Author: Associated Press

Officials investigate shooting that left 1 dead, 1 injured

RICHLAND, Miss. (AP) - Police are investigating a shooting outside a Jackson-area business that left one person dead and another injured. Richland Police Department Chief Russel James tells news outlets that an unidentified man shot and wounded a man Tuesday…

Mayfield votes ‘Yes’ on packaged alcohol

MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) - All nine precincts in the western Kentucky city of Mayfield have voted to allow package alcohol sales in the city limits. News outlets report that 58.35 percent of the 2,324 Mayfield residents who voted in the…

Crissy Haslam to promote summer reading programs

LENOIR CITY, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee first lady Crissy Haslam is visiting Lenoir City and Knoxville to promote a summer reading program. Haslam visited Lenoir City Elementary Read to be Ready on Wednesday. It's one of 12 summer reading programs…

Louisville Zoo announces birth of Saharan addax

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The Louisville Zoo is announcing the birth of a Saharan addax. The zoo said in a statement on Tuesday that the male addax is the first to be born at the facility in over a decade.…

Bevin administration to defend actions in court

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Republican Gov. Matt Bevin's administration is heading to court to defend the governor's vetoes of the state budget and his reorganization of a board that recommends some state judges. Kentucky Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo has…

Additional cell phone waiting lot opens at Nashville airport

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A new lot has been opened at Nashville International Airport for drivers who are waiting for travelers to arrive. The new cell phone waiting lot contains 80 spaces and offers free parking. It is located in…

Former TV judge Joe Brown unable to practice law in Tenn.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Former television judge Joe Brown cannot practice law in Tennessee under an order from the state Supreme Court. According to The Commercial Appeal, the state's highest court has placed Brown on disability inactive status, which designates…

Remaining overflow space, gyms to be used for excess inmates

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Metro Corrections is preparing to make use of every bit of available space to house its steadily rising inmate population. Steve Durham, assistant director at Metro Corrections, tells The Courier-Journal that a broken pipe delayed the…

Students might need to add a class to get scholarship aid

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Some Mississippi college students will need to add an extra class in order to receive state scholarship money this fall. The change comes after the Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board modified the definition of a…

Woman accused of embezzling from management companies

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - Police say a 59-year-old Biloxi woman is accused of embezzling more than $60,000 from two companies where she worked. The Sun Herald reports Susan Kim Moore, of D'Iberville, was arrested Monday on a charge of embezzlement…

Police: Boy left in truck while couple ate dinner

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) - A woman and her boyfriend each face a misdemeanor child neglect charge after police they say they left her 9-year-old boy in a hot pickup truck while they went to a restaurant. Police Chief…

Kentucky stepping up push to stop gas pump fraud

JEFFERSONTOWN, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky Department of Agriculture officials say they are ramping up efforts to stop scammers from stealing consumers' credit card numbers at gas pumps. News outlets report that for the first time, inspectors who normally check pumps…

Louisville sewage rates to rise 6.9 percent in August

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District's board has chosen to increase sewer rates and drainage fees by 6.9 percent starting Aug. 1. The Courier-Journal reports that that's the largest increase the board can impose without the approval…

State closes Green River ramp due to concrete damage

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources says the Old Eastwood Ferry Boat Ramp on the Green River in Webster County has closed because of damage to the concrete. A recent drop in the river…

Manhattan Project Park looks back at secrecy, security

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (AP) - A program being presented at Oak Ridge next month is designed to provide insight into life there during the Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project National Historical Park program is scheduled for 3 p.m. July 8…

Police say no injuries reported in Mississippi plant blast

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) - Police in Mississippi say no injuries or fatalities have been reported after a large explosion and fire at a natural gas plant. Pascagoula Police Capt. Shannon Broom says authorities received a report about the explosion at…

Supreme Court Texas abortion ruling could affect Tenn. laws

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on Texas abortion restrictions could affect the outcome of a federal court challenge to two Tennessee laws. On Monday, the Supreme Court struck down Texas laws requiring abortion clinics to meet…

