News briefs in Tennessee

Storm overturns car south of Nashville
FRANKLIN (AP) — Officials in Franklin say high winds overturned a car at a park and caused three minor injuries.
Johnny Clark, a spokesman for the Williamson County Emergency Management Agency, said a sudden storm hit Jim Warren Park around 7 p.m. Thursday.
He said a tree went through a roof at a mobile home in the area, but no one was hurt there.
WSMV-TV in Nashville reports children playing baseball at the park were taken to safety 10 minutes before the storm. The station quoted witnesses as seeing a funnel cloud.
Clark said a funnel cloud was not immediately confirmed.
A tornado warning was in effect at the time for Franklin and an area just south of Nashville. Half-inch size hail fell at the time.
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Jailhouse witness recants story
SEVIERVILLE (AP) — The trial of a Sevier County man in the shooting death of his girlfriend continues with defense testimony.
Before the state wrapped up its first-degree murder case against 23-year-old Jacob Stanton on Thursday, a jailhouse informant there to bolster the government’s case told jurors he lied.
Hugh Anthony Smith had been expected to testify that Stanton told him while they were inmates at the Sevier County Jail that Stanton said he killed 18-year-old Leah Avril.
The Mountain Press reported Smith said on the witness stand Thursday that he told investigators that, but it wasn’t true.
Stanton’s once-time cellmate, William Lennox, testified Stanton told him he shot Avril because she wanted to leave him.
Stanton maintains he is innocent, saying the November 2009 shooting was accidental.
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Former TVA chief says nuclear program costly
CHATTANOOGA (AP) — Former Tennessee Valley Authority chairman S. David Freeman says the federal utility should “just stop” its nuclear reactor building program.
The Chattanooga Times Free Press (http://bit.ly/ImCarC) reported Freeman’s comment came Thursday, the same day the TVA board voted to continue construction of Watts Bar Unit 2, despite a $2 million cost overrun.
Freeman said he thought he was having a bad dream when he first learned of cost overruns and construction delays at the reactor at Watts Bar, near Spring City.
Current TVA board Chairman Bill Sansom defended the decision to go ahead at Watts Bar, saying the board has been kept apprised during the cost review.
Chattanooga native Freeman blames the new part-time TVA board, saying members never ask any penetrating questions.

Published in The Messenger 4.28.12

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