Elections
Floyd Bonner Jr. to announce run for Memphis mayor
Bonner’s announcement follows several months of consideration on the heels of his easy second term win in the August county general election.
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 3839 articles by Bill Dries :
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October 2022
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Elections -
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ElectionsBonner makes run for Memphis mayor official
Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. joined the early forming field for Memphis mayor Tuesday, Oct. 25, with a formal announcement from Clark Tower.
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City of Memphis MLGW board questions progress on $1B infrastructure overhaul
An MLGW board member questioned the $299 million capital spend in the utility’s budget. Utility officials say the five-year, $1 billion plan was slowed by supply chain problems and labor problems.
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City of MemphisSaving Coliseum still an option, says coalition cofounder
Marvin Stockwell says the group still has a seat at the table as the city pursues a $684 million sports venue plan that would do away with the Mid-South Coliseum. His strategy is to find another site for the soccer stadium.
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Public Safety Kelsey to change plea in federal criminal case
After the Tennessee Legislature adjourned for the year, Brian Kelsey continued to tweet his views on national and state political issues with no reference to the criminal charges he faced. As of Thursday, it appears his Twitter account has been deleted.
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On the RecordSmaller Shelby County ballot yields lower early voter turnout so far
Shelby County elections administrator Linda Phillips and Ian Randolph of the Shelby County Voter Alliance talked about the low turnout on The Daily Memphian’s “On The Record” podcast.
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State Government Local lawmakers optimistic Memphis will get ‘fair share’ for sports venues
After the General Assembly gave the Tennessee Titans $500 million earlier this year to build a new stadium, local lawmakers are optimistic that the state will be as generous to Memphis in the interest of fairness.
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City of Memphis Beale Street Baptist gets $150K in county-funded repairs
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said the grant from the county’s reserve fund is likely the first of several for a full restoration of the 137-year old church.
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ElectionsThree Memphis mayoral contenders clash at early campaign forum
At a Shelby County Young Democrats forum, Joe Brown, Van Turner and Paul Young talked about name recognition, experience, crime, Black business ownership and, in one case, how women have no place in the mayor’s race.
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Shelby County Shelby County Commission votes on ethics, Klondike redevelopment and voter education
The Monday, Oct. 31, commission meeting sees a final vote on a change to how a county ethics officers is chosen. So far, there has been little public discussion by the body of the measure.
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City of Memphis Council weighs Tom Lee Park damage dispute, McGowen’s move to MLGW
The council also takes preliminary votes Tuesday, Nov. 1, on a plan and financing arrangements for an ambitious remake of the Klondike community in North Memphis.
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Shelby County County Clerk Halbert’s new office misses Halloween deadline
County chief administrative officer Harold Collins says the office is fully equipped, but Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert says the office won’t open until early December, missing a deadline set by Shelby County commissioners.
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Shelby County County Commission pares down voter-education funding sought by Election Commission
The funding is for a marketing firm to work with the Election Commission to not only explain the new voting system to voters, but also chart the areas of low voter turnout across the county.
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Shelby County County Commission takes appointment of ethics officer out of county attorney’s hands
A new ordinance gives the appointment of a chief ethics officer to the county mayor, to be voted on by the County Commission. The county attorney’s office will still have some input.
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November 2022
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City of MemphisNew compromise may cost Audubon Park golf course redesign one of its holes
The compromise announced by Memphis City Council members Ford Canale and Chase Carlisle Monday, Oct. 31, does away with a hole in the expanded golf course by the park’s lake.
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Shelby County Financing for Klondike redevelopment clears first hurdle
The trust fund for city and county property taxes earmarked for the redevelopment area cleared the first of three votes before the Shelby County Commission.
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City of Memphis Doug McGowen confirmed as head of MLGW
The council also confirmed Chandell Ryan as the city’s new chief operating officer — the first woman to hold the No. 2 post in city government.
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City of Memphis City Council delays vote on Memphis in May damage deposit funding
The item returns to the Memphis City Council for discussion at its Nov. 15 session.
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ElectionsMemphis mayoral candidates face residency issues after federal court ruling
A challenge to a six-month residency rule by a Mason, Tennessee, mayoral candidate came with a ruling last month that could revive a five-year residency requirement in the Memphis mayoral race.
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Health Care Serenity Recovery Centers gets $500k federal grant for residential pregnancy treatment
The NIH grant will provide services for pregnant women trying to overcome substance abuse addiction. The director of Serenity Recovery Centers says she hopes it can end the practice of incarcerated women with such issues giving birth in prison and immediately losing custody of newborns.
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North Memphis Frayser library branch goes from city’s smallest to ‘a design for future libraries’
City leaders broke ground Thursday, Nov. 3, on a new 20,000-square-foot Frayser Branch Library on James Road that replaces the existing 60-year-old facility.
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City of Memphis Zoo greensward parking to end in 2024
The Memphis Zoo, Overton Park Conservancy and the City of Memphis are soon to sign off on precise terms that will end overflow parking on the greensward.
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City of MemphisWith Doug McGowen at helm, MLGW to be included in city administration
Before his confirmation by the Memphis City Council this week, Doug McGowen indicated MLGW will move closer to Memphis’ day-to-day operations. He also said the city-owned utility could expand to include broadband and has to improve its responsiveness to Memphians.
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ElectionsPolitical Roundup: Early voting, Cohen & Kustoff, Memphis mayor’s race
Thursday is the last day to vote early ahead of next Tuesday’s election day, as congressmen David Kustoff and Steve Cohen predict who will control the House. Plus: Notes on school funding, MLGW and the first mayoral forum.
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ElectionsGov. Lee makes Collierville campaign stop, predicts ‘correction’ by voters
Collierville was the last stop on the governor’s three-day campaign bus tour. Lee’s supporters, plus some opponents of the “Right to Work” amendment to the state constitution, came out to greet him.
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