Stories from Friday, October 31, 2008

The only thing missing was a bagpiper's lament from the hillside. As the motorcycles from Rolling Thunder came down the hill to the Moving Wall at Riverwalk Park Thursday night, followed by a procession of cars, the rumble of the vehicles added a solemn air to a solemn occasion...

Shelbyville Central closed out the season with a painful 56-0 loss to fourth-ranked and Region 5-4A champion Hillsboro on Senior Night at Eagle Stadium Thursday night. The game was moved up one day due to Halloween and the Eagles got tricked instead of treated...

The Cascade Champions enter Week 10 of the high school football season with one thing on their mind -- perfection. The fourth-ranked Champs locked up the top seed for the playoffs out of Region 5-A last week but have an opportunity to go 10-0 during the regular season for the first time in school history...

"If there's something strange in your neighborhood ... If there's something weird, and it don't look good ... Who ya gonna call?" -- Ghostbusters Well, one answer to this question would be the Ghost Hunters Organization of Southern Tennessee (G.H.O.S.T.). They won't be able to get rid of any lingering spirits -- but they can tell you if the ghosts are there or not. Especially the "or not" part...

Bedford County smashed its previous record early voting turnout by almost 50 percent, with 8,464 votes cast during the early voting period that ended Thursday, according to Administrator of Elections Summer Leverette. The previous record was 5,709, set during the last presidential election in 2004. This year's new record represents more than a 48 percent increase...

One county commission seat appears on the general election ballot: a seat representing District 3, to fill the vacancy created by the death earlier this year of Commissioner Roger Brothers. Brothers' widow Janice was appointed to fill the seat on an interim basis until the next general election; now, she and former commission member Gale Barber are competing to finish Roger Brothers' term...

Tonight's the night -- are you ready? A clear, barely cold evening will mean the trick-or-treaters are out in force, but the only thing scary for the children and the parents should be the faces on the jack-o'-lanterns. Here are some tips to make sure Halloween's biggest danger is only a tummyache at the end of the night...

Taylor Andrews, Kristen Ray and Megan Smith combined for 26 points to lead the Community Junior Viqueens to a 38-16 victory over visiting Eagleville Thursday night. The trio jumpstarted the offense with six points apiece in the first quarter as the Viqueens scored the game's first 33 points before emptying the bench the rest of the way...

Liberty Middle's girls climbed on the bus for their first game of the season, went up 8-0 at the start and wound up coming home from Riverside Christian in Fayetteville with a 26-16 win on Thursday night. Kimme Bayne's 10 points were tops for the Lady Patriots. Olivia Calvert added eight and Kayla Nowlin six...

I was exuberant Saturday when I finished the United Way Spooktacular 5K run/walk. It was my first official 5K run, and I was proud to be able to finish it -- and I didn't even have to stop to walk! I was still somewhat sore after my practice run three days before the official event, and I must admit, I wanted to quit at least five times. But I dug deep and was able to tough it out. A little perseverance can go a long way...

October has always been my favorite month of the year -- cool breezes, falling leaves, and all sorts of festivities to participate in. Along with all that, Halloween is the icing on the cake for October, in my opinion. The idea that Halloween night (a.k.a. All Hallows Eve) is the one night of the year during which the spirits of the dead can return to Earth has intrigued me for years...

Names inscribed in cold, impersonal chunks of granite on a so-called "Moving Wall." For some, they're just that ... names. But for those who remember the individuals behind the names, or who simply think deeply enough to realize the sacrifices those names represent, much more...

Alvin George Rippy, 75, of Shelbyville, died Wednesday at his home. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Bird Street Church of Christ. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Nelson & Sons Memorial Chapel and beginning at 10 a.m. Monday at the church.