Lee to increase TBI crime lab staff, state troopers on Memphis roads
“It’s important to this community. … It’s one step in a number of steps that we will continue to make to support the process,” the governor said.
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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September 2022
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State Government -
Update
City of MemphisStrickland proposes return to the police, fire pension plan cut in 2014
Mayor Jim Strickland touted the proposal, on its way to the Memphis City Council for the next budget season, as a way to retain and recruit public safety employees in the police and fire departments. For the police and fire unions, the proposal is the second part of a two-part push to restore what the City Council cut.
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City of Memphis Strickland says too early to discuss possible police missteps in violent crime chain
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland says it’s too early to tell if there were police missteps in how they handled the violent crimes of the last three weeks because investigations are still underway.
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Elections City Council approves $16.5 million in parks projects line items
The set of a dozen appropriation resolutions topped a relatively uneventful council agenda Tuesday, Sept. 27.
Related story:
Memphis City Council to consider resolution enforcing curfew for juveniles
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Shelby County Shelby County Commission appoints four new judicial commissioners
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.
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City of Memphis City Council continues crime, rape kit discussions
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.
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Elections County Commission confirms Harris executive appointments
The 10 reappointments were voted on individually Monday. There was only one no vote against any of the nominees.
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Elections McKissack ‘enthusiastically considering’ bid for Memphis mayor
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.
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City of Memphis Audubon Park redesign draws heckler, questions at groundbreaking
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.
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Shelby County County Commission fills vacancies, reviews second-term appointments
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.
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Behind The Headlines Developments linked to Eliza Fletcher case shift violent crime discourse
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.”
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Premium
Shelby CountyHalbert’s ‘whistleblower’ claim ‘nonsense’ by legal standards
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.”
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Update
BusinessMLGW CEO J.T. Young takes position with Florida utility
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.
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City of Memphis Cleanup group talks long-term and short-term fixes for blight, illegal dumping
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.
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Shelby County Halbert says ‘whistleblower’ status should make her immune to recall
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.
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Public Safety Kevin Ritz confirmed by U.S. Senate as new U.S. Attorney
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.
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Elections County Commission to form committee focusing on violent crime
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.
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Public Safety General Sessions Court judges offer to screen judicial commissioner applicants
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.
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Elections Canvassing groups tackle voter registration — and voter turnout
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.
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Elections City Court Judge special election field holds at nine
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.
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Shelby County County Clerk’s office closes to public for second weeklong ‘blackout’
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.
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Education School board chair plans run for Memphis mayor
Michelle McKissack is currently chairwoman of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board and is looking at a potential run for Memphis mayor.
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Shelby County Harris cites new problems in county clerk’s office, urges extended hours
“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.
Related story:
County Clerk’s office closes to public for second weeklong ‘blackout’
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Elections County Commission Scorecard: Settling an old score in a new term
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.
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Behind The Headlines Two weeks of violent crime trauma sees uneasy mix of calls for change
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.
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