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NASHVILLE – Eighty-four of Tennessee’s 95 counties recorded unemployment rates below 5% in January even as most counties saw an uptick in their rates over the previous month, according to data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).

The Tennessee Wars Commission, the Tennessee Historical Commission division responsible for preserving the state’s significant military history, has announced the Civil War Sites Preservation Fund (CWSPF) grant recipients for Fiscal Year 2025.

JACKSON, Tenn. --- Five hunters from West Tennessee and one Mississippi hunter recently pleaded guilty to various violations related to turkey hunting. As part of their penalties, they were ordered to pay $16,000 in restitution, along with potential fines and costs that could amount to $6,000. Furthermore, the hunters have forfeited 79 turkey beards, 17 turkey fans, one white turkey, four shotguns, and one compound bow.

The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) has concluded its investigation into the October 10, 2025, explosion at the Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) munitions facility near Bucksnort, Tennessee, which resulted in 16 fatalities and multiple injuries.

The Commissioner of Financial Institutions hereby announces that the maximum effective rate of interest per annum for home loans as set by the General Assembly in 2025, Public Chapter 290, for the month of May 2026 is 10.43 percent per annum. The maximum effective rate of interest per annum for home loans shall be set at an amount equal to four (4) percentage points above the average prime offer rate (APOR), as defined in 12 CFR 1026.35, that applies to a thirty-year fixed loan, as published by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), or its successor federal entity. For the most recent APOR statistical data available preceding the date of this announcement, the calculated rate is 6.43 percent.

NASHVILLE--Commissioner of Financial Institutions Greg Gonzales announced today that the maximum effective formula rate of interest in Tennessee is 10.75 percent per annum. The rate is based on a ceiling of 4 percent over the weekly average prime loan rate of 6.75 percent as published by the Federal Reserve on April 6, 2026.

The Agricultural Crime Unit (ACU) has recovered $60,000 in stolen farm equipment in Madison County, and the defendant has been sentenced to eight years.

On Wednesday, April 1, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), divisions of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, partnered with Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), local law enforcement, and other traffic safety partners for “Operation Hands Free” to crack down on violators of Tennessee’s Hands-Free Law during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. To kick off the campaign, the THSO hosted press events in Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Knoxville followed by distracted driving enforcement bus tours.