Tennessee
Attorneys for Tennessee inmate worry state could use expired drugs for lethal injection
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Attorneys for a Tennessee death row inmate say they are concerned the state may be planning to use expired lethal injection drugs at his execution on Thursday, a growing concern across the country as states work to keep most information about their drugs secret.
Tony Carruthers’ attorneys twice asked the Tennessee Department of Correction last month whether it had secured the appropriate drugs for his execution date and for assurance the drugs had not expired.
Assistant Attorney General John W. Ayers’ response did not directly answer but said the department will comply with its lethal injection protocol — which includes regular inventory of the drugs to monitor expiration dates.
Carruthers, 57, was sentenced to death after being found guilty of the 1994 kidnappings and murders of Marcellos Anderson, his mother Delois Anderson, and Frederick Tucker.
The Tennessee Department of Correction declined to answer on Wednesday when asked by The Associated Press whether the drugs they plan to use to kill Carruthers are expired. Gov. Bill Lee’s office did not immediately respond to a similar inquiry.
Federal Public Defender Amy Harwell said in an email that expiration dates reflect when a drug can no longer be safely relied upon to obtain the desired result.
“In the execution context, this may mean a slow, lingering death without a reliable loss of consciousness, as the body painfully and fitfully shuts down,” Harwell wrote.
Public opposition to executions has made it difficult for prisons to obtain execution drugs, among the lingering issues for those who use lethal injection. Some states have been forced to speed up executions or stop them entirely due to expiration dates on drugs.
In South Carolina, executions were on hold for 12 years while the state struggled to obtain drugs. They were eventually able to get them only after the state passed a shield law that would keep the identity of the supplier secret.
Tennessee has argued in court that its shield extends to revealing expiration dates. Just before the December execution of Harold Nichols, Tennessee Deputy Attorney General Cody Brandon offered instead to provide a declaration “attesting that the chemicals to be used in Mr. Nichols’ execution will not expire before his execution and have not expired,” according to a transcript of the proceedings.
“The fact that TDOC was willing to provide such assurances to Mr. Nichols, but not Mr. Carruthers, raises serious concerns that TDOC is, in fact, intending to use expired drugs,” Harwell wrote in a May 18 follow-up to Ayers’ letter.
Arkansas, Idaho have faced challenges
In 2017, Arkansas’ then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson issued death warrants for eight prisoners on the state’s death row in an effort to beat the clock on a batch of lethal injection drugs that were set to expire. The state executed four of the men, but four others were granted stays.
Arkansas has not had any executions since then, in part because of the difficulty in obtaining drugs.
A group of Texas inmates in 2023 unsuccessfully tried to stop the state from using drugs they alleged were expired and unsafe. Prison officials denied their claims and said the state’s drug supply was safe.
Attorneys for Idaho’s death row inmates raised similar concerns in 2024, when the state planned to take a second try at executing Thomas Creech after the first attempt was botched.
The Federal Defender Services of Idaho told a federal judge that prison officials apparently failed to even check the expiration date of the execution drugs before obtaining a death warrant for Creech in October 2024. Nine days later, the drugs were returned to the supplier because they were expired, according to court documents. A new Idaho law has changed the state’s primary execution to firing squad in part because of the difficulty of getting lethal injection drugs.
Tennessee has had problems with execution drugs
Tennessee has a history of problems with its execution drugs. In 2022, Oscar Smith came within minutes of being executed before Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee issued a surprise reprieve that revealed the state’s lethal injection drugs were not being properly tested for purity and potency. Executions were on hold for two years to allow for an independent investigation into the problems.
The state attorney general’s office was also forced to concede in court that two of the people most responsible for overseeing Tennessee’s lethal injection drugs at the time “ incorrectly testified ” under oath that officials were testing the chemicals as required.
Tennessee released a new lethal injection process in December 2024, and restarted executions in 2025. Several death row inmates have sued over the new protocols, arguing that the Correction Department did not follow the recommendations from the investigation.
Meanwhile, the new process has not been completely smooth. When Byron Black was executed by lethal injection in August, he said he was “ hurting so bad.” Prison officials have offered no explanation for what might have caused the pain.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
101st Airborne veterans get Purple Hearts years after an insider attack
As we honor those who have served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice, it is also heartening to see the military right a wrong. Chris Davis brings us the moving story of a Purple Heart ceremony two decades in the making. It’s worth a watch.
A heartfelt thanks to all who bravely serve.
– Carrie Sharp
Tennessee
Tennessee Titans’ Star Jeffrey Simmons Addressed Health and Contract Concerns on Wednesday
The Tennessee Titans wrapped up minicamp on Wednesday and will now head for a summer break. Before heading out, several players spoke with the media. Jeffery Simmons was one of those, and the veteran revealed he’d been managing an elbow issue for years before deciding to address it this offseason.
“That’s the reason why I’ve been wearing a brace, you know? Probably, what, two and a half years to where I wasn’t even able to straighten out my right arm,” Simmons said.
“So to just be able to get that cleaned up… I feel good. I don’t think it’s gonna be a big difference from last year because, like I said, it’s already years in the past… I mean, I played with the brace, and [I might] play with the brace this year, who knows? But at the same time… I feel great. My body feels good, I’ll be ready to go. I’m gonna get back to training camp and hopefully this year continue to keep getting better as a player.”
Let that sink in. Simmons just put together the best season of his career while unable to fully straighten his right arm. That’s absurd.
Big Jeff Speaks: Dollars and Cents
Simmons also made it abundantly clear he’s not interested in any noise on the contract front.
“I think the biggest thing is, since I got to Tennessee, this organization has been nothing but good to me. We’ve been on the same page since I got here. So when it comes down to the contract, I [let] everything play out,” Simmons said.
“Since I got here, I don’t think we [missed] a [beat] in the front office. Me and Ms. Amy, everyone been on the same page. And whenever [it’s] time to talk contract… I know my agent… they’re going to work together to make sure it’s done the right way.
That’s a veteran who knows exactly where he stands — and trusts the people around him to handle the business side.
“One thing when it come down to that contract, we know how messy it could get. And that’s not what I’m looking for, especially going on year eight… This organization been nothing but good to me. So I’m not so focused on the contract right now. Like I said, my goal this offseason is, let me go work my tail off and get ready for training camp.”
The Scariest Part for the Rest of the AFC
Here’s where it gets fun. It’s going to be fascinating to watch how defensive guru and new Titans’ head coach Robert Saleh chooses to deploy Simmons — especially alongside his new running mate, John Franklin-Myers, who signed a three-year, $63 million deal in the spring.
Simmons is legitimately one of the best defenders this organization has ever had. In 2025, he racked up a career-high 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, and 67 tackles. He’s an absolute monster. For his career, he’s now at 42.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles.
Pairing a player at the peak of his powers with a legit interior running mate, under a head coach whose entire reputation is defensive violence? It’s not a stretch of the imagination to now call Jeffery Simmons arguably the best defender in the AFC. And if he played all of last season with one good arm? Look out.
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says a Kingsport man was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison after an investigation found that he trafficked large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Chattanooga to Sullivan County for distribution.
A release says Aaron Tyshawn Jackson, of Kingsport and formerly of Chattanooga, was sentenced Wednesday to 288 months behind bars by a U.S. District Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
Jackson is set to serve 10 years of supervised release after his prison term.
The release says a federal jury in February convicted Jackson of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
He was also convicted of two other drug-related offenses.
Evidence presented at trial showed Jackson purchased large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in Chattanooga for years, and distributed the drugs in Kingsport.
TBI says Jackson was pulled over on October 22nd, 2024, following what they say was a trip to Chattanooga to purchase drugs.
Jackson was in a vehicle with three other people when police attempted to stop the car.
When officers activated their lights and sirens, TBI says Jackson told the driver to “drive,” and a pursuit followed, ending in a crash.
The release says the vehicle reached speeds in excess of 120 mph before the collision.
Authorities said Jackson threw a duffel bag out of the window while fleeing.
The bag contained more than 2.7 kilograms of methamphetamine and 11 ounces of fentanyl.
Agencies involved in the joint investigation included the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Kingsport Police Department, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Chattanooga Police Department, and Etowah Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan L. Gomez and AnCharlene Davis represented the United States.
TBI says the case was part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative focused on illegal immigration enforcement, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime.
Depend on us to keep you informed as we learn more.
The Miss Tennessee Opportunity welcomes contestants, families, alumni, and supporters from across the state to Nashville June 15-20, 2026, for Miss Tennessee Competition Week at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Belmont University. The week will culminate with the crowning of a new Miss Tennessee and Miss Tennessee’s Teen as current titleholders Zoe Scheiderich and Analee Shaver pass on their crowns. The Miss Tennessee Opportunity is the officially licensed state program of the Miss America Opportunity, one of the nation’s leading achievement and scholarship organizations for young women. Click for More Events
Competition week features interviews, rehearsals, preliminary competitions, special events, and scholarship opportunities for talented young women representing communities throughout Tennessee. Throughout the week, attendees will have opportunities to participate in special events and celebrations leading up to the final night of competition. These events include a Red Carpet Gala on Wednesday, June 17 and the Miss Tennessee Par-Tea on Thursday, June 18, both taking place in the lobby of the Fisher Center. Tickets for the competition and official events are available through the Miss Tennessee website at misstennessee.org.
Miss Tennessee 2025 Zoe Scheiderich, a native of Lebanon and student at Middle Tennessee State University, has represented Tennessee with distinction throughout her year of service. At the Miss America Competition, Scheiderich earned recognition as a Top 11 finalist and Preliminary Fitness Award winner while advancing her initiative to empower and equip women and girls. A classically trained dancer and aspiring sports broadcaster, she has earned significant scholarship support through the Miss America Opportunity and has served as an ambassador for the organization across Tennessee.
Joining her on the final night stage will be Miss Tennessee’s Teen 2025 Analee Shaver of Collierville. A student leader, accomplished dancer, and advocate against bullying, Shaver has spent her year promoting her community service initiative, Stand4Me, which encourages students to become advocates for peers experiencing bullying. Through school visits and community appearances, she has championed inclusion, empathy, and kindness among Tennessee’s youth.
The Miss Tennessee competition celebrates its 73rd year this June and is honored to welcome the reigning Miss America and former Belmont student, Cassie Donegan, to join in on the competition week festivities and perform a special showcase of music. Donegan has enjoyed a whirlwind year of appearances and advocacy since being crowned the 98th Miss America last September. She will be a featured guest Wednesday – Friday of competition week.
“We are excited to welcome Tennessee’s outstanding young women and their supporters to Nashville celebrating service, scholarship, style, success, and sisterhood,” said Dr. Colene Trent, CEO and Executive Director of the Miss Tennessee Opportunity. “We look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of Zoe and Analee while introducing Tennessee to the reigning Miss America and the next generation of leaders who will represent our state.”
The competition is supported by a robust team of sponsors including The Clothes Tree Nashville, which provides all competition and appearance gowns and clothing for the titleholders and Beaman Toyota, which provides the official Miss Tennessee vehicle. The official transportation partner of the Miss Tennessee Competition is Gray Line Tours. The competition is also grateful for its partnership with the Fisher Center and Belmont University. The new Miss Tennessee will receive a $10,000 scholarship, a year of opportunities and travel throughout the state, and the honor of representing Tennessee in the iconic Miss America Competition in September.
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