Author: Associated Press

Pilot, 82, found dead in wreckage of his plane

COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities have found the body of an 82-year-old pilot in the wreckage of his single-engine plane in Hamilton County. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported a Civil Air Patrol flight spotted Clarence Andrews' plane upside down…

New Bledsoe County prison opens

PIKEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A new state prison has been formally opened in Middle Tennessee. Officials staged a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday at the Bledsoe County Correctional Complex in Pikeville. The Tennessee Department of Correction will begin moving inmates into…

Flu vaccines available for uninsured children

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Children covered by TennCare and children without insurance that covers the flu vaccine can get vaccinated at county health department clinics for only a small administrative fee. The Tennessee Health Department says children will not be…

Haslam: Excluding campuses key to gun law deal

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Republican Gov. Bill Haslam says the exclusion of college campuses is key to an agreement on a bill to allow employees to store their firearms in vehicles parked at work. The governor told reporters after a…

6th Circuit remands third party ballot access case

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A federal appeals court has ordered a lower court to reconsider whether Tennessee's requirements to get on the ballot for third parties and their candidates are unconstitutionally restrictive. In February, U.S. District Judge William Haynes Jr.…

ETSU fires campus mail supervisor for opening mail

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) - East Tennessee State University officials have fired the university's postal services manager for opening a package that was addressed to a student. Through an open records request, the Johnson City Press reported Harvey Byerley opened…

Pest spraying Monday in Smokies cove

GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) - Barring freezing weather or heavy rain, forestry technicians in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will spray for pests in Cades Cove on Monday. That means the Loop Road through the scenic cove will be closed…

Lawsuit filed against drug rehab center in death

CHARLOTTE, Tenn. (AP) - The grandmother of a West Tennessee teen who died shortly after being released from a Dickson County drug rehabilitation center has filed a lawsuit. According to The Tennessean, the $14.5 million lawsuit was filed Wednesday against…

Homeless man charged with setting fire at church

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (AP) - Police in Millington have charged a homeless man who had been allowed to sleep in a church lobby with setting fire to the church. According to The Commercial Appeal, 28-year-old Johnny Riveria was taken into custody…

Judge denies request to testify at murder trial

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - A federal judge in Chattanooga has denied a request to testify in a murder trial. According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, attorneys for Jesse Mathews requested the U.S. District Court Judge Harry S. "Sandy" Mattice…

Lawmaker seeks to curtail internal school issues

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Democratic lawmaker says an objective by Tennessee State University's new president to tackle internal issues at the historically black university may present an opportunity for legislation that could benefit other educational institutions. The Tennessee Board…

Planned Parenthood has free HIV testing in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region is providing free HIV testing and prevention counseling during the Christ Community Baptist Church's Faith and AIDS conference. According to a news release, the conference takes place on Saturday beginning at…

Treasurer distributes Financial Football game

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Middle and high schools across Tennessee are getting copies of a computer game designed as a fun way to improve financial literacy. According to a news release from state Treasurer David Lillard's office, the Financial Football…

Two Million Dollar Prizes in Tennessee from Historic Powerball Lottery

This video is no longer available. NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Some Tennessee players of the Powerball lottery won't come away empty-handed, including two who can claim prizes of $1 million apiece. The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation announced Thursday that million-dollar tickets…

Wildfires break out on holiday in East Tenn.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The state Division of Forestry is fighting a series of wildfires in East Tennessee. According to The Knoxville News Sentinel, several new fires were reported Thanksgiving Day. Forestry spokesman Nathan Waters said several fires erupted along…

Mount Pleasant mayor remains appointed position

MOUNT PLEASANT, Tenn. (AP) - The mayor of the city of Mount Pleasant will remain an appointed position after a resolution failed that would have allowed voters to elect the seat by popular vote. The Daily Herald reports that the…

Biologists find more sturgeon in East Tenn. rivers

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Biologists say years of restoring lake sturgeon to Tennessee waterways is paying off with more of the bony fish turning up in East Tennessee rivers. Lake sturgeon that once thrived in Tennessee are being reintroduced into…

