OPINION: Uniformity? Not in this case (01/19/08)
Jail inmates wear uniforms. It's a form of instant identification as to their status -- and a constant reminder to them, and others, of loss of freedom. If some officials have their way Bedford County students, the vast majority of whom will never commit a crime, will come close to experiencing undeserved loss of personal style -- one freedom we, unlike many in other countries, may cherish...

When the news becomes a weapon (12/19/07)
There's news, there's gossip, and then there are people who want to use the news media as a weapon. It's those individuals of whom we in the media are wary. I've written about this issue before, but the story of teacher Dawn Bobo accidentally bringing a gun to Liberty School is a perfect example...

Emotions run high in cases of tragedy (12/04/07)
Emotions run highest when individuals experience personal tragedy. I appreciated Dickie Gardner being willing to talk to me as his stables burned to the ground last week. I can fully understand the emotions he must have felt knowing championship horses were in the ruins of the enterprise he'd worked so hard to build, and having to see his wife emotionally upset as well...

Vol coverage: going too far? (11/10/07)
A few days ago in my blog I chastised Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer for not disclosing why a player accused of repeated drug possessions was kicked off the team. Now comes Vol center Josh McNeil, who's upset because the media, especially the Knoxville News-Sentinel, ran details of a police report involving a smashed window and three drunk women he says were on his bedroom floor and media reports say were in his bed...

TM: Not such a good thing (10/31/07)
Baby boomers are likely familiar with Donovan, singer of "Mellow Yellow" and other tripped-out songs of the late 1960s. Now Donovan Leitch's on a new trip. He plans to open Invincible Donovan University in Scotland, which will promote transcendental meditation...

Trucks, metal gang up on us (10/27/07)
Just a few random observations: •During the warm months I frequently saw trucks full of people, often small children, riding in the beds. If a speeding drunk rams one of those trucks tragedy will likely result. If you're 12 or over on any road; 6-11 on non-federal highways (meaning city or county roads); or involved in agricultural activities (which could be loosely interpreted in this rural area), you can legally ride in the back of a truck...

Journalism: It's all about you (10/10/07)
As visitors enjoyed food and drink at the T-G's offices Tuesday in observance of National Newspaper Week, I was struck by the changes -- and what's stayed the same -- during my years in journalism. We've come a long way in a relatively short time...

From the speedway to the White House? (09/29/07)
Can the perfect presidential candidate be found? Maybe. Political professionals may find Mr. or Ms. Predicted Perfect President among auto racers. Consider: At least one ex-driver who tried politics comes to mind. Richard Petty actually ran for secretary of state in North Carolina. Unfortunately for him, the voters quickly discovered he knew more about racing than state politics...

Bad attitudes, worse results (09/19/07)
The South Carolina man accused of holding a teenage girl hostage in an underground bunker for 10 days says he turned himself in to police so he could live what he considers an easy life. "If I gave up, I would have full medical coverage, three meals a day and never have to work again," he wrote WLTX-TV this week...

Roadsides too often resemble dumps (08/22/07)
It seems like... Bedford County's favorite drink must be Bud Light, because those containers are the most prominent along roadside trash....Too many people locally think of the roads as trash dumps....

The world won't forget Elvis (08/15/07)
Much of the country was indescribably blue 30 years ago tomorrow. On Aug. 16, 1977, Elvis Presley, the so-called King of Rock and Roll, breathed his last on a seat which wasn't exactly a throne. "That's someone you never forget," many are probably thinking...

Safety feature may be a bad idea (08/08/07)
How much longer will it be before our vehicles drive us instead of the other way around? Some Nissans, primarily commercial vehicles, will soon come with a gas pedal which automatically lifts if a collision is possible, reports the Associated Press. Take your foot off the pedal and the vehicle stops...

Put yourself in these situations (07/11/07)
Here's another in an occasional series of "what would you do" columns. All incidents but one are taken from Shelbyville Police Department reports. *Not so tough: A witness sees a man hit his small child in the back of the head so hard he falls. Police are called. The father admits the hit, saying he wrestles and is "trying to make his kids tough."...

Working hard ... for what? (06/27/07)
You have to wonder if anyone cares about the working person anymore. Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has said to keep sticker prices competitive the firm must begin sourcing more parts from low-wage countries such as India and China. Workers earn too much pay in the United States and Japan, Ghosn says...

Oil prices keep spiraling upward (06/02/07)
Americans are becoming too complacent about high and rising gasoline prices. I was talking over the issue with a convenience store clerk the other day. She thought $2.50 would be a "fair" price. I suggested more like $2. She considered that a little too low...

