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 4152 articles by Bill Dries :
As the early-voting period neared its end, a third-party ad by the “Heartland Accountability Project” began airing Thursday with a message that begins with a voiceover saying “Memphis is more than Downtown.” It never endorses or attacks any candidate by name.
Memphis City Council members will talk more Tuesday in committee sessions about a proposal to require all city division directors to be full-time city employees.
The data released Sunday also shows three early voters separated the city's top two early voting sites — one that drew a predominantly African American turnout, the other that drew a predominantly white turnout.
The 6,258 early voters Saturday followed a Friday surge of 7,196 that pushed the total turnout for the 14-day period to 361 more than in city elections four years ago.
On The Daily Memphian Podcast, the Shelby County mayor said he's open to other ideas for a "$10 million-plus" commitment to MATA. He framed the call to action around broader changes in local issues as he outlined a start by funding more frequent trips on the eight most popular bus routes as soon as possible.
The $200 million renovation of the Memphis Cook Convention Center is taking place as the center continues to hold events.
One week from election day in Memphis, the early-voter turnout is poised to pass the turnout four years ago. Mayor Jim Strickland is honored by the developers of Union Row as challenger Tami Sawyer paints a very different picture of the city's fortunes.
On “Behind The Headlines,” Rhodes College president Marjorie Hass said the school is recruiting students nationally as the number of high school students in the southeastern U.S. is projected to drop.
Reaction to the opening of an impeachment inquiry announced Tuesday by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also included Republican U.S. Senate contender Bill Hagerty.
You've seen the stories about early voter turnout in advance of the Oct. 3 Memphis election day. Here is what we know about the demographics of the more than 360,000 Memphis voters on the rolls of the Shelby County Election Commission.
The Cornelia Crenshaw library near Vance and Lauderdale has been there in one form or another for the past 80 years. Exterior and interior renovations began with a mural on an exterior wall and include landscaping as well as more programming and activities.
Early voting turnout through Saturday was still lower than it was during 2015 early voting. But for a second consecutive day, Saturday's turnout was greater than the same day four years ago. By age, voters older than 65 are outperforming their percentage of the city's voting base. Council districts 5 and 6 had the highest turnout percentage thus far.
The numbers for early voting in the Oct. 3 Memphis elections show Friday's total was the first this year that exceeded the same day four years ago.
The Democratic presidential contender cancelled a Sunday rally at East High School to attend a memorial in South Carolina. Several key states ahead of Tennessee on the primary schedule will determine how much of a battleground the state is for Democrats.
The chief deputy of the City Court Clerk’s office, who is running for the clerk’s position on the Oct. 3 Memphis ballot, doesn’t think the job should be an elected position.
The second Saturday of early voting in the Memphis elections came with indications the pace is picking up. The early voting period runs through Sept. 28. Oct. 3 is election day in Memphis.
The city campaign season this week saw a milestone in the move away from large public housing developments, an endorsement ballot topped by a questionable political figure and discussion about new appointments at City Hall beyond the Oct. 3 election results.
The wife of former vice president and current Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden attended a fundraiser in Germantown Thursday. She urged Democratic supporters to not believe that the nation is divided permanently along partisan lines. The state's presidential primaries are March 3.
The City Council chairman and the Memphis Fire Fighters Association president debated the proposed sales tax hike on "Behind The Headlines" in a discussion that featured lots of disagreement.
Voters in Arlington go to the polls Thursday in the city's municipal elections.
A coalition of mayors from towns and cities along the Mississippi River are in town through Thursday for their annual meeting. Record flooding along other parts of the river earlier this year is the major topic of discussion.
Former Memphis Police Director and Shelby County Sheriff Bill Oldham has endorsed the proposed half percent sales tax hike on the Oct. 3 Memphis ballot.
The Democratic presidential contender will hold a town hall meeting at East High School Sunday evening. The Tennessee presidential primary is in March.
After three days of intensifying controversy, mayoral contender and Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer said Tuesday she remains a candidate for mayor and is working to rebuild trust with LGBTQ allies no matter what happens in the election.