Author: Associated Press

Man arrested in Monroe County cockfighting case

BECKER, Miss. (AP) - The Monroe County Sheriff's Office has seized of approximately 60 roosters suspected to be raised for the purpose of cockfighting. Investigator Brandon Davis tells the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal execution of a search warrant and arrest…

Tennessee to spend millions on new DUI campaign

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - After nixing an anti-DUI ad campaign that garnered criticism, the Tennessee Department of Transportation is paying millions on another attempt to educate the public about highway safety. The Tennessean reports the state last week hired Tuerff-Davis…

Judge praises Durham for ‘moral courage’

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - While many GOP leaders in the Tennessee Legislature have distanced themselves from state Rep. Jeremy Durham for writing a character reference letter on behalf of a former youth minister who pleaded guilty to child porn possession,…

2 Natchez antebellum homes get over $300K in grant funding

NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - Two Natchez antebellum houses have been awarded more than $300,000 in state grant funding for repairs and restoration work. The Natchez Democrat reports the Mississippi Department of Archives and History awarded $103,455 to Auburn Antebellum Home…

Harrison Co. starts family drug court program

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - Harrison County is launching a program to help parents struggling with drug problems who have children in the Department of Human Services system. The Sun Herald reports it will be known as family drug court, the…

Gulfport mayor vetoes tree removal permit for local business

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes vetoed a tree removal permit granted to a property owner, who asked to cut down five Live oak trees on one of Pass Road's few shaded properties. The Sun Herald reports Hewes…

Pascagoula man arrested in armed home invasion after pursuit

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) - Police say a 42-year-old Pascagoula man accused in an armed home invasion led police officers on a vehicle chase that ended shortly after an officer trying to stop him fired three rounds at the suspect's vehicle.…

Jack Daniel’s sued over term ‘Fireball’ in Google ads

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Alcoholic beverage company Sazerac has filed a lawsuit against Jack Daniel's in Louisville's District Court, claiming the company's use of the term "Fireball" in Google advertisements for its Tennessee Fire whiskey has infringed upon Sazerac's trademark…

Booneville motorcyclist killed in Baldwyn wreck

BALDWYN, Miss. (AP) - A 58-year-old Booneville man died when his motorcycle was struck by a car in Baldwyn. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports Kim Carver was traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 45 around 11 a.m. Monday when a…

Tennessee coach Butch Jones receives $500,000 raise

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee has given Butch Jones a $500,000 raise that will increase his annual pay to $4.1 million. The school announced the raise Monday. Jones' contract continues to…

Former lawmaker appointed deputy labor secretary in Kentucky

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A former state lawmaker from Bullitt County has been appointed to Gov. Matt Bevin's administration. State Labor Secretary Derrick Ramsey says Mike Nemes has been appointed as deputy secretary of the Labor Cabinet. Ramsey says Nemes'…

MTSU athletic department sponsors coat drive

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) - Middle Tennessee Senior Associate Athletic Director Whit Turnbow is sponsoring a coat drive that will benefit children in Rutherford, Bedford and Coffee counties. The Daily News Journal reports the Blue Raider athletic department will be collecting…

Louisville to hold winter commencement on Dec. 18

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The university of Louisville has announced the date for its winter commencement ceremony. A statement from the school says the ceremony will be held Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. at the KFC Yum Center. The university…

Officials say Rocket Docket saving money

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Officials say a new Rocket Docket initiative has saved taxpayers about $2.8 million in jail costs in three months and is projected to save $11 million in its first year. Attorney General Jack Conway and members…

Gulfport-Biloxi airport commissioners end exotic trips

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - Travel to exotic locales has ended for commissioners at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. Long-serving commissioners racked up $209,946 in travel in less than three years, but began to curtail those trips after the Sun Herald reported on…

Gulfport mayor’s threatened veto saves Live oaks

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - Gulfport property owner Dennis Barber is withdrawing his request to cut down five Live oak trees for a planned parking lot after Mayor Billy Hewes said he would veto the plan. The Sun Herald reports Hewes…