2 robbery suspects shot by Memphis police

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Memphis police say officers shot and wounded two robbery suspects. Police tell media outlets that the suspects were shot Saturday night at a Memphis pizza shop where a delivery driver was robbed. The suspects, ages 20…

Costumed fans line up for Mississippi Comic Con event

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi comic book, movie and science fiction fans lined up for the state's third Comic Con event. The Clarion-Ledger reports Sunday that this year's event sold three times as many tickets as last year. Patrons waited…

Chattanooga State Community College to ban campus smoking

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - Chattanooga State Community College soon will have a smoke-free campus. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports the ban starts July 1 on smoking, along with the use of chewing tobacco and electronic cigarettes. College spokeswoman Nancy…

Mississippi hearing for Tellis in burning death delayed

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A hearing for the man accused in the 2014 burning death of Jessica Chambers is being delayed. The Commercial Appeal reported Saturday that District Attorney John Champion says the July 5 hearing will be delayed over…

Democrats elect new leadership; Moak wins party chair

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi Democratic Party has elected new leaders to head the organization for the next four years. In a statement Sunday the organization said its executive committee voted on the six positions during a meeting Saturday.…

Margaritaville comes back big in Biloxi

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - Jimmy Buffett again has a presence in Biloxi, and a crowd turned out to open the new Margaritaville Resort Biloxi. The Sun Herald reports stilt walkers helped cut the ribbon and huge margaritas appeared for dignitaries…

Judge postpones trial for man accused of slaying minister

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - A judge has postponed the trial of a 24-year-old man accused of beating a Chattanooga pastor to death in 2014. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Tom Greenholtz told defendant…

Memphis sees strongest job growth since 1996

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Metropolitan Memphis saw its largest annual gain in jobs in May in 20 years. Citing state government data Thursday, The Commercial Appeal (http://bit.ly/28Sl2LM ) reports that in May, nearly 19,000 more residents reported they were working…

Black bear sighting prompts Danville school lockdown

DANVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A Danville school was placed on lockdown after a black bear was spotted on the school's grounds. Danville Police Chief Tony Gray tells news outlets that the bear was seen at the Kentucky School for the…

Louisville Metro Council OKs $822M budget after adjustments

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Louisville's Metro Council has approved an $822 million budget after making about $9.8 million in adjustments from Mayor Greg Fischer's initial proposal for the upcoming year. News outlets report that the council unanimously approved the budget…

July 5 is the last day for registration for Aug. 4 election

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Election officials are advising Tennessee residents that the last day to register to vote for the Aug. 4 election is July 5. The Shelby County Election Commission says voter registration applications must be received by 4:30…

Free HIV testing offered by Louisville public health agency

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Louisville public health officials are offering free HIV testing on Monday. Testing will be done at the headquarters of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. It's in observance of National HIV Testing Day.…

Wife of Hollywood producer to exhibit photos at state park

HENDERSON, Ky. (AP) - John James Audubon State Park in western Kentucky is hosting a photo exhibit from Linda Bruckheimer, the wife of Hollywood film producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The exhibit is called "Kentucky Unseen: Roadside Views of the Bluegrass." It…

Census: Tennessee median age of 38.6 older than US median

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee's 2015 median age was 38.6 years, slightly older than the U.S. median of 37.8 years. That's according to numbers released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau and reported by the Tennessee State Data Center at…

State: Tennessee unemployment rate lower than country

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Labor statistics released by the state show that Davidson County continues to have the lowest unemployment rate of any major metropolitan area in Tennessee. A news release by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development…

Bryant taps deputy treasurer to be state finance director

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A deputy state treasurer will become the new director of the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration. Laura D. Jackson has more than 27 years' experience in state government. Gov. Phil Bryant announced Thursday that he's…

DeSoto County standoff ends with suspect’s death

WALLS, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi authorities say a man with an arrest record in Chicago died after opening fire on police and taking them on a chase. DeSoto County Sheriff Bill Rasco tells The Commercial Appeal Quencezola Maurice Splunge was…

