Author: Associated Press

Officials: 1 dead following apartment complex fire

HARRIMAN, Tenn. (AP) - One person has died and 11 homes have been destroyed following a fire at an apartment complex in Harriman. Harriman Fire Department Chief David Bailey tells news outlets that the fire broke out Sunday morning at…

Magistrates accuse judge-executive of unauthorized pay raise

WINCHESTER, Ky. (AP) - Four Clark County Fiscal Court magistrates have accused a judge-executive of unilaterally implementing pay increases to county employees without fiscal court authorization. Local news outlets report that magistrates Pamela Blackburn, Daniel Konstantopolous, Robert Blanton and Joe…

Mississippi tax cut deal: $415 million in cuts over 12 years

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi lawmakers want to phase in $415 million in tax cuts over the next 12 years. House and Senate negotiators filed an agreement just before midnight Sunday on Senate Bill 2858 (http://bit.ly/1VxVt6Q). The agreement would phase…

Tennessee adds Michael Schwartz to basketball coaching staff

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee coach Rick Barnes has added Michael Schwartz to his staff. Schwartz previously worked for Barnes at Texas. He spent this past season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Tulsa. In a university release…

Officials look into dead turtle spike along Gulf Coast

WAVELAND, Miss. (AP) - Dead turtles have recently washed ashore along the Gulf Coast, and members of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies are working find out why. Even though it happened years ago, WLOX TV reports officials are trying…

Adams County questions justice court fine collection

NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - The president of the Adams County Board of Supervisors says he plans to ask Adams County Justice Court officials why more fires weren't collected during a recent set of contempt hearings. The Natchez Democrat reports Board…

Miss. Armed Forces Museum to open in next few months

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi Armed Forces Museum officials expect the museum to reopen sometime this year, although an exact date hasn't been set. In early 2015, the museum at Camp Shelby closed to the public for construction of a…

Inmate work center in Jackson County Closed

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi Department of Corrections has shut down Jackson County's work center, the fourth in the state to close in the last year. The Sun Herald reports the center housed inmates who have for years helped…

Officials warn of schemes targeting college loan recipients

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Officials are warning Kentucky college students about schemes seeking a large fee and personal information to provide student loan debt relief services. Attorney General Andy Beshear and Bluegrass Community and Technical College President Augusta Julian spoke…

Lottery sets record for education funding in first quarter

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Lottery says it returned a record $119 million for education funding during the first quarter of the year, a 27 percent increase over the previous quarterly record. Lottery-funded programs include 12 different scholarships and…

Fugitive captured in Madison County following manhunt

CANTON, Miss. (AP) - A suspect who led authorities on a manhunt has been captured in Madison County. Media outlets report Canton police say Joshua Hadden was arrested Sunday afternoon. Police say earlier that morning, an officer spotted Hadden, who…

Southern Kentucky Book Fest is this week in Bowling Green

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) - The Southern Kentucky Book Fest is being held later this week in Bowling Green, featuring author presentations, panel discussions and book signings. The festival also includes the Kentucky Writers Conference on Friday, presented by several…

Woman found dead in Floyd County house fire

LANGLEY, Ky. (AP) - Authorities say a woman has died in a house fire in Floyd County. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports a coroner identified the body Sunday as 50-year-old Cathy Rena Marshall Kirkland. Kentucky State Police say in a news…

Inmate set to be released in 2 weeks dies in jail

MAGNOLIA, Miss. (AP) - A 64-year-old Pike County inmate has died, two weeks before he was scheduled for release. Chief Deputy Gregory Martin tells The Clarion-Ledger that other inmates told jailers that David Moak was having trouble breathing Friday. He…

New Noxubee Co jail nears opening; replaces 1 built in 1977

MACON, Miss. (AP) - The new Noxubee County jail is nearly ready to open. Sheriff Terry Grassaree says he expects the Noxubee County Adult Detention Center to open by the beginning of May. WCBI-TV reports that it will replace a…

