Stories from Tuesday, December 9, 2014

The time has come. On Sunday, the NCAA ushered in a new era of college football and presented the nation with the first playoff selections. Making the cut were No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Florida State and No. 4 Ohio State. Noticeably absent from the final four were a pair of teams that had dominated the rankings and enjoyed a top 10 spot for much of the year--Baylor and TCU...

She said YES! And no one doubted it would be any different as Ally Voynik got the surprise of her life -- a proposal from longtime boyfriend Matt Barnard -- during the Shelbyville Christmas Parade on Saturday. It was all in the well-laid plans for Barnard, a Shelbyville Fire Department firefighter, whose dreams since boyhood have come true. He'd always wanted to be a Shelbyville firefighter and propose during the Christmas parade. And for the past few years, he's dreamed of being Ally's husband...

Jarius and Sammy Brown had no idea what was coming. As their father Bryant Brown -- a National Guardsman newly returned from Afghanistan -- waited just outside the door, Jarius and Sammy were called before an East Side Elementary School assembly Monday morning to answer two TCAP "questions."...

How can you tell someone is starting his first day on a new job? When you walk in the door and they're trying to explain how the phone system works. That was one of the things Monday brought for Mike Alsup, Shelbyville's new parks and recreation director, who is bringing 35 years of experience to the job...

A Bedford County man has been charged with TennCare fraud in Coffee County -- his second charge for the crime. The Office of Inspector General (OIG), with assistance from the Bedford County Sheriff's Department, announced the arrest of Brian K. Tucker, 39...

A suspect is being sought in the theft of outgoing checks from a mailbox on U.S. 41A North last Wednesday. Joshua Jackson Dyer allegedly removed two pieces of mail, changed the payee's name to his own and passed one of the checks for a large amount of money, according to the Bedford County Sheriff's Department...

Judith A. Stephens, 70, of Shelbyville died Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014 in Nashville. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Rock Spring (Georgia) United Methodist Cemetery. Heritage Funeral Home of Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia is handling arrangements.

After finishing the first quarter deadlocked with the Eagleville Lady Eagles (6-4), the Cascade Lady Champions broke the game open with a 24-point effort in the fourth quarter and cruised to a 64-48 victory on Monday night. The name of the game for the Lady Champions on Monday night was high percentage shooting...

After struggling through much of the first three quarters, Cascade seniors James Lattimore and Marky Gilmore helped the Champions battle back and force an overtime period against visiting Eagleville on Monday night. Despite rallying late in the game, the Champions (5-3) couldn't get enough stops and ultimately fell 59-54...

At two separate times, the Webb School Feet (3-4, 1-1) held a 10-point lead over visiting Hendersonville Christian. Despite those leads, the visitors were able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and deal the Feet a heart-breaking 52-51 defeat...

There wasn't much offense for either team on Monday night, but the Liberty Lady Patriots connected on just enough free throws to escape Fayetteville City with a 15-12 victory. As a team, the Lady Patriots connected on 9-of-18 attempts. Kendall Dearing led the Lady Patriots with five points...

The Liberty Patriots faced a tough road challenge on Monday night at Fayetteville City, but claimed a key 45-37 road victory over the Tigers. In the first half, it appeared the game might be a shootout to the final buzzer. But after battling the Tigers to a 22-22 deadlock by the half, Liberty got just enough defensive stops in the second half to fend off the Tigers...

Bedford County and Shelbyville officials are looking at details that could go into an interlocal agreement dealing with an industrial park on Frank Martin Road. Last week, city manager Jay Johnson and city mayor Wallace Cartwright met with county mayor Eugene Ray and county attorney John T. Bobo to discuss the proposed agreement...

A report of a "suspicious odor" tipped off Shelbyville police to marijuana at a Barksdale Lane apartment Friday night. Officer David Curley, who said the odor of burnt marijuana was "very strong" in a hallway at Bedford Manor, said he found resident Betsy Ann Sawyer, 27, visitor Nichole Lee Quinlan, 29, of Madison Street, and two small children in a pot smoke-filled apartment...

A Tullahoma driver was fortunate to avoid major injuries after losing control of her vehicle on Wartrace-Bell Buckle Road about 9:15 a.m. Sunday and plunging into a creek. Kristi Lynn West, 25, of Tullahoma was taken to Harton Regional Medical Center in Tullahoma. Speed was a factor, State Trooper Chad McAnally said. (T-G Photo by David Melson)