City Council moves to hire energy consultant on MLGW-TVA issue
Should we stay or should we go? The decision still lacks a dollar figure and relies on the MLGW board agreeing to let the council’s consultant get a look at the various proposals.
Bill Dries
Reporter
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for more than 40 years.
There are 3663 articles by Bill Dries :
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April 2022
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City of Memphis -
Elections Morrison-Carpenter matchup draws distinctions, few sparks at Southwind
Shelby County Commissioner Brandon Morrison defends her conservatism while opponent Jordan Carpenter targets what he calls “dangerous ideologies” and “perversion.”
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Elections August ballot solidifies as filing deadline approaches
With some petitions still out ahead of the Thursday, April 7, noon deadline, there is a chance some contenders will have no opposition on the August ballot. Here’s a run down of the filing developments.
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Metro Blackburn and Hagerty vote against Jackson confirmation to U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty indicated they would vote against the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson ahead of the 53-47 vote Thursday, April 7.
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Metro The return of the ‘People’s Convention’
Earle Fisher of UpTheVote 901 talks about the return of the political gathering begun in 2019 and the state of the city’s new activism that has mixed campaigning for causes with campaigning for elective office.
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Elections Huett-Garcia claims school board seat at filing deadline
Billy Orgel decided not to file the petition for re-election he pulledin February. That left Amber Huett-Garcia as the only candidate in the race and effectively elected to the District 6 MSCS board seat at the Thursday filing deadline. There were other surprises at the deadline in other races.
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Behind The Headlines Youth Villages starts intervention program to reduce homicide rate
The $60 million Memphis Allies gun violence initiative is new turf for Youth Villages, which historically hasn’t worked with teens and young adults accused of violent crimes.
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Shelby County Northside and Soulsville tax incentives move to County Commission
The commission agenda also includes a call on County Clerk Wanda Halbert for a corrective plan to clear up some problems in a recent audit of her office’s financial statements.
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Public Safety Mental health professionals to join sheriff’s deputies on some calls
The pairing is among the police reforms discussed nationally in the wake of the March 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis Police custody.
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Memphis Grizzlies County approves agreement to keep Grizzlies in Memphis through 2029
The County Commission Monday approved the agreement with Grizzlies to keep the team in Memphis through at least 2029.
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Shelby County County Commission approves Soulsville, Northside High incentives
In addition to advancements on Northside and Soulsville TIFs, the commission approved on second reading an ordinance keeping in place a residency waiver for prison guards. But some commissioners may try to kill it on third reading next month.
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Update
ElectionsJudge denies bid to open additional early voting locations Wednesday
The ruling on a motion Monday, April 11, means early voting in advance of the May 3 election day opens Wednesday at a single Downtown site. The other 25 early voting sites open the Monday after Easter Sunday.
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Shelby County County Commission approves MATA funding despite reservations
The MATA funding has also become an issue in the May Republican primary for commission District 4.
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Shelby County Special commission meeting on detention center funding draws fire
County Commission Chair Willie Brooks denied that the meeting was called to try to hide the 8-0 vote on emergency funding for the project.
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Elections Political Roundup: Whitehaven’s importance, and Aug. ballot fills
Democratic county mayoral contender Ken Moody opened the first of what will be several headquarters opened by various campaigns in Whitehaven, underscoring the importance of the area’s Black middle class in the city’s political mix.
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Elections Political Roundup: DA’s race goes critical, Skullduggery and August ballot shakeout
The Democratic primary race for district attorney is about to turn from general calls for change to who can upset incumbent Republican Amy Weirich.
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Elections Ballot Basics: Early Voting Begins
Early voting for the Shelby County primaries is April 13-28. Here is everything to know the ballot, the basics of early voting and what turnout in this election cycle has looked like in the past.
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Elections Early voting starts slow at Election Commission offices
There are plans by several organizations to boost the turnout Thursday. Meanwhile, there is free parking around the only early-voting site Downtown open Wednesday and Thursday.
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Premium
ElectionsDemocratic mayoral primary is contrast in leadership philosophies
Incumbent Mayor Lee Harris wants to continue a sea change in what issues the county mayor focuses on. His challenger in the May Democratic primary, Ken Moody, says that focus isn’t immediate or local enough.
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Elections ‘Black-Out’ protest boosts second-day voting turnout
Thursday marked the withdrawal deadline for contenders in the August election, with several developments in the nonpartisan judicial races that are a major part of that ballot.
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Elections Early voting grows to six Saturday sites
The five sites that open Saturday are in addition to the one open since this past Wednesday at the Downtown Election Commission offices. Early voting in the county primaries expands Monday, April 18, to all 26 sites across the county and runs through April 28. Election day is May 3.
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Shelby County County Commission Scorecard: FedExForum, detention center, MATA and residency
The Scorecard attempts the math on the new FedExForum deal keeping the Grizzlies at the Forum and on the renovated Shelby Training Center that is to become the new juvenile detention center with more funding from the county.
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Update
ElectionsEarly voting expands to all 26 sites countywide
Turnout soared Saturday with six early voting locations open and Agricenter and Glenview Community Center as the top locations by turnout. All 26 sites, including the 20 sites that opened Monday are open through April 28. Election day is May 3.
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City of Memphis Mayor’s budget proposal expected to address taxes, discount rates, Grizzlies
Mayor Jim Strickland has been dropping hints about his budget proposal that include more of the unexpected adjustments the city budget has taken over the past two years because of the pandemic.
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Elections Early vote turnout nears 4,000 mark with all sites open
With all 26 sites open Monday, April 18, for the first time in the two-week period, more than 2,800 of the 3,900 early voters in the first four days of the period cast their ballots in the Democratic county primaries.
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