Race for local Democratic Party chairmanship shifts again
The balloting among party leaders Saturday appears to be a choice between Michael Harris and state Sen. Raumesh Akbari after state Rep. London Lamar withdrew Thursday.
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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April 2019
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Shelby County -
Shelby County Harris becomes new Democratic Party chairman in confidence vote
Harris was unopposed and by a narrow vote got the majority needed after answering lots of questions about the recent suspension of his law license. The vote also included lots of evidence of different factions within the party that was reformed in 2017.
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City of Memphis Eighty years after his death, Richard Halliburton finds new life in fiction
Richard Halliburton, a Memphis adventure travel writer from a past era, has turned up in a new series of spy novels as himself. The author researched Halliburton's life and his journals at the Rhodes College Halliburton archives.
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Education Ray says replacement funding key concern with school voucher bill
The interim superintendent of Shelby County Schools said on Behind The Headlines that a plan to consolidate and relocate some schools on a massive scale should also be accompanied by better school programs and more academic offerings to students.
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Metro Coming TVA-MLGW discussion promises to be technical, complex and political
The landscape of considerations includes a close reading of the city charter, the role of a "balancing authority" and where the electric power comes from.
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City of Memphis King’s words resonate with new rhythm, insight
During the annual observance, civil rights veteran and icon Rev. James Lawson also talked about his invitation for King to come to Memphis in behalf of sanitation workers and the "politics of assassination."
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City of Memphis Closed Handy House at center of Beale contract talks
The Downtown Memphis Commission is negotiating with the tour company it forced out of the W.C. Handy House in February, while the musician's family continues to push for changes after years of complaints the property is being ignored.
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Shelby County Lamar gets into race for Shelby County Democratic Party chair
The Democratic state Representative got into the race just before a Wednesday deadline for nominations as another contender dropped out and a contender who stayed in the race faces questions about a suspended law license. The party's grass roots council makes its decision Saturday.
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City of Memphis People’s Convention date pushed back for community surveys
The People’s Convention, set for later this month to assemble a platform and back candidates in the 2019 Memphis elections, is being pushed back to later in the spring or early summer by organizers.
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City of Memphis Council discusses strategy on possible changes in TVA relationship
The Memphis City Council also delayed votes once again Tuesday on the first reading of the Memphis 3.0 plan and an agreement between the city and Graceland on Graceland expansion plans.
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City of Memphis City Council returns to Memphis 3.0 plan, Graceland development deal
The City Council is scheduled Tuesday to take the first of three votes on the Memphis 3.0 plan and to vote on the agreement between the city administration and Graceland for further expansion of Graceland’s Whitehaven campus.
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Metro Explore Bike Share changes pricing, allows docking at public bike racks
Explore Bike Share changes, effective Monday, are aimed at drawing more riders and making access to the bike system available to more citizens.
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Shelby County Strong cautions Democrats against ‘deficit mindset’ at local party convention
Shelby County Democratic Party chairman Corey Strong says local Democrats made a good start in the 2018 county elections, sweeping every countywide office on the ballot and improving the Democratic majority on the Shelby County Commission to eight seats.
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March 2019
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State Government Memphis Democrats outline opposition to voucher bill
Three Democratic state legislators from Memphis say on "Behind The Headlines" that the dollar figures in Gov. Bill Lee’s school voucher proposal aren’t enough to protect the per pupil funding to the public schools from which those children would exit.
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Shelby County Democrats plot encore to 2018 Shelby County election sweep
The Saturday Shelby County Democratic Party convention is the first of two gatherings to elect the party's leadership for the next two years including a new party chairman to be elected at a later meeting.
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City of Memphis Mueller report reaction and constituent issues mix at Cohen town hall in North Memphis
The public becomes more willing to accept the four-page summary letter of the Mueller Report the longer it takes for the full report to be released, Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen said Friday during a town hall meeting.
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City of Memphis Conrad says look for new city strategy on homelessness
Memphis City Council Chairman Kemp Conrad says the three-year goal of ending "street homelessness" could include a city shelter.
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Education Schwinn faces critical decisions on TNReady online achievement testing
Tennessee education leaders can now track glitches with the revamped TNReady testing system in real time. But the state education commissioner says she still must decide whether to throw the switch or wait another year to resume online achievement tests.
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City of Memphis Strickland renews talk of ‘freshwater institute’ on Mud Island
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland has renewed talk of a “freshwater institute” on Mud Island to research the Memphis aquifer, which is the source of the city’s drinking water, and the Mississippi River.
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City of Memphis Mississippi River at Memphis to go below flood stage Friday
For the first time since Feb. 18, the Mississippi River at Memphis is expected to go below flood stage sometime Friday.
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City of Memphis Cossitt plans include lots of gathering spaces, arts and tech partnerships
The $5 million Cossitt Library renovation could get started later this spring, with an emphasis on spaces for gathering and creativity within the walls of the city's first library.
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City of Memphis City Council members, TVA officials meet against backdrop of possible MLGW split from TVA
Memphis City Council members met Tuesday in Chattanooga with Tennessee Valley Authority officials.
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City of Memphis Emotion and mechanics surround Memphis 3.0 plan
Despite the high hopes of some for the proposed Memphis 3.0 land use and development plan, there are some basic concerns and some criticism about how the land use and development guidelines will be used.
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Shelby County Memphis’ congressional representatives react to Mueller report
The Mueller report hasn’t been released publicly, but local representatives in the U.S. House and Senate have differing views based on what they know about it.
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City of Memphis Holder to mediate Tom Lee Park talks
Retired Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Janice Holder has been appointed to mediate talks between Memphis in May International Festival and the Memphis River Parks Partnership over plans to redesign Tom Lee Park.
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