Author: Associated Press

Drug court keeps growing in Coffee County

MANCHESTER, Tenn. (AP) - The Coffee County Drug Court program is continuing to grow with its largest number of graduates since the initiative began more than a decade ago in the Tennessee county. Coffee County Mayor Gary Cordell says 17…

Nashville police: Crate contains 140 pounds of marijuana

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Nashville police say narcotics detectives intercepted a crate of marijuana that was shipped from Phoenix for distribution to street dealers in the Tennessee city. Detectives received information last week that the 327-pound wooden crate located at…

Police: Man escapes Clay Co jail, found at girlfriend’s home

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi authorities say a man charged with escaping from the Clay County jail got out again, but was found at his girlfriend's house. Sheriff Eddie Scott says 30-year-old Depriest Gray of Starkville broke through a section…

Judge tosses slander suit against Hattiesburg officials

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - A Forrest County judge heard the evidence in a slander suit against Hattiesburg officials, then ruled that there was nothing for jurors to consider. The Hattiesburg American reports that testimony lasted nearly a week, and Judge…

Aug. sentencing for couple who planned to join Islamic State

ABERDEEN, Miss. (AP) - A federal judge has scheduled sentencing next month for a Mississippi couple who pleaded guilty to planning to travel to Syria and join the Islamic State group. Online court records show that sentencing is Aug. 11…

Goats on the Roof roller coaster cleared to resume operation

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (AP) - A roller coaster at the Goats on the Roof attraction in eastern Tennessee has been cleared to resume operations after an outside inspector deemed it safe to ride. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that the…

Maturing oyster recovery projects bring calls for money

LITTLE EGG HARBOR, N.J. (AP) - Oysters were once so abundant in American waters that boats would run aground on them, Indians would feast on them, and vacationers would grab handfuls to roast for dinner. But over the centuries, rampant…

FedEx working on $150 million expansion in northern Ky.

BURLINGTON, Ky. (AP) - A package-delivery company is working on a $150 million expansion in northern Kentucky. The Kentucky Enquirer reports that FedEx Ground Package System wants to secure industrial building revenue bonds to help offset project costs. The Boone…

Distribution of cameras leaves some neighborhoods in dark

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A review of Memphis' SkyCop surveillance cameras shows most are guarding either the city's downtown developments or its wealthiest East Memphis neighborhoods. The Commercial Appeal reports the city is trying to address the situation through a…

Brothers arrested for trafficking crystal meth in 2 states

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - Police say two brothers accused of trafficking crystal methamphetamine from Mississippi to Alabama have been arrested. Local news media reports that Mobile Police say 29-year-old Lorenzo Hickman and 20-year-old Dangelo Hickman, both of Mississippi, was arrested…

Dismembered body found in Kentucky river

MUNFORDVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Authorities are investigating the discovery of a dismembered body found in a container floating in the Green River in central Kentucky. According to media reports, the body was found by someone fishing in Hart County on…

Suspect stole ambulance, hit deputy

SWEETWATER, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities have arrested a man who allegedly stole an ambulance in Sweetwater and hit deputy as he drove off. McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy tells local media the incident occurred Friday evening in Monroe County, where…

Tennessee holding drawing for sandhill crane hunting permits

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will hold a drawing on Aug. 13 for permits to hunt sandhill cranes. According to the agency, 400 permits are available and each carries a limit of three birds. The drawing…

Demolition of old western Kentucky bridge slated for Monday

AURORA, Ky. (AP) - The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says the demolition of an old western Kentucky bridge is slated for next week. Spokesman Keith Todd says crews plan to take down the four main spans of the old Eggners Ferry…

6 indicted on drug, racketeering charges in Knoxville

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say six members of a Knoxville gang have been indicted on state charges of conspiring to distribute heroin and racketeering. District Attorney General Charme Allen said during a news conference that the case is Knox…

Elizabethton honoring historic black baseball team

ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (AP) - The eastern Tennessee city of Elizabethton is preparing to dedicate a historical marker to the Blue Grays, a semiprofessional baseball team made up of local black men who defeated some of the top black teams in…

