Back in the swim of things: $11.5M YMCA opens in Whitehaven
The new facility replaces the Davis YMCA and marks the return of swimming lessons and classes that have seen generations.
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 3833 articles by Bill Dries :
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March 2023
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South Memphis -
Shelby County County commission to have meeting Friday about county line dispute
The commission votes Friday on a resolution urging the Tennessee legislature to resolve a dispute over the county line and a United States Census tract line. The difference encompasses about 200 Arlington homes.
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State Government Two detained while protesting drag show ban
The protests of proposed state laws that would outlaw drag various forms of drag shows came as Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee attended the Wednesday, March 1, opening of the Whitehaven YMCA.
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City of Memphis Council redistricting group seeking online feedback
The committee is taking input and suggestions over the next two weeks as it moves toward the first of three council votes on March 21.
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State Government D.C. Scorecard: Cohen speaks at Snowden, Blackburn and Hagerty speak at CPAC
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen talks about a new strategy for bringing home federal funding with the new Republican majority and the state’s two Republican Senators show up for CPAC’s return to Washington. The Daily Memphian’s D.C. Scorecard tracks the city’s representatives in Washington D.C.
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Shelby County Mayor Harris tests wheel tax hike to fund Regional One rebuild
The Shelby County mayor wants to know if the current commission has the “political will” to support options that would also pay for new Frayser and Cordova high schools.
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Elections In mayoral bid, J.W. Gibson aims to strike balance between crime and police reform
The business and philanthropic leader kicked off his mayoral bid Monday, March 6, in South Memphis straddling the issues of crime and police reform.
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City of Memphis City Council votes on police reform serve as backdrop for larger debate
Memphis City Council members could take final votes Tuesday, March 6, on a set of six police reform ordinances. The proposals are surrounded by a debate about crime in Memphis.
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City of Memphis Council gives final approval to five police reform ordinances despite Strickland memo
The most controversial ordinance barring police from low-level traffic stops was delayed Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Strickland administration opposed and questioned some of the measures in a four-page memo.
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Memphis In May has lease for Tom Lee Park; City Council OKs Dream Hotel
Additional Nichols video to be released Wednesday, internal investigation complete
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City of Memphis Memphis in May has lease for Tom Lee Park; City Council OKs Dream Hotel
With the lease between Memphis in May and Memphis River Parks Partnership a done deal, Memphis City Council members signed off Tuesday, March 7, on a damage deposit agreement for the festival’s use of Tom Lee Park.
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Shelby County County commissioners hesitant about Regional One ‘go forward’ resolution
During its committee sessions, the Shelby County Commission sent the resolution to come up with a $350 million county funding plan for a Regional One campus rebuild to a March 20 vote without a recommendation.
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On the Record Shelby County ‘green fleet’ goals will get more specific
As a final Shelby County Commission vote nears on a move toward a “greener” fleet of government vehicles, there are a lot of questions about the county administration’s timeline for meeting its goals.
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State Government State House District 86 special election outcome already decided
The special election to fill the vacancy for the state House seat held by the late Barbara Cooper was decided with the January primary. Democrat Justin J. Pearson is running unopposed on the Tuesday, March 14, ballot. He’s already serving in Nashville by appointment.
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ElectionsThe city’s residency requirement to dominate the race for Memphis mayor
A line added to a page on the Shelby County Election Commission’s website the last day of February has turned this year’s race for Memphis mayor upside down.
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City of Memphis Strickland wants criminal data posted to court websites, not the city portal
Strickland says his call Friday for more public data about court decisions on bail and sentencing would be part of existing websites outside of the city government’s data hub.
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Shelby County County Commission Scorecard: Wanda Halbert’s adviser and reparations
The Daily Memphian’s County Commission Scorecard looks at the Feb. 22 commission meeting that was moved and covered two controversial topics, racial reparations and a special adviser for County Clerk Wanda Halbert.
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Elections Floyd Bonner Jr. contests residency requirement in Memphis mayor’s race
Bonner is seeking to stop enforcement of the city charter’s residency provision for candidates running for Memphis mayor.
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City of Memphis Preservation groups call for Council review of plans to keep Coliseum
The call comes as Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland has called for a $52-million, 10,000-seat soccer stadium to be built on the city-owned land where the Coliseum now stands.
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Elections Political Roundup: Mayoral candidates discuss police director’s future at forum
Two contenders for Memphis mayor say they have already decided they will not keep Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis as Memphis Police director if they are elected.
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Elections Turner files second mayoral residency requirement challenge
Turner’s lawsuit is likely to be combined with a similar challenge of the five-year residency requirement filed Monday by Sheriff Floyd Bonner.
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Behind The Headlines Behind The Headlines: The gap in juvenile justice
A discussion about juvenile justice reform on “Behind The Headlines,” months after reform candidates were elected district attorney general and juvenile court judge, finds a gap between juvenile detention and releasing juveniles to keep them out of the system.
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City of Memphis City Council Scorecard: Not-so-final votes on Tyre Nichols ordinances
The Council Scorecard tracks final votes on a set of five ordinances with a vote one other one delayed.
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Shelby County Regional One, new schools plans face critical moment at county commission
A majority of the commission could greenlight a restructuring of the proposed capital budget County Mayor Lee Harris takes to the commission in April.
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Public SafetyWhen the Justice Department came for Shelby County Juvenile Court
Much of the current framework of the Memphis and Shelby County Juvenile Court is the result of a 2012 agreement between Shelby County elected leaders and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department.
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Public SafetyA primer: How Shelby County Juvenile Court works
In this installment of “Minor Offenders, Major Offenses,” we answer some of the basic questions about Juvenile Court and its basic responsibilities. Because, despite it being a court of record, “there is little standardization in juvenile court size, case management procedures and court administrative practices” across the state.
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