Stories from Wednesday, February 13, 2013

TWELVE TO JOIN THE TSSAA HALL OF FAME AT ANNUAL INDUCTION CEREMONIES APRIL 20 HERMITAGE- - - The 2013 TSSAA Hall of Fame inductees have been selected. Twelve new members will be inducted into the TSSAA Hall of Fame at the annual luncheon at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in Murfreesboro on Saturday, April 20, 2013.

Hermitage, Tennessee, February 13, 2013 -- The Mr. and Miss Basketball Awards will be presented to the top girls and boys in five classifications of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association prior to the championship game awards presentation for each class, respectively.

The Forrest Rockets wrestling team turned in a strong showing at the Region 5 A/AA Tournament in Cookeville last week, finishing in eighth place overall with Cage Hargrove and Spenser McGuiggan qualifying for the state tournament for the second year in a row. "We are very proud of all of our wrestlers for the effort that they put forth this year. We truly have an outstanding group of young men," said Forrest head coach Kyle Stacey. "The Individual Region Tournament is a very bittersweet day, unless your team has 14 state qualifiers. You are happy for the wrestlers that advance to the state; however, you are upset for the ones that fall short."

Although Vanderbilt has endured some tough times on the basketball court this season, former Marshall County High School star Kedren Johnson is turning in a solid sophomore campaign for the Commodores. After losing all five starters and a key sub from last year's team that posted a 25-11 record and advanced to the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament, Vanderbilt currently holds a 9-13 mark this season and has won just three of 10 games in SEC play while having no seniors and only two juniors on their roster.

The Forrest Lady Rockets' five-game winning streak came to an end Monday night in the semifinals of the District 9-A Tournament at Motlow State Community College as the Cascade Lady Champions went coast-to-coast, winning 54-47. Forrest (14-17) will return to Copperweld Arena in Lynchburg on Thursday in a consolation game versus the Community Viqueens (16-12), who almost pulled off an upset over top-seeded Moore County (26-4) before falling on the final play of the game.

Forrest was in search of win No. 20 on the season and a spot in the District 9-A title game, but instead had to settle for a consolation prize after MTCS held on to beat the Rockets 72-70 in a semifinal match-up Monday night at Motlow State Community College. The Rockets rode into Lynchburg on a six-game winning streak and after a slow start, Forrest came back from an early 9-2 deficit in the first quarter to lead 14-11 after the first eight minutes.

The Forrest Lady Rockets showed who was boss early in their District 9-A opening round game versus Huntland Friday night in Chapel Hill, jumping out to a 14-0 lead before securing an easy 57-34 coast-to-coast win. "We came out with some really good intensity and we played loose, even though it was a go home game," said Forrest head coach Jeremy Jean. "We did a good job early and kept them from scoring for a while and once we got running we able to score and the more we got running, the more we were able to score, because we all know about their inside game."

The Forrest Rockets came into Friday night's District 9-A opening round game versus Huntland riding a five-game winning streak and the hot hand continued as they came back from a third quarter deficit to win going away 66-52. "I knew coming in with the great players that they have and how hard they play, it was going to be a battle," said Forrest head coach Wes Hobbs. "I have enjoyed watching Jacob McLennan play so much and he is such a great shooter and he shot it great tonight, but the key was making him take tough shots and we did."

Nancy Geraldine Staton, 63, of the Pottsville Community, died Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013, at Marshall Medical Center. Mrs. Staton was a native of Blount County, Ala., and was the daughter of the late Emmitt Lee and Helen Hudson Smith. She was a homemaker and a member of the Baptist Church...

Jackie Kelly "Trae" White III, 16, formerly of Niota, Tenn., died Wednesday, Feb. 6. 2013. Jackie was a former student of McMinn Central High School and a current student of Shelbyville Central High School. He enjoyed mudding, hunting, fishing, and his truck...

Vernon "Son" Walls, 83, of Chapel Hill, died Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013, after an extended illness. Mr. Walls was born in Marshall County and was a son of the late Jolly and Bessie Fagan Walls. He was a master carpenter and loved working with his horses...

