By Duane Sherrill A trusted employee has been charged with embezzling thousands from her employer and doctoring the books to cover her crime. The suspect, Jennifer R. Reed, 35, was bound over to the grand jury recently by General Sessions Judge Larry Ross on 12 counts of theft and forgery, something investigators say is just…

By Lisa Hobbs Getting a traffic ticket in McMinnville will cost offenders an extra $3. However, ways to pay that ticket will now include an online option. Members of the Safety Committee have agreed to allow McMinnville Police Department to enter into a contract with CSI CourtWare Solutions. The agreement will add a court management…

Main Street McMinnville, downtown’s commercial revitalization program, formally unveiled a new brand identity this week that represents a significant milestone in the organization’s history. The new logo combines significant buildings, the concept of the new sidewalks found in downtown and the letter ‘M.’ The M gives the logo a bold look and the street depth.…

By JAMES CLARK Hickory Creek Elementary second-grader Lila Loftis has a medal hung around her neck by school principal Donald Prater. Lila was honored for her performance in the year-long Accelerated Reader program. The Standard will publish a special section honoring the Awards Day winners from every school in the Wednesday, June 11 edition.

By Charles W. Johnson HILLIS County officials report the 2008-09 budget will be considerably tighter than last year when a recovering economy generated a property tax windfall that allowed commissioners to pass a budget without a tax increase for the fifth year running. Whether the commission will be able to maintain the current $2.31 property…

By Duane Sherrill A man who slapped his 7-year-old daughter so hard it left a hand print on her face for two days will serve 30 days and be monitored now anytime he visits her. The father, Brian Larry Krause, 35, was directed to serve 30 days of an 11-month, 29-day sentence and his child…

By Charles W. Johnson T.R. RAYMOND If you, like most Americans, dread pulling up to the gas pumps these days only to find the price climbing rapidly toward the $4-per-gallon mark, then maybe you should consider what one family in Warren County is doing to reduce its gas budget. Local farmer T.R. Raymond, along with…

Baby Girl Josie Whitworth and Richard Anderson of Sparta are the parents of a daughter born April 26. Savannah Lashay Anderson weighed 6 pounds, 4.5 ounces, and is the couple’s first child. Her grandparents are Karen Huddleston and Mark Whitworth, Karen Young and Jody Young of Sparta. Baby Boy Ginna and J.D. Wilson Jr. are…

Warren County Middle School principal Betty Wood is announcing the school’s honor rolls: FIRST HONOR ROLL Sixth Grade ‘ Ariel Bouldin, Heather Bradley, Graylin Brock, Kayla Brown, Ana Camacho, Erica Cantrell, Lori Clark, Paige Cox, Andrew Davidson, Raven Dixon, Benjamin Gawel, Jolene Goggin, Timothy Harwell, Misaki Kimura, Lindsey Martin, Micah Martin, Kristin Maynard, Jerrick McKnight,…

Lisa Hobbs photo Warren County Middle School students raised $4,075 during their recent Relay for Life fundraising activities. Top fundraisers were Christian Barrett with $103 and Katy Taylor with $100. The money was divided between River Park Hospital, to be included in its Relay fundraising efforts, and Westwood Church of Christ, in honor of Andy…