Author: Associated Press

Official: Corker out as possible Trump VP

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A spokesman for Republican Sen. Bob Corker says he has withdrawn his name as a possible running mate for Donald Trump. Micah Johnson confirmed the comments that the Tennessee senator made in an interview with The Washington…

Hattiesburg woman runs over man, killing him

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - Bond has been set at $150,000 for a 45-year-old Hattiesburg woman, who is accused in the second-degree murder of a Forrest County man. The Hattiesburg American reports Melissa Cruz made her initial court appearance Tuesday in…

Woman again charged with DUI-child endangerment

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - A 34-year-old Hattiesburg woman charged in a 2009 DUI death of a toddler will be returned to the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections after being charged with four DUI-related offenses. The Hattiesburg American reports…

Jackson County chief deputy resigns

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) - Jackson County Chief Deputy Randy Sanders has resigned under circumstances Sheriff Mike Ezell described as "a personnel matter." The Sun Herald reports Sanders turned in his resignation Friday. It's unclear if the resignation involves Sanders' continued…

Hancock County man has state’s first 2016 case of vibrio

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi State Department of Health has confirmed one case of vibrio vulnificus in Hancock County. Media outlets report that this is the first confirmed case of the bacteria in Mississippi this year. Department…

Tennessee Arts Commission announces grant awards

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Arts Commission says it has awarded 345 grants for fiscal year 2017 totaling more than $4.4 million to help fund arts and cultural activities for organizations, schools, local governments, nonprofits and artists. The commission…

Hunger task force to meet in London, Lexington

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - The Kentucky Department of Agriculture says a panel appointed to combat hunger plans to hold two regional meetings this week. The agency says in a statement that the Kentucky Hunger Task Force will meet in London…

Father indicted in hot car death of daughter in Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A Mississippi man has been indicted on a manslaughter charge several weeks after his 8-month-old daughter died in his hot car while he worked. Joshua Blunt's attorney says Blunt was notified of the indictment Tuesday and…

Judge: 22 BP fraud charges against lawyer duplicate others

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - The 94-count fraud indictment against a Texas lawyer and six co-defendants could be shorter when trial begins on federal charges accusing them of inflating a client list for BP oil spill litigation. U.S. District Judge Louis…

Attorney general’s office: Clerk violated Open Records Act

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - The Kentucky attorney general's office says an eastern Kentucky county clerk who made news when she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples last year has violated the state's Open Records Act. In an opinion…

Tennessee settles Title IX lawsuit for $2.48 million

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee is paying $2.48 million to settle a lawsuit filed by eight unidentified women who said the school had violated Title IX regulations and created a "hostile sexual environment" through a policy of indifference toward assaults…

Memphis mom charged in kids’ stabbing deaths taken to institute

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Authorities say a mother charged with fatally stabbing four of her children has been taken to a mental health institute after a brief court appearance. Shelby County Sheriff's Office spokesman Earle Farrell says 29-year-old Shanynthia Gardner was…

Officials: 2 dead, 3 injured in Chattanooga shootings

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - Police say two people have died and three others have been injured following multiple shootings in Chattanooga. Chattanooga police tell news outlets that Monday night's shootings took place at two locations and are believed to be…

31 cadets become new Tennessee state troopers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee has 31 new state troopers. They took their oaths of office late last week at a cadet graduation ceremony in Nashville. The new troopers completed 22 weeks of physical and classroom training at the Tennessee…

Pastor accused of taking state grant money for bogus program

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Nashville-area church pastor and his associate have been indicted on charges accusing them of securing grant money for an addiction treatment program that did not exist. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says Mount Hopewell Baptist…

Community meeting scheduled to discuss Gray methadone clinic

GRAY, Tenn. (AP) - Mountain States Health Alliance and East Tennessee State University are hosting a community meeting for Gray residents to discuss a proposed opioid addiction clinic site in the rural Johnson City suburb. The Johnson City Press (http://bit.ly/29tvVa8…

Teenage boy killed in Arlington ATV crash

ARLINGTON, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say a 14-year-old boy has been killed after falling off an all-terrain vehicle in Shelby County. Shelby County Sheriff's Office spokesman Earle Farrell tells media outlets that Michael Ellis was driving a large ATV called…

