Tennessee Highway Patrol driving increase in arrests
As the Memphis Safe Task Force ramps up its presence, local elected leaders are focusing on a lawsuit challenging the state about sending National Guard troops to the city.
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 4102 articles by Bill Dries :
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October 2025
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Public Safety -
Metro Mitch Graves’ TVA nomination goes to U.S. Senate committee
MLGW board member Mitch Graves was one of four Trump nominees to the TVA board that went to D.C. on Wednesday for introductions to the Senate committee that will be considering their nominations.
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Shelby County County Commission to vote Monday on override of mayor’s veto
Mayor Lee Harris vetoed the commission’s September vote that would move all nine Memphis-Shelby County Schools board seats to the 2026 ballot, shortening the four-year terms of office of five of the school board members elected last year.
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City of Memphis Central Library escalates plan for new escalators
Meanwhile, librarians seeking union recognition got a promise from the Memphis City Council.
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Metro‘No Kings’ organizers say there’s a reason Steve Cohen didn’t get to speak
Who got to speak at Saturday’s “No Kings” protest in East Memphis and who didn’t was still a lively topic two days after the event.
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Shelby County Memphis wasn’t asked to join National Guard lawsuit, Harris says
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and leaders of other groups seeking to stop the National Guard deployment in Memphis say the city was never offered an option to join their lawsuit.
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City of Memphis Sewer cutoff policy from Strickland remains in place but ordinance codifying it is withdrawn
For a year, Memphis City Council has delayed a final vote on an ordinance that would formalize a significant change to city sewer policy made by former Mayor Jim Strickland in 2017.
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ElectionsThe surge gets more politically complex
Also in the political roundup, Harris endorses Green in the race for Governor as Blackburn calls out Green by name. And a close encounter at “No Kings” between Cohen and Pearson.
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City of Memphis How Mayor Young wants to work with the Memphis Safe Task Force — instead of contesting it
Mayor Paul Young is aware his strategy — and the Task Force itself — are controversial.
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Behind The Headlines Mayor Young says Sheraton hotel deal worth delays
Memphis Mayor Paul Young said on “Behind The Headlines” the city’s $22 million purchase of the 600-room hotel helps protect the city’s $200 million investment in the Renasant Convention Center.
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MetroBlackburn and Hagerty investigated after Jan. 6 US Capitol riots
U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are calling for an investigation into an investigation. Also, U.S. Rep. David Kustoff’s talks to Fox News about Memphis Safe Task Force, and U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen’s “Trump Score” is an F.
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DowntownCivil Rights Museum looks to future with expansion of ‘sacred ground’
The National Civil Rights Museum’s Freedom Awards mark another move by the 34-year-old institution further onto the “sacred ground” it occupies.
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Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris says county could take Memphis Safe Task Force to court
“We are weighing some sort of legal action in order to put a stop to some of the unconstitutional actions that we’ve seen and heard about,” Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said.
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Metro1968, 1978 and 2020: National Guard looms large in city’s history
The 1968 deployment of troops to Memphis during the sanitation workers strike stands out in the city’s history. But there have been other guard deployments in the city since.
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Metro Senate Judiciary, City Council hear different versions of crime task force work
The U.S. Justice Department wants to put as many of the charges stemming from the Memphis Safe Task Force surge through the federal system, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said this week.
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Shelby County Lowery wants a ‘change in culture,’ Pearson gears up fundraising, and Republicans want Sawyer to resign
Also in the political roundup: Congressional contender Justin J. Pearson campaigns. And General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer is asked to resign over a recorded courthouse confrontation.
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Real EstateArchitectural marvel in Frayser is up for sale
For the past eight years, Dana Gabrion says she has fostered the iconic Bauhaus structure on Highway 51 in Frayser. Now, she’s searching for someone to “take it to its fullest potential.”
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Behind The Headlines County commissioners split on whether to fight Harris’ veto
Shelby County Lee Harris’ veto of a resolution to move school board elections and the National Guard coming to town were hot topics on “Behind the Headlines.”
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City of Memphis City completes public-housing redevelopment after 10 years
City of Memphis leaders marked the opening of the sixth and final phase of South City, the 712-unit mixed income conversion of what was once the Foote Homes public-housing development.
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Metro Pearson challenges Cohen for US House
State Rep. Justin J. Pearson said he will challenge U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen in the 2026 Democratic primary. Pearson once worked for Cohen as a intern.
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Metro Former US attorney returns to Western District of Tennessee
The party-line vote included yes votes by U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee.
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City of Memphis City Council calls for meeting to rethink Regional One plan
The council passed a unanimous, but nonbinding, resolution asking for Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris to reconsider the current $1.9 billion plan.
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Shelby County County Commission approves fix for cash-flow crunch
Commissioners also began to talk Monday, Oct. 6, about the county’s other financial problem that prompted the Tennessee comptroller to bar approval of any new bonds for the next year.
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City of Memphis MPD to present crime numbers
MPD’s presentation to the Memphis City Council comes after the first week of a state and federal anti-crime surge in the city.
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Metro Michael Dunavant’s nomination for US attorney goes to Senate vote
Dunavant is part of a list of 108 nominations by President Donald Trump to be voted on Monday, Oct. 6, by the full Senate on the list as opposed to votes on individual nominees.
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