Sheriff’s office reform measures clear early County Commission vote
The commission also used some of its opioid settlement money to develop a plan for dealing with the effect of opioid addiction.
Bill Dries
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 3662 articles by Bill Dries :
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August 2023
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Shelby County -
Shelby County County Commission returns to police reform ordinances for Sheriff’s office
The set of three ordinances were delayed on first reading votes two weeks ago. Meanwhile, Monday’s meeting is the last for Mickell Lowery as chairman of a body that is still working its way through a rift among the nine Democratic members.
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Update
State GovernmentFormer 2-term Republican Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist dies at 87
The Memphis Republican’s bid for a state income tax in his second term as governor estranged him from the GOP statewide, but Sundquist made his peace with a more conservative state party late in life.
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Elections Political Roundup: McKissack opens campaign HQ and how many votes to become mayor
Campaigns are anticipating a voter turnout of around 100,000 voters when all of the votes are counted Oct. 5. Some candidates believe one of them could win the mayors race with as few as 25,000 votes.
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Behind The Headlines Chamber takes over Memphis in May international activities
The Memphis in May International Festival was founded to promote foreign business investment in the city. The tradition will continue with the Greater Memphis Chamber announcing the 2024 honored country next week.
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City of Memphis Riverfront group, including Overton Heirs, sues to stop new Brooks construction
The Chancery Court lawsuit seeks to stop construction on the new riverfront Brooks Museum, charging violations of the terms of the “public promenade” established when the city was founded in 1819.
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City of Memphis Council pushes for permanent sheriff’s presence on Beale
The resolution by council chairman Martavius Jones and council vice chairman JB Smiley Jr. asking the Memphis Police Department to ask Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner for the permanent cooperation was approved by the council on a 10-0 vote.
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City of Memphis City court clerk question will be on ballot; MLGW residency won’t
The Memphis City Council voted down a ballot question that would have required MLGW employees to live within Shelby County. It gave final approval to a referendum on restoring the city court clerk as an elected office.
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Elections Gibson calls Bonner’s leadership ‘weak and ineffective’
Memphis Mayoral contender J.W. Gibson is the latest in the race to challenger Floyd Bonner Jr. on recent deaths at the Shelby County Jail during Bonner’s tenure as sheriff.
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City of Memphis City Council to take final votes on two more 2024 ballot questions
The council has already approved two other charter referendums for the 2024 election year and has others waiting in the wings. If all are approved, it would make five ballot questions for Memphis voters next year.
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City of Memphis Political Roundup: Memphis mayoral candidates criticize fellow contenders
Mayoral contender Van Turner also said Saturday the city’s “crime wave” has to be “met where it is.” Also, the special legislative session in Nashville could influence the Memphis mayor’s race.
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Behind The Headlines Bluffwalk at new Brooks Museum can be in the eye of the beholder
The director of the Brooks says on “Behind The Headlines” the controversy over the bluffwalk on the river side of the museum being built Downtown depends on your definition of the public walkway atop much of the riverbluff.
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Elections Memphis mayoral candidates share public-safety plans at Chamber forum
The Greater Memphis Chamber forum drew six of the seven major contenders for mayor.
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Downtown Memphis in May is looking for a new location
In an email to its barbecue teams, Memphis in May President Jim Holt says the festival is “exploring venue options other than Tom Lee Park for the future.”
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Shelby County Miska Clay Bibbs to lead Shelby County Commission
Commissioners broke their stalemate Monday, Aug. 14, in the selection of a new chair.
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Shelby County County Commission seeks to limit Sheriff’s office
Shelby County Commissioners also try Monday, Aug. 14, to break the deadlock over the selection of a new chair after two unsuccessful tries since in July.
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Elections Political Roundup: People’s Convention fiery finale, Kelsey’s end
Mayoral contender Paul Young took the convention’s endorsement Saturday, Aug. 12, but rival Van Turner delivered a fiery speech and both called for changing the city’s political status quo. City council endorsements are also listed.
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Behind The Headlines Van Turner says federal probe of MPD is needed to ‘rebuild trust’
Memphis mayoral candidate Van Turner says on “Behind The Headlines” the federal investigation of the Memphis Police Department could play a large role in determining whether the next mayor changes MPD leadership.
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Elections People’s Convention backs candidates in four council races on opening day
The three-day session opened with endorsements for four Memphis City Council candidates on the Oct. 5 ballot. About 150 people attended the event at the Memphis Sports and Event Center at Liberty Park.
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State Government Civil rights groups suing Tennessee over Republican-led redistricting
The lawsuit filed Wednesday, Aug. 9, in Nashville federal court seeks to redraw the Cordova-based state Senate district in Shelby County and cites a “larger discriminatory agenda” by the Republican-controlled Legislature.
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City of Memphis City Council asserts independence from mayor on several fronts
The council is challenging the administration on the delayed development that is a key part of financing the remake of the Fairgrounds to Liberty Park and what it sees as hesitation in an expansion of the council’s office space at City Hall.
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State Government Lee calls for narrow look at gun control measures during special session
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee issued a formal call for a special session of the Legislature to begin Aug. 21 in the Capitol. It includes mental health orders of protection, with a lot of conditions, among the topics to be considered.
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Shelby County County political parties eye red and blue school board elections
The move to primaries in what are now nonpartisan races began in response to book and curriculum topic bannings in Florida.
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City of Memphis City Council returns to call for partisan primaries
The ballot question would go to voters in 2024 if the council approves it. The council voted down a similar referendum last year.
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Shelby County County Commission delays vote on new chair
The special Monday, Aug. 7, meeting was short of a quorum that’s needed to take any action.
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