McMinnville resident and Larkinville, Ala., native Jep Dillard, 74, died Sept. 3 at Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro after an extended illness.A crane operator with Winton Brothers and a member of the Baptist Church, he was the son of Tom and Nellie Bibbs Dillard, and was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Elizabeth…

McMinnville resident and Warren County native Bettye Frances Stiles King, 77, died Sept. 5 at her home after an extended illness.A homemaker and retired bookkeeper for Ben Lomand Nursery, she was the daughter of Raymond Otis and Olivia Gribble Stiles Sr.; and was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Garland King in March and…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The military base closings that the Pentagon and a commission have recommended are likely to be approved by President Bush and Congress, leaving communities around the country with little hope that targeted facilities will be spared. Bush is now focused on the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast rather than on base closures, analysts said.…

NEW YORK (AP) — The reaction so startled Dawn Ostroff that she thought someone was onstage behind her, playing a joke. The UPN president had only said the name of Chris Rock’s new series, “Everybody Hates Chris,” and the audience of media executives there to preview her fall schedule was laughing. Then she showed highlights…

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Emmy Awards will be singing a different tune at this month’s ceremony, and it could be a classic. In an “American Idol”-style competition, stars and singers ranging from William Shatner to Donald Trump to Frederica von Stade will perform themes from TV series, with viewers able to pick their favorite…

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — Pamela Brooks had to have gasoline — even if it was only a few gallons and the price was ridiculous. On the hurricane-battered Mississippi coast, gasoline means getting around and surviving. Brooks finally tracked down the man she had been told was selling gas from barrels. She waited in line for…

LOS ANGELES (AP) — More than 2 million viewers watched as Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh were crowned “The Next Food Network Star.” Now they’re back for their six-week series “Party Line with Dan and Steve.” Smith, whose new show premieres 9:30 a.m. EDT Sept. 18, says all he and McDonagh had to do “was…

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A motel owner will pay $40,000 and give up the lodging business in a settlement over charges he gave black customers inferior rooms and kept them from using the pool, Attorney General Charlie Crist announced Tuesday. Raj Patel, owner of the Southern Inn in Perry, won’t own or operate any motel…

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Going to high school with members of one of country music’s best-selling groups comes in handy sometimes. State Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks was able to call up his buddies with the country group Alabama — the ones with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — and ask them to…