Stories from Sunday, November 22, 2009

From Shelbyville, it would take about six hours to drive to Piedmont, Mo., a small city -- population about 2,000 -- located in the southeast corner of the state. What connects Shelbyville with this town, 350 miles away? The short answer is a balloon...

Blame it on Mr. Potato Head. Back in 1955, Hasbro plopped that pipe-smoking, politically incorrect, cross-dressing spud in a television commercial and parents have been paying for it ever since. His TV spot, the first toy commercial ever, created more than an entirely new branch of the advertising industry -- it created a monster. Anyone with their own little monsters at home knows exactly what I'm talking about...

Catalogs are great, especially for busy folks this time of year who need to do some one stop shopping. I received a catalog on my desk a few days ago, and I have managed to do all my Christmas shopping as well as make my very own Christmas wish list...

LYNNVILLE -- Community had a tough road to climb Friday night when they headed to Richland for a Hall of Fame basketball game. The hard-fought battle was anybody's game at halftime, but the Vikings were unable to hold on in the last two stanzas and fell 82-62...

LYNNVILLE -- It was all she wrote when Community hit the road Friday night for their second and last Hall of Fame basketball game of the season. The Viqueens exploded in the first half and demanded control early in a 74-41 victory over Richland. The fast-paced Unionville girls outscored the Lady Raiders 45-23 in the first half and pressured them into turnovers. Aubrey Boyce led the boards for Community and scored 11 of her 15 points in the first quarter...

With four starters returning along with a key reserve, expectations are running high for Shelbyville Central's Golden Eagles as basketball season nears. Coming off a 26-7 season where the Eagles were runners-up in the district and region tournaments and missed advancing to the TSSAA State Tournament by one point, coach Kevin Thomas and his team are motivated for even better results this season...

A drunken driver being pursued by police walked away with relatively minor injuries after crashing his car near Wartrace late Wednesday afternoon, officials said. James Curtis Riley, 26, of Fairoak Street lost control of his Nissan Maxima while crossing the one-lane bridge on Bugscuffle Road, Wartrace Police Chief Lee Groce said. The car overturned down an embankment and landed on nearby railroad tracks...

A man accused of firing a gun into a house last year has been appointed an attorney and has had his next court date set. The public defender's office will represent Michael Adam Kelley, 27, who was charged with three counts of reckless endangerment after his case was directly presented to the Bedford County grand jury on Monday...

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike McWherter, the son of former Gov. Ned McWherter, visited Shelbyville on Friday, saying his experience as a businessman makes him a good choice to manage the state. "I am a small businessman," he said. "Small business is the backbone of the economy of this state."...

Pete Souphom of Shelbyville Fire Department was one of 22 graduates of the 22nd graduating class at Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy on Friday. The academy, operated by Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, is located on Unionville-Deason Road...

As hundreds of families filed into the City Outreach Ministry's building on Burt Street Saturday morning for a community Thanksgiving dinner, dozens of others were helping them get seated, bringing them food and refreshing their cups with tea and water. There were law enforcement officers, judges, business owners, and pastors and members of other congregations...

CHATTANOOGA -- Coach Kenny Parker knew it would be an "uphill climb" if his 10th-ranked Cascade Champions were going to upset No. 2 Boyd-Buchanan in the Class 2A state quarterfinals Friday night. A well-played, physical first half provided optimism for Cascade early, but seven turnovers proved to be too much to overcome and the Buccaneers prevailed 21-0...

Residents of southern Shelbyville from Brookhaven subdivision to the city limits are being warned by police to be on alert after a woman fended off an intruder in her home early Friday. Several reports have been received of a "peeping Tom" in the area over the past few weeks, Detective Sgt. Brian Crews said...

To the Editor: The American Legion Auxiliary wishes to thank all the businesses and individuals that made contributions during our fall Poppy distribution. Your generosity helps continue programs for our veterans and is greatly appreciated...