Stories from Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The Cornersville Lady Bulldogs captured their fourth straight District 11-A regular season championship on Friday night by defeating the Culleoka Lady Warriors 49-32 at home. In the nightcap, the Warriors received a scare from the Bulldogs, but used a fourth quarter offensive surge to escape with a 43-34 victory.

After the Forrest Lady Rockets were mangled 59-35 by the Lady Eagles in game one, the fans in Summertown were treated to a Saturday night fight in the wrap-up as the District 9-A leading Forrest Rockets (18-7, 11-1) took on the District 12-A second place Eagles (14-8, 6-2). Playing in the Summertown gym is a tough task, evident by the Eagles' undefeated record at home (10-0) this season, including big wins over Spring Hill, Perry County, Mt. Pleasant, and McEwen.

The Marshall County Tigers' four-game winning streak against Columbia Central went by the wayside on Saturday night when they dropped a 53-36 decision to the Lions on the road. MCHS (14-7) actually held an 18-17 lead at the end of the first quarter, but saw their offense go into a funk after that point while Columbia (9-14) outscored them 36-18 over the final three periods to claim the 17-point victory.

Coming off a 48-31 loss to District rival Page the previous evening, the Marshall County Tigerettes (9-15) had their hands full for a second straight night, as the Columbia Central Lady Lions defeated MCHS 57-31 at Hardy Loyd gymnasium to complete the sweep of the season series. Columbia controlled the game from the start and built a 27-17 lead in the first half before outscoring the Tigerettes 30-14 over the final two quarters to record their fourth straight victory over Marshall County.

The Marshall County Tigerettes had their seven-game winning streak snapped on Friday night when they were defeated 48-31 in Lewisburg by District co-leader Page on Homecoming. Having lost 54-40 to the Lady Patriots earlier in the season, the Tigerettes got off to an extremely slow start and trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half before Page (16-3, 10- 1 District) took a 24-13 lead into the break.

Pictured are (front row, left to right) escort Derek Bolton, Senior attendant Mary Medley, MCHS Homecoming Queen Kelsey Tears, Senior attendant Kaamer'ia Howard, escort Justin Killian, (middle row, left to right) Senior attendant Aspen Wiles, Senior attendant Kathleen Stacey, Senior attendant Hannah Cross, (back row, left to right) escort Tyler Carter, escort J.B. Reese, Homecoming Queen escort Brad Pippen, and escort J.J. Contreras.

After trailing at the half, the Forrest Rockets came on strong to finish the season sweep over Cascade in a 60-49 win in Chapel Hill Friday night, putting them two wins away from securing back-to-back District 9-A regular season titles. FHS first-year head coach Wes Hobbs said after the game, "I give all the credit to the guys. ...

The Cascade Lady Champions invaded Forrest Friday night with the intention of upsetting the Lady Rockets and almost pulled it off before some late magic catapulted the Chapel Hill girls to a 61-58 double-overtime win. An elated Forrest head coach Jeremy Jean said after the win, "It's been a bumpy ride, but right now, the girls are buying into want we want to do and they are playing pretty good. If you think about it, we had graduated almost everyone who had played, so a lot of these kids have stepped up and played big minutes and big basketball. We have only won two district games by more than ten points twice, so they are getting tougher playing in close games and that will help us come tournament time."

According to an updated report at the Marshall County Sheriff's Department, the value of the forms and brackets stolen from a storage site is now estimated at $27,380. The missing items are 60 eight-foot forms, 60 six-foot forms, 100 four-foot forms, 60 three-foot forms and 30 brackets for a total value of $27,380. The forms and brackets were kept at a Brown Builders' storage site at the abandoned gas station on the corner of State Route 373 and Reese Road, just west of I-65...

By Karen Hall Staff Writer A resolution had to be withdrawn at the County Commission's meeting Monday because it had not been approved in committee before being placed on the agenda. The resolution amended the "general purpose school fund ...due to insurance increases" and moved $37,059.46 from Undesignated Fund Balance to three other accounts within the school budget...

By Karen Hall Staff Writer A New Hampshire man fled from police after citizens reported seeing him driving recklessly on Lewisburg's bypass. The man and the car he was driving almost ended up in Rock Creek. Thursday afternoon, police got a report of a reckless driver heading south on North Ellington Parkway, according to Lewisburg Police Officer Larry Hazelwood...

Dorothy Virginia Wilhelm, 87, of Liberty Valley, died Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, in NHC Lewisburg Healthcare. Mrs. Wilhelm was a native of Madison County, Ala. and daughter of the late Oty and Maude Wood Buford. She was a homemaker and member of the Presbyterian Church...

Mamie Trice, 97, of the Pottsville Community, died Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, in Lewisburg. Mrs. Trice was born in the Hardison Mill Community of Maury County and was a daughter of the late David Lee Davis and Alta Bell Cole Davis Moore. She was a homemaker and a lifelong member of Old Lasea Church of Christ in the Pottsville Community...

Sarah Elizabeth Phifer Hill, 87, of the Farmington Community of Marshall County, died Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. A native of Marshall County, Mrs. Hill was a daughter of the late Joseph Columbus Phifer and Sadie Emma Williams Phifer. She was a homemaker and member of the Farmington Church of Christ...

Lewisburg businessman Thomas Hale "Tommy" Hawkins III died unexpectedly Thursday morning, Jan. 26, 2012. He was 68. Tommy was well known throughout Tennessee as a family man who loved his family, friends and community. Hawkins was the patriarch of Lewisburg Printing and also the publisher of the Lewisburg Tribune and the Marshall County Gazette until 2005. ...

By Clint Confehr Senior Staff Writer Marshall County's unemployment rate dropped one half of one percent from November to December, according to state figures released last week. "Our region has been experiencing slight and incremental job growth thanks to relocations and expansions, startups and new retail ventures," Lewisburg Economic Development Director Greg Lowe said...

By Karen Hall Staff Writer Interviews of four candidates for the director of schools job went according to plan Saturday, with all applicants confidently answering the same set of questions. Before they got their chance to appear one by one in front of board members, the candidates were given legal pads and sharp yellow pencils and sat down for 30 minutes to write answers to chairman Mike Keny's secret questions: "What process to you typically follow to make a decision about a plan of action?" and "Briefly describe your leadership skills in implementing such a plan.". ...

By Clint Confehr Senior Staff Writer Construction of Lewisburg's $13.14 million public works project is ahead of schedule, the city's Water and Wastewater Department superintendent reported to the utility board during its January meeting. The work is to:...

By Clint Confehr Senior Staff Writer A Marshall County court officer with authority to set bond in lieu of defendants' confinement in jail was last week charged with assaulting an inmate and the now-former judicial commissioner was set to appear in his former employer's courtroom...

On Friday night, the Marshall County Tigers assured themselves of a home game in the first round of the District 12-AA tournament by defeating Page 62-45 on Homecoming at Dottie Kelso Gymnasium to complete the season sweep of the Patriots. Owning a six-game win streak over Page coming into Friday's contest, the Tigers (14-6, 10-3 District) had trouble shaking the Patriots (5-13, 5-6 District) early before using a late second quarter spurt to take a 27-20 lead into the break.