This Friday, Firstar is changing its name to U.S. Banks. New red, white and blue U.S. Bank signs are scheduled to be in place at all of the bank’s Midstate locations, including McMinnville, by Friday.The name change is the result of a merger between Firstar Corporation and U.S. Bancorp, which was completed Feb. 27, 2001.…

By AMY SATTERWHITE / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard City horticulturist Nonna Stein prepares for watering at McMinnville’s first forested “gateway” to the city, located near The Angels Bridge. Locals have long argued the Nursery Capital of the World could use a little sprucing up and city workers just completed a project officials hope…

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard THORNHILL Aspiring writers are often told, “Write what you know.”Crossville resident and author H. Greeley “Rusty” Thornhill has done just that with “For the Love of Country,” an epic novel set against the backdrop of traditional country music.Thornhill got his first taste of country music…

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard The FedEx driver who fell from his moving delivery truck on Highway 70 Friday, succumbed to his injuries Saturday at Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga.The victim, Joseph Bradley (Brad) Madewell, 27, was airlifted to the facility by LifeForce helicopter shortly after the Friday afternoon accident.…

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard Prater’s Barbecue employee Jessica Powell, left, and owners Phyllis and Gary Prater are surrounded with some of the food that won The Tennessee Magazine Readers’ Choice Award for Best Barbecue Restaurant this year. (Charles W. Johnson photos) Two local businesses recently garnered Readers’ Choice…

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard MC GREGOR Citing his many years of experience in the legal and judicial system, Clerk and Master J. Richard McGregor has formally announced his candidacy for circuit judge for the 31st Judicial District.An attorney for 27 years, he served as Van Buren County’s attorney for…

By AMY SATTERWHITE / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard BROCK City leaders have budgeted $40,000 to create a new position of city planner in the fiscal year 2002-2003 budget and hope to have someone hired by the fall.The planner is expected to work in conjunction with the Codes Department, where Codes Officer Jim Brock…

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard MC CORMICK The price of taking the life of another may be high for three accused murderers, against whom prosecutors will likely seek life without chance of parole.The suspects, Jody Lee McCormick, 28, Robert Lynn Christian, 38, and Jeremiah Ginn, 26, are all charged with…

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard ZECHMAN As Tennessee legislators barrel down the final straightway on the roller coaster ride that balancing the state budget has become, it’s obvious in order to deal with budget growth, there has to be some form of revenue growth.But finding new revenue – which…

By Jim Glenn / Columnist Older Americans Month gives us a reason to pause and think about the remarkably long lives most Americans can now look forward to, and about the challenges and opportunities that will face a rapidly aging America in the 21st Century.The truth is American society has been aging rather steadily for…