Author: Associated Press

VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) - Police in Vicksburg are searching for teenagers who they say have been vandalizing neighborhoods across the city. Vicksburg police Lt. Troy Kimble tells WLBT-TV (http://bit.ly/1JZiHOg) the city has had 30 acts of vandalism through the past…

COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) - Columbus has a new police chief. The city council voted 3-2 this week to name current Waynesboro Police Chief Oscar Lewis III as the new chief of the Columbus Police Department. The council chose Lewis over…

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The number of people who have enrolled for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act stands at 97,909 with less than 11 days before the final deadline to get 2016 coverage. Jan. 31 is the deadline…

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky's state parks are offering assistance during the winter storm to people who may be stranded or otherwise need lodging. The Department of Parks said in a news release Wednesday that lodge rooms are available at…

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky's attorney general would be empowered to join the fight against human trafficking if a bill approved by a state House committee becomes law. New Attorney General Andy Beshear told the House Judiciary Committee that he's…

PROVIDENCE, Ky. (AP) - A coal miner has died after being pinned against a wall by a mobile digging machine in an underground western Kentucky mine. State mining officials say 36-year-old Nathan G. Phillips was taken to a nearby hospital…

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - A judge has ruled that a Sequatchie County man accused of planning an assault on a small Muslim community in New York has to report for mental health testing. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that…

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The faculty of the University of Louisville's Brandeis School of Law has voted to adopt a resolution saying the school will "champion the cause of compassion." The Courier-Journal reports the resolution was passed 26-2 Tuesday after…

FORT KNOX, Ky. (AP) - Fort Knox is expected to gain 223 employees this year as a result of the reorganization of the 4th Cavalry Brigade and addition of the U.S. Army Reserve Careers Division headquarters News outlets report that…

CHARLOTTE, Tenn. (AP) - Dickson County commissioners have unanimously approved a resolution to disagree with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on same-sex marriage. WTVF-TV reports Tuesday night's decision made Dickson the sixth county in the state to approve a resolution…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Country music Hall of Famer Kris Kristofferson will be honored at a special tribute concert in Nashville, Tennessee, featuring performances by Willie Nelson, Rosanne Cash, Eric Church and Lady Antebellum. The singer-songwriter will also perform at…

PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. (AP) - A 2-year-old female dolphin has been released back into the Mississippi Sound after it was found stranded three weeks ago in Pass Christian. Local media outlets report that federal, state and local agencies recued the…

NEWPORT, Ky. (AP) - A northern Kentucky woman convicted of murder in her boyfriend's slaying is asking a judge to either declare mistrial or grant a new trial because one of the jurors on the case was a convicted felon.…

AP-MS--Oyster Relocation-Boats Capsize 2 boats capsize in Bayou Caddy during oyster relocation Eds: APNewsNow. GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - Officials say two boats capsized in Bayou Caddy while participating in an oyster relocation program. The Sun Herald reports the incident happened…

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) - A western Kentucky man has admitted to killing his wife and setting their home ablaze. Multiple media outlets report that 56-year-old Keith Griffith was sentenced Tuesday to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges…

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) - Officials in Ocean Springs are looking into bringing Uber service into their city. The Sun Herald reports Mayor Connie Moran put the issue on the agenda for discussion at Tuesday night's Mayor and Board of…

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - State health regulators are reopening an oyster area on the east side of the Mississippi River. The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals says area 5 will be reopened effective at one-half hour before sunrise…

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A federal judge has sentenced a 42-year-old man to 18 months in prison for tampering with a consumer product. U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis, in a news release Tuesday, said U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan…

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The University of Louisville is displaying a collection of black-and-white photographs that were taken nearly 40 years ago to document the living and working conditions of coal miners. Louisville photographer Ted Wathen worked as principal photographer…

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky State Police have some advice for people traveling during winter weather conditions. The agency says don't travel at all unless it's necessary when winter weather is in your area. If it's necessary, check road conditions…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Board of Regents is meeting by telephone on Thursday to appoint an acting chancellor for the State University and Community College System. The current chancellor, John Morgan, announced earlier this month he will retire…

