Debate on police reform proposals at County Commission gets heated
The three ordinances are scheduled for the first of three votes on Monday. And still to weigh in on the proposals is Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner.
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 4086 articles by Bill Dries :
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September 2020
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Shelby County -
City of Memphis City Council Scorecard: Finding the BLM divide and changing Lamar
The latest edition of our City Council scorecard finds a healthy council majority in favor of changing street names as part of a slate of Black Lives Matter proposals. Plus, the Council held a unanimous vote to begin changing the business streetscape along a stretch of Lamar Avenue.
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Metro Late Curtis Person Jr. known for state Senate, Juvenile Court
Former Republican state Senator and Juvenile Court Judge Curtis Person Jr. died Friday at the age of 85. He began his political career as a Democratic state Representative and ended it 48 years later with a single term as one of only three elected Juvenile Court Judges in Shelby County over the past 55 years.
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City of Memphis MLGW-TVA: A Timeline of the relationship
Here are some of the key dates in the MLGW-TVA saga over the last eight decades, starting with Nov. 6, 1934.
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City of Memphis MLGW-TVA: Crump’s political power brought electrical power to Memphis
The political boss believed in public ownership of utilities from the dawn of his considerable influence over the city when he was a city commissioner. And Crump saw private owners of such utilities as political adversaries.
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City of Memphis MLGW-TVA: What happened the last time they split
Memphis has left the Tennessee Valley Authority before, for a period that included the city building its own electric power plant. There are a lot of similarities between various turbulent chapters in the city's relationship with TVA as MLGW leaders again consider an exit from the federal agency.
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Podcast
On the RecordMississippi Blvd. pastor calls for ‘clear, identifiable shifts’ in policing
The pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church thinks the first part of Mayor Jim Strickland’s effort to reform the Memphis Police Department didn’t go far enough.
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Video
Behind The HeadlinesSchools open before Labor Day break with varying plans
The seven public school systems in Shelby County opened in one way or another before the Labor Day weekend with plans that vary to some degree.
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Shelby County County Commission considers limits on use of military equipment by law enforcement
The proposal would ban the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office from getting camouflage uniforms and bayonets from surplus federal military stocks as well as militarized and weaponized vehicles or aircraft.
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State Government State COVID count changes to reflect current cases, adds ‘inactive’ case count
The state's changes are in line with changing guidance from federal health officials. And they have already been adopted by the independent county health departments in the state's major cities, including Memphis.
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City of Memphis Strickland rolls out police reform group
Mayor Jim Strickland rolled out a 13-member group Wednesday, Sept. 2, to make what he termed “substantive, realistic and measurable” recommendations on police reform. It's the second phase of the administration's effort and includes some critics of City Hall's response thus far.
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City of Memphis MLGW to name consultant on power supply decision in two weeks
The Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division board could have a decision in two weeks on the firm that will oversee the next steps in deciding whether to stay with the Tennessee Valley Authority.
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City of Memphis Davy Crockett golf course could give way to community orchard
The tentative plan by the city parks and neighborhoods division includes mountain-bike trails around the borders of the 18-hole golf course and walking trails with workout equipment.
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Metro Changes in The Walk on Union financing approved
Memphis City Council members have approved a change in the financing of the multi-use Walk on Union project, changing a tax increment financing district, or TIF district, to a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, arrangement. -
Elections Kustoff says November election results could take a while
The Germantown Republican says he thinks mail-in absentee voting could be manipulated and said recent changes in postal service began during the Obama administration.
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City of Memphis City Council approves changes to renaming process
The approval of the ordinance Tuesday is part of the council's larger debate about the Black Lives Matter Movement. Several other resolutions from that larger discussion were also approved by the council.
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City of Memphis MLGW halts utility cutoffs for another two weeks
The announcement came Tuesday as Memphis City Council members called for a better accounting of the various funds that help those behind on utility bills.
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City of Memphis Police reform discussion continues at City Council
The council has two final votes scheduled as part of its ongoing discussion of police reform and a discussion of a third measure to create an online portal for the public to see some details of complaints of police misconduct.
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August 2020
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Podcast
ElectionsA political valley on the road to Nov. 3
The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast recaps some events from the past week and some of the recently certified election results are cause to go looking through some numbers from the historic 1991 city elections.
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Video
ElectionsMarquita Bradshaw: ‘Not a fringe campaign’
On "Behind The Headlines," the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate says she's raised 10 times more money since she won the August primary statewide. Bradshaw touts an alternative path back to the U.S. Senate in Tennessee for Democrats that relies on community organizers and their networks.
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Elections Election chief: Using FedExForum for voting ‘not practical’
Using FedExForum as a gigantic polling location for the November election would be like “shooting flies with cannon balls,” Shelby County Elections Administrator Linda Phillips said Friday, Aug. 28.
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City of Memphis Strickland to name police reform commission in second phase of ‘reimagining’ police
Word of the commission comes the same week that a federal task force shot and wounded a teenager while serving a warrant in a case of mistaken identity.
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Metro MATA gets federal grant for combined fare collection system
The Memphis Area Transit Authority is developing a fare collection system that combines the city bus system with other transportation options including ride services, van pools, medical transportation and “micro-transit.” -
City of Memphis TVA board chair says Lyash stays as board announces 2.5% reduction in cost
President Donald Trump called earlier this month for changes at the top of TVA including Lyash. But after Thursday's board meeting in Knoxville, new board chairman John Ryder of Memphis said there are no plans to oust Lyash.
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Elections Kanye West petition for state’s presidential ballot includes familiar Memphis names
West qualified for the Tennessee presidential ballot this week with two members of the Ford family among those who signed from Memphis. The effort also included signatures from the Nashville and Clarksville areas.
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