MEMPHIS, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? An illegal immigrant from Egypt who drew the attention of federal agents by buying DVDs on pilot training complained to a federal judge Thursday about being held in prison without bond. Mahmoud Maawad, 29,…

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Peace activists have another idea for Energy Department officials asking for public comments on the environmental consequences of a possible $1 billion modernization of the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant ? shut it down.…

MEMPHIS, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? As many as five ballots may have been forged by a poll worker or someone with specialized election knowledge in a state Senate special election, a Shelby County election official said. Shelby County Election…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? The state Election Commission will investigate allegations of fraudulent activity in a state Senate election Ophelia Ford won by nine votes, officials said Thursday. The commission is among several entities, including the Tennessee Bureau…

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Rising temperatures in several Tennessee cities this year reflected a particularly hot year globally, environmental activists said Thursday. Maximum temperatures were 1.4 to 2.8 degrees above normal this year in Bristol, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis…

NEW YORK Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Log on, tune in, rebuild your kitchen. The corporate home of lifestyle networks HGTV and the Food Network became the latest television company to dive into broadband programming with Thursday’s launch of a network…

WASHINGTON Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Mortgage rates dipped slightly this week as financial markets liked signals from the Federal Reserve that its string of interest rate hikes could be drawing to a close. Mortgage giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that…

NEW YORK Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? BellSouth Corp., the dominant local phone provider in nine Southeastern states, said Thursday it is cutting 1,500 management jobs, or 2.4 percent of its total work force, because of competition from cable providers. The…

WASHINGTON Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? A record drop in energy costs pushed consumer prices down at the fastest pace in 56 years in November. But it won’t last because gasoline prices are rising again and heating costs are expected to…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Tennessee’s unemployment rate rose in November to 5.8 percent, according to the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The rate is up from 5.6 percent in October and is more than the national…