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 4096 articles by Bill Dries :
The five sites that open Saturday are in addition to the one open since this past Wednesday at the Downtown Election Commission offices. Early voting in the county primaries expands Monday, April 18, to all 26 sites across the county and runs through April 28. Election day is May 3.
Thursday marked the withdrawal deadline for contenders in the August election, with several developments in the nonpartisan judicial races that are a major part of that ballot.
Incumbent Mayor Lee Harris wants to continue a sea change in what issues the county mayor focuses on. His challenger in the May Democratic primary, Ken Moody, says that focus isn’t immediate or local enough.Related story:
There are plans by several organizations to boost the turnout Thursday. Meanwhile, there is free parking around the only early-voting site Downtown open Wednesday and Thursday.
Early voting for the Shelby County primaries is April 13-28. Here is everything to know the ballot, the basics of early voting and what turnout in this election cycle has looked like in the past.
The Democratic primary race for district attorney is about to turn from general calls for change to who can upset incumbent Republican Amy Weirich.Related story:
Democratic county mayoral contender Ken Moody opened the first of what will be several headquarters opened by various campaigns in Whitehaven, underscoring the importance of the area’s Black middle class in the city’s political mix.Related story:
County Commission Chair Willie Brooks denied that the meeting was called to try to hide the 8-0 vote on emergency funding for the project.
The MATA funding has also become an issue in the May Republican primary for commission District 4.
The ruling on a motion Monday, April 11, means early voting in advance of the May 3 election day opens Wednesday at a single Downtown site. The other 25 early voting sites open the Monday after Easter Sunday.
In addition to advancements on Northside and Soulsville TIFs, the commission approved on second reading an ordinance keeping in place a residency waiver for prison guards. But some commissioners may try to kill it on third reading next month.
The County Commission Monday approved the agreement with Grizzlies to keep the team in Memphis through at least 2029.Related story:
The pairing is among the police reforms discussed nationally in the wake of the March 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis Police custody.
The commission agenda also includes a call on County Clerk Wanda Halbert for a corrective plan to clear up some problems in a recent audit of her office’s financial statements.
The $60 million Memphis Allies gun violence initiative is new turf for Youth Villages, which historically hasn’t worked with teens and young adults accused of violent crimes.
Billy Orgel decided not to file the petition for re-election he pulledin February. That left Amber Huett-Garcia as the only candidate in the race and effectively elected to the District 6 MSCS board seat at the Thursday filing deadline. There were other surprises at the deadline in other races.
Earle Fisher of UpTheVote 901 talks about the return of the political gathering begun in 2019 and the state of the city’s new activism that has mixed campaigning for causes with campaigning for elective office.
U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty indicated they would vote against the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson ahead of the 53-47 vote Thursday, April 7.
With some petitions still out ahead of the Thursday, April 7, noon deadline, there is a chance some contenders will have no opposition on the August ballot. Here’s a run down of the filing developments.
Shelby County Commissioner Brandon Morrison defends her conservatism while opponent Jordan Carpenter targets what he calls “dangerous ideologies” and “perversion.”
Should we stay or should we go? The decision still lacks a dollar figure and relies on the MLGW board agreeing to let the council’s consultant get a look at the various proposals.
“This is not something we have taken lightly,” said Memphis COO Doug McGowen. “The world has changed and the Loews hotel is not coming. Those are two things that have caused us to act.” City Council urges early voting expansion in county primariesRelated story:
In addition to the voting-expansion resolution, Council action included the Liberty Park contract, more time for Parkside at Shelby Farms and the end of the latest consolidation push.
The National Civil Rights Museum commemorated the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, April 4. The recordings of King’s sermons resonated with the times as one of those in his inner circle returned for what has become an annual pilgrimage.
The economic development items are part of a council agenda that could see the formal end of a city-county consolidation bid and the end of council discussion of police and fire residency requirements.