By CHARLES W. JOHNSON / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard COX Like a villain from an old “B” horror movie, problems with the county’s Urban Growth Plan keep coming back to haunt county officials, prompting a letter to Mayor Royce Davenport from County Executive Carol Hamblen when a McMinnville Board of Aldermen vote failed…

By AMY SATTERWHITE / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard BONNER Members of the Water and Sewer Committee approved an average 10-percent water and sewer rate increase for city residents Monday, but officials said they don’t expect the rate to be implemented until this fall.Rates have been increased twice in the past three years, but…

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard In preparation for the start of school later this month, registration at Warren County High School will be held over several days next week.Registration and orientation will be held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for students entering the ninth…

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard Delayed for two months by the uncertainty of state funding, Warren County Schools presented its 2002-2003 budget, totaling $36.6 million, to the County Commission’s Education Committee Saturday morning.“We feel this is a fair budget,” said Director of Schools Dr. Jerry Hale. “It meets all of…

By AMY SATTERWHITE / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard McMinnville officials said they want the people to decide on a proposal for a 3/4-cent local option sales tax increase in November elections after almost discarding the idea in committee Monday.Members of the Finance Committee said they were pessimistic about a new tax passing even…

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard Soaking wet from a trip down the water slide, 5-year-old Cody Michael Eldridge cools off and munches a fist full of cotton candy at the McMinnville Housing Au-thority Block Party. (Charles W. Johnson photos) It was a hot day at the end of Hamilton…

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard Following her defeat at the hands of political rival Kenneth Rogers last week, County Executive Carol Hamblen says she will concentrate on finishing her term and spending time with her family before deciding on her new career.“I think I’m just going to chill out for…

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard Failing by a mere 10 votes two years ago, an initiative to legalize liquor sales in the city may resurface this November.According to Election Administrator Donna Yates, pro-liquor forces have until Sept. 6 to submit petitions to the election commission to get the question on…

John A. Driver, Linda Fay Dyer George, Louis Lakatos, J. Lynn Molloy, James Dewey Whitman John A. Driver, 79McMinnville resident and DeKalb County native John A. Driver, 79, died Aug. 4 at NHC Healthcare after an extended illness.A retired employee of Rockford Textile Mills and a member of Madison Street Baptist Church, he was the…

By Joseph Perkins / Columnist All politicians pander. Dick Gephardt took the practice to a new low this week.During an appearance at the annual meeting of the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic organization, the House minority leader promised to introduce legislation bestowing permanent residency status upon millions of illegal immigrants.“Our proposal will bring…