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 4405 articles by Bill Dries :
It took about two hours to administer the oaths of office Monday, Aug. 31, to a group of 30 elected county leaders who formally begin four-year terms of office Tuesday.
The one-year moratorium on new data centers would be to develop guidelines and regulations for the centers as part of the county’s Unified Development Code.
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris leaves office Tuesday after eight years in office and a unique governing style that shifted county government’s priorities.
The new president and CEO of the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association spoke on Behind The Headlines about MIFA’s work addressing poverty and food insecurity in Memphis and beyond.
Shelby County’s August votes are certified, but the data may be disheartening for Democrats. Also in the political roundup, Democratic Party leaders “introduce” Jerri Green, and Wanda Halbert exits office after two tumultuous terms.
The county’s second attempt to oust Wanda Halbert as County Clerk ended with a court order dictating county government should pay her legal fees.
Outgoing Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said his portrait will take his place at the county building.
Gov. Bill Lee also announced his decision to grant pardons to 33 other Tennesseans who have completed prison sentences and have not been convicted of any crime for at least five years since they were released.
Shelby County Mayor-elect Mickell Lowery has 250 appointed positions within his administration to fill as he prepares to take the oath of office Monday.
An order requiring the county to pay Halbert’s attorney's fees was signed this week, although the county’s outside attorney objected and could appeal.
Shelby County commissioners closed out their four-year term of office Monday, Aug. 24, by capping the county’s share of legal expenses at $200,000 in the ongoing federal-court case about the state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools.Related content:
Also in the political roundup: more from state Senator Brent Taylor on Behind The Headlines, a closer look at the 5th Congressional District Democratic primary results and Mongo’s campaign art.
The Monday, Aug. 24, session of the Shelby County Commission is the last of the four-year term for eight of the 13 commissioners. Here is a rundown of the old commission versus the new body that takes office Sept. 1 and a few last-minute moves on Monday’s agenda.
Leaders of the immersive experience built in the old River Museum on Mud Island are hoping the recent activity can bring some momentum to the city-owned river park.
The “Behind the Headlines” interview with the Republican nominee for the 9th Congressional District also covered Taylor’s support for limiting birthright citizenship, war in Iran, the economy, the Epstein files and whether President Donald Trump won the 2020 election.
The Jan. 11, 2027, trial date stands in the public corruption case as defense attorneys continue to review 50,000 documents from discovery.
Memphis Police Department Chief C.J. Davis said she and other police brass have asked leaders of the federal law enforcement agencies making up the Memphis Safe Task Force to have a permanent presence in the city after the deployment ends.
The four applicants include three prosecutors and an attorney with the Tennessee Innocence Project.
Also on the Tuesday agenda: a move of MATA funding, money for the Mud Island amphitheater and more.
Also in the political roundup: a look at turnout in the Nov. 3 general election, Gov. Bill Lee on the mix of public and private and a possible Senate vacancy, campaign sign rules and write-ins.
She also talked on “Behind The Headlines” about why her call to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement doesn’t mean she wants to abandon enforcement of immigration laws and how she would handle the state appointed board to run Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
The County Commissioners who were elected on the Aug. 6 ballot will fill the vacancy left by the election of Judge Lonnie Thompson to Chancery Court on the same ballot.
As eight Shelby County commissioners prepare to leave office at the end of August, the federal corruption case of former commissioner Edmund Ford Jr., who resigned earlier this year, is still on its way to sentencing.
A 1972 state law is receiving renewed emphasis. What the law means still depends on which party and which of its leaders you talk to.
The chain of events chronicled in the two misdemeanor traffic camera footage, Facebook video and a chain of events chronicled in two misdemeanor citations trace the months-long path to a not-guilty plea by the county commissioner.Related content: