Stories from Monday, November 24, 2008

NASHVILLE -- Vanderbilt lost 20-10 to the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday in the last appearance at Dudley Field for coach Phillip Fulmer. It was not exactly a dominating win, but it was still a fitting ending for the Winchester native. His teams have dominated the series with the Commodores by winning 15 of 16 games against their intra-state rival and are 8-0 in Nashville during his tenure as head coach...

NASHVILLE -- You knew it had to happen sooner or later. Titan fans hoped it would be later rather than sooner, but what a run it's been. After 10 wins in a row and the last undefeated team in the NFL, Tennessee finally lost their first game Sunday at LP Field against the New York Jets...

Marvin Smotherman, 86, of Cedar Grove, died Sunday in Shelbyville. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Cedar Grove United Methodist Church, where he was a member, with the Rev. Terry Harris officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Grove Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 4 p.m. Friday at Lawrence Funeral Home, Chapel Hill, and 10 a.m. Saturday at the church.

Billy Joe Rogers, 74, of Shelbyville, died Saturday at Heritage Medical Center after an extended illness. Funeral services were held Sunday at Doak-Howell Funeral Home with Charles Williams officiating. Burial followed at Willow Mount Cemetery.

William Covington 'Bill' Sledge, Jr., 80, of Manchester, died Saturday at Life Care Center of Tullahoma. Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday at 11 a.m at Manchester Funeral Home with Dr. George Jackson officiating. Visitation will be Monday from 5 to 9 p.m.

Mary Isabelle Ross Woodruff, 91, died Sunday morning at Heritage Medical Center. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at First United Methodist Church in Shelbyville, where she was a member. Burial will follow at 2 p.m. at Rose Hill Cemetery in Columbia. Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. Tuesday at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel.

Holiday festivities officially kicked off this weekend on Shelbyville's Public Square, with the Festival of Trees serving as just one activity for local families to enjoy. Main Street Committee's Holiday Open House also took place Saturday, in conjunction with Festival of the Trees, where folks could shop for arts and crafts while enjoying Christmas music and Christmas readings -- Mrs. Claus even stopped by to share some stories with the little ones in attendance...

Bedford County Board of Education approved several revised policies, including one concerned with registered sex offenders, at its meeting Thursday night. The policy revisions had all been suggested by Tennessee School Boards Association to keep policies in line with state law...

LYNNVILLE -- No substitutions. The fighting five for the Cascade Champions had to step onto the court and play the entire time in a Hall of Champions matchup at Richland. After the final buzzer, the scoreboard read a 74-44 loss for Cascade, but coach Charlie Pope was less concerned about the score and glad that his players were still able to come and compete...

LYNNVILLE -- Cascade's girls suffered a 64-58 defeat in a Hall of Champions contest at Richland on Saturday night. Tiffany Gibbs led the Lady Champions with 18 points. Millie Carter also reached double digits with 11. Richland got off to a hot start with a trio of 3-pointers in the first four minutes, causing Cascade to trail 19-8 after the first quarter...

Local leaders, including County Mayor Eugene Ray and Shelbyville Mayor Wallace Cartwright, heard a report last week about statewide effort to bring high-speed Internet "to every home, school, organization and business." Ray said this morning that Bedford County Emergency Management Agency director Scott Johnson, Assessor of Property Ronda Clanton and County Clerk Kathy Prater were among those in attendance...

The holiday season brings out the generosity in many, and the economic crisis has brought community needs into sharp focus. But with so many charities seeking your help, how do you make the best use of your limited contributions? Several online tools are available to help you find out more about non-profit organizations. For example, some tools will let you see what percentage of a group's income goes to administrative expenses as opposed to the actual work...

Luke Baum came through with 14 of his team-high 17 points for the Webb Feet as they came from 16 points down to defeat host Huntland 45-40 in a Hall of Champions showdown on Saturday night. Cham Cham Quao tallied six of his 13 points in the final period and helped secure their first victory with a blocked shot...