Author: Associated Press

Workshop set to help Tennesseans find World War I ancestors

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A workshop is planned this week at the Tennessee State Library and Archives to help people learn more about ancestors who fought during World War I. The library's director of public services, Gordon Belt, will lead…

Officials plan for volunteers to plant more than 2,000 trees

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Officials plan for volunteers to plant more than 2,000 trees in Frankfort this weekend. A statement says Kentucky State University will host the ReForest Frankfort event on Saturday at Old Young Hall. Hundreds of volunteers are…

Court rules against newspaper in public records case

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The state Court of Appeals has ruled that the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources rightly denied the Sun Herald access to administrative records it had turned over for a state investigation of former director Bill Walker's…

Bevin speaks to Kentucky Senate in impromptu visit

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Gov. Matt Bevin has made an impromptu visit to the Kentucky Senate to thank lawmakers for a long day of work on a stack of legislation. Longtime lawmakers said they cannot recall another governor seeking permission…

Mississippi to reopen 2 oyster areas

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is reopening two oyster areas. DMR spokeswoman Melissa Scallan said Tuesday that both areas will reopen for harvesting at legal sunrise Wednesday. The affected areas are: Area II "E," which…

Mississippi Senate supports ban on common abortion procedure

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi senators are supporting a ban on a commonly-used second-trimester abortion procedure. The Senate voted 40-6 Tuesday to pass House Bill 519 (http://bit.ly/1UAVVRp), sending it back to the House for more work. The measure would outlaw…

Senate to vote on making Bible official book of Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A contentious bill seeking to declare the Holy Bible the official book of Tennessee is headed back for a vote in the full state Senate. The measure narrowly passed the House last year, but the Senate…

Circuit judge appointed in 4 eastern Mississippi counties

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Gov. Phil Bryant is appointing a new circuit judge to serve the next several months in four counties in east central Mississippi. Bryant announced Tuesday that Christopher A. Collins of Union will become judge on Thursday.…

Lottery push likely to fizzle at Mississippi Capitol

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi House has voted twice in one day to establish a state lottery, but the effort is likely to be squashed in the Senate. Rep. Tommy Reynolds of Charleston on Tuesday introduced a lottery to…

Kentucky Senate passes expungement bill

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A bill that would allow some nonviolent felons to have their criminal records erased has cleared a major hurdle by passing the Kentucky Senate. The legislation would allow people convicted of many Class D felonies to…

Bill could duplicate Mississippi ban on abortion funding

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi House is advancing a bill to block the state Medicaid program from spending money with any group affiliated with any abortion provider. The proposal originally was aimed at Planned Parenthood, but it appears to…

Lawmakers pass bill to help prosecutors fight sex crimes

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky lawmakers have finished work to close a legal loophole blamed for shielding sexual predators whose young victims can't say exactly when and where they were abused. The bill won final passage Tuesday in the Senate…

Woman pleads guilty on federal charges in Medicaid fraud

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A woman has pleaded guilty to a mail fraud charge following accusations she stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from senior citizens seeking help to obtain Medicaid or veterans benefits. Tammy Henderson Palasini pleaded guilty Tuesday…

Lawmakers complete work on bill aimed at bourbon tourists

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Bourbon tourists could soon start sipping cocktails during distillery tours as Kentucky lawmakers have finished crafting more lenient rules for distillers to sell their products where the whiskey is made. The sweeping alcohol bill won final…

Former Kentucky priest who viewed child porn going to prison

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A former Catholic priest accused of snapping hundreds of inappropriate pictures of students at his parish school is heading to federal prison for nearly three years. Stephen Pohl wasn't charged with any crime for taking the…

Senate passes bill allowing armed security teams in churches

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Asked to choose between a Christian spirit of peace and a God-given right of self-defense, Mississippi senators are overwhelming favoring the latter. The Senate voted 36-14 Tuesday to pass House Bill 786, known as the Mississippi…

