Shelby County
In critical week ahead, County Commission will wrangle budget and tax rate
Budget Committee Chair Miska Clay Bibbs said commissioners have little time to iron out details of 23 amendments to Mayor Lee Harris’ budget proposal.
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 3909 articles by Bill Dries :
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June 2025
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Shelby County -
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EducationMeharry Medical College announces Memphis expansion
The expansion and ribbon-cutting at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church follow Meharry’s acquisition of four Sanitas USA Inc. medical clinics in Memphis last month.
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Behind The HeadlinesHarris and Sugarmon find common ground in county budget season
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and Shelby County Commissioner Erika Sugarmon talked about the ongoing county budget season, a proposed wheel tax hike and a new jail on “Behind The Headlines.”
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Shelby CountyCounty mayor’s property tax proposal becomes tax hike
The county property tax rate proposed by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris is four cents higher than the state’s certified rate, but he said it’s not a tax hike.
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Shelby CountyNew jail study looked at Shelby Farms, Firestone plant as potential sites
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office commissioned the study by Jim Hart, a jail management consultant with the University of Tennessee’s County Technical Advisory Service.
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ElectionsHeidi Kuhn formally announces bid for county mayor
In a social media post, Kuhn described the county as being “in crisis” and touted her expertise in county government.
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City of MemphisCity Council adds 3% city pay raises in new operating budget
The pay raises and an agreement on MATA funding were the two biggest additions to Mayor Paul Young’s second city budget.
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City of MemphisCouncil strikes compromise over city worker pay raises
Council member Pearl Walker proposed the amendment that would give all city employees a flat 3% raise across all divisions, superseding the 5% raises the City Council passed in May.
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Public SafetyTBI crime lab to add two scientists specifically for Memphis cases
The arrangement between the state and the City of Memphis is separate from an independent crime lab for Shelby County being pursued by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and District Attorney General Steve Mulroy.
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Public SafetyAnatomy of a gang murdering one of its own
Ronald Terry and Tim Johnson were in the same street gang and died five days apart in 2019. The investigation led to a guilty verdict in Memphis federal court last week and told the story of violence within the gang known as the Ghost Mob.
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NeighborhoodsHistorically Black medical college coming to Memphis
Meharry’s expansion to Memphis is the first step in Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church’s $310 million, mixed-use development.
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MidtownMississippi Boulevard church announces $310 million redevelopment plan
The century-old congregation would move from its current sanctuary to a new church at the corner of Poplar Avenue.
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Public SafetyThe changing political backdrop for the Ghost Mob case
The trial that ended last week in Memphis with the conviction of Ghost Mob gang member Vincent Grant for the 2019 murder of another gang member unfolded against a backdrop of political change in the nation’s capitol.
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Public SafetyShifting gang alliances make policing more difficult
Police brass have frequently said that it has become more difficult to stem gang violence because underlings in the gangs will often team up, sometimes with members of rival gangs, to commit crimes.
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Behind The HeadlinesAfter building homeless shelter in North Memphis, nonprofit looks south
“There’s a lot of homeless children in Southeast Memphis,” Hospitality Hub Executive Director Kelcey Johnson said. “Southeast Memphis leads the county in evictions, almost three times as many as the rest of the city combined.”
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State GovernmentTennessee deputy governor to leave Lee administration
Deputy Gov. Butch Eley has been part of Gov. Bill Lee’s administration for almost seven years.
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Public SafetyGhost Mob gang leader convicted of federal racketeering murder charge
The weeklong jury trial in Memphis federal court ended with the conviction of Ghost Mob leader Vincent Grant for the 2019 murder of a fellow gang member.
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Real EstateThe Blvd’s pastor talks ‘community-informed’ master plan
As it stands now, the Temple Israel building will come down to make way for Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church’s new church home.
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MetroPolitical Roundup: Sen. Blackburn toured xAI — without Elon Musk
The tour came the same day Musk announced his departure from the Trump administration.
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Public SafetyThe plan for a focused crime lab run by Shelby County government
A new plan for a local crime lab would focus on three specific areas with an estimated annual cost of $5.5 million. Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and District Attorney General Steve Mulroy took the plan to Shelby County Commissioners Wednesday, June 4.
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Shelby CountyShelby County revises forensic center contract after lack of bids
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center has operated the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center since 2014.
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Shelby CountyShelby County Commission wrestles financial issues with end of fiscal year looming
The full commission has one more voting meeting on June 23 to approve an operating budget, a capital budget and set the county property-tax rate before the fiscal year begins.
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Shelby CountyCounty Commission to take final vote on affordable-housing construction
There will be a final vote on a new program to activate affordable housing on land currently going into the County Land Bank.
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May 2025
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Shelby County Shelby County Democratic Party elects leader
A grassroots organizer emerged as the winner over a retired businessman and party activist.
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Behind The Headlines Memphis Zoo’s evolving role in conservation comes at a cost
Memphis Zoo CEO Matt Thompson talks on “Behind The Headlines” about rising costs and lower attendance figures as well as how the zoo’s focus on elephants in an upcoming exhibit.
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