Ohio man dies after falling during hike at Red River Gorge

SLADE, Ky. (AP) - A 25-year-old man has died after falling 200 feet while hiking at Eastern Kentucky's Red River Gorge. Wolfe County Search and Rescue said in a Facebook post that the man crossed a safety railing at Chimney…

Biloxi will build new junior high school

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - The Biloxi Public School District is planning to build a new junior high to help contend with increasing enrollment. Shane Switzer, the school district's business manager, tells The Sun Herald the district is in the early…

Paducah brothers try to sell 30,000 inherited dolls

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) - Four Paducah men have about 25,000 dolls left to sell of the 30,000 that they inherited from their mother. The brothers tell WPSD-TV their mother, Colleen Hobgood, died in April and her last wish was for…

5 months after Chattanooga, feds quiet on any terror links

It took about two days for the FBI to announce it was investigating the Dec. 2 attack that killed 14 in San Bernardino, California, as an act of terror. Authorities have carefully avoided using the same wording about the Kuwaiti-born…

Natchez police charge teen with murder

NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - Police say a Natchez teen is dead and another charged with murder after a deadly gun game early Sunday morning. Police Detective Jerry Ford tells The Natchez Democrat the shooting happened around 12:30 a.m., when a…

Memphis-area day care suspended after boy is locked inside

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Officials say a day care in the Memphis suburb of Cordova had its license suspended after a 2-year-old boy was left locked inside the building. According to The Commercial Appeal, Tennessee Department of Human Services spokeswoman…

Tilley will not switch parties while working for Bevin

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Democratic state Rep. John Tilley said he will not switch parties when he resigns his seat to go work for Republican Gov. Matt Bevin. Bevin named Tilley the new secretary of the Justice and Public Safety…

Community gathers for funeral of boy killed in burglary

VERSAILLES, Ky. (AP) - A central Kentucky community has gathered to say a final goodbye to a 6-year-old boy who was stabbed to death during a burglary. News outlets report that on Friday, mourners filled the stands and the field…

Tennessee lawmaker urged lower sentence in child porn case

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A top Republican in the state House wrote to a federal judge to call for a lenient sentence for a former youth pastor convicted of child porn possession. House Majority Whip Jeremy Durham of Franklin wrote…

Louisville museum plans exhibit devoted to Thomas Merton

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A Louisville museum is planning an exhibit focused on the influence and legacy of Thomas Merton. The Frazier History Museum says the exhibit will open to the public on Jan. 31, on what would have been…

Howorth confirmed for second term on TVA board

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Former Oxford Mayor Richard Howorth has been confirmed to a second term on the Tennessee Valley Authority's Board of Directors with the support of Mississippi Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker. The Senate approved Howorth's nomination…

Second ex-Ingalls supervisor sentenced to prison

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - Former Ingalls Shipbuilding Supervisor Charles Gardner Jr. has been sentenced for approving his employees' time on the job though he knew it was fraudulent. The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1QiBkPc) U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden sentenced Gardner…

Judge throws out harassment verdict against former sheriff

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - A jury's verdict in a sexual harassment case against that former Jackson County Sheriff Mike Byrd has been thrown out. U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett said the jury had no evidence on which to base the…

Officer praised for helping teenage boy in need

COVINGTON, La. (AP) - A Covington police officer has received praise for going above and beyond the call of duty to help a teenage boy. The Times-Picayune reports Chief Tim Lentz on Wednesday praised officer Bret Miller for buying clothes…

Students face charges after bomb threat, school evacuation

VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) - A Vicksburg teenager faces charges after a homemade explosive was found at Warren Central Junior High's library and detonated in a nearby field. Vicksburg Police Capt. Sandra Williams, in a news release, said the student will…

Scammers impersonate Mississippi Office of Homeland Security

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi Department of Public Safety is warning consumers of a new email scam. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports scammers have been sending emails to Mississippi residents posing as personnel from the Mississippi Office of…

