Coronavirus live blog: Hospitals can resume elective surgeries
As Gov. Bill Lee addresses the latest developments, Tennessee Department of Health announces 251 more confirmed coronavirus cases and three more deaths resulting from the disease.
Bill Dries
Reporter
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for more than 40 years.
There are 3662 articles by Bill Dries :
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May 2020
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Coronavirus Coronavirus live blog, April 22: Tenn. adds 448 cases, largest daily increase so far
Tennessee adds 448 cases, 9 deaths. The increase from yesterday is the state's largest daily rise in cases to date.
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Coronavirus Coronavirus live blog, April 28: Watch interview with Shantelle Leatherwood
The CEO of Christ Community Health Services discusses her organization's response to the COVID-19 crisis.
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Collierville Conflicting reopening plans poised to end countywide alliance on pandemic
Shelby County's suburban cities are beginning to expand on openings allowed under the first phase of the local "Back to Business" phased plan and will allow "close contact" businesses to open next week.
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April 2020
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City of Memphis Temporary hospital could have life after pandemic
The city's chief operating officer said on Behind The Headlines that the hospital is one example of how the pandemic has changed and will continue to change how the city addresses issues that existed before COVID-19 arrived.
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Coronavirus Shelby County reopening date ‘very close’ but still vague as suburbs grow restless
Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter says businesses should begin to prepare. Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris says a countywide alliance of mayors remains intact despite some rumblings in the suburbs.
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Elections Election Commission prepares for increase in absentee ballots
The Shelby County Election Commission is preparing for an increase in absentee balloting in advance of the Aug. 6 election day.
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Food News First phase reopening plans include restaurants, retail and elective surgery
The mayors of Shelby County and all seven of its cities and towns have agreed on a plan for reopening businesses after 14 days of a stable or declining number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. But the math isn’t as simple as counting the numbers of cases and marking off days on a calendar.
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City of Memphis City gets $113.6 million share of CARES Act federal funding
The money is to help businesses and communities get back on their feet from the economic blow that has accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic. But the city is still searching for new federal funding proposals that could be used to make up for more than $100 million in revenue losses the city is expected to take in the economic shutdown.
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City of Memphis Face mask resolution, COVID-19 council fund and Tillman Cove on council agenda
The mask resolution was proposed as a rule requiring all within the city to wear coverings of some kind before some council members questioned how it could be enforced.
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Podcasts Politics Podcast: Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris on his budget proposal
A new wheel tax proposal, a revenue hole from COVID-19 and a review of the city budget proposal.
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Shelby County ‘I have tried as best I can to put my money where my mouth is’
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris talks about his $1.4 billion COVID pandemic county budget on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast.
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City of MemphisWade role as $354 million MLGW bond co-counsel surfaces again
The city council's attorney has been bond counsel on 17 of the 18 Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division bond issues over the past 28 years. The relationship is being brought up again as the utility's relationship with TVA is being examined.
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Shelby County Harris extends county emergency order a week as 44% of county cases considered recovered
The county order covers unincorporated Shelby County and follows an extension of the Memphis emergency order earlier in the week with some first steps toward an economic reopening.
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Elections Election commissioners get voting machine proposals, public doesn’t
The Shelby County Election Commission delayed a decision Thursday on a new voting system. The commission will hold an in-person meeting sometime next week. The commission also certified the ballot for the Aug. 6 elections in Shelby County.
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Coronavirus Phase 2 of local pandemic: moving from stabilization to containment
The infectious diseases expert advising the local COVID-19 task force says on "Behind The Headlines" that a ramp up in testing should extend to more work between public health agencies and private health care corporations on contact tracing.
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City of Memphis Extended ‘Safer at Home’ order inches city, county toward cautious re-opening
The extension of the order first issued more than a month ago was expected. The order has evolved since last month and there could be more changes to its conditions.
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City of Memphis Strickland presents three possible budgets as city projects $80 million COVID hit on revenues
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland says the city faces an $80 million loss of revenues from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in a worst-case scenario and a “status quo” budget with no growth is the most optimistic forecast of federal and state government relief.
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Coronavirus Coronavirus live blog, April 21: Lee reiterates cooperation with urban mayors
The governor reiterates his cooperation with mayors of Tennessee's major cities.
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Coronavirus Cohen complains of ‘rush’ to reopen state’s economy
Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen and the city's other Congressman, Republican David Kustoff, return to D.C. later this week to vote on another installment of the CARES Act from very different political perspectives.
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City of Memphis Budget Basics: Numbers to remember as another city budget season begins
Once Mayor Jim Strickland presents his budget proposal to the Memphis City Council Tuesday, here are some dollar figures and percentages from the current fiscal year with which to make some comparisons.
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City of Memphis Strickland kicks off ‘oddest ever’ budget season with tight rein and pandemic uncertainties
Strickland's Tuesday budget address to the Memphis City Council reflects some uncertainties about the financial hit city revenues have taken in the pandemic. It was already going to be a difficult budget year by Strickland's estimate before the arrival of COVID-19.
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Coronavirus Harris wants tighter nursing home regulation as facilities’ COVID toll rises to 9
The first two COVID outbreaks at nursing homes in Shelby County have now taken eight lives – four each as confirmed cases of the virus have spread to a total of nine assisted living facilities countywide.
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Elections Pandemic Politics: From voting machines to handshakes, it’s changed things
The pandemic has led to mail-in voting a third choice for a new voting system, and it has possibly made the hand shake a relic. And it could make the presidential race even closer than one nationally known analyst thought it was going to be.
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Coronavirus Small Memphis protest mirrors state, national unrest over COVID restrictions
A small group gathered outside City Hall Sunday afternoon to protest COVID-19 restrictions, mirroring state and national unrest over forced limitations.
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