Author: Associated Press

Springfield police make arrest in hit-and-run cold case

SPRINGFIELD, Tenn. (AP) - Springfield police have made an arrest in a previously unsolved fatal hit-and-run accident. Media outlets report that 40-year-old Ronnie Glenn Gainous was arrested Tuesday and charged with leaving the scene of the accident with a death.…

Former Danville officer indicted on charges involving wreck

DANVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A Boyle County grand jury has indicted a former Danville police officer who was in a wreck while off-duty. Media outlets report 30-year-old Ryan Hundley was indicted Tuesday on one count of second-degree assault, one count…

Ole Miss ex-student to plead guilty to tying noose on statue

A former University of Mississippi student is scheduled to plead guilty Thursday to placing a noose on a statue of a civil rights activist. Federal court filings show Austin Reed Edenfield is scheduled to waive indictment and plead guilty before…

Lexmark laying off 143 people in Lexington starting in May

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Layoff plans have been announced at Lexmark in Lexington starting May 25. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the company has filed a notice with the city that it plans to lay off 143 workers permanently. The company…

County supervisor to call in for meeting during active duty

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) - The Jackson County supervisor plans to phone in for the supervisors meeting after being called to military active duty. The Sun Herald reports Supervisor Troy Ross will still participate in the April Board of Supervisors meeting…

Bill to allow guns bans in ticketed venues fails in House

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A bill seeking to allow Tennessee cities to ban guns from being carried at ticketed events has failed in a House subcommittee. The Republican-controlled Civil Justice Subcommittee voted 3-2 along party lines on Wednesday to kill…

Western signs admission agreement with community college

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Western Kentucky University and Jefferson Community and Technical College have signed a joint admissions agreement. A statement issued jointly by the schools on Wednesday says the agreement will allow students to be admitted to both institutions…

Entergy officials say Brookhaven solar station complete

BROOKHAVEN, Miss. (AP) - Entergy Mississippi officials have announced the completion of its Brookhaven solar station. The Daily Leader reports Entergy Customer Accounts Manager Bill Howard recently said that the Bright Future Solar Project Brookhaven station was complete and online…

Mississippi House passes bill to fund Capitol area repairs

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi House has voted to set aside $21 million for improvements to parts of the capital city. The House voted 113-7 Wednesday to pass Senate Bill 2525, which would create a regional board and an…

Ex-Jackson County deputy pleads not guilty to embezzlement

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) - A former Jackson County sheriff's deputy accused of selling sheriff's department equipment to a pawn shop has waived his arraignment on a felony charge of embezzlement in the case. The Sun Herald reports that move means…

Fetal assault bill fails, law will be discontinued

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A law allowing assault charges to be filed against new mothers for prenatal drug use will be removed after failing in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee. WPLN-FM reports the bill failed Tuesday on a 3-3 vote.…

ACLU accuses Kentucky prison of illegal anti-gay mail ban

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky is challenging the censorship of books, magazines, letters and pictures sent to inmates at one state prison because the warden believes they "promote homosexuality." The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that…

Off-duty officers to begin patrols in Old Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - In an effort to cut down on crime in the area, off-duty police officers are set to begin patrolling the streets of Old Louisville. Louisville Metro Councilman David James tells WLKY-TV the patrols will start Wednesday.…

Slippery elm bark thefts spur more forest patrols

WINCHESTER, Ky. (AP) - An increase in the theft of slippery elm bark has led law enforcement officers to increase patrols in the Daniel Boone National Forest. A statement from the Forest Service in Winchester says officials are also asking…

Marshall County man to complete sentence after appeal denied

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi Court of Appeals has denied a Marshall County man's request for post-conviction relief. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports the appeals court ruled Tuesday that 23-year-old Dillion Williams will have to complete his 65-year…

Gulfport officials to unveil design for proposed aquarium

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - City officials will unveil a design for the proposed Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport. The Sun Herald reports the city announced Monday that the unveiling will be held Friday morning. City spokesman Chris Vignes says in an…

Legislature to take up controversial de-annexation bill

NASHVILLE , Tenn. (AP) - Lawmakers could soon be voting on a controversial municipal de-annexation bill that could ultimately wind up shrinking the size of several Tennessee cities. A Senate committee is expected to take up the de-annexation bill on…

Cold Spring councilwoman arrested on assault, drug charges

COLD SPRING, Ky. (AP) - A Cold Spring councilwoman has been arrested on assault and drug charges. Cold Spring Mayor David "Angelo" Penque tells the Kentucky Enquirer (http://cin.ci/1SgQyTe) that Councilwoman Lisa Cavanaugh called police to come to her home Sunday…

Laurel approves purchasing a new K-9

LAUREL, Miss. (AP) - The Laurel City Council has approved a motion that would allow the police department to purchase a new K-9 dog. WDAM-TV reports  the department currently has three dogs for four shifts. The new purchase would make…

Commercial air service returns to Tupelo April 5

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) - City officials and Contour Airlines are giving travelers a sign that commercial air service will soon resume at Tupelo Regional Airport. WTVA-TV reports Contour flew one of its nine-passenger planes in Tuesday for the public to…

Arkansas governor warns of ‘turmoil’ without Medicaid plan

CONWAY, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas' health care system and its budget will face turmoil if state lawmakers don't keep the state's hybrid Medicaid expansion, Gov. Asa Hutchinson warned at a town hall Tuesday aimed at rallying support for the program.…

Train severs Columbus man’s leg

COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) - A train has severed a Columbus man's leg. Authorities say 56-year-old Bennie Walton was on his way to a convenience store about 8:15 p.m. Monday when he was struck by a train. City spokesman Joe Dillon…

