Stories from Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Mattie L. Carlton, 81, of Shelbyville, died today at Bedford County Nursing Home. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Scott Yates officiating. Burial will follow at Cothran Cemetery in Rover. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday.

I had one of those "Omigosh, I'm getting old" moments Tuesday morning, when I realized my oldest son was voting for the president at the same time I was. For that matter, so was my youngest son, only, unlike Scott's, Buzz's vote didn't count. He goes to Bel-Aire Elementary School in Tullahoma, which has always been the bellwether voting precinct for the town. How the vote goes there, so it usually goes nationwide...

There will soon be a new face at the meetings of the Wartrace Board of Mayor and Alderman, and one who has served for decades will be missing. Scott Claxton, a postal carrier in Wartrace as well as a newspaper carrier for the Times-Gazette, not only won a seat on the board, he took the most votes on his very first venture into political waters...

"I feel like I'm finishing what he wanted us to finish," said Janice Brothers late Tuesday night, after the results of her race for the two-year unexpired term for County Commissioner District 3. The special election was to replace the former holder of that district seat -- her husband, Roger Brothers -- who passed away in July after holding that seat for more than 30 years...

Two Shelbyville city council incumbents retained their seats Tuesday while another was defeated by a previous member of that body. According to unofficial results, Ward 5 Councilman Randy Vernon was unseated by Jean Pruitt, who had previously served on the city council, by a vote of 349 to 198...

Both of Bedford County's incumbent state legislators were re-elected Tuesday night, receiving support both locally and district-wide. State Sen. Jim Tracy, a Republican from Shelbyville, defeated Democratic challenger Jean Anne Rogers of Murfreesboro by a margin of 48,064 to 31,727 to retain his 16th district seat representing Bedford and Moore counties and part of Rutherford County. Tracy carried all three of the counties...

George Andy Gibson, 77, of Shelbyville, died Tuesday at his home after an extended illness. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Unity Baptist Church, where he was an active member, with Frelan George officiating. Burial, with full military honors, will follow at Melson Cemetery in Lincoln County. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the church. Feldhaus Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Morton L. Pyrdum, 88, of Shelbyville, died Tuesday at Alvin C. York VA Hospital in Murfreesboro. Funeral services, with military honors, will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Doak-Howell Funeral Home with Raymond Ragsdale and Gary Smith officiating. Burial will follow at Willow Mount Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday.

Linda Bailey Alsup, 57, of Murfreesboro, died Tuesday at her home. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Riverdale Church of Christ, Murfreesboro, with burial to follow at Willow Mount Cemetery. Visitation will begin at noon. Scales & Sons Funeral Home, Murfreesboro, is in charge of arrangements.

Lee Roy Lowman, 83, of Murfreesboro, died Tuesday at the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Middle Tennessee Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, where he was a member, with the Rev. Tony Hutson officiating. Burial will follow at Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Murfreesboro. Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Woodfin Memorial Chapel, Murfreesboro.

Those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. Despite several years of quality high school football teams, Bedford County hadn't been blessed with many squads that went through the regular season a perfect 10-0. Shelbyville Central accomplished the miraculous feat in 1991 under coach J. Thaxton. They were the final group to run the table before Cascade took down White House-Heritage 63-20 on Friday to cap their undefeated run...

As Americans wept, danced and cheered at celebrations across the country, local supporters of Barack Obama mirrored those sentiments at victory parties Tuesday night in Bedford County. Donna Phillips, a supporter of President-elect Obama, attended an Obama Victory Party at The Fly, and she says the moment he was declared winner was mesmerizing...

Graveside services for Ruth Eleanor Taylor, 83, of Shelbyville, who died Tuesday at Heritage Medical Center, will be held at noon Saturday at Willow Mount Cemetery with the Rev. Charles Pope officiating. Visitation will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel.

W.A. Keller, of Shelbyville, died Wednesday at Heritage Medical Center. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Gowen-Smith Chapel with Rick Clouse officiating. No visitation is planned.