Author: Associated Press

Phillip Fulmer named special adviser to UT president

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- University of Tennessee President Joe DiPietro has hired former Volunteers football coach Phillip Fulmer as his special adviser for community, athletics and university relations. DiPietro announced the hiring Tuesday. Fulmer…

Drowning confirmed at quarry in Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A person has drowned at a quarry in Tennessee. Captain D.J. Corcoran of the Knoxville Fire Department tells local media that the person who drowned at Fort Dickerson Quarry in South Knoxville jumped from rocks into…

Tennessee distillers unveil 25-stop statewide whiskey trail

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Distillers are launching a 25-stop whiskey tour across Tennessee. The Tennessee Distillers Guild announced the new Tennessee Whiskey Trail on Monday. The distilleries will range from boutique-sized to internationally known companies. Visitors can get a free…

Tennessee rescue group giving Colorado horses get 2nd chance

CALHAN, Colo. (AP) - Some Colorado horses are getting another chance at a good life after being surrendered by their owners to a national rescue group. The Tennessee-based Horse Plus Humane Society accepted 35 horses without any questions Sunday at…

TN county seeks end to federal oversight of juvenile justice

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee county has requested an end to federal oversight of its juvenile court system. The Commercial Appeal reports (http://memne.ws/2rFLzYI ) that in a letter dated June 9, Shelby County officials cited progress in meeting standards…

Attorney: Student was bullied into role in dormitory rape

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A defense attorney says an ex-Vanderbilt football player charged with raping an unconscious female student in a dorm room in 2013 was pressured and bullied into participating. In opening statements Monday, attorney Katie Hagan said trial…

Gov. Haslam vows to stay on sidelines of race to succeed him

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Gov. Bill Haslam says he won't endorse any of the candidates seeking the Republican nomination to succeed him. But he says he has had conversations with several potential hopefuls about the strains of a tough primary…

East Tenn. prosecutors sue opioid drug makers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Three Tennessee county prosecutors and the guardian of a baby born dependent on drugs have filed a lawsuit against the makers of several opioid drugs, accusing the companies of unleashing an epidemic by deceptive marketing practices…

Witnesses: Tennessee streaker tossed items, pulled alarm

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee man has been arrested after witnesses say he threw personal belongings from the balcony of his apartment complex, pulled the fire alarm and frolicked naked on the street Wednesday evening. The Knoxville News-Sentinel reports…

Tennessee man sentenced in Kentucky jail kickback scheme

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) - A Tennessee businessman has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison in connection with a conspiracy involving jail construction in Kentucky. The U.S. attorney's office said U.S. District Judge Thomas B. Russell sentenced 60-year-old Ronald…

Tennessee city begins employee student loan repayment plan

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee city is starting a new program that will help employees repay their student loans. The city of Memphis said Thursday that beginning July 1, eligible city workers will receive monthly contributions of $50 for…

Whitwell police chief charged with theft, misconduct

WHITWELL, Tenn. (AP) - The police chief of a small southeastern Tennessee city has been indicted on multiple charges including tampering with evidence, theft of property and official misconduct. Media outlets report that 46-year-old Whitwell Police Chief James Rodney Easterly…

Former US attorney to investigate Tennessee school system

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A former federal prosecutor will lead a team of lawyers to investigate allegations of illegal activity within Tennessee's largest school system. The Commercial Appeal reports (http://memne.ws/2rUv5sG ) that the Shelby County Schools in-house attorney Rodney G.…

‘Epic week’: Hockey, country music collide in Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Country music is always a big draw in Nashville, but the convergence of a major sports championship with one of the city's biggest music events is reaching its crescendo this weekend in Tennessee's capital city. The…

Memphis man indicted in hit-and-run death of bicyclist

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A grand jury in Tennessee has indicted a man on vehicular homicide charges in the death of a bicyclist in 2015. Antrone Williams of Memphis was indicted on Friday in the death of 26-year-old Justin Townsend.…

Woman gets probation for raping her dying boyfriend’s son

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A former Department of Children's Services paralegal who admitted to using her state email to seduce her dying boyfriend's teenage son has been sentenced. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/2sL0my) 58-year-old Mary Lisa Woods was sentenced…

Haslam signs Tennessee law enhancing immigrant sentences

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee judges will have the authority to enhance sentences for defendants in the country illegally at the time of their crimes, under a bill the governor has signed into law. According to the General Assembly's website,…

Remains of World War II soldier returning home to Tennessee

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The recently identified remains of a soldier killed in Europe during World War II are returning home to Tennessee. Army Pfc. Reece Gass of Greeneville was serving with the 3rd Armored Division in Belgium when enemy…

Fired FBI Director Comey wanted leak of memo, special counsel

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former FBI Director James Comey says he asked a friend to leak the contents of his memo about meetings with President Donald Trump. Comey says in his hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee that he felt that releasing…

East Tenn. man convicted for impregnating child twice

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A jury has convicted a man for impregnating a girl when she was 10 years old and again when she was 11. District Attorney General Charme Allen's office says the jury found 34-year-old Trendell Ray Brady…

Vanderbilt receives anonymous $10m gift for communal living

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Vanderbilt University has received an anonymous $10 million donation to expand communal living residence halls where faculty members live alongside students. The university says the $10 million provides momentum to expand the College Halls program. The…

Tennessee Rep. Blackburn confirms bid for 9th term in House

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Republican Marsha Blackburn has confirmed she will seek another term in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Tennessean reports (http://tnne.ws/2rIGLi8 ) that Blackburn's bid for a ninth term puts an end to speculation in some circles…

