Author: Associated Press

Will Gulf Shores beach booze ban bring breakers to Miss.?

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - Some college students are telling a Mississippi Gulf Coast television station that a ban on alcohol at a popular Alabama beach destination will bring more spring breakers to Mississippi. WLOX interviewed students, the operator of a…

Glass fiber manufacturer to expand plant, will add 32 jobs

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A statement from Gov. Matt Bevin's office says Superior Composites has broken ground on an expansion at its Vanceburg facility that will add 20,000 square feet and 32 jobs. The plant in Lewis County manufactures glass…

Fayette Co. Public Schools approves radon mitigation funds

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - The Fayette County School Board has approved a sum of money that'll be used to reduce the levels of radon at nine schools. Media outlets report Fayette County Public Schools spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall says high levels…

Nashville Airport expected to be busy

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Nashville airport officials are warning travelers to be prepared for a heavy increase in the number of passengers flying out of Music City this week. Officials say a large number of people attending conventions in Nashville…

Judge dismisses lawsuit over Lexington playhouse restriction

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - A Lexington homeowners group and the U.S. Justice Department have agreed to drop a lawsuit over a boy's playhouse that the family said was needed to help with the child's therapy. U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell…

Chief justice: Cuts could put 17,000 awaiting trial in jail

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky's chief justice says proposed budget cuts would mean the judicial system would likely send 17,000 defendants back to county jails because there would be no officers to supervise them while they are awaiting trial. Kentucky…

Gulf Coast casinos power Mississippi’s February revenue gain

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Booming Gulf Coast casino revenues continue to buoy Mississippi's statewide totals. Figures from the state Revenue Department show casinos won $190 million in February, up 5 percent from $181 million in February 2015. Gamblers lost $105…

Bevin appoints Jeffersontown chief as new KSP commissioner

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has chosen the Jeffersontown police chief as the new Kentucky State Police commissioner. Bevin appointed Richard W. Sanders to the post on Monday after an eight person committee recommended him. The committee…

Father charged with murder in shooting death of son, 29

GALLATIN, Tenn. (AP) - A Gallatin father has been accused of fatally shooting his son. Gallatin police spokesman Bill Storment tells news outlets that officers responding to a shooting inside a home on Sunday afternoon found 29-year-old Darrel Lauderdale Jr.…

Farmers backing out of hemp farming after 2015 struggles

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Many Tennessee farmers who participated in the state's return to industrial hemp farming are not going to try to grow the highly regulated seed again. In 2015, the state had about 50 farmers sign up to…

Vigil held to honor Clark County men killed 6 years ago

WINCHESTER, Ky. (AP) - A candlelight vigil was held in Clark County to honor three young men who died in a fatal shooting six years ago. The Winchester Sun reports that the vigil was held Saturday night to honor 24-year-old…

Bench trial set to begin for former Ohio basketball coach

COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) - A bench trial for a former Ohio college women's basketball coach accused of groping a player in northern Kentucky is set to begin in Kentucky. Court officials say the trial of former Xavier University assistant women's…

Police seize marijuana, lollipops laced with THC in Seminary

SEMINARY, Miss. (AP) - Police in Seminary say they have recently seized lollipops laced with THC. WJTV-TV reports the Seminary Police Department says in a statement that officers seized the items over the weekend as well as a large amount…

Grand jury: Raise Harrison County deputies’ pay

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - A Harrison County grand jury wants the Board of Supervisors to increase deputies' pay and start setting aside money to build a new detention center for juveniles. The Sun Herald reports the recommendations are among those…

Bridge over Herrington Lake set to reopen April 1

BURGIN, Ky. (AP) - State officials say the Kennedy Mill Bridge over Herrington Lake in central Kentucky is scheduled to reopen on April 1, nearly seven months after closing to traffic. Kentucky transportation officials closed the 804-foot span that connects…

Workforce training initiative adds chapter in NE Kentucky

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Gov. Matt Bevin says a workforce training initiative has expanded into northeastern Kentucky. A statement from the governor's office says the Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education is now available through Maysville Community and Technical College.…

