Author: Associated Press

Haslam, Ramsey Wary of Guns in Parking Lots Bill

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam and Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey are among the prominent Republicans trying to put the brakes on a bill seeking to guarantee employees the right to store their firearms in vehicles parked at work.…

Searchers Find Body of Teen Who Died Saving Grandpa

This video is no longer available. NEW JOHSONVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Searchers have recovered the body of a teenager who jumped into the Tennessee river to help save his grandfather, who fell from a boat. According to WSMV-TV, the body…

Louisiana Winter Wheat Planting up 21 Percent

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The National Agricultural Statistics Service says Louisiana farmers planted 21 percent more winter wheat last fall than they did the previous year - the biggest shift expected in any Louisiana crop. Louisiana field office director Nathan…

Kentuckians to face limits on cold, allergy meds

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentuckians would face strict limits on the amount of over-the-counter cold and allergy medications that they can purchase under a bill that won final passage on Friday. The goal is to limit access to medicines like…

Mother Faces Contempt, Jail for Baptizing Children

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Shelby County mother is facing contempt-of-court charges and possible jail time for baptizing her two children without the knowledge or consent of her ex-husband. This week the Tennessee Court of Appeals said Lauren Jarrell must…

Memphis Students Treated after Downing Vodka

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Memphis police say students at Cordova Middle School became sick after drinking what they thought was lemonade, but turned out to be vodka. Police spokeswoman Sgt. Alyssa Macon-Moore told The Commercial Appeal that officers were called…

MegaMillions Jackpot Increases to $640 Million

This video is no longer available. ATLANTA (AP) - Lottery officials say they are increasing the MegaMillions lottery jackpot to $640 million, raising what was already a world-record prize. Kimberly Starks, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Lottery, said Friday the…

Western Ky. County may get Alcohol Vote

BENTON, Ky. (AP) - A western Kentucky county that has barred alcohol sales since Prohibition may get a chance to decide whether to let the liquor flow. A group called Marshall 1st on Thursday delivered a petition to Marshall County…

Former Youth Athletic Group Treasurer Indicted

MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. (AP) - A Johnson County grand jury has indicted a former Little League bookkeeper with embezzling money from the organization. According to the Johnson City Press, Jennifer H. Icenhour was charged with theft over $1,000. She was…

Kentucky Ponders Lean Budget

More than 30,000 government workers will go without pay raises and some 200,000 retirees won't get cost-of-living increases in their monthly pension checks under a bare-bones budget proposal that legislative leaders have agreed to present to their colleagues for floor…

MS Charter School Bill Delayed

A Mississippi House committee has again delayed a vote on a charter school bill. It's unclear whether Senate Bill 2401 can pass the House Education Committee, though it has been narrowed by amendments. Some Republicans and conservative Democrats on the…

New U.S. Marshal Confirmed

Dennis J. Erby has been confirmed as U.S. marshal for the northern half of Mississippi. The U.S. Senate confirmed Erby on Thursday, according to a spokesman for Republican Sen. Thad Cochran. The White House announced Erby's nomination last May. Erby…

Remote School Board Meetings Moves Forward

The House on Thursday passed a bill to allow school board members to participate in meetings remotely, despite concerns that the practice could spread to other elected bodies in the future. The bill sponsored by House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh…

Prescription Drug Bill Rejected by State House

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A House bill would give the Kentucky attorney general's office the responsibility of tracking doctors who overprescribe painkillers, and a version passed by the Senate would sharply limit the number of prosecutors given access to the…

House OKs New Restrictions on Abortion Doctors

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A bill that puts new restrictions on doctors who perform abortions is intended to make it more difficult for women to get the procedure in Tennessee, opponents of the legislation said Thursday. The measure sponsored by…

House OKs Remote School Board Meeting Attendance

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The House on Thursday passed a bill to allow school board members to participate in meetings remotely, despite concerns that the practice could spread to other elected bodies in the future. The bill sponsored by House…

Mo. Senate passes birth control coverage measure

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Missouri Senate has approved legislation letting employers refuse to provide health insurance coverage for birth control in some instances. The legislation, passed in a 26-5 vote Thursday, would let employers deny coverage unless an…