Attorney hired for mom charged with stabbing 4 kids to death

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - An attorney has been hired to represent a Tennessee woman charged with fatally stabbing four of her children but declined to discuss the case. Craig Morton says he is representing 29-year-old Shanynthia Gardner, who has been…

Vacant teacher positions in Natchez schools cut to 21

NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - After starting off the summer with more than 60 vacant positions, the Natchez-Adams School District has closed the gap to 21. Interim Superintendent Fred Butcher tells The Natchez Democrat the district needs four English teachers, two…

Natchez National Historical Park readies Fort Rosalie site

NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - On Aug. 3, Natchez will blow out the candles on its 300th birthday. A centerpiece of that historic celebration will be the dedication of the National Park Service's third site in Natchez - the site of…

Hattiesburg study focuses on Alzheimer’s patients

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - Hattiesburg Clinic's Memory Center and Imaging departments are partnering to on a study aimed at improving the method of care for people with Alzheimer's disease. The Clarion-Ledger reports, The Imaging Dementia - Evidence for Amyloid Scanning…

2 Kiln teens honored for rescuing man from flooded car

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) - Two Hancock County teens have been honored for bravery for saving the life of a man whose car had been washed away after heavy rains in April caused coast-wide flooding. The Sea Coast Echo…

Bevin appoints new judge-executive for Webster County

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Gov. Matt Bevin has appointed a new judge-executive for Webster County in western Kentucky. Bevin selected Stephen Henry of Providence to replace the county's longtime judge-executive, James Townsend, who resigned. Bevin's office says Henry is a…

Pastor accused of taking state grant money for bogus program

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Nashville-area church pastor and his associate have been indicted on charges accusing them of securing grant money for an addiction treatment program that did not exist. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says Mount Hopewell Baptist…

31 cadets become new Tennessee state troopers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee has 31 new state troopers. They took their oaths of office late last week at a cadet graduation ceremony in Nashville. The new troopers completed 22 weeks of physical and classroom training at the Tennessee…

Officials: 2 dead, 3 injured in Chattanooga shootings

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - Police say two people have died and three others have been injured following multiple shootings in Chattanooga. Chattanooga police tell news outlets that Monday night's shootings took place at two locations and are believed to be…

Natchez-Adams schools to pay higher rates for insurance

NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - After a $660,000 lawsuit, the Natchez-Adams School District will pay more for liability insurance in the coming school year. The Natchez Democrat reports the district will spend nearly $306,000 on insurance compared to $258,000 in 2015-16.…

Mississippi Delta middle schoolers running own business

LELAND, Miss. (AP) - Five students from Leland Middle School are learning the value of entrepreneurship by running their own business. The Delta Democrat-Times reports that their company is called 21st CCSLC Creations Inc. Meara Brown, Irvin Palmer, Derrick Walker,…

Biloxi police: 1 dead, 3 ejected from SUV in crash

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - One person has died and three others have sustained serious injuries after police say an SUV left Interstate 10 and flipped several times. Media outlets report that Biloxi police began receiving calls shortly before 7 p.m.…

Parchman stabbings place part of prison on lockdown

PARCHMAN, Miss. (AP) - Part of the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman was put on lockdown after officials say two inmates were assaulted. Media outlets report that according to Mississippi Department of Corrections officials, two inmates were stabbed early Monday…

Lafayette Co. Fire Department seeks money for new hires

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - The Lafayette County Fire Department wants money to hire six new employees because leaders say it's getting harder to recruit volunteers. The Oxford Eagle reports that Deputy Fire Chief Wes Anderson asked county supervisors for more…

DA sets update on 2015 officer-involved shooting in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) - A prosecutor is preparing to announce what happens next in a 2015 shooting death involving police in Columbus, Mississippi. Local media outlets report Lowndes County District Attorney Scott Colom plans to hold a news conference Wednesday.…

Lawsuit: Utility misled company into building $100M pipeline

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A company has sued Mississippi Power Co., alleging the utility misled it into building a $100 million pipeline. Treetop Midstream Services had planned to buy carbon dioxide from the $6.7 billion Kemper County power plant, pumping…