Sheriff: 3-year-old, siblings abandoned on highway

PEARL, Miss. (AP) - The Rankin County Sheriff's Department says a father alleged to have abandoned his three children on Tuesday has surrendered to authorities, while the siblings' mother is expected to be arrested. The Clarion-Ledger reports 31-year-old Quincy Montanna…

Hattiesburg settles groundwater contamination lawsuit

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - For the last three years, a lawsuit filed against Hercules/Ashland regarding groundwater contamination has awaited resolution. The Hattiesburg American reports the matter came to an end Tuesday, when Hattiesburg City Council voted to approve a confidential…

A new wall to climb for Humpty Dumpty, FunTime USA

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - Gulf Amusements LLC, owners of FunTime USA, said in a press release received by The Sun Herald residents of Georgia Place, a nearby neighborhood, who are opposed to the amusement park, filed an appeal against the…

Report faults Tennessee for lack of diversity in courts

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A new report faults Tennessee's court system for not adequately representing the diversity of the state's population. The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy ranks Tennessee 45th out of 51 state court jurisdictions for gender…

Tennessee to offer National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee has been approved by the U.S. Department of Defense to offer a National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program. Youth ChalleNGe is a residential program for young people aged 16-18 who have dropped out of school and…

Former Madison County judge sentenced in assault case

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A former Madison County judge has been sentenced in an assault case. Attorney General Jim Hood, in a news release, said former Justice Court Judge Bill Weisenberger appeared Wednesday before Senior Status Judge L. Breland Hilburn…

Remains of Korean War vet returning to Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The remains of a 20-year-old Army sergeant believed to have died more than 65 years ago during the Korean War are being returned to Tennessee for burial this week. The Tennessee Department of Veterans Services said…

Police: 2 men found dead inside Memphis home after standoff

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Authorities say two men are dead and a Memphis police officer suffered a minor injury following an hours-long standoff. Multiple media outlets report it happened Tuesday evening in the Hickory Hill neighborhood. Police were summoned to…

State gives $160,000 to Southern Miss Gulf Park campus

LONG BEACH, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi Department of Transportation has presented a $160,000 check to the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast for improvement projects at the Gulf Park campus. The University Club accepted the check Tuesday in Hardy…

Gulfport taking Fishbone Alley from trash to treasure

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - Someone had been complaining about all the trash in an alley that runs behind restaurants in downtown Gulfport, so Community Development Director David Parker strolled through on his way to a meeting late last year. The…

McKee being added as Kentucky Trail Town

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - State tourism officials say an Appalachian town will be certified as a Kentucky Trail Town. The officials say the community of McKee will receive the designation at a ceremony on Wednesday in the Jackson County town.…

Republican PAC awards Tennessee Senate Speaker Ramsey

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Republican political committee GOPAC has given its lifetime achievement award to Tennessee Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, who is retiring from the Legislature this year. The group that recruits and trains GOP political candidates announced Tuesday that…

East Tenn. judge wins public health award for addiction work

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Fourth Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Duane Slone has won the Tennessee Public Health Association's Visionary Award for the Eastern Division of the state. In presenting the award, Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner (DRYZ'-ner) applauded Slone's work…

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin to announce Medicaid proposal

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - About 400,000 Kentuckians are about to find out what Republican Gov. Matt Bevin wants to do with their health insurance. Bevin has scheduled a news conference for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday to announce his plan to replace…

Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns duo dies at 74

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Trumpet player Wayne Jackson, who formed one half of the famed Memphis Horns with partner and tenor saxophonist Andrew Love, has died. He was 74. His wife, Amy Jackson, said her husband died Tuesday night at…

Police accepting applications for free teen-driving class

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Metro Police Department is now taking applications for its popular free teenage driving awareness class taught by Nashville police officers. The four-hour class is offered to teens between the ages of 14 and 18 and…