New Panel Created to Oversee For-Profit Colleges

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - For-profit colleges would be subject to a new oversight panel under a bill that has cleared the state legislature and now heads to the governor. The measure would create the 11-member Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education…

TDOT HELP Trucks headed to Shiloh Battlefield

JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) - With a huge crowd expected at the Shiloh battlefield this weekend, state transportation officials are sending six HELP trucks to help traffic. An estimated 12,000 re-enactors more than 50,000 spectators are anticipated at the 150th anniversary…

Woman Sentenced for Infant’s Death in Hotel Room

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A 24-year-old woman has been sentenced to six years in prison for the death of her 4-month-old son, who was left in a vacant hotel room while she worked as a desk clerk. Arnes'a Hart was…

Knoxville Murder Trial Hinges on Intent of Stabber

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A young Knoxville man is on trial in a fatal stabbing that occurred during a drug deal. Daniel Pagan is charged with second-degree murder in the January 2011 killing of 20-year-old Dashawnta Murphy in a park…

Ky. to get $9 Million Federal Grant for Bridge

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) - The U.S. Department of Transportation is giving Kentucky a $9 million grant to replace a span of the Eggner's Ferry Bridge over Kentucky Lake. U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., announced the grant Wednesday, saying the funds…

Parolee Faces Homicide, Attempted Murder Charges

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Parole has been revoked for a Blountville man who is now charged in the death of one girlfriend and an attempt on another girlfriend's life. The Kingsport Times-News reported parole for 29-year-old Argie Brian Baker was…

Memphis Fugitive Arrested in Mississippi

HERNANDO, Miss. (AP) - A man wanted in a slaying in Memphis was being held in a Mississippi jail on Thursday awaiting his extradition to Tennessee. Local and federal law enforcement officials say 27-year-old Michael Bonsky of Memphis was arrested…

Man Charged after Shot Fired at Memphis School

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Police in Memphis say an 18-year-old man told them he fired a gun to stop a fight on a high school campus. According to The Commercial Appeal (http://bit.ly/HhM79Y ), police charged Quinton Guy with carrying a…

Religious Discrimination Bill Advances In TN House

A proposal that would prevent students from being discriminated against for expressing their religious beliefs is headed for floor votes in both chambers of the Legislature. The measure unanimously passed the Senate Education Committee 9-0 on Wednesday, a day after…

Presley Enterprises Sponsoring Holy Land Trip

Elvis Presley Enterprises is sponsoring a tour of the Holy Land, which will take Elvis fans to Israel May 12-21. According to a news release from the company, travelers will follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Additionally, the tour group…

More Troubles For Southaven Mayor

Southaven Mayor Greg Davis has surrendered to authorities after he was charged with passing a school bus in a private vehicle that displayed blue police-type lights. The Commercial Appeal reports (http://bit.ly/HgdIHo) the misdemeanor charge, stemming from an incident last week.…

Lady Antebellum To Host Prom For Tornado Damaged School

The country music trio Lady Antebellum will put on a benefit concert for a tornado-wrecked southern Indiana town after holding a prom event for the town's high school juniors and seniors. The group says the May 16 events for Henryville…

MS Names New College Board Chief

Ed Blakeslee will take over as president of the state College Board on Sunday. Blakeslee, a Gulfport resident, has served on the board since 2004 when he was appointed by then-Gov. Haley Barbour. His term expires in May 2015. The…

Mower Thieves Plague TN Town

The stealing of a commercial-grade lawn mower from a middle school is the latest in a series of lawn equipment thefts in Columbia. The Daily Herald (http://bit.ly/GZOyaV ) quotes a Columbia Police Department affidavit in reporting the theft of the…

Amish Buggy Bill One Step from Final Passage

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - One vote remains before lawmakers allow the Amish to forgo a longstanding traffic safety measure in the name of religious freedom. The House voted 75-21 Tuesday for a Senate bill to allow the Amish to use…

Lottery Scholarship Bill Headed to Senate Floor

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A proposal that would make cutting some students' lottery scholarships in half contingent on lottery revenues is headed for a floor vote in the Senate after a legislative committee approved the measure 9-2 on Tuesday. The…