Storm sirens can save lives (05/16/07)
Winds howl. The sky darkens. A tornado is near. Are we in a safe place? Will we even know the twister's coming? Bedford County's slightly safer than in times past. The storm shelter system now in place may eventually save lives. But one element is still missing: Storm sirens...

Global warming must be taken seriously (04/14/07)
Ignore global warming at your own risk. And keep in mind that some in Washington and elsewhere could care less about the risk. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change paints a dire picture of our future if something isn't done. More severe weather ranging from hurricanes to heat waves in the United States. Water shortages in Africa. Disappearing glaciers worldwide. Shrinking ice sheets...

Letting the world know someone still cares (03/17/07)
Death becomes more and more an expected thing as time rolls on in one's life. For most middle-aged and older people, they go through the usual routines following a death without many outward signs, at least publicly, after their loved one's funeral is behind them...

Think about it: What would you do? (02/24/07)
Seems like I got out of the habit of doing occasional "What would you do?" columns. It's time for their return. Put yourself in these four situations, three taken from local police reports we considered too minor or personal to publish as news items, and inagine a little bit. Keep in mind that these may be far from "minor" for those involved...

A Royal address (02/14/07)
A recent caller asked why he was receiving mail addressed to "Royal, Tennessee" instead of Shelbyville. My former cell phone provider claimed I lived in "Royal, TN 37160" and I've seen Shelbyville listed as "Royal" on the Internet. It's amazing that, specifically due to today's high technology, "Royal" has made a comeback. Apparently old maps showing "Royal" have been scanned into computers...

Protecting us from ourselves (01/17/07)
Part of the reason our tax dollars have to pay for police protection is that many of us must be protected from ourselves. The police reports we consider too minor to publish are often sad and/or ridiculous. Examples: Plus the usual problems of some people who think anything not strapped down should belong to them, or those who believe driving or doing anything else in public while drunk is "cute" and no big deal...

Media isn't America's problem (12/16/06)
Here we go again, folks, it's Bash the Media time. Bill O'Reilly's column last Sunday particularly irritated me. O'Reilly speaks the Republican party line: Anytime anything goes against their wishes, blame the media for reporting the truth. Too many leaders and politicians want their opinions reported as if they're unarguable facts...

A tale of Wolf Meadows (10/25/06)
For many of us who grew up in 1970s Shelbyville, Wolf Meadows held a mysterious allure. The rumors abounded. It was a legend, along with the Chapel Hill light and the old church halfway down New Hope Road. At the dead end of Stewart Road was a former home for the mentally challenged in the days before group homes and serious treatment and care became common...

Group's beliefs are inconsistent (09/27/06)
Among those in favor of brutal interrogation tactics for terrorism suspects is the Traditional Values Coalition. "The Bible teaches us that we are to love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us," the group's Web site states. "In short, Bible-based traditional values are what created and what have preserved our nation. We will lose our freedoms if we reject these values."...

Leaders behave like children (09/20/06)
Many of the world's and nation's leaders, or wanna-be leaders, are acting like unruly children lately. Trouble is, they're playing adult games with dangerous, sometimes life-threatening agendas. "Take it back!" he yelled. "Take it back!" Some Muslims are reacting the same way following Pope Benedict's XVI's comment in which, as the Associated Press reports, "he cited the words of a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of Islam's Prophet Muhammad as 'evil and inhuman' and referred to spreading Islam 'by the sword.'". ...

Issues around 'horse show' draw scrutiny (09/01/06)
The controversy surrounding the alleged condition of several horses at last Friday night's Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration has brought a long-festering issue to a head. For a lot of Bedford countians, the "horse show," as most of us call it, is familiar yet somewhat mysterious...

Everyone loses when news is controlled (08/21/06)
Warning: Too many people want to control your news. Consider these examples: Think of them as ramped-up infomercials. They show personalities describing a product as if a news story was being reported. Newspapers aren't immune to those efforts. Occasionally we see businesses, usually dealers advertising used car sales, attempting to make display advertisements resemble news stories...

Here, have a bite of the past (08/05/06)
Shelbyville has had its share and more of fast food outlets for years. The tradition goes back quite a few years, even when our fast food was from locally owned drive-ins. Several of these restaurants form some of my earliest memories. Imagine yourself driving inbound from the Madison Street-Wartrace Pike intersection. Directly across the road from today's Kangaroo store was:...

Finding Bedford County's vision (02/20/05)
A community foundation in Martinsville, Va. -- a struggling "factory town," according to the Associated Press, with a falling population of 15,400 -- has pledged $200 million to start a four-year college. The people of Martinsville -- best known as the home of a major NASCAR race -- are driving a vision of the future...