Reporter
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for almost 50 years covering a wide variety of stories from the 1977 death of Elvis Presley and the 1978 police and fire strikes to numerous political campaigns, every county mayor and every Memphis Mayor starting with Wyeth Chandler.
There are 4125 articles by Bill Dries :
Paul Young responded to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s comparison of the city’s cooperation with federal law enforcement and vocal opposition to aggressive immigration raids in other cities.
Council members return to pandemic rules as the body votes on putting a charter amendment on the November ballot, extra approval for jails and more.
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris’ goals as he leaves office at the end of August include negotiating new terms for funding universal prekindergarten services across the county.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young and the head of MLGW Doug McGowen are offering some hope — but also some warnings — as the city braces for a winter storm that’s already drawing comparisons to the 1994 ice storm.
The vacant lot is one of 43 in North Memphis and Binghampton assembled for construction of new homes to own and rent in an attempt for the city to fix its shortage of quality affordable housing.
Races on the May and August ballots continue to take shape ahead of filing deadlines in February and March.
What was billed as a “Pajama Christmas Party” with a cover charge and offers of free liquor Dec. 20 ended with gunfire and the death of a man shot outside the short-term rental in East Memphis.
Rachel Wall the new chair of the Shelby County Republican Party, says the GOP should have a name contender for county mayor soon.
The holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. drew a large crowd at the Civil Rights Museum as one of the last living members of the city’s civil rights vanguard called out against “the silence of good people.”
Already facing Rep. Justin J. Pearson, Steve Cohen faces a new challenger; one who was active during the George Floyd protests in Memphis years ago.
Phyllis Aluko said there’s been a shift in people’s attitudes toward crime, punishment and due process, but public defenders play a key role in upholding constitutional standards.
Unconventional project provides new digs for Code Crew, Greater Memphis Chamber, Literacy Mid-South, Moore Tech, Memphis Symphony and Collective Blue Print.
The City Council member and City Court Clerk died this past September.
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen is calling on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign as federal immigration raids in other places have taken a violent turn.
The council will take the first of three votes later this month on changing the name of the street between the new Memphis Art Museum and the Cossitt Library.
The commission initially planned to only pay the back rent for Wanda Halbert’s Shelby County Clerk’s Office, but decided Monday to approve money for future rent, too.
Commissioners decided Monday they want a lawsuit to stay in place and a court to put an end to the dispute over MSCS elections one way or another.
Six of the 13 incumbent state House members representing Shelby County in Nashville checked out petitions on Friday’s opening day. Meanwhile, several judicial positions on the August ballot as special elections are also filling up.
The city will be at halfway point in its fiscal year, as the council discusses pay raises for firefighters, renovating a police precinct, relocating a Downtown MPD unit and “Hyde Square.”
Also in the political roundup, Jerri Green gets a new job and stays on the campaign trail. And meet the first Republican contender for County Mayor.
Shelby County commissioners will vote on a resolution that would settle an ongoing dispute with the City of Millington for the $28,800 owed in rent for the County Clerk’s office on Navy Road.
Standing outside Berean Missionary Baptist Church in the Whitehaven neighborhood of Memphis, the preachers led a series of prayers for an end to violent crime in the immediate area.
State Sen. Raumesh Akbari and County Commission Chair Shante Avant discussed the Memphis Safe Task Force’s immigration role on “Behind The Headlines” as well as legislation that would allow a state takeover of Memphis schools.
Friday is the first day to check out and file qualifying petitions to get on the Aug. 6 ballot featuring state and federal primaries.
The local Republican Party’s executive committee meets later this month to elect a new chair.