Author: Associated Press

Woman gets 6½ years for role in Ponzi scheme

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A federal judge has sentenced a woman suspected of operating a Ponzi scheme based in Mississippi and California that bilked investors out of more than $2 million. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced 54-year-old Gina Palasini…

Woman gets house arrest after assault on police officer

MCCOMB, Miss. (AP) - A McComb woman who pleaded guilty to assaulting an officer in 2004 but didn't show up for sentencing was re-arrested this year and has since been sentenced to house arrest. The Enterprise-Journal reports 28-year-old Clara Hinton…

2 dead, 1 hurt in shooting outside Louisville birthday party

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Officials say two people have died after a shooting outside a birthday party in Louisville. Lt. Todd Kessinger told reporters three people were outside a home Tuesday night where the party was going on when they…

Mississippi officials conduct annual hurricane-prep exercise

PEARL, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi officials are conducting a hurricane training exercise, and Gov. Phil Bryant says residents should make their own preparations. August is frequently the state's busiest month for hurricanes. There are no hurricanes in the immediate forecast,…

Mississippi Supreme Court questions suit over execution drug

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A lawyer for a death row inmate is telling the Mississippi Supreme Court that his client should be able to challenge plans to execute him using a lethal injection drug compounded from raw ingredients. The state,…

Giles County commissioner indicted on sex charges

PULASKI, Tenn. (AP) - A Middle Tennessee county commissioner has been arrested on statutory rape and sexual exploitation charges. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says 71-year-old Giles County Commissioner Thomas Campbell was arrested Wednesday and is being held on $75,000…

Beth Ann Fennelly chosen as Mississippi’s new poet laureate

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi's new poet laureate says her mission is to "get poetry in front of as many Mississippians as possible." Beth Ann Fennelly was introduced in the new role Wednesday at the state Capitol. Gov. Phil Bryant…

Train derails in Kentucky; officials order shelter-in-place

FALMOUTH, Ky. (AP) - Officials in a northern Kentucky town have ordered a precautionary shelter-in-place after a train derailed. CSX Transportation said in a statement that the train had 76 loaded cars, some with hazardous materials, and 49 empty cars.…

Campbell County judge indicted on 4 counts of misconduct

JACKSBORO, Tenn. (AP) - A Campbell County judge has been indicted on four felony counts of official misconduct and temporarily suspended from performing judicial functions. The Knoxville News Sentinel (http://bit.ly/2aNo1G0 ) reports that a county grand jury indicted General Sessions…

Court overturns ruling allowing municipal broadband to grow

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A federal appeals court has overturned a Federal Communications Commission ruling allowing city-owned broadband services to expand into areas overlooked by commercial providers. The decision issued Wednesday comes as part of a dispute between the FCC…

UT in Knoxville has largest freshmen class in 30 years

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The University of Tennessee in Knoxville says it is welcoming its largest freshman class in at least 30 years. The university says the class has 4,825 incoming students, marking the sixth consecutive year of freshman growth.…

Vigil held to mourn girl accidentally shot by father

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - About 300 people attended a candlelight vigil at the Hendersonville home where an 11-year-old girl was accidentally shot to death by her father. The Tennessean (http://tnne.ws/2bf2vdG ) reports that family, friends and neighbors of 11-year-old Timea…

Authorities identify body of man found in river

ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities have identified the body of a man found in the Watauga River near Elizabethton last week. The Johnson City Press (http://bit.ly/2bg0rFP ) reports that the Elizabethton Police Department on Tuesday identified the man as 32-year-old…

Case against Tennessee mother headed to grand jury

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee mother accused of stabbing to death her four young children has waived her preliminary hearing, meaning the case against her can be presented to a grand jury. Twenty-nine year old Shanynthia (Shuh-NIN-thee-uh) Gardner went…

Tennessee mom pleads guilty in daughter’s gangrene death

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A woman has pleaded guilty in Tennessee to second-degree murder in the death of her 12-year-old daughter, who died at home from gangrene and infected bedsores. The Shelby County district attorney's office says 37-year-old Raven Ruth…

Giles County commissioner indicted on sex charges

PULASKI, Tenn. (AP) - A Middle Tennessee county commissioner has been arrested on statutory rape and sexual exploitation charges. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says 71-year-old Giles County Commissioner Thomas Campbell was arrested Wednesday and is being held on $75,000…

