36 Afghan refugees to resettle in Memphis
Most of the refugees arriving in Memphis are allowed to enter the country because they fear persecution under Taliban rule. Others aided the U.S. military in Afghanistan.
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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September 2021
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City of Memphis -
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Shelby CountyCounty redistricting process aims to avoid problems of 2011
The County Commission’s working group on the once-a-decade redrawing of district lines got down to business Wednesday, Sept. 8, to set not only commission district lines but those of the Shelby County Schools board.
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Elections Moody talks challenging Harris in Democratic county mayor’s primary
The special assistant to Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland talked about his exploratory campaign for mayor Wednesday, Sept. 8, and sounded very much like he is in the race while taking a few jabs at incumbent Mayor Lee Harris.
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Elections City Council member JB Smiley enters governor’s race
The first-term City Council member claims the numbers are there to first win the August statewide primary and then the November general election. That’s despite no Democrat winning statewide office in Tennessee in 15 years.
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Metro Greater Memphis Chamber supports charter commission
The Greater Memphis Chamber backs forming a commission to explore city-county consolidation but doesn’t have a position yet on whether consolidation would be a good idea.
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City of Memphis JB Smiley Jr. ready to take his shot at being governor
Memphis Councilman JB Smiley Jr. plans to run for governor of Tennessee.
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City of Memphis City Council stops short of consolidation charter commission for now
The council votes to appoint a study committee to weigh whether the city should pursue drafting a charter that would consolidate city and county governments if approved by voters.
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City of Memphis City Council opens door to Afghan, Haitian refugees
The council delayed a decision on a retail strip center including gas pumps at 2977 Broad Ave. at Tillman in Binghampton.
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City of Memphis Memphis’ $161M ARPA budget gets a City Council rewrite
Council members put ARPA spending plans on hold to talk about a compromise that could increase the council’s share of ARPA funding from $13 million to around $20 million.
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City of Memphis Consolidation time frame grows short as council has second discussion
The Tuesday, Sept. 7, committee discussion is the second for the Memphis City Council.
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Behind The Headlines Carlisle, Milton say consolidation charter commission necessary for change
The two leading proponents of forming a consolidation charter commission talked on “Behind The Headlines” about the opposition and hesitancy they are encountering.
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State Government Hagerty bound for Europe to talk with allies about Afghanistan withdrawal
Hagerty spoke Wednesday, Sept. 1, at an East Memphis political fundraiser just before leaving for a tour of Europe to meet with government leaders and NATO allies.
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Update
Arts & CultureMichelle Obama, Poor People’s Campaign among Freedom Award honorees
The event will also include special recognition of the teenager who recorded the last moments of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020.
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August 2021
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City of Memphis Council member explains his position on resolutions
During an online speech to the Memphis Rotary Club, Worth Morgan also was asked about a possible run for Shelby County mayor next year.
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Shelby County County Commission approves bonuses without lump-sum tax
Shelby County commissioners gave final approval Monday, Aug. 30, to $26 million worth of bonuses to full- and part-time county employees.
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Shelby County Shelby County Commission begins redistricting process
Shelby County commissioners have inaugural session of their ad hoc redistricting group.
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Elections Miss. Gov.: South’s response to COVID impacted by belief in ‘eternal life’
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves talked about the pandemic Thursday, Aug. 26, at a re-election fundraiser in Shelby County held at a replica of the Mississippi governor’s mansion.
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City of Memphis Memphis prepares for remnants of Hurricane Ida
MLGW and Memphis Public Works crews are prepared to work overtime if the hurricane still has a lot of wind and rain left on its path north.
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City of Memphis Smiley considers bid for governor
City Council member JB Smiley began telling local officials last week he was considering a bid for governor next year, starting with the August 2022 Democratic primary. The field for the race is already forming to challenge Republican Gov. Bill Lee.
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Shelby County Shelby County Commission tries to tie up loose ends on bonuses
County Commissioners stalled on the tax rate for one-time bonuses at their last meeting and decided to give county employees pay raises.
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On the Record Jones discusses City Council redistricting process
On The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, City Council member Martavius Jones says he intends to propose doing away with council super districts and also will call for partisan primaries in advance of city general elections.
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Shelby County Salinas is new Shelby County Democratic Party leader
Gabby Salinas emerged as the new local party chair at an online party convention Saturday, Aug. 28, after former party chairman Corey Strong withdrew from the balloting.
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City of Memphis Federal court rules TVA refusal to close on sale of Bellefonte plant was legal
Developer Franklin Haney’s plan to buy the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant and sell the electric power it generated to Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division started the ongoing exploration of MLGW possibly leaving the Tennessee Valley Authority.
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Behind The Headlines Why the City Hall homeless encampment isn’t there anymore
The director of Hospitality Hub and the head of its fundraising and awareness partner Dragonfly talked on “Behind The Headlines” about the decision to move away from the tent cities and encampments that are part of the approach to homelessness in other cities.
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Shelby County City’s representatives in D.C. differ in reaction to Afghanistan attacks
Some say the attacks demonstrate the problems in the rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops and a lack of planning.
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