He read memoirs by the civil-rights lawyer Morris Dees and the antiwar activist Ron Kovic.

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For Ms. York Dees, it was more about aging rockers, like Lionel Richie and Elton John.

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"This is a way to show our Southern hospitality, " said Ms. York Dees.

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Sandy Dees, the hospital's public relations officer, could only confirm Wednesday night that her condition was critical but stable.

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"We can't go, " said Ms. York Dees, citing a list of things to do back at home keeping them from attending the event.

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The party Thursday was less of a fund-raiser and "more of a friend-raiser, " said Ms. York Dees, the older sister who also works as an event planner.

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Tim Dees is a retired police officer and freelance writer.

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This was at the Derby Prelude Party, an event thrown for the last few years by the Louisville-based sisters Tammy York-Day and Tonya York Dees with the hope of drumming up celebrity excitement about the Kentucky Derby.

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He started his career running radio stations (his college roommate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was Rick Dees), and by the early 1990s he was running programming at nine local affiliate TV stations for newspaper outfit E.

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The Dees had drawn in midweek at Somerset Park with First Division strugglers Ayr United, but the loss at Airdrie means they could be caught at the First Division summit by fourth-placed Ross County, who trail by six points but who have two games in hand.

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