KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? The Tennessee Valley Authority paid a record $365 million in lieu of taxes to eight states in 2005, an increase of more than $27 million over the prior year, the nation’s largest public utility…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Tennessee should become a world leader in its efforts to allay fears about mad cow disease by electronically tracking cattle, Gov. Phil Bredesen said at a budget hearing Thursday. Bredesen encouraged state Agriculture Commissioner…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? A wintry storm predicted to bring sleet, ice and snow to Tennessee ended up delivering only rain for most of the state Thursday after temperatures were warmer than forecast. The National Weather Service canceled…

WASHINGTON Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Fear and lack of preparation in a flu pandemic could be worse than the disease itself, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist told reporters Thursday. His speech at the National Press Club highlighted a congressional report…

LOUDON, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Two city firefighters were fired for not responding properly to a house fire that killed two adults and two children, officials said Thursday. A mother, two of her children and her boyfriend died in…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Gov. Phil Bredesen says he will look for ways to distribute more money from the state budget to metropolitan area school systems. The mayors of Davidson, Hamilton, Knox and Shelby counties met with Bredesen…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? The Tennessee Highway Patrol has “taken care of its own,” Gov. Phil Bredesen said Thursday as he announced the results of background checks showing that 41 troopers and staffers with the department have criminal…

By Morton Kondracke / Columnist In 1966, Republican Sen. George Aiken (Vt.) famously advised President Lyndon Johnson to “declare victory and get out” of Vietnam. There’s a danger that this will become U.S. policy in Iraq and lead to a too-early withdrawal of American troops and disaster in the Middle East.In his speech last week…

By George Plagenz / Columnist Apparitions of the Virgin Mary are not that rare. One such phenomenon took place in November on the grounds of the Vietnamese Catholic Martyrs Church in Sacramento, Calif.A vision in front of a church may be plausible enough ? but a vision a stone’s throw from a gas station?That, at…

By Lisa Chapman / Columnist While we were out driving the other night, I couldn’t help but notice there seems to be less Christmas lights around homes this year. After talking with a few friends, they agreed there seems to be less spirit in the air.Could this mean the Christmas spirit is in short supply?…