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TLC star Toby Willis denied four charges of child rape as he was arraigned on Monday in Tennessee. The 46-year-old was arrested in October for allegedly raping a nine or ten-year-old girl 12 years ago. He initially faced a single count of child rape but the charge has been quadrupled. Officials would not address whether the charges relate to one girl or if they believe he had several victims on Thursday. Willis's formal plea hearing will be held on July 11 and his trial has been set for the following week in Ashland City, Tennessee, in July.

Nashville, Tenn. — President Donald Trump railed against a judge's order blocking his immigration restrictions on Wednesday, saying the ruling made America "look weak" — and drew chants from supporters of "lock her up!" when he attacked his former rival. The second version of Trump's travel ban, which would temporarily halts immigration from six primarily Muslim nations, was set to go into effect Thursday until it was stopped by a federal judge in Hawaii. The first executive order shortly after Trump took office was replaced by what the president, during his campaign-style rally in Nashville, called a "watered down" version....

The State of Tennessee filed a lawsuit on March 13, becoming the first state in the nation to sue the federal government over refugee resettlement on the grounds of the U.S. Constitution’s 10th Amendment, The Tennessean reported. Tennessee argues that the federal government has forced the states to pay for the refugee resettlement program, thereby violating the 10th Amendment, which says the federal government possesses only the powers granted to it by the U.S. Constitution and that all other powers are reserved for the states. While other states have sued the federal government over refugee resettlement, this lawsuit is the...

e of Nashville’s most notorious killers, Perry March, is suing the Department of Corrections and a food service provider for not complying with his request to be served kosher meals. In a complaint, March wrote:”It’s a case of gluttonous wolves gorging unchecked on defenseless, captive sheep.” Ten years ago, Perry March was convicted of murdering his wife and was sentenced to more than 50 years behind bars. March practices Judaism and claims that his denial of kosher meals can be blamed on anti-Semitism. Legal analyst Nick Leonardo says inmates recently won a similar lawsuit in Florida. “There’s 10,000 prisoners in...

COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WZTV) — A 29-year-old claims in a lawsuit that she wanted an abortion, but the Maury County sheriff denied her access due to a lack of threat to her health. Kei’Choura Cathey filed a federal lawsuit in Nashville last month, according to court documents. While in Maury County Jail for robbery and murder conspiracy charges, the lawsuit says in 2015 Cathey found out she was pregnant and wanted an abortion. Sheriff Bucky Rowland allegedly denied her access. Cathey gave birth in April last year and is suing for $1.5 million in damages. Meanwhile, David Randolph Smith isn't involved...

Rutherford County Schools said a substitute teacher will no longer be working in the school district after he was accused of posting “inappropriate, threatening” comments on social media regarding President Donald Trump.Rutherford County Schools received several messages about David Colin on Wednesday. Colin is accused of posting on Facebook, “the only good Trump supporter is a dead Trump supporter,” on Facebook Nov. 9 at 9:29 a.m.Colin is not employed by RCS, but is contracted through PESG. The schools said Colin is no longer permitted to work in the district. The school district has notified PESG about Colin. The contractor indicted...

A member of the Republican leadership in the Tennessee House of Representatives, Tilman Goins, has introduced a bill to reform archaic gun law. Tilman is the Majority Caucus Treasurer, and is a member of the Criminal Justice and Business and Utilities committees.  His bill TN HB0011 the "Hearing Protection Act" would simply remove "firearms silencer" from the list of prohibited weapons. If the bill is passed, it would go into effect on 1 July, 2017. These types of reforms have been very popular with legislatures over the last several years.  Josh Waldron, one of the founders of the American...

Students at Independence High School in Williamson County, Tennessee, will not be allowed to watch President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration during class on Friday. Senior Olivia Roberts was so surprised by the ban she decided to write a Facebook post that has since gone viral: “To preface this, I am not one to post or debate anything political on Facebook but wanted to hear thoughts on this: I go to public school and we are not allowed to watch the inauguration tomorrow... Teachers are banned to show it. Teachers are also not allowed to discuss anything about politics or religions which...

UPDATE: Sheila Butt announced on Tuesday that she is withdrawing the bill. Read more about that here.Tennessee, more than 1 million people depend on benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to put food on their tables. Rep. Shelia Butt, R-Columbia, introduced a bill that would stop people from using those benefits, know as SNAP or food stamps, to buy foods high in calories, sugar and fat. Some people in our area think the bill is a good idea. "Milk and food items is fine," said Alan Rogers. "That's what they're for. Just to sustain life. All this other stuff...

