Gibson calls Bonner’s leadership ‘weak and ineffective’
Memphis Mayoral contender J.W. Gibson is the latest in the race to challenger Floyd Bonner Jr. on recent deaths at the Shelby County Jail during Bonner’s tenure as sheriff.
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 4302 articles by Bill Dries :
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August 2023
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Elections -
City of Memphis City Council to take final votes on two more 2024 ballot questions
The council has already approved two other charter referendums for the 2024 election year and has others waiting in the wings. If all are approved, it would make five ballot questions for Memphis voters next year.
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City of Memphis Political Roundup: Memphis mayoral candidates criticize fellow contenders
Mayoral contender Van Turner also said Saturday the city’s “crime wave” has to be “met where it is.” Also, the special legislative session in Nashville could influence the Memphis mayor’s race.
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Behind The Headlines Bluffwalk at new Brooks Museum can be in the eye of the beholder
The director of the Brooks says on “Behind The Headlines” the controversy over the bluffwalk on the river side of the museum being built Downtown depends on your definition of the public walkway atop much of the riverbluff.
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Elections Memphis mayoral candidates share public-safety plans at Chamber forum
The Greater Memphis Chamber forum drew six of the seven major contenders for mayor.
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Downtown Memphis in May is looking for a new location
In an email to its barbecue teams, Memphis in May President Jim Holt says the festival is “exploring venue options other than Tom Lee Park for the future.”
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Shelby County Miska Clay Bibbs to lead Shelby County Commission
Commissioners broke their stalemate Monday, Aug. 14, in the selection of a new chair.
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Shelby County County Commission seeks to limit Sheriff’s office
Shelby County Commissioners also try Monday, Aug. 14, to break the deadlock over the selection of a new chair after two unsuccessful tries since in July.
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Elections Political Roundup: People’s Convention fiery finale, Kelsey’s end
Mayoral contender Paul Young took the convention’s endorsement Saturday, Aug. 12, but rival Van Turner delivered a fiery speech and both called for changing the city’s political status quo. City council endorsements are also listed.
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Behind The Headlines Van Turner says federal probe of MPD is needed to ‘rebuild trust’
Memphis mayoral candidate Van Turner says on “Behind The Headlines” the federal investigation of the Memphis Police Department could play a large role in determining whether the next mayor changes MPD leadership.
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Elections People’s Convention backs candidates in four council races on opening day
The three-day session opened with endorsements for four Memphis City Council candidates on the Oct. 5 ballot. About 150 people attended the event at the Memphis Sports and Event Center at Liberty Park.
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State Government Civil rights groups suing Tennessee over Republican-led redistricting
The lawsuit filed Wednesday, Aug. 9, in Nashville federal court seeks to redraw the Cordova-based state Senate district in Shelby County and cites a “larger discriminatory agenda” by the Republican-controlled Legislature.
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City of Memphis City Council asserts independence from mayor on several fronts
The council is challenging the administration on the delayed development that is a key part of financing the remake of the Fairgrounds to Liberty Park and what it sees as hesitation in an expansion of the council’s office space at City Hall.
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State Government Lee calls for narrow look at gun control measures during special session
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee issued a formal call for a special session of the Legislature to begin Aug. 21 in the Capitol. It includes mental health orders of protection, with a lot of conditions, among the topics to be considered.
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Shelby County 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.
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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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Premium
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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