Stories from Thursday, April 16, 2009

Newell Rubbermaid Office Products broke ground Wednesday on a new 155,000-square-foot packaging center next to its distribution center on Railroad Avenue. "The packaging center is designed to ... meet the needs of continuous improvement, to provide jobs and work and expansion for many years yet to come," said Jim Cunningham, senior human resource manager for the company in Shelbyville...

Good times continue for the Shelbyville Central Golden Eagles. Shelbyville claimed its second District 8-AAA two-game series sweep with a 16-6 win over visiting Franklin County Wednesday night. The district-leading Eagles (14-6, 7-2 8-AAA), along with Columbia, each have only a pair of losses in the district but Shelbyville defeated Columbia in their first meeting...

The softball teams at Cascade and Webb have struggled with Mother Nature and poor playing conditions to get many games in thus far this season. However, the neighbors found a window open wide enough on Wednesday to get in a doubleheader. Lady Champion pitcher Leigha Carter did her part in the first game to help the hosts secure a 10-0 victory by tossing a perfect game. She retired all 12 batters she faced, including a pair of strikeouts...

Cascade's baseball team locked up their third consecutive District 9-A regular season title after defeating host Eagleville 4-2 in eight innings on Wednesday. The victory moves their overall record to 20-0-1 with a 10-0 mark in league play and secures a bye in the opening round of the district tournament in early May. Including postseason play, they've now won 39 of their last 40 district games...

Shelbyville Central hung in for a few innings, then visiting Coffee County pulled away to a 9-1 win over the Golden Eaglettes in a District 8-AAA matchup Wednesday night. Both teams scored in the first inning and Coffee County added a run in the second, then tacked on three more in the fourth and four in the sixth...

Chase Carter tossed a complete-game one-hitter to help Cascade Middle to a 2-1 win over visiting Community Junior High on Wednesday. Logan Pierce walked, stole two bases and came home on a passed ball to give the Vikings an early edge in the second...

Bedford County commissioners split Tuesday night over two board appointments, a relatively rare occurrence and one that may have violated the commission's own rules, according to the county mayor. Bedford County Agriculture and Education Center board of directors had recommended Tim Lokey, an employee of the Bedford County Sheriff's Department, to fill a ninth district vacancy on the board. ...

The Bell Buckle Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the formation of a new Historic Zoning Commission by passing a resolution at its Tuesday night meeting. Mayor Dennis Webb and Rodney Simmons explained the function and composition of the commission to aldermen and visitors again, stressing that the primary concern is for external appearances of buildings in the C-1 and C-2 downtown district...

"Congress Does Not Read Bills They Vote On." "Tax and Spend Brings the End." "No Socialism." "No Taxation Without Representation." These were just a sampling of the signs carried around the Shelbyville square by about 100 citizens who took part in Wednesday's nationwide "tea party" protests...

Community High School's National Honor Society held its Honors and Awards banquet Monday in the school's cafeteria. Parents and students were invited based on the student's academic achievement. New members of the National Honor Society were inducted, and stoles were given to the seniors who will be graduating in a few weeks...

An Apple MacBook laptop computer was stolen from Tennessee Technology Center between April 1-7, Shelbyville police were told Monday. The computer, which does not belong to TTC, had been brought to the Madison Street school for repairs, police said. The man said he heard knocking on the door while in another room and, moments later, went to his living room to find an acquaintance standing next to the location from which the money was discovered missing, police said...

To the Editor: I just read today about the issues with some of the Hispanic businesses in town and the appearance of their buildings. I agree we are not Mexico, and those buildings can be kind of ugly. Oddly enough, though, I have seen some ugly businesses owned by Americans, too. ...

Elizabeth Carlen McLean, 88, of Shelbyville, died Tuesday at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Dr. Lloyd Doyle officiating. Burial will follow in Hillcrest Memorial Gardens...