Antiques stolen, but worst loss: Dad’s Silver Star

VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) - It was bad enough to get out of the hospital to find that his house had been ransacked, with antiques and heirlooms stolen. But David Hintson says the worst loss is that of his father's military…

Police investigate Louisville fire as arson; 4 found dead

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Louisville police are investigating the deaths of four people found in a home after firefighters responded to a house fire. Louisville Metro Police Department spokesman Dwight Mitchell tells local media outlets that the fire Sunday was…

4 accused of killing man found dead in ditch

VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) - Authorities say four men are accused of killing a 25-year-old whose body was found in a ditch. WAPT reports that 22-year-old Jodarius Grisby turned himself in to police on Sunday in the death of Kordell Bates.…

Leads in double slaying evasive months later

MCCOMB, Miss. (AP) - More than two months after a 64-year-old woman and her 34-year-old son were killed, McComb police say they have few clues about the deaths. Barbara Conerly and her son?Shawn Butler were shot from close range between…

Victim of fall at Lexington nature sanctuary identified

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Officials have identified a Kenton County woman who died after falling off an overlook at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary in Lexington. The Fayette County coroner's office identified the victim late Saturday as 22-year-old Mary Katharine Stewart.…

4 rescued after boat accidents a half-hour apart

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi authorities say they had to rescue four boaters after accidents about a half-hour apart. They're asking people to pay attention to the weather and small craft warnings. Department of Marine Resources spokeswoman Melissa Scallan says…

Automation may replace millions of jobs in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A report released by the state of Tennessee suggests that up to 1.4 million people are at risk of losing their jobs to automation. Citing a study by the Center for Economic Research in Tennessee, the…

College campus crimes in Tennessee drop 7 percent in 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - State statistics show a 27 percent increase in forcible sexual offenses on Tennessee college campuses last year. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's annual college crime study found that crime reported by state colleges and universities fell…

Prosecutors file death penalty notice in Kentucky shooting

WINCHESTER, Ky. (AP) - Clark County prosecutors say they plan to seek the death penalty if four suspects in a woman's shooting death are convicted at trial. The Winchester Sun reports prosecutors notified Clark County Circuit Court during a status…

Suspect in Kentucky mall shooting arrested after standoff

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - A six-hour standoff with Lexington police ended with the arrest of a 17-year-old male. Police spokeswoman Brenna Angel tells The Herald-Leader that the youth was arrested and charged with first-degree robbery and first-degree assault stemming from…

Missouri lawmakers worry police technology invades privacy

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri lawmakers are looking at changing the ways police collect and store the enormous amount of data that comes from relatively new technology, including video, audio and location. Lawmakers have filed at least 10 bills,…

Laurel County constable charged in fatal shooting of man

LONDON, Ky. (AP) - A grand jury has indicted a Laurel County constable in the fatal shooting of a Manchester man. The Times-Tribune reports that 37-year-old Bobby Joe Smith was indicted on a second-degree manslaughter charge on Friday. Laurel County…

2 jail inmates captured after escaping in Perry County

LINDEN, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say two jail inmates who escaped custody in Perry County have been captured. According to WTVF-TV, authorities said Raymond D. Gibson and Michael William Brown escaped jail on Friday night. Both were found in a…

Tennessee teen indicted in death of 4-month-old daughter

LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) - A 19-year-old Wilson County woman has been indicted on charges in the death of her 4-month-old daughter. Wilson County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Sharon Curtis-Flair says in a news release that Kenya Demoines Jarrett of Watertown was…

Hattiesburg shelter helps 4-legged victims

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - An animal shelter in Hattiesburg has become home to some four-legged flood victims. Southern Pines Animal Shelter is sheltering dozens of pets whose owners are out of their homes due to last week's flooding in Mississippi.…

Authorities search for 2 brothers missing since fishing trip

PORT GIBSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi authorities are searching for two brothers who were reported missing more than a week ago after they went fishing on the Mississippi River. Media reports that 29-year-old Darrel Wilson and 26-year-old Joshua Wilson called…