Jazz Fest ‘cubes’ with performance times, stages released

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - It's one month and counting before the 2016 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival returns to the Fairgrounds Race Course. Organizers Tuesday released the coveted "cubes," which show performance times and stages for this year's artists,…

Mississippi senators seek to end personal campaign cash use

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A Mississippi Senate committee Tuesday proposed to ban elected officials and candidates from spending campaign money on themselves, after Associated Press and Clarion-Ledger reports highlighted widespread personal use. The Senate Elections Committee amended House Bill 797…

Senate votes to ban abortion clinics near schools

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - State senators on Tuesday approved a bill aimed at forcing a north Alabama abortion clinic- that is across the street from a Huntsville public school- to move or close. Senators approved the bill on a 27-6…

Memphis reviewing possible AD, coach conflict of interest

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Memphis is launching an investigation into whether athletic director Tom Bowen had a conflict of interest while negotiating basketball coach Josh Pastner's 2013 raise and contract extension. University President David Rudd said in a statement Tuesday…

Assistant labor secretary says mine safety has improved

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Assistant Labor Secretary Joseph Main says mine safety and health have improved measurably in the past five years. Main spoke Tuesday at the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association's annual convention in Nashville. He said the…

Chemical firm announces 150-worker factory in DeSoto County

OLIVE BRANCH, Miss. (AP) - A contract chemical maker will open a factory in Olive Branch, with plans to hire 150 people over three years. BPI Packaging of Memphis, Tennessee, will invest $8 million, buying a 291,000 square-foot building formerly…

Bill would impose fee of 93 cents on prepaid phones for 911

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - People who purchase prepaid cellphones would pay an extra fee of 93 cents to support local 911 systems under a bill that has cleared a House committee. Local governments operate emergency 911 services. They pay for…

$4.5 billion road plan has money for Mountain Pkwy, I-75

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - House Democrats have proposed a two-year, 4.5 billion spending plan on roads and bridges. The proposal includes 1,239 total projects, although not all of the projects will be built. About $1 billion will come from state…

Transgender bathroom bill dies in subcommittee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A bill that would require transgender students to use bathrooms that match their sex at birth appears to be dead for the year. The bill died in a House Education Administration and Planning subcommittee meeting Tuesday…

Proposal would have Ky. colleges compete for funding

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - The universities of Kentucky and Louisville already compete with each other for basketball titles, now they might have to compete for something else: state funding. Senate Republicans outlined a proposal on Tuesday that would pit the…

Innocent bystander killed during Mississippi police pursuit

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Police say an innocent bystander was killed when his car was struck by a suspected shoplifter leading police on a chase from a suburb into Mississippi's capital city. Multiple media outlets report 34-year-old Lonnie Blue Jr.…

Mississippi senators kill plan widening vaccine exemptions

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi senators are killing a plan to expand medical exemptions to childhood vaccination requirements that are some of the tightest in the nation. Senate Education Committee Chairman Gray Tollison, an Oxford Republican, says he found the…

Gun safety bill named after 8-year-old victim defeated

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee House committee has defeated a gun safety bill named after an 8-year-old girl who was fatally shot by an 11-year-old boy after she and her sister refused to let him see their puppies. The…

Officials identify body of man found floating on lake

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Officials have identified the man whose body was found floating on a lake. Sullivan County Sheriff's Office deputies tell local news outlets that they identified the man as 32-year-old Christopher Faidley of Blountville. The body was…

Kentucky’s AG sues Volkswagen for emissions-rigging scheme

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky's attorney general has sued Volkswagen, claiming the automaker's emissions-rigging scheme violated the state's consumer protection law. Attorney General Andy Beshear said Tuesday that the suit filed in a state court seeks civil penalties totaling millions…

Bill to end Tennessee motorcycle helmet law fails in Senate

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A proposal to allow motorcyclists to ride Tennessee roads without safety helmets has been defeated in a Senate committee. The Finance Committee on Tuesday voted 6-5 against the bill sponsored by Sen. Kerry Roberts. The Springfield…

Jefferson County elementary suspensions rise dramatically

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Suspensions at Jefferson County public elementary schools have jumped more than 80 percent this year, already surpassing the number of suspensions handed down during any school year in at least the past decade. The Courier-Journal reports…

Coal company cited after weekend spill affected creek

MAYKING, Ky. (AP) - The water of an Eastern Kentucky creek has turned red due to mine discharge, but state officials say the discharge isn't responsible for dead wildlife in the creek. Kentucky Energy and Environment spokesman John Mura tells…

Adams County votes to raise smoking age to 21

NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - Teens in Adams County itching to buy that first legal cigarette the second they turn 18 will have to wait at least three more years - at least outside the Natchez city limits. The Natchez Democrat…

Man without visa admits firearm violation

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - A 41-year-old Hispanic man has admitted he was in the U.S. without permission when he was found with a stolen semi-automatic handgun in a traffic stop in Biloxi. The Sun Herald reports Leobardo Morales-Gonzalez pleaded guilty…

Sheriff recommends end to inmate work program

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) - Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell is recommending that the county end its inmate work program rather than pick up the cost of running it from the state Department of Corrections. Ezell told the Board of Supervisors…

Ex Lebanon school bus driver indicted on child sex charges

LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) - A school bus driver in Lebanon has been indicted on child sex charges. News outlets report that 47-year-old Stephen Massey was indicted Thursday on one charge of sexual battery of a child less than 13 years…

Survey: Nashville ranked in top 20 of most congested cities

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A new survey says Nashville has some of the biggest traffic snarls in the nation and the congestion is only getting worse. Knoxville, however, was ranked as having one of the smoothest commutes in major cities…

Jackson police arrest man wanted in 2 deaths

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Jackson police say a man wanted in the death of two people during a March 5 armed robbery has been captured. The suspect was identified as 19-year-old Joshua Dukes. He was captured after a brief foot…