By DUANE SHERRILL Telling them all to get out of his courtroom and grow up before someone gets hurt or killed, General Sessions Judge Larry Ross threw out civil rights intimidation charges Tuesday against a man reportedly taped in a telephone conversation trying to acquire a gun to kill someone. ?I?ve sat here and listened…

Rescue workers remove Vickie Marsh from the wreckage of the Mustang driven by Alicia Lawson, who reportedly pulled into the path of an oncoming vehicle driven by Jeffery Smith. The Thursday morning accident happened on Beersheba Street near the bridge. Lawson told police her view was obstructed by a large truck parked on the shoulder…

The first Saturday in May has brought with it an avalanche of activity, featuring everything from a bike race, to a mud bog, to a baby show. Also thrown into the mix is the Standard?s 10th annual Kite Day which starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Hickory Creek Elementary. To honor the 10th year, there…

By JAMES CLARK A distinguished 45-year teaching career has propelled Evelyn Casey to the state?s highest honor. She will be inducted into the Tennessee Teachers Hall of Fame tonight in Nashville. The black-tie affair will take place in the Presidential Ballroom at Opryland Hotel. Casey will be one of seven new members inducted into the…

By LISA HOBBS SEWELL Along with being equipped with everything necessary to serve and protect the citizens of McMinnville, officers with McMinnville Police Department will soon have their very own trading cards. The cards will be used to familiarize the community with its officers on a more personal level. The front of the cards will…

By DUANE SHERRILL With a ground swell of support from members of the community praising her public service and work ethic, the defense for former county trustee Joy Slatton is asking the court to consider a pre-trial diversion for her and her daughter on charges they misappropriated thousands of dollars from the county they served.…

(AP) ? While Mary Winkler has filed paperwork requesting a judicial diversion, she?s not the only person involved in the case conducting legal maneuvers. The grandparents of Winkler?s three daughters have started an attempt to adopt the children, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee courts said Monday. The paternal grandparents have filed a petition in state…

By Gene Lyons The mass murders at Virginia Tech strike most of us as the human equivalent of tornadoes: random, terrifying and senseless. A killer like Cho Seung-Hui can be described but never fully understood. That’s partly because we lead blessedly sheltered lives. On the day after Cho ran amok in Blacksburg, Va., more than…

By Diana West Someday, when the war in Iraq has become a historical episode, we will tally up the lessons learned — if, that is, we ever learn any. Here are two worth mastering because failing to do so probably means we will no longer exist. 1. Nation-building in a war zone is nuts. Nation-building…

Editorial – Our Viewpoint It?s time to start a new list when it comes to industry in Warren County. It?s not a list of industries that have left town, but rather a list of businesses that have decided to locate here in the past six months. Jobs are slowly beginning to find their way to…