Woman charged with murder gives birth, is now back in jail

FULTON, Miss. (AP) - A woman accused of capital murder was taken to a hospital to give birth, but is now back behind bars. Itawamba County Sheriff Chris Dickinson says the baby girl is in her grandmother's custody, and the…

Tennessee boy killed hours after game in cousin’s honor

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say a 12-year-old boy has been fatally shot in Knoxville hours after attending a basketball game to honor a cousin who had been shot to death. Knoxville police said in a news release that Jajuan…

Memphis firefighter dies after collapsing at house fire

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say a Memphis firefighter has died after collapsing at the scene of a house fire. Memphis Fire Department spokesman Lt. Wayne Cooke says 57-year-old Lt. Rodney Eddins collapsed Saturday night. Cooke says Eddins was taken…

Motorcyclist in Kentucky charity ride killed in accident

UNION, Ky. (AP) - Authorities say a motorcyclist who had been participating in a fundraiser has died in an accident. Media outlets report 46-year-old Chester Morling of Guilford, Indiana, was involved in a three-vehicle accident Saturday on Kentucky Route 338…

Missouri bill would bar communities from banning pit bulls

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri cities no longer could ban pit bulls under a bill advancing in the Legislature. The measure passed 117-17 by the House this past week would ban breed-specific local ordinances. That means municipalities no longer…

2017 solar eclipse to draw crowds in Paducah, Hopkinsville

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) - Officials in portions of Kentucky and southern Illinois are planning for next year's arrival of tourists hoping to snag the best spot for a rare solar eclipse. A 140-mile track is considered the best viewing spot…

State proposals on LGBT rights push business into spotlight

ATLANTA (AP) - Major corporations invested in Southern states have become some of the staunchest opponents of bills they consider discriminatory, facing off against Republican lawmakers eager to portray their states as the best home for global brands. The NFL,…

Police: Woman left infant in hot car for strip club audition

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) - A woman and her friend are facing charges after they left her infant in a hot car outside a strip club where she was auditioning. WSB-TV reports 24-year-old Kelsey McMurtry was auditioning at club in downtown…

Louisiana and Mississippi driller Goodrich files bankruptcy

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - One of the oil companies most active in drilling wells in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale formation in Mississippi and Louisiana has sought bankruptcy protection. Houston-based Goodrich Petroleum filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Friday after securities owners…

Family of officer who had lethal meds dose sues hospital

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The University of Tennessee Medical Center has been accused in a lawsuit that says a Jacksboro Police Department detective was given an overdose of pain medication while he was being treated for injuries suffered in a…

1 killed, 2 injured after police pursuit ends in crash

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) - One person has been killed and two others have been injured after a police pursuit ended in a crash in Rutherford County. Media outlets report the crash happened early Sunday in Murfreesboro. Rutherford County Sheriff's spokeswoman…

Man convicted of killing toddler to serve life in prison

DANVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A man charged in the murder and sexual molestation of a 13-month-old Boyle County boy has pleaded guilty to murder and sodomy. The Advocate Messenger in Danville reports 27-year-old Joseph Andrew Adams was sentenced to life…

Jackson, MS: No lead in city’s water distribution system

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The city of Jackson has confirmed that water samples taken from the city's distribution system tested below the detection limit for lead. Questions about the presence of lead within the city's system arose after the city…

Veto override sought on Bible as official Tennessee book

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Republicans in the Legislature have their first opportunity to override one of Gov. Bill Haslam's vetoes this week when they seek to re-pass a bill to make the Bible the official book of Tennessee. The sponsors…

Police: Woman left infant in hot car for strip club audition

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) - A woman and her friend are facing charges after they left her infant in a hot car outside a strip club where she was auditioning. Media reports 24-year-old Kelsey McMurtry was auditioning at club in downtown…

Louisiana and Mississippi driller Goodrich files bankruptcy

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - One of the oil companies most active in drilling wells in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale formation in Mississippi and Louisiana has sought bankruptcy protection. Houston-based Goodrich Petroleum filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Friday after securities owners…

