A former Tennessee corrections officer has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for taking part in the beating of an inmate along with other officers. Jonathan York is one of six Tennessee Department of Correction officers who have pleaded guilty to using unlawful force against an inmate and covering up the beating at … Read more
Tennessee lawmakers have adjourned for the year after spending their final moments slashing how long the unemployed can receive benefits, and banning certain concepts on race and racism from being taught in schools. The GOP-controlled General Assembly had been meeting since January, with members often bucking public health guidance to wear masks and social distance … Read more
A company seeking to build a disputed oil pipeline over an aquifer that provides drinking water to 1 million people has verbally agreed to stop pursuing lawsuits against Tennessee property owners who refused to sell access to their land for construction. Plains All American Pipeline spokesman Brad Leone says the company will put in writing … Read more
Four people were killed when a small plane crashed into a home in Mississippi late Tuesday night, police said. Authorities in Hattiesburg were called to the scene of the civilian plane crash just before 11:30 p.m., Hattiesburg Police Public Information Officer Ryan Moore said. Police initially said two people died; later Wednesday morning, they raised … Read more
City councilors in Memphis, Tennessee, have approved the hiring of C.J. Davis, the first woman to lead the city’s police department. The City Council voted Tuesday to appoint Davis as chief of the Memphis Police Department. Davis replaces Michael Rallings, who is retiring. She starts the job on June 14. A former member of the … Read more
Researchers with the Memphis Zoo have released 50 endangered Louisiana pine snakes into a national forest in an attempt to revive their population. On April 22, the Memphis Zoo’s research team and partners from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and zoos in Fort Worth, Texas, and Alexandria, Louisiana, released the … Read more
Tennessee residents can now apply to get a personalized licensed plate online with the MyTN mobile app. According to the Revenue Department, residents can use the app to chose from more than 100 types of Tennessee license plates and enter their personalized configurations. The app lets them know immediately if the configuration they want is … Read more
The Mississippi Department of Mental Health says it is fulfilling requirements to provide community-based services, and it is asking a federal judge not to order the state to make changes in its mental health system. The federal government issued a letter in 2011 saying Mississippi had done too little to provide mental health services outside … Read more
Much of the South is facing the risk of more severe weather Tuesday, forecasters say, after tornadoes struck parts of the region Sunday night and Monday, causing heavy damage in some parts of Mississippi. Parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, as well as corners of Arkansas and Georgia are at enhanced risk for … Read more
Mississippi lawmakers grabbed national headlines this year by banning transgender athletes from competing on girls’ or women’s sports teams. They walked away from some other divisive issues during their three-month session. Republican Sen. Angela Hill of Picayune argued in favor of the transgender sports bill, and she stood behind Republican Gov. Tate Reeves as he … Read more