County political parties eye red and blue school board elections
The move to primaries in what are now nonpartisan races began in response to book and curriculum topic bannings in Florida.
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 4213 articles by Bill Dries :
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August 2023
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Shelby County -
City of Memphis City Council returns to call for partisan primaries
The ballot question would go to voters in 2024 if the council approves it. The council voted down a similar referendum last year.
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Shelby County County Commission delays vote on new chair
The special Monday, Aug. 7, meeting was short of a quorum that’s needed to take any action.
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Elections Political Roundup: Is the mayor’s race too big? What can be done about it?
Mayoral contender J.W. Gibson talked about the size of the field as he opened his campaign headquarters Saturday, Aug. 5, in southeast Memphis. The issue could come to a head at the People’s Convention.
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Shelby County County Commission tries to break stalemate on new chairman election
Democratic commissioner Miska Clay Bibbs was one vote short of the seven votes needed to become the new chairwoman during nine rounds of voting at the July 17 commission meeting. Three of the 9 Democrats abstained in a rift that goes back to a June vote to raise the county wheel tax by $25.
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Behind The Headlines Tom Lee Park redesign sprints toward Sept. 2 opening
Memphis River Parks Partnership president and CEO Carol Coletta talks on “Behind The Headlines” about the road to the September opening of the redesigned Tom Lee Park.
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Elections Justin J. Pearson easily keeps state House District 86 seat
Pearson easily beat independent candidate Jeff Johnston in the second special general election this year for the seat covering the western edge of Shelby County.
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Downtown Mobility Center opens as ‘necessary infrastructure’ for Downtown
The Downtown Mobility Center is the centerpiece of several parking garage projects, including the renovation of older city-owned lots in the immediate area.
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DowntownTom Lee Park damages from Memphis In May top $1.4M
A report verified by a third-party arbiter and reviewed by the city administration shows 252 separate items of damage totaling $1.4 million, most of it incurred during the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.
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Elections Voters in House District 86 go to polls one more time
Voters on the western edge of Shelby County go to the polls Thursday, Aug. 3, to elect their state representative for the fourth time this year.
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July 2023
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Shelby County Democratic commissioners endorse Gov. Lee’s expected gun-law proposal
The nine Democratic commissioners voted for a resolution for “extreme-risk protection order” measures. Of the two Republican commissioners present for the vote, one recused himself and the other was not in the room for the vote.
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Shelby County County Commission to meet during lull after wheel-tax hike split
The commission votes Monday, July 31 on a solid waste fee hike for Northaven, a move to a two-year property tax reappraisal cycle for taxation purposes and equipment to convert microfilm and microfiche archives to digital files.
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Behind The Headlines McKissack defends school board handling of Joris Ray’s MSCS exit
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board let the former superintendent resign and receive a $480,000 payment after allegations of sexual misconduct. Details of the investigation were never released.
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Public Safety Strickland: DOJ investigation could make it harder to hire more cops
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said Friday he sought to talk with Justice Department officials ahead of Thursday’s announcement of the “pattern and practice” review of the MPD but was rebuffed.
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City of Memphis George Flinn joins Frank Colvett in dropping out of mayor’s race
The exit of Flinn and Colvett makes a field of 17 for Memphis mayor. There are no changes at the Thursday, July 27, withdrawal deadline in the 13 races for Memphis City Council; those races have a total of 44 candidates.
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Elections Frank Colvett drops out of mayor’s race, says field is too crowded
Colvett pulled out of what is now an 18-candidate race at Thursday’s deadline for candidates to withdraw from the October Memphis ballot.
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City of Memphis Zoo parking lot reconfiguration begins
The parking lot is the first part of a broader plan to end overflow zoo parking on the Overton Park Greensward sometime next year and turn more than 17 acres of zoo land to the Overton Park Conservancy.
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City of Memphis Memphis City Council approves $22.6M in drainage, sewer projects
In addition to infrastructure, the council approved two more years on the Memphis Showboats contract and discussed a late-term reappointment to the MLGW board by outgoing Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland.
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City of Memphis City Council considers $22.6M in drainage, sewer improvements
The list of a dozen drainage and sewer projects come as the city is still repairing damage and restoring power lost in recent storms. The council also takes first votes Tuesday, July 25, on a pair of ballot questions for city voters in 2024.
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Elections Political Roundup: Bonner HQ opening draws protesters
Floyd Bonner responded to the protesters outside his headquarters and talked about changing state law if necessary to curb youth violence. Meanwhile, everyone’s talking about the field of 19 in the mayor’s race and its impact on who wins.
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Behind The Headlines Gibson says collaboration and compromise missing from city’s politics
Memphis mayoral contender J.W. Gibson talked on “Behind The Headlines” about crime, power outages, garbage pickup and the state of the city’s politics. The interview is the latest in a series of one-on-one conversations with contenders for mayor.
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Elections Memphis mayor’s field grows to 19 at filing deadline
Two council incumbents were effectively re-elected at the Thursday, July 20, deadline because they had no opposition. Two other council races drew fields of seven candidates.
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Elections Mayor’s race has 13 contenders as the October election filing deadline nears
As council contenders weigh their options, several races are filling up. Meanwhile, two former council members have filed their petitions to get back on the body and a third is considering it.
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Shelby County Wheel tax divide leads to stalemate in vote for county commission chairman
The wheel tax hike approved last month is a done deal. But the commission’s Democratic majority is still fractured over the decision.
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City of Memphis Political Roundup: Herenton opens HQ, Turner takes on Bonner and more
Also, Councilwoman Cheyenne Johnson calls off her campaign for a second term in favor of Janika White, a contender in last year’s Democratic primary for Shelby County District Attorney General.
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