Top Stories

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP/WMOT) — The Tennessee Senate has voted to delay for three weeks a vote on a proposal to halt mountaintop removal coal mining in the state.

The decision came despite the objections of the bill's sponsor, Democratic Sen. Eric Stewart of Winchester, who called for a vote Monday evening.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville said the delay is aimed at finding a compromise on the measure, and not an effort to kill the bill.

The measure seeks to deny permits that would alter any ridge line more than 2,000 feet above sea level.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  --  The Murfreesboro Police Department has released its crime report for last year.

Overall, Murfreesboro saw a one percent increase in crime in 2011. The number of calls responded to by the MPD increased 11% during the year.  Spokesman Kyle Evans says the department had a busy year.

"Officers were responsible for almost 10,000 criminal charges, which was a 19 percent increase over the year before.  Officers issued 16, 500 traffic citations and about 14,000 warning citations throughout the city."

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP/WMOT) — March is proving to be a challenging month for the Occupy movement in Middle Tennessee.

When Tennessee State Troopers arrived well before dawn this morning to enforce a new law governing camping on state property, they found a single protester waiting for them on the legislative plaza.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Post season play continues for Middle Tennessee State men's basketball.  

The Blue Raiders earned a No. 4 seed for the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and will host fifth-seeded Marshall Tuesday night at 8:15 p.m. CT in Murphy Center. The game will be aired on ESPN3 and also heard here on WMOT. 

The Blue Raiders finished the regular season 25-6 overall and 14-2 in league play.

MT last played in the NIT in 1988 when they defeated Tennessee and Georgia before falling to Boston College in the quarterfinals.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn (WMOT)  --  A heartbreaking defeat Tuesday afternoon for Lady Raider’s basketball.  The MT women suffered a cliff-hanger, single-point loss to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

The 71-70 defeat ended the team's winning streak at 20 games and dashed their hopes for a seventh Sun Belt Tournament title. The men’s team was knocked out of the tournament in the first round. 

While post season play hasn’t panned out well for Blue Raiders basketball, at least so far, MTSU spokesman Mark Owens said fans couldn’t have asked for a better year.

CHICAGO (AP) — New research shows that more Americans are turning to the emergency room for routine dentalproblems, and Tennessee is no exception.

A study released by the Pew Center on the States found that the number of ER visits nationwide for dentalproblems increased 16 percent from 2006 to 2009.

Dr. Steven Turner is an ER physician at Summit Medical Center here in Middle Tennessee. He says ER docs see a lot of patients with dental complaints.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  -- A federal disaster declaration for Tennessee is possible following last week’s deadly tornados.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it’s joining Tennessee Emergency Management Agency personnel in assessing damage around the state following severe weather last Friday

TEMA says that nearly 900 homes and other structures in 19 Tennessee counties reported damage.  Forty-five people sought medical treatment for storm related injuries, but no deaths were reported.