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 3969 articles by Bill Dries :
The unanimous Shelby County Commission vote Monday for the moratorium came despite county attorneys warning the commission might be overstepping its authority. Winner of District 86 primary to get an extra day’s jump on appointmentRelated story:
The Memphis City Council is also expected to take up the Dream hotel project on South Main and a damage deposit proposal for Memphis in May’s return to Tom Lee Park.
Less than 24 hours before the partial closing begins, the Shelby County Clerk says it is to “stay ahead of February’s anticipated rush.”
The County Commission will vote Wednesday on a move to make the primary winner of the District 86 special election the appointee until the uncontested March election results are certified.
The moratorium on the Monday, Jan. 23, agenda is the latest indication that commissioners want to reexamine land use and property transfers in blighted areas.
With an empty Republican primary on Tuesday’s ballot and no independent candidates, the winner of the 10-candidate Democratic primary will be the de facto winner of the seat after the token March special general election.
Russell Wigginton, president of the NCRM, says on “Behind The Headlines” the museum’s expansion includes digitizing 11,000 items not currently on display.
Van Turner and Paul Young talked about returning to Memphis after college and the role that’s played in their campaigns at separate fundraisers Saturday, Jan. 14.
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.