Police: Toddler fatally shot 7-year-old cousin in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Police in Tennessee say a toddler apparently shot a 7-year-old cousin to death at an apartment. Nashville police said in a news release that Harmony Warfield died at a hospital after being shot Tuesday. The statement…

350 losing jobs as South Carolina fuel pump plant closes

ANDERSON, S.C. (AP) - A company that makes automotive fuel pumps is closing in South Carolina next year, eliminating the jobs of almost 350 employees. The Anderson Independent Mail reported (http://bit.ly/2sfMq1K) that Associated Fuel Pump Systems Corporation north of Anderson…

Lee nets $1.3M in first fundraiser for Tennessee gov’s bid

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee has raised $1.3 million for his campaign at his first major fundraiser. The Franklin businessman held the Tuesday evening event at a barn owned by Christian music star Michael W. Smith.…

Tennessee campaign finance panel fines former lawmaker $465K

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee campaign finance officials have imposed a nearly $465,000 fine on a former lawmaker who was expelled from the General Assembly last year amid a series of sexual harassment allegations. The Tennessean reports (http://tnne.ws/2sEsral ) that…

Senate panel OKs Trump pick Hagerty as ambassador to Japan

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved Tennessee businessman William F. Hagerty as President Donald Trump's ambassador to Japan. The bipartisan voice vote readies Hagerty's nomination for a vote by the full Senate. The nomination eased through…

Trump signs measure naming federal courthouse for Thompson

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - President Donald Trump has signed legislation naming Nashville's new federal courthouse after former Sen. Fred Thompson, the late actor who appeared in the TV series "Law & Order" and at least 20 movies. Tennessee's congressional delegation…

Memory foam maker Sinomax celebrates opening of 1st US plant

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Memory foam maker Sinomax Group is opening its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Tennessee. The 500,000-square-foot plant will formally open its doors in the Nashville community of La Vergne on Tuesday. The facility is expected to…

Tennessee officials shut down fair’s rattlesnake show

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee officials have cancelled a fair's snake exhibit for failing to adhere to state code. The Bristol Herald Courier reports (http://bit.ly/2rPgWPd ) that the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency cancelled the West Texas Rattlesnake Show at the…

New Mexico AG sues discount chain over obsolete motor oil

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas is suing the discount chain Dollar General for false advertising and unfair trade practices for selling what he describes as obsolete motor oil. The lawsuit was filed late Monday in…

Flight delayed, another diverted after plane runs off runway

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Officials at a Kentucky airport say a commercial passenger flight was delayed and another diverted when a small private plane veered off a runway after landing. Blue Grass Airport spokeswoman Amy Caudill says the runway at…

MTSU president: Fall enrollment grows despite challenges

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) - The president of Middle Tennessee State University says the institution anticipates enrollment growth this fall. The Daily News Journal reports (http://on.dnj.com/2syMU01 ) that President Sidney A. McPhee addressed the university's board of trustees on Monday in…

Communications Director Smith to leave Haslam administration

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Communications Director David Smith is leaving Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam's administration to start his own consulting business. Smith joined the governor's Cabinet in 2015 after previously serving as press secretary for Haslam's first term. He was…

US health chief ‘in a receiving mode’ on health bill ideas

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - President Donald Trump's health chief has told health professionals in Nashville that the administration is "fully in a receiving mode" for suggestions to improve a push to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. In his…

Kentucky supplier recalls more than 22,000 pounds of beef

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture says a Kentucky-based food distributor has issued a recall on more than 22,000 pounds of ground beef and other beef products due to possible E. coli bacteria contamination. USDA's Food Safety…

Chattanooga officials warn of weather effects on trees

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - Officials in Chattanooga say the number of large trees falling on power and communications lines has risen significantly following last summer's drought and weather fluctuations in the last few years. The Chattanooga utility EPB said in…

Police: 3 bodies found at rural Indiana home; man sought

SALEM, Ind. (AP) - Police say the bodies of three people have been found in a southern Indiana home and they're looking for a man considered a person of interest in the investigation. State police say the Washington County sheriff's…

High court limits seizure of assets from drug conspiracies

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court is limiting the government's ability to seize assets from people who are convicted of drug crimes but receive little of the illegal proceeds. The justices ruled Monday that a Tennessee man convicted for his…

Identities released of 2 men who died in Smoky Mountains

GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) - Officials says a Pennsylvania man and a hiker originally from the Czech Republic have been identified as victims who died recently in separate incidents at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The National Park Service say…

After big attendance drop, Bonnaroo at a crossroads

MANCHESTER, Tenn. (AP) - The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee is at a crossroads as organizers deal with last year's plummeting ticket sales while engaging in talks to extend their agreement with Coffee County. The Knoxville News Sentinel…

Girl Scout cookies are feeding the homeless in Tennessee

EAGLEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - More than 5,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies were transformed into food for homeless children through a partnership between a troop and a school district. After a banner year of cookie sales, troop leaders from the…

High schools in Tennessee’s largest system being audited

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - High school transcripts from Tennessee's largest school system are being audited for irregularities after a grading dispute at a school. Tennessee's Department of Education said in a statement Monday that the independent audit of Shelby County…

Haslam hitting road for ceremonial Improve Act signings

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- Republican Gov. Bill Haslam is hitting the road to hold bill signing ceremonies for his highway and bridge funding program called the Improve Act. The governor officially signed the bill into law within days of the…