Harris considering weekly COVID testing for some county employees
The Shelby County mayor says a survey of county employees found that 70% had already been vaccinated.
Topic: Lee Harris
RSSThere are 596 article(s) tagged Lee Harris:
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August 2021
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Masks required in county government facilities open to public
Order runs through the end of August and may be renewed.
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Harris re-election speculation and ‘People’s Summit’ stir political pot
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris says it is too early to announce whether he will run for a second term. But local Democrats are anxious for an answer. Meanwhile the local Democratic party has a two-way race for a new chairman next month and the coalition for a “Moral Budget” talked about tax rate regrets at the “People’s Summit” in Whitehaven.
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July 2021
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No local guidance on what CDC advice means for Shelby County
Decision on masking mandate rests with the county mayor’s office. Aside from a tweet endorsing the CDC guidelines Wednesday, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris refused comment.
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VA to require vaccinations for health care workers
The VA is the first federal agency to mandate vaccines. It applies to employees at the VA Hospital in Memphis. The only other Memphis hospital that mandates vaccinations is St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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Morgan appoints treasurer in possible 2022 bid for county mayor
Morgan is in his second term on the City Council, which has a limit of two consecutive terms. Contenders for county offices in the May Democratic and Republican primaries can’t begin pulling petitions to get on the ballot until Dec. 20.
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Ford-Harris bad blood renewed over county pay bonuses
Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. wants the county to get the bonuses to county workers in the next pay period. County Mayor Lee Harris says the county needs to be sure the use of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds is allowed before it cuts checks.
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Ida B. Wells statue unveiling spotlights new issues
A new monument on Beale Street honors the 19th century school teacher, journalist and anti-lynching figure. The recognition comes 130 years after Wells left the city just ahead of a mob that ransacked her newspaper office.
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COVID transmission rate soars to highest since April 2020
The positivity rate has tripled since July 1, to 8.9%. The majority of cases are the Delta variant, which is 50% to 60% more contagious than the B.1.1.7 strain that was dominant here from mid-March 2021 to early July.
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Shelby County models collaborative with nonprofits on COVID response
The collaborative with more than 150 local nonprofits is to tackle long-terms needs and problems in the same rapid and sustained way the countywide COVID task force has handled the local response to the pandemic.
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June 2021
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End of Byhalia pipeline truce approaches with more specific proposals
Sarah Houston, executive director of the nonprofit “Protect Our Aquifer,” talked on “Behind the Headlines” about the end of a truce between the City Council, County Commission and the builders of the proposed Byhalia Connection oil pipeline.
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County Commission drops one-cent hike in property tax rate
The absence of four county commissioners, including three of the “yes” votes for the $3.45 property tax rate set two weeks ago, was crucial to undoing the tax hike. However, the issue is likely not over.
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Harris proposes county ethics reforms
Some of the changes proposed and outlined on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast address issues that came up in the allegations made against county commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. in an independent investigation made public last month in The Daily Memphian.
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County Commission contemplates definition of stable property tax rate
The Monday, June 7, session of the County Commission could mark the end of the 2021 budget season with a series of final votes on a $1.4 billion consolidated budget and a county property tax rate considered stable if it drops from the current $4.05 to $3.45.
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May 2021
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Federal agencies leaving Pipkin vaccine site Wednesday
The site will remain open, but with new hours beginning Thursday.
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‘Biden Bucks'; Cohen on the insurrection, and a third bridge
The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast runs down recent political events including sorting out what became of the idea of a “Super Chancery Court” proposed in the Tennessee General Assembly.
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No evidence of vaccine irregularities, Harris says
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.
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County Mayor Harris says county tax rate should hold steady
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.
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County poised to remove mask mandate
The mask mandate will be lifted in the new health directive, beginning Saturday, May 15.
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Budget Basics: A few numbers from Shelby County government’s budget season
Here’s a look at some terms to know as county commissioners begin discussing the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year.
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Masks, restrictions likely up to best judgment come May 15
Mayor Harris is gathering more advice this week, including hearing from the municipal mayors.
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April 2021
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County fire department begins direct transport to mental healthcare facility
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.
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COVID no longer public health emergency, Gov. Lee says
Gov. Lee has requested counties with independent health departments — Shelby, Madison, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox and Sullivan — that have remaining business restrictions or mask requirements to lift all measures no later than May 30.
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Harris presents $1.4B consolidated county budget
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris cited the ongoing impact of the pandemic in saying there would be no attempt to raise the tax rate after recertification. Harris also outlined a six-year, $32 million plan to beef up the county fire department.
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Crime rate doesn’t necessarily deter businesses considering relocation
Although Memphis has long battled perceptions (and reality) about its crime rate, community leaders say it’s not as much of a factor in economic recruitment efforts as one might expect.
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