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.
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A plan to replace the Land Bank with a county government Real Estate Division moved ahead on the second of three votes. The commission also delayed revisiting a link between EDGE board incentives and wages.
Shelby County commissioners kick off a new effort Monday, Oct. 16, to require a certain level of pay for companies getting property-tax incentives from the Economic Development Growth Engine.
The music festival that began as an off-shoot of the Memphis In May International Festival 46 years ago has at times had a turbulent history as it has grown into a major attraction. Mempho producing a new music festival in Tom Lee Park in MayRelated story:
The group that started the Mempho festival is behind the effort and in recent years has branched out to booking a variety of other music events beyond the festival.
Memphis in May confirmed in a Thursday, Oct. 12, press release that, at least for next year, the music festival would be “paused” and the barbecue fest would move to Liberty Park.
Opposition to the plan for a fiber optic network at 1 gigabyte surfaced from Comcast in council committee sessions Tuesday, Oct. 10. Related story: Memphis City Council introduces new referendums for 2024 election
At the first city council meeting since the Oct. 5 Memphis elections, council members advanced two ballot questions for 2024 that could change future city elections if approved by voters.
The Daily Memphian political reporters Sam Hardiman and Bill Dries go over some notes on the 2023 city elections and what the unofficial results mean in an “On The Record” podcast.
Some of the newly elected city council members will likely be at the Tuesday, Oct. 9, council session to prepare for taking office January 1. The current council is scheduled to take first votes on two referendums that would change future city elections if approved by city voters.
The Daily Memphian’s D.C. Scorecard finds bipartisan support for Israel among the city’s representatives in the Capitol but disagreement on what if any role the U.S. unfreezing Iranian assets may have played Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.
A reporters’ roundtable on WKNO-TV’s “Behind The Headlines” recaps the 2023 Memphis election result. Meanwhile, the next campaigns to come in the new year will include referendums that could change city elections. Calkins: A new mayor and a new dog, too? Things are looking up! Sanford: Young’s mayoral victory signals clear generational change The runoff what-if and other takeaways from election night On The Ballot: Memphis election recap, results and runoffs With Young headed to mayor’s office, DMC looks to new CEO searchRelated stories:
Part of Sound Diplomacy’s work over the next year will include an online map of the city’s “music ecosystem,” including teachers, school programs, church choirs, venues, festivals and music publishing.
Of the eight council incumbents seeking re-election, Michalyn Easter-Thomas appeared headed to a Nov. 16 runoff with challenger Jimmy Hassan in District 7.
The 14-day early voting period drew nearly 58,000 voters with a turnout bigger than Thursday’s Election Day across the city.
Polls are open Thursday, Oct. 5, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. across the city. Voters are deciding 11 contested races for Memphis City Council and a mayor’s race that will see a new leader elected to start in January.
Up to 3:30 p.m., the Shelby County Election Commission numbers showed an Election Day turnout of 16,830 compared to almost 58,000 voters during the early voting period.
The Memphis City Council races on Thursday’s ballot have largely been in the shadow of the 17-candidate field for mayor.
Shelby County elections administrator Linda Phillips says “roughly” 5,800 voters had cast ballots as of 10 a.m.
“Some precincts will have a large rush after work. Some will be steady all day long. Some have a huge rush in the morning and you could take a nap in the afternoon.”
How much of this Memphis mayoral history do you know? Here are some fun facts as we near midday on Election Day 2023.
Shelby County elections administrator Linda Phillips spoke at the Election Operations Center in Shelby Farms Park about a half hour before the polls opened.
The Daily Memphian’s live blog coverage of election day in Memphis will take you through the morning and afternoon rushes, the downtime between them, the vote totals to the very end and the thoughts of the winners and losers.
If you are going to vote on the city’s Thursday, Oct. 5, election day, here are the basics — what to expect and how to prepare to cast your ballot.
After agreeing on the short-term spending bill last week that lead to the Tuesday, Oct. 3, vote on ousting House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Congressmen Steve Cohen and David Kustoff parted company on McCarthy’s political fate.
Attendance figures for the Beale Street Music Festival hit a 30-year low, according to the report released Tuesday, Oct. 3. The festival’s annual report promises further word on the 2024 festival’s future in the coming days.