Proposal to seal police body cam footage is dead

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A controversial proposal that would have sealed off police body camera footage from the public is dead for the year. Supporters said the measure would protect privacy rights of bystanders, victims and even police officers. Public…

Second landowner asks for reroute of Fiery Gizzard Trail

TRACY CITY, Tenn. (AP) - Just as a project in Grundy County nears completion to redirect Fiery Gizzard Trail around one private landowner who wants the trail off his land, a second property owner is forcing another reroute of the…

GOP lawmaker questions Haslam’s secret $30M development deal

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A state senator is questioning fellow Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to earmark $30 million for a secret economic development project in Tennessee. State Finance Commissioner Larry Martin on Tuesday declined to elaborate on the development…

4 on trial in Clarksville ‘house slave’ slaying

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Four people charged with beating a woman to death in 2014 are on trial for murder and sexual battery. The Leaf-Chronicle reports a jury was seated Monday and opening statements began Tuesday morning in Circuit Court…

Haslam seeks $12M for ‘Nashville,’ ‘Million Dollar Quartet’

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam is proposing to spend $8 million to keep the ABC television show "Nashville" in the Tennessee capital. The Republican governor's spending plan also includes $4.5 million to subsidize the CMT network's "Million Dollar…

Bevin: Democrats hurt budget process by not negotiating

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Tensions between Republicans and Democrats over Kentucky's more than $65 billion spending plan escalated overnight, with the Republican governor calling a news conference to blame House leaders for refusing to negotiate. Republican Gov. Matt Bevin said…

16-year-old shot to death in Jackson

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Jackson police are investigating the shooting death of a teenage boy. The victim was identified as 16-year-old Devonta McGee. He died early Monday. Tony Porter, McGee's brother-in-law, told WLBT-TV that McGee left his house around 2:30…

Dying ash trees to be removed across Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - The city of Lexington is removing 78 dying ash trees. The Lexington Herald Leader reports that the trees have been affected by the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that feeds on and kills the trees.…

Man gets 40 years for stabbing mother, shooting police K-9

COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) - A northern Kentucky man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for stabbing his mother and shooting a police K-9 last year. Media outlets report that 35-year-old Daleon Rice of Covington was sentenced Monday after…

Whooping cough cases at record high in northern Kentucky

COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Health officials say the number of cases of whooping cough in northern Kentucky has reached record levels recently. The Northern Kentucky Health Department said in a news release Monday that since November, 184 cases of whooping…

Former Kentucky Gov. Collins joins Baptist Health Paducah

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) - Former Kentucky Gov. Martha Layne Collins has been named the new executive-in-residence at Baptist Health Paducah and Baptist Health Foundation Paducah. The Paducah Sun reports that Collins will participate in community initiatives and events, as well…

Driver in fatal Knoxville hit-and-run receives probation

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A man who was responsible for a fatal alcohol-fueled hit-and-run crash in Knoxville has been released on probation as part of a plea agreement after a new trial was ordered. News outlets report that 26-year-old Curtis…

Mississippi’s largest hospital group names new state leader

FLOWOOD, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi's largest hospital operator has named a new chief executive for its in-state operations. Brentwood, Tennessee-based Community Health Systems has appointed Steve Dobbs to lead its 12 hospitals, which operate as Merit Health. The hospitals in…

Mayors from around Mississippi gather for MSU forum

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - Six mayors from around the state are taking part in Mississippi State University's second mayors' forum. The university says its Stennis Institute of Government is teaming with the Mississippi Municipal League for the second year in…

Officials say EPA Superfund site cleaned up, ready for use

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - Gulfport's old Chemfax Inc. site is ready for use after being cleaned up as an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site. Citing an EPA news release, the Sun Herald reports that although the cleanup is completed, groundwater…

Hunter shot in face by hunting partner in Carroll County

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A hunter has been released from the hospital after being shot in the face by his hunting partner in Carroll County. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks' Lt. Chris Reed tells the Clarion-Ledger reports that…

