Stories from Tuesday, January 3, 2006

J.C. Hillin Jr., 83, of Wartrace died Sunday in Lewisburg. Memorial services will be 7 p.m. Thursday at Hillcrest Funeral Home with Mike Gentry and Bo Wilson officiating.

Five men tied up the manager and clerk of a Shelbyville jewelry store while taking its entire inventory Friday night. The men entered Joyeria 3 Diamante (Three Diamonds Jewelry), Madison Street, about 6:40 p.m., police said. "Five males, possibly from El Salvador, entered the store and demanded all the jewelry," Officer Ben Burris said. "(The clerks) gave the suspects all of the jewelry from the cases and the safe."...

A Lynchburg landmark has closed for renovations for much of 2006 -- but the good eats will continue at a temporary location. Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House, a world-renowned family-dining restaurant owned by the Jack Daniel Distillery, closed Friday for extensive renovations which will increase its capacity to 100 diners, according to a news release. ...

An Internet website and on-line petition have been established for the man on Tennessee's death row for the murder of a Shelbyville woman 21 years ago this week. The petition created for Gregory Thompson, 43, speaks for itself, according to Sharlott Swanger who, despite repeated e-mail requests for a telephone interview for nearly a month, has not been available to discuss the petition or to describe herself. She said she's waiting for approval from Thompson's attorney...

Funeral services for Mary Frances Davis Peach, 83, of Tullahoma, formerly of Shelbyville, who died Sunday at Harton Regional Medical Center in Tullahoma, were scheduled for this afternoon at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel. The Rev. Lyle Shane and the Rev. Jimmy Gray were to officiate with burial to follow in Old Orchard Cemetery in Petersburg...

Mrs. Sarah Bell "Mama Sarah" Bates Hamner, 96, of Chapel Hill died Friday at Marshall Medical Center in Lewisburg. Funeral services were held today at West End Church of Christ in Chapel Hill. Burial followed at Egypt Cemetery in Chapel Hill. J.B. Mayberry & Sons Funeral Home of Lewisburg was in charge of arrangements...

Arrangements for Robert E. Milligan, 77, of Shelbyville, who died Saturday at Bedford Count Medical Center, are incomplete and will be announced by Doak-Howell Funeral Home.

Laurel Marie Hulan Coleman, 58, of Tullahoma died Monday at Harton Regional Medical Center. Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Friday at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens in Tullahoma with the Rev. Martin Nutter officiating. (Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home, Tullahoma)...