Morgan resigns as local Republican Party chairman
The local Republican Party’s executive committee meets later this month to elect a new chair.
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 4150 articles by Bill Dries :
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January 2026
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Elections -
Elections Here come the candidates for August elections
Friday is the first day to check out and file qualifying petitions to get on the Aug. 6 ballot featuring state and federal primaries.
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Behind The Headlines Immigration enforcement doing more harm than good, Memphis lawmakers say
State Sen. Raumesh Akbari and County Commission Chair Shante Avant discussed the Memphis Safe Task Force’s immigration role on “Behind The Headlines” as well as legislation that would allow a state takeover of Memphis schools.
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MetroWhitehaven preachers lament Memphis’ long debate about crime and violence
Standing outside Berean Missionary Baptist Church in the Whitehaven neighborhood of Memphis, the preachers led a series of prayers for an end to violent crime in the immediate area.
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Shelby County Will Shelby County pay back rent for the clerk’s Millington office?
Shelby County commissioners will vote on a resolution that would settle an ongoing dispute with the City of Millington for the $28,800 owed in rent for the County Clerk’s office on Navy Road.
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MetroLee Harris makes a list. Marie Feagins makes Democrats nervous. A candidate makes reference to Wanda Halbert’s inspirational leadership.
Also in the political roundup, Jerri Green gets a new job and stays on the campaign trail. And meet the first Republican contender for County Mayor.
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City of Memphis First City Council meeting of 2026 features more changes in public safety funding
The city will be at halfway point in its fiscal year, as the council discusses pay raises for firefighters, renovating a police precinct, relocating a Downtown MPD unit and “Hyde Square.”
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Elections Opening day action to get on August ballot dominated with familiar faces
Six of the 13 incumbent state House members representing Shelby County in Nashville checked out petitions on Friday’s opening day. Meanwhile, several judicial positions on the August ballot as special elections are also filling up.
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Education County Commission votes to keep all nine MSCS seats on 2026 ballot
Commissioners decided Monday they want a lawsuit to stay in place and a court to put an end to the dispute over MSCS elections one way or another.
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Shelby County Commission steps in to pay county clerk’s rent in Millington
The commission initially planned to only pay the back rent for Wanda Halbert’s Shelby County Clerk’s Office, but decided Monday to approve money for future rent, too.
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City of Memphis Council plans to turn block of Monroe into ‘Hyde Family Way’
The council will take the first of three votes later this month on changing the name of the street between the new Memphis Art Museum and the Cossitt Library.
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Public SafetyIn wake of fatal Minneapolis ICE shooting, some locals worry what could happen here
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen is calling on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign as federal immigration raids in other places have taken a violent turn.
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South Memphis Lowery’s ashes to be enshrined at LeMoyne-Owen
The City Council member and City Court Clerk died this past September.
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Spirit of Memphis From organizers to donors, it took heart to make Northside Square project happen
Unconventional project provides new digs for Code Crew, Greater Memphis Chamber, Literacy Mid-South, Moore Tech, Memphis Symphony and Collective Blue Print.
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Behind The Headlines Outgoing Public Defender: ‘We’re not into assembly line justice’
Phyllis Aluko said there’s been a shift in people’s attitudes toward crime, punishment and due process, but public defenders play a key role in upholding constitutional standards.
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Elections 2020 Black Lives Matter protest organizer to challenge Cohen for Congress
Already facing Rep. Justin J. Pearson, Steve Cohen faces a new challenger; one who was active during the George Floyd protests in Memphis years ago.
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Spirit of Memphis On MLK Day, calls for new activism echoed around the National Civil Rights Museum
The holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. drew a large crowd at the Civil Rights Museum as one of the last living members of the city’s civil rights vanguard called out against “the silence of good people.”
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Shelby CountyNew GOP chair says there will be a Republican contender for county mayor
Rachel Wall the new chair of the Shelby County Republican Party, says the GOP should have a name contender for county mayor soon.
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Public SafetyChristmas party shooting rekindles fight over ‘party house’ rentals
What was billed as a “Pajama Christmas Party” with a cover charge and offers of free liquor Dec. 20 ended with gunfire and the death of a man shot outside the short-term rental in East Memphis.
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Elections Justin J. Pearson running for reelection and U.S. House
Races on the May and August ballots continue to take shape ahead of filing deadlines in February and March.
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City of Memphis ‘Essential Housing’ effort breaks ground in North Memphis
The vacant lot is one of 43 in North Memphis and Binghampton assembled for construction of new homes to own and rent in an attempt for the city to fix its shortage of quality affordable housing.
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winter weather
MetroStorm warnings: Stay off streets, prep for power loss — but Memphis is better prepared
Memphis Mayor Paul Young and the head of MLGW Doug McGowen are offering some hope — but also some warnings — as the city braces for a winter storm that’s already drawing comparisons to the 1994 ice storm.
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Behind The Headlines Universal pre-K money in Shelby County tied up amid ongoing negotiations
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris’ goals as he leaves office at the end of August include negotiating new terms for funding universal prekindergarten services across the county.
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City of Memphis Memphis mayor responds to Noem: ‘There has been no collaboration with ICE on immigration’
Paul Young responded to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s comparison of the city’s cooperation with federal law enforcement and vocal opposition to aggressive immigration raids in other cities.
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winter weather
MetroSecondary roads start to get attention as temps rise above freezing
City Council members meeting online Tuesday heard from city division directors with a cautiously optimistic view of how the city has handled the cold. MPD Chief C.J. Davis said crime was down 75%.
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