John Walker

The Kentucky State Police opened a death investigation on March 12 after receiving a call from the Fulton Police Department about a decomposed body located on Martin Luther King Drive in Fulton. An autopsy was performed and positively identified the remains as, Forrest Daniel Sommerfield, 39 years old from Las Vegas, Nevada.

From NPR: The first tweet was posted seven years ago. Since then, the social media site has been used as a free speech platform to spread information, report on the Arab Spring and stay connected with millions worldwide. But critics say that as Twitter has grown, it has sometimes compromised its principles.

The sponsor of legislation competing with Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam's proposal to create a school voucher program has withdrawn her bill. Republican Senater Dolores Gresham of Somerville withdrew the measure in the Senate Education Committee yesterday.

Tennessee legislation that would require schools and other organizations with youth athletic programs to adopt concussion policies is set to be heard today on the House floor. The legislation is similar to laws passed in 42 other states and the District of Columbia that have provisions requiring students to be removed from an event if they show concussion symptoms like headaches, dilated eyes or vomiting.

More than 40 Illinois lakes, creeks and ponds are stocked with rainbow trout in anticipation of this season's fishing opener. Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Marc Miller said yesterday the 2013 trout fishing season will begin April 6.

From NPR: In the aftermath of the Newtown school shooting, there's a raging public debate over placing armed guards in schools. Some say it's impractical, but about a third of American schools already have some kind of armed security. One school police officer in Stockton, Calif., finds the job is part protector, part mentor.

Two people charged in an ethics probe involving former Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer have been placed on leave while the investigation continues.

Farmer's sister, Rhonda Monroe, and deputy Agriculture Commissioner Bruce Harper were among seven people charged along with Farmer on Monday of ethics violations. They each face three counts. Monroe holds the position of assistant executive director in the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

Illinois state government workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees have voted to approve a three-year contract. AFSCME Council 31 officials announced Tuesday evening that its 35,000 members approved the agreement reached late February after 15 months of negotiating with Governor Pat Quinn.

Tennessee lawmakers are preparing to take up a measure that would restrict police agencies in the state from using unmanned drone aircraft. It's a hot topic both in Congress and on the state level as technology has outpaced regulations on the domestic use of remotely piloted aircraft.

The Kentucky Fire Commission is urging people across the Commonwealth to install smoke detectors after several fatal blazes. Kentucky Fire Commission Executive Director Ronnie Day says the use of smoke detectors alerts residents to danger and gives them more time to escape before they’re overcome by smoke or trapped by flames.