AccuWeather.com reports severe storms, some capable of producing tornadoes, will threaten communities across northern and eastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, northwestern Louisiana and Arkansas on Tuesday. The severe weather will ignite as a storm system over the central Plains slowly crawls to the east. The most violent thunderstorms will erupt during the afternoon hours, ... (click for more)

Governor Bill Haslam on Tuesday announced Debra Payne as the new commissioner of the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) as Jim Henry becomes the permanent commissioner at the Department of Children’s Services (DCS). Ms. Payne currently serves as deputy commissioner of DIDD and Mr. Henry as the interim commissioner of DCS. “These two departments ... (click for more)

The Delta Queen is a magnificent part of history and in many ways I'm pleased she is in town. Having the boat where she is is the problem. The boat blocks the view of and from the prettiest park in our town. The crew take many of the parking spots around the park leaving families to park across Frazier and schlep their kids, strollers and picnics to the park. You don't get fireworks ... (click for more)

It has been about 25 years or so since I had the opportunity to visit every county in the state of Tennessee and, as a volunteer for the American Cancer Society at the time, I met cancer survivors and listened to their incredible stories. I remember one man in particular who had bone cancer and one night he said he rolled over in bed and literally broke his arm in a very simple ... (click for more)

The Soddy Daisy softball team fell short on Monday in a bid for a Spring Fling berth, then learned after the game that Assistant Coach Lamar Lasley had died earlier in the day of a heart attack. Coach Wes Skiles told the team after a 4-1 loss to Smyrna. Both teams prayed around the pitcher’s circle after the Lady Trojans were informed. Lasley was the longtime assistant ... (click for more)

 Baylor sophomore Selena Popp won the Division II girls pentathlon Monday afternoon in Murfreesboro.  It is the first state championship of the 2013 Spring Fling.  Popp won the 100 meter hurdles and the high jump.  She edged out Evangelical Christian School's Kate Jamison by one point.   Teammate Victoria Wicks was third and Kate Kaufman was fifth.  ... (click for more)