Author: Associated Press

Bill banning abortions after 20 weeks becomes Tennessee law

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Republican Gov. Bill Haslam has signed legislation into law to ban abortions in Tennessee after 20 weeks if a doctor determines the fetus is viable through required tests. The legislation that subjects doctors to felony penalties…

Teacher accused of kidnapping student to appear in federal court

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A Tennessee school teacher accused of kidnapping his 15-year-old student and repeatedly having sex with her while fleeing to California is due in a federal courtroom in Nashville on Friday. Federal prosecutors have asked that Tad…

2 projects announced for improvements at Swan Lake

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee officials have announced two projects to improve Swan Lake, an attraction at Dunbar Cave State Park in Clarksville. The city of Clarksville says the state Department of Environment and Conservation released a conceptual plan outlining…

Tennessee state park outsourcing push draws no bidders

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A push by Gov. Bill Haslam's administration to outsource hospitality services at a Tennessee state park has drawn no bidders. Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation spokeswoman Kim Schofinski tells The Times Free Press (http://bit.ly/2r5WzL9 )…

Tennessee attorney general sues pain clinics, alleging fraud

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee attorney general is suing a chain of pain management clinics over claims of millions of dollars in TennCare fraud. Attorney General Herbert Slatery announced the lawsuit Thursday against MMi Pain Clinics, which operated at…

Tennessee murder charges raise questions over bounty hunters

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The case of seven bounty hunters in Tennessee charged with murder is raising questions about how much power they have and who regulates them. The National Conference of State Legislatures says that at least 21 states…

No charges for white officer who shot, killed black man

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Nashville district attorney general says that a white officer won't faces charges for shooting and killing an armed black man after a traffic stop in February. At a news conference Thursday, District Attorney General Glenn…

Tennessee, Kentucky police partner to catch impaired drivers

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Officials say police in Tennessee and Kentucky are partnering this month to look for impaired drivers near the state line. A statement from the Clarksville Police Department in Tennessee says law enforcement agencies plan to set…

SCORE-Teachers Tennessee education group aims to interest youth in teaching

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee education group is aiming to get high school students interested in teaching. The Tennessean reports (http://tnne.ws/2phxbEK ) that the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, known as SCORE, launched its "Teach Today. Change Tomorrow" initiative…

Tennessee reinstates teacher convicted of statutory rape

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee State Board of Education has reinstated the teaching license of a former teacher who pleaded guilty to the statutory rape of a student in 2007. The Tennessean reports (http://tnne.ws/2r082eP) former Moore County physical education…

Widow acquitted in third trial in 2003 death of husband

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A judge in Tennessee has acquitted a woman accused of killing her husband and staging his death to look like a suicide after testimony wrapped up during her third trial. News outlets report Special Judge Paul…

Lesbian couple get divorce after politically charged battle

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A lesbian couple have received a divorce decree after a custody battle that was targeted by dozens of conservative Tennessee lawmakers who tried to intervene in the case. The same-sex divorce and custody case became a…

Tennessee lawmakers adjourn session featuring gas tax hike

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee lawmakers have adjourned for the year after a session that featured heavy infighting among the Republican majority about Gov. Bill Haslam's gas tax hike and other budget issues. The House and Senate concluded the first…

Mother files wrongful death suit against bounty hunters

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The mother of a Tennessee man who authorities say was killed by bounty hunters has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against seven men charged with her son's death and two bail bond companies. The lawsuit filed…

Longtime former Montgomery County Sheriff Smith dies

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say former longtime Montgomery County Sheriff Billy R. Smith has died. Smith was elected sheriff in 1978 and served five consecutive terms before retiring in 1998. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office says Smith, who was…

Tennessee lawmakers make late session push on final bills

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee lawmakers are working to clear the decks of their last lingering legislative priorities before adjourning for the year. The House and Senate are slated for afternoon sessions Tuesday to take up a laundry list of…

Attorney: Officer wants report released on fatal shooting

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - An attorney for a white police officer who shot and killed an armed African-American man in Nashville in February said his client wants the investigative report on the fatal confrontation to be released to the public.…

Blue Cross Blue Shield now willing to cover Knoxville area

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee has reversed course and decided that it is willing to offer Obamacare insurance plans in the Knoxville area in 2018. Kevin Walters, a spokesman for the state Department of Commerce…

Teacher accused of kidnapping teen in court in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A teacher charged with kidnapping a 15-year-old student and taking her to California is back home in Tennessee, facing charges that could leave him in prison for life. Tad Cummins appeared in a federal courtroom in…

Health officials: Norovirus likely cause of baseball illness

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama health officials say norovirus is likely to blame for an illness outbreak at a college baseball tournament in Montgomery. The state's chief medical officer, Dr. Mary McIntyre, said in a statement Tuesday an investigation continues.…

Murder trial underway in fatal stabbing of Tennessee woman

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Lawyers have given opening statements in the murder trial of a man accused of fatally stabbing a stranger as she walked on a Tennessee greenway. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/2qorEfA ) the trial of 26-year-old…

President Trump fires FBI director James Comey

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump has fired FBI Director James Comey. In a statement, Trump says Comey's firing "will mark a new beginning" for the FBI. The White House says the search for a new FBI director will begin…

Mississippi River to reach flood stage in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Officials are predicting minor flooding as the Mississippi River reaches flood stage and beyond in Memphis, but no homes or businesses are expected to be affected. Experts say the river is expected to rise above the…

