Feature Stories

Cascade FFA is participating in the Tennessee ATV Safety program, the only one of its kind. The top six counties in Tennessee ranked on the number of ATV accidents reported at Vanderbilt were invited to participate. The Cascade FFA and Bedford County 4-H are collaborating to promote ATV safety. The members attended an eight-hour workshop in September and were assigned several activities to complete...

Cascade FFA and the Cascade Agriculture classes give back to the community while applying classroom philosophy to real-world situations. Cascade Canine Care is a student-run project at Cascade High School. The students and FFA members enrolled in Small Animal Science and Veterinary Science wash and dry, board, trim nails and conduct health checks on dogs as part of their curriculum...

Members of Cascade FFA have made agriculture literacy a priority for the 2018-2019 school year. P.L.O.W (Passing Literacy OnWard) chairperson, Farrayn Arnold, has worked with the members of Cascade FFA, administrators at both Cascade High School and Cascade Elementary on several projects during the school year...

As executive director of the Community Development Center, Anita Teague burns more than her share of gas and runs through tires at a quicker pace than most. She travels 17 counties overseeing a variety of programs under the CDC umbrella. It all started back in 1972 with the Child Development Center. ...

Christian Women Conference (CWC) of Middle Tennessee will present "Among Friends," an inspiring day with contemporary Christian artist Kathy Troccoli March 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 304 Depot Street. As organizers worked feverishly Monday on preparations, some said they believe the opportunity to bring Troccoli to Shelbyville is all part of "God's perfect timing." Troccoli (pronounced truh-COH-lee) is busy right now traveling cross-country but happened to have an opening in her "Stay Amazed" schedule for the second Saturday of March.. ...

Sulema Sosa-Cruz, Keeli McClain, and Harlee Taylor, seniors from Cascade High School’s FCCLA club, are competing in a Star Events project called Advocacy. After researching the number of traffic fatalities due to drivers not being buckled up, they decided to work with the administration to change the student handbook to require students next year to be buckled up on campus. To promote the project, they stopped cars leaving school, presenting drivers with a wristband and candy if everyone in the car was buckled up. (Submitted photo)

Trace Reed is impacting lives all around Middle Tennessee with his winning attitude even as he battles congenital heart disease -- and he's not even in kindergarten. Trace, who turned 4 last August, has fought congenital heart disease most of his short life. ...

Hasselback potatoes are accordion cut potatoes bathed in butter and sprinkled with breadcrumbsand baked until crispy on the outside and creamy in the center. It is a technique that comes from Sweden and the Hasselbacken Restaurant in Stockholm. The slicing creates a mixture of a baked potato and the crispiness of roasted potatoes.They are fancy looking but relatively simple to make...

"Eat your peas!" Who didn't grow up with this tableside mantra? I have to admit, I was one of those kids who loathed green vegetables, especially peas. There were those evenings when you spent most of the family conversation time hiding the round oddities in a mound of cold mashed potatoes...

Members of the Criminal Justice Student Organization at Shelbyville Central High School submitted letters of interest and participated in panel interviews for the position of sergeant. Of the 15 who applied for promotional positions, only six were selected. They will play leadership roles within the organization. From left are criminal justice instructor Christopher Hobbs and students Jhoana Rivera, Emma Rose, Rafael Thorpe, Hunter Harris and Cobye Hernandez. Student Jadyn Cochrane was not present. (Submitted photo)

Sandra Anderson received a Christmas card recently from a Southside Elementary student simply addressed to: "Miss Crossing Guard." "I thought that was so cute," Anderson notes, following a rainy Wednesday morning of directing school traffic. Though students may not know her by name, her face is most familiar. Anderson has literally watched Southside students grow up before her eyes over the last three years...

On Jan. 17, Bedford County FFA of Shelbyville Central High School attended Agriculture Night at the Nashville Predators game against the Winnipeg Jets at Bridgestone Arena. Back row, from left: Ian Alcox, Haley Henson, Khloe Davis, Elizabeth Atonsa, Lawson Lemmon, David Carben, Brett Harden, Ryan Dye, Cayla Lynch, and Cali Mason. Front row: Faith Williams, Bella Reed, Brooke Minnick, Payton Costello, Emily Crabtree, Allison Davis, Allison McCarty, Dorothy Brandon, Nick Moore, and Kelli Neese. Chaperones were Sallie Lemmon, Sam Davis, and Kelly Skelton-Weise.

To celebrate the 100th day of school, Eakin Elementary held a canned food drive to help those in need in our community. The school collected 752 cans of food in one day. The class that brought in the most cans received 100 extra minutes of recess to be used over the next four months. Audrey Jett’s fourth graders were the winners. (Submitted photos)

Wartrace United Methodist Church celebrated Horace Hittson’s 90th birthday on Sunday, with good wishes from family, friends, and church family. Hittson was born Jan. 24, 1929. (Submitted photo)

Sarah White worked 40 years in education, retiring as executive director of the state Office of School Nutrition just a few years ago. Recently, she served up generous portions of laughter at a meeting of Shelbyville Woman's Club. "How many of you had a perfect 2018?" she asked her audience Wednesday. "I'm sure there were a lot of you."...

