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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University of Tennessee Fires Judicial Affairs Director

(KNOXVILLE, Tenn.) -- The University of Tennessee fired the Office of Student Judicial Affairs director amid allegations she had improper relationships with student athletes, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports.

On Thursday, Jenny Wright, a UT graduate who has worked at the school since 2008, attempted to resign over the allegations, of which little specific information has been released, but the school refused to accept it. Provost Susan Martin sent Wright a pre-termination letter instead the next day.

The letter said that Wright was invited to meet with them on Monday to discuss the issue, but she did not show up. She was officially fired later that day.

Both UT and Wright have hired lawyers.

Wright’s lawyer, Robert Kurtz, “categorically denied” Wright had done anything wrong, and had attempted to resign out of concern that the false allegations would harm UT students and overshadow her work.

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Gov. Haslam Vetos ‘Ag Gag’ Bill

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- Gov. Bill Haslam announced Monday that he is vetoing a controversial “ag gag” bill, The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports.

The bill, which would have required any documentation of animal abuse to be given to law enforcement within 48 hours of being made, was the subject of much debate. The sponsors of the bill, farmers, said that it was to ensure speedy investigations of cruelty to animals and livestock investigations.

However, critics like the Humane Society said that mandating that evidence be given to authorities within 48 hours made it easy for officials to thwart investigations of animal cruelty.

It was not clear what side the governor would take in this debate until his announcement. Haslam said that while he understood the concerns of the farmers, and recognized that sometimes footage obtained into investigations of animal cruelty was obtained under false pretenses, he had to veto the bill.

He quoted a legal opinion from Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper delivered last week, who said that the bill was “constitutionally suspect” given the requirements of the First Amendment. Haslam also mentioned that it seemed to implicitly repeal part of Tennessee’s “shield law,” which protects journalists’ ability to collect information.

He recommended that a new, clearer bill be created.

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