State Library to explain genealogy research tips

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - With families coming together to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, the Tennessee State Library and Archives will help families dig through their personal histories. On Saturday, State Librarian and Archivist Chuck Sherill and their research staff will…

Deadline approaches for University of Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The deadline to apply to attend the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in the 2013-2014 academic year is just around the corner on Dec. 1. The university said in a news release that the priority admissions…

Tenn. woman faces death penalty in child’s death

CLINTON, Tenn. (AP) - A state prosecutor is seeking the death penalty against an Oak Ridge woman accused of suffocating her 2-year-old granddaughter. Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark filed the notice to seek the death penalty on Wednesday…

Air Guard general reprimanded over Titans tickets

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee Air National Guard general has been reprimanded for giving Titans tickets that were bought by the guard to his family and friends. WSMV-TV obtained an internal investigation from the Air Force inspector general that…

Tipton County Teen Dead; TBI Investigating

COVINGTON, Tenn. (AP) - The case of an 18-year-old missing in Tipton County and found dead along a rural road is being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. James Jones Jr. was last seen alive Tuesday night at a…

Reports: NFL, referees closing in on new deal

Two days after a controversial call cost the Green Bay Packers a win, the NFL and the referees' union are reportedly nearing an end to a lockout that put replacement officials on the field since the start of the season.…

Test: Most students not proficient in writing

Just a quarter of eighth and 12th grade students in the United States have solid writing skills, even when allowed to use spell-check and other computer word processing tools. That's according to results from the 2011 National Assessment of Educational…

Manning Jersey Banned at School

GREELEY, Colo. (AP) - A Colorado third-grader has been sent home -- for wearing a Peyton Manning jersey to school. Manning is the Denver Broncos new quarterback and wears number-18. But officials in the Greeley school district have banned clothing…

Inspection to force lane closures on I-40 bridge

WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. (AP) - Lanes will be closed this week as crews inspect the Interstate 40 bridge over the Mississippi River between West Memphis and Memphis, Tenn. The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department says the eastbound outside lane…

Tenn. Fan Dies After Fall At Ga. Dome

This video is no longer available. ATLANTA (AP) - A 20-year-old man from Tennessee who plunged about 35 feet from the upper level of the Georgia Dome and struck another fan during the Tennessee-North Carolina State game has died, authorities…

Court acquits brother in Halman’s fatal stabbing

AMSTERDAM (AP) - A Dutch court has acquitted the brother of Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman of stabbing the baseball star to death last year. Rotterdam District Court cleared Jason Halman on grounds of temporary insanity. The court said Thursday…

E-book use up 77 percent this year in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Downloads in the state's Regional E-book and Audio Download System (READS) increased 77 percent in the past year. The free program offers thousands of digital e-books and audio books to patrons of public libraries belonging to…

Penn State reeling from NCAA penalties

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The NCAA has slammed Penn State with an unprecedented series of penalties, including a $60 million fine and the loss of all coach Joe Paterno's victories from 1998-2011, in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex…

World gets first look at Colorado shooting suspect

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) - Colorado movie theater shooting suspect James Holmes was wide-eyed, frowning and unshaven Monday as he made his first court appearance handcuffed with reddish orange hair. He showed little emotion as he sat staring down. At one…

Court hearing in Henning post office shootings

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A federal judge is expressing frustration at the slow pace leading to the trial of a former corrections officer charged with fatally shooting two Henning postal workers during a robbery. Chief Judge Jon Phipps McCalla bristled…

Boy Scouts reaffirm ban on gays

NEW YORK (AP) - After a confidential two-year review, the Boy Scouts of America has emphatically reaffirmed its policy of excluding gays, ruling out any changes despite relentless protest campaigns by critics. The Scouts' national spokesman, Deron Smith, told The…

