Law banning drivers’ cell phones cruising toward Memphis
The two city measures reflect larger debates about criminal justice reform and the increasing use of cameras in public settings.
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 4212 articles by Bill Dries :
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March 2020
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City of Memphis -
Elections Observations from a presidential campaign stop
Presidential campaign culture has some rules and habits that change over time and as technology changes. Here are a few observed locally in the campaign to Super Tuesday.
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Metro Move to take city residency referendum off ballot fails again
After coming up short in council committee two weeks ago, a move to take a referendum on residency for police and firefighters off the November ballot died Tuesday, March 3, with a full city council vote. -
Elections Super Tuesday follows pattern: Low turnout compared to general election
Memphians likely got their closest view of the presidential campaigns in the lead-up to Super Tuesday. The state isn't considered a battleground state in the general election.
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Elections Biden takes state and Shelby County in strong showing
Biden won big in the county and across the state with Bloomberg betting big on Super Tuesday as his entry point to the Democratic nomination. Bloomberg's early organization in Memphis proved no match for Biden's post-South Carolina momentum.
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Elections Brown and Boyd to meet in August in only countywide race of election year
While the fight was for second place in the Democratic primary field of 13, Joe Brown emerged the victor in his second election in a year. He faces Republican Paul Boyd, upset in a Probate Court re-election bid two years ago in the August county general election.
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City of Memphis Strickland wants to use sales tax overage for police and fire retention measures
Strickland told city council members Tuesday that the referendum isn't binding on the city and that most voters would support such a use of extra revenue beyond a restoration of benefits cut by the city six years ago. The idea is still in the talking stage, with Strickland to take his plan to the council in April when he presents his city budget proposal.
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Metro Live blog: Brown, Boyd seem headed toward general election in clerk race
Democrat Joe Brown and Republican Paul Boyd are leading the way in the General Sessions Court Clerk primaries.
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Elections Ballot Basics: Presidential Primary Election Day in Memphis
Everything you need to know to vote on election day, from finding your precinct to keeping your long fingernails and voting in confidence.
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City of Memphis Rape kit backlog grows with discovery of new old kits
All of the kits from the backlog that first came to light in 2012 have been tested, Memphis Police say. About 6,000 cases in which DNA was found are awaiting investigation.
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Elections Super Tuesday: Here’s the rundown on Shelby County
Polls across Shelby County are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday with the state's presidential primaries topping the ballot. The presidential campaign Memphis voters saw for the past year has been mostly on the Democratic side with a few appearances by the contenders themselves.
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Visual Arts ‘The Banker’ gets screening at NCRM as storyline strikes chord in election
The Apple film had a private screening with actors from the film Monday evening at The National Civil Rights Museum. Most of those involved say the story of black businessmen trying to overcome discriminatory business practices still feels familiar today.
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City of Memphis Strickland to discuss options for restoring police, firefighter benefits
The tax hike and restoration was approved by city voters in 2019. But there are doubts that the revenue from the extra half-cent is enough to pay for the return of benefits the city cut in 2014.
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City of Memphis Maybe easing grooming standards would help police recruitment
Three of the six new Memphis City Council members talked about the larger issues on "Behind The Headlines." They are the latest council members in more than a decade to take up the topic of residency.
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Elections Jill Biden visit, Bloomberg rally mark days before Democratic primary
Joe Biden's wife pushed for votes Sunday during brunch time in South Main. Signs of other Democratic contenders were close by. And a Bloomberg rally Saturday in West Memphis featured five mayors supporting the former New York City mayor. Tennessee's primary is Tuesday as part of the 14-state Super Tuesday set of primaries.
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February 2020
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Metro Talley’s call for repentence in Lenten season comes with list of accused priests
The new report and list lacks the detail that a trove of internal church documents and depositions released a decade ago show about how the Catholic Diocese handled allegations of child sexual abuse by priests over a half century.
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