Charles C. Haynes People accused of witchcraft in America aren’t executed anymore (we are 300 years and a First Amendment away from Puritan Massachusetts). These days they just lose their jobs. Don Larsen discovered this the hard way. A year ago, Larsen was a Pentecostal Christian minister serving as an Army chaplain in Iraq. But…

By James Clark After much encouragement, I?m sorry to report that I decided not to audition for the movie ?Tenebrous.? Casting was held yesterday at Capalano?s with hundreds of people lining Main Street for their shot at show business. However, I was not one of those people. Sure I was there, but I was taking…

By LISA HOBBS The ASPIRE team educated Warren County High School students on Wednesday about the dangers of methamphetamine use during Meth Awareness Day. To start the day off right, students in their classrooms were given a presentation, brochures, other information and questionnaires. They were then shown a video that included interactive games that were…

If you want quality nursery stock at reduced prices, remember the annual Project Graduation Nursery Sale this Saturday at Bobby Ray Elementary. The event is a win-win situation for everyone involved. Customers get the benefit of saving money on plants, trees and shrubs, while high school seniors get to use the money raised by the…

By DUANE SHERRILL A former community service officer charged with meth possession was acquitted on narcotics charges earlier this week following a jury trial. The defendant, Betsy A. Hillis, 28, was found not guilty of the charge of possession of meth stemming from her arrest in early 2005. Hillis, who had served as a public…

By DUANE SHERRILL A 50-person docket was heard Tuesday by Judge Larry Ross in General Sessions Court. Included in court action. ? Dustin Bates was ordered to serve 14 days of an 11-month, 29-day sentence for escape. He is charged with jumping from a patrol car and running away, still in handcuffs, following his arrest…

By DUANE SHERRILL A woman serving 37 years for her part in the murder of an Old Smithville Road man wants a clean slate, asking the court to recuse everyone associated with her case. Margie Farley, 36, is serving her sentence at the Tennessee Prison for Women in Nashville awaiting her next date before the…

By LISA HOBBS A local mother claims her 10-year-old child was left alone at the end of the driveway last week by a school bus driver. Not so, say school officials. At first glance the situation of a bus dropping off a child at his home after school seems fairly routine until you learn the…

By DUANE SHERRILL A woman who prosecutors believe took the blame for the man who beat her was placed on probation after changing her story, leading to dismissal of the charges against her alleged abuser. ?You know what to do,? said General Sessions Judge Larry Ross to sheriff?s deputy Todd Lassiter when alleged domestic violence…

By LISA HOBBS McMinnville may not be the most business friendly city in Tennessee, but it?s getting there. According to a recent study, the city?s ability to attract business is increasing. This is the second year for the study, which is conducted and released by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research in an effort to…