Memphis man appears in court in child’s death

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A Memphis man charged in the death of his 3-year-old son has made a court appearance. Maurice Brown Sr. is charged with murder in the perpetration of aggravated child abuse and murder in the perpetration of…

Corinth woman dies after being pinned by her SUV

CORINTH, Miss. (AP) - An 82-year-old Corinth woman died after a vehicle rolls on top of her. Authorities tell WCBI that Juanita Rogers was killed when a 2002 Ford Explorer rolled back and pinned her to the ground Saturday. Corinth…

Reward offered for Montana truck stop dinosaur

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - The folks at Hi-Noon Petroleum in Montana have a new way to turn a dinosaur into gasoline. They're offering a $250 gas card for information leading to the safe return of Dino, a 12-foot-long fiberglass Sinclair…

Wait for it: Earth adds leap second Saturday night

WASHINGTON (AP) - Saturday night will stretch longer by a second. A leap second. International timekeepers, directed from headquarters in Paris, are adding a second to the clock at midnight universal time Saturday, June 30, going into July 1. That's…

NM mom jailed for overdue ‘Twilight’ book, DVDs

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A New Mexico woman was arrested and spent a night in jail for not returning the book "Twilight" and two-DVD set "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" back to the library on time. The Albuquerque Journal reports…

Court upholds individual mandate in health care law

WASHINGTON (AP) - The individual mandate survives. The Supreme Court has upheld the heart of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul -- ruling in favor of the requirement that most Americans can be required to have health insurance, or else…

Heat wave: 1,000+ records fall in US in a week

Hundreds of heat-related records recently have fallen across the United States. In the past week, 1,011 records have been broken around the country, including 251 new daily high temperature records on Tuesday. The heat is creating consequences ranging from the…

19 BUI arrests made last weekend in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - State officers made 19 boating under the influence arrests last weekend during a special initiative to promote safety on the water. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency reported Wednesday that one boat operator on Chickamauga Lake was…

Police: 5 suspected of stealing 9.5 tons of garlic

VIENNA (AP) - Austrian police did not need sniffing dogs to locate this suspected heist - 9.5 tons of garlic. The Austria Press Agency says police stopped three overloaded and sagging vans about to cross into Hungary from Austria on…

Dole Issues Bagged Salad Recall

This video is no longer available. NEW YORK (AP) - Dole Food Co.'s fresh vegetable unit has recalled more than 1,000 cases of bagged salads sold at Kroger and Wal-Mart stores in six states because of the possibility of listeria…

Tenn. TCAP scores up in all but 1 of 24 student tests

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Proficiency levels are up in all but one of 24 of the latest assessment tests of elementary and middle students. Gov. Bill Haslam and Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman announced the statewide test results at a Nashville…

City considering displaying historical documents

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) - The city of Jonesborough is considering utilizing a law that allows public buildings to display "historically significant documents," such as the Ten Commandments. The Johnson City Press reports that Washington County commissioners unanimously approved a…

Floods Cut Part of I-10 as Debby Storms Over Fla.

ST. GEORGE ISLAND, Fla. (AP) - Parts of Interstate 10, the main highway across northern Florida, have been closed by flooding today as Tropical Storm Debby hangs offshore over the Gulf of Mexico, drenching Florida with rain. Forecasters expect the…

Woman killed after hanging yard sale signs

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Nashville woman has been struck and killed after hanging yard sale signs on power poles. Police said 60-year-old Patricia Sharpe died late Thursday night after being struck by a pickup truck as she crossed Highway…

Hacked road sign in Louisville warns of zombies

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A hacked road sign in Louisville instructed motorists to "honk if you're horny" and "beware of zombies," prompting the city's public works department to investigate who was changing the messages on the electronic message board. Lindsay…

Store construction celebrated at Memphis’ Pyramid

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - City officials and business representatives will celebrate the start of construction on a seven-year effort to turn The Pyramid arena in downtown Memphis into a tourist and retail-sport destination. The Commercial Appeal reports the invitation only…