Former trooper charged with misconduct in drug disappearance

MANCHESTER, Tenn. (AP) - A former Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper is charged with misconduct after investigators say drugs given to him to train a drug-detection K9 disappeared. According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Brent McCawley was a trooper and…

Soldiers take up collections to help homeless veterans

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) - Soldiers at Fort Campbell plan to collect items this weekend to help homeless veterans stay warm through the winter. A statement from the post on the Kentucky-Tennessee line says family, friends and soldiers assigned to…

Memphis-area day care suspended after boy is locked inside

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Officials say a day care in the Memphis suburb of Cordova had its license suspended after a 2-year-old boy was left locked inside the building. According to The Commercial Appeal, Tennessee Department of Human Services spokesman…

Army sergeant sentenced in conspiracy case

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) - A Fort Campbell Army sergeant has been sentenced to two years in prison following his guilty plea to a charge of conspiring to take bribes from vendors seeking contracts in Afghanistan. The U.S. attorney's office said…

Commercial fishing for large coastal sharks opens Jan. 1

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Commercial fishing for non-sandbar large coastal sharks will open in Louisiana waters at 12:01 a.m. Jan. 1. Federal waters will also open in the Gulf of Mexico at this time. The non-sandbar large coastal shark…

Saucier man accused in shooting of girlfriend

SAUCIER, Miss. (AP) - Harrison County sheriff's deputies say a 43-year-old Saucier man is in jail after he allegedly shot his girlfriend in the chest. Sheriff Melvin Brisolara tells The Sun Herald James Russell Forbes was arrested Tuesday on the…

Kentucky National Guard tuition aid falls short

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - The Kentucky National Guard says a financial shortfall is causing hundreds of the state's soldiers to lose college tuition funding. Guard spokesman Walt Leaumont tells local media that with Kentucky Guard members no longer deployed as…

Corrections head: Mississippi prison commissaries may close

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The head of the Mississippi prison system might halt the commissary program inside Mississippi prisons, saying it causes more problems than it solves. Corrections Commissioner Marshall Fisher tells The Clarion-Ledger () from a security standpoint, commissary…

Board president: Tough times ahead for Hattiesburg schools

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - The president of the Hattiesburg Public school district says the system faces tough times ahead as the board of trustees deals with a deficit of unknown proportions. Board President Marcus Cathey tells The Hattiesburg American board…

Judge signs order, closing nightclub amid violent activities

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - A chancery judge has signed a temporary restraining order, shutting down a nightclub amid security concerns. The Hattiesburg American reports Chancery Judge Johnny L. Williams signed the restraining order Thursday against Club Memories. District Attorney Patricia…

IKEA breaks ground on first Tennessee store

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Furniture store IKEA has broken ground on what will be its first Tennessee location in Memphis. Local media outlets report that city, county and IKEA leaders were at the groundbreaking ceremony Thursday morning. The store is…

Bevin appoints Democrat to lead Justice Cabinet

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - New Republican Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin plucked an influential Democrat from the state House of Representatives on Thursday to serve in his administration, opening a GOP-friendly House seat and furthering his quest to flip control of…

Expert says changes to university governance take years

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A higher education expert told lawmakers big changes like those Gov. Bill Haslam is proposing for six state universities take years to implement effectively. Haslam last week said he will introduce legislation to create local boards…

Officials say Memphis awarded $2.6M to buy new trolleys

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- The Memphis Area Transit Authority has been awarded $2.6 million in federal funding to buy three new electric rail trolleys. The Commercial Appeal reports (http://bit.ly/1HMkvDV) U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen announced on Thursday the money was given…

Louisiana meat company recalls deli meat

A Louisiana meat-packing company has recalled 20,166 pounds of potentially bacteria-tainted cooked roast beef deli meat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Wednesday that Manda Packing Co., based in Baker, is recalling the meat that…

House OKs bill to require proof of immunization

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Legislation that would require incoming students at public higher education institutions to show proof of immunization against meningitis is headed to the governor for his consideration. The measure sponsored by Democratic House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh…