Stories from Monday, January 12, 2009

NASHVILLE -- There's no doubt in my mind who the best team was at LP Field Saturday. Unfortunately for Titans fans, that doesn't count for much. Tennessee's defense played like one of the top rated defenses they were while the Titans offense was very productive and almost doubled the Ravens in net yards gained...

NASHVILLE -- It's bad enough for teams with high expectations to see their seasons end prematurely, but when they're forced to clean out their lockers with a lingering feeling of self-destruction, the frustration becomes amplified. The locker room after the Tennessee Titans fell 13-10 to the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC divisional playoff matchup was full of head scratching and it had nothing to do with the shampoo or hard water...

Ottie Bartlett, 80, of Shelbyville, formerly of Moore County, died Sunday at N.H.C. in Murfreesboro. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Doak-Howell Funeral Home with the Rev. Jim Sorrells officiating. Burial will follow at Shofner Lutheran Chapel Cemetery. Visitation will be from 12 noon until 2 p.m.

A Shelbyville boy will be among 14 middle Tennessee cancer survivors to be featured on WSMV's More at Midday show Wednesday, Jan. 14. David Peterman, 14, is a cancer survivor and a wish ambassador for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He'll be telling his story Wednesday as part of the foundation's three-week Stories of Light campaign...

David Natale and Dustin White split 34 points between them to lead the Community Vikings to an impressive 64-47 win over Webb on Saturday night to sweep the season series. The Purple and Gold led from start to finish, treating a festive homecoming crowd to one of their best offensive efforts of the season behind the sharp guard play of White and Natale and an always strong inside game...

Recycling will continue after the Bedford County Solid Waste Authority voted to enter into a contract to have paper and cardboard taken with no tipping fee. However, the authority is still on the hunt for a firm to take plastic after the early closing of the county's only recycling center...

A local dentist and aviator is donating his time in the air to help an organization that lets wounded veterans visit their homes. Dr. David Barnes was recently contacted by Walter Frick, founder of the Veterans Airlift Command, a group dedicated to the transportation of soldiers wounded while conducting combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom...

LYNCHBURG -- A weekend plea agreement fell through Saturday in the case involving last year's slaying of Joseph Timothy Floyd of Wartrace. Floyd's family members, as well as relatives of Jacob Wayne "Jake" Riddle, accused of stabbing Floyd, gathered at the Moore County courthouse early Saturday to hear if Riddle would take a rumored plea deal and avoid his upcoming trial, which is set for Jan. 20...

A Shelbyville business is being sued by the city of Manchester in an attempt to recover money lost to theft committed by that city's former public works director and his son. According to a lawsuit filed in Coffee County Circuit Court, Manchester is seeking $100,000 in both compensatory and punitive damages from Johnson Bolt and Screw Inc., East Depot Street...

Joe Henry Beavers, 66, of Fayetteville, died Saturday at Heritage Medical Center. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Gallant-Riverview Funeral Home in Fayetteville with the Rev. Joe Parks and the Rev. John E. Brown officiating. Burial will follow at Pleasant View Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Vergie Lovvorn Woodson, 85, of Murfreesboro, died Sunday. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Woodfin Memorial Chapel in Murfreesboro with the Rev. Nathan Hale, the Rev. Robert Maxwell Jr., and Richard Reeves officiating. Burial will follow at Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Murfreesboro. Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday.

Harris Middle claimed its third win in a row Saturday, defeating visitiing E.A. Cox 38-21. Cody Lynch scored a game-high 18 points, including four 3-pointers, while Tyran Wilkerson added 10. The Eagles (4-10) posted a 15-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, then held the visitors to only two points in the second to lead 22-9 at the break...

Community senior Jessica Thompson was queen of two courts on Saturday night. She was crowned homecoming queen in a vote by her classmates during pre-game ceremonies, and then took to the hardwood to score 17 points, pull down seven rebounds, and distribute eight assists to lead the Viqueens to a 57-34 win over Webb...