Memphis officer involved in shooting had flunked academy

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - An off-duty Memphis police officer who fatally shot a man during a child custody exchange had initially flunked out of the police academy. Marshall D. Smith failed to earn the minimum score on an academy test…

Mississippi State students protest flying of state flag

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - A group of students at Mississippi State University have issued a list of demands to President Mark Keenum and his administration as part of a protest sparked by the university's continued flying of the state flag.…

Lawsuit alleges sexual assault at Kansas military school

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A Tennessee father has sued a Kansas military school alleging its failure to adequately supervise cadets led to the sexual assault of his 12-year-old son by another student. The lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court…

Knox County prosecutors still using gang enhancement law

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Knox County prosecutors say they are going to continue to use a law that enhances the sentences of gang members despite a state appellate court's striking it down as unconstitutional. And at least one Knox County…

Committee names 3 finalists for BridgeValley president

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - A presidential search committee for BridgeValley Community and Technical College has announced three finalists for the post. The school is seeking a successor to retiring president Jo Harris. The finalists are Eunice Bellinger, who has…

Bird strike causes plane to make emergency landing

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Officials say a plane flying from New York to Tennessee made an emergency landing in West Virginia after striking a bird. News outlets report the 57 passengers onboard the Delta flight had an unexpected layover Thursday…

Man who shot off-duty Memphis officer sentenced to prison

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A convicted felon has been sentenced to four years and three months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm in the fatal shooting of an off-duty Memphis police officer. Lorenzo Clark was sentenced Friday in federal…

Man charged in death of 4-year-old girl in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Police say a Pennsylvania man is charged with aggravated child abuse and neglect in a 4-year-old girl's death. Memphis police said 24-year-old Richard Lassiter was an acquaintance of a woman who flagged down officers at a…

2 cousins charged in Dickson County double slaying

DICKSON, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say two cousins have been arrested in connection with the shooting deaths of two men that started at a Dickson County park and ended a block away when a bullet-punctured car driven by a gunshot…

Police: Convicted sex offender arrested for using Facebook

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) - A 50-year-old convicted sex offender living in western Kentucky has been arrested after being accused of using Facebook. Paducah detective Justin Hodges tells local news outlets that he received information that Nathan A. Dukes was violating…

Judge orders public defender jailed during client’s hearing

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A Hinds County judge ordered an assistant public defender jailed after his client was denied bond. Media outlets report Christopher Routh was escorted out of the courtroom Wednesday and taken into custody. Judge Jeff Weill's motion…

Gautier educator wins Mississippi Teacher of the Year

GAUTIER, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi Department of Education says a Gautier teacher is the 2016 Mississippi Teacher of the Year. WLOX-TV reports Jodi McKenzie, a 10th grade English teacher at Gautier High School, will represent Mississippi in the National…

West Harrison High School band to perform in Macy’s parade

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - Gulfport's West Harrison High School band has been selected to perform in the 2017 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The performance, announced Thursday, will mark the first parade appearance by the school's band. Organizers say the band…

Still installed in distillery being built in Bardstown

BARDSTOWN, Ky. (AP) - A new distillery being built in the heart of Kentucky bourbon country has taken a big step toward the day when whiskey starts flowing. The Bardstown Bourbon Co. had its 50-foot-tall still installed Thursday. The stainless…

Hendersonville lawyer sentenced to prison for scheme

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Federal prosecutors say a Hendersonville attorney has been sentenced to more than 2 ½ years in prison for his role in a real estate closing scheme. Officials with the office of U.S. Attorney David Rivera said…

Inmate sentenced in deadly 2012 Adams County prison riot

NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - An inmate has been sentenced for his role in a deadly riot at an Adams County prison in 2012. U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis' office said in a statement that 39-year-old Hiasom Ali was sentenced Tuesday…

Nashville airport adding 2nd cell phone waiting lot

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Nashville International Airport is adding a second parking lot for people waiting on cell phone calls from arriving travelers. The airport says construction starts Monday, and motorists exiting from Interstate 40 east should be aware of…