County no-vax surcharge to take effect in July
Shelby County government employees would have until April to get vaccinated or pay a $25 per pay period surcharge starting in July under the notice sent to county employees Tuesday, Nov. 2.
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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November 2021
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Shelby County -
City of Memphis Council members question city’s minority spend
The percentage is a calculation that excludes the city’s spend in areas where it is determined there are no local minority businesses.
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State Government County considers insurance charge on unvaccinated employees, reacts to special session
Shelby County Commissioners also reacted Monday to the pandemic legislation that came out of a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly.
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Shelby County County Commission approves redistricting plan, but must vote again
Democrats voted for it and Republicans voted against it. But the party line was not enough to make it the final vote on the redistricting plan that creates a new commission district built around Cordova, where most of the growth was in the 2020 Census.
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City of Memphis City Council weighs competing pipeline ordinances
The council has final votes scheduled Tuesday, Nov. 2, on two pipeline-related ordinances. Also on the agenda are a contract to manage a North Memphis community center and a second look at a minimum wage for EDGE tax breaks.
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Metro Early campaigns for 2022 point to crime, other problems
As more candidates open their campaigns for next year’s ballot, they’re discussing issues such as criminal justice reform and why some areas of the city are seeing an economic boom while others are not.
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Shelby County Shelby County Commission to take final vote on new district lines
It might be a long day at the county building Monday, Nov. 1, when Shelby County commissioners are scheduled for the final vote on the once-a-decade process of drawing new district lines.
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October 2021
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City of Memphis Watch: Education nonprofit leaders say reform of state funding formula should include more money
On the WKNO program “Behind The Headlines,” Natalie McKinney and Terence Patterson also called for a move away from the idea that school choice for parents involves getting students to schools in other parts of the city.
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Shelby County Ballot Basics: Whose County Commission district am I about to be in?
As the Shelby County Commission nears a final vote on a new set of district lines, here is how to find out what commission district you live in, who is your commissioner and whose district you might be in depending on which map the commission approves at its Monday, Nov. 1, session.
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Shelby County Commissioners debate district changes, set up final vote
Meeting in special session Wednesday, Oct. 27, Shelby County commissioners set the stage to approve a redistricting ordinance on third and final reading at their regular Monday meeting. They also increased the recommendations from the ad hoc group on redistricting to a total of four maps.
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Transportation & Logistics Governor names CEO of Megasite Authority
Clay Bright will head operation and development of the Haywood County Megasite. He has been the Tennessee Transportation Commissioner since 2019.
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City of Memphis Summit to address inflation, housing shortage in Memphis
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland talks with The Daily Memphian about national inflationary concerns and the longer-standing need for more quality affordable housing in the city ahead of the summit.
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Elections County Commission moves toward Nov. 1 redistricting deadline
The commission meets in special session Wednesday, Oct. 27, to advance a redistricting ordinance through the second of three votes.
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Shelby County Top 3 redistricting maps on way to Shelby County Commission
The ad hoc group, made up mostly of county commissioners, included in its top 3 a map that drew the ire of commissioner Brandon Morrison last week for endangering her re-election prospects last year.
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City of Memphis City Council Scorecard: Ad hoc redistricting and higher EDGE wage
The Council Scorecard tracks two key votes from the Oct. 19 Memphis City Council session — one on how to approach redistricting, another blocking a higher minimum wage to qualify for economic development tax breaks.
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Public Safety Kelsey: Federal charges ‘political witch hunt’
The Republican state Senator responded hours after he was indicted on federal campaign finance charges in a brief online press conference.
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Public Safety State Sen. Kelsey indicted
Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey has been indicted on federal campaign finance charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Nashville.
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Behind The Headlines Watch: Road to $5.6 billion Ford plant bypasses state’s automotive corridor
Two economic development veterans with experience in the state’s Middle Tennessee auto corridor talked on Behind The Headlines about the coming ‘gold rush’ of growth related to the Ford plant that they say will reach Memphis.
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City of Memphis Redistricting and reelection: uneasy coexistence surfaces
An ad hoc group is drafting recommendations on new district lines for the Shelby County Commission.
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Elections Billingsley will not seek county mayor’s office next year
County Commissioner Mark Billingsley has decided not to run for county mayor next year — another piece in a political puzzle still taking shape less than a year from May county primary elections.
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City of Memphis Ruling on use of TVA transmission lines confirms MLGW thinking on possible split
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruling confirms MLGW’s belief that if the city-owned utility leaves the Tennessee Valley Authority it would not be able to use TVA transmission lines but would have to create a new transmission system.
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Metro Hagerty and Blackburn again reject moving voting rights bill in Senate
Tennessee’s two Republican senators voted against the procedural motion this week that would have brought a Democratic voting rights bill to the Senate floor for a vote.
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Elections An early look at Memphis City Council redistricting
The new district lines will reflect a drop of 16,000 Memphians by the U.S. Census count and populations gains in three of the seven single-member City Council districts as well as drops in the head count in the other four districts.
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City of Memphis $21 an hour EDGE minimum wage proposal goes down in council vote
The higher minimum wage for EDGE tax break incentives was well short of seven votes Tuesday, Oct. 19, on the Memphis City Council. Opponents of the measure defeated a move to delay the outcome but there may still be some life left in the call for higher pay for tax breaks.
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City of Memphis Robberies of MLGW tree-trimming crews get City Council’s attention, more
In other action Tuesday, Oct. 19, the council delayed a final vote on a comprehensive downzoning plan and approved funding for the start of the next phase of construction on the South City development.
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