By DUANE SHERRILL Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard PASSONS A federal jury Friday acquitted local real estate appraiser Jimmy Passons, who was accused of inflating the value of a lumber mill sold by state Sen. Jerry Cooper. The not-guilty verdict on the charges of bank fraud, mail fraud and fraud conspiracy against Passons, 61,…

Rantoul, Ill., resident and Warren County native Rebecca Conn Womack Morris, 78, died April 6 at her home. A member of Rantoul Church of Christ, she ran a bus service for handicapped children. She was preceded in death by her parents, Morris and Margaret Womack; grandparents, George and Carrie Womack, Alton and Prudence Crouch; and…

Dibrell community resident Ollie M. (O.M.) Parsley, 81, died suddenly April 7. A farmer and a member of the Baptist Church, he was a U.S. Army veteran and was the son of the late William and Clora Cantrell Parsley; and was preceded in death by his wife, George Parsley; brother, Jr. Parsley and sister, Lucille…

Mary Annette Darsey Duncan, 64, of East Dublin passed away Monday April 3 at her residence. Mrs. Duncan was born in Laurens County May 6, 1941. During her earlier years, she worked as a seamstress and a nursing assistant. Mrs. Duncan was predeceased by her father, George Alton Darsey, and her husband, Kenneth Merrill Duncan.…

Woodbury resident and Rutherford County native Margie Marie Youngblood, 66, died April 5 at Stones River Hospital after an extended illness. A homemaker and a member of the Baptist Church, she was the daughter of the late A.V. Hibdon and Vernie Hale Bowman; and was preceded in death by her husband, Leon Youngblood. She is…

Morrison resident and Cannon County native Horace Lehman Nichols Jr., 72, died April 5 at Stones River Hospital after an extended illness. A retired truck driver and a member of Barren Fork Baptist Church, he was the son of the late Horace Lehman Nichols Sr. and Cleo Bryson Nichols. He is survived by his wife,…

The Glenn Frederick Repertory Dance Theatre presents its inaugural performance, Tsunami Echoes: Katrina Cries, April 22-23 at Vanderbilt?s Ingram Hall. Initially inspired by the devastating effects of the 2004 Asian tsunami, the company formed with a common need to respond and provide relief to those affected. When Hurricane Katrina tore through the Gulf Coast the…

WASHINGTON (AP) The FDA on Thursday approved the first skin patch to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. The patch called Daytrana, designed to be worn for 9 hours, contains methylphenidate, which has been shown to help children with ADHD. It is the same stimulant that is in Ritalin. The patch is made by…

WASHINGTON (AP) LIBBY Vice President Dick Cheney?s former top aide told prosecutors that President Bush authorized a leak of sensitive intelligence information about Iraq, according to court papers filed by prosecutors in the CIA leak case. The filing by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald also describes Cheney involvement in I. Lewis Libby?s communications with the press.…

Mike Vinson As archaic and civilly unjust as it might seem, women?s suffrage, the right for women to vote, did not become a reality in Tennessee until the summer of 1920. With considerable anxiety mounting before the general elections of 1920, President Woodrow Wilson called a special session of Congress, and a bill introducing an…