By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard Middle Tennessee State’s new men’s basketball coach shared his simple philosophy for rebuilding the Blue Raider program Thursday, when he visited the McMinnville Rotary Club.Kermit Davis, who took the reins of the Blue Raiders four months ago following the resignation of Randy Wiel, addressed Thursday’s…

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard Years of persistence by supporters of charter schools paid off recently as Gov. Don Sundquist signed legislation making Tennessee the 38th state in the country to allow public charter schools.The bill, passed by both houses of the General Assembly, gives local school boards authority to…

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard LANIER Warren County Commission’s Budget and Finance Committee drafted a 2002-2003 budget Thursday which meets requirements of the various departments as presented, funds schools at the levels requested in the education budget, and includes a much needed benefit package for county employees to offset…

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard Japanese student Mai Sato, left, and Haley Bouldin, feast on Japanese and American foods at a picnic held Saturday at Rock Island State Park. The picnic was part of the Sister Cities exchange program. (Will Stewart photo) The Sister Cities program has once again allowed…

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard The body of a Carrier employee was pulled from Center Hill Lake Thursday morning, four days after he disappeared near Webbs Camp in White County.The victim, Eddie Steve Miller, 44, of DeKalb County, was found by fishermen near the shore around 8 a.m. Thursday. The…

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard KING A letter addressed to former McMinnville/Warren County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jim Gray indicates an undersized culvert is the source of flooding conditions experienced earlier this year that posed problems at a Caney Fork Electric substation. The property, owned by Keith Bouldin…

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard ROGERS A school custodian was arrested Wednesday at West Elementary School for allegedly operating a methamphetamine lab in his home on Mauzy Street where he resided with his two young children.The suspect, Devin G. Rogers, 36, is charged with manufacture of meth and is free…

By Rob Nunley / Columnist NUNLEY In this profession, you deal with a lot of people who, let’s just say, are more accustomed to physical means of expression than verbal.I mean, the average 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive tackle makes his living stomping the life out of his opponent, not sitting around jawing about it.That’s one of…

By DALE STUBBLEFIELD / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard Warren County’s 10-year-old all-star team gathers around as coach Billy Hammonds accepts their championship plaque at the TYBA state tournament last weekend in Cookeville. (Photo provided) The Warren County 10-year-old all-stars captured the state title at Cookeville last weekend in the Tennessee Youth Baseball Association…

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard Warren County’s Chris King (52) and Greg Cotten haul down Lebanon’s Darrin Shockley in the backfield, while the Pioneers’ Matt Panter (68) closes in during Lebanon’s second possession of Wednesday’s scrimmage at Lebanon. (Dale Stubblefield photo) LEBANON — Every positive football play begins with solid…