Coronavirus live blog, April 3: MATA to get more than $35 million
The funding comes from the Federal Transit Administration through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that became law.
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 3901 articles by Bill Dries :
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April 2020
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Coronavirus -
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ElectionsKustoff unopposed in 8th Congressional District August primary
The Thursday filing deadline also saw 14 confirmed candidates in the statewide Republican primary for U.S. Senate and five in the companion Democratic primary for the open seat.
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EducationWoods: Pandemic’s toll on schools prompted reversal of his school board exit
On The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, SCS board member Kevin Woods says Shelby County Schools face a possible $130 million hole in its budget from the loss of sales tax revenue.
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Podcasts Politics Podcast: A surprise at the filing deadline
Shelby County Schools board member Kevin Woods talks about his decision to run for re-election and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public education.
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City of Memphis Gateway Shopping Center to house temporary hospital as city braces for COVID-19 surge
The state plans to build a temporary hospital of non-acute care beds at the Gateway Shopping Center on Jackson Avenue. Other sites are being evaluated.
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ElectionsThree incumbents unopposed at filing deadline for Aug. 6 election
A recap of the fields in the five Shelby County Schools board races and 16 races for the Tennessee Legislature.
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City of Memphis Kane: Record year for Memphis tourism stopped day global pandemic declared
The head of Memphis Tourism said on "Behind The Headlines" that the recovery of the tourism sector in the city could stretch into 2022. Kevin Kane was appointed recently to a state task force on the economic recovery from COVID-19.
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Coronavirus Coronavirus live blog, April 2: Shelby County at 638 cases, 7 deaths
Governor Bill Lee will sign Executive Order 23 requiring that Tennesseans stay home unless they are carrying out essential activities as data shows an increase in citizen movement across the state.
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Coronavirus City braces for surge; will announce hospital site
City braces for surge in COVID-19 cases. An announcement is expected Friday, April 3, on the site of a 1,000-bed temporary hospital to accommodate the coming surge, local leaders announced Thursday.
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Coronavirus Coronavirus live blog, April 1: Marshall Co. Schools suspends meal plan
Health Department medical director Dr. Bruce Randolph said 5,506 have been tested, with 9% positive.
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ElectionsThursday filing deadline for August ballot includes last-minute surprises
Five incumbents could effectively win re-election at Thursday's noon deadline, but that's not a sure thing for most of them. And eight of the 16 seats in the Shelby County delegation to Nashville on the Aug. 6 ballot will likely be decided with the primaries as the winners run unopposed in the November general election.
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ElectionsConference call glitches and secret bids sideline voting machine decision
County purchasing officials won’t make bid documents on a new voting system public until after the Election Commission makes a final decision.
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City of Memphis Spring fever and COVID-19 concerns meet in parks
Rain Tuesday morning helped decrease the crowds in some parks after the city also closed some roads into and through city parks. The parks remain open but are battling sunshine and pandemic cabin fever to moderate the crowds. And planners are working on life after COVID-19 at Tom Lee Park.
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Education Woods changes course on leaving school board
Shelby County Schools board member Kevin Woods has changed his mind about not seeking another term.
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March 2020
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Coronavirus Coronavirus daily blog, March 30: Gov. issues safer at home order; Strickland limits park access
Gov. Bill Lee has ordered all nonessential businesses to close and Mayor Jim Strickland announces access to Memphis parks will be limited, starting Tuesday.
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City of Memphis Strickland concerned about lax COVID-19 response outside Memphis
The Memphis mayor also announced he is closing access roads to and in city parks, including Riverside Drive by Tom Lee Park, to discourage large crowds like those that gathered last week during two sunny days. The move stops short of closing city parks outright, but Strickland said he is willing to consider that too.
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Coronavirus Cohen concerned about regional COVID-19 impact on Memphis hospitals
In an online press conference Monday, Cohen says matching state standards for gatherings and travel already adopted in Shelby County could ease the strain on Memphis hospitals from the surrounding region once the pandemic reaches its peak here.
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Coronavirus Coronavirus daily blog, March 27: ‘Social nature’ of parks threatens access to them
The city could close parks if social distancing is not maintained.
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State Government Lee defends stopping short of statewide stay-at-home order
Lee commented as he moved the state's daily briefing on the pandemic to Memphis and met with local leaders. State officials announced the death toll from the virus in the state has now risen to six.
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Health Care First totals for local COVID testing show a qualified 10% positivity rate
The number of 2,218 tested in Shelby County comes with no details unlike state numbers that reveal testing by types of labs and age ranges. And because it's a total over a period of time in which the response and other measure to the virus have changed, it is still difficult to tell what the number means.
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ElectionsElection Commission to hold special meeting Wednesday on new voting machines
Shelby County Election Commissioners will meet electronically Wednesday, April 1, to discuss a new voting system for county elections.
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Metro Politics Podcast: Unusual times episode #2
More votes for Trump and Biden and Sanders, the April 2nd filing deadline, no COVID testing numbers and who we are after the unemployment spike.
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ElectionsAugust ballot comes into focus ahead of Thursday deadline
Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the Election Commission remains open to issue and take petitions from contenders on the Aug. 6 ballot of state and federal primaries and nonpartisan school board races.
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