Oldham endorses sales tax hike ballot question
Former Memphis Police Director and Shelby County Sheriff Bill Oldham has endorsed the proposed half percent sales tax hike on the Oct. 3 Memphis ballot.
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 3805 articles by Bill Dries :
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September 2019
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Elections Kamala Harris to campaign Sunday in Memphis
The Democratic presidential contender will hold a town hall meeting at East High School Sunday evening. The Tennessee presidential primary is in March.
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Elections Sawyer says she is in mayor’s race to end as she works to rebuild trust
After three days of intensifying controversy, mayoral contender and Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer said Tuesday she remains a candidate for mayor and is working to rebuild trust with LGBTQ allies no matter what happens in the election.
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City of Memphis Raleigh TIF moving toward goal of end-of-year approval
A Raleigh tax increment financing – or TIF – district with Austin Peay Highway as a corridor for mixed use development could be in place by the end of the year.
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City of Memphis Legal questions cloud enforcement of state ban on cell phone driving
The state law that outlaws holding or touching a cell phone while driving in Tennessee is probably enforceable by Memphis Police right now, according to the City Council’s attorney.
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Metro Memphis early vote numbers clarified for first two days
A total of 3,883 Memphians cast early votes during the first two days of the voting period, the Shelby County Election Commission announced.
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ElectionsSawyer: ‘It’s not about getting the campaign back on track’
Mayoral contender Tami Sawyer says her priority is healing the pain caused by old tweets. On Monday, two LGBTQ organizations issued statements that focused on a 2014 tweet by Sawyer about outing a gay teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal School.
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Metro Arlington early vote total is heavy
The early voter turnout for Thursday's Arlington municipal elections came in at more than 1,500 votes.
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City of Memphis Council explores making state’s cellphone ban in cars effective in Memphis
With a short agenda Tuesday, the city council appears to have booted a final vote on the long-delayed Memphis 3.0 plan until after the Oct. 3 city elections. The council is scheduled to take a final vote on new rules for public art on city property.
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Elections Mayor’s race shifts as Sawyer responds to Twitter controversy
The Tennessee Equality Project and director of OUTMemphis each issued statements on a 2014 tweet by Memphis mayoral contender and Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer about outing a gay teacher.
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Elections Sawyer apologizes for old tweets, says they don’t reflect who she is
The latest resurrected tweets, including one about outing a gay faculty member while in college, have become a major issue in Sawyer's campaign. Sawyer says there may be more. Meanwhile, the first day early-voting turnout from Friday was still tentative into Saturday afternoon, but it appeared to be several hundred lower than the opening day turnout in 2015.
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Metro Beale Street marker notes site of old Chop Suey Cafe
The marker is the second in the area to note the contributions of the Chinese in Memphis. It also marks another addition to a block of Beale that is becoming known for its presentation of the district's history.
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City of Memphis ‘Reforum', endorsements and questions about political influence mark start of early voting
Some groups holding candidate forums are trying to change the formula as endorsement ballots begin showing up in mailboxes. And one pastor questions how much the endorsement of him or other religious leaders means 28 years after the last city election that drew a majority of the city's voters to the polls.
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Elections Allen says ‘Pledge for Progress’ answer to divisive politics
The Memphis City Council candidate who put together a “Pledge for Progress” platform statement that she and four other council contenders signed off on says it was an answer to “divisive” times politically in Memphis and across the country.
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Elections Early vote in Memphis elections opens with 2015 turnout as a barometer
Memphis voters begin deciding the winner and losers of the 2019 city elections Friday as early voting opens in advance of the Oct. 3 election day.
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Elections Look to The Daily Memphian for complete Memphis election coverage
The two-week voting period in advance of the Oct. 3 Memphis election day opens Sept. 13 at 18 sites across the city. At stake are 18 races for city offices featuring 78 candidates and one ballot question.
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ElectionsBallot Basics: The complete ins and outs of early voting in the 2019 Memphis elections
Here are the basics you need to know for the early voting period that opens Friday and continues through Sept. 28 - and a few informal tips on what to expect at the 18 voting sites.
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Elections Ballot Basics: The enigma of the city council super district
Everything you need to know about your City Council Super District.
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Elections Jones and Pool top bar association poll in two contested city court judge races
More than 800 attorneys participated in the ranking of candidates as best qualified for the judicial races. In the race for city court clerk, the largest response to the field of nine contenders was "no opinion."
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City of Memphis Tillman Cove apartments demolition begins
The eight-acre site in Binghampton was one of the first blight emergencies faced by the administration of Mayor Jim Strickland, sitting vacant for three years. Once the brick single-story units are demolished, Elmington Capital of Nashville will build new, affordable housing.
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City of Memphis Council contenders sign progress pledge, Conrad and Ford come out against sales tax hike
The "Pledge for Progress" is a promise on the priorities five council contenders would have if elected to the body, including a possible change to 13 single-member districts. Meanwhile, council Chairman Kemp Conrad and county commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. are the first public opponents of the sales tax hike ballot question on the Oct. 3 ballot.
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Elections Last of 2018 election lawsuits lingers with call for forensic audit of voting machines
The plaintiffs in a federal court case over voting machines are calling for election officials to conduct forensic audits of the touch-screen voting machines used in Shelby County.
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Metro City campaigns move through last weekend before early voting
Mayor Jim Strickland opens his Whitehaven campaign headquarters, challenger Willie Herenton readies the "Herenton Express" and fellow challenger Tami Sawyer focuses on millenial hopes and goals.
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Education Rudd touts largest freshman class in U of M history ahead of regional drop in high school graduates
In the "Behind The Headlines" interview, the University of Memphis president also talked about his plan to up hourly wages to at least $15 an hour and the unpredictability of a new athletic conference affiliation.
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City of Memphis Collins: Conduct media mayoral debates even if Herenton, Strickland are no-shows
On The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, 2015 mayoral contender Harold Collins also talked about the claim of vote-splitting in Memphis mayoral races and the difference between the current mayor's race and the 2015 contest.
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