Stories from Wednesday, January 11, 2012

So far, Windows Phone 7 and its updated version, Windows Phone 7.5, have been the distant also-rans in the battle between Google's iPhone / iPad operating system, iOS, and the open-source Android operating system backed by Google. Many tech commentators have praised Windows Phone even while expressing skepticism that it can compete with the two much larger and well-established platforms...

LYNCHBURG--Facing the No. 2 ranked team in the state might intimidate some teams, but that wasn't the case for the Cascade Lady Champions on Tuesday night. Although the Raiderettes pulled away late, the Lady Champs matched the Raiderettes for nearly two and half quarters before Moore County was finally able to pull away...

Mary Frances Hasty, 87, of Flat Creek died Tuesday evening, Jan. 10, 2012, at Glen Oaks Convalescent Center after an extended illness. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Doak-Howell Funeral Home with the Revs. Merle Mead, Phillip Bowles and Dewight Wiser officiating, Burial will follow at Willow Mount Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Friday and 1-2 p.m. Saturday.

Shelbyville city employees will soon have a "whole new set of rules and regulations" as leaders are working on a new personnel manual. City manager Jay Johnson told the city council last week that the 180-page document is just a draft and is not a finished product, also adding there was no "time line" on this, saying they want to "do it right" and not rush it through the council...

Bedford County Board of Commissioners, after a closed attorney-client meeting, voted Tuesday night to settle overtime lawsuits brought against the county by sheriff's department employees, and to pay back wages owed to sheriff's department dispatchers...

Students in Amanda Thompson's World History class at Cascade Middle School have been studying Ancient Greece. While covering the "Iliad" and "Odyssey" these fourth period students used their bodies to portray emotion through the characters of the Trojan War epics. (Submitted photo)

Expect a call Friday afternoon. Bedford County 911 Communications Center will use the CodeRED Emergency Notification System on Friday to call more than 15,000 land-line telephones in Bedford County. The calls, which will be made during the afternoon on Friday, are meant as a test of the CodeRED system, but will also serve to promote the system to local residents, whom officials say can benefit by registering themselves at the CodeRED website. ...

A major update to Shelbyville's proposed personnel manual includes a fixture of 21st century life -- computer use and social media. City manager Jay Johnson told the council that Shelbyville's policy dealing with e-mail and computer use dates from 2001, and while there was an update in 2005, "for whatever reason, it was never adopted."...

People say money isn't everything, and while this may be true we can't deny money's beneficial power. The name "Penny Wars" may not sound like too much fun or too important, but to Community High students it is a fun and meaningful competition. Students from Community are competing in a twofold competition; grades are pitted against grades and then the collective scores are compared between the two schools. ...

TULLAHOMA -- Shelbyville Central scored early and often in a 65-33 win over host Tullahoma in a District 8AAA contest on Tuesday night. The Eaglettes (10-9, 2-1 8AAA) took control early by the final 13 points of the first quarter to post a 14-4 lead then outscored the Lady Wildcats 20-11 in the second fame to go up 38-15 at halftime...

TULLAHOMA -- It's not how you start, but how you finish. Shelbyville Central found that out the hard way in a 57-42 loss to host Tullahoma in a District 8AAA matchup on Tuesday night. The Golden Eagles (4-12, 0-3 8AAA) looked primed and ready to claim a huge win on the road after taking a 13-7 lead at the close of the first quarter but were outscored 50-29 from that point...

LYNCHBURG--For the second game in a row, Cascade has utilized a ferocious second-half attack and a strong defense to pick up a key district win. On Tuesday night, Cascade hit 28 second-half points, while defensively holding the Moore County Raiders to just 12...

There are several lessons that the Community Vikings can take from their 76-70 overtime district loss to Forrest on Tuesday night. The Vikings found that it is not ever OK to thoroughly outplay your opponent well enough to build a double digit lead late in the game and then relax before the final horn blows...

The Community Viqueens were outstanding on defense against the Forrest Rockets but were just a little shy offensively as they fell 37-31 in district action Tuesday night at Roger K. Brothers Gym. Lady Rocket Savannah Brothers hit two treys in the first period to pace her squad to a 13-6 lead at the buzzer, but the hosts stiffened their defense effort in the second frame to hold the opponent to just five points to cut the lead to 18-15 at the intermission. ...

The Webb Feet (7-12, 2-4) threw everything they had at DCA, and still came up short in the 64-42 losing effort. "We battled, especially with Cham, Branson, and Chris, but we had a couple of guys go down with little injuries tonight and we were a little thin," said Webb coach Jeff Mitchell...