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 4052 articles by Bill Dries :
Althea Greene opened her bid for the District 7 commission seat by saying Tennessee’s new open carry gun law is meant to increase violence and killings. Candidates can begin pulling and filing qualifying petitions in the May primaries, including the commission races, starting Monday.
The council voice vote was unanimous to rename a street for Young Dolph on Tuesday, Dec. 7, but it came after some council members questioned the honor given the lyrics of some of his music.
White makes the Democratic primary race a three-way contest with the winner in May expected to challenge Republican DA Amy Weirich in the August county general elections.
Criminal Court Judge Paula Skahan took under advisement Tuesday, Dec. 14, two days of testimony in a hearing that will determine whether Pervis Payne serves two life sentences concurrently or consecutively for the 1987 murders of Charisse Christopher and her 2-year-old daughter, Lacie, in Millington
A special Memphis City Council meeting called to resolve a labor contract impasse was settled before the 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14, start of the session.
A proposed lake off Mud Island would be north of I-40 and the Hernando DeSoto Bridge.
The seven-year-old venue beneath a manmade hill on Tom Lee Park’s north end is a separate project from the $61 million renovation of the park.
The inmate’s 1988 death sentence was set aside because of questions about his mental competency. The resentencing hearing continues Tuesday, Dec. 14.
The Tuesday afternoon meeting should be short with the labor contract impasse the only item on the agenda. The meeting technically continues last week’s meeting, which was recessed to allow for the special meeting.
The Monday, Dec. 13, resentencing in Shelby County Criminal Court comes after prosecutors took the death penalty off the table in a retrial for a 1987 double murder in Millington. At stake is whether the life sentences will run consecutively or concurrently. If concurrently, Payne would be eligible for parole.
The County Commission Scorecard looks at the second- reading vote on pay raises for some of the county’s top elected officials and the political perils of raising your own pay while preparing to run for re-election.
On “Behind The Headlines,” the bus transit system’s CEO and its new chief of staff say the ride-share service in the Whitehaven, Boxtown and Westwood areas is being used much more than the bus route system in the area was.
A Thursday, Dec. 9, joint session of Memphis City Council members and Shelby County commissioners drew sparse attendance from the two bodies.
The race for District Attorney General is taking shape as a key moment and a key office in the debate about criminal justice reform in a city where violent crime is rising.
Mulroy, a two-term Shelby County commissioner and 2014 candidate for Shelby County mayor, has invited several county elected officials for the Thursday, Dec. 9, announcement in Midtown.
Harris has had a campaign treasurer for his second term effort since 2019. But the Wednesday, Dec. 8 release of the video is the first sign of life in that re-election effort, which will come with challengers.
Tuesday before the City Council, MGLW management and labor couldn’t agree about what their final offers were and what was on the table. The result will be a special council meeting between now and Christmas week.
Council member Worth Morgan called for the delay Tuesday, citing Williams’ conviction and prison sentence for bribery and extortion. Meanwhile, another appointment to the airport authority is also on the council agenda in two weeks.Related story:
City Council members resurrect a project they killed three weeks ago on a tie vote for a January re-vote. And the debate was contentious.
City mulls major riverfront improvements with possible funding from the state.
City Court Clerk Myron Lowery is seeking to appoint former Shelby County Commission administrator Calvin Williams, once convicted on federal bribery charges while county commission administrator, as one of his deputy clerks.
Most council members abstained or didn’t vote Monday in a test vote on the new proposal to allow Memphis Police officers to live outside the county ,but within a 50-mile radius.
The commission, sheriff and mayor raises moved forward on the second of three votes Monday, with third and final vote in two weeks. Commission rejects Singleton Parkway convenience store with gas pumpsRelated story:
While punting on the gas station, the Shelby County Commission did approve an appeal for a gated community on Forest Hill Irene. Also, Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. defended his father against criticism of his behavior at a Memphis City Council meeting last month.
The low-interest loan will finance infrastructure to protect parts of the city from flooding.