Stories from Friday, January 8, 2010

Jerry Joseph Ippoliti, 79, of Destin, Fla., formerly of Beechgrove, died Monday after a long illness. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Coffee County Funeral Chapel, Manchester, with Stephen Klasek officiating. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m.

There appears to be a growing trend among our young athletes these days. They are concentrating and training in one sport on a year-round basis more frequently than ever before. For those of you who know me, I readily admit that it is hard to fathom from my current physical state, but there was a time when I was considered to be a pretty fair athlete in three different sports in high school. ...

Attorneys for two men convicted of helping to run a gaming house in Shelbyville in 2008 have withdrawn motions for a new trial. On Thursday, Circuit Court Judge Lee Russell briefly announced that lawyers for Andrew Welsh Craze and Samuel Cory Owens had asked to dismiss their motions for a new trial...

Trial dates have been set for two men, one facing charges related to a break-in and another accused of stalking a teen. On Thursday, Andy Lynn Wallace, 35, of Nashville Highway, Lewisburg, had trial dates set for April 5 and 6, with pre-trial motions scheduled for March 4...

A Shelbyville man will spend the next 18 months in jail after pleading guilty to charges involving a minor on Wednesday. Charles Presley Jr., 63, of Landers Street received a sentence of nine months on the charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and another nine months for simple assault, which was amended from a charge of sexual battery by an authority figure...

As Lee Roy and Elizabeth Cunningham rebuild their lives following a fire which destroyed their North Main Street home and floral business early Monday, they say one thing stands out: The generosity of their fellow Bedford Countians. "You know how many friends you've got when something like this happens," Lee Roy said. "People have offered everything we need. They're coming in constantly. We had a lot and we've still got more than we need...

Thursday's snowfall may have been lighter than was predicted earlier in the week, but combined with the bitterly-cold temperatures it can still pose problems. Bedford County Schools remained closed for a second day on Friday. Bedford County Highway Superintendent Stanley Smotherman said that sometimes a half inch of snow can cause more problems for drivers than a six-inch snowfall. ...

With Bedford County Schools closed today due to snow and icy road conditions, officials decided to postpone their respective basketball games scheduled for this evening. ...

The Rev. Happy Fred "H. Fred" Blankenship, 96, retired minister and District Superintendent of the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church, died Thursday, January 7, 2010 at his residence in Nashville. He was a former minister of First United Methodist Church in Shelbyville. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at Brentwood United Methodist Church with Bishop Robert H. Spain, Bishop William Morris and the Rev. Edd Templeton officiating. Burial will follow at Spring Hill Cemetery in Madison. Visitation will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home, Columbia, and beginning at noon Monday at the church.

Richard J. "Cracker" Gordon, 97, of Shelbyville died at his home Friday after an extended illness. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel with Bob Simmons, Julian Goodpaster and Don Harrison officiating. Burial will follow at Rosebank Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday and beginning at 1 p.m. Monday at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel.