Stories from Tuesday, March 11, 2008

With basketball now on the backburner, it's time to enjoy the outdoors and spring sports. Weather is always an issue this time of the year in middle Tennessee with below average temperatures and rain but the teams at Shelbyville Central have been hard at work preparing for their season openers this week...

Harris Middle played its first regular season baseball game Monday afternoon and turned in a fine performance despite a 2-1 loss at Tullahoma. The Wildcats scored in the bottom of the seventh to claim the Central Tennessee Conference win. "I'm very pleased with the way we played. We really played hard the entire game," Harris coach Bubba Shavers said. "We've still got a long way to go, but I'm already seeing a lot of improvement. We'll be able to compete with anybody we play."...

Community opened the season with a 10-0 drubbing of visiting Boyd Christian behind junior right-hander Chris West, who struck out 11 batters while allowing only two hits in five innings of work. The Vikings scored one in the first inning before Michael Smith led off the third frame with a single followed by walks to Grant Patterson and Lance Paschal. ...

Lights, camera, shutout. Cascade entered a new era of varsity baseball as they flipped the switches on a much anticipated illuminated baseball diamond and on the 2008 season. A noticeably larger crowd than in years past for a regular season affair witnessed both history and a dominant performance with the Champions run-ruling Moore County 10-0...

A Bedford County judicial commissioner faces charges including official misconduct after allegedly requesting sex from a person seeking a warrant last weekend. Billy Hardin, 59, of Shelbyville is also charged with solicitation of prostitution and sexual battery...

A Shelbyville police officer says she was forced to use a taser twice on a man who allegedly resisted arrest early Saturday. Officer Tracey Nelson said she was attempting to arrest Lazaro Martinez Garcia, 23, Madison Street. Garcia allegedly pulled in front of Nelson's patrol car while attempting to turn from Madison Street into Tillett's Trailer Park, then didn't stop for blue lights until reaching his residence. Nelson said she suspected Garcia was drunk...

For the eighth year, Bell Buckle has been named a Tree City USA community, honoring its commitment to community forestry. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the United State Department of Agriculture Forest Service...

Plans for the laying of a brick pathway leading to the Shelbyville Central High School soccer field are back on again. The progress of the project was delayed due to the construction at the school, but the Shelbyville Soccer Supporters (SSS), a group of soccer parents and friends from the community, are ready to get the project completed...