McMinnville resident and Warren County native Antonia Scott, 45, died suddenly April 5 at Erlanger Medical Center.A construction worker, U.S. Army veteran and member of East End Church of Christ, he was the son of Geraldine King; and was preceded in death by his grandfather, Erby Scott.He is survived by his mother and step-father, Geraldine…

KNOXVILLE (AP) — The son of a renowned Oak Ridge physicist is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly killing her and setting the body on fire in a Dekalb County field, authorities said. Gordan Evren Ellis, 33, who apparently has a history of alleged mental illness and believed he was controlled by the CIA, is…

CHATTANOOGA (AP) — The state wants to put the brakes on speeding truckers, and it’s off to a fast start. Tennessee Commercial Vehicle Enforcement are stationed 25 miles apart along the state’s interstate system. When trucks are stopped for speeding, officers also inspect them for safety. “Speeding is a leading factor in traffic crashes,” said…

NASHVILLE (AP) — A House subcommittee killed legislation Tuesday that would have required gambling addiction warnings on lottery tickets, machines and advertisements. The two bills had been proposed by students as a DECA project at Centennial High School in Franklin. They wanted warning labels on tickets and dispensers that would say: “Gambling, including playing the…

By KARIN MILLER / Associated Press Writer NASHVILLE (AP) — A House subcommittee approved bills Tuesday to limit the weight of textbooks public school students carry and the types of food they can buy from school vending machines. The goal: healthier students. “These textbooks are throwing these kids’ backs out of whack,” said Rep. Joe…

By AMBER McDOWELL / Associated Press Writer NASHVILLE (AP) — Several legislators representing urban areas object to Gov. Phil Bredesen’s proposal to equalize teacher pay between rich and poor school districts, saying it’s unfair and could lead to another lawsuit against the state. The objections came as the bill implementing Bredesen’s plan — which would…

By TOM SHARP / Associated Press Writer NASHVILLE (AP) — The bill authorizing Gov. Phil Bredesen’s proposed TennCare changes provides a safety valve for people who need more health care than available through the new limitations, but makes clear those exceptions are not an entitlement. The bill’s language is an apparent attempt to forestall court…

By KARIN MILLER / Associated Press Writer NASHVILLE (AP) — If the state had a law allowing motorists to be stopped by officers for driving without seat belts, dozens of lives and millions of dollars would be saved, according to the AAA Clubs of Tennessee. Currently, a motorist can be cited for failing to wear…

SPARTA (AP) — Emerson Appliance Controls, Sparta’s largest employer with about 500 jobs, will close in June 2005, company officials said. The White County plant opened in 1968 and makes small motors for electrical controls. Jobs will start being phased out in a few months, a company spokesman said. Officials blamed the closure on competitive…

By Morton Kondracke Moments after leading the way in scuttling reauthorization of welfare reform, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., declared to the press that he’d never seen the Senate “so dysfunctional” in all his 41 years of service.He meant it as a blast at the Republican majority, which denied Democrats a vote on raising the minimum…