BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) A north Alabama woman’s claim that someone stole a car with her 5-year-old son asleep in the back seat was a hoax, authorities said, and the woman and her boyfriend were arrested Tuesday as suspects in the death of the child. Etowah County Sheriff James Hayes said the body of the boy,…

WASHINGTON (AP) An annual report released Tuesday put Minnesota at the top of its health rankings for the fourth straight year, while concluding that the nation’s health improved slightly. Vermont was second on the list, followed by New Hampshire, Hawaii and Connecticut. At the other end, the report listed Louisiana as the least-healthy state, followed…

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) A man driving a float in the Anderson Christmas parade has been charged with drunk driving after he passed another float then sped down Main Street, police say. When officers caught up to 42-year-old David Allen Rodgers, he had an open container of alcohol in the truck he used to haul the…

WASHINGTON (AP) A huge study from Denmark offers the latest reassurance that cellphones don?t trigger cancer. Scientists tracked 420,000 Danish cellphone users, including 52,000 who had gabbed on the gadgets for 10 years or more, and some who started using them 21 years ago. They matched phone records to the famed Danish Cancer Registry that…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Tire maker Bridgestone Americas Holding Inc. has agreed to buy Bandag Inc., a maker of retread tires, for $1.05 billion in cash, the companies announced Tuesday. Bridgestone Americas, a Nashville, Tenn.-based subsidiary of Japan-based Bridgestone Corp., will pay $50.75 per share for Bandag, a 13 percent premium to the company’s closing…

NASHVILLE (AP) A man who claimed to be a doctor and purported to have a cure for terminal illnesses such as cancer and AIDS has been cited for contempt of court after he violated a judge’s order to remove the claims from his Web site. Judge Barbara Haynes ordered Oludare Samuel Olomoshua to pay $38,000…

By ROB NUNLEY Sports Editor for the Southern Standard Chase Officer (22) looks for a way upcourt after taking a rebound from Siegel?s Tyler Cutter (10). MURFREESBORO ? The Pioneers? quest for their first win of the season continues, after a 65-44 loss at Murfreesboro?s Siegel High School Friday night. In the District 7-AAA opener…

Jennifer Wright School: CentertownYears teaching: Four Wright teaches algebra and pre-algebra to seventh- and eighth-graders. She began teaching at Centertown two years ago. ?I love teaching algebra,? said Wright. ?Most of the children think that it?s too hard and they will never get it. When I help them figure it out and they get it,…

Tiffany Youngblood School: CentertownAge: 13Grade: Eighth Tiffany is a straight A student at Centertown. For these outstanding grades, her parents give her $20 every report card. ?It used to be more than that,? said Tiffany. ?I used to get money for every A but now they just give me $20 because I make too many…