Tennessee.gov News Center

Crash in Loudon County Leads to Arrest
Nashville, Tennessee — A Tennessee State Trooper, investigating a minor crash Tuesday morning, apprehended a fugitive wanted in Florida.  Lola M. Pennington was taken into custody on October 7, 2008, after being treated for injuries she sustained in a two-vehicle crash in Loudon County.
Trooper Carey Hixon responded to […]

HIT AND RUN IN WARREN COUNTY KILLS TWO PEOPLE
Nashville, Tennessee — Tennessee State Troopers and officers in Warren County are searching for the driver of a pick-up truck involved in a deadly crash this morning.  It happened on Highway 70 just west of the Centertown city limits.  Investigators say at approximately 8:30 a.m., a red […]

Greene County Scales Critical Element in Federal Research & Technology Program
Nashville, Tennessee — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has recognized the Tennessee Department of Safety for its leadership and support of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Roadside Technology Corridor (CMVRTC).
“Since the corridor was established in August 2007 at the Greene County inspection facility, […]

SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 DRAWS EXPRESSIONS OF GRATITUDE
Nashville, Tennessee — The Tennessee Department of Safety’s (TDOS) Office of Homeland Security today honored the commitment and sacrifice of 25 Tennessee law enforcement officers and first responders, as well as members from three organizations, at a unique recognition ceremony held at the Old Supreme Court Chambers in […]

Nashville, Tennessee — The Tennessee Department of Safety today announced the promotion of Reaker Bass as the new Captain over the Memphis District.
A native of Whiteville, Tennessee, in Hardeman County, Captain Bass has served as the Administrative Lieutenant in the Cookeville District since May of 2007.   During the past year, he supervised a […]

Nashville, Tennessee — Today, the Department of Safety served Lieutenant Ronnie Shirley with a “minimum due process letter for termination” surrounding the on-going investigation into Shirley’s alleged unauthorized access to the Integrated Criminal Justice Web Portal (ICJWP).
“I recommended to Commissioner Dave Mitchell that Lieutenant Shirley be terminated for gross misconduct and violating the public’s trust […]

Nashville, Tennessee — The Tennessee Department of Safety announced today that preliminary reports indicate eight people were killed on Tennessee roadways over the 2008 Labor Day holiday, compared to 17 fatalities last year. The 2008 Labor Day holiday period started at 6:00 p.m., on Friday, August 29, 2008, and ran through 11:59 p.m., Monday, September […]

Nashville, Tennessee — The Tennessee Department of Safety’s Office of Homeland Security (OHS), along with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and Metro Nashville’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) have partnered together to urge all Tennessee residents to take action and be prepared in the case of an emergency.  A joint-news conference was held this […]

Nashville, Tennessee — The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) will be out in force this Labor Day weekend, cracking down on drivers who break the law.   The Labor Day holiday weekend begins Friday, August 29, at 6 p.m., and ends Monday, September 1, at 11:59 p.m.
More than 80 sobriety and driver license checkpoints are scheduled across […]

Nashville, Tennessee — The Tennessee Highway Patrol is teaming with the Georgia State Police to send a strong message that officers from both states will be on the look-out for impaired drivers this week.  The agencies will hold a Hands Across the Border sobriety checkpoint Wednesday evening on Rossville Boulevard at the Georgia/Tennessee state line. […]

Nashville, Tennessee — Tennessee Department of Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell has requested additional assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) in regards to the investigation surrounding Lieutenant Ronnie Shirley’s alleged unauthorized access to the Integrated Criminal Justice Web Portal (ICJSC).
Commissioner Mitchell has asked the TBI to conduct forensic examinations on the state-issued computers and […]

Nashville, Tennessee — The Tennessee Highway Patrol and law enforcement authorities from several counties are searching in Dekalb County for the two suspects who were involved in a pursuit this morning and fled on foot after crashing the stolen vehicle they were riding in. These are believed to be the same suspects who were involved […]

Nashville, Tennessee — Two women, one a convicted felon, were arrested after a Tennessee State Trooper stopped their vehicle Wednesday evening in Lewis County and discovered a cache of drugs and money.
Trooper Jeremy Miller was patrolling Highway 99 in Lewis County just after 6:15 p.m., when he noticed that the occupants of a 1996 Dodge […]

Nashville, Tennessee — The Tennessee Highway Patrol and law enforcement authorities in White County are searching for a Missouri felon who, after fleeing from a Trooper and wrecking a pick-up truck he was in, escaped on foot.  Investigators believe he may be en route to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in a stolen gold 1997 Toyota […]

Nashville, Tennessee — A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) will arrive August 24, 2008, to examine all aspects of the Tennessee Department of Safety’s (TDOS) policy and procedures, management, operations and support services, announced TDOS Commissioner Dave Mitchell.
“Verification by the CALEA team is part of a […]

Nashville, Tennessee — Governor Phil Bredesen and Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell today announced the state will receive $20.6 million in Homeland Security Grant funds.  More than $15.4 million of the grant funds will be passed through to Tennessee’s 11 Homeland Security District Councils to fund homeland security projects within the cities and counties that comprise […]

Nashville, Tennessee — The Tennessee Highway Patrol Criminal Investigation Division (CID) today released the preliminary facts surrounding the on-going investigation into Lt. Ronnie Shirley’s alleged unauthorized access to the Integrated Criminal Justice Web Portal (ICJSC). The ICJSC is a web portal managed by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) that provides access to a […]

Nashville, Tennessee — The Tennessee Highway Patrol is teaming up with the Mississippi Highway Patrol and Alabama’s Department of Public Safety for an intensive joint initiative aimed at reducing traffic fatalities and increasing safety.  During the week of August 18-24, every available member of THP, including Colonel Mike Walker and his command staff, will be […]

Nashville, Tennessee — Two suspected armed robbers are being held tonight in the McMinn County jail after being stopped by a Tennessee State Trooper for speeding.  It happened just after 12:30 p.m. (EST), Sunday, August 17, 2008, on Interstate 75 southbound.
Trooper Charles Melhorn spotted a P.T. Cruiser speeding along I-75 south near mile marker 55 […]

Nashville, Tennessee — The Tennessee Highway Patrol is teaming with the Alabama Highway Patrol and sheriff deputies from Madison County, Alabama, and Lincoln County, Tennessee, to send a strong message that officers from both states will be on the look-out for impaired drivers this weekend.  The agencies will hold a Hands Across the Border sobriety […]