Author: Associated Press

Jury finds hot dog vendor not guilty in road-rage killing

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A Louisville hot dog vendor has been found not guilty of killing a man in a suspected case of road rage. Media outlets report jurors on Thursday cleared 68-year-old Donald Hayes of murder in the death…

Tennessee detective indicted on aggravated perjury charges

A Tennessee police detective has been indicted on two counts of aggravated perjury stemming from his testimony about the alleged sexual assault of high school basketball players by their teammates. The Hamilton County District Attorney's office announced Friday that Gatlinburg…

Mississippi unemployment rate and payrolls both dip in April

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi's jobless rate fell to 6 percent in April as people exited the labor force. It's the state's lowest unemployment rate since January 2008, on the Great Recession's cusp. Mississippi's jobless rate dropped for the fourth…

Tennessee nursing home closing after being decertified

LIMESTONE, Tenn. (AP) - An East Tennessee nursing home is closing after federal and state regulators ordered the removal of all government-insured patients. The Greenville Sun reports the John M. Reed Health & Rehabilitation facility in Limestone was closing on…

Natchez commission delays action on changing billboard law

NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - The Natchez Planning Commission has postponed action on changing the city's billboard ordinance. The Natchez Democrat reports the group on Thursday delayed considering the recommendations from Interim City Planner Riccardo Giani, which include reducing billboard size…

Officials identify pilot who died in plane crash

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Officials have released the name of the pilot who died after crashing a single-engine plane at an airport in East Tennessee. A statement from the City of Sevierville says 62-year-old Ray Allen Irwin of Kodak died…

New law requires jail time, fine for shooting in Jackson

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - People who fire a gun within Jackson city limits will now face mandatory jail time and a fine. Multiple media outlets report the Jackson City Council voted Tuesday to amend the shooting in the city ordinance.…

Man shot, killed after threatening troopers in Kentucky

FISTY, Ky. (AP) - A man has been shot and killed by Kentucky State Troopers after they say he threatened them with a gun. Trooper First Class Jody Sims says in a news release that troopers responded Thursday night to…

Escaped federal inmate caught in Lee County

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) - A convicted bank robber ended three days on the run at an east Tupelo motel. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports 58-year-old Chris Cosner, who was found guilty of robbing a Saltillo bank in July 2015,…

Police: Sumrall woman’s death ruled a homicide

SUMRALL, Miss. (AP) - Police say the death of a 44-year-old Sumrall woman found in a carport of a home on Mulberry Street has been ruled a homicide. Lamar County Coroner Cody Creel on Thursday identified the woman as Kimberly…

Hattiesburg superintendent search moves into interview phase

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - The search for a new superintendent for the Hattiesburg Public School District moved into the interview phase with candidates appearing before the district's Board of Trustees at a specially called meeting. The Hattiesburg American reports Thursday's…

Mistrial declared in sex crimes trial of Pascagoula man

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) - A jury could not reach a unanimous verdict in the sex crimes trial of a Pascagoula man. The Sun Herald reports the jury informed the court Tuesday it was hopelessly deadlocked. Circuit Judge Kathy King Jackson…

Ocean Springs won’t have RNs in schools next year

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) - The Ocean Springs School District will not renew contracts for its six nurses, citing lack of funding. Instead, the school district entered into a contract for next year with Singing River Health System, an outside…

Haslam decisions due on refugee lawsuit, diversity bills

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Republican Gov. Bill Haslam must decide Friday whether to sign, veto or allow two contentious Tennessee bills to become law without his signature. One of the measures awaiting the governor's decision would require the state's attorney…

Kentucky looking at hops as potential crop

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles is turning attention to the potential of growing hops in the bluegrass state. Quarles says the state Department of Agriculture is having discussions with the University of Kentucky and Western Kentucky…

Tunica man gets 10 years, 5 years suspended, for theft

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A 25-year-old Tunica man is going to prison for stealing more than $27,000 from his father's retirement account. Attorney General Jim Hood, in a news release Thursday, said Chester Island pleaded guilty to one count of…

Buffalo Trace to expand with $200 million investment

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Buffalo Trace Distillery says a more than $200 million expansion is planned to help keep up with demand for its bourbon. The Frankfort distillery said Thursday that distilling operations will be expanded during the next seven…

