Haslam Signs Bill Lowering Food Tax to 5 Percent

(VONORE, Tenn.) -- Gov. Bill Haslam signed a bill Monday that lowered the state portion of sales tax on groceries to 5 percent, the culmination of a two-year effort.

The previous sales tax rate on groceries was 5.25 percent. That rate was set in 2012 when the General Assembly passed the bill, which was regarded as the first step in reaching the 5 percent goal.

“The sales tax on food impacts all Tennesseans, and I applaud the General Assembly for passing this important piece of legislation this year,” said Haslam at the ceremonial signing at Sloan’s Grocery in Vonore, Tenn.

The reduced tax rate does not apply to prepared foods such as a meal at a restaurant, candy, alcoholic beverages or tobacco.

The legislation goes into effect July 1.

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Union County Deputies Find 335 Pounds of Pot During Traffic Stop

(MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn.) -- What started out as a routine traffic stop quickly turned into something else entirely when Union County Sheriff’s Deputies discovered more than 300 pounds of marijuana inside the vehicle, according to The Knoxville News Sentinel.

Deputies pulled over a Nissan truck shortly before 6 a.m. Monday alongside state Highway 33 on suspicion that the driver was drunk. Upon walking up to the side of the Nissan, the officer noticed several packages in the back of the car.

With the help of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and a K-9 named Ceazor, deputies ended up finding 15 packages, containing 335 pounds of pot inside the car.

The driver, 26-year-old Martin Urrutia Olmedo, was charged with manufacturing, delivering, selling and possessing drugs. The original hunch that got him pulled over turned out to be right, as he was also charged with a DUI and driving without a license.

Olmedo is expected to appear in court Thursday.

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Man Charged in Kidnapping of 74-Year-Old Woman

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) -- A 49-year-old man was charged with attempted kidnapping and attempted robbery after he tried to abduct a 74-year old woman.

According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Charles Hester III approached the elderly woman as she was loading groceries into the trunk of her vehicle. He apparently asked the woman for a ride to Nashville. When the woman refused to give Hester a ride, he threatened her with a gun and demanded she get into the vehicle.

The woman and Hester both fled, according to the Commercial Appeal.

Hester admitted to being at the scene and asking for money, but denied he threatened the woman. He is currently being held on $50,000 bond.

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Problem with Phone Lines Causes 911 Delay

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) -- An issue with phone lines may be causing delays in answering calls to emergency services.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that the problem was causing delays in answering phone calls Wednesday night, and that callers should not hang up and re-dial, as this may result in a longer wait.

Police spokeswoman Karen Rudolph told the Commercial Appeal that callers can alternatively contact the Memphis Fire Department at (901) 458-3311 for fire and medical emergencies or the Shelby County Sheriff's Office at (901) 379-7625 for law enforcement emergencies.

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Ga. College Sues Tenn. Over Billboard Restriction

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- Berry College in Rome, Ga. is suing the Tennessee Higher Education Commission because the college was not allowed to install a billboard in Tennessee because it is an entirely out of state school.

According to Inside Higher Ed, Berry College put up a billboard in Nashville. The Higher Education Commission told them that since the billboard advertised their school, they needed to register as if they were a college operating in the state or face a $500 a day fine.

Berry College filled the suit on Monday, saying that they could not be expected to pay up to $20,000 a year in registration fees to have one billboard. The suit alleges that Tennessee is illegally discriminating out-of-state institutions and is infringing on interstate commerce.

The president of Berry, Stephen Briggs, said that the billboard distinction seemed arbitrary, as there was no restriction on advertising out-of-state colleges in Tennessee magazines and newspapers.

About 150 of Berry's 2,100 students are from Tennessee.

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