Della Reese

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Della Reese, the actress and gospel-influenced singer who in middle age found her greatest fame as Tess, the wise angel in the long-running television drama “Touched by an Angel,” has died at age 86.

Before “Touched by an Angel” debuted in 1994, Reese was mainly known as a singer, although she had costarred on “Chico and the Man,” “Charlie and Company” and “The Royal Family” and hosted her own talk show, “Della.”

“Touched by an Angel” was a gamble for CBS from the start. The story of an apprentice angel (Roma Downey) and her supervisor (Reese) being sent to Earth to solve people’s problems appeared to have little chance in a TV world dominated by sitcoms and police dramas. TODAY

The Rome Tea Party Lunch Bunch will meet today at Fuddruckers from noon1 p.m. Rome attorney David Guldenschuh will speak about the status and expectations of the Convention of States Project for an Amendment Convention. The public is invited. Arrive early to order lunch. For details call Mike Morton at 706-346-3400.

The Floyd County Landlord Association will hold its monthly meeting today at Fuddruckers at 6 p.m. The meeting will be an open forum including deciding the discussion for the December meeting.

The Celanese Girls will meet today at 11:30 a.m. at now Mercy Care Rome. For details call 706-506-1389.