Beating the Odds: Crossville Woman Overcomes Drug Addiction, Turns Life Around
CROSSVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) - Her mugshot from a 2015 drug roundup in Cumberland County was one of the most shocking ever to be sent to the WATE 6 On Your Side newsroom. Crystal Sturgill of Crossville looked far older than her 28 years at the time of her arrest on felony narcotics charges. Recently, one of Sturgill's friends reached out on Facebook, saying Sturgill had worked hard to change her life. She's now truly beating the odds. You would never recognize her in a million ye
Memphis Lawmaker Pitches Marijuana Decriminalization Bill
Possessing less than one ounce of marijuana would be decriminalized in Tennessee under a new bill proposed by state Sen. Sara Kyle, D-Memphis. "We have a lot of kids getting out of college who may have a criminal charge on their record," Kyle said on Wednesday. "We're losing a whole pool of talented people. These people may have made a mistake. Not only do we need them working, we need them participating in the community." State Sen. Sara Kyle (Photo: Jed DeKalb) The bill wou
DCS Sees Rise in Children Needing Stable Homes amid Opioid Crisis
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The stats are staggering. The Tennessee Department of Child Services says there has been a 51 percent increase in parents losing the legal right to care for their kids since 2010. That's putting strain on the state's foster care system. "We certainly seen an increase in the number of children coming into foster care over the past 5 years and that can be directly attributed to the opioid epidemic," Keith Bailey, the director of training at Harmony Family Cen
New Mothers Overcoming Addiction Face a World of Obstacles
Last June, Dajia Brown embarked on a dangerous phase of life — so dangerous that many in her situation do not survive. It started when she gave birth to her daughter, Brooklyn, several months after entering treatment for addiction to fentanyl pills. The postpartum period, a tough time for many women, can be particularly challenging for women with opioid use disorder, putting them at high risk of relapse and overdose. In Massachusetts, according to the state’s analysis of over
Nashville Opens No-Fee Crisis Center for Mental Health
Nashville police have a new place to drop off people who've been arrested and need a psychiatric evaluation. But the new 24-hour facility in Metro Center is also an emergency room for anyone else in the midst of a mental health crisis. The state pitched in $15 million to help fund construction of the Nashville crisis center and similar facilities in Memphis, Jackson, Chattanooga, Cookeville and Knoxville. Local governments had to put up matching money and put forward a plan t
Tennessee Agency: Foster Care Needs Grow Amid Opioid Crisis
NASHVILLE, TENN. A Tennessee agency is asking for tens of millions of dollars more in the upcoming state budget to address growing foster care needs amid the opioid epidemic. Department of Children's Services Commissioner Jennifer Nichols said at a budget hearing Monday that since 2016, Tennessee has seen a 10.3 percent increase in the number of children in foster care. She said the jump is due largely to the scourge of opioid abuse. The department is requesting $78 million i
‘Narcan Party’ a Problem for Area EMS Personnel
Cheatham County EMS Director Danny Schaeffer knew what a “Narcan party” was before he heard of them ever happening in Cheatham County. But over the past year, Schaeffer said he’s heard of them happening locally, too. Such parties may alter accurate data on overdose deaths, a consequence of which could include preventing the county from receiving grants for Narcan administration. “I don’t think it’s a common practice for all of your drug users, but I think it is something that
Opioid Epidemic Costs TN Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in Lost Personal Income
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The opioid epidemic is costing the economy in Tennessee hundreds of millions of dollars every year in lost personal income. A new report from the University of Tennessee Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research details the impact drug addiction is having on the labor market in our state. The report from UT economists estimates that if just 10% of people addicted to opioids got clean, it would increase the labor force in the state by about one percenta
New Drug Task Force Aims to Combat Rural Opioid Epidemic
LOUDON, Tenn. — Law enforcement in Loudon County is taking a new approach to fighting their local opioid epidemic. Ninth Judicial District Attorney General Russell Johnson said officers there responded to overdose calls almost every day over the holiday season. Heroin and meth are the drugs being abused most, he said. That's why all of Loudon County's agencies came together to form a united drug task force. "We've got drug problems, and the only way that we in law enforcement
What Do You Call a Bar Without Booze?
LAST MONDAY evening, the scene at 3 Bleecker Street in Manhattan was familiar enough. It looked like a bar. There was an actual bar, first of all, lined with stools. There was someone tending that bar, reaching for jiggers and Boston shakers when a drink order called for them. There was a menu listing $11 cocktails such as the She Pretty, made with strawberries, rosewater and an egg white—but no beer, wine or spirits. https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-do-you-call-a-bar-withou