TPA recognizes House speaker for open government efforts

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (AP) - State House Speaker Beth Harwell and two other state lawmakers have been honored for their support of open government in Tennessee. The Tennessee Press Association, which represents the state's daily and weekly newspapers, awarded Harwell, R-Nashville,…

Emails: Group asked governor for religious objections order

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Emails disclosed in a lawsuit over a blocked Mississippi law that protects religious objections to same-sex marriage show a Christian legal group asked Gov. Phil Bryant to institute the protections through an executive order in 2015.…

Mississippi medical center pay penalty for missing laptop

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Officials at the University of Mississippi Medical Center say they have reached an agreement with the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to pay a penalty of $2.75 million…

Mississippi payrolls fall again in June, jobless rate level

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi employers cut workers from payrolls for the third straight month in June, although the jobless rate held steady as people stopped seeking work. Used by many economists as a top indicator, payrolls fell almost 5,000…

Deputy: Video shows foster child being abused, 2 arrested

STURGIS, Ky. (AP) - Two western Kentucky women have been arrested after video surfaced appearing to show them confining an 11-year-old special needs foster child who was struggling to get away. The Union County Sheriff's Office tells news outlets that…

Report: Mine operator’s inspection negligent before accident

HARLAN, Ky. (AP) - Federal regulators have concluded that a Harlan County coal miner's death earlier this year resulted from the operator's failure to inspect the mine or correct an obvious hazard. The Lexington Herald-Leader says that a report recently…

Man sentenced in beating death of Lexington chef

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - A Fayette County judge has sentenced a man convicted of murder and kidnapping in the death of a University of Kentucky chef to 49 years in prison. Lexington media report the judge followed the jury's recommendation…

State Rep. Akbari to speak at Democratic National Convention

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - State Rep. Raumesh Akbari (RAW-mesh ack-BAR-ee) has been selected to speak at the Democratic National Convention next week in Philadelphia. Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Mary Mancini said on Thursday that that she was thrilled that Hillary…

Speaker supports session to oust accused lawmaker

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee's Republican House speaker says she now supports convening a special session to expel a state lawmaker accused of sexually harassing at least 22 women. Democrats this week called for the special session in order to…

Natchez planning commission delays action on billboards

NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - The Natchez Planning Commission has voted to again postpone action on proposed changes to the city's billboard ordinance. City Planner Riccardo Giani said Thursday the draft text amendment to the city's billboard regulations has been completed,…

DeSoto school officials urge early online registration

HERNANDO, Miss. (AP) - DeSoto County school officials are urging parents to use the system's online registration program to enroll students before the Aug. 3 start of classes. The Commercial Appeal reports the InfoSnap program allows parents to enter most…

Large swarm of West Nile mosquitoes in Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi State Department of Health has identified an unusually large swarm of mosquitoes carrying the West Nile Virus in Hinds County. Out of the 13 mosquito trappings conducted in Hinds County and in Jackson, 11…

Kentucky’s jobless rate drops to 5 percent in June

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - State officials say Kentucky's unemployment rate fell slightly in June. The state Office of Employment and Training said Thursday that last month's jobless rate dropped to 5 percent, down from a revised 5.1 percent in May.…

Haslam names Will Cromer as TennCare chief of staff

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam has named Will Cromer as the new chief of staff for TennCare, the state's expanded Medicaid program. Cromer has been Haslam's policy director since he took office in 2011, where he has spearheaded…

Ali Center to host exhibit on race and human variation

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - An exhibition that looks at race from biological, cultural and historical perspectives and challenges visitors to think about race and human variation is coming to the Muhammad Ali Center. "RACE: Are We So Different?" opens to…

Laurel City Council Oks tax exemption for Wayne Farms

LAUREL, Miss. (AP) - The Laurel City Council has granted a tax exemption for poultry producer and processor Wayne Farms after months of waiting. WDAM-TV reports the city voted 5-2 Tuesday to grant Wayne Farms the exemption for five years…

