses of vaccine were lost, stolen or misused when the county Health Department controlled distribution. 

The commission is trying to come up with $659,000 in funding for salaries and wages in the clerk’s office without taking the money from county reserves.

Commissioners went ahead with a Monday vote on the Unified Development Code changes proposed by county Mayor Lee Harris. That despite the Byhalia Connection Pipeline companies urging a delay. 

Here’s a look at some terms to know as county commissioners begin discussing the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. 

Commissioners may decide if they want to stand down as the City Council has on changes to the Unified Development Code that would involve a setback for oil pipelines. The council delayed action on the same measure as the Byhalia Connection Pipeline companies agreed to drop lawsuits for rights of way in southwest Memphis.

FDA advisory committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday, May 12. 

Suburban leaders in Shelby County are optimistic resident responsibility will be part of the next directive. They hope to see the mandates turn into recommendations for residents.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said on “Behind The Headlines” that the estimated drop in the county property tax rate to $3.50, accounting for increases in values, should be the line to hold on the county tax rate. But county commissioners this week reviewed numbers suggesting some want to raise taxes beyond that point.

Mayor Harris is gathering more advice this week, including hearing from the municipal mayors. 

The pandemic will need to end before businesses shift gears to full recovery mode, according to Douglas Scarboro, regional executive with the Memphis Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, who said, “July 1 seems like a key revaluation point.”

Sullivan, Knox, Hamilton and Madison counties lift mask mandates; Davidson is waiting.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said rising economic and mental stress levels in the community resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic made this the right time to pursue this new policy.

In early April, the City of Memphis was giving 60,000 shots a week. Monday, April 26, it gave a total of 1,100 shots across all of its public drive-thru venues.

Lifts restrictions on many outdoor activities and small-group gatherings, even some for those who are not vaccinated.

Most people currently hospitalized for coronavirus in Memphis are 30-55 years old and many have no underlying health conditions — a big shift from late March when the average patient’s age was mid-70s.

The proposal by Assessor Melvin Burgess would have moved the cycle of countywide property reappraisals for taxation purposes from once every four years to every other year.

The commission also approved a $161,250 contract renewal with Global Tel*Link Corp. for maintenance and licensing of the telephone and video communications system at the Shelby County Jail.

The federal class action lawsuit was filed in 2016, a month after a new computer system was installed by the county to track the movement of pre-trial detainees through the criminal justice system. 

The commission delayed two earlier votes on moving to an every-other-year cycle for property reappraisals from the current four-year cycle.