President Donald Trump has appointed Republican state Sen. Jim Tracy as Tennessee rural development director for the U.S. Agriculture Department. Tracy is an insurance agent and former college high school basketball referee from Shelbyville. Tray has served in the state Senate since 2004. He fell 38 votes shy in his primary challenge of U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais in 2014. It’s unclear whether Tracy will be required to leave the Tennessee General Assembly to take on his new federal position. Republican Senate Speaker Randy McNally of Oak Ridge in a statement called Tracy “an outstanding hire” for the Trump administration....

According to newly-available data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 10,131 firearms were confiscated during crime investigations in Tennessee in 2016. The most common type of weapons seized were pistols; 6,402 were confiscated. Despite the rarity and expensiveness of machine guns, 15 were seized in 2016. The ATF traces the origins of the firearms prior to the crime in which they were seized; 4,655 originated in Tennessee. Hundreds of the firearms originated from other states, including Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida and Texas. ATF spokesperson Michael Knight encouraged the public to take precautions when owning firearms,...

Tennessee Democrats have voted to support resolutions calling for the legalization of medical marijuana, wider health care coverage and a $15 minimum wage. The state executive committee passed the resolutions aimed at expressing the positions of the state Democratic Party. State lawmakers have been studying the issue of medical marijuana since the end of the last legislative session. Executive committee member Gary Blackburn said there is a “growing body of research about the benefits” of medical marijuana, including for the treatment of chronic pain. He says changing the law could also help combat the opioid epidemic. Executive Committee Member...

Just before 1am Thursday Coffee County Deputy Tim Cooper was dispatched to 682 Wimbley Road Estill Springs in Coffee County for structure fire with one person still inside structure, deputies Nick Graham and Joey Ricco were also on the scene along with the Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Department. Michael Cook, who resided in the home with his mother, stated he discovered the fire when he arrived at the residence from Manchester. Cook and his sister, Mary Frances Cook Jones found her mother, 79 year-old Sara Ruth Cook in the floor. When emergency personnel were able to get Sara Ruth Cook...

In a report on WKRN-TV some of the protestors that were set to attend a rally might have been gearing up for a fight this past Saturday in Murfreesboro. Police found several items before and after the planned rally that were hidden around the courthouse and could have been used as weapons. Joint law enforcement agencies did a sweep of the perimeter of the Rutherford County courthouse prior to the scheduled white nationalist rally on Saturday. Among the items found; hammers, bricks, and a chemical spray jug. After the rally was cancelled, police found even more hidden items, including...

We have more on the murder trial that took place this week in McMinnville. After five hours of deliberation, a jury found Bryan Cooke guilty of first degree murder in the stabbing deaths of Gary and Gail Dodson. The Dodsons were found dead inside their home in the Fairview community in June of 2015. Cooke was located and arrested at a hotel in Jacksonville, Florida. Cooke was found guilty of two counts of first degree murder and two counts of felony murder. He was also found guilty of especially aggravated burglary and theft of property. After announcing the verdict,...

Get ready for an extra hour of sleep, this weekend as Daylight Saving Time officially comes to an end. On Sunday, Nov. 5, Daylight Saving Time for 2017 comes to an end at precisely 2 a.m. Standard Time will return and stick around until 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 11, 2018. The annual change comes in the middle of the night, but most people usually set their clocks back before heading to bed Saturday night. Changing the clocks is always a good time to sync changing the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Fire safety officials recommend...