Elections
Lamar appointed to open state Senate seat
Second term state House Democrat London Lamar moves to the Senate chambers after winning an appointment over nonprofit leader Rhonnie Brewer.
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 3972 articles by Bill Dries :
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March 2022
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Update
Elections -
Elections Moody, Harris go different ways in mayoral primary
Ken Moody has got the one-on-one challenge of incumbent Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris he wanted in the May Democratic primary.
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Business Memphis mail problems affect businesses and bills
Months after a Postal Service slowdown in first-class mail delivery, the USPS estimate of 2.7 days to deliver parcels and letters doesn’t match what we heard from readers.
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Update
ElectionsBrian Kelsey calls off reelection bid
Kelsey announced the decision in a Twitter post Friday, March 4. The end of the current legislative session in Nashville will mark the end of an 18-year run in Nashville for Kelsey, who first came to the General Assembly as a state House member.
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Metro Rudd talks managing crises at U of M, and Liberty Bowl’s future
On Behind The Headlines, the outgoing University of Memphis president said none of the crises were in academia. He also discussed leveraging sports to fund academic growth and said a Liberty Bowl decision is coming.
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Elections Seven apply for vacant school board seat
The Shelby County will commission fill the vacancy at its March 21 meeting. Most of those who applied for the appointment plan to run for a full four-year term in the August elections.
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Shelby County County Commission picks from six to fill state Senate vacancy
Most of the six people who have applied to fill the vacancy plan to be on the primary ballot in August, seeking a new four-year term past the appointment.
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Elections Taylor moves closer to August primary challenge of Kelsey
Brent Taylor resigned as chairman of the Shelby County Election Commission this week but didn’t mention a bid for the state Senate.
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Update
State GovernmentLee announces funding for 20 state troopers in Shelby County
The increase in THP officers for the city’s interstate system and state highways has been a goal of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland.
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City of Memphis City Council walks back use of cash apps for towing fees
Under the amended ordinance, people would be able to use major credit cards to pay tow truck companies, but the allowed fee will go up to 4%.
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City of Memphis Power outage advisory group to examine MLGW’s power restoration process
Some City Council members noted that it seems like “certain people” get their electricity back first after outages.
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City of Memphis Davis: Police more aggressive about reckless driving without changing pursuit policy
2021 police stats show arrests for reckless driving and drag racing are up over 2020. That follows a stronger police presence and traffic enforcement without changing the police pursuit policy.
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City of Memphis Gov. Lee moves for federal ice storm disaster declaration as council urges action
In a split vote, the council also approved a resolution backing the nomination of the first Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court and accepted a grant to hire a “pet reunification specialist” for Memphis Animal Services.
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Elections New voting system compromise hinges on choice
The county could see new voting machines by August of this year, but two issues indicate overall differences between the Shelby County Commission and the Election Commission.
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City of Memphis City Council to discuss lawmakers’ sales tax vote
If a tax-sharing bill pending in the Tennessee General Assembly is approved in Nashville and signed by Gov. Bill Lee, it could mean an additional $12 million in revenue to the city, Mayor Jim Strickland says.
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February 2022
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Shelby County Six apply for appointment to vacant state Senate seat
Four of the six applicants have pulled and/or filed petitions to run for a full 4-year term in the Senate seat. In other action, the commission approved funding for juvenile counselors in police precincts.
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Shelby County County Commissioners want to know cost of school system rebrand
The commission delayed votes to receive and file two financial reports from Memphis Shelby County Schools until it gets dollar figures on the rebrand.
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Elections District 4 Republican primary skirmish survives challenge
The county commission Republican primary between incumbent Brandon Morrison and challenger Jordan Carpenter is the only contested GOP primary on the May ballot.
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Elections Political Roundup: From local elections to international events
Janika White opened her campaign for District Attorney General Saturday while federal legislators from Tennessee weighed in on the Ukraine situation.
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North Memphis Watch: Remake of Northside High seeks broader impact for Klondike
Planners hope the transformation of the old Northside High School building into a mixed-use development will rekindle a sense of community in the Klondike section of North Memphis.
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Shelby County County Commission to get final list for Senate vacancy
The commission won’t fill the vacancy until next month but most if not all of the names on the list are expected to be those running in the August primaries for a full four-year term in Nashville.
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Elections Nonprofit leader joins Democratic primary for open state Senate seat
There’s a new contender for an open school board seat while more incumbent judges file for re-election.
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Metro Rep. Steve Cohen near Ukraine as Sen. Marsha Blackburn meets with Trump
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis had a front-row seat Thursday, Feb. 24, for Russia’s political defense of its invasion of Ukraine.
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City of Memphis Morgan at town hall: Selling MLGW ‘almost a political impossibility’
During an hour-long online town hall Wednesday, Feb. 23, City Council member Worth Morgan and MLGW leaders fielded questions about recent increases in utility bills and the ice storm repairs.
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Metro County Commission to fill school board, state Senate vacancies next month
The commission set the schedules Wednesday, Feb. 23, for taking applications, interviewing candidates and making the picks.
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