By MATT GOURAS / Associated Press Writer NASHVILLE (AP) — State auditors said Thursday that Tennessee State University President James Hefner “exploited his position” to get free Super Bowl tickets from a big vendor and initially lied when asked about it. Local prosecutors said they are reviewing the audit, which was prompted in 2001 by…

By KARIN MILLER / Associated Press Writer NASHVILLE (AP) — Legislation overhauling the state’s workers’ compensation system will be rolled out next week, Sen. Joe Haynes said Thursday. The bill, still being worked on by lawmakers and Gov. Phil Bredesen’s administration, is likely to increase benefits for injured workers who can’t return to the job…

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee’s tax collections were $30 million above budgeted estimates in March, putting the general fund $133 million higher than its expected level through eight months of the fiscal year. Sales taxes, which have accounted for more than two-thirds of the state’s revenue this year, were higher than budgeted estimates by $19.7 million…

NASHVILLE (AP) — The House voted 92-0 Thursday to require nursing homes in Tennessee to install smoke alarms. The bill, which still needs Senate approval, applies to nursing homes that do not have full sprinkler systems. It was prompted by two fatal nursing home fires in recent months, one in Nashville and one in Maryville.…

CHATTANOOGA (AP) — Tennessee agriculture inspectors have started looking for unscrupulous dog and cat breeders who operate puppy and kitten “mills.” Since inspections started in February, there have been 12 breeders inspected and licensed, said state agriculture spokesman Tom Womack. He said “nobody has been fined or penalized.” “We’re getting applications every week from across…

By KARIN MILLER / Associated Press Writer NASHVILLE (AP) — A bill that would allow free ice cream giveaways is on a rocky road. The legislation had been approved by Tennessee’s Senate and House but was recalled from Gov. Phil Bredesen’s desk Thursday after dairies raised concerns that it stripped fair trade protections in state…

By SCOTT REEVES / Associated Press Writer FRANKLIN (AP) — Suburban counties continued to be the fastest growing in Tennessee last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics released Thursday. Fayette, a county of about 32,000 people east of Memphis, was the fastest growing in the state. Its population jumped 3.5 percent from July 2002…

By Joseph Perkins John Kerry was in San Diego, Calif., this week, where motorists face the nation’s highest pump prices. The Democrat presidential nominee told the locals the Bush administration was to blame for their $2.16 a gallon gasoline.“If the gas prices keep rising at the rate they’re going now, Dick Cheney and George Bush…

By Cokie & Steven Roberts There is a growing conflict at the heart of President Bush’s Iraq policy. His political and military goals don’t agree.The president wants to make sure an exit strategy is visible to voters by the time they cast their ballots in November. That’s why he is determined to draw down American…

By Amy Satterwhite Every once in a while, the old saying that anything is possible comes true.That was the case for me about seven months ago, when I gave birth after 10 years. What an experience and what a joy a new life can be. Anything that was wrong before and anything that is wrong…