County Commissioners grill Health Department over vaccine missteps, confusion
County leaders also talked about battling social media misinformation that is crowding testing sites and leading some to book appointments at multiple sites.
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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February 2021
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Update
City of MemphisCity, MLGW file motions to join lawsuit over access to TVA transmission lines
A group of smaller utilities that are also part of TVA want to be able to use TVA transmission lines if they break with TVA. MLGW is considering leaving TVA as well and filed along with the city to intervene in the lawsuit, saying the decision could affect its decision to stay or leave.
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Premium
Spirit of MemphisThe short life and long legacy of Memphis Mardi Gras
For a while, the good times rolled when Memphis had its own Mardi Gras. Then Yellow Fever happened. This year, as the pandemic takes a toll on Fat Tuesday, we look at 1870s images that recall a citywide celebration.
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City of Memphis Melting ice, snow reveal fresh crop of potholes
Potholes are popping up in the aftermath of last week’s ice and snow, but the City of Memphis has a plan in place to handle them.
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Shelby County Seven Downtown county government buildings closed Monday
The County Trustee’s office is the exception, staying open for the last week of county tax filing season. Some county employees will be working from home if possible as the administration decides on a day-to-day basis when to open the buildings.
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Premium
City of MemphisMLGW’s water crisis came after funding for infrastructure overhaul was delayed
When the city’s water system became a crisis last week, Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division was several months underway with a five-year $142.4 million overhaul of water system infrastructure.
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Shelby County Commission to get update on discarded vaccine, other pandemic developments
The commission is also slated to take up a resolution by Mick Wright that calls on the state of Tennessee to send the National Guard, with the assistance of logistics industry professionals, to oversee the vaccination process in Shelby County.
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City of Memphis Bottled water goes quickly in city giveaway
Long lines marked most of the eight sites the city operated Sunday, Feb. 21, to give families with no or slow-flowing water a case of bottled water per car.
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City of Memphis Parks master plan explores idea of fees for park programming
On The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, city Parks Director Nick Walker says community centers would remain free but with fees for specific programs. He also talks about “open play areas” like David Carnes Park in Whitehaven.
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City of Memphis MLGW: No residential water cutoffs planned
But a cutoff to large industrial water customers is a possibility if water pressure problems persist, MLGW President and CEO J.T. Young said Friday. Related article: Street clearing effort moves beyond major thoroughfares
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Business MLGW compares water situation to ‘a critical patient’
Memphis, Light, Gas and Water’s water pressure situation has improved since Friday, but the utility organization’s president J.T. Young said it’s still “a critical patient.” He may have a better timetable Sunday on lifting the boil water advisory. Meanwhile, City Council members look at the water crisis.
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Business Rhodes moves on-campus students to hotels in Germantown, Collierville
About 700 students are affected. Rhodes President Marjorie Hass says the campus was having water pressure problems and made the move to help students and also answer MLGW’s call to conserve water during the crisis.
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City of Memphis Street clearing effort moves beyond major thoroughfares
The city’s street plowing operation continues at least through Monday but begins to include less busy streets this weekend. Sun and warmer temperatures will help in the effort. But snow is still the dominant feature of the cityscape.
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City of Memphis MLGW issues first ever boil order alert and road crews move to end game through Monday
Low water pressure in Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division’s water grid prompted the utility to issue a rare boil water alert Thursday afternoon.
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podcast
Behind The HeadlinesSCS board chair: Political pressure, numbers driving return to classrooms
On “Behind The Headlines,” SCS board chairwoman Miska Clay Bibbs also said she is hearing from a lot of parents who will opt to continue online classes for their children — so many that she says it is possible some schools may have more teachers than students.
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Elections Dozens of election changes proposed by Tennessee legislators
Here’s a review of some of the bills that would change elections in Shelby County and Tennessee. Some of them have been proposed before and others are new in the wake of the 2020 presidential election year.
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Elections Election Commission to take County Commission to court over new voting machines
On a party-line vote Tuesday, Feb. 16, the Shelby County Election Commission voted 3-2 to take the County Commission to court in the ongoing standoff over a new voting system for the 2022 elections.
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City of Memphis New round of snowfall moving in Tuesday evening; Strickland declares weather emergency
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland declared a citywide state of emergency Tuesday, Feb. 16, because of the ongoing winter storms.
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Shelby County County commissioner urges National Guard intervention for vaccine effort
The County Commission will discuss the call by Commissioner Mick Wright during Wednesday, Feb. 17, committee sessions. Wright said the current system needs to be reworked.
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City of Memphis City Council session postponed
The Memphis City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 16, has been postponed for a week as the city recovers from a Monday deluge of snow and sleet.
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Podcast
City of Memphis‘We have to be intentional’ about getting vaccines to all, councilman says
On The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, City Council member JB Smiley Jr. says the Health Department needs “boots on the ground” in Black communities to remedy a racial disparity in who is getting the COVID-19 vaccines.
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State Government Senate votes to acquit Trump; here’s how Tennessee’s two Senators voted
The state’s two Republican Senators telegraphed their votes for acquittal in former President Trump’s second impeachment trial days ahead of the Saturday vote to acquit that ended the trial.
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Metro Bone-chilling cold, ‘significant’ snow and ice headed toward Mid-South
Dangerously low wind chill readings and possibly significant snowfall forecast over next several days.
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Shelby County County Commission Scorecard: Vaccinating teachers, budget prep, bigger mail
The County Commission Scorecard takes a look at votes from the Feb. 8 session.
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City of Memphis City proposes inclusion of 100 North Main Building in Downtown parking plan
The resolution from Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland going to City Council next week would include the city’s tallest building in the use of a PILOT extension fund and also include a parking garage in the “Snuff District.”
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