Shane Wilcher (22) brings down Joseph Munoz during tackling drills at Tuesday’s Warren County High School football practice. TSSAA rules prohibit teams from hitting the field in full gear until Aug. 1. (Rob Nunley photo) Wake up at the crack of dawn.Run a mile before breakfast.Train all day, hitting —?and being hit —?then hit the…

James Clark photo Hugh Fletcher shows the problems caused by obesity by using an illustration of a woman carrying 50 pounds of extra weight. Fletcher passed around a 10-pound fitness ball to help people understand the physical challenges of carrying so much extra weight. Sign-ups for a six-week health challenge will take place at the…

By JAMES CLARK / Editor for the Southern Standard Members of the singing group the Hopkins Family are, front row, from left, Shirley Neal, Girlene Hopkins, Bonnie Rigsby and Mary Lou Rigsby. Back row, Faye Davis, Laura Dupree and Mary L. Hopkins. Growing up in a family with 11 children is enough to field a…

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard Cycle officer Jere Clark instructs young cyclists on the proper way to ride on the road during the bicycle rodeo at the high school. (Duane Sherrill photo) In an effort to make cycling safer for kids, the second annual Warren County Bicycle Rodeo was held…

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON / News Editor for the Southern Standard Beverly Ramsey already has a week’s worth of experience under her belt as the new principal at Bobby Ray Elementary.“It was great,” Ramsey said of her first week with students. “Everything went very smoothly. The teachers, the parents, the staff, everything just worked together,…

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard DE LA CRUZ The ink scarcely dry on their plea bargains, two men who helped burn a woman to death now want out of their agreements, despite the fact their pleas may have saved them from the death penalty.The defendants, halfbrothers Franklin De la Cruz,…

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard FARLEY Margie Farley may have to wait another five years before her next crack at freedom as the hearing officer in her parole case has recommended she be denied early release.Farley, 34, is serving a 37-year prison sentence at the Tennessee Prison for Women in…

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard McMinnville is typical of any other medium-sized Tennessee city when it comes to crime, according to the TBI crime statistics released recently.In a study comparing McMinnville to 21 similarly sized cities across the state, it was shown McMinnville is not much better or worse than…

By JAMES CLARK / Editor for the Southern Standard Amy Gay settles in to work out her triceps on one of the machines in the Civic Center exercise room. Experts say physical activity is one of the most important aspects of a program like Warren County Shapes Up. (Charles W. Johnson photo) This nation is…

By JAMES CLARK / Editor for the Southern Standard The Tennessee Department of Education announced this week that 85 percent of its schools have met federal No Child Left Behind standards — including every public school in Warren County.“We are very pleased with what we saw this time,” said Director of Schools Dr. Jerry Hale.The…