Stories from Wednesday, November 7, 2007

My colleague, David Melson, recently wrote a piece in which he touched upon the dangers of drivers talking on cell phones, a topic that has been alluded to on numerous blogs posted on the T-G web site. He wrote, "Communication is good. And having constant contact with others is everywhere you go is great. ...

The mayor of Oak Ridge thinks it would be a mistake for three members of his City Council to be able to discuss public business in private because it could lead to cliques and dysfunctional government. "We don't need that," Mayor Tom Beehan told The Oak Ridger. Three would be one short of a quorum in Oak Ridge. His comments were in response to a study committee proposal to limit the application of the sunshine law unless a quorum is present...

A Shelbyville man was sentenced to 16 years and three months in federal prison Monday after he was found guilty of being a large-scale dealer of the drug Ecstasy. According to the Chattanoogan, Kham Thammarath was found guilty of selling 165,000 Ecstasy doses over a 10-month period, mostly in the Nashville and Murfreesboro areas...

A Shelbyville woman told police she was raped Friday night by a man she met at David's Bar, Madison Street. The woman said he offered to buy her a beer. She said she took two sips and remembers nothing further until Saturday morning, when she woke up in her bed with the man beside her asleep...

Those who have served in the armed forces will have a front row seat to Saturday night's fireworks display at H.V. Griffin Park as part of Shelbyville's Veterans' Day events. Bleachers have been set up on the east side of Shelbyville Recreation Center to ensure that vets will get the best view available of the pyrotechnics that were canceled on the Fourth of July due to the fire hazard this past summer...

The right of way process for the future widening of U.S. 41-A to Tullahoma to four lanes is underway, but it will be until sometime in 2009 before that phase is completed, Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) officials say. But the acquisition of land is only one part of the process, with no set date for the start of construction...

Coach Jeff Garcia continues to have his team running on all cylinders as Webb Middle defeated St. Andrew's-Sewanee 38-35 behind the 25-point effort of Cham Cham Quao at the Frank G. Barton Athletic Center in Bell Buckle on Tuesday evening. The Feet (4-3) were playing their fifth game in six days and came out of the gate looking a little sluggish before notching nine points to finish in a tie at the end of the first period...

Coach Mike Edmondson didn't have to make many halftime adjustments in order to get his second win with Cascade Middle. A 3-pointer by Ryan Adcock and a field goal from Amari Reyes erased an early second-quarter deficit to visiting Eagleville Middle and the Champions never fell behind again en route to a 44-31 victory...

Memorial services for John F. Bryant Sr., 61, of Shelbyville, who died Oct. 31 at Bedford County Medical Center, will be 7 p.m. Thursday at Glen Oaks Convalescent Center....

rmed robbers struck a home and store in Shelbyville on Tuesday night. •Alton and Patricia Davis, Fairfield Pike, answered a knock on their door and were met by four persons carrying guns, police said. The armed invaders tied up Alton, 67, and Patricia, 66, with duct tape and "demanded to know where the money was," Officer Jody Shelton said...

A steering committee of environmental activists is holding a "kick-off" meeting Friday morning at Room A of the Henry Horton State Park Inn, where they're inviting area residents to join them in the formation of the Duck River Watershed Association. "These are people who are concerned about the water allocation issues," says Sherry Beard, spokeswoman for the steering committee, which has received financial assistance from the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association to cover costs including a charter...

Funeral services for Linda Perry Hayes, 61, of Shelbyville, who died Tuesday at Bedford County Medical Center, will be 11 a.m. Friday at Hillcrest Funeral Home. Mike Hoffman, Phillip Crawley and Bobby Wines will officiate and burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery....