By BETH RUCKER / Associated Press Writer NASHVILLE — U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr. has spent nearly a week of his Easter recess talking to Tennessee residents far from his home district of Memphis. But the second-term Democratic congressman is not hiding the reason for his trip across the state. “I’m going to run for…

By DUNCAN MANSFIELD / Associated Press Writer Dolly Parton speaks to an opening day audience at Dollywood, marking her Smoky Mountain theme park’s 20th anniversary, Friday, April 1, 2005, in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. (AP Photo/Steven Bridges) PIGEON FORGE — Singing “Hurray for Dollywood,” Dolly Parton marked the 20th anniversary of her Smoky Mountain theme park…

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tickets sales for the multistate lottery game have been declining since December, a trend lottery officials hope can be reversed after a Tennessean took home this week’s jackpot. “I think having a Tennessee jackpot winner will excite folks,” said Rebecca Paul, president and CEO of the state lottery, referring to Wednesday night’s…

NASHVILLE (AP) — History buffs say the state’s decision to drop dedicated Tennessee history classes is leaving students with little appreciation of their heritage. It’s been three years since public schools dropped the requirement to offer dedicated Tennessee history courses. Instead, they are required to weave in a little state history at each grade level.…

By WOODY BAIRD / Associated Press Writer FORD MEMPHIS — Over three decades in the Tennessee Senate, John Ford has lost paternity lawsuits, given a political job to a girlfriend and been successfully sued for sexual harassment. So it was not entirely surprising last year when the 62-year-old lawmaker testified at a child-support hearing that…

By PAULINE ARRILLAGA / AP National Writer LOUISVILLE, Tenn. — The Spencers chose the study with the cheery rose-covered wallpaper border and their grandkids’ crayoned drawings as the setting for their discussion about death. Mom and Dad, Uncle Joe and sister Maya gathered round. Two phones were propped on the desk so that more siblings…

By George Plagenz The man’s excuse for not going to church was that all he ever heard were stories about the resurrection. Of course, if you go to church only on Easter, you may hear a sermon about the resurrection.But these days, even if you went to church on Easter last Sunday in one of…

By Thomas Vaughn Last week, I wrote about the recruiting problems facing the regular Army, which missed its February recruiting goal by more than 27 percent.Now it appears the active Army’s prospects for avoiding a full-scale recruiting crisis may be seriously jeopardized by a steady decline in enlistments of young blacks and women, two traditionally…

By Amy Satterwhite Thankfully, the ordeal has ended. Hopefully, Terry Shiavo’s family can begin to do what they should have done years ago, which is grieve.Let it be known clearly, so that if there is any doubt: I don’t want to be kept alive for the simple sake of breathing oxygen. That, to me, is…

By James Clark There was once a time, in a galaxy far, far away, when every man, woman and child didn’t walk around with a cell phone. Adults went to work, and students attended school without the ever-present cell phone always nearby.Those days are never going to return. Cell phones are here to stay. But…