Alexander: Fill U.S. Supreme Court vacancy now
Tennessee’s senior Senator ended a Sunday of speculation about where he would stand on the move to fill the vacancy with a written statement Sunday afternoon.
Bill Dries
Reporter
Bill Dries covers city government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for more than 40 years.
There are 1326 articles by Bill Dries :
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September 2020
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State Government -
Podcast
PodcastsCity Council grants process evolves and adjusts for pandemic
Martavius Jones, the Memphis City Council budget committee chairman who oversaw pitches by more than 150 nonprofits seeking a share of $1.95 million, has problems with the way grants are awarded.
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Shelby County County Commission Scorecard: Police reform in the Sheriff’s Office
Three police reform measures cleared the Shelby County Commission on the first of three readings this week. But it amounted to a test vote with more votes in play than were committed. Our commission scorecard shows where the division is on the specific issues.
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Video
MetroSheriff says Shelby County Jail implementing COVID-19 changes
On “Behind The Headlines,” Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. also said he sees an “appetite” for reform among law enforcement in general but has some hesitation about trying to codify reform measures he’s taken to apply to future sheriffs.
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Neighborhoods ‘Better Jefferson’ project emerges from pandemic delay
Tentative plans for a 2-mile stretch between Front and Cleveland include better pedestrian crossings, protected bike lanes and landscaping. A public meeting Thursday resumes a process that was paused in March for the pandemic.
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City of Memphis MLGW close to hiring familiar consulting firm in TVA exploration
GDS Associates, a Georgia company whose report in February 2019 kicked off MLGW’s examination of cutting ties to the Tennessee Valley Authority, is recommended for the $520,000 contract.
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Daily Briefs More than 5,300 disconnected by MLGW since utility cutoffs resumed
MLGW branch offices remain closed to the public, but have drive-thru service to pay bills. But the drive-thru service doesn’t include working out a payment plan.
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City of Memphis City Council, MLGW board could meet on utility cutoffs
MLGW declared a moratorium on utility cutoffs in mid-March as the worldwide pandemic was declared. This month, when the moratorium was lifted, the utility received an overwhelming number of calls to work out payment plans and avoid cutoffs.
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Shelby County Three county police reform ordinances get rough reception at County Commission
The trio of ordinances affecting the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and corrections officers advanced automatically in Monday’s first of three votes on the measures. A second reading will be held in two weeks and a third is tentatively set in October.
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Shelby County County hiring freeze continues to thaw
A total of 78 positions in various parts of county government are the latest exceptions to a hiring freeze. But as they approved the waivers Monday, county commissioners signaled they are about to make a decision on the hiring freeze’s viability possibly by the end of this month.
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City of Memphis Payday lending resolution, lobbying disclosures top City Council agenda
The payday loan resolution is not binding on the Tennessee Legislature and is the latest discussion by a local elected body about the impact such businesses have on citizens’ financial health.
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Podcast
MetroVan Turner: Reform vote ‘is not against law enforcement’
Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner has seen first hand the impact of violent crime on his commission district which includes Hickory Hill. But Turner says it’s possible to back law enforcement and be opposed to a militarization of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Memphis Police Department.
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Metro Debate on police reform proposals at County Commission gets heated
The three ordinances are scheduled for the first of three votes on Monday. And still to weigh in on the proposals is Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner.
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City of Memphis City Council Scorecard: Finding the BLM divide and changing Lamar
The latest edition of our City Council scorecard finds a healthy council majority in favor of changing street names as part of a slate of Black Lives Matter proposals. Plus, the Council held a unanimous vote to begin changing the business streetscape along a stretch of Lamar Avenue.
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Metro Late Curtis Person Jr. known for state Senate, Juvenile Court
Former Republican state Senator and Juvenile Court Judge Curtis Person Jr. died Friday at the age of 85. He began his political career as a Democratic state Representative and ended it 48 years later with a single term as one of only three elected Juvenile Court Judges in Shelby County over the past 55 years.
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City of Memphis MLGW-TVA: A Timeline of the relationship
Here are some of the key dates in the MLGW-TVA saga over the last eight decades, starting with Nov. 6, 1934.
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City of Memphis MLGW-TVA: Crump’s political power brought electrical power to Memphis
The political boss believed in public ownership of utilities from the dawn of his considerable influence over the city when he was a city commissioner. And Crump saw private owners of such utilities as political adversaries.
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City of Memphis MLGW-TVA: What happened the last time they split
Memphis has left the Tennessee Valley Authority before, for a period that included the city building its own electric power plant. There are a lot of similarities between various turbulent chapters in the city's relationship with TVA as MLGW leaders again consider an exit from the federal agency.
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Podcast
City of MemphisMississippi Blvd. pastor calls for ‘clear, identifiable shifts’ in policing
The pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church thinks the first part of Mayor Jim Strickland’s effort to reform the Memphis Police Department didn’t go far enough.
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Video
MetroSchools open before Labor Day break with varying plans
The seven public school systems in Shelby County opened in one way or another before the Labor Day weekend with plans that vary to some degree.
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Metro County Commission considers limits on use of military equipment by law enforcement
The proposal would ban the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office from getting camouflage uniforms and bayonets from surplus federal military stocks as well as militarized and weaponized vehicles or aircraft.
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Metro State COVID count changes to reflect current cases, adds ‘inactive’ case count
The state's changes are in line with changing guidance from federal health officials. And they have already been adopted by the independent county health departments in the state's major cities, including Memphis.
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City of Memphis Strickland rolls out police reform group
Mayor Jim Strickland rolled out a 13-member group Wednesday, Sept. 2, to make what he termed “substantive, realistic and measurable” recommendations on police reform. It's the second phase of the administration's effort and includes some critics of City Hall's response thus far.
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City of Memphis MLGW to name consultant on power supply decision in two weeks
The Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division board could have a decision in two weeks on the firm that will oversee the next steps in deciding whether to stay with the Tennessee Valley Authority.
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City of Memphis Davy Crockett golf course could give way to community orchard
The tentative plan by the city parks and neighborhoods division includes mountain-bike trails around the borders of the 18-hole golf course and walking trails with workout equipment.
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