HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) ‘ Connecticut has responded to NCAA concerns that its women’s basketball office helped arrange a private tour of Bristol-based ESPN for then-top recruit Maya Moore. The tour, which might have violated NCAA rules because it may be considered a benefit not available to all UConn students, took place in October 2005 and…

By Cokie & Steve Roberts Two news photos of Condoleezza Rice were widely circulated on the same day. In one, she was cheering for the Georgetown basketball team. In the other, she was entering the Gridiron dinner, glamorously dressed for a Washington ritual once closed to people in evening gowns. This is a smart, beautiful,…

The Tennessee Department of Revenue has announced the change of the special spring Sales Tax Holiday date to Friday, April 25 through Sunday, April 27. This one-time holiday will offer three full days of tax savings to shoppers on clothing, school and art supplies, and computers. The date, originally set for March 21-23 on Easter…

(AP) ‘ Know how to make a small fortune breeding green tree pythons? ‘You start with a large fortune,’ advises Rico Walder of Signal Mountain, Tenn. With prices commonly in the $1,000 to $5,000 range ‘ and exceptional specimens going for more than $10,000 ‘ these snakes might sound like a gold mine. But those…

Everyone has a story to tell. Sometimes it just takes a little inspiration to spark the creative process that transfers these stories onto paper. The Second Biennial Chattanooga Festival of Writers on March 28 and 29, promises to inspire and guide writers of all genres and levels, as well as readers who are simply interested…

Fresh from doing the soundtrack of ‘The Bell Witch,’ Valerie Smith comes to us bringing her own high energy Bluegrass style. It has been said that watching Valerie Smith perform is like being an eyewitness to a thermonuclear explosion! Valerie refers to her own performances, as ‘bluegrass aerobics.’ As versatile and talented as she is…

Irish soda bread is a simple quick bread that gets its name from the baking soda used as a leavener, instead of yeast. Traditional soda bread is made with only flour, buttermilk, salt and baking soda. More contemporary versions add ingredients like sugar, raisins and caraway seeds. But what if you can’t have dairy as…

By Gary Clothier Q: My 8-year-old daughter is fascinated with snowflakes. She has an extensive collection of pictures and several books. I recently purchased a book of snowflake pictures by W.A. Bentley. There was no explanation of who Bentley is. Do you know? ‘ G.H., Bangor, Maine A: Wilson Alwyn Bentley (1865-1931) was born on…

McMinnville resident and Warren County native Ruth Geneva Stubblefield, 74, died unexpectedly March 13 at River Park Hospital. The owner of Stubblefield’s Furniture and Upholstery and a member of Westside Church of Christ, she was the daughter of Jim B. and Susie Rogers Bouldin; and was preceded in death by her husband, James Edward Stubblefield;…

Morrison resident and Hamilton County native Regina Gay Fields, 59, died March 13 at Raintree Manor after an extended illness. A waitress and a member of Locust Street Church of God, she was the daughter of Willie Teeters of McMinnville and the late Evelyn Loretta Smith Teeters. She was also preceded in death by sister,…