Author: Associated Press

Crash kills Louisiana woman, 44, Mississippi woman, 22

LUCEDALE, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi Highway Patrol reports that a head-on crash between a sports car and a mid-sized car has killed both drivers - a 44-year-old Louisiana woman and a 22-year-old Mississippi woman. Cpl. Benjamin Seibert tells The…

Bill allowing guns on college campuses set for House vote

ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia lawmakers are set to vote on a bill permitting guns on state college campuses. The House Rules committee has scheduled Rep. Rick Jasperse's proposal for a floor vote on Monday. Jasperse, a Republican from Jasper, has…

Jackson police investigate fatal shooting at strip club

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Police are investigating a fatal shooting at a Jackson strip club. The Jackson Police Department said in a news release that officers responded to the Black Diamond Club on Saturday regarding reports of gunfire. Police say…

Spring Tupelo Furniture Market kicks off Thursday

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) - The Spring Tupelo Furniture Market starts Thursday, but some transactions have already started as buyers and sellers gather for the 29th consecutive year. Kevin Seddon, president of the Tupelo Furniture Market, tells the Northeast Mississippi Daily…

Naked man arrested at Nashville airport

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A naked man has been arrested at Nashville International Airport - and airport officials say he is a repeat offender. Airport spokeswoman Shannon Summerall tells local media that the man was arrested Sunday evening. Other identifying…

Lawsuit filed in former Jackson mayor’s death

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against St. Dominic Hospital and two doctors who treated the late Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba (SHOW'-kway Lu-MOOM'-bah). The Clarion-Ledger reports at 9 a.m. on Feb. 25, 2014 Lumumba checked…

Tennessee teams with USDA to combat SNAP trafficking

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee officials are teaming with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a renewed effort to combat trafficking of SNAP benefits. SNAP is the state's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. SNAP trafficking refers…

Dairy conferences set in Bowling Green to help farmers

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Two conferences in Bowling Green this week will attract dairy experts from around the country. They will give presentations on dairy production, management, economics, and stockmanship as part of the Kentucky Dairy Partners Conference and Young…

Kentucky’s auto sector delivered more growth in 2015

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky's automotive industry produced more vehicles and increased its employment in 2015. The Kentucky Automotive Industry Association says the state maintained its status as the nation's third-largest producer of cars and light trucks. The group says…

Ocean Springs grants leaning tree a stay of execution

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) - A tilted oak on Lover's Lane has won a reprieve from the Ocean Springs Board of Aldermen. Fire Chief Jeff Ponson says it's in the way of fire trucks. He wants it down. The board…

Once regional school for handicapped students to close doors

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) - A regional school for handicapped children will close after this school year because only two districts are using it. The McDougal Center has been in Tupelo for more than 40 years, and once served nine districts…

Sen. Thayer’s ex-fiancee says he threatened her

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky State Majority Leader Damon Thayer's ex-fiancee has alleged in a lawsuit that he threatened to use his political power against her. The Georgetown News-Graphic reported Saturday that the allegations are part of lawsuits Thayer and…

Jury selection begins in sportscaster’s $75 million lawsuit

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Jury selection begins Monday in the trial involving sportscaster and TV host Erin Andrews, who filed a $75 million lawsuit against the franchise owner and manager of a luxury hotel and a man who admitted making…

Toddler’s death in central Kentucky under investigation

HARRODSBURG, Ky. (AP) - A toddler's death is under investigation in central Kentucky. Mercer County Coroner Sonny Ransdell says a 22-month-old girl was pronounced dead at Haggin B. Memorial Hospital on Thursday. Ransdell says the body was sent to the…

Police seek 2 men posing as officers stopping motorists

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Police in Clarksville are looking for two men posing as police officers and pulling over are motorists. Clarksville police say in a news release that the department received at least three reports from people claiming they…

N Mississippi woman may have been missing 6 weeks

FULTON, Miss. (AP) - Fulton Police Chief Reggie Johnson says a woman reported missing earlier this month may have been missing much longer than that. Johnson tells WCBI-TV  that nobody has seen Deborah Evans-Bell since New Year's Day. She was…

Man wanted in killings of 2 captured in East Tennessee

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) - A man wanted in the October slayings of two Florida men has been captured in East Tennessee. Washington County Sheriff Ed Graybeal says in a news release that 21-year-old Joshua Daniel Brown was captured last…

4 men re-indicted in 2012 murder of man; 1 returns to jail

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) - Four men accused of kidnapping a man from his home in Alabama then taking him to Tennessee to kill him in 2012 have been indicted again. Local news media report that Robert Eugene Davis, Jamie Ladae…

Kentucky man charged in vehicle pursuit involving wrecks

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) - An Alvaton man has been arrested on more than a dozen charges after leading Kentucky State Police on a pursuit that resulted in collisions with two other vehicles. State Police say in a news release…

Website lets Kentucky drug addicts find treatment help

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - A new online tool can help Kentucky drug addicts find treatment. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports information on 130 Kentucky providers can be found on the website http://GetHelpLex.org . The website takes visitors through questions to help…

Tenn. celebrating drop in sleep-related infant deaths

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee first lady Crissy Haslam and the state's health commissioner are headlining events to celebrate the success of a statewide initiative to reduce sleep-related deaths among infants. State health officials say Tennessee has had a 25…

Jail Administrator has been fired in Rutherford County

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) - A Rutherford County jail administrator has been fired in the wake of two recent inmate suicides earlier this year. The Daily News Journal (http://on.dnj.com/1PNkmpS) reports that Rutherford County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Lisa Marchesoni confirmed that Maj.…

