Stories from Thursday, July 8, 2004

For the past three weeks, Andrew McLean has been reintroducing himself to the peaceful serenity and beauty of Middle Tennessee. The previous nine months in Afghanistan has given the Bedford County native quite a different perspective. Spc. McLean joined A Company, 287 Infantry 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army two years ago, prompted, he said, partly because of his anger after the terrorist attacks of 9/11...

Bond for shooting suspect Steven Patrick Gosse was reduced from $925,000 to $500,000 at a bond hearing Wednesday in General Sessions Court before Judge Charles Rich. Gosse, 28, of the Normandy Lake area, is accused of shooting 74-year-old Claude Thomas in the face during a June 26 robbery at his home near Normandy...

The Tennessee Department of Education is now set to implement new flexibility under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Law. At a meeting this week in Nashville, the State Board of Education granted its final approval of changes to the state's implementation plan, known as the "accountability workbook."...