TODAY, DEC. 17Smoky Mountain Christmas Story, The Homecoming will be held at 6 p.m. at Covenant Fellowship Church. Locust Street Church of God Choir will have a musical Christmas presentation at 10:45 a.m. McMinnville First Presbyterian Church will have folk music at 11 a.m. with special guest Dr. Bran Potter from the University of the…

By LISA HOBBS Bridgestone/Firestone has stepped up to help save the Books From Birth program for Warren County children. The local program was in danger of running out of funding halfway through the 2006-2007 fiscal period. When informed of the situation, the local plant donated $6,000 to Warren County after donating $20,000 at the state…

McMinnville Christmas Parade winners were awarded trophies and prizes Tuesday night by Leadership Warren?s Larry Flatt and Mayor Royce Davenport. Pictured front row, from left, are Deanna Barrett, Holly Hodges and Sheryl Prater. Second row, Harold Griffith and Ervin ?Big E? Dixon.

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON Christmas is the time of year to celebrate the birth of Christ, and, remembering his teachings, to share our joy, and our good fortune, with our fellow man. Christ said in Matthew 25:40, ?…as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.?…

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON A controversial move to avoid a property tax increase could result in a significant delay in the road and bridge project at Mountain View Industrial Park. A budget amendment spearheaded by Commissioner Terry Bell at the commission?s August meeting was based on using capital outlay notes to fund a number of…

By DUANE SHERRILL A serial child rapist who molested young boys for over two decades before being caught will serve 10 years in prison for his crimes. The defendant, Mark Alley, 46, entered a no-contest plea this past week before Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley to charges of aggravated sexual battery and attempted aggravated sexual…

By LISA HOBBS Third-grader Abby Bouldin hopes her dedication to reading will help her school break the Guinness World Record for number of people reading in different locations simultaneously. Eastside Elementary students learned what it means to attempt to break a record, a Guinness World Record for the ?Most People Reading Aloud Simultaneously in Multiple…

Letter To The Editor To the Editor: I would like to comment on Mr. Charles Steakley?s letter to the editor, in the Dec. 10 Southern Standard regarding the wall to honor Warren County veterans. Mr. Steakley, the current Warren County Executive, Mr. John Pelham, did not come up with this idea of a wall of…

By Jim Mullen When I mentioned to Harris that I usually end my workouts by spending 10 minutes in the health-club spa, he wrinkled up his nose and shuddered. “How can you climb into that disgusting, bacteria-filled pool of steaming waste that other people have been bathing in? What is it about wallowing in other…