Lakeland, Fla., resident and Warren County native Belva Lue Martin Davenport, 83, was born July 2, 1923 and died Feb. 15 at her residence in Lakeland, Fla.. A retired seamstress and a member of South Florida Avenue Church of Christ in Lakeland, Fla., she was the daughter of the late Roy and Arvie Schuster Martin.…

By Chuck Shepherd Steaks from Waygu cattle in western Australia were already revered by gourmets worldwide (noted for their marbling), but recently an exporter went a step further: The choice grains fed the cattle are now being soaked in a 2004 cabernet merlot, according to a January dispatch from Sydney in London’s Sunday Telegraph. “Our…

WASHINGTON (AP) ? About $10 billion has been squandered by the U.S. government on Iraq reconstruction aid because of contractor overcharges and unsupported expenses, and federal investigators warned that significantly more taxpayer money is at risk. The three top auditors overseeing work in Iraq told a House committee their review of $57 billion in Iraq…

NASHVILLE (AP) ? State lawmakers proposed more than 4,600 new laws by this week’s bill-filing deadline, again raising questions about whether House and Senate leaders should work to limit the avalanche of measures introduced each session. Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey said it was too late for him to make any changes to the bill-filing system…

NASHVILLE (AP) ? Residents across much of Middle Tennessee awoke yesterday to at least an inch of snow, which authorities blamed for dozens of mostly minor traffic accidents. Weather officials attributed the accumulation to a cold front moving southeast across the Ohio Valley. Tennessee Department of Safety spokesman Mike Browning said officers have reported about…

By Morton Kondracke It’s time for the Bush administration and Democratic Congressional leaders to stop talking about talking about entitlement reform — and actually start talking about reform itself. There’s agreement on both sides that beginning soon, the costs of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits for the baby boom generation will put unsustainable burdens…

By Thomas Vaughn As the Senate and House continue to discuss and debate the president?s latest war strategy in Iraq, both houses are sorely lacking in any kind of military experience. According to my research, only 130 of the 535 members of the current Congress have served on active duty or in the reserve components…

Letter to the Editor To the Editor: Monty Wanamaker?s and Chris Keathley?s recent publication of ?Images of America ? Warren County? adds a dimension of understanding to our rich history not previously available. It is a masterpiece of pictorial history on McMinnville and Warren County which I had not previously seen or knew existed. There…

Letter to the Editor To the Editor: I am writing this letter in response to our state Sen. Jerry Cooper?s recent car accident. I am sorry about his accident and the fact that he was hurt. Correct me if I am wrong, but whether or not he is a state senator, he is still a…

By Lisa Hobbs Don?t you just love the express lane? The logic behind them is that a person can get in and out faster if they are willing to limit their purchase to 20 items or less. It?s not like me to criticize, as most of you know, but some are definitely taking advantage of…