Author: Associated Press

Police searching for teenagers who vandalized neighborhoods

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…

New man in charge of Columbus Police Department

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…

97,909 Mississippians sign up for health care coverage

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…

Event at Kentucky State marks anniversary of 13th Amendment

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - It's been 150 years since the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, abolishing slavery, and a program is being held this weekend to commemorate the anniversary. The Kentucky State NAACP Conference, Kentucky State University…

Sanders won’t be at Tennessee campaign event this week

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders won't be at an event being put on by his campaign at Tennessee State University. The Tennessean reports the "Feel the Bern" event scheduled for Friday night will be headlined…

Kentucky parks offering special rates during severe weather

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…

Blackhawks win team-record 12th straight, top Predators 4-1

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 Tuesday night for their franchise-record 12th straight win. Chicago tied the Florida Panthers' recent streak for the longest this…

Winter weather strikes across Kentucky, Tennessee

[gtxvideo vid="QMotL1VY" playlist="" pid="wMQlYtLM" thumb="http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/QMotL1VY-120.jpg?cachebust=1453337279416" vtitle="KY Weather.flv"] LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Snow has blanketed much of Kentucky and Tennessee leading school districts and some universities to cancel classes and officials to warn motorists to be cautious of slick roads. The…

House panel OKs bill enlisting AG in human trafficking fight

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…

Coal miner crushed by digging machine in western Ky. mine

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…

Man charged in Muslim attack plot to undergo mental testing

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…

U of Louisville law school adopts ‘compassion’ decree

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 to gain 223 employees in 2016

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…

Dickson Co. passes resolution opposing same-sex marriage

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…

Kristofferson to be honored in all-star Nashville concert

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…

Workers release stranded dolphin back into Mississippi Sound

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…

Nashville charter school network sued over text messages

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Nashville parent has filed a class-action lawsuit against an operator of charter schools in Tennessee, saying that it illegally sent a series of text messages to promote enrollment at its schools. The Tennessean reports that…

2 boats capsize in Bayou Caddy during oyster relocation

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…

Man admits to killing wife, setting Reidland home ablaze

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 officials to look at bringing Uber into city

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…

Louisiana reopens oyster harvest area

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…

Man gets 18 months for product tampering

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…

1979 photos of miners’ lives, working conditions displayed

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…

Kentucky State Police have winter weather driving tips

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…

Board of Regents meeting to appoint acting chancellor

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…

Pearl Jam, Dead & Company, LCD Soundsystem to play Bonnaroo

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Pearl Jam, Dead & Company and LCD Soundsystem will headline the 2016 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in June in Manchester, Tennessee. The four-day festival revealed its musical lineup for its 15th year on TBS' "Conan"…

Department of Marine Resources begins oyster relocation

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…

Wintry mix expected to hit across Tennessee

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…

Hosemann proposes updates for Mississippi election laws

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…

Contractor to lay off 69 workers at Tronox in Monroe County

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…

1 Miss. Democratic super delegate supporting Sanders

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…

Knox slaying case sets legal precedent in Tennessee

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…

Weather forecast calls for up to 4 inches of snow Wednesday

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,…

Appeal filed against Henderson County Schools’ ‘nickel tax’

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…

Man killed in ATV crash in Yazoo County

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…

Man convicted in 5 slayings dies in Mississippi prison

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…

Eola Hotel developer to appear before planning commission

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…

Woman, 95, dies from exposure in Laurel County after fall

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 animal control pushing pet registration

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 High School field house far from completion

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.…

Train hits camper stalled on tracks in Hancock County

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…

2 dogs drown, 1 rescued from McComb sewage lagoon

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…

Authorities to increase police officer patrols in Columbus

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…

Police: Moss Point man arrested in Pascagoula fatal shooting

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…

Nashville’s 1st sex trafficking buyer conviction erased

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Nashville judge overturned the conviction and 22-year prison sentence for a man whose case was championed as having secured the first successful prosecution of a customer of sex trafficking in Tennessee. The Tennessean reports that…

Tennessee tutor accused of driving 3 students in car trunk

LA VERGNE, Tenn. (AP) - Police say a Metro Nashville tutor was spotted driving nine children, including three who were in the trunk of her car. La Vergne police spokesman John Fesmire tells media outlets that surveillance footage shows that…

Western Ky. ferry to Missouri reopening

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…

Gasol helps Memphis beat New Orleans 101-99

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Marc Gasol had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and the balanced Memphis Grizzlies topped the New Orleans Pelicans 101-99 on Monday. Matt Barnes, Jeff Green and Courtney…

Tennessee Girls Basketball Prep Poll

The Associated Press' Top 10 teams in each of Tennessee's three Division I non-financial aid classifications and in the combined Division II financial aid classification as selected by Tennessee AP-member sportswriters and broadcasters. With first-place votes in parentheses, records through…