Two people are dead and one other injured after an early morning wreck on Interstate 24 westbound, near mile marker 147 in Marion County.

Fight leaves 2 dead after crash

MARION COUNTY, Tenn. - Two people died after a car crash in Marion County on Tuesday morning after the driver got in a fight with one of his passengers, authorities said.

Thomas W. Smith, 33, of Hixson, was steering a 2000 Nissan OST with his knee down Interstate 24 about 1:30 a.m. while fighting Stephanie F. Auburn, 29, also of Hixson, according to a Tennessee Highway Patrol report.

Another passenger, James P. Wright, of Lebanon, Tenn., tried to break up the fight. But when he did, Smith steered the car off the road. Then he overcorrected, the car rolled into a median and all three passengers fell out.

None of them wore seat belts, according to the THP report. Only Wright, 38, survived. He was injured.

A toxicology report is pending.

Jewelry worth $17,000 taken

LaFAYETTE, Ga. - A LaFayette jewelry store lost about $17,000 worth of bracelets, anklets and chains during a Wednesday morning burglary, police said.

Laurie Linam, owner of Jewelry Chest, woke up to a call at 12:30 a.m. from her alarm company reporting someone broke through the front door of the store at 311 N. Main St. Linam said the burglars shattered the closest display case and got away before police arrived.

LaFayette police Capt. Stacy Meeks said investigators did not have a suspect as of Wednesday night.

Police don’t know how many people are involved, and they don’t think the crime is connected with any other recent burglaries in the area, he said.

Linam, 49, said she did not lose her most valuable jewelry. She keeps that locked in a vault. Still, she spent most of Wednesday cleaning.

Anyone with information about the crime can call the LaFayette Police Department at 706-639-1540.

Areas evacuated after flooding

JASPER, Ga. - Some Pickens County, Ga., residents were evacuated from their homes Wednesday in the North Georgia mountains, where heavy rains once again have led to flooding.

The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office reported that water was over Church Street and Burton Street in Jasper.

Residents of Pickens and Gilmer counties still are cleaning up after severe flooding one week ago.

Office gets new tracking system

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee appellate court clerk’s office is installing a new system to track appeals and provide online access.

Officials say the system, called C-Track, should be completely installed later this month and will allow greater access to information for lawyers, litigants and the general public at http://TNCourts.gov.