Lock of John Lennon’s hair fetches $35,000 at auction

DALLAS (AP) - A lock of John Lennon's hair that was snipped as he prepared for a film role has sold for $35,000. Dallas-based Heritage Auctions said Saturday that the 4-inch lock of hair was purchased by Paul Fraser, a…

13 busted in Hancock County drug roundup

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) - Authorities in Hancock County say 13 people have been arrested in a weekend roundup of drug suspects. And several others were being sought. Officials say some of the suspects named Friday already were behind…

Expansion of alcohol sales up for a vote in Harrodsburg

HARRODSBURG, Ky. (AP) - Voters in the city of Harrodsburg in Mercer County will soon decide whether to expand alcohol sales to smaller restaurants and open the door to bars and retail package stores. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that the…

Blount County sheriff: Boy found dead after escaping custody

MARYVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say a 16-year-old boy who escaped from a juvenile detention center in Blount County has been found dead. In a news release, Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong says the boy's body was found on…

Book, song promote Keep Tennessee Beautiful

JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) - There are 282 public libraries in the 95 Tennessee counties. This month all 282 received a new addition to their respective collections. The Keep Tennessee Beautiful Foundation recently donated copies of "Nancy and Sluggo Love Tennessee:…

Jail administrator fired in wake of inmate suicides

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) - A Rutherford County jail administrator has been fired in the wake of two recent inmate suicides earlier this year. The Daily News Journal reports that Rutherford County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Lisa Marchesoni confirmed that Maj. Tommy…

Testing bill could provide Georgia schools some relief

MACON, Ga. (AP) - A bill proposed in the state Senate could decrease focus on standardized testing in Georgia. The Telegraph reports that the Senate Bill 364 would reduce the number of tests that Georgia students take from 32 to…

1 officer dead, 3 wounded in Mississippi shooting

IUKA, Mississippi (AP) - Law enforcement authorities say one officer is dead and three are hospitalized with gunshot wounds after a standoff in northeastern Mississippi. Department of Public Safety spokesman Warren Strain says the standoff ended in gunfire early Saturday…

Crane collapses at Ohio River bridge site

AP-KY--Crane Collapse Crane collapses at Ohio River bridge site Eds: APNewsNow. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A crane removing temporary supports from the Louisville-area East End bridge has collapsed into the Ohio River. Dan Hartlage, a spokesman for the project contractor,…

Bills would ban minors from Mississippi indoor tanning beds

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Some Mississippi lawmakers want to stop teenagers from soaking up the rays at the tanning salon. They cite evidence of an increased risk of skin cancers from using tanning beds, especially for high school and college-age…

Sweatpants ban sags in Arkansas Legislature

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - An effort to ban Arkansas lawmakers from wearing jeans or sweatpants at a key committee's hearings failed Friday after one opponent suggested he'd get mistaken back home for an undertaker in a suit and tie.…

Health officials in Mississippi report flu-related death

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi health officials have reported a flu-related death in northwest Mississippi. The Department of Health reports that it's the state's first flu-related death in a minor since the flu season began in 2015. A total of…

Circuit Court clerk admits stealing more than $300,000

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A former Circuit Court clerk in Kentucky has admitted to stealing more than $330,000 from her office, using a sophisticated system that allowed her to siphon public money for nearly a decade. Kentucky's attorney general announced…

Judge declines state’s bid to throw out school funding case

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A judge has declined an effort by the state to throw out a lawsuit challenging the adequacy of Tennessee's school funding formula. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman told attorneys in Nashville…

Southwest offers new nonstop service to Charlotte

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Officials say Southwest Airlines will begin offering nonstop flights out of Nashville to Charlotte, North Carolina. Nashville International Airport officials say that in addition to the new service to Charlotte, Southwest will add one additional daily…

Titans re-sign tight end Craig Stevens to 1-year deal

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Titans have agreed to a one-year contract with veteran tight end Craig Stevens. The Titans announced the deal Friday, hours after general manager Jon Robinson told season-ticket holders they had re-signed Stevens. A third-round…

Employee dead, suspect injured after gas station shooting

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say a gas station store employee is dead and a suspect is in critical condition after a shooting during a robbery attempt in eastern Memphis. Memphis police spokesman Louis Brownlee tells news outlets that a…

Appeals court rules in favor of papers in open-records case

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky's Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of two newspapers in a sharply worded opinion that found the state unlawfully denied access to records documenting child abuse. The ruling orders the agency to pay about…

Floyd County aunt sentenced in toddler’s 2011 death

PRESTONBURG, Ky. (AP) - A Floyd County woman has been given a recommended 15-year prison sentence for her role in the death of her 2-year-old nephew in 2011. WYMT-TV reports that Gladys Dickerson was sentenced Thursday in Floyd County court…

UK College of Medicine expanding due to physician shortage

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - The University of Kentucky College of Medicine says it is expanding educational opportunities to address a shortage of physicians in the state. UK says in a statement that it is developing a four-year satellite program in…

DeSoto schools look at streamlining personnel

HERNANDO, Miss. (AP) - DeSoto County school leaders are exploring ways to streamline jobs in the district's central office as a cost-saving measure. It's part of new Superintendent Cory Uselton's emerging personnel strategy. The Commercial Appeal reports school board members…

Jackson Council talks about lead in city water

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Jackson City councilmen have questions about what officials are doing to address high levels of lead in residents' drinking water and one wants to declare a state of emergency. The Clarion-Ledger reports Councilman De'Keither Stamps was…

Gulfport man gets 10 years for trafficking cocaine

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - A Gulfport man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy that used a Diamondhead home as storage for drug proceeds. The Sun Herald reports U.S. District Judge…

Stennis Space Center to cut 129 as result of consolidation

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) - NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County will lose 129 contractor jobs as a result of a recent consolidation of operational contracts. The Sun Herald reports the consolidation will merge the Stennis…