Jones says City Council should have intervened to stop Ford tirades
City Council member Martavius Jones is the first member of the body to react to several angry outbursts by fellow council member Edmund Ford Sr. at Tuesday’s session.
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 4213 articles by Bill Dries :
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November 2021
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City of Memphis -
Metro Ford’s ‘gender mess’ tirade is latest from veteran councilman
From calling a councilwoman “baby” to berating a city division director, Memphis City Council member Edmund Ford Sr. has a history of outbursts prior to Tuesday’s comments to two members of county government.
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Metro Smiley, Lamar call for curfew
Smiley called for working “together collectively to make a difference” and said a curfew would be a temporary measure.
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City of Memphis Council approves pipeline ordinance that ‘covers the universe of potential routes’
The Memphis City Council approved one pipeline ordinance but denied another that would have kept oil pipelines from locating within 1,500 feet of schools, churches and parks.
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City of Memphis Jamita Swearengen is new council chair
The council elected Jamita Swearengen as leader, rejected a convenience store with gas pumps at Broad and Tillman, gave final approval to a downzoning and approved more money for a fix of City Hall’s crumbling marble.
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Metro City redistricting process comes back to life
A move to form an ad hoc redistricing group for more public participation on the front end of drawing new district lines was tabled by the council in October. The sponsor brought it back briefly Tuesday, Nov. 16, in committee discussions.
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City of Memphis City Council to punt consolidation charter commission into new year
Also on the Tuesday, Nov. 16, City Council agenda are final votes on measures requiring more local review of pipelines, more money for City Hall’s crumbling marble problem and electing a new chairman for 2022.
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Shelby County County Commission rearranges $2.25 million of ARPA funding
Left unresolved is $7.9 million in ARPA spending for FedExForum that commissioners delayed action on.
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Elections Commissioners propose 21% pay raises for county mayor, sheriff
If approved on three votes, the raises would apply to the next term of office that begins Sept. 1, 2022, after next year’s county primaries and general elections. Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris says he doesn’t support it.
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Shelby County County Commission takes first of 3 votes on pay raise for mayor and sheriff
The commission also votes Monday, Nov. 15, on $10.8 million in indirect federal American Rescue Plan Act funding delayed when the commission approved a budget for using most but not all of the federal funding.
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Shelby County County mayor and sheriff pay raise proposal does poorly in test vote
The 21% raises garnered only two yes votes and two no votes in the first of three readings with seven county commissioners abstaining. The final vote is set for Dec. 20 and will take nine votes to be approved.
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Metro Political Roundup: Lee says pandemic and related litigation continue
Gov. Bill Lee was in East Memphis for a local political fundraiser Friday, just before signing five new laws from a special session of the Tennessee Legislature and allowing a sixth bill to become law without his signature.
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Shelby County Listen to Redistricting 101 with the County Commission’s consultant
Darrick Harris, the consultant to the Shelby County Commission on redistricting, talked with The Daily Memphian about the path to the new district maps approved Nov. 8.
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Shelby CountyRedistricting numbers: Creating Cordova’s district and splitting Germantown
A precinct-by-precinct look at the recent redrawing of County Commission district lines, how the Cordova district was created and what the data says about the county’s politics — past and present.
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Behind The Headlines Watch: Weirich pushes for truth in state sentencing laws
Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich talked on “Behind The Headlines” of her concerns about guidelines judicial commissioners use in determining who should be released while they await trial and the second take on a juvenile assessment center.
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Shelby County County surcharge on unvaccinated employees suspended
Shelby County had announced plans to assess a $25 per pay period surcharge against county employees who did not get vaccinated for COVID by a July deadline.
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City of Memphis City to pay ex-offender wages as re-entry program incentive
The City of Memphis is using $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding over the next three years to increase the incentives for employers hiring those coming out of prison.
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Metro MLGW removes last of 330 miles of cast iron gas lines
The last 330 miles of the gas line was beneath North McLean Boulevard in front of Compass Community Schools’ Midtown campus.
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Shelby County County Commission makes last-minute moves, approves final district map
The redistricting map approved Monday keeps a new Cordova-based district, restores the Collierville 7 precinct to District 2 and Germantown 4 to District 4. It also separates two incumbents expected to run again.
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Public Safety TN Highway Patrol plans to increase troopers in Memphis
More Tennessee Highway Patrol officers are on the way to Shelby County as Memphis seeks to turn over patrols of the city’s interstate system to the state, including combatting gun violence.
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Shelby County County Commission goes to final vote on redistricting
The Monday, Nov. 8, special meeting of the Shelby County Commission comes after a party-line 8-5 vote a week ago to approve a plan that creates a Cordova district.
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BusinessOne Beale lawsuit over minority participation points to larger problems
The Black-owned multi-family developer who partnered with Carlisle Development on part of the One Beale project and the nearby 7 Vance mixed-use development is taking Carlisle to court as the issue of minority participation in general moves back to the front burner.
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Shelby CountyFord tests new commission chairman with ARPA budget amendments
The commissioner’s attempt to reopen the county’s ARPA budget ran aground when Chairman Willie Brooks and others said he is abusing the process.
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City of Memphis Expansion of Zoo parking into greensward again on hold
City Council member Jeff Warren is leading the talks that hope to raise additional money for a parking solution that leaves the Overton Park greensward as it is.
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City of Memphis City, county will form group to explore consolidation
The joint meeting Wed., Nov. 10, is a tentative first step toward consolidating the two governments.
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