Author: Associated Press

Jury selection starts for rape trial of ex-Tennessee players

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Former Tennessee football players A.J. Johnson and Michael Williams are going on trial to face aggravated rape charges nearly 3 ½ years after both men were indicted. Jury selection began Monday afternoon for Johnson and Williams.…

Nashville airport sets passenger record in fiscal year

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Nashville International Airport served more than 14.9 million passengers in the fiscal year just ended. That figure breaks last year's record by more than 1.3 million passengers and marks the fifth consecutive year the airport has…

3 former FedEx workers charged with mail theft

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Federal prosecutors in Tennessee say three former FedEx employees have been charged with stealing mail intended for religious organizations. Court records show Tiara Williams, Crystal Berry and Kimberly Smith have pleaded not guilty to mail theft…

Middle TN pastor charged with trying to rape 12-year-old girl

PALMER, Tenn. (AP) -- A Middle Tennessee pastor accused of trying to rape a 12-year-old girl has been indicted. District Attorney Mike Taylor tells WRCB-TV that a Grundy County jury indicted 48-year-old William E. "Tim" Smith Jr. this week, more…

East TN pastor accused of raping teen at worship center

MORRISTOWN, Tenn. (AP) -- An East Tennessee pastor is accused of raping a 17-year-old girl. Citing a Newport police report, news outlets report that 46-year-old James "Ronnie" Messer was arrested Saturday night after the girl's family reported him. The girl's…

More than $47M going to states to help veterans find jobs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- The federal government has awarded grants totaling more than $47 million to help homeless veterans find jobs. Recipients in Tennessee were awarded more than $906,000, Kentucky awards totaled almost $775,000 and West Virginia will receive $165,000.…

Blackburn backs Supreme Court pick; Bredesen awaits hearings

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- In Tennessee's U.S. Senate race, Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn is backing President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee and Democratic ex-Gov. Phil Bredesen is holding judgment until after confirmation hearings. Blackburn said Monday that Brett Kavanaugh will…

Clingmans Dome Tower in Great Smokies closing for repairs

FORNEYS CREEK, N.C. (AP) -- One of the most popular destinations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed on Tuesday for repairs. The Clingmans Dome Observation Tower on the North Carolina-Tennessee state line is about 6,600 feet above sea…

Former bus driver convicted in fatal crash has bond revoked

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A judge in Tennessee has ordered a former school bus driver to remain behind bars while he appeals his conviction in a crash that killed six children. Twenty-five-year-old Johnthony Walker was sentenced to four years in…

Tennessee county Dems, NAACP sue to open early voting sites

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Democrats in Tennessee's largest county and the local NAACP are suing to try to open more early voting sites. According to The Commercial Appeal, the Shelby County Democratic Party and the Memphis NAACP sued the Shelby…

Tennessee man charged with burying kitten alive

ERWIN, Tenn. (AP) -- A Tennessee man is charged with burying a 6-week-old kitten alive. Local news reports say 29-year-old Johnny Mack Rogers faces a felony aggravated animal cruelty charge in a criminal complaint filed by Unicoi County Animal Shelter…

60 pounds of marijuana nabbed at Tennessee airport

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Authorities acting on a tip nabbed a man who they said tried to bring 60 pounds (27 kilograms) of marijuana to a Tennessee airport. WTVF-TV reports that a drug detection K-9 found two suitcases holding 51…

Pain management company to close Tennessee clinics in July

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- One of Tennessee's largest pain management companies is closing multiple clinics throughout the state in July, leaving some patients searching for a new source of painkillers. The Tennessean reports that Comprehensive Pain Specialist is closing at…

Man attacked by bison at Land Between the Lakes

LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES, Ky. (AP) -- Authorities say a Tennessee man who entered the bison enclosure in a national recreation area straddling Kentucky and Tennessee was attacked. Land Between the Lakes spokesman Chris Joyner tells news outlets that the…

Tennessee will reinstate licenses revoked over court debts

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee officials say they are following a federal court order by reinstating and reissuing licenses, for free, for drivers who lost them solely because of unpaid court debts. Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security spokeswoman…

Voter registration for August primaries ends Tuesday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tuesday, July 3, is the deadline to register to vote in Tennessee's August primary elections. Information on how to register can be obtained from the Tennessee Secretary of State's election division or at a county election…

Tennessee Division of Forestry appoints new fire chief

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A new fire chief has been appointed for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry. The Agriculture Department says he is Wade Waters, who has more than 14 years of experience with forestry and wildland…

Floodgates burst on attacks in Tennessee GOP governor’s race

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The floodgates have burst on attack ads in Tennessee's Republican gubernatorial primary. New TV ads have followed Congresswoman Diane Black's commercial this week calling businessmen Randy Boyd and Bill Lee moderates. All four leading contenders have…

Opioid measures among new Tennessee laws kicking in

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Requirements aimed at curbing Tennessee's opioid epidemic are among more than 150 new laws taking effect. Gov. Bill Haslam's "TN Together" opioid plan largely kicks in Sunday, July 1, when many laws take effect annually and…

