A College Town Where the Streets Are Paved in Magnolia IT has been nearly 50 years since William Faulkner walked the streets of Oxford, Miss., a gentrified college town that he would hardly recognize today. But he remains so strong a presence that his weighty prose still informs daily life. The slamming of screen doors…

Petrino: Leaving Falcons ‘hardest thing of my life’ Destin, Fla. — Bobby Petrino knows he won’t be getting Christmas cards from the Falcons, their fans, or their management this year. But the Arkansas coach insisted Tuesday that his abrupt departure from the NFL team last December could not be avoided. “It was an unfortunate thing…

Lester adds a historic chapter Let’s throw in a no-hitter for good measure. There are times these days when one wonders what New England sports fans did to deserve this glut of riches. On Sunday, Paul Pierce and LeBron James engaged in one of the great Game 7 duels in NBA history and tonight the…