NASHVILLE — The University of Tennessee—with its unique capacity to provide education, conduct research and deliver outreach to every corner of the state—is turning its combined capabilities to the opioid crisis, President Joe DiPietro said today. DiPietro’s announcement came during his third annual State of the University address before a crowd of UT leaders, government officials and dignitaries at the Nashville Public Library and to a live webcast audience. “It’s exactly the kind of challenge that land-grant, research universities are made to take on,” DiPietro said of the opioid crisis during his speech, which was interspersed with short videos. “And it’s a problem of such complexit

xford Treatment Center’s 2018 Anniversary Weekend on June 2 will include a special tribute to an alum who dedicated her recovery to helping others break free from addiction. Bethany Morse, a well-known regional advocate for treatment and recovery, died Friday, Feb. 2. She was 34. Her family said she had suffered from health problems recently and was scheduled to see a doctor that day. Throughout the Mid-South, Morse was known as an outspoken, public advocate for addicts and their recovery. She also worked privately behind the scenes to find treatment resources for people who wanted to get help for addiction. For her family and close friends, the days after her passing were a revelation. Mess

The ongoing effort to make Tennessee the next state to permit medical marijuana was bolstered Monday with two new Republican backers: House Speaker Beth Harwell and Rep. Bryan Terry. “I believe it is time for us to take action on the state level with regards to medical marijuana,” Harwell, R-Nashville, said in a statement. Harwell, who is running for governor, previously said she was open to medical marijuana, unlike many of her competitors seeking the GOP nomination. The speaker previously said she formulated her position after seeing how it helped her sister, who lives in Colorado and had a back injury. “I am in favor of this legislation, which does not allow for the smoking of medical mar

(DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE NEWS RELEASE) - A West Tennessee man has been sentenced to 300 months in federal prison for distributing heroin resulting in a fatal overdose. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today. According to information presented in court, on February 16, 2018 Marvin “Pookie” Foster, 51, was sentenced to 25 years for distributing heroin, which resulted in the death of Cody Tetleton. Tetleton had a substance abuse history, but, like other similar victims, had completed two rehabilitation programs, being released from treatment approximately two weeks prior to his death. United States Attorney D. Michael Duna

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – The owner of a sober living home where three women died in a fire told News 2 there were working smoke alarms in the home. She believes the women who perished were trying to get out but were trapped. “The buck stops with me,” Phyllis Abuan told News 2. “Even though I know there was nothing I could’ve done differently, I still feel that responsibility.” Abuan owns “Footprints 2 Recovery”, which provides sober living for people recovering from drug or alcohol abuse. There are curfews, chores and random drug and alcohol tests. Abuan does not provide treatment, so she only needs a business license to operate. A check of the Tennessee Secretary of State website shows Ab

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) - Parents - would you know if your teenager is using drugs? It's a harsh reality that is hitting youth in East Tennessee as the opioid epidemic continues to hold a firm grip on the community. The reality is there are teenagers in East Tennessee who are currently using drugs and some are addicted. As painful as it is to look at the scars on his hands and arms, Drew Zorio, 19, is thankful to be alive. "Opiates were my number one. Heroin and morphine were my two favorites," Zorio said. He was just 14, a high school student in Blount County, when he got high for the first time. "All sorts of pills were going around school. It's pretty easy to get your hands on anything. P

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- After years of drug addiction, an East Tennessee mother knew she had to make a change when she became pregnant. This year, thanks to a farm, she began a path to recovery. Linda Roberts said her drug addiction nearly took her life, and when she became pregnant she didn't know where to turn. "I was scared and didn't know what to do," Roberts said. Her doctors suggested she enroll at Susannah's House, a Knoxville-based organization that helps pregnant women and new mothers addicted to drugs. Roberts agreed and took part in a newly formed partnership with Century Harvest Farms in Greenback, Tennessee. "It's not just, 'Oh, I'm not doing drugs anymore,' it's a lifestyle

The FBI is painting for the Italian government a portrait of two of its citizens as heartless, greedy killers of at least 700 residents of Florida and Tennessee and making this pitch: Send Luca Sartini and Luigi Palma to America to face justice. U.S. Attorneys Tracy Stone and Kelly Pearson have filed in U.S. District Court an affidavit by FBI Agent Steven P. Haughton in a bid to convince the Italian government to extradite Sartini and Palma to the U.S. The pair and a third man – Benjamin Rodriguez – are accused in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization, or RICO, conspiracy indictment unsealed in January. Death toll climbing The indictment is connected to FBI raids nearly three years

Make sure you grab a copy of the Roane County News and read the story about Disposerx. Just one minor correction. The paper says we are the first organization in Tennessee to get Disposerx. We are actually the first Coalition to get Disposerx. Walmart’s all over the country (including Tennessee) had it before we did. If you need a packet or want more information,just stop by the office.