House speaker swings support to session to oust Durham

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee's Republican House speaker says she now supports convening a special session to expel a state lawmaker accused of sexually harassing at least 22 women. Democrats this week called for the special session in order to…

State Rep. Akbari to speak at Democratic National Convention

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - State Rep. Raumesh Akbari has been selected to speak at the Democratic National Convention next week in Philadelphia. Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Mary Mancini said on Thursday that that she was thrilled that Hillary Clinton's campaign…

Nashville fire official facing heat over LGBT Facebook posts

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Nashville Fire Department official is facing disciplinary action over Facebook posts he made in reference to the LGBT community. Media outlets report NFD Deputy Director Steve Holt said in a June 13 letter that District…

Tenn. delegates have mixed reactions to Cruz non-endorsement

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee delegates to the Republican National Convention have mixed reactions to a Wednesday speech by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in which he stopped short of endorsing Donald Trump. Delegation Chairwoman state Sen. Mae Beavers says she…

Videos support Tennessee police account of 2015 shooting

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - Video from nine police car cameras appears to support previous police accounts of the Dec. 12 fatal shooting of a black Tennessee man who authorities said threatened a child and an officer who tried to help.…

Tennessee joins federal lawsuit to block health care merger

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee is joining a federal lawsuit to stop the merger of major health insurance companies. State Attorney General Herbert Slatery says in a release Thursday that the move by Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurer Anthem to acquire…

Police: Woman found in burning home was shot twice

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) - Authorities say a woman whose body was removed from a house fire in Calloway County was shot twice with a shotgun before the fire was intentionally set. According to The Paducah Sun, Kentucky State Police Detective…

Former leader of Memphis gang gets 10-year prison sentence

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Federal prosecutors say the former leader of a Memphis street gang has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. The U.S. attorney's office says 28-year-old James Earl McCracken was sentenced this month by U.S. District Judge…

3 dead, 1 injured in single-car crash in Boyle County

DANVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Authorities say three people have died in a single-vehicle crash in Boyle County. According to news media outlets, police said the driver of the car missed a stop sign and the vehicle hit a rock wall…

Police chief asked to resign after police violence remarks

JONESVILLE, Miss. (AP) - The Jonesville Town Council has asked the town's police chief to resign following online comments he made regarding violence against police. The Natchez Democrat reports that the town council asked for Jonesville Police Chief Skylar Dore's…

Man granted exoneration hearing after prison release

LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) - A Wilson County man who has been seeking a formal exoneration after being released from prison has been granted a hearing before the Tennessee Board of Parole. The Tennessean reports that the board granted 60-year-old Lawrence…

Tenn. pill mill doctor continuing to prescribe in Virginia

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A federal judge is allowing a doctor who pleaded guilty to a drug-trafficking conspiracy charge for his role in operating a Maryville pill mill to continue practicing medicine while he awaits sentencing. The Knoxville News Sentinel…

Federal disaster loans available in 9 Tennessee counties

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Small businesses in nine Tennessee counties can now apply for federal disaster loans related to the drought that began in July. The federal disaster declaration includes businesses, agricultural cooperates and private nonprofit organizations in Bedford, Coffee,…

Natchez Transit may soon offer vanpooling

NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - The Natchez Transit System will soon offer a new program aimed at helping residents carpool to work. NTS Executive Director Sabrena Bartley tells the Natchez Democrat the agency was recently approached by the Community Transportation Association…

UofL board to meet while state judge considers its legality

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - The newly created University of Louisville board of trustees has called a special meeting on the same day a judge is scheduled to hold a hearing about whether the new board is legal. Republican Gov. Matt…

Fort Knox hospital transitioning into acute-care clinic

FORT KNOX, Ky. (AP) - The hospital at Fort Knox is transitioning into an acute-care clinic. Ireland Army Community Hospital Commander Col. Bob Cornes told The News-Enterprise that the facility will make the switch on Sept. 1. A public meeting…

29 communities get grants for tourism development in Tenn.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - State officials say 29 cities and counties will receive more than $999,000 in grants to help communities improve their tourism infrastructure. Officials say the grants will help counties and cities in Tennessee increase the economic impact…