Stories from Monday, August 4, 2008

KNOXVILLE -- After coming in as one of the more heralded recruits in Tennessee football history, Eric Berry didn't disappoint. The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder spent time time at both cornerback and safety before earning freshman All-America honors from several publications and second team All-SEC by both the writers and coaches...

GALLATIN -- "They were not going to be denied." Those were the words of Post 19 manager Mickey McKeel after his Columbia team completed a four-game sweep through the losers bracket to repeat as State American Legion champions. After suffering through a 15-run innning in a 23-15 loss to Shelbyville Post 23 on Friday, Columbia thumped Gallatin and Dyersburg on Saturday then avenged Shelbyville 10-2 and 12-2 on Sunday...

The turnout for the Wartrace Horse Show was lighter than it has been in previous years, both in crowd attendance and horses, but there were several groups who counted it a success. "I thought it was excellent. We had good crowd support," said Nancy Edwards, who helped coordinate the annual event. "We had good, very high quality entries. We're very pleased."...

Steve Edmondson, who ran for Congress as an independent in 1992 and as a Republican in 1996, got on the state's election web site this year to see which Republican candidates had qualified to challenge incumbent Democrat Rep. Bart Gordon. He found that no one was running in the Republican primary. (There is one independent candidate, Chris Baker, who will be on the ballot for the November general election.)...

Kenneth Eaton, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican Lamar Alexander, said in a telephone interview last Thursday with the Times-Gazette that he feels good about his chances in Thursday's Democratic primary. Eaton will face former Knox County Clerk Mike Padgett and former Tennessee Democratic Party chair Bob Tuke, along with lesser-known candidates Mark E. Clayton, Gary G. Davis and Leonard D. Ladner. Eaton referred to his "two opponents" during the interview...

Funeral services for Frances E. 'Bonnie' Puckett Sloan, 67, of Shelbyville, who died Saturday at Heritage Medical Center, will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Hillcrest Funeral Home with the Rev. Ron Chilton officiating. Burial will follow at Willow Mount Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday.

Matthew Glenn Woods, 2, died suddenly Saturday in Lewisburg. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Doak-Howell Funeral Home with Eddie Reed officiating. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday.