Stories from Sunday, January 22, 2012

There's a small buzz brewing in music circles in Nashville. A young singer and songwriter has been in development for most of the past year, and she's getting ready to break loose in 2012. The industry insiders who have heard her sing recognize the "It" when they hear it, and a launch into the country music stratosphere isn't so far-fetched an idea...

The Latin word "Fruor" means "I delight in" and is the source of our word "fruit." I have found myself, as many others with me, missing this delicious part of our diet. Whole or sliced these nutritious and colorful harvests make a wonderful sunny after noon snack...

My wife bought me an iPad for Christmas. She also bought me a companion book to help me out with my new Christmas present: "iPad for Dummies." I have taken to the iPad pretty easily, although I am one of the least tech savvy fellows out there. I haven't had to open the Dummies book yet either...

Shelbyville council members will meet Tuesday for a workshop described as a "brainstorming session" to plan for the coming year. The council will gather at 4 p.m. at Shelbyville Recreation Center for the informal meeting, which will be broken into two parts, with dinner served during a 30-minute break. The meeting is slated to last some three and a half hours, concluding around 7:30 p.m...

Shelbyville Central played well in the first half but fell apart in the second on the way to a 63-49 loss to Lincoln County in a District 8AAA contest on homecoming Friday night. The Golden Eagles (4-15, 0-6 8AAA) turned in a fine first half performance in all phases of the game and on both ends of the court in the first half, posting a 15-10 lead at the end of the opening frame before settling for a 29-29 tied at halftime...

In a game in which it led from start to finish, Shelbyville Central avenged an earlier loss to Lincoln County in a 44-39 District 8AAA homecoming victory on Friday night, The Eaglettes (11-11, 3-3) fell 60-56 in overtime in their first matchup in Fayetteville back in December...

TULLAHOMA -- Every family has a history, and as Tennessee observes the 150th anniversary of the Civil War over the nest few years, state archivists want to take a peek at what you have. A team of experts from the Tennessee State Library and Archives were busy at Tullahoma's city hall Thursday examining and digitizing rare artifacts that have been hidden away in the private collections of local residents...

FAYETTEVILLE -- It was just the type of sustained effort that the Community Viqueens needed as the season rapidly approaches tournament time with an impressive 46-41 win over the Lady Tigers. Community broke out to an 8-4 lead after one period and opened the gap to 22-9 at the intermission behind a pair of seven point efforts by junior post Katie Leverette and sophomore Blair Demonbreum...

FAYETTEVILLE--It was just over a month ago that the Community Vikings completely dominated every phase of the game and destroyed Fayetteville City by a score of 88-39. Not so this time. The Vikings (16-3, 9-1 District 9-A) utilized double figure efforts by Austin Thurber, Jake Leverette, Tanner Simmons, Zeke Grissom and Logan Pierce and still had to play to the final horn to hold off the hosts in a 77-68 win on Friday night in the Tigers Den...

Webb Middle took advantage of a hot first half and rode the momentum to a 29-15 road victory over Dickson Academy on Friday afternoon. Webb blanked the home team 16-0 in the first frame, and added six more points in the second, while holding Dickson to just two first-half points...

EAGLEVILLE -- For nearly three and a half quarters, the Cascade Lady Champions held control of the game against the Eagleville Lady Eagles. But a 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter proved to be the catalyst that allowed the Lady Eagles to rally for the 59-51 district win over Cascade on Friday night...

EAGLEVILLE--All the Cascade Champs needed was one point more point in regulation to secure the win against Eagleville on Friday night. However a 50 percent performance from the free throw line essentially cost the Champs the win, as Eagleville was able to secure the 60-56 overtime win...

Zach Youngblood thinks that sending me a sad "puppy face" pic via cell phone will persuade me to let him have this bunny he is holding!

Our hearts and minds are like spiritual recording devices. They are constantly recording and storing messages into our data bank. We are born hungry for truth and our spirits are very receptive. As children, we are sponges, soaking up the world around us and believing the words of the people we know and trust. Then comes the outside voices, stimuli, and feedback that may or may not be truth, positive, or healthy...

Regina York dropped out of school in 1976, just shy of graduation. It had nothing to do with her grades; she regularly made the honor roll, and had dreams of becoming a teacher. But she was in love and wanted to get married. She promised her mother she'd eventually go back and get her diploma...

Charles Lohn was a thief and a liar. More than two years ago, the youth pastor at Shelbyville Mills Baptist Church was convicted of embezzling more than $75,000 from church funds over a three-year period. The case was widely reported in local and national media...

The 13th chapter in 1 Corinthians is among the Bible's most beloved, but it's the last few words in the chapter which have resonated with me in particular this week. "... but the greatest of these is love." Maybe it sounds silly to say it out loud, but I know my church loves me. ...