The Associated Press

The Tennessee General Assembly votes for Republican leaders today. House Speaker Beth Harwell is unopposed in her bid for another term the head of the lower chamber. Although no one has stepped up to challenge Harwell, there are challengers for the number two position, House Speaker Pro Tempore. Curtis Johnson of Clarksville is running against incumbent Judd Matheny of Tullahoma.

A Stewart County fire has killed two people and burned a teenager. The Leaf-Chronicle reports six people were in the mobile home early Thursday when the fire broke out in the Indian Mound community in eastern Stewart. Fire & Rescue Assistant Chief Rick Joiner says the names of the victims would not be released until the state medical examiner identifies them.

Senate Republican leaders meet next week to caucus on Kentucky's next Senate president. The Courier-Journal reports the GOP meet Tuesday to vote on who they support in the role: Republican Sen. Robert Stivers, who has served as floor leader for the past four years, or Independent Sen. Bob Leeper, who has served as Senate budget committee chairman.

Kentucky’s junior Republican U.S. senator says he’s interested in running for president in 2016. Rand Paul tells ABC News he’s not going to deny that he’s interested. Paul tells ABC the Republican Party needs to change, but not what he calls the party's core message of encouraging economic growth to generate government revenue. Paul says the Republican Party needs to consider some different ideas that include allowing states to make decisions on the legalization of marijuana and taking a more moderate approach on immigration.

A South-central Kentucky man believed to be the leader of a conspiracy to grow more than 1,200  marijuana plants at his home has pleaded guilty this week in federal court in Bowling Green. Seventy-year-old Dallas Norris pleaded guilty to manufacturing and distributing a controlled substance, money laundering and possession of firearms by a felon. Prosecutors say Norris and 10 co-defendants operated a sophisticated marijuana growing operation that was discovered by Kentucky State Police at his Glasgow home last November. A police investigation determined that the operation started in 2008 a

Clarksville, Tenn., police have charged a 23-year-old man with shooting his 15-year-old brother in the head and killing him. Brian Holden Smith is being held without bond at the Montgomery County jail.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn reminds state residents to support food banks during the holiday season and throughout the year. Quinn's office says there are eight food banks around the state and, according to Feeding Illinois, there are more than 1.9 million people in the state who don't have access to nutritious food. Quinn urges people to volunteer at food banks in their communities and donate to them. 

Tennessee health officials will start contacting hundreds of people who received steroid injuection for back pain from a pharmacy linked to a fungal meningitis outbreak to warn them about another infection.  Dr. David Reagan, chief medical officer for the Tennessee Department of Health, said Wednesday the new round of calls will start next week to about 900 patients who have not developed fungal meningitis but who may be at risk for a localized infection or abscess near the injection site.

A Tennessee Air National Guard general has been reprimanded for giving Titans tickets that were bought by the Guard to his family and friends. WSMV-TV obtained an internal investigation from the Air Force Inspector General that shows Assistant Adjutant General Don Johnson gave his family and friends tickets to four games last season.

An Indiana-based company plans to open a turkey farm in McLean County. Executives with Farbest  Farms outlined plans for the venture this week at a Fiscal Court meeting in McLean. The Messenger-Inquirer reports the plans include a 50-acre brooding hub where turkeys would be hatched and raised until they are 30 days old.