JACKSON, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? An appeals court ruling released Wednesday says government officials are not required to release public records in the format that the citizen requests. In addition, the decision by the Court of Appeals of Tennessee…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Lawmakers began preparing Wednesday for a possible special session to strengthen Tennessee’s ethics laws by attending the first of three briefings to study and discuss the proposed legislation. House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh sent a…

MEMPHIS, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? The state is adding $5 million to its fund for helping the poor and disabled pay heating bills and hopes to raise $2 million more from Tennessee churches, Gov. Phil Bredesen said Wednesday. The…

WASHINGTON Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has scheduled a trek to Capitol Hill to meet with allies who support the administration’s stand on the war in Iraq. Rumsfeld was to meet with a handful of lawmakers at…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has been tapped by Gov. Phil Bredesen to investigate the state Highway Patrol, but the TBI’s involvement in a 2000-2001 investigation of ticket-fixing by troopers failed to follow up…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Seeking to stem the flow of bad news out of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Gov. Phil Bredesen and lawmakers are calling for more oversight and cultural changes in the agency’s management. Bredesen acknowledges that…

TO THE EDITOR: This is the day before Thanksgiving. The day before the first of two late-year holidays originally meant to praise and thank God: the first for the food and harvest of the year, the second for the birth of God’s loving one and only Son who later died a cruel death for our…

TO THE EDITOR: I believe the time has come for a well-deserved apology. I now realize the total disregard for the rights of others was the cause of my actions that night. By spitting in Lt. Morgan’s food, I made a very serious mistake. That act was stupid, reckless and very immature.I believe this mistake…

By Thomas Vaughn / Columnist The current controversy over the war in Iraq is one more reminder of the dynamic tension that has long existed between the President and Congress. That tension has increased in recent years, as presidential power has grown and congressional power has declined, especially in matters of war.Incredibly, the last time…

By Lisa Chapman / Columnist I guess everyone has heard about the Ohio woman who was sentenced to spend the night in a Lake Metropark after being convicted of second-degree misdemeanor animal abandonment.If you haven’t, here it is in a nutshell: Michelle Murray, 25, a Painesville Township resident, admitting to dumping 35 kittens in two…