By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard Want to better communicate with Spanish-speaking clients, employees or friends? If so, you might be interested in the Warren County Community Education Program’s upcoming conversational Spanish class.The highly successful class, now being offered for the fourth time, will once again be taught by fluent Spanish…

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard For all of the progress made with the county’s English Language Learner population during the school year, much of it can be undone during the summer, when many students spend much of their time at home and have few opportunities to hear and speak English.To…

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard PERRON A man who opened fire on his wife and lawmen last summer was sentenced to serve eight years in prison Wednesday.The defendant, Brett Perron, 35, entered guilty pleas Wednesday before Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley to two counts of aggravated assault and one count…

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard A 66-person docket was heard Tuesday by Judge Larry Ross in General Sessions Court.Included in court action:• Tracy Grissom was ordered to serve nine months and two years on probation for retaliation for past actions, simple possession of drugs, assault, and fourth-offense driving on a…

COOPER At the annual awards banquet of the Tennessee Municipal League recently held in Memphis, three Tennessee legislators were honored for their outstanding public service.Lt. Gov. John Wilder, state Sen. Jerry Cooper (D-McMinnville) and state Sen. Bill Clabough (R-Maryville) were recognized for their exemplary leadership and devotion to Tennessee towns and cities during the 2003…

By BILL POOVEY / Associated Press Writer CHATTANOOGA (Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) — As a Middle Tennessee State University senior and the husband of a student, Matthew Guy said another tuition and fee increase means one thing for his family: more debt. The Tennessee Board of Regents voted Friday to raise…

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON / News Editor for the Southern Standard The county’s Highway and Bridge Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to change the $1,000 discretionary spending limit set by the original highway department private act, citing major changes in the economy and the cost of doing business in the years since the legislation was enacted…

By Joan Ryan / Columnist Melba Patillo Beals heard the news on “Good Morning America” as she helped her son find his backpack for school Monday: The Supreme Court had issued its much-anticipated ruling on the University of Michigan affirmative action case.Even before Beals could digest the particulars, she heaved an angry sigh. We should…

By George Plagenz / Columnist A contributor to this column’s “Favorite Bible Verses” poll would like to see a poll on the hymns we most like to sing.Dear Reader: Been there. Done that.In a poll I conducted for the Columbus Citizen-Journal, readers selected “How Great Thou Art” as their favorite hymn. “Amazing Grace” was No.…

By James Clark / Columnist Folks are always telling me you’re only as old as you feel. If that’s the case, I’m still trying to figure out how I’m alive at 150.I say that after a current back ache has snatched away what was formerly a spry young man of 33. It’s his place is…