RICHMOND, Va. (AP) ‘ The judge who will determine how much time Michael Vick spends in prison has shown little mercy over the years for high-profile defendants. Nobody knows this better than defense lawyer Robert H. Smallenberg. In 2004, he represented a city official who stole more than $1 million from Richmond taxpayers. He was…

BY ROB NUNLEY Warren County’s high school golfers split a road match against White County Monday, with the boys’ team winning and the girls falling short at the Sparta Country Club. Brandon Hodges turned in the low round of the day for the Pioneers, finishing 2-under par through nine holes. Austin Fairchild was at even…

BY DALE STUBBLEFIELD It’s here! Friday nights and high school football; it doesn’t get any better than that. Depending on when you pick up and read your Wednesday edition of the Southern Standard, the Pioneer football team will kick of their 2007 campaign approximately 56 hours from now. DeKalb County and Warren County will meet…

The amount of time leading into the 2007 Pioneer football season opener has dwindled from months, to weeks, to days, and head coach Chris Madewell and his squad are now counting the hours before Friday night’s home contest against DeKalb County. During Monday’s practice session, Madewell noted the team has been planning for the game…

By ROB NUNLEY Above, the team discusses strategy with coach Dewey Cantrell during their Nationals game against the Smoky Mt. Mammas. Warren County was well represented at the State and National Senior Olympics this summer. The McMinnville Bulldogs, who compete in the three-on-three basketball event’s 70-plus age division, finished as the Gold medalist at the…

No one was hurt, although Highway 108 was closed for around an hour Saturday night due to a single-vehicle accident on the one-lane bridge under construction near Viola. According to Highway Patrol reports, the accident occurred at 9:25 p.m. as Thomas Rucker Graves Jr., of Otto, N.C., was preparing to drive onto the bridge in…

By LISA HOBBS Has it been almost six months already? Not quite, but city administrator David Rutherford will be undergoing an evaluation for his job performance soon. McMinnville officials are currently discussing the best way to evaluate him before the city’s annual planning retreat to be held at city hall Sept. 29 from 8 a.m.…

Oppressive summer heat across Middle Tennessee is keeping blood donors away from their scheduled donations. The impact on the blood supply may lead to shortages that could endanger lives. The summer months are traditionally a challenging time for blood collection. During the school year, donations from high school and college students account for approximately 15…

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON Magness Library’s 2007 Summer Reading Program was another great success, with 246 children participating and an incredible 5,692 books being read during the six-week program. This year’s theme, showing a cowboy influence, was ‘Rompin’ Stompin’ Reading Roundup,’ and featured visits by none other than legendary cowgirl heroine ‘Annie Oakley,’ in the…

Screening for pre-kindergarten classes at Centertown, Dibrell, and Hickory Creek Elementary schools is scheduled for Aug. 27-29 at each of the respective schools. Parents of pre-K students who live in the school zone for Centertown, Dibrell, or Hickory Creek should call their school’s office to make an appointment for screening. Students enrolling in pre-K must…