By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard A 12-year-old Centertown Elementary student has been charged with growing marijuana and then trying to sell the drug at school while a fellow student is charged with helping him hide the narcotics.The suspects, ages 12 and 14, are both students at Centertown Elementary. They are…

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard B.MARKUM A Smartt Station man is being labeled as the Grinch who tried to steal Christmas after he burglarized two homes Friday night and then set them afire to cover his tracks.The suspect, Dorris Lee Markum, 28, is charged with two counts of aggravated arson,…

By James Clark / Columnist For anyone out there wondering what might be waiting for them under the tree, police in Germany think two children may be in for a terrible surprise come Christmas day.I say that after reading reports that two baby crocodiles were stolen from a German zoo. For whatever reason, during their…

Christine Hobbs Lorance, Emmett Douglas Priest, Asahel William (Bill) Potter, Doran (Butch) Edward Davenport, Hazel LaFever Konieczny Christine Hobbs Lorance, 83Morrison resident and Warren County native Christine Hobbs Lorance, 83, died Dec. 19 at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville after a brief illness.A dietitian with River Park Hospital and a member of Morrison Church of…

By Joan Ryan / Columnist Talk to any middle-school kid anywhere in the country. He or she can diagram the hierarchy of their social group and sub-groups with the precision of Margaret Mead describing the tribes of Borneo. There will be footnotes about losing status for dancing or eating lunch with particular classmates. There will…

By Ed Kimbrell / Columnist Diversity in news coverage cannot become a reality until newsrooms become diversified. And, in many news organizations, the staff is white only.That’s why the report that the booming Hispanic population is almost invisible in the news reports of the major TV networks and CNN is not a stunning revelation but…

By Charles Johnson / Columist There are many wonderful things about the Christmas season, the spirit of giving, the decorations, all the sights and sounds and music. The splendid Christmas dinners and family get-togethers that make the season what it is for most of us.Of course, amid all the exchanging of gifts and the feasting…

Our Viewpoint While children around the globe are anxiously counting down the final days before Christmas, there are almost as many parents approaching the day with just a bit of apprehension.The tension comes from those three little words we see on toy box after toy box — some assembly required. It’s such a small phrase,…

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard Manchester Westwood’s boys proved to be no challenge for the Warren County freshmen Thursday night.The Pioneers leapt out to an early start, then used a 16-3 third quarter to put their visitors away for good on the way to a 64-35 win.Twelve of the 13…

By Duane Sherrill / Columnist One day the restless natives are demanding Jeff Fisher’s head on a platter, the next they are singing his praises and chanting “MVP” every time Steve McNair touches the ball.There’s no tougher employer out there than NFL fans. Make no mistake, Bud Adams isn’t Jeff Fisher’s boss, it’s the 68,000…