Stories from Wednesday, December 21, 2005

As the base of the Bedford County Veterans Memorial Plaza has been poured, dedication of the statue honoring all Bedford County veterans is scheduled this spring before another statue is set by the Bell Buckle artist who's created them both. "It's going to be good," said Russ Faxon, whose work is displayed across Tennessee, including a monument for veterans in Nashville near the state capitol. ...

"This has certainly been a challenging year for me, and the state," said Gov. Phil Bredesen Tuesday in a conference call with Tennessee reporters. But Bredesen said the state has "turned the corner" on its TennCare problems. The controversial cost-cutting measures applied to the program are producing the needed savings, and in fact the state has been able to extend some safety net coverage beyond the originally-announced cutoffs. ...

A Bedford County jury on Tuesday concluded $240,428 of wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering were lost by a truck driver injured in a crash nearly three years ago on U.S. 41-A South. However, the six-man, six-woman jury also decided that Sammie Walton of LaVergne was partly responsible for the accident near Normandy Road, so jurors directed Werner Enterprises, an Omaha, Neb.-based trucking company, to pay Walton $175,512...

As leaders of Our Town, the association of uptown merchants in Shelbyville, have reset their priorities on Christmas trees, the barrister at the northeast quadrant of the Public Square contends county jail prisoners have a constitutional right to a Christmas tree in confinement...

Shelbyville Central senior guard Dequan Twilley seems to have ice water in his veins. For the second time this season, Twilley took the inbound pass in the closing seconds of the game, drove the length of the court and canned a game-winning shot. Twilley's buzzer-beater lifted the Golden Eagles to a 71-70 win over talented Madison Academy of Huntsville, Ala., in the Mid-South Classic on Tuesday night at Jackson County High in Gainesboro...

JASPER -- After trailing for the first three quarters, Cascade's Alex Craig sank a 3-pointer from the wing to give his team a 40-38 lead over St. Andrew's-Sewanee. Just seconds later, Mountain Lion guard Jett Fisher hit a field goal to even the score...

HUNTLAND -- Community coach Tony Garrette is a real stickler for the way he wants his team to play and conduct themselves on the basketball court. Sure, he wants to win every time out as much as any coach, but he is astute enough to understand that this group of young ladies are still growing together as a team while learning the intricacies of varsity level basketball on a nightly basis. Some nights the patience pays off...

HUNTLAND -- Community played well in the opening quarter against a bigger, more experienced and more athletic Hornet squad, combining a hustling defense and the scoring of Chris Molder and Wylder Norris. Molder and Norris accounted for all of the Vikings' points in the opening quarter to keep the game close...

JASPER -- Sometimes you simply have to take the good with the bad. Cascade fell 58-45 to new District 9-A opponent Van Buren County on the second day of action at the Marion County Classic on Tuesday afternoon. But, the Lady Champions can walk away knowing that the loss doesn't count towards the district standings and they know what sorts of adjustments to make when the two teams square off again on a grander stage Jan. 6 in Wartrace...

Mrs. Johnnie Campbell England of Huntland, the mother of Karen Thrasher of Shelbyville, died Tuesday at Bedford County Nursing Home after an extended illness. Services will be 11 a.m. Friday at Moore-Cortner Funeral Home in Winchester with the Rev. Thomas Vann officiating. Burial will be at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Huntland...

Funeral services for William H. "Bill" Clark, 72, of Unionville will be 1 p.m. Thursday at Lawrence Funeral Home in Chapel Hill with the Rev. Ronnie Grooms officiating. Burial, with military honors, will follow at Simpson Cemetery in Rover.

Kris Lamont McCord of Murfreesboro died Dec. 15 at Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro. He was 35. Services were scheduled today at 1 p.m. at Beech Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Eagleville with the Rev. Ray Lee Jackson Sr. officiating. Burial is to follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Murfreesboro. H. Preston Scales & Sons Funeral Home, Murfreesboro, is in charge of arrangements...

Mrs. Nannie Lee Donnell of Shelbyville, 92, died Monday at Bedford County Nursing Home. Services were scheduled today at 1 p.m. at Gowen-Smith Chapel with Eddie Canady officiating. Burial will follow at Thytitra Cemetery in Cannon County.

Mrs. Nancy Jacquelin Hancock of Shelbyville died Tuesday at her home. Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Gowen-Smith Chapel with John Calahan officiating. Burial will follow at Willow Mount Cemetery.

Mrs. Carrie Lee Lowe Marsh of Shelbyville died Monday at Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro. Services will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Hillcrest Funeral Home with burial following at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens.

Eight Tennessee seniors will display their wares over the next month during a quartet of collegiate football all-star games. The games begin Saturday with Chris Hannon's appearance in the inaugural Magnolia Gridiron All-Star Football Classic in Jackson, Miss...

For the past several weeks, I have pestered my almost-12-year-old grandson to make me a Christmas list. When asked what he wants, his reply is "Nothing." Adam is the most sensitive of my three grandchildren ... older than the other two, thus more aware. I know that if "nothing" were what he found under the tree at my house, he would not say a word...