Annie Evelyn Whitehead, 90, of Cornersville, died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at her son's home. Mrs. Whitehead was a native of Marshall County, and daughter of the late Rufus Wheel and Laura Murray Davis. She was a homemaker and member of the Cornersville Church of Christ...

Major Frank Cantwell, 84, of Chapel Hill, died Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013. A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Mr. Cantwell was a son of the late Edward William Cantwell III and Hazel Hocum Cantwell. A veteran of World War II, having served in the U.S. Army, he was a retired bus driver...

Edna Elaine Stunich, 91, of Cornersville, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at NHC-Pulaski. A native of Kentucky, she was the daughter of the late William Kidd and Mattie Banover Kidd. She was a self-employed as a caregiver and was a member of Cornersville United Methodist Church...

James Rudolph Pilkington, 90, of Shelbyville, passed away Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, at Christian Care Center of Bedford County. He was born Sept. 26, 1922, in Beech Grove, to the late Elbert Francis and Mattie Pinkston Pilkington. Mr. Pilkington was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in Germany and France during World War II. He was retired from Eraser Products in Lewisburg...

Brooks Michael May, 36, of Newnan, Ga., died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. Brooks was a native of Marshall County, and son of Charles Allen and Janice Rowland May. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2001 in environmental sciences. He attended University of Tennessee Chattanooga working for his master's degree. He worked on fishing boats in Hawaii and Alaska as an observer, and has been employed by Davey Resources as project manager for eight years...

Jenna Lynn Martin, 54, of Cornersville, died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, in Maury Regional Medical Center. Mrs. Martin was a native of Davidson County, and daughter of the late Bill Buckels Cartwright and Jeanne Acton of Spring Hill. She was a vice president of CB&S Bank and a member of the Baptist Church...

Phillip G. Johnson, 55, of Lewisburg, died Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013, at his residence. Mr. Johnson was a native of Marshall County, and son of the late Leslie and Dora Lou Tate Johnson. He was an agriculture teacher at Fairview High School for 33 years, state FFA advisor, coach for the golf and softball teams at Fairview High, and ham radio communicator. He was a member of the Church of Christ...

Linnie "Lynn" Bell Owens Hazlett, 76, of Lewisburg, passed away on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013, at Marshall Medical Center. A native of Giles County, she was the daughter of the late Lellar Mae Bailey Owens and William Clarence Owens. She was retired from Cosmolab Cosmetics Corporation and was a member of the Farmington Baptist Church...

Herbert Douglas Burgett Sr., 89, husband of Rebecca Westmoreland Burgett, and a resident of Columbia, passed away Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, at NHC-Hillview. Funeral services were conducted Monday, Feb. 11, in the chapel of Heritage Funeral Home with Bro. Wendell Robinson officiating. Burial followed in Lone Oak Cemetery in Lewisburg...

As the result of a traffic stop on Nashville Highway on Feb. 10, the following arrests were made Seferina Munzo, 42, Shelbyville. Bond: $1,000; court date: March 26. Charge: driving without a license. Also cited for driving left of center line. George M. Franco, 22, Shelbyville. Bond: $1,000; court date: March 26. Charge: allowing an unlicensed driver to operate a motor vehicle...

By Clint Confehr Senior Staff Writer Tennessee's lieutenant governor wants reapportionment of judicial districts because their populations vary greatly; it's been 30 years since lines were drawn; and politics played too great a role in the process last time...

By Karen Hall Staff Writer Cautious enthusiasm was expressed by County Commission Education Committee members after they listened to the director of schools' $17 million proposal for new school construction last week. The school board's maintenance committee held a joint meeting with the education committee Thursday, and the only item on the agenda was the presentation of the school building project...

By Clint Confehr Senior Staff Writer Marshall County's Emergency Medical Services director has what amounts to a new ambulance in service at a cost that's a fifth to a third less than what he might expect to have paid. "To get one like that, brand new, it would be closer to about $125,000," EMS Director Bill Reuter said of the ambulance a few steps from his office on South Ellington Parkway. "You can get a smaller unit for right at $100,000."...