A Maryville man was arrested Friday after he reportedly attacked his girlfriend with a taco for having a profile on an online dating site. Steven Erwin Stokes, 47, Ridgeview Road, Maryville, was arrested by Blount County Sheriff’s Office deputies on charges of domestic assault, aggravated domestic assault, failure to appear to address a misdemeanor charge and contempt of court. He was being held in lieu of bonds totaling $7,000 pending hearings at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. Thursday in Blount County General Sessions Court. Deputies responded to the situation around 9 p.m. on Friday, after Stokes’ girlfriend, a 46-year-old...

A Trip To A Christmas Tree In Tennessee The last of my shopping brought me to Pet Smart today. My furry four-legged monarchs, the captains of my existence will have a pretty good haul this year. I bent the concept of “good boys” just a bit to keep the peace. Maneuvering my way through the bustle of shining testaments of affluence on wheels and all the fuss, I turned into the parking lot. I saw what I thought a young boy holding a piece of cardboard with writing, crying for the world to see, a dog was tied to a...

GATLINBURG, Tenn. — Charlotte Moore needed a phone charger. Then she remembered that her home was gone. The realization came as she made the familiar drive up to the top of Laurel Mountain in the Roaring Fork neighborhood of Gatlinburg on Friday, where what lay ahead was anything but familiar. On the first day officials let property owners return to assess the damage from the wildfire that devastated their homes, the eastern Tennessee tourist destination was headed toward an uncertain future. As people were allowed into the city, Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters raised the death toll to 13 and...

<p>Two men have been arrested for separate arson cases in Tennessee, one which ignited a wildfire.</p> <p>Matthew Ryan Wallace, 27, of Tuscaloosa, Ala. is charged with setting a wildfire along Standdifer Grant Road in Sequatchie County on Monday. The felony charges is punishable to up to six years behind bars and a $3,000 fine.</p>

The recently discovered element 117 has been officially named "tennessine" in recognition of Tennessee’s contributions to its discovery, including the efforts of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and its Tennessee collaborators at Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee. "The presence of tennessine on the Periodic Table is an affirmation of our state's standing in the international scientific community, including the facilities ORNL provides to that community as well as the knowledge and expertise of the laboratory's scientists and technicians," ORNL Director Thom Mason said.

The fires are raging on in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Dolly Parton as been at the forefront of efforts to try and help in any way she can. She has sent money to the fire departments to help. She has given the department Dollywood and other properties as hubs for the fire rescue teams. Dolly is a Tennessee girl and she is torn apart as she watches her home burn to the ground. The fires have burned through over 150 buildings and have killed at least 3 people thus far. The fires are moving faster and faster towards...

As officials continue to search for a Memphis architect and his wife still missing after devastating fires that hit Gatlinburg this week, family and friends are using social media to provide updates on the family. Jon Summers and his wife, Janet, haven't been found, friends said, and their three sons — Branson and twins Wesley and Jared — have been hospitalized after being caught in the fire. All three sons are at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, family friends confirmed. “The boys are doing much better. That’s great news,” Steve Berger, president of the architectural firm that employs Jon Summers, said...

"We almost didn't make it out alive But we did Escape The Forest Fire In Chalet Village Tennessee"

Ravaged by months of drought, huge swaths of the southeast United States are on fire, but you wouldn’t know it judging by national media coverage.A total of six states in the southeast (Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi) are currently suffering from “exceptional drought,” a category reserved for the most severe drought conditions, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center. The majority of land in four states (Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia) are facing “extreme drought,” the second most severe level.(snip)But because it’s not happening in New York or D.C. or Los Angeles, it doesn’t really count...

GATLINBURG — Firefighters across the state scrambled to douse the wildfires raging through East Tennessee Tuesday morning, and the Tennessee National Guard made plans to dump water onto the flames from a helicopter. Emergency responders have struggled to make a dent into the fires that have devastated Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and surrounding areas in Sevier County since high winds helped the flames spread Monday evening Article continues, "Hillbilly Golf, major hotels, a good portion of Regan Drive and countless other businesses and homes were destroyed in the blaze that had firefighters working throughout the night. "The center of Gatlinburg looks...

GATLINBURG, TN (WSMV) - One of Tennessee’s most popular tourist destinations is being evacuated due to wildfires. Downtown Gatlinburg and numerous area neighborhoods, including the southern part of Pigeon Forge, are under a mandatory evacuation. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency has declared a level three state of emergency for the affected areas. TEMA says 30 structures are currently on fire in Gatlinburg, including a 16-story hotel. The Tennessee National Guard will be deployed to Sevier County to assist with clearing and removing debris. Officials said there are no reports of fatalities at this time. At least one person suffered a...