UPDATE: Missing infant found, father arrested

UPDATE -- Police say they have found an infant that was the subject of an Amber alert. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said 5-month-old Ayla Settles was taken early Tuesday "by force" from her home in Memphis by her non-custodial…

Tennessee Senate passes $37B spending plan for next year

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee's $37 billion state budget proposal is heading to Gov. Bill Haslam after the Senate passed it easily. Senators approved the plan in a 28-2 vote Monday. Prospects for a smooth landing looked shaky last week,…

Tennessee House votes against online sales tax requirement

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - An effort to require large online retailers to collect sales taxes on items bought in Tennessee has been stripped out of a bill on the House floor. The chamber voted 69-20 to remove the rule sought…

Ex-teacher accused of kidnapping student jailed in Kentucky

HENDERSON, Ky. (AP) - A former Tennessee teacher accused of kidnapping a teenage student and taking her to California has been returned to face charges and is being held in a Kentucky jail. A recording at Kentucky's Henderson County jail…

Tennessee Highway Patrol cadet class starts in August

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The deadline is this week for people wanting to apply for this summer's Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper cadet class. The agency says state troopers assist the public, enforce criminal and traffic laws, save lives, investigate crashes…

Nashville police: Man charged in hit-and-run fatal accident

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Nashville police say a man has been charged in a hit-and-run fatal accident on Interstate 24. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department says in a news release that 35-year-old Earl Ali of Clarksville was charged with vehicular…

Man charged with assaulting friend with guitar

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) - A man has been charged after assaulting a friend with a guitar. The Johnson City Press reports (http://bit.ly/2qIF0TU ) that 32-year-old Bradley Muncy was charged with aggravated assault Saturday after police responded to a sidewalk…

Tennessee lawmaker pulls school bus seat belt bill for year

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A bill that would require school buses to have seat belts in Tennessee has been withdrawn for the year. The Times Free Press reports (http://bit.ly/2pTHc9J ) that Democratic Rep. JoAnne Favors of Chattanooga late last week…

Education commissioner: State assessment tests a success

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Following last year's disastrous rollout of a new state assessment test for students, the state Department of Education has announced that this year's testing has been successfully completed. Education Commissioner Candice McQueen said in an email…

Family sues jail in Tennessee over death of inmate son

CLEVELAND, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee jail is being sued by the family of an inmate who died after a fight in his cell. The lawsuit by the family of 39-year-old Billy Joe Rogers says the Bradley County jail is…

Same-sex couples sue over Tennessee ‘natural meaning’ law

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Four married lesbian couples expecting children through artificial insemination are suing over a new Tennessee law that requires using the "natural and ordinary meaning" of words in state law. The couples sued Gov. Bill Haslam, the…

Guns stolen from delivery truck outside sporting goods store

OLIVE BRANCH, Miss. (AP) - Authorities in north Mississippi say 67 guns were stolen from a tractor-trailer that was waiting to deliver the firearms to a sporting goods store. The Commercial Appeal reports (http://memne.ws/2pe70yI ) that 61 handguns six other…

Authorities: inmate at Tennessee county jail hangs himself

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say a male inmate at a county jail in northeast Tennessee has hanged himself. The Times-News of Kingsport reports ( http://bit.ly/2pXdEc3 ) the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the inmate as 39-year-old Dana Clyde Fritts…

A look at House plan to send $55M to counties for roads

The state House on Friday voted to allocate $55 million to the state's 95 counties for road projects as part of the annual state budget bill. Here is a breakdown of how much each county in West Tennessee would receive…

Country legend Loretta Lynn hospitalized after having stroke

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Country music legend Loretta Lynn has been hospitalized after having a stroke, her publicist said Friday. Maria Malta, a publicist for Sony Music, confirmed that the 85-year-old singer and songwriter was admitted into a Nashville hospital…

Federal judge grants class-action status to prison lawsuit

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A federal judge has granted class-action status to a lawsuit that accuses the state of Tennessee of systematically denying prisoners treatment for hepatitis C. The lawsuit, which was filed by two inmates in the state prison…

Third former Vanderbilt player appears headed for rape trial

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A third former Vanderbilt football player appears to be headed toward being tried on rape charges. The Tennessean reports (http://tnne.ws/2pLeDd3 ) that motions filed in the case indicate an attorney for Brandon Banks is preparing to…

Tennessee House OKs tightened amusement park safety rules

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee could soon tighten amusement park safety regulations after people were injured on rides in two incidents last year. The Tennessee House passed a bill Thursday with heightened safety requirements. The Senate approved it Wednesday, so…

Tennessee tourism officials: Visitors up 4.4 percent in 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee tourism officials say 110 million people visited the state last year, a 4.4 percent jump from 2015. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development says the research from DK Shifflet shows Tennessee is a top-10 state…

4 cases of mumps reported in Memphis area since March

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Health officials say four cases of mumps have been identified in the Memphis area since March. Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter said Thursday that it is not…

Investigation finds officer justified in shooting suspect

LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) - A prosecutor says the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has concluded an officer was justified in shooting a suspect after a high-speed chase in March. News outlets report District Attorney General Tom P. Thompson Jr. said the…

Mystery illness sickens college baseball players, coaches

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Authorities say dozens of athletes and coaches from across the South have been sickened at a college baseball tournament in Alabama, and the cause is a mystery. The Alabama Department of Public Health said people affected…

House GOP resolves differences over Tennessee spending plan

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - House Republicans have resolved their differences over the state's $37 billion annual spending plan. A day after a series of heated exchanges and amendments on the House floor that threatened to blow up the budget bill,…