Date set for special election to fill Barbara Cooper’s seat
The 2023 election year will begin in Memphis with a set of January primaries for the late Barbara Cooper’s state House seat.
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 3981 articles by Bill Dries :
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November 2022
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Elections -
Premium
ElectionsMust mayoral candidates live in the city? Depends on who you ask
There are city residency questions surrounding two of the six declared contenders to succeed Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland. Here’s a summary of legal opinions fueling the controversy.
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Behind The Headlines Is Shelby County ready for BlueOval City impact?
Two suburban economic development pros said on “Behind The Headlines” that infrastructure and real estate are Shelby County’s two critical areas as it sees growth from Ford’s BlueOval City in Haywood County.
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Behind The Headlines October 2023 shaping up to be exciting election season for Memphis
A reporters’ roundtable on “Behind The Headlines,” looks at the November midterm election results in Shelby County and the campaign for Memphis Mayor that ends with an October 2023 Election Day.
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City of Memphis City council elects Martavius Jones as official chairman
Martavius Jones has been acting chairman of the body since Jamita Swearengen gave up her council seat in August. Council member JB Smiley Jr. remains council vice chairman.
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City of Memphis City Council discusses third-party arbiter over Tom Lee Park damage deposit during Memphis in May
The City Council delayed a vote on the Memphis in May plan Tuesday, Nov.15, and is discussing some amendments, including a third-party arbiter to watch the set-up and take-down of Memphis In May’s two biggest events.
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City of Memphis City Council surprised by Sheraton tourism surcharge request
A 5% surcharge on anything bought at the Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel drew lots of questions from Memphis City Council members Tuesday, Nov. 15. Council members were surprised that plans for a 300-room expansion remain tentative.
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North Memphis Klondike redevelopment financing vote advances despite push for delay
Commissioner Henri Brooks, whose district includes Klondike, sought again to delay the second of three votes on a TIF district for the redevelopment of the residential area. Other Democratic commissioners on the body moved forward.
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City of Memphis Giant river otter adds fish story to Tom Lee Park
The first of the giant wooden animal sculptures arrived in Tom Lee Park Tuesday, Nov. 15. The animals, all native to the Mississippi River Basin, are another sign of the bustling park’s construction activity.
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Shelby County County Commission wants state to help with single-family rental blight
The resolution approved Monday calls on the state to allow the city and county to tax single-family rental portfolios of 50 or more homes at a higher commercial property tax rate.
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Four new judicial commissioners appointed to new 24-hour bail court
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Shelby County Four new judicial commissioners appointed to new 24-hour bail court
The Shelby County Commission have appointed five more judicial commissioners as the criminal court system gears up for a new round-the-clock bail court.
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City of Memphis City council to review Downtown Sheraton surcharge
Council members will discuss the proposed Tourism Development Zone 5% surcharge — which would be charged on hotel guests’ bills — at an 8:30 a.m. committee session Tuesday, Nov. 15.
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MetroCounty Commission seeks higher taxing rate from state for rental home portfolios
The resolution, which would ask the Tennessee Legislature and Gov. Bill Lee to change state law, is an alternative to a registry of rental property owners.
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City of MemphisCity Council Scorecard: Changes at the top and pulling MLGW closer to City Hall
Thecouncil scorecard looks at the moves of city chief operating officer Doug McGowen to head Memphis Light Gas and Water Division and Chandell Ryan to the number two post at City Hall as well as a primer on both positions.
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Behind The Headlines Supply chain issues and inflation make food insecurity issues more complex
The leaders of the Mid-South Food Bank and Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association said on “Behind The Headlines” that food insecurity in Memphis isn’t going anywhere as inflation and other economic factors replace food access barriers that surfaced in the COVID pandemic.
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On the Record What Tuesday’s votes say about Tennessee’s bluest county
The Daily Memphian’s “On The Record” podcast takes a closer look at the unofficial results in the Tuesday Nov. 8 election.
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Elections Karen Camper joins Memphis mayor’s race
The State House Democratic leader joins an already-crowded field and emphasized basic city services. Meanwhile, one of her key supporters speculates about another big name that might get into the race.
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Shelby CountyCounty Commission Scorecard: Ethics change, new school board member and the clerk’s office
The Commission Scorecard covers October votes on a change to county ethics rules, filling a vacancy on the MSCS board, Election Commission funding and the new commission’s relationship with County Clerk Wanda Halbert.
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Premium
North MemphisHow a new single-family subdivision in Frayser came to be
The 34-home subdivision is near the site of a new Frayser public library and the Rodney Baber Park trailhead for the Wolf River Greenway.
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National
ElectionsSteve Cohen, David Kustoff reelected to U.S. House
Democrat Steve Cohen and Republican David Kustoff were heavily favored to win reelection and did. But which party will be the majority in the U.S. House is still in doubt.
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Elections New opinion says Memphis mayoral candidates need not live in city
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.
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Tennessee
ElectionsAll four Tennessee constitutional amendments clear bar for passage
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.
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Overview
ElectionsOne-third of Shelby County voters show up for midterms
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.
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Shelby County
ElectionsElection Day remains quiet in Shelby County
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.
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Memphis Election Day answers questions away from national spotlight
Early voters’ numbers hint at Election Day turnout
Ballot Basics: Election Day Nov. 8, 2022
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Free to readers
ElectionsMemphis Election Day answers questions away from national spotlight
The ballot features a statewide race for governor and questions about voter interest as well as the county’s balance between Republicans and Democrats.
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