NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — The YMCA of Middle Tennessee must prove that children are allowed to use its Uptown Nashville YMCA facility to maintain its tax-exempt status, a state appeals court has ruled. The nonprofit association for nine…

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — The University of Tennessee’s secretive billion-dollar capital campaign is going well, school officials said. Loren Crabtree, chancellor of UT’s Knoxville campus, told the school’s Faculty Senate last month that the fundraising campaign has been…

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — A committee that was created to analyze the so-called “safety net” for those cut from TennCare meets for the first time in January less than a week before its report is due to the…

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — Lee Rast feared she would have to be tested before she could renew her driver’s license four years ago. After all, she was 93. Rast had no need to worry. She filled out a…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — State Sen. Roy Herron has been named chairman of a Senate committee that oversees the budget and operations of the state’s social services. Herron, D-Dresden, takes over the General Welfare, Health and Human Resources…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — State education officials are beefing up nine summer programs for top high school students at the request of Gov. Phil Bredesen. He asked for the Governor’s Schools changes a year ago, but said he…

UNION CITY, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — Lt. Gov. John Wilder expects the special General Assembly session on ethics to last about a month. “It’s going to be a long one. It will probably take three or four weeks,” he…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — A special session of the Legislature to consider reworking ethics laws will cost at least $19,800 a day, according to state figures. Advocates say it will be worth it if the Legislature stiffens ethics…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — Tennesseans will vote for a governor and a new U.S. senator in 2006, but the past year proved it’s almost never too early to start campaigning. Sen. Bill Frist will not seek a third…

ARLINGTON, Texas Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — Free agent pitcher Kevin Millwood reached a preliminary agreement Monday on a $60 million, five-year contract with Texas, giving the Rangers the legitimate No. 1 starter they have been seeking. Texas can void the…