Inmate found dead in his Adams County jail cell

NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - Investigators say an inmate found dead in his cell at the Adams County jail was hanging by his neck from a handmade rope. The Adams County Sheriff's Office told the Natchez Democrat that 32-year-old Joseph Laverne…

Nissan recalling vehicles for fuel pump that stops working

Nissan is expanding a recall of 2014 Rogue vehicles to fix a fuel pump problem that can prevent the engine from starting or cause the engine to stop while the vehicle is being driven. The expanded recall affects 46,671 vehicles…

Laurel County constable charged in fatal shooting of man

LONDON, Ky. (AP) - A grand jury has indicted a Laurel County constable in the fatal shooting of a Manchester man. The Times-Tribune reports that 37-year-old Bobby Joe Smith was indicted on a second-degree manslaughter charge on Friday. Laurel County…

Woman dies in fall at Lexington, Ky nature sanctuary

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Officials say a woman has died after falling off an overlook at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary in Lexington. Media reports say the woman slipped and fell off the overlook on Saturday. Firefighters attempted a rescue but…

2 escape from fire that damaged Saucier home

SAUCIER, Miss. (AP) - Harrison County's fire chief says two people escaped from a blaze that damaged their Saucier home. Chief Pat Sullivan said nobody was injured in the fire, which broke out late Friday. Sullivan told The Sun Herald…

Construction worker dies at Shelby County site

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say a worker has died while working on a construction project in Shelby County. Mickey Keaton, a spokesman for the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, said the construction worker died Saturday at the site where a…

Mother embraces son’s killer after his guilty plea to murder

CORINTH, Miss. (AP) - The mother of a slain teenager embraced her son's killer after he pleaded guilty to a murder charge in a Mississippi courtroom. Circuit Judge Thomas Gardner III sentenced 18-year-old Amartrie Moss, of Corinth, to 30 years…

Sheriff’s son charged

PIKEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Bledsoe County's sheriff has jailed his own 26-year-old son on drug, gun and assault charges. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that deputies say they found 11.1 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a loaded weapon…

Firefighter arrested

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) - A firefighter in Mississippi has been arrested on suspicion of driving a fire truck while drunk. Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson told media that 34-year-old Phillip W. Gasaway, a member of the Unity Fellowship Volunteer Fire…

Escaped inmates

LINDEN, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say two jail inmates who escaped custody in Perry County have been captured. Authorities also said Raymond D. Gibson and Michael William Brown escaped jail on Friday night. Both were found in a briar patch…

Virtual school

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The legislature's failure to shut down an academically-troubled virtual school run by a for-profit corporation has left some education leaders wondering whether Tennessee lawmakers really want to fix schools or have sold out children to powerful…

Teen plane crash

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A pair of teenagers was able to walk away from a rented airplane one of them was flying when it crashed onto a Kansas golf course. Wichita police say the pilot was a 17-year-old boy and…

Hattiesburg shelter helps 4-legged victims

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - An animal shelter in Hattiesburg has become home to some four-legged flood victims. Southern Pines Animal Shelter is sheltering dozens of pets whose owners are out of their homes due to last week's flooding in Mississippi.…

Lexington judge rules local abortion clinic can remain open

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - A Lexington judge has ruled that a local abortion clinic the state claims is unlicensed can remain open. The administration of Republican Gov. Matt Bevin sued the clinic earlier this month. The EMW clinic argued in…

Williams guilty in 2010 murder of George County sheriff

MERIDIAN, Miss. (AP) - A jury has found Brandy Nicole Williams guilty of capital murder in the 2010 death of George County Sheriff Garry Welford. Friday's verdict in Lauderdale County was the result of a retrial for Williams. Her first…

Bill would allow charter school enrollment across districts

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A Mississippi House committee has passed a bill that would allow charter schools to enroll students across district lines. The bill passed out of the House Education Committee Friday without contention. Charter schools are operated by…