Stories from Tuesday, September 25, 2007

It's time for the annual Times-Gazette ghost story contest. The contest, which has been a tradition at the newspaper, draws entries from young and old alike. This year, we have given would-be writers a little more flexibility by increasing the allowed word count to 750 words -- but contestants are advised that sometimes, shorter can be better...

Ruth Froyd Graves, 93, of Lynchburg died Sept. 17 at Lynchburg Nursing Center. A memorial open house will be held 1-4 p.m. Thursday at the home of her daughter, Ellen Hill, in Moore County. Lynchburg Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

All Harris Middle was playing for was pride and to close out the regular season unbeaten. The Eaglettes accomplished both with a 3-0 victory over host Tullahoma Middle on Monday afternoon in a Central Tennessee Conference matchup. Now Harris (14-0-2, 8-0) turns its attention to the CTC Tournament this weekend at Warren County High...

Community righted the ship with a thrilling come-from-behind District 11-A/AA win over Spring Hill 25-19, 22-25, 19-25, 25-7, 15-13. It was their 11th match in 15 days. The Viqueens won the first match before falling in the next two in games that were fiercely contested with both squads exchanging leads right up until the final serves...

Webb dropped a home match 25-11, 25-8, 25-17 to fellow Division II foe University School of Nashville. The Lady Feet continue to hunt their first win under first-year coach Chris Padilla after 10 matches. The Tigers (7-11) took advantage of some defensive confusion on the part of Webb, who took the floor without starting setter Erin McMahon due to a death in her family. Eighth grader Ashleigh Knotts was pressed into duty to fill the void...

With so many subdivisions and planned unit developments being built in Bedford County, new transportation concepts being used in the northwest are catching the eye of Shelbyville's planning director. Kirkland, Wash., is attracting planners from around the country who are looking at its street designs, which keep busy roadways safe for bike riders and walkers without adding new lanes. ...

A flat tire couldn't have come at a worse time for a man whose money was taken on Elm Street early Monday. Erik Sekola of Shelbyville and a companion were walking back to First Community Bank from a nearby pay phone when a man across the street began whistling and yelling in Spanish and following them, police said...

In yet another historic event for the Community sports program, the junior high school soccer team has not only made the playoffs as the No. 3 seed, they have advanced to the semifinals after defeating Fayetteville Middle 5-2 in a very physical match on a balmy night in Unionville...

A mission team from Fair Haven Baptist Church returned Aug. 29 from a fact-finding mission trip to Kenya, where the church has been involved for some time in building wells for the people of the Homa Bay area. Lee Adcock, Jennifer Blackburn, Molly Adcock, Mike Smith and Wilbert Nelson made up the team. ...

Webb totaled a 382 at the Division II Class A East/Middle Region tournament at Bear Creek in Chattanooga. The score placed them second, good enough to qualify for the state tournament early next week at Old Fort in Murfreesboro. Sean Kim led the Feet with an 18-hole score of 90, which placed him third individually. Sutton Jones earned fifth place after carding a 95...

A Davidson County man who's also been named as a defendant in a Nashville murder case has been sentenced here to 18 years in a state penitentiary as a result of his conviction on drug sale charges. Cory Dwan Jordan, 26, also known as Frederick Abernathy, was sentenced last week by Judge Robert Crigler, who presided over Jordan's trial in June. Jordan was found guilty of selling crack cocaine to a confidential informant in July 2006...

For the past two years many viewers caught on to a reality television show on MTV called "Two A-Days." "Two-A-Days" was about the successful football program at Hoover High in Alabama. It focused on the personal lives of football players and cheerleaders as much as football...

Bedford County Schools' use of online courses has been profiled by the Arlington, Va.-based Center for Public Education in a story on its web site. Bedford County is one of only eight counties in the state participating in a pilot program called e4TN, which offers makeup work for students who need credits to graduate...

Marsha Pilkinton Tibbetts, 59, of McMinnville died Sunday at her home after an extended illness. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Hillcrest Funeral Home with David Peeler officiating. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens. Visitation with the family will be 4-8 p.m. today...

Graveside services for Thomas Barton Philpot Jr., 96, of Shelbyville, who died Monday at Bedford County Nursing Home, will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at Willow Mount Cemetery with the Rev. Bobby McGee and the Rev. Monnie Caine officiating. Visitation with the family will be 4-8 p.m. today at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel...

Eleanor Barbara Chunn Hendon, 92, of Shelbyville died Monday at Bedford County Nursing Home. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Thursday at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel with Geoff Geisemann and Russ Countess officiating. Burial will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Roselawn Cemetery in Decatur, Ala...