BY Todd Herzog The No. 1 cited problem for manufacturing plants and businesses in general is the inability to recruit and select qualified people and to retain same. This World War II-induced global demographic basically means that almost 50 percent of the current adult labor force will retire (baby boomer generation) over the next 10…

GARLAND, Texas (AP) ‘ An essay that won a 6-year-old girl four tickets to a Hannah Montana concert began with the powerful line: “My daddy died this year in Iraq.” While gripping, it wasn’t true ‘ and now the girl may lose her tickets after her mom acknowledged to contest organizers it was all a…

BY Lisa Hobbs The act of gift giving can continue without boxes, bows and wrapping paper. January is National Blood Donor Month. Give the gift of life in Warren County while trying to win $1,000 worth of airfare in the process. A blood drive has been scheduled for Jan. 11 at McMinnville Civic Center. Drive…

BY Lisa Hobbs The Get Fit McMinnville program will be coming to a close, at least the walking session, and winners will be announced Jan. 7. While walking is strolling into the sunset, running is dashing around the bend, along with other fitness opportunities in 2008. Since October, 95 participants have been walking for wellness…

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) ‘ A 6-year-old Clarksville boy is being called a hero after he called for an ambulance after his grandmother passed out. Juroy Faber was at home Wednesday with his grandmother Sharyn Frasier when she suddenly began spitting up blood and passed out on the floor. He used the “chain of command,” an…

WASHINGTON (AP) ‘ More than 3 million people will have to wait until February to get their tax refunds because of Congress’ late fix to the alternative minimum tax, the IRS has announced. Congress put a one-year freeze on growth of the alternative minimum tax last week, shielding many middle- and upper-middle income taxpayers from…

BY DUANE SHERRILL One-in-7 motorists were stopped during the city’s sobriety checkpoint held over the Christmas holiday, most cited for something other than drunk driving. ‘We had a variety of violations, in addition to charging one motorist with drunk driving,’ said McMinnville Police Sgt. Mark Mara of the checkpoints held on Old Smithville Road and…

WASHINGTON, Iowa (AP) ‘ Fred Thompson acknowledged Saturday he’s not especially fond of running for president, but he thinks he’d be a good choice for the White House. Asked at a town hall meeting in Burlington whether he had the desire to be president, the former Tennessee senator said it wasn’t his idea to seek…

The major expansion that will more than double the size of the Motlow State Community College campus in McMinnville is under way and is expected to be complete in time for the fall 2008 semester. The $3.94 million expansion project will add 19,304 square feet to the existing 17,000-square-foot facility. Included in the project will…

The first escape from the new Warren County Jail prompted concerns the county may have paid almost $7 million for what was an ill-constructed facility. Inmates Michael Wright Jr. and Susej Riddle, both teens, were able to break out the window of their cell, remove the bars and climb down into the exercise yard from…