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 3934 articles by Bill Dries :
MATA’s interim leader told the council all the buses are ready but only for a pared-down system and that former leadership spent more than a million dollars in federal funds it hadn’t secured. $900K for police task force could go to fix city’s potholes, blight, sidewalks Memphis librarians want a change to city charter allowing them to seek union representationRelated content:
Memphis City Council members are weighing whether there is an easy and quick way to make the change or whether the change will take a charter amendment voters would have to approve.
The $900,000 intended for “integrity in policing” could instead fund several different projects across this city.
The funding — generated from $2.8 million interest income on federal grant money — would support a police reform task force appointed in late 2024. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, Children and Youth Wellness Crisis Center and PURE Academy are also proposed to receive a piece.
This Political Roundup dives into what the Southaven mayor said about Elon Musk’s xAI buying a former energy plant, MLGW customers who could be cut off skyrocket, TVA’s demand highs and more.
Two developers of affordable housing and the head of the city’s Housing and Community Development Division talked on “Behind The Headlines” about the latest wrinkles in building more affordable housing to meet a citywide shortage.
Assessor Melvin Burgess Jr. came to the Frayser Exchange Club on Thursday, July 31, to talk taxes. He also talked about broader issues touching on his bid to become the next county mayor.
The grant from a $3 million pool of grant funds to 24 sites is the latest by the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund to several historic properties in Memphis.
While some commissioners said the resolution the could end terms early for some MSCS board members is “unfair” and that there were “pure hypocrites in this room,” unhappy community members said, “It’s time for change.”
Bill Morris, who died July 25 at 92, was the longest serving Shelby County mayor since the office was created. And Javier Bailey is set for next year’s Democratic primary for assessor.
A resolution on the Monday, July 28, County Commission agenda would cut in half the four-year terms of five elected Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members.
U.S. Rep. John Rose, who’s running for governor, blames turmoil on “liberal media.” Possible GOP primary challenger U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn is silent on the topic.
Disputes over who controls Beale Street revolve around the Historical Daisy. The old theater is home to the Beale Street Development Corp. and has witnessed more than a century of intrigue and politics on the street that gave birth to the blues.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members Natalie McKinney and Michelle McKissack talked on “Behind The Headlines” about a coming Shelby County Board of Commissioners vote that could shorten the terms of five elected board members.
Five of seven County Commissioners present for a Wednesday test vote supported a move that ultimately would cut in half the terms of five school board members elected in 2024.
Plus, the Memphis City Council also sent the first installment of capital funding to start the redevelopment of the old Southwest Twin drive-in.
The Memphis City Council could also approve some specific standards for MATA to report how it’s spending city money.
Commissioners will discuss putting all nine Memphis-Shelby County Schools board seats on the ballot. Some say this amounts to a voter recall of the board.
Also in our political roundup: Mick Wright says he won’t seek office in 2026. And a top administrator to Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert promises to run for office next year.
The pastor of The Blvd talked about the project on “Behind The Headlines,” with the CEO of Crosstown Concourse and the Meharry Medical College official who’s leading the Nashville college’s reach into Memphis.
The D.C. Scorecard tracks the votes of U.S. Reps. Steve Cohen and David Kustoff in the Friday, July 18, final vote on the $9 billion spending-cut bill that the Senate approved Thursday.
The One Big, Beautiful Bill of tax and spending cuts cleared the U.S. House of Representatives in a 218-214 vote.
Tennessee’s senators voted against amendments from Democrats that failed in the run-up to approval of $9 billion in federal-funding cuts to public television and the U.S. Agency for International Development programs.
A court ruling determined these coin-operated mechanisms seen in some local convenience stores are, in fact, slot machines.
“And I don’t just plan to run — I plan to win,” she said.