Stories from Sunday, April 19, 2009

Last Sunday morning, as I was getting ready for Easter services at my church, I left my daughter, Tessa, in our bedroom playing with her new toys she had received from the Easter bunny. When I turned off the shower, I heard her singing at the top of her lungs, "Stupid, old pick-up truck you never let me drive ..."...

County Commissioner Ed Castleman grew up as the son of a poor sharecropper, so he learned early from his father how to be thrifty and resourceful. Money is tight everywhere these days, but back in the early 1940s, money was even tighter, especially for a sharecropper in Shelbyville...

I'm not a big fan of surprises. I'm one of those people who can't stand to watch people blow up balloons, crank up jack-in-the-boxes, or count hanging chads in Florida elections. You know it's going to be loud, obnoxious and ugly when it happens -- you just don't know when...

To the editor: I was a participant in Wednesday's Tea Party demonstration to bring attention to what many Americans believe is unwarranted and very excessive spending and a conscientious desire to destroy capitalism. I am a Capitalist and am proud of it, as I believe, and history has shown, that capitalistic freedom has produced more good and progress than any other economic system; the merits of which speak for themselves...

Harris Middle rolled to an 8-1 win over host Liberty Friday afternoon. The Eagles (5-5) banged out 11 hits with Reed Emerson collecting a double and single while Remington Chatman, Tommy Canonico and Alex Birdsong each added a pair of singles each. Josh Nave and Logan Siebers each doubled to lead Liberty at the plate...

Zeke Grissom threw a complete game one-hitter to lead Community Junior High to a 6-0 win over cross-county rival Cascade on a beautiful spring day made just for baseball on Friday. The Vikings scored a run in the second, three in the fourth, one in the fifth and a single run in the sixth to back Grissom's effort...

Cascade's soccer team fell at Spring Hill 4-0 in a District 11-A/AA on Thursday. "We started out in the game really strong," Champion coach Monica Lewis said. The score at halftime was 1-0. Cascade (3-6, 0-3 11-A/AA) hosts Webb on Tuesday at 5:30.

Mental and physical errors overshadowed a good hitting performance by the Community Viqueens against visiting Mt. Pleasant Friday afternoon and it cost them dearly in an 11-4 loss. Erica Keele got a rare start on the mound for the home team and pitched two innings, allowing four hits and walked two. She allowed four earned runs...

Cascade didn't take long getting back to their winning ways after suffering their first loss of the season in their 22nd game. A six-run second inning sparked them to a 15-4 victory over Huntland in the second day of action at the Walking Horse Classic in Wartrace...

Shelbyville's Deonta Twilley recently signed a letter of intent to continue his education, as well as his basketball career, at Walters State Community College in Morristown. The talented point guard has amazed basketball fans since his middle school days at Liberty with his ball handling skills and his ability to see the floor and pass the basketball...

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crashes are the leading cause of fatalities among teens in the United States, but a program by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and Tennessee Department of Transportation is helping to bring those numbers down...

Feeding the homeless at the CROSS (Community Religious Outreach Social Services) shelter may get a little bit easier, thanks to the local Tyson Foods facility. The nation's meat producing giant has filled freezers with chicken and has promised more when needed for Bedford County's homeless...

With the judge saying he was bound by sentencing guidelines, a former Vanderbilt professor will serve just one year on sexually related charges stemming from an Internet sting. Lason Lain Watai, 47, was given the prison term by Judge Lee Russell after a sentencing hearing that lasted well over an hour, with both the defense and prosecution giving arguments over how light or severe the sentence should be...

With sirens blaring and gospel music playing, men, women and even little girls in ballerina costumes joined hands to show support for the Next Step Home, a transitional home for women who have been in rehabilitation or jail. Linda Vannatta, one of the organizers of the event, counted nearly 150 people holding hands across the public square, including County Mayor Eugene Ray, Pastor Drew Hayes, Chain Gang organizer Nancy June Brandon, and many others...

Betty Bowling, 67, of Lascassas, died Friday at her home. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, April 24, at Murfreesboro Funeral Home with Jim Newman officiating. A private burial will follow. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m.

Since the beginning of the year, the county's CROSS shelter has been taking in folks that don't have a roof over their heads and is currently at full capacity. But two incidents over the past week have organizer Dr. Carl Bailey looking at getting with authorities about cracking down on deadbeat dads -- because their irresponsibility has resulted in three children sleeping at the shelter just in the past week...

My husband is the cook in the family and I'm more than happy to award him that title. If there's anything I have to chop, slice, dice, skin, sauté or simmer, I'm just going to grab a Hot Pocket instead. I don't mind cooking, it's just not a passion for me as it is for Terry. Baking, on the other hand ...