Union County clinic owner charged with drug fraud

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say a Union County medical clinic owner has been charged with identity theft and prescription drug fraud. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says agents began investigating 45-year-old Kristi Lynn Walker, who owned and operated Quality…

Escaped inmates from Monroe, Jones counties captured

An inmate who escaped from the Monroe County Jail has been captured in Lee County and a man who walked away from a work detail in Jones County has surrendered to authorities. The Daily Journal reports 58-year-old Chris Cosner escaped…

Nashville mayor appoints first transgender city board member

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Nashville Mayor Megan Berry has appointed a transgender woman to the Metro Human Relations Commission - an apparent first for Tennessee. Media outlets report that Nashville's Metro Council on Tuesday confirmed all 20 of Barry's board…

Tennessee registers 3rd Zika virus case from foreign travel

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee health officials have confirmed a third case of Zika virus in Tennessee. Health Department Commissioner John Dreyzehner (DRYZ'-ner) says all three cases were contracted by people while they were traveling outside the country. Zika often…

ACLU seeks federal intervention on Tennessee restroom rule

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is asking the federal government to intervene over a school district's policy prohibiting transgender students from using restrooms corresponding to their gender identity. The ACLU wrote the…

Kroger workers reject contract, authorize strike

SALEM, Va. (AP) - About 1,100 union employees have unanimously voted to reject Kroger's most recent contract offer and authorize a strike next month at 41 stores in the region, which stretches from Harrisonburg to eastern Tennessee. News outlets report…

Pro-nuclear GOP senator urges Tennessee to reject wind farm

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander is urging his fellow Tennesseans to oppose what he calls an "unsightly" wind farm near the Cumberland Mountain State Park. The company building the turbines near Crossville says the $130 million…

Pilot dead in single-engine plane crash

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The pilot of a single-engine plane has died after crashing at an airport in East Tennessee. Bob Stahlke, the spokesman for the City of Sevierville, told media that the plane crashed Thursday in a wooded area…

Police officer, lawyer among 19 facing immigration charges

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A Georgia lawyer and a Mississippi police officer are among 19 people indicted on charges that they committed visa or marriage fraud to allow Indian men to obtain legal status in the United States. The indictments,…

Businessman accused of botching more than $1M federal job

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee businessman is accused of ripping off $1.2 million from the U.S. Department of Defense for shoddy work his firm did under federal contracts. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports Phillip Michael Huddleston faces charges of…

Warrant: Father kicked shirtless 5-year-old son out of home

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Nashville man has been charged after an arrest warrant shows he kicked his shirtless 5-year-old son out of the house. The Tennessean reports 34-year-old Jose Rivera Jr. is facing a child neglect charge in connection…

Vanderbilt poll finds Trump with 9-point lead in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A new Vanderbilt poll finds presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump with a 9 percentage point lead over Democrat Hillary Clinton in Tennessee. The survey released Thursday found Trump with support from 44 percent and Clinton…

Priest in western Ky. suspended over abuse allegation

OWENSBORO, Ky. (AP) - The Diocese of Owensboro has suspended a western Kentucky Catholic priest after church officials received an accusation that he sexually abused a juvenile. The Messenger-Inquirer reports 59-year-old Gerald Baker was suspended on May 6. Owensboro bishop…

Mississippi State names former Alabama president as provost

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi State University has named former University of Alabama President Judy Bonner as its provost. The College Board must vote to approve the appointment. She's expected to begin work as MSU's chief academic officer on July…

Search goes on for missing dog after Mayfield tornado

MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) - A Murray State student who lost most of his belongings in a tornado earlier this month is continuing his search for his beloved dog, who was torn from his arms during the twister. The Paducah Sun…

Memphis close to surrendering title as state’s largest city

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A census estimates that Memphis is on the verge of losing its title as Tennessee's largest city to fast-growing Nashville. The Commercial Appeal reports the figures, which were released Thursday, show that as of July 1,…

Official: Meridian’s ‘saggy pants’ law not being enforced

MERIDIAN, Miss. (AP) - A Meridian official says he is upset that the city's ordinance regarding saggy pants does not seem to be getting enforced. The Meridian Star reports Tony Harper questioned the Meridian City Council on Tuesday about the…