Hannah Pimentel, daughter of Roger and Diane Pimentel of Normandy, graduated Dec. 14 with honors, and an award of excellence in clinicals, from Belmont University in Nashville. She graduated five months early as a registered nurse, and will begin employment at Vanderbilt University Medical Center this year. (Submitted photo)

Five generations were together recently, Cliff Trott, Dianna Haley, Ryleigh Paige McPeak, Marie Madeiros and Jessica McPeak. (Submitted photo)

Bertie Grace Farrar and Macye Jane Farrar, twin granddaughters of P.T. "Biff" and Betty Farrar of Shelbyville, have been individually honored by Knoxville-based Knox.biz magazine, a publication of the Knoxville News-Sentinel, in its "20 Under 20" issue in November...

My Dad has always been the soup maker in our family. He loves to make chili with the left over prime rib from Christmas dinner. In Florida, he makes gumbo with the fresh shrimp. When I was growing up, I remember Potato and Leek Soup and Split Pea Soup with Ham often on the menu...

Southside Baptist Church members recently welcomed Paducah, Kentucky, native Stephen Keene as their new full-time pastor. Keene and his wife, Lorie, an Alabama native, have two children, Elijah, 9, and Emma, 6. The family moved to Shelbyville in September...

Eight-year-old Letrona Thomison spends her Christmas morning handing out treat bags to a portion of the estimated 20,000 homeless in downtown Nashville. "It makes me feel like I care," says Letrona, "even though they're not my family." Since age 5, the Cascade Elementary student has traveled with her grandmother, Sharonita Liles, to the 2nd Avenue area to help the cold and downtrodden. She's fearless in her efforts to give others in need a merry Christmas...

When life gives you lemons this year, venture on the bright side. Need a little zest to get you started on those resolutions? Lemons just might be the answer. There are so many uses for the citrus fruit from cleaning grease to lightening age spots. A personal favorite use of lemons is as an add-in to my favorite chicken noodle soup. John Carney has a great recipe below for avgolemono, a soup that combines chicken, lemon, eggs and rice...

If you resolve to get fit, do you have a plan to make sure your effort lasts more than a few weeks beyond the new year? One way to succeed in your New Year's fitness resolution is to set small goals along the way to your big goal, said Tre Stewart, a personal trainer in Tullahoma. For example, if you want to lose 50 pounds, set smaller goals at milestones like every five pounds. When you hit those small milestones, hold a celebration in whatever way motivates you...

I'm a member of the Instant Pot Community on Facebook, and about once every day or two a message pops up in the feed along the lines of, "I got my Instant Pot as a gift six months ago and I still haven't opened the box. I'm scared of it!"...

POINTS NORTH -- Santa Claus opens the heavy, leather-bound calendar on his desk and points out to me various deadlines for having toys ready to distribute. Santa's workshop produces an unimaginable number of toys -- and it has to, given the number of children who are expecting a visit on Christmas Eve. The activity on the workshop floor is frantic, and Santa, from his office overlooking the floor, can keep a close eye on things...

Thursday quilters at Shelbyville-Bedford County Senior Citizens Center enjoy the beautiful pieces they endearingly stitch together. Even as much, they enjoy see it presented to the center each year. "We let them decide what they want to do with it," notes long-time instructor, Iris Pierce. "Sometimes they're used for fundraisers."...

An exhibit this month at The Fly Arts Center tells the story of how local resident Rafaela Belecki-Weyenberg spent several years in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, helping to battle HIV/AIDS. The exhibit includes photos as well as souvenirs of Bielecki-Weyenberg's stay in the Congo...

The holidays bring many parties and events and entertaining with friends and family. It is nice to have a good arsenal of appetizers to use throughout the season. My brother's family always has a finger food dinner while they decorate their tree. Growing up, we always had finger foods for Christmas Eve before opening the presents...

For the 33rd straight year, the Shelbyville Satellite Group of Nashville’s Cheekwood Chapter, Embroiderers’ Guild of America, has created hand-stitched ornaments to decorate a Christmas tree at a local bank. This year, Peoples Bank on North Main Street is hosting the display...

Mary Elkins is praying her way through her first holiday season without her husband of 52-years, Bobby, who passed away on Sept. 1. She's staying busy coordinating Angel Wings Ministry, which is a part of The Shelbyville Church, where she is a member. Even as busy as she is, Elkins admits the last couple of months have been emotionally painful...

Local florist Leanne Moore served up what she called an "hors d'oeuvre of Christmas" during a recent holiday program for Shelbyville Woman's Club. Don't know where to start decorating for Christmas? Moore suggested when decorating for a holiday party, start with a basic miniature Boxwood, which can be accented with bows or fruit...

Joe Leonard “Doc” Irwin of Shelbyville, a World War II veteran, was the recipient of a Quilt of Valor Tuesday from Amy Martin. She is working her way down a long list of names of deserving veterans for this local commendation for bravery. While wrapped in American colors, the 93-year-old veteran recalled how he and other servicemen spent holidays overseas. (Submitted photo)