Martha Helen Webb, 77, of McMinnville passed from this life on Wednesday, May 28 after an extended illness. Mrs. Webb was a member of the Christ United Methodist Church and a store clerk. She is survived by son, Dave A. Webb of McMinnville; two sisters, Marie W. and husband Richard McLemore of Nashville, Emily D.…

Rock Island resident and Catoosa County, Ga., native Julia Annette Bond McBride, age 55, was born Nov. 23, 1952 and died May 28 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville following an extended illness. A self-employed beautician and member of Fall City Baptist Church, she was the daughter of the late Austin and Elizabeth Jones…

Joan D. Anderson, 78, of Saint Simons Island, Ga., died Tuesday at her home. She was a homemaker, and had been on the island since January coming from both Sebring, Fla., and McMinnville. She is survived by her husband, John Wesley ‘J.W.’ Anderson of Saint Simons Island; two sons, Dickie Anderson (Lisa) of Saint Simons,…

ames Randall “Randy” Hudgins, 47, of Clifty, Ark., died May 22 at the Northwest Medical Center in Bentonville. He was born Oct. 20, 1960 at Springdale, Ark., the son of Louis Gene and Isabella Ann Benefiel Hudgins. He was a diesel mechanic and a Christian. He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, L. R.…

Homer O. Pedigo, 90, of McMinnville passed from this life May 28 at his residence of an extended illness. He was a member of the Baptist church and was a farmer. He is survived by wife Emma L. Roller Pedigo of McMinnville; daughter, Emma J. and husband James Steeley of Mt. Juliet; son, Rayburn O.…

McMinnville resident and Clinton, Mich., native Edgar Norman Randall, age 78, was born Oct. 29, 1929, and died May 28 at Skyline Medical Center in Nashville following a sudden illness. A 15-year employee of Tractor Supply Company, he was the son of Edgar and Laura Stadler Randall. He graduated from Clinton High School in 1947…

Editorial Roundup-The Jackson Sun After a hard-fought battle in the Tennessee General Assembly, open government finally got a boost. One new rule requires public records custodians to respond to open records requests within five days, or explain why they need more time. Making progress toward more open government in Tennessee is fraught with danger. Every…

Editorial Roundup-The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal Grading the Tennessee legislative session this year is a bit like assessing a child who doesn’t have a lot of natural gifts: The marks depend on the effort. Gov. Phil Bredesen had to cut $468 million from his original budget plan. But, honestly, some improvements could have been made, anyway.…

By Kathryn Lopez May 20 marked Cuban Independence Day ‘ a bittersweet occasion celebrating a freedom won more than 100 years ago but no longer known to the long-suffering residents of Cuba. John McCain went to Miami for the occasion to assure Cuban exiles that he is committed to pressuring the tyrannical regime in Havana…

By Gene Lyons If Hillary Clinton had no other reason to keep running for the Democratic presidential nomination, it would be to demonstrate that Tim Russert, Keith Olbermann, Maureen Dowd, David Broder and the Beltway media gasbags don’t decide American elections. Last week, Barack Obama, the supposedly inevitable Democratic nominee, lost the West Virginia primary…