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.
Tennessee
Nashville Sounds and Autism Tennessee partner to host inclusive Beyond the Label Day for local children
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At a ballpark built for noise, there is space for something quieter.
During the Nashville Sounds’ “Beyond the Label Day,” kids are learning, playing and experiencing baseball in a way that works for them. Autism Tennessee volunteers stepped in to guide kids through sensory play designed to calm and focus.
From spinning toys to textured fidgets, these tools help turn overwhelming moments into manageable ones. Children engaged with the activities, pointing out shapes like a circle, noticing items like candies, and expressing how nice the experience was.
Adam English, general manager of the Nashville Sounds, said making space for everyone is the goal, even as the stadium announcer calls another Sounds strikeout.
“It’s important for us to raise awareness about autism, but also just make sure that First Horizon Park is an inclusive place for everybody” English said.
The Sounds stadium even has a sensory room for families at every game.
“There’s huge baseball fans that sometimes shy away because of loud crowds and we want to make sure every game out here available” English said.
For Autism Tennessee leaders like Jessica Moore, days like this are about more than awareness. They are about belonging.
“Typically events like this can be super overwhelming… so this is just a way for people to feel like they can come and still be successful” Moore said.
What are your thoughts on making sports venues more inclusive for all fans? Watch the video to see the sensory room in action, and share your experiences with me at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim Rafferty and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
Checking in on Cole: Gallatin rallies around teen battling brain tumor with prayer vigil
Austin Pollack brings us an update on a remarkable young man facing great odds, and his family has one simple request: pray for Cole. I believe in the power of prayer and hope you’ll join me in lifting up Cole and his family.
– Carrie Sharp
Tennessee baseball will look to salvage the final game of the SEC series against Ole Miss.
The Vols (25-14, 7-10 SEC) play Game against the No. 23 Rebels (29-11, 10-7) on April 19 (1 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Ole Miss has been on a roll. The 8-1 win on April 18 against the Vols moved the Rebels to eight straight wins. It got an ace-level start from Cade Townsend and a grand slam from Tristan Bissetta to secure Game 2.
Taylor Rabe (3-1, 3.16 ERA) will start for the Rebels. Evan Blanco (3-2, 3.67 ERA) will be on the mound for Tennessee.
Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss live updates
What channel is Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss on today?
- TV channel: SEC Network+
- Live stream: ESPN app
Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss game times
- Game 3: April 19 (1 p.m. ET)
Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss probable pitchers
- Tennessee: LHP Evan Blanco (3-2, 3.67 ERA)
- Ole Miss: RHP Taylor Rabe (3-1, 3.16 ERA)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – The Tennessee Volunteers baseball team dropped game two to Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon, 8-1. The Rebels clinch the series, the first time Ole Miss has won a series in Knoxville since 2016.
A bright spot for the Vols was Tegan Kuhns who threw 5.2 innings not allowing a run, striking out 10 batters on five hits.
Cam Appenzeller picked up his first loss of the season coming in out of the bullpen for Kuhns. The SEC Freshman of the Week did not have a great outing. Appenzeller went 2.1 innings giving up six earned runs.
Tennessee escaped a shutout as Trent Grindlinger hit a solo home run in the ninth inning. Grindlinger’s home run was one of Tennessee’s two hits on the night.
The Volunteers look to avoid the series sweep as theY round out the series with Ole Miss on Sunday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on the SEC Network+.
Copyright 2026 WVLT. All rights reserved.
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