By Thomas B. Vaughn When I first heard the title of Jeanette and Roy Henderson?s new book, ?There?s No Such Thing As Public Speaking,? it seemed like a contradiction in terms. As a student, teacher and practitioner of public speaking, I asked myself, ?How could this be?? Fortunately, the Hendersons eloquently convert what seems to…

About 610 graduates walked across the stage this month at Tennessee Tech University?s Hooper Eblen Center, bringing TTU?s overall graduation total to more than 59,000 since 1915. Tech was ranked this year in U.S. News and World Report magazine?s 2006 America?s Best Colleges as a top public university in the South for its category and…

Quilts have been an integral part of the daily lives of Americans for centuries. Quilts provide comfort and warmth, and may be simple in design or feature intricate details. From the founding of our country, American quilts have served many unique purposes, such as showcasing the sewing talents of women during the American Revolution and…

By LISA HOBBS The Dec. 22 deadline has passed to apply for McMinnville?s urban forester/horticulturist position and the city has 16 applicants. Out of the applicants, three are local and one was in the final four to be interviewed before the 2006-2007 budget was cut, eliminating the urban forester position and creating the combined urban…

By DUANE SHERRILL Seven people were sentenced Wednesday by Judge Bart Stanley in Circuit Court criminal division. Included in circuit court action: ? Brandon Walls was ordered to serve 180 days of a four-year sentence, make restitution and perform 16 hours public service work for aggravated burglary and theft. ? David Wm. Simmons must serve…

NASHVILLE (AP) ? The Tennessee Titans know they?re in the midst of an amazing run. They see no reason to stop now, not when they?re so close to an improbable, once unthinkable, playoff berth. No NFL team has ever started 0-5 and made the playoffs. But the Titans (8-7) have hope and a chance to…

(AP) ? Lorena Ochoa learned at an early age to aim high and not be afraid to fail. She was 12 when she trained six months to climb the snow-covered top of Pico de Orizaba, Mexico?s tallest mountain at 18,405 feet. When she was 5, Ochoa fell some 15 feet from a tree and broke…

(AP) ? The New York Giants have lost six of their last seven games and have played worse than uninspired football for the entire second half of the season. Yet if they win Saturday night in Washington, they almost surely will make the playoffs. That?s because the Giants control almost all the tiebreakers among the…

(AP) ? The New York Giants have lost six of their last seven games and have played worse than uninspired football for the entire second half of the season. Yet if they win Saturday night in Washington, they almost surely will make the playoffs. That?s because the Giants control almost all the tiebreakers among the…

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) ? Tennessee tailback LaMarcus Coker returned to practice Tuesday for the Outback Bowl after having to sit out some practices in Knoxville for disciplinary reasons. The Volunteers are in Tampa preparing to face Penn State on New Year?s Day. Coker, the team?s leading rusher, started four games and had 660 yards rushing…