Jill Biden to welcome Ukrainian patients at St. Jude
First Lady Jill Biden will be in Memphis Friday, March 25, for a tour of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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 3982 articles by Bill Dries :
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March 2022
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Elections Democrats call for censure of Strickland over endorsement
Strickland’s backing of Brent Taylor in the state Senate District 31 primary follows endorsements by Tennessee Republican U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty.
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Update
MetroAppeals court rejects Graceland’s claim on FedExForum noncompete
The Wednesday, March 23, ruling is the latest chapter in a legal saga that began in 2018 after Graceland sought to build a 6,200-seat arena in Whitehaven.
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City of Memphis City Council questions Soulsville TIF
Several Memphis City Council members said Tuesday, March 22, they don’t think it is large enough or generates enough property tax increment to get much going in terms of economic development in the Soulsville area.
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City of Memphis Strickland says city through ‘first quarter’ of MLGW-TVA decision
The three returning and two new MLGW board members breezed through City Council approval Tuesday, as a move to hire an energy consultant was put on hold.
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City of Memphis City Council approves bond refinance to save $11M
The transactions will save the city money. The council also dealt with MLGW pay thresholds and approved a resolution calling for the cancellation of student loan debt.
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City of Memphis State bill on pipelines would not undo city ordinances, council told
Council members withdrew a resolution Tuesday, March 22, opposing the bill in Nashville after amendments were made. The bill would still limit the council’s ability to regulate convenience stores with gas pumps.
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Premium
ElectionsCity Council Scorecard: Party lines, residency majority holds and a new code
This edition of the council scorecard catches up to a council vote on President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, another chapter in the police residency debate and rewriting the city code of ordinances for the first time in 37 years.
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Elections MLGW commissioners to step down from board amid political house cleaning by Strickland
Longtime MLGW board members will not be reappointed by Mayor Strickland. The decision follows an investigation by the Institute for Public Service Reporting that found all five board members were serving after their terms had expired.
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Elections Charles Everett named to school board seat
Charles Everett, a Tennessee PTA leader and co-founder of Uplift Westwood, is the new District 6 Memphis-Shelby County Schools board member.
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Elections Moody claims 2020 city mask mandate flap shows Harris’ ‘lack of leadership’
Moody’s campaign to upset incumbent county Mayor Lee Harris points to letters exchanged by city and county attorneys highlighting issues between local leaders and jurisdictional lines, specifically over the city’s possible role in contact tracing.
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Elections The political past of Tigers basketball
Two former Tigers basketball players have sought elected office before with one winning and the other coming close.
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Elections County Commission approves Election Commission funding
The funding would provide for notices to Shelby County voters about changes to precincts and polling places.
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Renovation costs for juvenile detention center more than double
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City of Memphis Renovation costs for juvenile detention center more than double
The detention center has been a goal of the current county administration and commission since they came to office nearly four years ago.
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City of Memphis City Council to meet new MLGW board members, discuss hiring energy consultant
The March 22 council day starts with the 2 new MLGW board members and three reappointees. Some on the council also want to hire an energy consultant.
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Elections Moody’s friends come forward as he challenges Harris, hints at revealing memos
Democrat Ken Moody and Republican Worth Morgan have words of criticism for incumbent Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris as they campaign for his job.
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Elections George Flinn pulls petitions to run for Congress
Here’s the latest on who has filed or pulled qualifying petitions for the August nonpartisan county races and the state and federal primaries on the same ballot.
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Shelby County New school board member and Election Commission funding top County Commission agenda
Shelby County Commissioners pick from seven contenders to fill the vacant seat on the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board. The commission also returns to a move to fund Election Commission notices to voters for the May elections.
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Behind The Headlines Watch: Leaders of Whitehaven comeback talk different path to prosperity
The head of the Greater Whitehaven Economic Redevelopment Corporation and the founder of the I Love Whitehaven effort talk on Behind The Headlines about economic and business development.
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City of Memphis Ice storm advisory team begins work
The 51-member panel held its first meeting Thursday, March 17.
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City of Memphis Three council members call for review of MLGW proposals
Letter questions the validity of the process being used to determine what it would take to get a new electric power supplier and build a new system for MLGW to break its 80-year relationship with TVA.
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Metro College Park, Uptown transition to affordable housing program begins
Seven public housing sites across the city have been sold as part of a new plan to renovate and complete deferred maintenance on the units.
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Metro Shelter to get help reuniting pets and owners
The city’s animal shelter is hiring a “pet reunification specialist” with a $50,000 grant from a national animal welfare nonprofit.
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Elections Crime Campaign: The search for simple answers to a complex issue
The issue of crime — violent crime in particular — is center stage in the race for Shelby County Mayor, where the first stop is the May Democratic primary.
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Behind The Headlines Watch: Reviewing the different plans to end Overton Park Greensward parking
A Reporters Roundtable on WKNO’s Behind The Headlines reviews the new agreement for Overton Park to end overflow parking on the Overton Park Greensward in two years.
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