Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Republicans are poised to get their first super majority — or more — in both chambers of the Legislature on election night.

Currently in the Senate, Republicans have a 20-13 advantage. The margin is 64-34 in the House, with one independent. To get a super majority, Republicans need to claim two seats in each chamber.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Two years after upsetting the incumbent Democrat, U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais is the only Tennessee member of Congress facing a serious challenge.

Tuesday's election has Tennesseans casting ballots in that race, other congressional contests, a U.S. Senate race and the presidential contest.

Democrats couldn't field credible candidates against two other Republicans who in 2010 won House seats held by Democrats.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The polls are open across Tennessee. Voters are casting ballots in the presidential race, for one U.S. Senate seat, nine U.S. House contests, the entire state House and half of the state Senate.

More than 1.4 million Tennessee voters cast ballots during the early voting period.

A state or federally issued photo ID is required to vote. This is the first year for the requirement, which also applied in the March presidential primary and the August state primary.

GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) — National Park rangers were trying to rescue an Appalachian Trail hiker in trouble in 4-5 foot snowdrifts left by Superstorm Sandy Friday.

Two rangers were searching on foot Friday morning, looking for the man in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

A park spokeswoman says the hiker used his cell phone to call 911 Thursday afternoon. He spoke to dispatchers again Friday morning and said he was hunkering down at his location and might not be able to hike out.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Another person has died in Tennessee from a fungal meningitis outbreak caused by contaminated steroid injections for back pain.

The State Department of Health says a total of 74 people who received the injections in Tennessee have been sickened and 10 of them have died.

State health officials said earlier this week that the great majority of risk for stroke or death associated with the outbreak is gone by 42 days after the injection. By Nov. 8, all 1,009 people in Tennessee who got the contaminated steroids will have passed the 42-day mark.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee health officials say the number of people sickened by fungal meningitis and other diseases after receiving steroid injections has risen to 70.

Yesterday, the pharmacist who co-founded the Massachusetts specialty pharmacy linked to the meningitis outbreak voluntarily surrendered his license in Tennessee.

The state pharmacy board accepted the agreement by Barry Cadden, the co-founder of New England Compounding Center, to give up his license to practice pharmacy in Tennessee. The company surrendered its license last week.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — As the presidential campaign heads into the final days, Middle Tennessee State University is examining how negative advertising and attack ads are effective and why they flood the airwaves.

A symposium on negative campaign advertising will be held Tuesday at the Student Union Building and is sponsored by the MTSU Department of Political Science, the Albert Gore Research Center and the College of Liberal Arts.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill says senior running back Benny Cunningham will miss the rest of the season after hurting his left knee in last weekend's win at FIU.

Results of Cunningham's MRI exam came back Monday, and Stockstill says Cunningham will have surgery by the end of this week.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Hendersonville woman sickened by fungal meningitis after receiving a steroid injection for back pain is suing the pharmacy that supplied the drug.

On Monday, Janet Russell and her husband, Robert Russell, sued the New England Compounding Center for $15 million. The suit filed in Davidson County Circuit Court claims the pharmacy allowed the steroid to be contaminated by fungi through negligence.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Democratic lawmaker who has criticized the Tennessee Department of Children's Services over the years says the agency's commissioner shouldn't be scrutinized for deeply rooted problems she has inherited.

About two weeks ago, the embattled agency released information that showed 31 children it had investigated died during the first six months of 2012. The figures were provided after repeated requests by another Democratic lawmaker.

Critics want DCS Commissioner Kate O'Day to be replaced.