COVID Hospitalizations Rising in Shelby County
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Public Records & Notices Monitoring local real View a complete estate since 1968 day’s public records Subscribe Presented by and notices today for our at memphisdailynews.com. free report www.chandlerreports.com Friday, July 9, 2021 MemphisDailyNews.com Vol. 136 | No. 82 Rack–50¢/Delivery–39¢ Police Chief Davis reacts to new open carry gun law BILL DRIES Davis briefed Memphis City Davis said. “The Second Amend- that reworks the basic approach exception to the open carry provi- Courtesy of The Daily Memphian Council members Tuesday, July 6, ment does give our citizens the officers take when encountering sion. “If all they see is an individual On the first weekend of the on the impact of the law that took right to bear arms. However, this someone in public who is armed. in the community with a weapon, state’s “open carry” gun law, Mem- effect July 1 allowing gun owners presents challenges as it relates to “In this new statute, we have that’s not someone you can stop.” phis Police were watching the ages 21 and older to carry hand- everyday living in the community to make sure that if we approach “So, are we assuming every- Beale Street entertainment dis- guns openly without a permit. – the nature of fear that may exist an individual that we know in fact one is armed?” council member trict closely, according to Police “There’s a little bit of an intimi- in community members.” that they are a convicted felon,” Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis. dation factor in the community,” Police are undergoing training Davis said, referring to the major GUNS CONTINUED ON P2 1 to 97 on July 5, and backing down to 45 Wednes- day, July 7. In the same week, the positivity rate – the num- COVID hospitalizations rising ber of people testing positive – doubled from 2% to 4%. Two or three weeks ago, there were barely any COVID patients in the ICU at Baptist-Memphis, said in Shelby County Dr. Manoj Jain, infectious disease specialist. “This past weekend, there were half-dozen or more in the ICU,” Jain said. Of the 34 COVID patients at Baptist on Wednes- day, July 7, six were in the ICU. Neither Saint Francis nor Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare immediately responded to questions on COVID census numbers. Because the vaccine is not 100% effective, there will always be breakthrough cases, Jain said. “If they are immunocompromised, which may be the case, then they may not have built a strong immune response,” he said. People with transplants or on steroids for dis- eases like COPD are most at risk for low antibody response. “Really, these patients need to talk to their doc- tor about whether they need a third dose,” Jain said. “The data show a third dose is very helpful.” The consensus among local infectious disease doctors Threlkeld polled is the number of vaccinated people sick enough to be hospitalized with COVID is up considerably. “Everybody sort of agreed that we have seen more vaccinated individuals admitted to the hos- pital with COVID in the last week and a half or so than we had seen cumulatively in the entire weeks before that,” he said. Through June 24, the State of Tennessee had reported 968 cases of COVID in people who had been vaccinated. The next report will be released Dr. Stephen Threlkeld, co-director of Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis’ infectious disease program, consults with nurses on Friday, July 9. the hospital’s COVID stepdown unit. (Courtesy of The Daily Memphian fi le) Through the July Fourth weekend, about half the cases here can be traced to the Delta variant. It JANE ROBERTS Dr. Stephen Threlkeld started see- would say, most notably, we have seen is thought to be more contagious because it adheres Courtesy of The Daily Memphian ing the uptick last Wednesday, June 30. a significant increase in vaccinated ad- better to receptor cells in the body. In the last week, the number of CO- “It was fairly striking, that very after- missions,” said Threlkeld, an infectious “Just as we saw with the Alpha variant, B.1.1.7, VID hospitalizations at Baptist Memo- noon, we saw a rather sharp increase in disease expert. once it enters the community, it moves very rapidly,” rial Hospital-Memphis tripled to more the people in the emergency department Case numbers have been steadily than 30. and admissions to the hospital. And I rising in Shelby County, from 49 on July COVID CONTINUED ON P3 INSIDE Public Records ................ 4 Public Notices ............... 