Reporter
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for more than 40 years.
There are 3660 articles by Bill Dries :
Coletta’s tenure running the group that manages 6 miles of the city’s riverfront saw the $61 million redesign of Tom Lee Park and a push to better connect the riverfront to the rest of Downtown.
Commissioners approved a design contract for the proposed mental health center on a second vote. The commission also redistributed the 6% pay raise budgeted in June.
The Election Commission’s decision could set up a legal battle a day after the state’s Republican leadership came out against Memphis’ vote on gun control.
“No law or rule that allows Shelby County to utilize taxpayer funds to circumvent the will of the people,” reads a memorandum defending Halbert from ouster. “The people voted for Ms. Halbert.”
The former county commissioner and a set of 15 appointed staff members formally take office Sept. 1 in the office that administers the day-to-day business of the largest court in the state.
“We won’t back down and d--n sure won’t be bullied,” Memphis City Council Chair JB Smiley Jr. said, as council members announced the lawsuit.
He said the city council’s lawsuit to get the referendum on the ballot could hurt efforts to work with Republican leaders of the legislature. Memphis City Council sues Election Commission over gun-control voteRelated content:
The current path of the legal dispute over a multi-part city ballot referendum on gun control is expected to hinge on the outcome of the payroll tax ballot question’s 2004 controversy.
How do groups who disagree work together? They go to court, if the lawsuit filed by the City Council against the Election Commission about not including a gun-control referendum on the ballot is any indication.
A midcentury building in Midtown is undergoing a transformation to become the new gallery and studio space for one Memphis museum.
The Memphis City Council’s lawsuit to vote for citywide gun-control measures in November pushes on as the September deadline for the ballot approaches.
While Memphians might not vote on gun control, they will vote on runoffs for future mayor’s races, residency requirements for mayoral and City Council candidates and if the council can set its own pay.
All sides in the ouster lawsuit are due in Circuit Court next week to sort out various motions including one seeking to declare Wanda Halbert in default for not responding directly to the complaint.
More than 630 jail doors as well as light fixtures, a walk-in freezer and access-control systems damaged in a power surge this past March are said to need to be repaired or replaced.
Steve Cohen meets with diplomats from Middle East countries and said discussions could include the possibility of a peacekeeping force in Gaza. Meanwhile, local Republicans and Democrats hear about voting’s importance in a non-battleground state.
Shelby County commissioners will vote on a move to support the Memphis City Council’s lawsuit against the Shelby County Election Commission. The body also considers allocating millions in proposed emergency jail repairs.
The parks committee also takes up funding for repairs to the Mud Island river museum building.
The vote was along party lines with a discussion before the vote that mirrors past discussions about “building relationships” in Nashville versus “standing up to bullies.”
Sheriff Floyd Bonner wants $15.5 million for jail repairs that’s already planned for a mental health diversion center. The County Commission is sending the problem to committee for a possible Sept. 28 vote.
The transit authority’s latest check-in with City Council saw some skepticism that MATA’s financial troubles were a surprise to those running the city’s bus system.
The Memphis City Council voted down or delayed all but one proposal in a meeting dominated by planning and development items.
As low water season begins, the Mississippi River is currently 4 feet higher than the record low of 2023.
The city’s Democratic elected officials thought nominee Kamala Harris successfully baited nominee Donald Trump. Republicans thought Harris was changing her tune on key issues.
All sides are back in court Tuesday for a hearing on Halbert’s attorney’s motion to dismiss the case entirely.
Tennessee’s abortion ban comes up in discussion of Memphis’ gun-control referendum; Sen. Blackburn uses old stats to talk crime, and remembering Jim Sasser, the former U.S. senator who was instrumental in bringing pandas to the zoo.