Victims ID’d in Maryland newspaper shooting

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Officials have released the names of the five people killed in a shooting at a Maryland newspaper. Lt. Ryan Frashure of Anne Arundel County Police read the names at a news conference Thursday night, hours after the…

Justice Kennedy retiring; Trump gets 2nd Supreme Court pick

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy says he is retiring. That will give President Donald Trump the chance to cement conservative control of the high court. The 81-year-old Kennedy said Wednesday he is stepping down after more than…

Arkansas man charged in fatal Tennessee crash

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- An Arkansas man has been indicted in a crash that killed a 22-year-old Tennessee woman. The Shelby County District Attorney's Office said Monday that 28-year-old William Lapradd has been charged with reckless vehicular homicide. He is…

Republican debate for Tennessee governor canceled

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Organizers have canceled a scheduled Republican debate for governor because two of the leading candidates said they would not participate. The Tennessean reports the debate had been scheduled for Tuesday at Belmont University between Knoxville businessman…

Man crashes into police headquarters, arrested for DUI

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee authorities have arrested a man for driving under the influence after he crashed his car into police headquarters. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports the Chattanooga Police Department posted a photo of the wreck on…

TBI leader under investigation to retire

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's leader says he is retiring as an investigation continues into allegations that he misused state funds. In a news release from his attorney, Jeff Cherry, Acting Director Jason Locke said Thursday…

East TN woman pleads guilty to leaving disabled man who later died

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- An East Tennessee woman has pleaded guilty to leaving a disabled man in a transport van where he died from hyperthermia and dehydration. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports 60-year-old Cliftina Jones pleaded guilty to criminally…

Charles Krauthammer, prominent conservative voice, has died

NEW YORK (AP) -- The conservative writer and pundit Charles Krauthammer has died. Krauthammer had announced a year ago he was being treated for a cancerous tumor in his abdomen and in early June revealed that he likely had just…

Second person on leave in investigation of TBI director

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Officials say a second person has been placed on paid leave amid an investigation into allegations that Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Acting Director Jason Locke misused state funds. The Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Substance…

Shelby Co. deputy charged with raping teen

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- A sheriff's deputy in West Tennessee has been charged with raping a teenage girl over a 20-month period. The Shelby County district attorney's office says 43-year-old Brian O. Beck was being held on $90,000 bond Thursday…

Tariffs stir unrest among American whiskey producers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Much of the rye whiskey aging in hundreds of barrels at Catoctin Creek Distillery in Virginia could end up being consumed in Europe, a market the 9-year-old distilling company has cultivated at considerable cost. But an…

President Trump signs order to keep families together at border

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to keep families together at the southern border, saying at the White House that he doesn't like the sight of children being separated from their families. He said, "We are…

Republican candidates for Tennessee governor to debate

SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (AP) -- Republican candidates for Tennessee governor are set to square off in a debate. The one-hour debate will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Pope John Paul II High School in Hendersonville. Legislative issues and…

Nashville Predators player arrested on domestic assault charge

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Police have arrested Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson on a charge of domestic assault. Franklin Police Lt. Charles Warner says Watson was arrested Saturday evening. Warner says Watson has been released from jail on $4,500 bond…

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s acting director on leave

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Acting Director Jason Locke has been placed on leave with pay pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations that he misused state funds. Bureau spokesman Josh DeVine said in a statement…

Democrats to debate Tuesday in Tennessee governor race

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The two leading Democrats in Tennessee's open race for governor are meeting for a head-to-head debate. The Democratic debate with former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and state House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh will take place Tuesday…

State probes misuse of funds accusation against TBI leader

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says an outside review is underway into accusations that its acting director has misused state funds. TBI spokesman Josh DeVine said Monday that the agency has been made aware of, and…

Private jet once owned by Elvis Presley is up for auction

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- A private jet once owned by Elvis Presley that has sat on a runway in New Mexico for nearly four decades is back on the auction block. The online auction site IronPlanet announced this week that…

Tennessee House speaker contender won’t seek re-election

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A longtime Tennessee lawmaker who had expressed interest in running for House speaker says he won't seek re-election. Republican Rep. Gerald McCormick of Chattanooga tells the Chattanooga Times Free Press…

Pat Summitt remembered with plaza, statue in hometown

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Longtime Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt is being remembered again, this time with a plaza and statue in her hometown. The Leaf-Chronicle reports Pat Head Summitt Legacy Plaza was unveiled in Clarksville's Liberty Park, where…

Complaint targets Tennessee governor hopeful’s business help

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A complaint is questioning how a Republican candidate for governor's campaign is benefiting from his businesses. The citizen-filed complaint with Tennessee's Registry of Election Finance claims Bill Lee uses his businesses to supplement his campaign without…

3rd person charged in shooting of Tennessee teenager

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Police say the mother of an 18-year-old charged in the Tennessee shooting death of a 16-year-old has been charged with helping to hide her son's car afterward. Nashville Police say they charged Ykela Williams, mother of…