Memphis mother waives hearing in stabbings of 4 children

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- A woman accused of stabbing her four young children has waived her preliminary hearing, meaning a grand jury will decide whether to indict her in the killings. Twenty-nine year old Shanynthia Gardner was arrested after her…

Deputies: Man stabbed his mother multiple times

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) - Hancock County sheriff's deputies say 53-year-old woman remains hospitalized after she was stabbed repeatedly by her son. The Sun Herald reports deputies responded Saturday morning to a stabbing at a home in the Deer…

Police: 1 dead after workplace accident at cement plant

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Officials say a person has died after a workplace accident at a cement plant in Louisville. Louisville Metro Police Officer Roger Collins tells news outlets that the man was pronounced dead at Cemex Kosmos Cement Plant…

Jury seated for Itawamba County capital murder trial

FULTON, Miss. (AP) - The jury is set for Joshua Clark's second capital murder trial in Itawamba County Circuit Court. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports state prosecutors and defense attorneys spent one-and-a-half days to pick 12 jurors and four…

Police suspect foul play after couple found dead in home

MORGANTOWN, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky State Police believe foul play was involved in the deaths of a pastor and his wife who were found inside their Butler County home. Sgt. Jeremy Smith tells news outlets that a family member discovered…

Meridian site for Mississippi Children’s Museum proposed

MERIDIAN, Miss. (AP) - Supporters of the first-ever satellite location for the Mississippi Children's Museum are proposing it be built in Meridian at Bonita Lakes Park. WTOK-TV reports supporters presented their proposal Tuesday to the Meridian City Council. The proposed…

Thrice-widowed, she’s on trial in death of husband No. 2

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Opening statements could begin soon in the complicated case of thrice-widowed Emma Raine. She's on trial in the death of her second husband in New Orleans 2006. And that case is linked to the mysterious death…

Private inspectors in charge of Tennessee fair ride safety

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Investigators haven't yet determined how a Ferris wheel seat flipped over at a Tennessee county fair and sent three children plummeting 30 to 45 feet to the ground. The accident left a 6-year-old girl with a…

1 dead, 2 hurt in shooting outside Louisville birthday party

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Louisville police say a woman is dead and two people are injured after a shooting outside a birthday party. Lt. Todd Kessinger told reporters the three victims were outside a home Tuesday night where the party…

Small Business Administration loans available due to drought

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Some businesses and groups affected by drought this summer in Tennessee have disaster loans available to them. The U.S. Small Business Administration said in a news release that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to…

Lincoln Birthplace marking National Park Service anniversary

HODGENVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace in central Kentucky is hosting an event later this month to mark the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. The Lincoln Birthplace in Hodgenville says in a news release that a…

Edwards urges senator to resign after domestic abuse arrests

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Gov. John Bel Edwards is calling on a state senator to resign after his second arrest on domestic violence charges. In a statement Tuesday, the governor said he doesn't believe Sen. Troy Brown "can continue…

Fundraising group pledges $20M toward pediatric expansion

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Supporters are pledging another $20 million toward expanding pediatric facilities at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Leaders of the Friends of Children's Hospital, which raises money for Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital and associated clinics,…

Police: Warrant issued for former Grizzlies PA announcer

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Police say an arrest warrant has been issued for Rick Trotter, who was the Memphis Grizzlies' public address announcer for about the past decade. Memphis Police Department spokesman Louis C. Brownlee says in a statement Tuesday…

Townes Van Zandt to join Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Texas singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, along with songwriters Aaron Barker, Beth Nielsen Chapman and Bob Morrison. The 2016 inductees announced Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, will be…

Harwell draws challenge for speaker from fellow Republican

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - State House Speaker Beth Harwell has drawn a challenge for the chamber's top leadership post from fellow Republican Rep. Jimmy Matlock. Harwell became the General Assembly's first female speaker in 2011 and has fended off challenges…

3 selected to replace retiring Shelby County judge

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - The Trial Court Vacancy Commission has selected three nominees from Shelby County to replace Circuit Court Judge Donna M. Fields, who is retiring Sept. 1. Officials say the commission met on Monday in Memphis to consider…

