By The Association Press “Meet the Fockers” could have been one of those sequels that tries desperately to capitalize on the unexpected success of the original movie — in this case, “Meet the Parents,” which was a huge hit in 2000.(Admit it: That’s how it looked to you, too, even if you liked “Meet the…

By The Association Press For an upbeat guy, Alan Jackson sure sings a lot of sad songs.About half the 12 tracks on his new album “What I Do,” set for release Tuesday, deal with lost love or loneliness.“It just happened that way,” said Jackson, who speaks in the same lazy drawl that he sings in.…

Dear Editor, Over the past several weeks, I have read the Southern Standard articles regarding the Humane Society/Animal Shelter, and have been distressed over the recent events regarding the animal control board.I am especially upset because it seems the board is being quite unfair to some of the Humane Society officers.Linda Coursey, who is a…

By Jim Mullen Magazines are full of “Ten Best” lists this time of year. “The Ten Best Movies of the Year,” “The Ten Best Books of the Year,” “The Ten Best TV Shows of the Year.” I always wonder why I’ve only seen one of the Ten Best Movies of the Year? Probably because I…

By Thomas Vaughn Last week, I predicted violence in Iraq is likely to escalate as elections there draw nearer. Just two days later, an insurgent attack on Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul killed at least 22 people and wounded at least 60 others. Among those killed were at least 20 Americans — 15 soldiers…

By Charles W. Johnson Now that the Christmas season is over, it’s time to start looking forward to the new year. Here we are, almost five years into the new millennium and pretty much none of the dire predictions the pundits and alarmists were bandying about back in 1999 have come to pass. No major…

By Duane Sherrill Maybe I’m just confused from all the eggnog I drank over Christmas, but when did we take the “Christmas” out of Christmas?Hey, I know the marketers took Christ out of Christmas long ago to save a few inches on their “Sale” signs so they get more bang for their buck. For years,…

Our Viewpoint Many communities these days have assets that slip through the cracks, parks and recreational facilities which, for one reason or another, become unused and therefore receive little maintenance or improvements, usually leading to further deterioration and loss of interest in the community. Eventually these areas can become, as happens in many urban areas,…

BABY BOYHarley Jewell Hernandez weighed 7 pounds, 6.5 ounces upon arrival Nov. 19 at River Park Hospital.He is the son of Tammy Pittman and Nelson Hernandez. The siblings are Rachel McClure, Dustin McClure and Damian Hernandez.The grandparents include Claudia Jordan and Wayne Jordan of McMinnville, Martin Pittman of LaFayette, Ga., Tomasa and Abraham Hernandez of…

Although Martin Luther King Jr. died nearly four decades ago, he remains a symbol of hope and pride for generations of Americans. Spanning beyond the Civic Rights Movement. Dr. King is a model of peace, persistence and the power of one. That we as a nation now celebrate his life and his accomplishments is a…