Services helping poor county residents are putting ‘Band-Aids on bullet wounds’
The leader of Shelby County’s Community Services Division talks about the safety net of programs and the balancing act that comes with uncertain money.
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 4090 articles by Bill Dries :
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December 2025
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Shelby County -
Elections More than 70 would-be candidates get petitions for 2026 elections
Most of those checking out qualifying petitions Monday, Dec. 22, are looking to run in the May 5 Shelby County Democratic primaries. There are already some interesting trends.
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Public SafetyWhat do Memphians think about Memphis Safe Task Force?
Some say the National Guard “shouldn’t be here,” while others say Memphis “got the message.” The Daily Memphian captured a snapshot of where Memphians stand on the Memphis Safe Task Force and its impact.
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Spirit of MemphisDowntown church’s rich history is intertwined with the stories of people it served
The present St. Patrick Catholic Church was built in 1905 but the congregation dates back to 1866 on the same property south of FedExForum.
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Elections Push cards, blue pens and big ambitions: 2026 Shelby County races get underway
The first day Monday, Dec. 22, of the period to get on the May 5 Shelby County primary ballot opened to a crowd of contenders Downtown and those who are already working on their campaigns.
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MetroGet your petitions: The 2026 election year is about to begin
Candidates in the May 5 Shelby County primaries start picking up the paperwork Monday, Dec. 22, to get on the ballot. Here’s what you need to know about the start of the 2026 election year in Memphis and Shelby County.
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North Memphis ‘Place of Grace’ apartments latest piece of Bickford housing renewal
The set of 10 apartments in the North Memphis neighborhood of Bickford took two years to renovate.
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Elections Former MSCS chief Marie Feagins opens bid for Shelby County mayor
Feagins kicked off her bid in the May 5 Democratic mayoral primary before a group of 100 people on Wednesday, Dec. 17, in Southwind.
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City of Memphis City Council shifts Leftwich funds to Audubon Golf Clubhouse, Jesse Turner Park renovation
Bellevue Tennis Center would also get renovation funds.
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Shelby County County Commission keeps tabs as Halbert cooperates with county auditors
While Halbert is now cooperating, County Commission Chair Shante Avant said she may call a special meeting of the body if the cooperation stops.
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Public Safety Memphis crime drops again, hitting lowest level in at least three years
Crime keeps dropping. Police say major offenses fell again in November, reaching their lowest level in nearly three years.
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Shelby County County Commission returns to County Clerk’s office problems
The commission votes on a resolution that asks County Clerk Wanda Halbert to cooperate with the regular audit of county finances. Auditors say Halbert isn’t cooperating as a Dec. 31 state law nears.
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City of Memphis ‘The very foundation on which this city was built’ finally renovated
Memphis’ historic cobblestone landing formally opened Friday after at least 19 years of bureaucracy, red tape and the rise and fall of the Mississippi River.
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Behind The Headlines ‘Largest development in the history of Downtown Memphis’ faces hope and skepticism
A future cloud computing hub — at the site of a another development that never panned out — is among the topics on “Behind The Headlines” a reporters’ roundtable.
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ElectionsNo charges against Sawyer in courthouse dispute, DA’s office says
Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies and General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer clashed over whether her private security guard could carry a gun inside the D’Army Bailey courthouse.
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Food News ‘Grow, gain and gather:’ Raleigh Springs Civic Center farmers market breaks ground
The five-year-old development on the site of the city’s second shopping mall will likely be completed in 4-6 months.
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City of Memphis Memphis seniors get $3M in federal funding for home repair
Housing and Urban Development grants could reach an estimated 100 to 120 senior citizen homeowners.
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City of MemphisCooper-Sutton’s rant on the fire union and what’s behind it
Also in this roundup, the first forum among contenders for Shelby County sheriff and the race to succeed Wanda Halbert is filling up.
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Behind The Headlines ‘I don’t think I have seen a mug shot that is not Latino or African American,’ county mayor says about Task Force arrests
On “Behind The Headlines,” Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said he has tried to meet with federal officials from the Memphis Safe Task Force to talk about his concerns ICE agents are racially “profiling” Memphians.
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Public SafetyMayor Young preparing for life after Task Force
Memphis Mayor Paul Young said he wants to sustain the drop in crime.
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Shelby County Sheriff answers mayor’s complaints about County Jail with complaints of his own
Sheriff Floyd Bonner faults Mayor Lee Harris for problems at the County Corrections Center and not being responsive in assisting with problems at the jail.
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Shelby CountyShelby County Sheriff should not manage the jail, Harris says
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris says the number of jail deaths calls for dramatic change that could include the county or the state taking over the county jail currently run by Sheriff Floyd Bonner.
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Elections ‘Long road’ of Shelby County mayoral race takes turn through LeMoyne-Owen
There were some sparks and plenty of claims disputed Wednesday, Dec. 3, during the forum at LeMoyne-Owen College. The same five contenders who showed up last month for a Germantown forum took the stage in Soulsville.
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City of Memphis MATA numbers surge with zero fare, City Council told
MATA’s trustee said rider numbers are up. In other action, council members took steps to stop dumping in the Wolf River Bottoms, but balked at some strong limits suggested for city contracts to manage city parks.
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City of Memphis Memphis library workers might need to reapply for jobs
The move from being appointed to becoming civil servants would change library employees’ status.
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