By LUCAS L. JOHNSON II / Associated Press Writer NASHVILLE — Tennessee was under a tropical storm warning from Hurricane Katrina, with winds of 40 mph and lots of rain forecast for Tuesday. But Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens saw a bright side to the storm, saying the rain may benefit the state’s crops because of…

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — With a Category 5 hurricane bearing down on his below-sea-level city, Mayor C. Ray Nagin made what pleas he could to his fellow citizens to flee and then left it in the hands of a higher power. “God bless us,” a grim Nagin said Sunday as Hurricane Katrina’s 160 mph winds…

An inland tropical storm watch is in effect from late tonight to tuesday evening in Warren County and throughout Middle Tennessee. The rest of today there will be occasional showers and isolated thunderstorms. Highs around 80. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90 percent. Tonight will bring occasional showers and scattered thunderstorms.…

WASHINGTON (AP) — When the Ink Spots sang “I love the java jive and it loves me” in 1940, they could not have known how right they were. Coffee not only helps clear the mind and perk up the energy, it also provides more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in the American…

Warren County Schools will be closed today due to adverse weather conditions caused by the remnants of Hurricane Katrina as it passes through Middle Tennessee. There is an Inland tropical storm warning in effect until 2 pm cdt this afternoon. Tornado watch in effect until 1 p.m. cdt this afternoon. Flood watch in effect until…

NASHVILLE (AP) — The state’s high obesity rate is forcing emergency agencies and hospitals to get better equipment to care for obese patients, as well as prevent injury to those who care for them. “When there’s an emergency, we need to get people to the hospital as quickly as possible,” said Steve Meador, deputy chief…

GREENSBORO, Ga. (AP) — Southern governors who compete fiercely for traditional industry are banding together to launch a regional push for the tourist dollar — one aimed in part at aging baby boomers who have money to spend and time to spend it. An interactive web page site due to launch in April will help…

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Minority enrollment continues to rise at the University of Tennessee’s flagship campus, where one of every 10 entering freshmen this fall is black and the freshman class rates as the most ethnically diverse in school history. Heavy recruitment in Memphis and Nashville, which have the state’s largest African American populations, targeted scholarships…

NASHVILLE (AP) — A state official said many high school students who will also take college courses this fall may not be aware they are eligible for financial aid from the state lottery. Legislators in May approved a plan to provide up to $300 per semester for high school students taking college courses. The state…

NASHVILLE (AP) — The heads of the state Democratic and Republican parties appear to have reached an impasse in drafting bipartisan ethics proposals. A joint ethics committee, made up of members of the state House and Senate, asked representatives of both state parties to meet independently and draft a list of bipartisan ethics proposals. However,…