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Shelby County approves $11 million to boost hospital staffing
On Monday, the Shelby County Commission approved $3.6 million in funds for Regional One Health Medical Center in order to increase the facility’s ability to provide emergency medical treatment. Regional One has closed 21 beds over the last year due to staffing shortages, said Reginald Coopwood, Regional One’s president and CEO. Because the hospital lacks […]
After catastrophic flooding, Lee requests disaster funds from Biden
Deadly flash floods swept through Middle Tennessee, killing at least 22 people in Humphreys County and leaving others still missing. “We want to offer our condolences to the families that lost loved ones: the stories are horrific,” said Congressman Mark Green, R-CD7, who represents Humphreys County in a video message. “Ask our friends all across […]
Tami Sawyer: ‘I wish I’d been bolder my first year.’
Tami Sawyer, a commissioner on the Shelby County Commission has been an outspoken social justice activist over the last three years, a role that has earned her praise as well as criticism on a national level. She was elected to the commission in 2018 and in 2019, she ran for Memphis Mayor, taking on incumbent […]
For former translators and Vietnam veterans, breakdown of Afghanistan brings fresh pain
From his home in Clarksville, Fowad Kohistani calls his family in Kabul, Afghanistan every day and night about the rapidly deteriorating situation in their country. Kohistani and several members of his family worked as translators alongside the U.S. military, which allowed Kohistani to come to the U.S with his wife and young daughter. His five […]
Shelby County Commission takes steps to combat pediatric COVID crisis
Shelby County has reached limited availability in ICUs across the county due to a surge of positive COVID-19 cases, prompting the Shelby County Commission to take measures designed to combat high levels of pediatric COVID cases. On Wednesday, commissioners voted to increase the operating budget of Shelby County’s Health Services Division to combat nurse shortages, […]
Memphis City Council debates resolutions to protect aquifer
Stopping the development of the Byhalia pipeline in Memphis was a first step towards protection of the Memphis Sand Aquifer but environmental activists say the real battle now lies in politics, where the government still needs to create permanent protections for Shelby County residents. On Tuesday, the Memphis City Council once again delayed a final […]
State lawmakers look to levy punishments on those aiding undocumented immigrants
Lawmakers speculated Thursday on how the state can further regulate companies providing services to undocumented immigrants under federal contracts and if the state can levy stricter punishments on those aiding undocumented immigrants. The questions came during a meeting of the Joint Study Committee on Refugee Issues, which was formed after a group of migrant children […]
Parents and teachers fearful for students returning to school
As a parent of a child with a disability, Hanna Morgan Lewis begins each school year by having doctors fill out comprehensive seizure and medical forms, as required by the Williamson County Public Schools. School officials require her son’s medical issues be planned for in advance in case of emergencies and to avoid liability issues, […]
Williamson county pediatricians push for mask mandates in schools
As Williamson County parents, physicians urged school officials to prevent the possibility of “needless” deaths of children from COVID-19 by mandating masks. On Monday, several physicians called on Williamson County Public School Board members, private school administrators and elected officials to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for all children returning to […]
Shelby County funds programs to tackle vaccine disparities and mistrust
Shelby County Commission buckled down on vaccine disparities and low vaccination rates by passing several resolutions to combat vaccine mistrust in at-risk zip codes. “Having that immunity is what is going to get us out, if we are to ever get out of the shadow of this virus,” said Commissioner Mick Wright, R-Memphis.“The way out […]
Second lawsuit filed against unlicensed funeral director and two funeral homes
A second lawsuit has been filed against two Middle Tennessee funeral homes and a Tennessee funeral director who lost his licenses for failing to send bodies of deceased immigrants overseas for burial. Filemon Dominguez Diaz died in November, 2019. After his death, an acquaintance, Domingo Carlin Sanchez, contacted Diaz’s sister, Martha Angelica Dominguez Torres, to […]
Memphis City Council takes step to protect Memphis Sand Aquifer
The Memphis City Council made steps to pass an ordinance protecting the Memphis Sand Aquifer after environmental activists spent nearly a year fighting to protect it against a crude-oil pipeline. On Tuesday, the Memphis council passed on second reading an ordinance established the city government’s role in overseeing future developments in Memphis and how they […]