Despite the rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the state, Gov. Bill Lee announced that there will be no new mask or vaccine mandates. WSMV reports that Lee says “government does not need to tell people how to live their lives with regard to their personal health.” New COVID-19 boosters are now available and will be covered by public and private insurance plans.

The Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP) has filed a lawsuit against the Memphis in May International Festival for the $675,000 it owes in damages to Tom Lee Park. The lawsuit was filed after the festival missed a Sept. 4 payment deadline, despite MRPP extending the deadline once before. The Daily Memphian reports that the festival is exploring other locations for its 2024 events and has submitted an insurance claim to cover the bill, which it describes as "punitive."

The American Bar Association (ABA) invites all members of the legal profession to celebrate Constitution Day this Sunday. ABA President Mary Smith says, “The ABA has taken a leading role in encouraging people to be involved in our democracy, and our newly formed ABA Task Force on American Democracy will enhance those efforts and help bolster the protections of our institutions and the rule of law.” Visit the National Constitution Center’s website to access Constitution Day resources.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) kicked off its annual fall meeting this weekend in Cancun. Members of the YLD Board, YLD Fellows and their guests gathered for a welcoming reception at the Hard Rock Hotel. Planning sessions and an awards dinner will follow throughout the weekend. See photos from the reception.

As National Suicide Prevention Week comes to a close, the Tennessee Lawyers’ Assistance Program (TLAP) encourages us to learn more about suicide awareness and how we can all help prevent suicide. Visit the TLAP website to access resources on suicide in the legal profession, and remember that all calls to TLAP are strictly confidential. TLAP supports, and all of its employees are certified in, "QPR," which stands for Question, Persuade and Refer. Much like CPR is for heart attacks, QPR training is available to address and help prevent suicide. Learn more about QPR here.

The runoff elections for Nashville mayor, Metro Council seats and state representative concluded yesterday. The Tennessean reports that Freddie O’Connell, a former two-term downtown Metro Council member, is Metro Nashville’s 10th mayor. O’Connell clinched 63.8% of the 114,226 votes cast to defeat Alice Rolli, a former political strategist and campaign manager for Sen. Lamar Alexander. Axios Nashville published an in-depth look at O’Connell’s path to mayor. Delishia Porterfield, Quin Evans-Segall, Burkley Allen and Olivia Hill join Zulfat Suara on Metro Council, marking the first all-female slate of at-large council members; Hill is the first transgender person to serve on the council, according to the Nashville Scene. WPLN reports that Democrat Aftyn Behn won the special election to complete Bill Beck’s term representing Tennessee House District 51 with 75% of the vote over Republican David Hooven and Independent Annabelle Lee. The Davidson County Election Commission has the full breakdown of the races.

TBA’s Adoption Law Section presents this year’s annual forum on Sept. 25 with two hours on legislative updates, plus an hour for case law updates. Additional topics include the basics of adoption law for newer practitioners, as well as a dual hour on secondary trauma. The forum will be held at the Tennessee Bankers Association's Barrett Training Center in Nashville from 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. CDT. You won’t want to miss this informative program!

It's time for #TeamTBA! Meet the people behind the scenes and learn more about the moving parts, projects and staffers of the Tennessee Bar Association. Laura Labenberg is the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) and law student development coordinator. Laura works with the YLD to plan programs, meetings and special projects like pro bono clinics, the annual Tennessee High School Mock Trial Competition and the award-winning Diversity Leadership Institute. Prior to joining the TBA she served as a professor of rhetoric at Hofstra University and the executive director of an educational nonprofit in New York. Laura says her upcoming travel plans include exploring her new home state of Tennessee with YLD board members! The #TeamTBA series offers members a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of the TBA and how each staff member makes the association run. Check back next week for a new staff profile in TBA Today and on the TBA's Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Dwight E. Tarwater received a warm welcome to the bench this week when family, friends, colleagues, elected officials and the judiciary joined him in Knoxville for his ceremonial investiture by Gov. Bill Lee. Tarwater was confirmed as a Supreme Court justice by the Tennessee legislature in March and his term began on Sept. 1. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Sharon G. Lee. Tarwater joins Chief Justice Holly Kirby (Memphis), Justice Jeffrey S. Bivins (Franklin), Justice Roger A. Page (Mifflin) and Justice Sarah K. Campbell (Nashville) on the state’s highest court. “Dwight Tarwater has the integrity, the intellect, the work ethic, the compassion and the old-fashioned common sense needed to be an excellent justice on our state's high court. He also has perhaps the most important quality — humility,” Kirby said. “On most of the questions that we hear, the ruling of the Tennessee Supreme Court is the final word. There is no appeal, no higher authority. That's why humility is so important.” 

Kroger has agreed to pay up to $1.4 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits which allege that the supermarket chain's pharmacies contributed to the opioid epidemic. Reuters reports that this settlement includes $1.2 billion for U.S. states, counties and municipalities; $36 million for Native American tribes; and $177 million for attorneys' fees and expenses. The agreement does not require Kroger to admit wrongdoing, and the settlement amount depends on the participation of eligible states, which includes Tennessee. Kroger faced over 2,000 lawsuits related to the opioid crisis, and this settlement is part of a broader effort to hold companies accountable for their role in the epidemic, which has claimed the lives of nearly 645,000 people in the United States from 1999 to 2021.