Mississippi woman linked to Islamic State to plead guilty

A Mississippi woman who once sought to disguise a journey to join the Islamic State group as her honeymoon now plans to plead guilty to a federal terrorism charge. Court papers show 20-year-old Vicksburg native Jaelyn Young will plead guilty…

House OKs increasing penalties for texting while driving

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The state House has narrowly passed a bill to increase penalties for texting while driving in Tennessee. Texting behind the wheel is currently considered a non-moving violation, punishable by a $50 fine. The bill sponsored by…

Land Between Lakes prescribed burns to start Tuesday

GOLDEN POND, Ky. (AP) - Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area says the U.S. Forest Service expects to conduct two prescribed burns at the park beginning Tuesday. The two areas include about 2,600 acres at Franklin Creek and about…

Blasting, construction to start next week on AA Highway

MAYSVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says crews are about to begin construction along a section of the AA Highway in northeast Kentucky. A statement says blasting and other work to widen a 5-mile corridor to four lanes…

Lincoln County teen fatally shot at party

BROOKHAVEN, Miss. (AP) - Authorities say a Lincoln County teen is dead after a shooting at a party. Sheriff Steve Rushing says 17-year-old Wesley Blazier was shot in the head at a party at a home on Highway 550 early…

Petal selling some city buildings

PETAL, Miss. (AP) - The City of Petal is hoping to sell some of the buildings it no longer needs. The Hattiesburg American reports not long after Hurricane Katrina, city officials purchased two building that were used as a fuel…

Committee begins search for UT Martin chancellor

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The University of Tennessee is looking for the next chancellor of the Martin campus. Bob Smith has been serving as interim chancellor since last April. He followed Tom Rakes, who decided to step down and return…

Lodge at Greenbo Lakes State Resort Park remains closed

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky parks officials say the Jesse Stuart Lodge at Greenbo Lakes State Resort Park is closed until further notice due to safety concerns. State Parks Commissioner Donnie Holland made that decision after receiving an engineering draft…

Deadline nears for disaster loan application in Tennessee

WAYNESBORO, Tenn. (AP) - The deadline is approaching to apply for disaster loans for damages caused by December storms in Wayne County and the surrounding area. The U.S. Small Business Administration said businesses, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters affected…

Trucking show is this week in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Representatives of the trucking industry and trucking professionals are meeting this week for the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville. The show is being held at the Kentucky Exposition Center. The Kentucky State Fair Board said in…

Man killed in George County crash

LUCEDALE, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal two-vehicle crash on Mississippi 63. The accident happened Sunday night in George County. Spokesman Chase Elkins identified the victim as Kenneth Dubose. Elkins tells The Sun Herald Dubose…

Communities reeling from news that natives killed in Belgium

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Communities across Kentucky and Tennessee are reeling from the news that two young natives were among those killed in the terrorist attacks in Brussels last week. Stephanie and Justin Shults were confirmed dead Saturday, ending their…

9 injured in pileup on Kentucky highway

FOSTER, Ky. (AP) - Nine people were injured in a pileup on a Kentucky highway after a tractor-trailer crashed with a car and caught fire. Local media reports that three cars were involved in the wreck around 12:30 p.m. on…

2 Mississippi hometowns celebrate ‘American Idol’ finalists

McCOMB, Miss. (AP) - In made-for-TV events, two "American Idol" finalists are being celebrated in their Mississippi hometowns. Thousands of people turned out Saturday to see La'Porsha Renae in McComb and Trent Harmon in Amory. The Enterprise-Journal reports that in…

Nashville police searching for 2 suspects in fatal shooting

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Nashville police are hunting for two young men believed to be connected to the Saturday afternoon shooting death of a 23-year-old man. The Tennessean reports that the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department identified the man killed as…

Man who died trying to save grandmother considered for award

FLAT GAP, Ky. (AP) - A Johnson County man who died trying to save his grandmother during a flood is being considered for an award for his efforts. The Lexington Herald Leader reports that 34-year-old Scott Johnson is being considered…