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.
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The four new commissioners fill all vacancies in the ranks of the entry point for many defendants in the criminal justice system. The Shelby County Commission also set dates for filling a vacancy on the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board.
The council discussion is the second since a series of violent crimes earlier this month that have raised new questions about how police and the community are battling violent crime.
The 10 reappointments were voted on individually Monday. There was only one no vote against any of the nominees.
The MSCS board chairwoman, who in August won a second four-year term, referred to the board’s $480,000 severance package for superintendent Joris Ray as a “challenge” in which the school board showed leadership.
Neighbors of the park generally supported the new playground and picnic pavilion planned, but voiced concerns about a rendering from earlier this month that appeared to show the park’s lake as part of the golf course expansion. The city’s parks director says the rendering wasn’t accurate.
At the second meeting of the new term of office Monday, Sept. 26, county commissioners appoint three new judicial commissioners and set the dates for filling a Memphis-Shelby County Schools board seat.
The city’s discussion on what to do about violent crime is different after two high-profile crimes have raised larger questions. The difference is among the topics discussed on “Behind The Headlines.”
Employment and labor attorney Alan Crone, a former Memphis City Council member, says the claim of “whistleblower” status by County Clerk Wanda Halbert is “nonsense” and likened it to an episode of “The Office.”
Young leaves MLGW after four years. His departure next month comes at a critical point in the utility’s consideration of leaving the Tennessee Valley Authority.
The city is adding a convenience dumpster site soon at Collins Yard and next year, plans to roll out artificial intelligence tracking to address blight and illegal dumping.
Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert reacts to talk of legislation lowering the number of signatures needed to force a recall election. She also continues to blame County Mayor Lee Harris’ administration for a backlog of license plates and tags that she says has been cleared up.
Ritz was recommended to the White House by U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis and succeeds Joe Murphy, who had been acting U.S. Attorney since February 2021.
The ongoing discussion and debate were also present Wednesday, Sept. 21, as commissioners interviewed 30 attorneys who have applied to fill three vacant positions for judicial commissioners.
The Shelby County Commission that took office this month has three judicial commissioners to appoint. It’s part of a chain reaction from the dozens of judicial races decided on the August ballot.
The voter registration deadline for the Nov. 8 ballot gives a sense of urgency to the latest canvassing forays into the city to increase not only voter registration but voter turnout.
Between the Sept. 14 deadline to file qualifying petitions with the Shelby County Election Commission and this past Sunday’s deadline for candidates to withdraw the field stayed the same in the last judicial race of this election year.
County Court Clerk Wanda Halbert said the weeklong closing to the public, which begins Monday, Sept. 19, is necessary to clear a backlog of car titles. It’s the Shelby County Clerk’s second closing in a month.
Michelle McKissack is currently chairwoman of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board and is looking at a potential run for Memphis mayor.
“Unfortunately, over the course of the last several weeks there have been many reports of new operations and customer service issues at your offices,” the county mayor wrote in the memo to Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert. County Clerk’s office closes to public for second weeklong ‘blackout’Related story:
The Commission Scorecard tracks votes on an attempt to change who investigates ethics complaints and selection of a new chairman and chairman pro tempore at the first meeting of the term.
The chairman of the local crime commission and a Memphis City Council member talk on “Behind The Headlines” about the reaction to weeks of violence.
The Carlisle name follows a $1.5 million donation by the developers to the $62 million Tom Lee Park redesign. It honors the late Gene Carlisle, the family patriarch who called the One Beale real estate “the best piece of dirt in Memphis.”
During a campaign stop Thursday, Sept. 15, in Memphis, Dr. Jason Martin pointed to low funding levels for the TBI crime lab despite a state surplus of $2 billion
The proposed “Restoring Law and Order Act” would include federal grant programs for more police and detectives focused on violent crime as well as a General Accounting Office examination of delays in processing rape kits.
The Shelby County Election Commission also approved two new polling places for the Nov. 8 election day.