Man claims self-defense in killing of mother’s boyfriend

COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) - The attorneys for a Columbus man accused of shooting his mother's boyfriend to death say he shot the victim in self-defense. The Commercial Dispatch reports 22-year-old Derrick Nelson is on trial in Lowndes County for murder…

Knoxville man accused of defrauding elderly investors

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - A federal grand jury has accused a Knoxville man of setting up two fictitious companies to defraud elderly investors. A grand jury sitting in Chattanooga returned a seven-count indictment against 50-year-old John Allen Morris on Tuesday.…

Man charged after moonshine still found in Tishomingo County

IUKA, Miss. (AP) - A man has been arrested after deputies say a moonshine still was found in Tishomingo County. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports 48-year-old Robert Junior Voyles faces charges of the manufacture of untaxed liquor and possession…

Officials: 3 dead after train-truck collision in Mississippi

FLORA, Miss. (AP) - Authorities say a father and two children were killed instantly when their pickup truck and an Amtrak train collided in a small Mississippi town. Amtrak spokeswoman Christina Leeds said in a statement the Chicago-bound train hit…

Man charged after moonshine still found in Tishomingo County

IUKA, Miss. (AP) - A man has been arrested after deputies say a moonshine still was found in Tishomingo County. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports 48-year-old Robert Junior Voyles faces charges of the manufacture of untaxed liquor and possession…

Ingalls will christen amphibious transport dock Portland

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) - Ingalls Shipbuilding will formally christen LPD 27 -- the Portland -- during ceremonies set for Saturday at the Pascagoula shipyard. The Mississippi Press reports LPD 27 is the 11th amphibious transport dock built by Ingalls and…

Mississippi law enforcement stepping up seat-belt awareness

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - Police, sheriff's deputies and state troopers across South Mississippi have taken a unified stand to educate motorists about the importance of wearing a seat belt. The Sun Herald reports they are focusing on seat-belt safety education…

KCTCS to cut more than 500 jobs to close budget gap

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - The Kentucky Community and Technical College System has announced a plan that would eliminate more than 500 positions and suspend some college programs, all in an effort to close a $26 million gap in its budget.…

Federal judge dismisses inmate’s hunger strike lawsuit

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - A federal judge has dismissed a state inmate's lawsuit that claimed his rights were violated by punitive steps to stop his hunger strike. Danny Singleton, serving 35 years for an armed robbery attempt in Harrison County,…

Police: Student brought gun, drugs to Mississippi school

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi police have arrested a St. Stanislaus College student after they say he brought a pistol and bags of marijuana onto the campus Friday. The Sun Herald reports Bay St. Louis police arrested 18-year-old…

Police: Woman’s ashes stolen in Biloxi home burglary

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - Biloxi police say an urn containing a deceased woman's ashes are among items reported stolen in a home burglary. Sgt. O'Neal Adams tells The Sun Herald the urn, televisions and a DVD player were taken from…

2 Ocean Springs High students arrested in campus sex assault

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) - Authorities say two Ocean Springs High School male students face charges of sexually assaulting a female student. Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell said in a press release received by The Sun Herald deputies became involved…

Alexander urges rejection of Cumberland county wind farm

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander is urging people to oppose what he calls an "unsightly" wind farm proposed for the Cumberland Plateau. Alexander in a speech on the Senate floor argued that the 23 "massive" wind…

Nashville woman guilty of elder abuse; father found in filth

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Nashville woman has been convicted of elder abuse after housing officials found her father in an over-full adult diaper with feces on his feet and under his nails. According to the Davidson County District Attorney's…

Pike County says tourism spending up nearly $6 million

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Tourism dollars are flowing into Pike County as officials there report an increase of nearly $6 million in visitor spending in 2015. A release from the county's tourism board says the influx of spending is good…

Knoxville man accused of defrauding elderly investors

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - A federal grand jury has accused a Knoxville man of setting up two fictitious companies to defraud elderly investors. A grand jury sitting in Chattanooga returned a seven-count indictment against 50-year-old John Allen Morris on Tuesday.…