The Murfreesboro man convicted in the Valentine’s Day 2013 murder of his newlywed wife has had his appeal denied by the state Court of Criminal Appeals in Nashville. Jacob Pearman argued six reasons his conviction should be overturned, including the trial court erred in denying his motion for a change of venue and abused their discretion in declining to strike a juror for cause. All six motions were denied by the appeals court in Nashville Thursday (May 11th, 2017). Pearman choked and beat his wife, Carla, to death in 2013. He admitted to how he killed her during a...

Gov. Bill Haslam has signed legislation into law to ban abortions in Tennessee after 20 weeks if a doctor determines the fetus is viable through required tests. The legislation that subjects doctors to felony penalties doesn’t apply if the mother faces risks of death or serious damage to a major bodily function. State Attorney General Herbert Slatery has said his office would defend the measure in court despite previously calling it “constitutionally suspect.” Supporters of the bill contended it can withstand a constitutional challenge, comparing it to 20 laws in other states. They said the bill protects unborn children....

Tennessee’s new plan to allow older adults without a college degree or certificate to attend community college free of charge could become a model as more states consider such a policy. The state General Assembly has passed a bill pushed by Gov. Bill Haslam, who is expected to sign it into law. The tuition program is an extension of Haslam’s Tennessee Promise program that makes all high school graduates eligible for free tuition at the state’s community colleges and technical schools. The initiative is part of Haslam’s “Drive to 55” campaign to boost the percentage of Tennesseans with higher...

On Tuesday night District 2 Coffee County Commissioner Steven Jones was arrested for alleged public intoxication by Manchester Police Officer Earnie Colvin. According to Police Chief Mark Yother, Colvin received a call from Assistant Chief Adam Floied that Jones could possibly be impaired. Jones was inside the Coffee County Administrated Plaza attending Tuesday’s County Commission meeting. The report goes onto say that when Jones was leaving the building and on his way to his car, Colvin explained to Jones what was going on. Click below for a statement from Jones about what occurred: http://www.thunder1320.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Jones-1.mp3The police report says that “multiple...

A Winchester man is facing charges in Franklin County and Coffee County following a high speed pursuit that started in Estill Springs Wednesday afternoon. According to Estill Springs Police Chief Allen Rhodes, Lt. Matt Baker attempted to stop a vehicle and the driver “took off.” Sgt. Rocky Thomas then joined the pursuit as did Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy Martin Tyler. According to Franklin County Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Guess, the pursuit was on Highway 41A from Estill Springs to Tullahoma. Once inside Tullahoma the driver, Jerry Ayers, 24, of Cherry Lane, Winchester, turned onto Vocational Lane and drove to Rock...

An investigation into a missing Rutherford County high school student showed he apparently planned to run away and packed his clothes. Devin Bond, 16, of Armor Place, disappeared March 31. Detective Will Pinson, who is investigating, told our news partner WGNS Radio that a close friend said Devin expressed an interest in running away before and living as a homeless person. He packed a bag prior to leaving and stuffed pillows and blankets in his bed to show he was still there. The teen has been missing for around 6 weeks. People who have any sightings of the teen...

The winter months were unusually mild this year and health officials say that means we could have a bad tick season. That’s causing many people to worry about tick-borne illnesses. The concern is all of the illnesses ticks can carry such as Lyme disease. If you’re going to spend time outdoors, experts suggest wearing long sleeves and pants if possible. It’s also a good idea to wear insect repellent and always check your body for ticks when you come...