RICHMOND, Va. (AP) ? John McCain isn’t planning to attend the Rev. Jerry Falwell’s funeral Tuesday. Rival Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani can’t make it, either. Nor can former Virginia former governor and longshot 2008 Republican presidential candidate Jim Gilmore. Some Republican luminaries will attend next week’s funeral in Lynchburg the founder of the Moral…

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) ? Two Republican congressmen from Appalachia are asking the federal Food and Drug Administration to reclassify the powerful painkiller OxyContin so that only people in severe pain can be prescribed the drug. Currently, the drug also can be prescribed to those in moderate pain. U.S. Reps. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., and Frank Wolfe,…

NASHVILLE (AP) ? Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen and Senate Republicans agree that it would be easier to settle on the budget if it weren’t for an embarrassment of riches in state tax collections. The state could have $300 million more than it expected in tax collections by the end of the budget year in June.…

NASHVILLE (AP) ? Less than 1 percent of non-special education students who took the Gateway exit exams in high schools last year failed, test data shows. But employers and colleges administrators say they are still being overwhelmed with students unprepared for higher education. More than 50,000 students took the state-mandated exams last year, and 324…

NASHVILLE (AP) ? AT&T says legislation that would ease its entry into the cable TV market is facing a harder battle in Tennessee than in other states, which is the telecommunication company?s explanation for why the issue has fueled the state?s most expensive lobbying effort of the year. But cable TV company representatives say that?s…

By Cokie & Steven Roberts Years ago, a labor leader explained to us why his union opposed free-trade pacts. “You have to understand,” he said, “we only represent workers who have jobs now. We don’t represent workers who might get jobs in the future.” Those views are understandable but destructive. In today’s dynamic global economy,…

By Thomas Vaughn ?Reform the Electoral College ? You can make a difference!? That?s the clarion call of California political activist and bounty hunter Bob Burton. When he?s not catching bad guys, or writing books, including ?The Bounty Hunter,? Bob is State Chairman of the Electoral Reform California Committee. Mr. Burton and his supporters are…

Steve Hilton is the president of PolyRock Inc., a business that has relocated from Phoenix, Ariz., to McMinnville. PolyRock is currently hiring and Steve plans to start out with 10 employees. For job information, call 1-800-471-0070. This is a message to Warren County High School graduates as they prepare to spread their proverbial wings and…

Baby Boy Jessica Hillis and Brandon Sweeten are the parents of a son, Aiden Jeremiah Sweeten. He arrived April 6 at River Park Hospital weighing 7 pounds, 14.5 ounces. He is welcomed by sisters, Destani and Keely Sweeten. Grandparents are Lisa and Ronnie Hillis and Patricia Olson. Baby Girl Dixie Jazlan Hillis was born to…

Appalachian Life Work-shops will be hosting two traditional handcraft workshops this spring. On May 26 they will be offering harvesting and weaving hickory bark for chair seats. On June 16 they will be teaching the early tradition of making poplar bark baskets. Each class is ?hands on? and participants will get the experience of using…