Mack Weaver becomes Memphis in May CEO
Weaver has been with the festival for 25 years, most recently as chief financial officer. The MIM board announced the decision Thursday, Feb. 1, as longtime president and CEO Jim Holt officially retires.
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 3905 articles by Bill Dries :
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February 2024
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City of Memphis -
Behind The Headlines Nonprofit leaders criticize Chamber’s call for help against crime
Leaders of two local nonprofits say on “Behind The Headlines” that business leaders are wrong in their call to the state to enact changes to bail reform and fund tourism safety measures to the tune of $50 million.
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Shelby County County Commission to tackle DA funding, extending solar farm moratorium
The commission may put off immediate funding for the prosecutors office until budget season. Meanwhile, commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. continues to threaten legal action against other commissioners — the second time in less than a week.
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Elections August ballot contenders begin checking out petitions as early voting nears
Tennessee Republican Party chairman Scott Golden talks in an “On The Record” podcast about the presidential primaries and general election races.
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Elections Corey Strong is back to challenge Steve Cohen in August primary
The former local Democratic Party chairman announced his bid for Congress ahead of the Monday, Feb. 5, opening of the period to check out petitions to get on the Aug. 1 state and federal primaries ballot.
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City of Memphis City Council nears end of mayor’s appointees, delays health insurance vote
The City Council has a few more votes on Mayor Paul Young’s remaining appointees to his leadership team and some questions on the interim status of Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis.
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Arts & Culture Withers Gallery joins Civil Rights Trail, Beale Street’s future explored
The archive of 60 years of Ernest Withers’ photographs joins the national set of historic places as the Beale Street entertainment district marks 10 years of operation and management by the Downtown Memphis Commission.
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City of Memphis City Council moves up final vote on health insurance coverage to Feb. 20
In other action Tuesday, the council approved the reappointment of Robert Knecht as the city’s public-works director.
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City of Memphis Ursula Madden leaves City Hall for BlueOval City
Madden has been with Mayor Jim Strickland since he took office in 2016. She leaves City Hall next week to work with Ford’s BlueOval City joint venture.
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Education Board names new Memphis-Shelby County Schools superintendent
MSCS’ Board of Education announced Marie N. Feagins as the school district’s new superintendent.
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ElectionsGeneral Sessions Court Clerk’s race in shadow of presidential primaries
The incumbent’s attendance record and the backlog of criminal court cases are issues in the race in the four-way Democratic primary for General Sessions court clerk. The winner of the Republican primary was decided at the filing deadline last year.
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City of MemphisTom Lee Park has starring role in documentary
The movie by Last Bite Films makes its debut Feb. 16 at the Halloran Centre at a fundraiser for Memphis River Parks Partnership. Meanwhile, the filmmakers are working on a documentary about the life of Tom Lee.
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Elections Candidates begin filing for places on August ballot
The issuing of qualifying petitions to get on the August ballot overlaps with the start of early voting in the March election. Here’s who has a petition out in the first week of petitions for the August election.
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Elections Ballot Basics: What to know about early voting ahead of Super Tuesday
On the ballot are the Tennessee Republican and Democratic presidential primaries and countywide primaries for General Sessions Court Clerk.
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Elections Early voting begins for Super Tuesday in Tennessee
Early voting in 2024’s first election in Shelby County begins Wednesday, Feb. 14. The Tennessee presidential primaries top the ballot, but Memphis voters haven’t seen much of the presidential campaigns this year.
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Behind The Headlines Mayor outlines new public safety director’s job, still backs Chief Davis
Memphis Mayor Paul Young says the city’s new public safety director is a position that will consolidate the city’s response to violent crime. Young talked about that and other crime issues on WKNO-TV’s “Behind The Headlines.”
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City of Memphis City Council moves to final vote for health insurance extension
The current council inherited the controversial extension of health insurance coverage for itself from the previous group.
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City of Memphis City Council votes down health insurance benefits for itself
After several moves to delay or table the measure, it failed without getting a single yes vote.
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EducationMSCS looks to create district ‘peace force’ to handle school safety
“The creation of an MSCS Peace Force will provide proactive and preventative measures for maintaining school safety and disrupt the school to prison pipeline,” a document filed with the County Commission reads.
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Elections Political Roundup: Early voting off 2020 pace; Brown says no backlog; August ballot action
Turnout through the first five days of early voting in the Democratic primaries shows to be half of what it was four years ago at the same time.
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Behind The Headlines Paul Young wants first budget to focus on crime, blight, potholes and more
Young said in an interview on WKNO-TV’s “Behind the Headlines” the budget will be “more firmed up” in the coming months. He will take a budget proposal to the Memphis City Council in May.
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State GovernmentGeorgia Tann and The Tennessee Children’s Home Society scandal
Here is a brief history of the scandal surrounding the 25-year tenure of Georgia Tann as the head of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society in Memphis.
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State GovernmentHenri Brooks takes state to court as a survivor of black-market adoption ring
County Commissioner Henri Brooks found out three years ago she was adopted through the Tennessee Children’s Home Society, a notorious black-market adoption operation. Her lawsuit against the state could open a “floodgate.”
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Shelby County County Clerk’s revenue figures still missing; County Trustee goes to state auditors
Trustee Regina Newman has “unposted” inaccurate revenue figures from County Clerk Wanda Halbert. The revenue figures, including those for last year’s wheel-tax hike, are needed to build next year’s county budget.
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Elections Early voting numbers down from 2020, with Democrats on steeper slide
Early voting in the presidential and General Sessions Court clerk primaries ends Feb. 27. Super Tuesday early voting in Shelby County was almost three times higher among Democrats four years ago than it is currently.
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