Stories from Monday, July 25, 2005

Robert H. Balch, 78, of Chapel Hill, died Sunday in Franklin. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday at Lawrence Funeral Home in Chapel Hill with the Rev. Ronnie Grooms officiating. Burial will follow at Simpson Cemetery in Rover.

Funeral arrangements for Alfred McConnell, 67, of Shelbyville, who died Sunday at Bedford County Medical Center, are incomplete and will be announced by Hillcrest Funeral Home.

Court TV could be called in to produce a reality show on Timothy Sparrow, the Shelbyville man indicted this past week following his appearance on a Wal-Mart security camera. "The video ... is real good," Circuit and Sessions Court Clerk Thomas Smith said after seeing what was presented to Sessions Court Judge Charles Rich who sent Sparrow's case to the grand jury...

In less than a month, JoAnne McNamara will be able to celebrate her 36th birthday as a free woman. The date is significant for a couple of reasons. She was released on parole a couple months ago after serving 20 years in jail and, according to a risk assessment used by the state Board of Probation and Parole, prisoners older than age 35 are less likely to get in trouble again...

One of three men accused as an alleged home invader here is in jail today in part because he can't afford to pay $50 a week for a state appointed lawyer. The situation for William Anthony Hayworth, 29, formerly of Wheeler Street, had an unusual twist after Circuit Court Judge Robert Crigler reviewed the status of the case...

Practice makes perfect. Shelbyville American Legion Post 23 geared up for this weekend's state tournament at Central High School with two big wins over host Gallatin this past weekend. With Post 17 leading 4-3 in the fifth inning in the opening game of the doubleheader, Post 23 shortstop Jarred Frazier reached base via a defensive error and came around to score one of his three runs on the game to tie things up...

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words and names won't hurt me." Before coming to tears as a small boy after being degraded in some way, I always kept those words close and shrugged off the remarks. In small towns like this one, it always seems that any sort of criticism is heard county-wide...