By DUANE SHERRILL Thirty-five people were indicted this past week by the Warren County grand jury, including an alleged drunk driver who crashed into a woman who was on her way to work, leaving her lying on the road as she fled the scene. The alleged hit-and-run driver, Irasema Garcia, was indicted on charges of…

By Lisa Hobbs City employees have shown they are united in a way that helps nonprofit organizations. Together they generated $2,775 for the United Way of Warren County. City employees were given the option to donate to the United Way through payroll deductions. This is the first time in several years the city has participated.…

By Lisa Hobbs Life on the farm is usually rural living, and more than a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of city life. However, a new agricultural zoning district could bring the farm into the city. Considering recent city growth, the McMinnville Regional Planning Commission has recommended the addition of the new zone…

By James Clark Warren County High School winter guard members Kyle McCurry, left, and Mari Katherine Webb practice their routine Monday inside the Blue Building gym. See what their instructor, Jennifer Fisher, says about the Blue Building in a letter to the editor, page 4-A.

NASHVILLE (AP) ‘ Tennessee’s general fund revenues fell $51 million below projections in December amid continued weakness in corporate tax collections. Corporate franchise and excise taxes came in about $36 million below the budgeted estimate of $186.5 million. Sales tax collections, meanwhile, were about $5 million below estimates. General fund tax collections for first five…

By Lisa Hobbs McMinnville Police Department will be offering its third Citizens Police Academy course. Sign-ups are beginning now with the class scheduled to start Feb. 21. The course provides citizens with hands-on experience as to daily challenges of law enforcement officers. Taking the course creates well-informed citizens who possess greater insight into police practices…

By DUANE SHERRILL An alleged drug trafficker who tried to run over lawmen during a drug sting has been hit with more charges while his entire drug cartel was hit with indictments charging the illegal immigrants for their parts in an international meth smuggling ring. The alleged head of the drug ring, Julian Carreon, was…

NASHVILLE (AP) ‘ Traffic deaths in Tennessee fell by about 9 percent in 2007, to their lowest level in 15 years. Preliminary figures show 1,169 traffic deaths last year ‘ 118 fewer than in 2006, said Kendell Poole, director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Office. The biggest decreases were in the largest cities. Drops in…

DETROIT (AP) ‘ Mitt Romney scored his first major primary victory Tuesday in his native Michigan, a win he desperately needed to give his weakened candidacy new life and set the stage for a wide-open Republican showdown in South Carolina in just four days. Romney was the third Republican victor in the first four states…

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON The county has placed the first of four welcome signs donated by Bridgestone Firestone Warren Plant, with the help of McMinnville Electric Service. The first sign went up Monday morning on Highway 55 near the county line between Coffee and Warren counties. According to County Executive John Pelham, two local utilities…