13 memphisdailynews.com chandlerreports.com Marriage licenses are unavailable ©2020 The Daily News Publishing Company A division of The Daily News Publishing Company while Shelby County Clerk’s O ce Memphis, Tennessee The standard for premium real estate Established 1886 • 135th year information since 1968 reviews internal policies for its digital Call 901.523.1561 to subscribe Call 901.458.6419 for more information platforms. Page 2 MemphisDailyNews.com Friday, July 9, 2021 Council sets stage for pipeline regulations in wake of Byhalia Connection surrender BILL DRIES Citizens who fought Byha- three “readings,” or votes, all over instead offers recommendations city-county ordinance proposed Courtesy of The Daily Memphian lia Pipeline can rightfully claim again since the new version dif- to the council on those permits. by Shelby County Mayor Lee The Byhalia Connection Pipe- victory fers significantly from the earlier The ordinance also specifical- Harris. line is still not happening. The company claimed Friday, versions. ly bars “new development (includ- “It was clear when it was draft- But at times Tuesday, July 6, it July 2, it withdrew the project The board would consist of a ing construction or installation of ed that it was designed to stop was hard to tell. because of declining demand for representative from the city en- new structures) of underground our project,” Thornton said of the Plains All American Pipe- gasoline during the COVID pan- gineering division, one from the hazardous liquids transportation ordinances. line, the company partnering demic, making no mention of the city public works division and infrastructure” unless the council “These efforts have taken on a with the Valero refinery on the vocal opposition and movement another from the Memphis-Shelby issues a permit for it. life of their own. These are no lon- 49-mile pipeline proposed to go that surfaced. County Division of Planning and The prohibition doesn’t ap- ger anti-crude oil pipeline legisla- through southwest Memphis, sent Meanwhile, council member Development. ply to “private or public waste tion. These efforts have become an a spokesman to the Memphis City Jeff Warren, as expected, scrapped Memphis Light, Gas and Wa- water, septage or sewerage anti-industry initiative.” Council to warn the body against one of the ordinances, his earlier ter Division would also appoint infrastructure.” The first versions of the per- passing two ordinances that ordinance that would have put the a member of the panel and the The permit application must mitting process drew concern would restrict future pipelines. council public works committee chairman of the City Council have confirmation from MLGW from FedEx and several other “There is no legal basis for at the head of a permitting process would appoint a representative that the development does not businesses with underground in- these ordinances and they will for pipelines to get local approval. from the body. pass within 1,000 feet of the util- frastructure, including existing be overturned when challenged,” It was up for a final vote Tuesday Other members of the nine- ity’s wellhead protections areas pipelines for jet fuel in the case Plains attorney Cory Thornton before the council. member panel would be two rep- and all existing public water sup- of FedEx. said during council committee Warren instead replaced it resentatives of the Greater Mem- ply wells. But Warren and others in- sessions. with an “underground infrastruc- phis Chamber, one from the Uni- The council approved on the volved in drafting the substitute Thornton again said the pipe- ture advisory board” that would versity of Memphis and a citizen second of three votes Tuesday an ordinance say it doesn’t apply to line project won’t move forward. review development projects and appointed by the mayor “with a amendment to the Unified Devel- that infrastructure. But he said the company had built submit advisory opinions to the proven track record of working to opment Code that says any pipe- Thornton questioned that relationships with local residents council. promote environmental justice in line like the Byhalia Connection assertion. even if the proposal failed. Warren introduced the reso- the Memphis community” by the Pipeline must be at least 1,500 feet “No matter how many carve- “We will continue to build and lution in committee Tuesday and wording of the ordinance. from schools, parks, churches and outs you put in those provisions, maintain those relationships as the council set a first-reading vote The board will specifically family recreation areas. their language remains broad we operate our existing assets or on the substitute ordinance for its review applications for under- The Shelby County Commis- and will have unintended conse- explore new opportunities in the July 20 meeting. The substitute ground infrastructure permits. sion is also nearing a final vote quences for many years to come,” area,” he said. ordinance starts the process of It doesn’t grant the permit but on that second ordinance, a joint he said. GUNS CONTINUED FROM P1 JB Smiley asked. “That’s a good question,” Davis respond- ed as she talked about her concerns about Beale Street’s busy holiday weekend.