Stories from Monday, November 26, 2007

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- There he stood behind the same particle board table while resting in a plastic, hard-back chair at the front of a crowded interview room in the bowels of Commonwealth Stadium. Flashback two years ago. The Tennessee football program was thrown a knee-buckling curveball to finish a bowl-less season 5-6 after competing in Atlanta for the Southeastern Conference title in 2004...

Thanksgiving is a time for family, to renew old friendships and to remember just how blessed we really are as we gather as one to celebrate what has gone before us as well as for what lies ahead. Shelbyville Central coach Lynn Burkey had the added bonus of visiting with old friends and former students that made the trek from his hometown of Greeneville to compete in the Eaglette Tip-Off Classic on Saturday...

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer frequently tells his teams that people remember what they do in November. It is a safe bet no one will forget the classic the Volunteers and Kentucky staged in their season finale Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium...

Funeral services for Earlene Rowland Hill, 87, of Laws Hill, who died Saturday in Columbia, will be 1 p.m. today at Lawrence Funeral Home in Chapel Hill. The Rev. Steve Tudor will officiate and burial will follow in Hopper Cemetery.

Funeral services for Wayne Lee Beard, 61, of Lewisburg, who died Sunday at Maury Regional Hospital in Columbia, will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at London Funeral Home in Lewisburg. Burial will follow in Round Hill Cemetery. Visitation with the family will begin 4 p.m. Tuesday and will continue Wednesday until service time...

Cascade continues with its season of firsts by playing their second game in the Eaglette Tip-Off Classic on Saturday against Class AAA opponent Independence. The final score (71-49) was about what a seasoned observer would expect when two schools with such disparate student body sizes meet, but it was not really about wins or losses for coach Chad Spencer this particular weekend...

Shelbyville Central completed a long and busy week with a third-place finish in the Land-Air Tip-Off Classic in Greeneville after playing a pair of games Saturday. "Playing five games in six days is a lot, especially this early in the season, but we found out a lot about our basketball team this week," Shelbyville coach Kevin Thomas said. "We played some really big, athletic teams that I feel like will help get us prepared for what we've got to play down the road."...

With handmade holiday bows and live greenery adorning the downtown area, Bell Buckle is getting ready for its annual Old Fashioned Christmas, set for this Saturday. The fun kicks off at noon with several events, such as the Old Tyme Carolers strolling the sidewalks giving their renditions of Christmas classics. Another event is the opening of the new Bell Buckle Banquet Hall operated by Greg Heinike, owner of Bell Buckle Café. The Hall is located behind The Cat's Meow...

Lynchburg will hold its annual Christmas celebration this Saturday, with a day full of holiday events: For more information, call the Lynchburg Chamber of Commerce, (931) 759-4111, or go to www.lynchburgtenn.com . For more information about the tour of homes, call (931) 993-1791 or e-mail tutoads@bellsouth.net...

A pre-dawn fire today took the lives of approximately 30 Spotted Saddle Horses. The blaze at Dickie Gardner Stables, Whitaker Road, was discovered after 3 a.m., officials said. "Some neighbors saw it and called us," Gardner said. "We (Gardner and his wife, Misti) got here and tried to get in but the firefighters wouldn't let us inside. They said it was already too far gone."...

Bedford County has been awarded with a $34,221 litter grant as part of the effort to StopLitter™ in Tenlnessee. Litter grant funds totaling $3 million are distributed annually by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to all 95 counties. According to TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely, the funds for the grants are obtained through the collection of a specialty tax on the malt beverage and soft drink industry through the Litter Grant Bill enacted by the General Assembly in 1981...

Cindy Gale Owen, 33, of Wartrace died Saturday. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Hillcrest Funeral Home with Bill Rhoton officiating. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens. Visitation with the family will be 5-9 p.m. today.

James V. Pinkston, 76, of Shelbyville, died Friday at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. today at First Church of the Nazarene. The Rev. Ron DeWitt officiated and burial, with full military honors, will follow in Hillcrest Memorial Gardens...

Ruth Graves Pressley, 70, of Shelbyville, died Saturday at Bedford County Medical Center. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel. Burial will follow in Willow Mount Cemetery. Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. today.