SUMMARY: Tyrone Ferguson of Sweetwater was falsely accused of shooting a man during a 2022 road rage incident on I75. Despite clear evidence, including medical records and bullet holes indicating Ferguson did not shoot anyone, he was charged with aggravated assault and jailed. Ferguson claims the accusations were racially motivated and that the actual victim shot himself accidentally. Marijuana and paraphernalia found in the accusers’ vehicle were not pursued by authorities. After a mistrial in 2023 due to undisclosed evidence, the new district attorney dismissed Ferguson’s case in December 2024, clearing his name after nearly three years of legal struggle.
After three years, Tyrome Ferguson said his name has been cleared after being wrongfully accused of shooting during a road rage incident.
SUMMARY: NOAA forecasts a 60% chance of an above-normal 2025 hurricane season, predicting 13-19 named storms, 6-10 hurricanes, and 3-5 major hurricanes, exceeding average counts. Warm Atlantic ocean waters and weak wind shear, with no El Nino to disrupt storm growth, contribute to this outlook. The West African monsoon will shift north, strengthening tropical waves moving west. Names will start with Andrea and end with Wendy. Though Tennessee isn’t coastal, hurricanes can cause severe inland flooding and tornadoes, as seen with past storms like Helen and Frederick, impacting Tennessee and nearby states with deadly floods and infrastructure damage.
NOAA is predicting another very active hurricane season.
SUMMARY: Oscar Franklin Smith was executed on May 22, 2025, at Tennessee’s Riverbend Maximum Security Institution for the 1989 murders of his estranged wife and her two teenage sons. The execution began 15 minutes late and was witnessed by seven media representatives, including Tori Gessner. Smith lay restrained on the table, wore a yellow gown, and was given pentobarbital under Tennessee’s new single-drug protocol. Before his death, Smith criticized Governor Bill Lee for not stopping the execution, claiming the justice system is broken and asserting his innocence. He died at 10:47 a.m., showing no visible distress during the process.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-05-22 12:41:00
Tennessee executed Oscar Franklin Smith Thursday morning, marking the state’s first execution in five years. Smith, 75, was pronounced dead at 10:47 a.m. by lethal injection of pentobarbital. He was convicted of the 1989 murders of his wife, Judy Robirds Smith, and her two sons in Nashville. Governor Bill Lee had placed a moratorium on executions in 2022 to review protocols but did not intervene this time. Family members of Judy Robirds emphasized the lasting pain and highlighted the broader issue of domestic violence, hoping their story raises awareness of its warning signs and impact on families.
(The Center Square) – Tennessee convicted murderer Oscar Franklin Smith was executed Thursday morning, the first execution by the state in five years.
Smith was pronounced dead at 10:47 a.m., according to the Tennessee Department of Correction.
The execution was carried out using the single drug pentobarbital. Gov. Bill Lee placed a moratorium on executions in 2022 so the state could review its procedures.
The Department of Corrections announced the new protocol in December. The Tennessee Supreme Court set Smith’s execution date in March.
Lee did not intervene in Smith’s execution. He issued a reprieve for Smith in 2022, just moments before Smith was scheduled to die, and then ordered the moratorium while the state studied its execution protocols.
At 75, Smith was Tennessee’s oldest death row inmate. He was convicted in the 1989 murder of his wife, Judy Robirds Smith, 35, and her sons, 16-year-old Chad Burnett and 13-year-old Jason Burnett. The murders happened in Nashville.
Judy Robirds’ brother and sister said in a statement provided by the Tennessee Department of Correction that the pain of losing them is something they continue to carry.
“Through our heartbreak, we are reminded of the devastating consequences of domestic violence,” said Mike Robirds and Terrie Osborne. “This tragedy is not only a personal loss, it is part of a much larger issue that affects countless families across our society. We hope that sharing our story helps others recognize the warning signs and dangers involved, especially for the children.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article primarily provides a straightforward factual account of the execution of Oscar Franklin Smith in Tennessee, including relevant details such as the timeline, legal and procedural context, and statements from family members. It does not use emotionally charged or persuasive language to advocate for or against the death penalty or any particular political stance. Instead, it reports on events and viewpoints from multiple perspectives (the state, the governor, and the victim’s family) in a balanced manner without promoting a specific ideological viewpoint. This adherence to factual reporting and balanced presentation suggests a centrist, neutral political bias in the article’s content.