Bill for Stronger Beer Headed to Miss. Governor

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A bill headed to the Mississippi governor would allow the sale of stronger beer in the state, including some craft beers that have been unavailable because of current regulations. Senate Bill 2878 would permit the amount…

Medical Marijuana Bill Advances in Tenn. House

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A proposal to legalize medical marijuana is advancing in the state House. The House Health Subcommittee approved the measure on a voice vote on Tuesday after similar measures had quickly failed in previous years. Democratic Rep.…

Student Brings Marijuana Laced Brownies To School

Jefferson County Public Schools officials have booted 11 students out of school after drug-laces brownies were shared. According to WLKY-TV (http://bit.ly/Haqfs5 ), at least two parents have filed appeals to their children being suspended after a student brought the brownies,…

KY Church Hit By Hate Crime

Police in western Kentucky are investigating after satanic signs were scrawled on a church in western Kentucky. Kentucky State Trooper Michael Robichaud told The Paducah Sun that bright red spray-paint was used to write "Hail Satan," "666," and draw a…

Southaven To Review Mayor’s Credit Card

The Southaven Board of Aldermen unanimously voted to take action on the state auditor's request that they review Mayor Greg Davis' city-issued credit card. But only the dozen or so people in a two-hour closed-door meeting know exactly what that…

TN Has Stand Your Ground Law

Tennessee is one of at least 25 states that have the "Stand Your Ground" self-defense law that has been at the center of a national debate since a neighborhood watchman killed an unarmed teenager in Florida last month. The laws,…

Police Retain Religion Patches

Officials of Lenoir City say a patch that includes the word "religion" will remain on police uniforms. The Knoxville News Sentinel (http://bit.ly/H5xjHV ) reported Mayor Tony Aikens told a large crowd at the city council meeting Monday night the city…

‘Person of Interest’ Found in Fatal MSU Shooting

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Authorities say a man arrested in Tennessee on an outstanding robbery warrant is also a person of interest in the death of a Mississippi State University student who was gunned down in a campus dorm. University…

ETSU Seeks to Define Itself for the Future

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) - East Tennessee State University President Brian Noland wants you to know ETSU is not a commuter school, and it's not an academic lightweight. Just exactly how Noland wants the school to be perceived in the…

Nonprofit Wants Word ‘Religion’ Off Uniforms

LENOIR CITY, Tenn. (AP) - The nonprofit Freedom From Religion Foundation is threatening to sue Lenoir City Police over the use of the word "religion" on their uniforms. Lenoir City Police shirts and jackets display a triangular shoulder patch with…

State’s Urban Forest Provides $640M in Benefits

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A study by the U.S. Forestry Service finds that trees in Tennessee's urban areas provide the state with environmental benefits valued at nearly $640 million a year. According to the study's findings, reported by WPLN-FM, shade…

College To Evaluate Flood Conditions

Christian Brothers University is helping the city of Memphis evaluate flood conditions. CBU students will monitor a stormwater drainage basin at the school soccer field. A flood control system was installed under the field in 2010. As part of the…

Longtime N. Mississippi Mayor Dies

Gravesite services are scheduled Tuesday for John Leslie, the former longtime mayor of Oxford, who died Saturday at the Mississippi Veterans Home in Oxford. He was 88. Leslie served six terms as mayor and worked as a pharmacist in Oxford…

Smokies Visitor Count Up

Visits to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are running ahead of last year's traffic. The National Park Service said February saw an 11.6 percent increase in visitors over the same month last year. Visits in February totaled 351,617 -…

Convictions of Bloods Gang Mounting in Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Thirty-seven defendants with ties to the Bloods gang have now been convicted or pleaded guilty in federal court in Nashville to various crimes related to gang activity. Federal prosecutors said 22-year-old Keairus Wilson and 21-year-old Rondarius…

Initiative Spurred by Dog Breeding Fight Dropped

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Organizers of a proposed ballot initiative that would make it more difficult for Missouri legislators to tinker with voter-approved laws said Friday they were giving up the effort. The ballot initiative came after lawmakers watered down…