Hayesville, N.C., native Essie Mae (Groves) Lovell, 95, died Jan. 7.A grocery store operator, she was an avid gardener and cook and helpmate to her husband who was a minister, pastoring in North Carolina and Gainesville.The daughter of William Thomas (Shug) and Sarah Ellen Raines Groves, she was preceded in death by siblings, Dellie L.,…

Morrison resident and Cannon County native Diane T. Graham, 44, died Jan. 7 at her residence after an extended illness.A 25-year employee of Carrier Corp. and a member of Browntown Church of Christ, where she was secretary and a Sunday School teacher, she was the daughter of Ben William and Jessie Ruth Wooten Tate, and…

McMinnville resident and Warren County native Catherine Lenore Biles, 90, died Jan. 7 at NHC Healthcare after an extended illness.A housekeeper and sitter, and member of East End Drive Church of Christ, she was the daughter of Bob and Sallie Scramble Spurlock, and was preceded in death by husband Harrison Eugene Biles; sons Robert and…

By JOHN GEROME / Associated Press Writer NASHVILLE — Billboard, the influential music industry trade magazine, is changing the way it ranks songs on its country singles chart beginning this month after concerns the old system allowed promoters to manipulate the chart. “It’s a change we’ve been contemplating for years, and it follows at least…

NEW YORK (AP) — Ten-hut!When the Military Channel reports for duty Monday at 0200 hours, it will be a boon for armchair generals and fans of corporate warfare, too.The debut comes only five days after another network, the Military History Channel, began operating. Both are targeting much the same audience with a similar programming mix,…

By WOODY BAIRD / Associated Press Writer MEMPHIS — Would the pompadour be gray? Would arthritis have stilled the swiveling hips? Would the lip now curl above false teeth? If he were still alive, Elvis Presley would have turned 70 on Saturday. But old age and the unfortunate problem of being deceased haven’t slowed down…

By Diana West From worlds away — maybe another planet — “explanations” for the tsunami begin.On Palestinian Authority TV, according to MEMRI (the Middle East Media Research Institute), Sheik Ibrahim Mudeiris asked Allah in a Friday sermon to have mercy on “all the Muslims who died” in the tsunami. Which means everyone else is on…

By Ingrid Canterbury Here we are a week into 2005 and things still look the same to me.Well almost the same. There’s a heck of a lot more low-carb and low-calorie food available at the grocery store, and there are a lot of Web sites devoted to the spouting off of New Year’s resolutions. I…

By Morton Kondracke The first time I ever heard of Social Security reform was in 1967. It was one of the myriad ideas on various subjects floated by the late Rep. Roman Pucinski, D-Ill., who served in Congress from 1959 to 1973.“Puch,” as everyone called him, told me in one of the many interviews I…

An International Adoption Workshop is scheduled Jan. 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be held at Heaven Sent Children’s Office, 307 North Walnut St., Murfreesboro.Cost of the workshop is $25 per single person and $35 per couple and includes lunch. There is a cost of $6 per extra family members, which also…