City Council’s light agenda includes renewed grants program
The council’s discussion of grant rules comes after city auditors questioned the $13,000 grant awarded to a County Commissioner-elect.
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 4390 articles by Bill Dries :
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July 2026
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City of Memphis -
City of Memphis City Council renews grant program, approving $13,000 for temporary housing
The Memphis City Council’s $2.6 million grant fund allocates $200,000 for each council member to propose grants to nonprofits.
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Shelby County DeBerry clashes with MICAH on Memphis Safe Task Force
The clash came at a weekend candidates’ forum hosted by MICAH. Also the impact of Congressional primaries on voter turnout and Blackburn fallout and calculations.
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Shelby County Some courts close a second day — but jail AC improves
Several divisions of General Sessions Criminal Court and all divisions of City Court will be closed a second day Tuesday as work continues on damage from a June water leak. Meanwhile, air conditioning problems in the Shelby County Jail have improved.
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Shelby County Some city, criminal courts closed for third day due to water main break
The General Sessions Criminal Court divisions will continue to function at just the most basic levels Wednesday, July 15, the third day of limited court operations there and a shutdown of Memphis Municipal or City courts.
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City of MemphisCity of Memphis investigating potential ethics violations
It is not clear what the city’s independent counsel is investigating, but a person familiar with the matter said it could be for potential violations of state, local and federal laws.
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City of MemphisCouncil chair allegedly pushed staff for donations
In May, the City Council’s chief administrator raised various concerns about Chairwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington. Among them, that the councilperson was using city resources for her and her husband’s church.
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City of Memphis Council member said he’s not subject of ethics investigation
Memphis City Council member JB Smiley Jr. is named in a May letter as urging the city administration to hire Chairwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington’s niece in the city’s IT division.
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2026 elections
ElectionsEight candidates certified for Criminal Court judicial race
The election is Aug; 6. The Shelby County Election Commission is preparing to mail out notices to inform county voters of their new congressional districts.
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2026 Elections
ElectionsLowery warns against complacency as county mayor race heads to Aug. 6
Lowery in Eads, Taylor in Piperton. The political roundup is on the campaign trail and includes a D.C. roundup with reaction to the memorandum of understanding with Iran.
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2026 elections
Elections‘Wild, wild west:’ Write-in race for Hardaway house seat heats up
Three candidates are planning write-in campaigns for the District 93 House seat most recently held by G.A. Hardaway.
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2026 elections
Elections5th Congressional District Democrats talk Task Force in forum
The forum at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church drew all five candidates for the August 6 Democratic primary, who each hope to win the seat of incumbent Republican Congressman Andy Ogles.
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2026 Elections
ElectionsAOC to stump for Justin Pearson in Memphis
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is coming to the city with two other Democratic U.S. House members. Meanwhile, House Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan is endorsing state Sen. Brent Taylor in the companion Republican primary.
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2026 elections
ElectionsHundreds of absentee ballots lack some judicial races and charter question
About 700 absentee voters in Shelby County will receive a supplemental ballot that is expected to arrive by July 15.
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Public Safety 10 apply for two new Criminal Court Judge positions
Shelby County’s two new courts are dedicated to violent crime cases.
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2026 elections
ElectionsEarly voting begins Friday, and high-profile endorsements are already rolling in
The most complex ballot of the three 2026 Shelby County elections begins early voting Friday. President Donald Trump and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have both endorsed candidates in the 9th Congressional District race.
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2026 elections
ElectionsTask Force returns as issue in August primaries
Two fatal Memphis Safe Task Force shootings in four days have returned the federal presence to the campaign spotlight as an issue.
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2026 elections
ElectionsDistrict 8 congressional candidates make final pitches ahead of August primary
Local Democrats closed out their candidate forums for the city’s three newly drawn congressional districts in, while a Millington event drew a Republican nominee for county mayor and videos from two contenders for governor.
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2026 Elections
ElectionsMore than 9,000 cast early and absentee ballots in first two days of early voting
Most of the early and absentee votes in the first two days of the ongoing early voting period were cast in Democratic state and federal primaries.
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City of Memphis Mayor Young signs city paid parental-leave policy
Memphis Mayor Paul Young signed an executive order that puts in place up to six weeks of fully paid leave for full-time city employees following the birth, adoption or fostering of a child.
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Shelby County Pearson rally puts Memphis at center of Democratic Party debate
Plus, GOP gubernatorial candidates push to change Tennessee constitution for tougher control over Memphis courts and the Memphis Safe Task Force.
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City of Memphis Two new city officials, stricter short-term rental terms to go before council
The Memphis City Council will act on the appointments for the city’s CFO and CAO and take final votes to add a pair of city charter change referendums to the Nov. 3 ballot for Memphis voters to decide.
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City of Memphis Council confirms new city leaders
The Memphis City Council also approved a change to the city’s structure for the trustee status MATA is currently operating under.
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2026 Elections
ElectionsLowery: ‘Collaboration’ with state, not intervention or takeover
Democratic nominee for County Mayor Mickell Lowery talked about state intervention, his vote to raise county property taxes and tax breaks as economic development incentives on “Behind The Headlines.”
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2026 elections
ElectionsDemocratic sheriff nominee takes wait-and-see approach on cooperation with federal immigration
Anthony Buckner talked about immigration and the Memphis Safe Task Force as well as a new jail in a wide-ranging interview on “Behind The Headlines”.
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