NY biker club member pleads guilty to racketeering charges

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - A member of a motorcycle club has pleaded guilty to federal racketeering charges stemming from the arrests of bikers in New York, Florida and Tennessee. Federal prosecutors in Buffalo say 45-year-old Emmett Green of Delevan, New…

Memphis mayor: Rallings is ‘most qualified’ to lead force

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Memphis' mayor has praised the police department's newly appointed director Michael Rallings as being the "most qualified candidate in the entire country" to lead the city's force following a national search. News outlets report that Mayor…

Nashville group hopes to lure Major League Soccer team

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Landing a Major League Soccer franchise in Nashville is the aim of a new group of business and political leaders including former Democratic Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and former Republican U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.…

The Latest: 1 critical, 2 stable after Ferris wheel fall

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Latest on an investigation into how three people fell from a Ferris wheel at a county fair in Tennessee (all times local): 12:45 am A doctor says one of three girls who fell from a…

New hotel being built at Graceland set to open in October

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Elvis Presley dreamed of building a guest house at his Graceland property for friends visiting the rock 'n' roll icon in Memphis. Presley didn't get to see his dream come true, but his fans will. The…

Jury being picked for trial more than 50 years after death

LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) - Jury selection continues in Louisiana in the second-degree murder trial of a man in his wife's death more than 50 years ago. Seventy-six-year-old Felix Vail is accused in the drowning death of his wife, Mary…

8 Kentucky schools receive grants for artist residencies

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - The Kentucky Arts Council says it has awarded a Teaching Art Together grant that will fund an artist residency in eight schools in the eastern part of the state. A statement from the agency says the…

Trial begins for man accused of killing, dismembering woman

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Trial is underway for a Lexington man accused of killing and dismembering a woman nearly two years ago. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports 60-year-old Paris R. Charles' trial began Monday on murder and abuse of a corpse…

Textile maker Polartec adding 150 jobs at Tennessee plant

CLEVELAND, Tenn. (AP) - Textile maker Polartec is moving part of its operations from Massachusetts to southeastern Tennessee. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that the company best known for inventing fleece materials for companies like Patagonia, North Face and…

Louisiana’s fall shrimp seasons open Aug. 15, Aug. 22

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The opening dates for the 2016 Louisiana fall shrimp season are scheduled later this month. The portion of state inside waters from the Mississippi/Louisiana state line westward to the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel Buoy Line…

Officials: Escaped Alabama inmate caught in Kentucky

ELMORE, Ala. (AP) - An inmate who escaped from an Alabama jail has been recaptured in Kentucky. News outlets report that the Alabama Department of Corrections says 27-year-old Justin Caldwell was apprehended Monday morning during a traffic stop in Hardin…

Mississippi counties opt for free state inmate labor

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Even though the state stopped paying counties to house Joint State County Work Program inmates in county jails, the county facilities are still housing them for the free labor. Scott County Sheriff Mike Lee tells The…

Revolutionary War battle re-enactment set at Kentucky park

MOUNT OLIVET, Ky. (AP) - A Revolutionary War battle that included Kentucky's most famous pioneer will be remembered at a re-enactment at a state park. The re-enactment is set for the weekend of Aug. 20-21 at Blue Licks Battlefield State…

Gun found in backpack of Lewisburg High student

OLIVE BRANCH, Miss. (AP) - DeSoto County school officials say a handgun has been found in the backpack of a student at Lewisburg High School. In a news release received by The Commercial Appeal, the school system said a student…

Police: Father charged in fatal shooting of 11-year-old girl

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Police in Tennessee say the father of an 11-year-old girl who was fatally shot in a suburb north of Nashville has been arrested. Hendersonville police tell news outlets that 29-year-old Timothy Batts was arrested on reckless…

Police: 3 people fall from Ferris wheel in Tennessee

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say three people have fallen from a Ferris wheel at a county fairground in eastern Tennessee. The Greeneville Sun (http://bit.ly/2b4q77I) reports that Greeneville Police Detective Capt. Tim Davis said all three fell 30 to 45…

11-year-old fatally shot north of Nashville

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Police say an 11-year-old girl was fatally shot in a suburb north of Nashville. Detective Sgt. Jim Vaughn told The Tennessean (http://tnne.ws/2aHuTEX ) the child's father said she told him when she arrived from school that…