Stories from Thursday, October 9, 2008

Ed Hess Jr., 83, died Wednesday at Heritage Medical Center. Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at Johnson Road Cemetery in Christiana. Nelson & Sons Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Frances Bowers Thompson, 92, of Lewisburg, died Tuesday at Glen Oaks Convalescent Center. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at London Funeral Home, Lewisburg, with burial to follow at Lone Oak Cemetery. Visiation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. today.

Heritage Medical Center announced Wednesday that it intends to close its obstetrics department due to an insufficient volume of patients, according to CEO Dan Buckner. "Myself, my board of trustees and the corporation (Community Health Systems) have been debating this decision for many months and the official decision was made, frankly, today," Buckner said. "Our decision (to close the OB) was a tough decision for the hospital, and for me personally, but the OB wasn't in demand."...

A Shelbyville woman told police a home health nurse stole medication from her residence. The victim said the nurse, who was allegedly "very intoxicated," took 90 tabs while walking around the Elizabeth Street home last week before being asked to leave...

If you'd like to feel about 6 years old again, carefree and with nothing to do but run screaming through spooky alleys of corn, head out to Cedar Rock Farm on Warner Bridge Road. If you really, really want to feel like a 6-year-old, try to get there when one of the area schools is having a field trip. You'll find piles of pumpkins, controlled chaos, and lots of laughter...

Bedford County Planning Commission decided Tuesday night that it will try again to ask Bedford County Board of Commissioners to change the rules for placing rock quarries. The county commission rejected that proposed change on Sept. 10, but planning commission members claim the county commission's action was more focused on a specific possible quarry than on the merits of the rule change...

Cascade has an opportunity to accomplish one of their goals they set back in the preseason when they roll into Eagleville on Friday night with a chance to clinch a playoff spot on the line. The seventh-ranked Champions (6-0, 5-0 Region 5-A) battle their rival Eagles (3-3, 2-3) with bragging rights on the line when the teams kick off at 7:30...

Louise White Liggett, 87, of Wheel, died Wednesday. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Lawrence Funeral Home, Chapel Hill, with Ed Perryman officiating. Burial will follow at Wheel Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 4 p.m. today.

If you had asked me Tuesday morning, during the Times-Gazette's annual community coffee, I would have told you there was no way I would make it to Citizen's Police Academy Tuesday night. I didn't want to miss the coffee, so I managed to come to work, despite the powers above sending me messages over the last few days that I needed to slow down -- signs which I ignored...

Heritage Medical Center announced Wednesday afternoon its intent to close the hospital's obstetrics department, according to Dan Buckner, hospital CEO. Complete details will be included in Thursday's Times-Gazette