Tennessee
Sweetwater case heads to court as Tennessee lawmakers seek to clarify hunting rules
SWEETWATER, Tenn. — Two state lawmakers from our viewing area have introduced legislation they hope will benefit hunters in Tennessee.
The bill stems from a case out of Sweetwater that is currently headed to a court of appeals in East Tennessee.
Six hunters were cited in Sweetwater’s municipal court for discharging firearms inside city limits.
This is the property in the Sweetwater, Tenn. city limits involved in the court case expected to soon be under appeal by the East Tennessee Court of Appeals. Two Tennessee legislators have filed bills to clarify the law called into question by this case. (Photo courtesy Matthew Brown)
These hunters say they were hunting on private property.
New legislation would prevent cities, counties, or other small governments from regulating the harvest of game animals and the discharge of a firearm while lawfully hunting.
Tennessee State Representative Mark Cochran (R, District 23) says…
“We want to make sure that it’s very clear that when it comes to hunting, the state regulates that.”
Rep. Cochran says the new bill he’s sponsoring will create more transparency about who has the final say about hunting laws.
FILE – Kenn Jones, from Indiana, spends most of his time in South Dakota pursuing trophy bucks with his bow and arrow. But he took off one morning to accompany Simms on a duck hunt and be his “retriever.” (Photo: Richard Simms)
In 2013, the Tennessee Attorney General wrote an opinion saying that local authorities cannot prohibit activities approved d by the state… like the use of a firearm.
“So this law is really just clarifying that when it comes to actually governing hunting, regulating hunting that that is done by the state, by TWRA, not not by local governments,” Rep. Cochran says.
The Sweetwater case that inspired this new bill cited a city law for using a fire arm in city limits.
NewsChannel 9’s Outdoor Contributor Richard Simms says…
“In this particular case, in Sweetwater, Tennessee, the authorities felt that these hunters had overstepped the bounds, and they cited them.”
The City of Sweetwater told us that they cited the hunters because they were hunting not far from a local school and neighborhood.
But Simms says this isn’t just a Southeast Tennessee issue.
The Woodstock Bayou Hunting Club openly advertises that is located inside the Memphis city limits in hopes of attracting members. (Screen grab via outdoorproperties.com)
“You know, we mentioned that there’s hunting clubs in Memphis that specifically say, ‘hey, we’re inside the city limits.’”
Matthew Rogers is representing one of the hunters in the case. Even though it won’t affect his client, he says it’s a step in the right direction.
“We think the State law trumps the city ordinance, and we’re proud that our local legislators are moving forward with this new bill to either make a new law or to bring clarity to what we’re already arguing.”
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We reached out to the TWRA regarding this new bill. They told us they look forward to working with the General Assembly on any legislation that effects hunters.
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Tennessee football and coach Josh Heupel picked up a commitment from Brentwood Academy four-star wide receiver Kesean Bowman on March 28 while he was visiting the school.
Bowman narrowed his list to Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Ohio State, Alabama and Miami on March 2. All five schools were among his top 10 he acknowledged on Oct. 30. Texas, LSU, USC, Texas A&M and Oregon were among the schools left off his list.
The 6-foot, 174-pound Bowman is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the state for the 2027 class. He is the No. 6 wide receiver nationally, according to 247Sports Composite. He has more than 35 other offers. He decommitted from Oregon last September, more than two months after committing to the Ducks.
Bowman was a Division II-AAA Mr. Football semifinalist, who caught 49 passes for 665 yards and 11 TDs, during BA’s 2025 state runner-up season. He also had a rushing TD and was named the DII-AAA West Region Offensive MVP. He was named to The Tennessean’s 2025 All Midstate Large Class football team and is a Middle Tennessee Sports Awards offensive football player of the year nominee.
Bowman helped BA finish 11-1 in 2025, losing to Baylor in the DII-AAA state championship game.
Tennessee and Heupel have also offered Brentwood Academy offensive tackle Rance Brown, a 6-6, 290-pound lineman who transferred from Southside (Alabama). The Vols are pursuing BA junior four-star linebacker Kenneth Simon II as well.
Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, @tpalmateer83.
He also contributes to The Tennessean’s high school sports newsletter, The Bootleg. Subscribe to The Bootleg here.
The Tennessee Titans have made some improvements throughout the offseason and appear better positioned heading into the draft than they were in 2024, with added depth on both sides of the ball.
Yet, even with the added talent, they still have multiple needs they must continue to address to help both now and in the future, and another solid draft would go a long way in finding a sustainable path forward. Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated looked at the roster and saw some of the same things as he broke down their remaining needs heading into the draft.
Tennessee Titans
Draft needs: RB, WR, edge, S
The running back duo of Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears hasn’t been a productive one. Cam Ward desperately needs a game-changer at one of the skill positions. Newcomer wideout Wan’Dale Robinson doesn’t exactly fit that bill, but he’ll make life easier for the second-year quarterback.
With Robert Saleh now the head coach in Tennessee, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Titans used the No. 4 pick on one of the top edge rushers.
There is no doubt that the Titans should add some playmakers in this draft class, and they shouldn’t bank on hitting a dynamic playmaker in the fourth round again. Tennessee could definitely use a premium pick on at least one or possibly two offensive weapons.
Tennessee also must invest in the interior of the offensive line to help Cam Ward and the offense. While it’s true that Pollard and Spears did not blow the doors off the running game, they were also hampered by subpar play along the offensive line for the past two seasons, after line guru Bill Callahan failed to transform the Titans’ line into a consistent unit. It wasn’t until after he and his son Brian Callahan left that the play-calling for the running game took off.
CHICAGO − Iowa State’s star forward Joshua Jefferson is questionable against Tennessee basketball according to the NCAA player availability report released at 6:32 p.m.
The No. 6 Vols (24-11) and No. 2 Cyclones (29-7) play in the Men’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 at the United Center on March 27 (10:10 p.m. ET, TBS).
Jefferson sprained his ankle in the opening minutes of Iowa State’s first-round game against Tennessee State. He sat for the remainder of the game and missed the Cyclones’ win over Kentucky on March 22. Iowa State didn’t need the All-Big 12 forward as it generated 20 Wildcat turnovers in its 19-point victory.
Senior Nate Heise started in place of the 6-foot-9 Jefferson. He had 12 points against Kentucky, but senior Tamin Lipsey stepped up with a season-high 26 points and 10 assists.
Jefferson averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals and shot 47.1% from the field.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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