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - More than 60 boats have been sent to the Mississippi Sound to start relocating oysters in an attempt to save them. Media outlets report that Department of Marine Resources officials launched this emergency operation Monday to…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Department of Transportation says it is ready for a forecast that calls for a wintry mix of precipitation to fall across the state. A statement from the agency says all 95 counties are stocked…

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann is asking legislators to update Mississippi's election laws, including allowing online voter registration. Republican Hosemann unveiled his proposals Tuesday. He wants to allow people to vote at county courthouses 21 days…

HAMILTON, Miss. (AP) - Contractor KBR will lay off 69 employees at the Tronox plant, according to a letter from the company to the Monroe County Board of Supervisors. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports the layoffs will take effect…

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A Democratic National Committee member from Mississippi says he's supporting Bernie Sanders for president. Keelan Sanders tells The Associated Press that the Vermont senator has been a strong advocate for African-Americans, including supporting the Voting Rights…

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Supreme Court has used a Knox County murder case to rule that an autopsy report can serve as evidence in a trial, even when the report's author isn't available to testify. The Knoxville News…

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The National Weather Service is calling for up to 4 inches of snow to fall across much of Kentucky. The weather service says flakes are expected to begin falling before sunrise on Wednesday in most places,…

HENDERSON, Ky. (AP) - A complaint has been filed against the Henderson County Board of Education alleging the school system's "nickel tax" is fraudulent and was applied retroactively. The Gleaner of Henderson reports plaintiffs Robert Pruitt and Dean Spooner filed…

YAZOO CITY, Miss. (AP) - Yazoo County officials say a 69-year-old man died when the ATV he was driving flipped over. Coroner Ricky Shivers says first responders were dispatched to a home just outside the Yazoo City limits just before…

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi prison officials say a 54-year-old man convicted of killing five people in two counties and then attempting suicide has died in prison after serving 22½ years. The Department of Corrections said in a news release…

NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - The historic Natchez Eola Hotel building could be one step closer this week to reopening its doors as senior living apartments. The Natchez Democrat reports the owner of the former hotel building - Virginia attorney Robert Lubin…

LONDON, Ky. (AP) - A 95-year-old woman has died of hypothermia after she walked away from an assisted living facility in London. Laurel County Coroner Doug Bowling tells local media outlets that Dorothy McKnight died of exposure and was found…

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Pet owners in Jackson will have to pay up, if the city follows the path of other municipalities such as Baton Rouge in implementing a mandatory pet registration program. Concerns about a Dec. 18 attack by…

PURVIS, Miss. (AP) - The wait for a number of Purvis High's student-athletes to get into their new field house will be a little longer. The field house, which began construction in the summer, is still months away from completion.…

WAVELAND, Miss. (AP) - Hancock County sheriff's deputies say no one was injured, but a couple's camper was destroyed after it got stuck on the tracks and was hit by an oncoming train. Officials said a truck pulling a camper…

MCCOMB, Miss. (AP) - McComb officials rescued a dog that slipped into one of the sewage lagoons at the city's wastewater treatment plant. The Enterprise-Journal reports firefighters and animal control officers rescued the dog Thursday. Officials say three dogs had…

COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) - Columbus authorities say they're increasing the number of police officers on patrol. The Commercial Dispatch reports the Columbus Police Department says in a statement that officers will be conducting "heavy patrols" in areas where recent shootings…

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) - Police say a Moss Point man has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a Pascagoula man. Multiple media outlets report 26-year-old Anton Marquis McWilliams was taken into custody on Saturday. He's charged with…

HICKMAN, Ky. (AP) - The Dorena-Hickman Ferry on the western tip of Kentucky will be reopening after weeks of high water. The ferry that connects Hickman, Kentucky to Missouri near Dorena will reopen Tuesday at 7 a.m. CST. It has…