Ford indictment spotlights County Commission ethics guidelines
There is no provision for removing a Shelby County commissioner facing criminal charges, but there is a push to strengthen the ethics commission’s role, Chairman Michael Whaley said.
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 3763 articles by Bill Dries :
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March 2025
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Shelby County -
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MusicBreaking down Memphis’ music scene
Sound Diplomacy counts 1,148 “music-related assets” in Memphis and within a 5½-mile buffer outside the city. The organization also made recommendations for how to grow the Memphis music industry.
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MusicMemphis music study says Mud Island Amphitheater could be valuable asset
But in doing so it assumes the venue would be fully renovated and maximize possible revenue from food and beverage sales, “premium seating experiences” and sponsorships.
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Shelby County Harris wants to suspend Ford Jr. from making more county grants
Mayor Lee Harris also said he wants to meet with attorneys and other elected officials to see if further steps need to be taken.
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Shelby County Inside proposed ethics changes for Shelby County government
The proposals include ballot questions for voters countywide in 2026 and an attempt to bring to life the dormant Shelby County Ethics Commission — or abolish it.
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Music‘Music defines cities:’ What a new report says about Memphis music scene
Sound Diplomacy’s 169-page report, released Saturday, touches on some sensitive topics in the long history and heritage of Memphis music, not the least of which is the intersection of music and business.
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Shelby County Commissioners weigh moratorium on program at heart of Ford indictment
The grant program that allots each county commissioner $200,000 is at the heart of federal bribery and tax-evasion charges against Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr.
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City of MemphisMayor Young describes art as ‘need to have’ at meeting to discuss music report
A gathering at Minglewood Hall drew more than 100 people in the first session to gauge reaction to a new report on the Memphis music ecosystem.
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State Government Gun switches could be outlawed if new bill becomes law
Tennessee currently has no law on the books that deals explicitly with gun switches.
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MetroFord family’s Memphis history extends back to Reconstruction era
The Ford political dynasty has deep roots in Memphis that stretch across three centuries and is littered with bribery and fraud charges. One family member was even wrapped up in the Tennessee Waltz sting operation.
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MetroAfter 17 years in elected office, Edmund Ford Jr. is at a crossroads
The Shelby County commissioner faces federal bribery and tax-evasion charges as he nears the end of his second term on the Board of Commissioners and after 11 years on the Memphis City Council before that.
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Shelby CountyCommission Scorecard: An inside look at voting on Regional One, MSCS
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners stands by its decision to cap county funding for Regional One Health’s new campus, and it looks to a forensic audit of Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
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Public Safety Trump pardons former state Sen. Brian Kelsey
Kelsey pleaded guilty in November 2022 to charges related to his attempts to funnel campaign money from his state legislative seat toward his failed 2016 congressional bid and he reported to federal prison last month.
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