10 apply for two new Criminal Court Judge positions
Shelby County’s two new courts are dedicated to violent crime cases.
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 4390 articles by Bill Dries :
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July 2026
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Public Safety -
2026 elections
ElectionsHundreds of absentee ballots lack some judicial races and charter question
About 700 absentee voters in Shelby County will receive a supplemental ballot that is expected to arrive by July 15.
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2026 Elections
ElectionsAOC to stump for Justin Pearson in Memphis
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is coming to the city with two other Democratic U.S. House members. Meanwhile, House Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan is endorsing state Sen. Brent Taylor in the companion Republican primary.
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2026 elections
Elections5th Congressional District Democrats talk Task Force in forum
The forum at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church drew all five candidates for the August 6 Democratic primary, who each hope to win the seat of incumbent Republican Congressman Andy Ogles.
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2026 elections
Elections‘Wild, wild west:’ Write-in race for Hardaway house seat heats up
Three candidates are planning write-in campaigns for the District 93 House seat most recently held by G.A. Hardaway.
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2026 Elections
ElectionsLowery warns against complacency as county mayor race heads to Aug. 6
Lowery in Eads, Taylor in Piperton. The political roundup is on the campaign trail and includes a D.C. roundup with reaction to the memorandum of understanding with Iran.
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2026 elections
ElectionsEight candidates certified for Criminal Court judicial race
The election is Aug; 6. The Shelby County Election Commission is preparing to mail out notices to inform county voters of their new congressional districts.
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City of Memphis Council member said he’s not subject of ethics investigation
Memphis City Council member JB Smiley Jr. is named in a May letter as urging the city administration to hire Chairwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington’s niece in the city’s IT division.
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City of MemphisCouncil chair allegedly pushed staff for donations
In May, the City Council’s chief administrator raised various concerns about Chairwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington. Among them, that the councilperson was using city resources for her and her husband’s church.
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City of MemphisCity of Memphis investigating potential ethics violations
It is not clear what the city’s independent counsel is investigating, but a person familiar with the matter said it could be for potential violations of state, local and federal laws.
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Shelby County Some city, criminal courts closed for third day due to water main break
The General Sessions Criminal Court divisions will continue to function at just the most basic levels Wednesday, July 15, the third day of limited court operations there and a shutdown of Memphis Municipal or City courts.
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Shelby County Some courts close a second day — but jail AC improves
Several divisions of General Sessions Criminal Court and all divisions of City Court will be closed a second day Tuesday as work continues on damage from a June water leak. Meanwhile, air conditioning problems in the Shelby County Jail have improved.
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Shelby County DeBerry clashes with MICAH on Memphis Safe Task Force
The clash came at a weekend candidates’ forum hosted by MICAH. Also the impact of Congressional primaries on voter turnout and Blackburn fallout and calculations.
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City of Memphis City Council renews grant program, approving $13,000 for temporary housing
The Memphis City Council’s $2.6 million grant fund allocates $200,000 for each council member to propose grants to nonprofits.
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City of Memphis City Council’s light agenda includes renewed grants program
The council’s discussion of grant rules comes after city auditors questioned the $13,000 grant awarded to a County Commissioner-elect.
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Premium
Public SafetyMemphis ‘crime family': Federal wiretaps, GPS trackers and a tattoo shop robbery
Federal wiretaps captured Young Mob using GPS trackers, texts and FaceTime to stalk a rival in Memphis — with police twice racing in to stop planned robberies before the gang finally struck inside a tattoo shop.
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MetroBevy of Shelby County contenders jostle for Congressional primary races
A total of 14 contenders from Shelby County are on the Aug. 6 federal primary ballot in the 5th, 8th and 9th Congressional districts. Will multiple Memphians cancel each other out? Also in the political roundup: Pearson and Lamar spar; attorneys weigh in on judicial races.
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City of Memphis 4 mayors, 1 city: Young interviews the Memphis mayors before him
Mayor Paul Young said he wants to shift the perspective of mayoral accomplishments to be throughout several administrations. To make his point, he interviewed previous Memphis mayors: Willie Herenton, A C Wharton Jr. and Jim Strickland.
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Shelby County State opens applications for 2 new divisions of Shelby County Criminal Court
The new law came after the county lost two judicial seats in 2024, one in Shelby County Criminal Court and a second in Shelby County Circuit Court.
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Shelby County 201 Poplar goes back to work
The Walter L. Bailey Criminal Justice Center reopened Wednesday, July 1, after a two-day shutdown by a Health Department order after a water main burst and flooded the lower level.
Related content:
201 Poplar reopening Wednesday but long-term questions remain
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Shelby County 201 Poplar reopening Wednesday but long-term questions remain
Courts and offices that shut down for two days will resume regular operations Wednesday. But the renewed debate about the building’s condition — and what to do about it — continues.
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June 2026
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Shelby County Trial date set in Tami Sawyer’s federal embezzlement case
The trial date is tentative as Sawyer’s attorney is about to get an estimated 50,000 documents used by prosecutors to make their case against her.
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Shelby County County Commission passes budget with new property tax rate
Shelby County commissioners used extra decimal places Monday, June 29, in setting a new county property tax rate.
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Shelby County Shelby County Commission to take final vote on $2.71 property-tax rate
The commission also votes on budget amendments, including a move away from plans by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris to start planning on a new Treadwell K-8 school.
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Metro How many Shelby County voters are moving among the 3 new congressional districts?
Also in the political roundup: Washington’s affordable-housing standoff, the Ultimate Fighting Championship plot and A C Wharton Jr. warns Mickell Lowery about being mayor.
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