Memphis looks at pre-Christmas lockdown; suburbs say no way
The Memphis City Council will consider asking health officials for another lockdown just before Christmas, but suburban mayors adamantly oppose such action.
Bill Dries
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 4027 articles by Bill Dries :
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December 2020
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Coronavirus -
City of Memphis Beale St. Music Festival canceled as City Council mulls ‘safer at home’
The Memphis In May International Festival is calling off the Beale Street Music Festival in May as the Memphis City Council considers urging a Christmas week “safer at home” order.
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City of Memphis City Council Scorecard: Parking money and the 13-way split
The council approved the financing for a $62 million set of five Downtown parking projects. But the issue was what to do with the money made from the parking garages.
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City of Memphis Look back at 2020 includes peering into 2021
The local face of a global pandemic, challenges to education and the local reaction to the death of George Floyd topped a “Behind The Headlines” review of the year 2020.
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Spirit of Memphis Opinion: Jarman made radio’s hard work sound easy
The death of Chris Jarman this week ends a radio career built on credibility with Memphis radio listeners that transcended formats and call letters.
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Shelby County Commission makes changes to proposal for Health Department fines
The ordinance cleared second reading Wednesday at a special commission meeting with seven votes. However, nine votes will be needed to approve the ordinance at Monday’s final vote of the commission.
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City of Memphis City spends most of remaining CARES Act money on personnel
The city is in a race with the calendar to spend its federal funding within the next two weeks or send it back to D.C.
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City of Memphis Recommendation for police force of 2,500 raises questions of coordination
The task force making the call is one of several working on police reforms and better police practices. The size of the Memphis Police force is a controversial part of the civic discussion about police reform.
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Business One Beale, Downtown parking plan clear key financing hurdles
Memphis City Council members heard about the difficulty of getting financing for hotel projects before approving the financing of a third hotel for One Beale. The set of parking projects nearby had a more complex path to approval.
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City of Memphis Street racing, muffler crackdown draws council concerns
A set of three proposed ordinances aren’t due for a vote by the full council until the new year. But several council members are concerned about how police will carry out the ordinances if they are passed.
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City of Memphis City Council votes on recommendation of police force goal of 2,500
The council also talks about limits on mufflers, a cleanup of the city’s code of ordinances and could take a final vote on a sidewalk change that would require a sidewalk inspection as part of the closing process in real estate sales.
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Elections Tennessee electors close ‘one of most acrimonious elections’ with 11 votes for Trump
Tennessee cast its 11 electoral votes Monday, Dec. 14, for President Donald Trump,
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City of Memphis South Cordova de-annexation milestones
With the City Council vote Tuesday to de-annex South Cordova, a timeline begins toward its separation from Memphis. Here are some milestones of the process.
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Education DeCosta-Willis honored as first Black faculty member at then-Memphis State
The University of Memphis unveiled plans Monday, Dec. 14, for a plaque honoring Miriam DeCosta Sugarmon Willis, the school’s first African American faculty member.
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City of Memphis Freedom Award goes virtual at National Civil Rights Museum
The National Civil Rights Museum’s annual Freedom Awards Friday, Dec. 11, will be basically a “greatest hits” online moment in this year of the pandemic.
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Shelby County County leaders contemplate budget red ink
Last week’s budget retreat by the Shelby County Commission included word of a $27.5 million deficit and calls for the county to come up with a way to replenish its reserves and avoid short-term borrowing.
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City of Memphis Lamar Avenue leads the way in how Memphis 3.0 could change city’s look
The six-mile stretch through Orange Mound is changing, using the year-old Memphis 3.0 land use and development plan. Lots of other parts of the city want to follow the same path.
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City of Memphis Freedom Awards take stock of a rich past in virtual retrospective
The 29th awards ceremony was virtual this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The online video of past ceremonies covered the annual event all the way back to its 1991 origins.
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Elections Supreme Court rejects Texas suit supported by Tennessee
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander had commented during a Friday recording of NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that he didn’t see the basis for the lawsuit.
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Metro Red Tub Day for foster families Saturday goes drive-thru
“Red Tub Day” by the Memphis Family Connection Center gathers in red tubs gifts the children request. The gifts are given out at an annual holiday party.
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Elections Kustoff among Republican House members supporting Texas election lawsuit
U.S. Rep. David Kustoff of Germantown is among 106 Republican members of the House who signed an amicus brief Thursday, Dec. 10, in support of the Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn the outcome of the November presidential general election.
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Shelby County County Commission Scorecard: Partisan issues arise
The County Commission Scorecard tracks some specific pandemic votes as well as a call for Medicaid expansion.
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Elections Tennessee joins Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn election results in 4 states
The lawsuit seeks to invalidate the 62 electoral votes in the four battleground states that would go to President-elect Joe Biden.
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Shelby County Increased ‘volatility’ is backdrop as commission calls for statewide mask mandate
Shelby County commissioners called on Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Monday, Dec. 7, to enact a statewide mask mandate, but the vote wasn’t unanimous. It was among a series of COVID-related measures.
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Shelby County County Commission questions financing of $62M Downtown parking project
Monday’s delay by the Shelby County Commission follows a similar delay in approval by the Memphis City Council.
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