MEMPHIS (AP) — The state has received an $800,000 federal grant to help Tennessee’s poorest residents. The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture means more Tennesseans will receive food stamps, especially in urban areas such as Memphis and Nashville. Caseworkers from the state Department of Human Services will work to enroll the elderly, working…

KNOXVILLE (AP) — A Knoxville driver says he shot video footage that shows Senate Majority Leader Ron Ramsey speeding along Interstate 40 in the rain. The video supplied to WATE-TV by Knoxville resident Keith Jones includes the time and date — about 3:15 p.m. July 14 — and a display in the upper left corner…

NASHVILLE (AP) — The head of the agency charged with enforcing state campaign finance laws and keeping tabs on lobbyists told a joint legislative committee on ethics Monday his staff needs additional tools to work more effectively. Drew Rawlins, executive director of the State Registry of Election Finance, told lawmakers the ability to perform random…

NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Phil Bredesen on Monday banned the issuance of “honorary captain” photo ID cards and badges that had been going to political insiders, campaign donors and celebrities. Bredesen directed Tennessee Department of Safety Commissioner Fred Phillips to look for ways to honor people other than giving them official-looking police ID cards and…

Ann Barnette protests Gov. Phil Bredesen’s TennCare policies outside the meeting of the National Academy for State Health Policy conference Monday, Aug. 8, 2005 in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Phil Bredesen said Monday he still needs to clarify a federal judge’s ruling before deciding whether 97,000 of TennCare’s sickest enrollees…

By DUNCAN MANSFIELD / Associated Press Writer GEORGE HYATTE KINGSTON — A former prison nurse helped her husband escape Tuesday by fatally shooting a correctional officer who was escorting him outside a county courthouse. An extensive search was under way for the pair, identified as George and Jennifer Hyatte, and authorities were trying to determine…

NASHVILLE (AP) — No red line, shootouts to end ties and the chance for two-line passes. Mix that with a speedy, hardworking team, and Paul Kariya said Monday that it was an easy decision to pick the Nashville Predators as his new home. The Predators introduced Kariya at a news conference after announcing Friday that…

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans finally got all their defensive ends on the field Monday for the first time this training camp with Travis LaBoy returning to practice. LaBoy, the Titans’ top draft pick in 2004 and the 42nd pick overall, had missed minicamps and the first eight days of training camp recovering from…

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have a simple plan for improving one of the NFL’s worst defenses in 2004. It’s called healing up. The Titans had a total of 14 players miss a combined 98 games in 2004, and the result was a unit that finished the season ranked 27th in the league in…

KNOXVILLE (AP) — The University of Tennessee’s enormous Thompson-Boling Arena lost $1.2 million last year, an amount made up annually by the athletic department. School officials say the 24,535-seat arena would probably at least break even if it could keep the revenues generated from all events. The arena makes most of its money from rental…