Stories from Friday, April 7, 2006

Three Tennessee footballers -- one on offense and two on defense -- share the 2005 spring practice honors for most improved performers. Junior lineman Steven Jones receives the Harvey Robinson Award given to offensive players, while senior Jonathan Wade and redshirt freshman Dan Williams split the Andy Spiva Award for most improved defenders. The trio will be recognized for their achievements during Saturday's EdAmerica Orange and White Game at Neyland Stadium...

Father Ryan broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth for an 8-0 win over visiting Webb. Lady Feet pitcher Grace Iorio (1-8) finished with two strikeouts, three walks and eight hits allowed in the loss. "We played well for four innings," Webb coach James Garcia said. "In the fifth inning, they just timed Grace really well. They were putting some hard balls in play...

Jordan Burchett went all seven innings to pick up the win as Webb rebounded after two losses earlier this week to take game three 2-1 against Ensworth in Nashville on Thursday. Burchett struck out nine and allowed five hits for the Feet (3-7). He also singled and drove in a run at the plate...

Caitlin Simpson singled, doubled and tripled to lead a 12-hit attack by Cascade in a 9-0 District 9-A win over Boyd Christian in McMinnville on Thursday. Winning pitcher Katie Jackson struck out nine and allowed three hits without issuing a walk in five innings pitched. Leah Carter twirled two scoreless innings in relief to keep the shutout intact for the Lady Champions (6-1, 5-0 in 9-A)...

Cascade senior Mitchell Petty scored 15 minutes into his team's District 11-A/AA soccer match with Boyd Christian as the Champions rolled to a 4-0 victory. Juan Licea tallied Cascade's second goal of the game less than four minutes later. Timo Murray's score put the Champs (1-3, 1-1 in 11-A/AA) ahead 3-0 at the half...

Harris Middle's girls tennis squad swept Tullahoma 10-0 Wednesday, led by strong outings by Brianne Jones, Katie Aguirre, Heather Canonico, Kayla Anderson and Jenna Crouse. Kasondra Johnson played a marathon match with Abby Tackett and proved to be the most resilient, winning 7-6, 7-4 in a very well played contest...

Community's youngsters continue to play their opponents close in the opening innings, only to succumb as the game progresses. The Vikings lost 13-1 to Huntland on Thursday in a non-district game that started on a high note against another veteran-laden team...

A pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning proved to be the difference in Shelbyville Central's 2-0 loss at Lincoln County in a District 8-AAA matchup Thursday night. "We've kept ourselves in a position to win all of our district games except one," Eaglette coach Kerry Thompson said. ...

Shelbyville Central soccer coach Neal Gordon challenged his team to a quick start. The Golden Eagles didn't disappoint him in a 3-0 District 8-AAA win at Lincoln County on Thursday afternoon. The Eagles (2-1-1, 2-0 in 8-AAA) have now won back-to-back games since spring break...

Funeral services for Charlie R. Hodge Jr., 76, of Shelbyville, who died Wednesday, will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Gowen-Smith Chapel with Steve Grubbs officiating. Burial will follow at New Hope Cemetery.

CalsonicKansei North America is moving its injection molding manufacturing operations from Shelbyville to Lewisburg. Bob Masteller of CKNA said the automotive supplier is now talking to employees one-on-one about the move and declined to say exactly how many employees would be affected, saying that would depend on the decisions made by individual employees. ...

ARNOLD AFB -- Enhancing the cooperation between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Air Force makes good sense for the taxpayer and helps get the most research for the available money, according to NASA's top aeronautics researcher and the Air Force's chief scientist...

Funeral services for Rena Christine Coursey, 88, of Shelbyville, who died Thursday in Nashville, will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Gowen-Smith Chapel. Mark Pierce will officiate, assisted by Brian Campbell and Ed Coursey, and burial will follow in Hillcrest Memorial Gardens...

Two Shelbyville men missed a noon deadline Thursday to file qualifying papers to run in district races, and election officials say those two can't have their names on the printed ballots. Insurance agent Wayne Hitchcock's representative got to the Rutherford County election office in Murfreesboro at 12:15 p.m. ...

A number of creeks in Bedford County and several miles of the Duck River are on a list of impaired waters released this week by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation [TDEC]. TDEC released two water quality assessment reports; the 2006 305(b) Report: The Status of Water Quality in Tennessee, which assesses the quality of the state's lakes, streams and wetlands, and the 2006 303(d) List, a compilation of the impaired waters in Tennessee...

A Shelbyville youth who ran into some trouble while rafting Duck River was helped from the water by police officers Thursday night. Jacob Baker, 13, of Midland, Texas, who is staying with relatives on Cannon Boulevard in Shelbyville, was reported missing about 7:45 p.m., police said. A family member said he hadn't returned home after entering the water with a plastic raft near the Lewis Avenue intersection with Duck River...

Cascade's chances at a third consecutive no-hitter disintegrated early as Richland used a 2-0 first-inning lead as a building block to a 3-1 win in each team's first game of the Walking Horse Wood Bat Classic in Wartrace on Thursday. The Champs tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh. Tyler Bowman was hit in the back to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a single to center field by J.R. Thomes. An out later, Jeffrey Comstock reached base via error and Bowman scored...

Jury selection started Thursday in the trial of a Shelbyville man charged with murder in the stabbing deaths of a Bedford County couple nearly 19 months ago. Jason Christopher Underwood, 23, sat quietly as his attorney, Robert Marlow, state prosecutors Ann Filer and Mike Randles, and Judge Robert Crigler questioned prospective jurors virtually all day...

Mary Kathryn Williams Lambert, 81, of Santa Clara, Calif., who died March 30 of Alzheimer's Disease, has been cremated. A memorial service will be held at a later date and her ashes will be buried in Tennessee. Lima Family Mortuary in Santa Clara, Calif., is in charge of arrangements...