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 3663 articles by Bill Dries :
The joint statement from Mayor Jim Strickland and Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis Tuesday, Jan. 17, came as the funeral of Tyre Nichols was underway. ‘Tyre was a man': Loved ones of Tyre Nichols demand transparency from MPDRelated story:
The effort will comprehensively map the condition of all 6,714 lane miles of Memphis’ streets.
MLGW president and CEO Doug McGowen says his priority is finding ways to accelerate the $1.2 billion, five-year plan to upgrade the utility’s infrastructure.
Republican David Kustoff sees the prolonged balloting for the new Speaker as a healthy sign for Republican unity. Democrat Steve Cohen says Republicans will remain unified in the short term, but not in the longer term.
The council vote comes the day after the Shelby County Commission approved the same resolution. The funding is spread across four projects, including new affordable housing in Uptown and rehab of existing homes for legacy homeowners.
The review comes partly in response to Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division’s decision not to apply for $109 million worth of water infrastructure grants from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
The council approved the changes in the first of three votes on the ordinance Tuesday, Jan. 10. The changes are part of a larger group of animal ordinance amendments.
The County Commission acted on several fronts at its first meeting of the year Monday on the broader issue of the rules for tax sales and other transfer of parcels by the county. Low turnout in special elections draws questions, complaints from County CommissionRelated story:
The State House District 86 primaries have drawn 275 early voters through the weekend, out of the 45,000 in the district, which has raised questions.
During Tuesday city council committee sessions, officials are expected to have more to say about MLGW’s five-year, $1.2 billion infrastructure upgrade that is now expected to be completed by 2027, two years later than the original 2025 target date.
The commission’s earlier resolution urging the Tennessee Legislature to approve a rental registry for Shelby County was voted down last month after four commissioners recused themselves.
These five decisions in 2022 topped a review of the Shelby County Commission’s most crucial votes as chronicled by The Daily Memphian’s Commission Scorecard.
The Memphis City Council Scorecard puts votes on proposals to change how city leaders are elected and votes on public financing of a convention center hotel at the top of key votes in 2022.
Crime and the city’s power grid were among the major issues and stories of 2022 as discussed on a “Behind The Headlines” reporters roundtable.
Memphis Museum Inc., which manages MoSH, Lichterman Nature Center, the Magevney House and the Mallory-Neely House, will operate as an independent entity under a new, still-developing contract with the City of Memphis.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland called the development — the latest in the city’s efforts over the last year to force renovations at Peppertree — “great news.”
The co-founder of the People’s Convention said on The Daily Memphian’s “On The Record” podcast a 2023 edition of the gathering could serve to whittle down the field in this year’s race for Memphis mayor. Meanwhile state House District 86 contenders clashed Tuesday, Jan. 3, at a community forum.
Here is all of the information you need to participate in the first local election of 2023.
The last Memphis City Council Scorecard of 2022 finds the 13-member body unanimous on Klondike revitalization and a tourism surcharge for the city’s convention center hotel. A negotiated settlement of the damage deposit for Memphis In May’s use of the redesigned Tom Lee Park is another matter for another year.
The Shelby County Commission Scorecard calls the roll and explains the importance of the last major votes of 2022, including the county’s part in the deal that moved control of three Germantown schools from one system to another.
The Daily Memphian’s D.C. Scorecard tracks votes and positions by the city’s four representatives in Washington on two large spending bills and the ongoing saga of Title 42.
MLGW said Friday evening that it was preparing for the possibility of TVA requiring its customers to cut power load by at least 5%.
The 11 who made the noon Thursday, Dec. 15, filing deadline are all in the Jan. 24 Democratic primary in the predominantly Democratic district. No one filed in the companion Republican primary.
Here are the links to report outages, find shelter and get rides if you have to get out in the dangerous temperatures that aren’t expect to crack 20 degrees until late Saturday morning.
Beginning at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 23, MLGW will implement systemwide “rolling blackouts.”