Alex Beatty had struggled with drug and alcohol abuse for a decade. For his parents, Yarnell and Liz Beatty, June 11, 2016 marks the day their lives changed forever, when the 24-year-old took a fatal mix of Oxycontin and Xanax and died of an accidental overdose at their home in Brentwood. The Beattys' story isn't uncommon in Tennessee. In 2016, 1,631 people died from opioids, a 12 percent jump from 2015. Adults ages 18 to 25 in Tennessee were using prescription opioids at a 30 percent higher rate than the national average in 2011, according to the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The Beattys want to help break the stigma surrounding addiction, especially in

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Supporters of legalizing marijuana have asked why more than 20 businesses were padlocked in Rutherford County after being accused of selling CBD-laced candy. Safe Access Tennessee is a grassroots organization that is fighting for medical cannabis at local and state levels. The chairman argued that it is not possible to get high from CBD, which is a compound that can come from hemp or marijuana plants. It is legal to posses CBD in Tennessee, but only for patients who suffer from seizures and have a prescription. Advocates said if the candy was made with CBD oil from hemp and instead of marijuana, those businesses should not have been shut down, according to a 2014 law. "As

Last October, President Trump declared a national health emergency regarding opioids. In Tennessee, Governor Haslam recently unveiled his $30 million plan to combat the opioid crisis. While strong steps in the right direction, both overlook a key demographic in this issue. In spite of the recent signing of the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act into law, it appears that many officials have not connected caregivers to this critical issue. No plan to combat this epidemic is complete without caregivers — the people who truly understand the life of a patient during and after opioids. As a 30-year caregiver for my wife Gracie, one of my many responsibilit

The state of Tennessee locked Regenia Bowman in solitary confinement for more than six months because she had a skin infection. Bowman wasn’t violent, and she hadn’t threatened anyone. She was free on bond when she walked into a courtroom in Bledsoe County in April 2014 to answer charges of selling prescription painkillers, a violation of her probation on a similar charge. During the hearing, when it looked like Bowman was headed to jail, her lawyer revealed she was sick with what turned out to be MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant staph infection. The judge suggested sending her to a “special needs” facility in Nashville. Bowman, now 54, assumed she would be going to a clinic or hospital. Instea

Editor's note: This investigation was published in partnership with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. The state of Tennessee locked Regenia Bowman in solitary confinement for more than six months because she had a skin infection. Bowman wasn’t violent, and she hadn’t threatened anyone. She was free on bond when she walked into a courtroom in Bledsoe County in April 2014 to answer charges of selling prescription painkillers, a violation of her probation on a similar charge. During the hearing, when it looked like Bowman was headed to jail, her lawyer revealed she was sick with what turned out to be MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant stap

MEMPHIS, Tenn (localmemphis.com) - A proposal by State Senator Brian Kelsey and State RepresentativeRaumesh Akbari to prohibit Tennessee judges from offering defendants reduced jail time in exchange for sterilization passed the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday. Senate Bill 2133 prohibits a sentencing court from making a sentencing determination based on defendant's consent or refusal to any form of temporary or permanent birth control, sterilization, or family planning services, regardless of whether the defendant's consent is voluntarily given. "Having children is one of the most important decisions an individual will ever make in his or her life," Sen. Kelsey said. "The decision to hav

MEMPHIS, Tenn (localmemphis.com) - A proposal by State Senator Brian Kelsey and State RepresentativeRaumesh Akbari to prohibit Tennessee judges from offering defendants reduced jail time in exchange for sterilization passed the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday. Senate Bill 2133 prohibits a sentencing court from making a sentencing determination based on defendant's consent or refusal to any form of temporary or permanent birth control, sterilization, or family planning services, regardless of whether the defendant's consent is voluntarily given. "Having children is one of the most important decisions an individual will ever make in his or her life," Sen. Kelsey said. "The decision to hav

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — Local, state and federal authorities in Tennessee have padlocked 23 stores and indicted 21 people they accuse of selling candy and other products containing a form of marijuana. News outlets report that "Operation Candy Crush" was launched after Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said parents said their child brought the CBD-laced candy home. Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh says the stores were selling gummies and similar products that contained cannabidiol, a derivative of cannabis. Tennessee Hemp Industries Association President Joe Kirkpatrick contends that the products were legal, with CBD derived from hemp, not marijuana. http://www.heraldcourier.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (localmemphis.com) - A bipartisan group of state lawmakers hopes to cut down on the number of repeat prison offenders. The members plan to do it with a bill they call the Fresh Start Act. 13,000 felons are released yearly from Tennessee jails and prisons but finding a job can be difficult. Finding jobs for felons is what Eric Evans does in Nashville. “We provide character building, career development, life skills, anything to help be a better man,” says Evans. Now state lawmakers want to help in their own way. “They pay their debt to society. They leave their incarceration. Then they are punished a second time,” says Sen. Kerry Roberts, a Republican sponsor. The bipartisan gro

DECATURVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) -- An elderly woman known as the "Kingpin Granny" has been arrested on drug charges, CBS affiliate WTVF reports. Decatur County Sheriff officials said Betty J. Jordan had been dealing prescription drugs. In an investigation, officials executed a search warrant of Jordan's home, in which they found more than 1,000 prescription pills. The medications included morphine, oxycodone and Xanax. Officials also confiscated more than $12,000 in cash and assets. WTVF reports Jordan was charged with three counts of drug manufacturing, delivery, sale and possession of Schedule II substances, two counts of possession of a drug with intent to sell and one count of possession of a

Pharmacies in tiny Hamblen County northeast of Knoxville, Tenn. dispensed nearly three opioid prescriptions for every resident there, on average, in 2008 — the highest rate in the state. Less than 10 years later, the rate was almost cut in half. Hamlen County shows how the state has curtailed much of the flow of legal drugs that often fuel addiction. While still among the highest three states in the country, Tennessee decreased its opioid prescription rate by nearly 20 percent from 2008 to 2016, the most recent year for which federal data is available. “We are still too high on the amount of opioids that we are prescribing out there,” said Tommy Farmer, a special agent at the Tennessee Burea