Stories from Friday, March 19, 2010

A sentence handed down to a Nashville drug dealer arrested in Shelbyville was upheld by the Tennessee Court of Appeals last week. Melvin Pearson Rucker had been sentenced to 11 years, six months after his conviction by a Bedford County jury for possession of cocaine with the intent to sell, possession of cocaine with the intent to deliver, and driving on a suspended license...

The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth has honored the Times-Gazette and three of its staffers -- Mary Reeves, Brian Mosely and Sadie Fowler -- for the newspaper's coverage of children's issues. The T-G was awarded the Making Kids Count Media Award for small market print media. ...

Bedford County Board of Commissioners' courthouse and county property committee heard a report Tuesday night about $790,000 or more in capital expenses said to be needed at Christian Care Center of Bedford County, the former Bedford County Nursing Home...

A negotiated settlement was reached Monday in a case involving a large meth lab discovered last summer. Ricky Allen Smith and Wilma Lee Smith of Frank Martin Road received a sentence of four years, with the couple to serve one year on community correction, followed by three years on state probation on the charge of promotion of methamphetamine manufacture...

You don't have to have thousands and thousands of dollars to take home a beautiful Tennessee walking horse from the Walking Horse Trainers' Association's annual show. Just stop by Billie Nipper's booth on the mezzanine at Calsonic Arena and see what she has to offer...

Tennessee Rep. Bart Gordon has changed course and says he will now support President Barack Obama's health care overhaul bill in a U.S. House vote planned for Sunday. The Murfreesboro Democrat, who isn't seeking another term in Congress this year, said Thursday he changed his mind because the proposed changes will be "better for Middle Tennessee than the status quo."...

Trent Turner tallied a pair of goals and Michael Martin booted home the game-winner to help Cascade rally with three second-half scores to defeat visiting DeKalb County 3-2 in a non-district match Thursday. After a mostly-scoreless first half, Cameron Lester put the Tigers in front first with a goal and the score stayed 1-0 until shortly after intermission...

Cascade's Lady Champions put together their second straight shutout to open up the 2010 season by defeating non-district visitor Richland 3-0 on Thursday night. Cascade starting pitcher Leigha Carter retired 10 of the first 11 batters and went all seven innings of the bump to notch her second victory. She had an air-tight defense behind her that played error-free...

Harris Middle let a home Central Tennessee Conference game slip away in a 5-2 loss to Warren County on Thursday evening. Liza Harvey led the winners with a pair of hits. Eighth-grader Tiana Sanders paced the Eaglettes at the plate with a pair of hits...

Cascade's baseball team was its own worst enemy Thursday as six errors and a lack of timely hitting led to a 9-5 loss at Lincoln County. The Champions (1-1) left 13 men on base, including three innings where they were retired with the bases loaded. Falcon Evan Pittenger pitched four scoreless innings to pick up the win...

Community's Kelby Demonbreum and Tom "Bird" Nelson combined to scatter five hits and allow just one earned run in a 7-3 come-from-behind win over Watertown on a beautiful, sunny Thursday afternoon in Unionville. The win gives the Vikings (3-0) their best start to a season in at least six years...

"It's a shame somebody has to lose this one," Community Middle coach Robbie Davis uttered to counterpart and Cascade Middle coach Josh Hammonds during the fifth inning of Thursday's diamond rivalry. Little did each coach know that the excitement had just begun...

Shelbyville Central's tennis teams opened up their home schedule with a match versus Oakland on a sunny Thursday afternoon. The Eagles came away with a 4-3 victory, while the Eaglettes fell 6-1. Central kicks off its District 8-AAA season at Lawrence County on Monday at 4...

Shelbyville Central dropped a pair of games in the Commando Classic on Thursday in Hendersonville. Riverdale 3, Shelbyville 1: The Eaglettes batted the defending Class AAA state champions with a two-run fifth inning by the Lady Warriors being the difference. Shelby Lamb ripped a pair of singles for the Eaglettes while Jordan Abell paced the winners with a double and single...

The following letter was posted as an open letter to Congressman Bart Gordon. Congressman Gordon: I am writing you today not as a Republican candidate for the office you are vacating but as a citizen of Tennessee's 6th District. I am asking that you vote against the health care bill now before Congress. Not only is this bill too expensive but it removes control of health care from the people and their doctors and gives it to government bureaucrats...