Stories from Friday, November 11, 2005

Funeral services for Jacky R. "Big Daddy" Lanier, 45, of Shelbyville, who died Monday following a traffic accident, are to be held noon today at Bright Temple Church of God in Christ. Tim McKinney will officiate and burial will follow in the Lanier / Morton Family Cemetery in Rover. H. Preston Scales & Sons Funeral Home, Murfreesboro, is in charge of arrangements.

Joyce Marie Samples of Shelbyville, assistant manager at Bi-Lo, died Wednesday at her home. She was 61. Services will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Gowen-Smith Chapel with Jay Pope officiating. Burial will follow at Rosebank Cemetery.

Two of the finer young talents of the hardwood went head to head on Thursday night in Unionville. Community Junior High's Christian Edmondson and Cascade Middle's Matt Henderson squared off in what could be an exciting matchup for years to come. Edmondson's 18 points, including 3-of-4 game-clinching free throws with less than a minute to go, led the Vikings to a 27-25 win...

Small-town residents sometimes think that school violence can't happen to them, but small towns are actually more prone to school violence because troubled students may be more likely to feel isolated and lack a support or peer group, according to a program held Thursday night by Bedford County 911 Communications Center...

Local officials say Nissan Motor Corp.'s decision to relocate its U.S. headquarters to Williamson County is good for the entire state and could lead to spin-off benefits for other counties including Bedford. "It's exciting news for Middle Tennessee, and Tennessee as well," said Walt Wood, executive director of Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce and the county's primary industrial recruiter. "It puts us on the map in yet another way."...

The second of three accused home invaders arrested last spring pleaded guilty in Bedford County Circuit Court on Thursday after a jury was selected and victims arrived, ready to testify through an interpreter. William Anthony Hayworth, 29, agreed to let Assistant District Attorney Ann Filer describe what the state would prove had the trial been conducted...

Two costly thefts have occurred in Shelbyville since October, police say. A Craftsman tool box containing $5,500 worth of tools was stolen from a Belmont Avenue home between Oct. 14 and Wednesday, police said. Steven Bradley Grogan of Normandy said his tools were being temporarily stored at the residence...

A boyhood dream became a reality when Shelbyville Central's Rex Brothers signed to further his education, as well as his baseball career, at David Lipscomb University. "David Lipscomb is a good school and I've always wanted to go there," Brothers said. "It's just a great atmosphere and the facilities are really nice."...

With Mayor Geneva Smith breaking the tie, a controversial vehicle registration fee passed a second reading following by comments from angry citizens opposed to the idea. At last night's Shelbyville City Council meeting, members Wallace Cartwright, Leonard Travis and Fred Harrison voted no while Jo Ann Holland, Randy Vernon and Robert Frazier voted for the fee. Smith then cast the tie-breaking vote, only the second time she has done so since taking office...

Community Junior High jumped out to a 10-0 lead and rolled on to a 32-19 victory over visiting Cascade Middle on Thursday night. The Lady Champions didn't get on the board until Tori Bowman scored with 21 seconds remaining in the first quarter. "It's good to jump out on them," Community coach Kevin Hinson said. "You can kind of relax a little bit, somewhat."...