Fort’s soldiers sent overseas could be counted as residents

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) - Soldiers from Fort Campbell who are sent overseas for temporary operations could be counted as residents of the region surrounding the base beginning in 2020. According to the Kentucky New Era, the U.S. Census Bureau…

Gulfport man wanted in killing extradited from Florida

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - An 18-year-old accused of killing a 21-year-old has been extradited from Florida to Gulfport, Mississippi, and is being held in lieu of $1.3 million bond. The Sun Herald reports that Juwan Johnson is now in the…

Tiny Mississippi town’s huge July 4 may be fizzling out

LENA, Miss. (AP) - For nearly 40 years, the tiny town of Lena has hosted a Fourth of July celebration that brought thousands of visitors. But this year's may be the last. The Rev. James Milner started the festival at…

Mayor: US Justice Dept to help dialog about police shooting

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) - A northeast Mississippi mayor says he has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to lead a community meeting about the police shooting that killed a man two weeks ago. Tupelo officials say Officer Tyler Cook shot…

Tennessee boy dies of self-inflicted gunshot wound

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Clarksville police say a 3-year-old boy has died after shooting himself with a gun in the face. The Leaf-Chronicle reports Clarksville police spokesman Lt. Steve Warren said the child was visiting with family from Fort Riley,…

Tennessee man charged in accident that killed motorcyclist

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Clarksville police say a Waverly man has been charged in an accident that killed a motorcyclist. Twenty-four-year-old Joseph Karnes was charged Saturday with vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of an accident and an insurance violation. The…

Man who used mini-bat to rob Frankfort bakery sentenced

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A man who admitted robbing a Frankfort bakery using a miniature baseball bat has been ordered to enroll in a long-term residential drug rehabilitation program. Twenty-three-year-old Brandon Morris of Frankfort pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery Friday…

Hattiesburg’s school superintendent resigns on 1st day

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - On her first official day on the job, Hattiesburg's new school superintendent resigned. The Hattiesburg American reports that the president of the district's board of trustees says Janice Johnson cited family and personal obligations as her…

Miss Danville Laura Jones crowned Miss Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky Christian University graduate Laura Jones has been crowned Miss Kentucky. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports Jones won the pageant competing as Miss Danville on Saturday night. The 23-year-old will represent Kentucky in the Miss America Pageant…

9 folk artists honored with national fellowships

WASHINGTON (AP) - Nine artists have been given the nation's highest honor for folk and traditional arts. The National Endowment for the Arts announced its 2016 National Heritage Fellows this week. They will be recognized at a concert Sunday at…

Knife with blood found in home where children killed

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Sheriff's officials in Tennessee say deputies found a large butcher knife with what appeared to be blood on it in an apartment where a mother killed her four children by cutting their throats. Court documents say…

Tennessee tourism campaign honored at international festival

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee tourism campaign that used technology to customize videos for viewers has earned an award at the 63rd annual Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativity in France. The Tennessee Vacation MatchMaker won a silver lion…

4 children fatally stabbed in Memphis; mother in custody

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Officials say four young children in suburban Memphis have been fatally stabbed and their mother has been taken into custody. Shelby County Sheriff Bill Oldham told reporters deputies were called to an apartment complex in the…

Police ID robbery suspect shot, killed by officer

FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) - Police have identified a suspected bank robber shot and killed by a Fort Madison officer this week. The Iowa Department of Public Safety says 37-year-old Lafayette Evans, of Nashville, Tennessee, died of a single gunshot…

Memphis police arrest 2 in January shooting of Iowa man

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Authorities in Memphis, Tennessee, say they have arrested and obtained murder indictments for two men suspected in the January shooting death of an Iowa man traveling through the city. Lonnie Ludvigson, of Edgewood, Iowa, was…

Lawsuit: Disabled woman injured by security at airport

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A lawsuit alleges that a disabled patient from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was injured by security workers at Memphis International Airport. News media outlets report that an alarm went off when 19-year-old Hannah Cohen was…