Woman's death seen as homicide
CROSSVILLE, Tenn. - The death of a 58-year-old woman in Cumberland County is being investigated as a homicide, authorities said Friday.
Kimberly Batty, of Crossville, was found dead Wednesday, according to Casey Cox, chief investigator with the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office.
The county's 911 service received a call about an unresponsive female at 154 Dovenshire Drive, he said.
Batty's body has been sent to the Tennessee Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy, he said.
Man charged with molestation
RINGGOLD, Ga. - A 68-year-old Cumberland County man has been charged with molesting an 11-year-old girl over a three-year period.
Billy Joe Garrison has been charged with aggravated sexual battery and two counts of child molestation after he admitted to authorities he molested the girl 20 to 40 times, a Catoosa County Sheriff's Office report shows.
Deputies spoke with Garrison, of Crossville, Tenn., after the girl admitted to her parents she had been molested, authorities said.
Garrison also admitted he molested the child several times at his home in Crossville.
State meningitis cases now at 81
NASHVILLE - The number of patients in Tennessee sickened by an outbreak of fungal meningitis continues to grow.
The Tennessee Department of Health reported on its website Friday that the number of patients now stands at 81, up from 80 patients reported on Thursday. The number of deaths from the outbreak remained at 13 statewide.
The outbreak of the noncontagious fungal meningitis has been linked to steroid injections from the Massachusetts-based New England Compounding Center, which recalled the product on Sept. 26.
Slaying suspects to be extradited
WINDER, Ga. - A Georgia prosecutor says twin brothers accused in the killing of a former journalist whose body was found buried in concrete have waived extradition and will be sent to Florida to face murder charges.
Barrow County prosecutor Deborah Wilbanks said Friday that William and Christopher Cormier had signed a waiver of extradition. It wasn't immediately clear when they would return to Florida.
The twins face armed robbery and murder charges in the death of Sean Dugas, whose body was found Oct. 8 encased in concrete and buried in the backyard of the twins' father's home in Winder.