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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 :
Attorney Allan Wade — in a legal opinion from last week made public Wednesday, Nov. 9 — said a 1996 amendment to the city charter makes living in the city a qualification to hold the office, not run for the office.
In Shelby County returns, the closest contest among the four was Amendment 1, which made the state’s “right to work” law part of the Constitution.
A third of the county’s voters showed up to vote in the last election of 2022 — and most of them voted early or absentee. The early vote totals told the story of what the rest of the night would be like. Related story:
Shelby County turnout up to noon Tuesday was quiet but steady, according to election officials. There were some poll book problems at the outset. Campaign literature on both sides of the partisan divide turned up at sign in tables at at least two polling places in the county Tuesday morning. Memphis Election Day answers questions away from national spotlight Early voters’ numbers hint at Election Day turnout Ballot Basics: Election Day Nov. 8, 2022 Related stories:
The ballot features a statewide race for governor and questions about voter interest as well as the county’s balance between Republicans and Democrats.Related stories:
Here is everything you need to know about the voting process for Tuesday’s Election Day in Shelby County.
More than 120,000 Shelby County voters cast early or absentee ballots during the 14-day early voting period that ended Nov. 3. Here’s what it might mean for total turnout including who shows up at the polls on election day.
The Shelby County Election Commission found the problem Monday and did a review of the other 25 early voting sites before determining it was an isolated incident involving the wrong Congressional race.
A seat on the Memphis City Council and one of three divisions of Memphis City Court are the special election races on the November ballot. The council race will also determine if there is a runoff in December.
Over the years, possible solutions have included a new parking garage as well as shuttle services as two city mayors, multiple community leaders and even the police have joined the fray.
Terence Patterson says on “Behind The Headlines” that a national search is essential to choosing the next MSCS superintendent.
Collierville was the last stop on the governor’s three-day campaign bus tour. Lee’s supporters, plus some opponents of the “Right to Work” amendment to the state constitution, came out to greet him.
Thursday is the last day to vote early ahead of next Tuesday’s election day, as congressmen David Kustoff and Steve Cohen predict who will control the House. Plus: Notes on school funding, MLGW and the first mayoral forum.
Before his confirmation by the Memphis City Council this week, Doug McGowen indicated MLGW will move closer to Memphis’ day-to-day operations. He also said the city-owned utility could expand to include broadband and has to improve its responsiveness to Memphians.
The Memphis Zoo, Overton Park Conservancy and the City of Memphis are soon to sign off on precise terms that will end overflow parking on the greensward.
City leaders broke ground Thursday, Nov. 3, on a new 20,000-square-foot Frayser Branch Library on James Road that replaces the existing 60-year-old facility.
The NIH grant will provide services for pregnant women trying to overcome substance abuse addiction. The director of Serenity Recovery Centers says she hopes it can end the practice of incarcerated women with such issues giving birth in prison and immediately losing custody of newborns.
A challenge to a six-month residency rule by a Mason, Tennessee, mayoral candidate came with a ruling last month that could revive a five-year residency requirement in the Memphis mayoral race.
The item returns to the Memphis City Council for discussion at its Nov. 15 session.
The council also confirmed Chandell Ryan as the city’s new chief operating officer — the first woman to hold the No. 2 post in city government.
The trust fund for city and county property taxes earmarked for the redevelopment area cleared the first of three votes before the Shelby County Commission.
The compromise announced by Memphis City Council members Ford Canale and Chase Carlisle Monday, Oct. 31, does away with a hole in the expanded golf course by the park’s lake.
A new ordinance gives the appointment of a chief ethics officer to the county mayor, to be voted on by the County Commission. The county attorney’s office will still have some input.
The funding is for a marketing firm to work with the Election Commission to not only explain the new voting system to voters, but also chart the areas of low voter turnout across the county.
County chief administrative officer Harold Collins says the office is fully equipped, but Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert says the office won’t open until early December, missing a deadline set by Shelby County commissioners.