The Daily News-Journal from Murfreesboro, Tennessee • 5

www.dnj.com THE DAILY NEWS JOURNAL Monday, Feb. 8, 2010 A5 STATE STATE OBITUARIES Mark Crawford Ralston Cothran Cemetery, Bill Mr. Mark Crawford Ral- Freeman, 125 Lamb Road, ston, age 50, of the Rover Rockvale, TN 37153. Community of Bedford Lawrence Funeral Home County, died Saturday morn- and Cremation Services, 203 ing, February 6, 2010 at his South Horton Parkway, home after an extended ill- Chapel Hill, TN, 931-364- ness. 2233 Mr.

Ralston was born in www.lawrencefuneral.net Rutherford County and was David Allen Weigant graduate of Community David Allen Weigant, age High School Class of 1978. 62 of Murfreesboro, died He was a member of Mt. Sunday, February 7, 2010. Pleasant Baptist Church in He was a native of EvansRutherford County and was ville, IN and son of the late employed with the Ruther- James and Hazel Robinson ford County Co-Op of Weigant. Eagleville, TN.

Funeral services will be 10 Mr. Ralston was preceded a.m., Wednesday at in death by his brother, Phil- Woodfin Memorial Chapel lip David Ralston and by with Brother Ron Harper ofgrandparents, George and ficiating. Burial will follow Maye Ralston, Jim and Ruth in Coleman Cemetery. FamiCarlton. ly and Friends will serve as Mr.

Ralston is survived by Pallbearers. his mother and father, Faye Mr. Weigant is survived and Harold Ralston of Rover by his wife, Betty Sloan Community; brothers, Mar- Weigant; sons, Joey (Katha) vin (Sherre) Ralston, Melvin Weigant of IN and Anthony (Melanie) Ralston, Nathan (Andrea) Weigant of Mur(Marilyn) Ralston all of the freesboro; step daughter, Rover Community and Carl Tammy (Chad) Hopkins; Ralston of Nashville, TN; step son, Byron Warren both several nieces and nephews. of Murfreesboro; brother, Family members will re- Roy (Jennifer) Weigant of ceive friends on Monday, IN; sister, Pauline (Jim) February 8, 2010 from 1 Fraley of Murfreesboro; four p.m. til service time 2 p.m.

other siblings; grandchilat Mt. Pleasant Baptist dren, Lauren, Jacob and JorChurch conducted by Rev. dan Weigant. Bobby Maxwell officiating. Mr.

Weigant is preceded Burial will follow at in death by brothers, John Cothran Cemetery in Bed- and Jim Weigant; sisters, ford County. Norma Smith and Janice AlIn lieu of flowers, memori- vin. al donations may be made to Mr. Weigant was a retired the Phillip Ralston Memori- Graphic Artist and a memal Scholarship Fund, Mel- ber of Minerva Drive vin Ralston, 257 Fruit Val- Church of Christ. ley Road, Rockvale, TN Visitation will be 4-8 p.m., 37153; Mt.

Pleasant Baptist Tuesday at Woodfin MemoChurch, P.O. Box 85, rial Chapel, 615-893-5151 Rockvale, TN 37153; or www.woodfinchapel.com Ida Mae Freeman, age 86, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on February 6, 2010 at Middle Tennessee Medical Center. She was a native of Cincinnati, OH. She was a graduate of Western Hills High School in 1942 and attended the University of Cincinnati. Ida was a WAVE in the U.S.

Navy. She enjoyed her life as an artist, wife and mother. She was a member of Westwood Methodist Church. Ida was preceded in death by her parents, John Johnson Jr. and Achsah Mae Williams Johnson; brother, John Johnson III.

She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Herman Kuhn Freeman; sons, Pete (Deb) Wade of Cincinnati, OH and Matt (Lisa) Freeman of Cumming, GA; daughters, Robin (Tim) Miller of Acworth, GA and Holly (Mike) Jones of Hixson, TN; grandchildren; Kelby Jones, Tracy Miller, Sean Miller and Crystal Freeman. A private service with the family will be held at a later date. Jennings and Ayers Funeral Home, 820 South Street, Murfreesboro, TN, 615-893-2422 jenningsandayers.com Catch up on all the news The Daily News Subscribe Today! 4877-4240203 Journal Cuts could close hospitals Bredesen's budget plan would cut TennCare Ida Mae Freeman GANNETT TENNESSEE FILE PHOTO Metro General Hospital is seen in the above file photo. Gov. Phil Bredesen's newly proposed budget would cost state hospitals hundreds of millions of dollars and force some of them to shut down.

ASSOCIATED PRESS NASHVILLE Gov. Phil Bredesen's proposed cuts to the state's expanded Medicaid program would cost state hospitals hundreds of millions of dollars and may force some of them to shut down, health care officials say. The Democratic governor has said he needs to slash $201 million from TennCare to balance a $28.41 billion state budget. The TennCare reduction is part of $394 million in cuts to recurring spending plans. Tennessee Hospital Association president Craig Becker estimates the loss to hospitals statewide will be about $540 million.

"There'll be hospitals that will close over this," he said. "We'll lose some of our safety nets if these cuts are allowed to go through." One main change is a $10,000 annual cap on inpatient care for adults, which state officials say will save $51 million. But House Minority. Leader Gary Odom, a frequent critic of the administration on health care issues, agrees that "a number of hospitals will just not be able to survive." The Nashville Democrat has asked state officials to provide him with an analysis of how they arrived at the cap and the percentage of admissions that would be We want your banking business. We take pride in making our customers feel right at home, as only an independent, community-based bank can.

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Community Financial Centers Jackson Heights 867-7777 Smyrna 904-6300 Memorial Blvd. 904-6350 South Church Street- 904-6330 EQUAL HOUSING LENDER MEMBER FDIC covered under it. "We're talking about the health care infrastructure of our state," Odom said. "That's why I want the administration to give a detailed explanation of what they think is going to happen if this is put in place." TennCare spokeswoman Kelly Gunderson estimates about 5,600 enrollees may exceed the $10,000 cap annually, which she said represents less than 1 percent of TennCare's 1.2 million enrollees. Gunderson said the cuts are among "difficult decisions in order to live within our means" and that other states are experiencing similar budget difficulties because of the poor economy.

on pre-reces-. sion data, 17 states have inpatient hospital and will likely have to make changes to their Medicaid programs as well," she said. "This may increase the total number of states that have these types of limits and may in fact impose stricter limits for those with them already in place." Meanwhile, the Tenn- essee Hospital Association is considering several revenue options, including a so-called "enhanced coverage fee" that would help the state get federal dollars to mitigate the cuts. House Speaker Kent Williams said he could see giving the hospitals enough reserve money to float them until they receive the federal funding. think we need to concentrate on finding a long-term solution," said the Elizabethton Republican.

In 2005, Bredesen cut 170,000 people from TennCare to save the state money. He has said the Tenncare changes will apply more to institutions than those enrolled in the program. Tennessee Health Care Campaign director Tony Garr disagrees. "When those kinds of cuts come down, the patient ultimately is hurt as well," said Garr, adding that the state should consider new forms of revenue in addition to dipping into reserves, like closing "corporate loopholes.".