Feature Stories

No one really knows what heaven will smell like, but the aroma inside of a bakery might be a pretty good guess. For many longtime residents of Shelbyville and Bedford County a mention of Whitman's Bakery brings back memories of those smells as well as tastes of a myriad of goodies -- butter cookies, orange chiffon cake, gingerbread men, chocolate chip cookies, mountain spice, birthday cakes, wedding cakes and on a more savory side -- salt-rising bread...

Members of Beta Iota chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha held their annual Taste and Tell dinner hosted by Dena Landers and Dr. Tara Clements. A business meeting followed with the installation of new officers. The recipes follow. 8oz cream cheese softened...

Raus Community Club hosted special guests at its annual School Reunion event last Saturday, Sept. 9. Each year former students return to Raus Schoolhouse for gathering and memories of old school days. Alumni and family came from many directions in Tennessee, Texas and other states. ...

Four generations: Kenneth McBee, Coan McBee, Marcus McBee and Allen McBee. (Submitted photo)

Lynda Phillips, center, of Shelbyville, has four grandchildren attending Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville. From left are Hannah Phillips, a freshman who is studying nursing; Rachel Phillips, senior, nursing; Nathan Nelms, senior, secondary education; and John Philip Nelms, junior, mechanical engineering. Hannah and Rachel are the daughters of Richard and Becky Phillips of Franklin; and Nathan and John Philip are the sons of Dr. Jonathan and Glenda Nelms of Cookeville.

The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration ended last week with trophies, ribbons and prize money serving as the measures of success for many of the riders. Jeff Gerber works as a horse trainer, volunteer and is also a member of the board for the Great Strides Therapeutic Riding Program in Bedford County. ...

My family has eaten Southwest/Mexican style food for as long as I can remember. We had tacos, enchiladas, tostadas and chile rellenos before they became popular fare in the United States. I remember my grandfather (a Midwestern meat and potatoes man) thinking we were feeding him dog food the first time we served him refried beans in the 1970s. ...

A 20-year tradition continued this year as Shelbyville Central High School graduates held their annual Ladies of the ’50s Luncheon at River Bend Country Club. The women meet each year during the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, reminisce and report updates on their classes...

The next time Brenda Gregory looks at a flower or a country scene, it may end up on the end of her paint brush. Like a budding flower unfolding its petals at the dawn of a new day, Gregory has been painting a path to artistic talent over the past two years...

Tension is a key component of competition. And few would deny tension hangs heavier over the final class on the final Saturday night of the Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration than any other class during the 11-day show. Few would also deny the tension during the "Big Stake" class 10 years ago might be the most intense in the history of the show...

Hillary Klug from Flat Creek is an accomplished fiddler and buckdancer and she has added Grand Champion flat foot dancer to her list of accomplishments. Klug traveled to Clifftop, West Virginia early in August for the Appalachian String Band Festival where she competed in the buckdancing competition. ...

Charles McDonald has observed the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration from a variety of vantage points since he was 10 years old. From helping photographer Les Nelson with his camera equipment to his work in the center ring, McDonald brings a passion for the show and for the Tennessee Walking Horse that has not diminished through the decades. ...

Viewers of Food Network or Cooking Channel know that in many large cities, the hottest place to eat is not in a building but on wheels -- and you may have to check Facebook or Twitter to know where to find it. There's been a food truck revolution, with mobile eateries serving up dishes from a variety of different cuisines in a variety of different price ranges...

Sitting across from Glenda Bell, smiling and happy at the Shelbyville-Beford County Senior Citizens Center, you'd never guess she has encountered bullying and violence in her life. Born and raised in Bedford County in the 1950s, Bell grew up on a farm in Unionville. ...

Shelbyville Garden Club held its August meeting at the Riverbend Country Club. A white elephant fund-raising auction was held; items were donated by club members.

Nashville's Bennett Galleries will display "Peter Max Retrospective -- The Collected Works 1960-2017," a newly curated collection of his works ever assembled, and spans decades of celebrity portraiture and pop influence. The work will be exhibited Sept. 16-24. Gallery receptions will be Saturday, Sept. 23 from 6-8 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 24 from 2-4 p.m. Bennett Galleries is at 2104 Crestmoor Road next to The Mall at Green Hills. Admission is free...

When I first took a taste of one of my fermented pickles last month, it was a major disappointment. It had an off taste -- almost a carbonated, soda-water taste. Oh, well, I thought. Chalk it up to experience. It turns out I hadn't been patient enough. In the fridge, over time, the pickles got better and better, and one night last week, when I was looking for a snack and happened to reach into the pickle jar, I was surprised at how much better the pickles had gotten...

Thomas Magnet School has welcomed several new educators this year.

Jere Matty talks to a group about stargazing Wednesday. Matty is the STEM education specialist for the Arnold Engineering Development Complex. The Shelbyville-Bedford County Public Library sponsored the event, which was held at Thomas Magnet School. (T-G Photo by Jason M. Reynolds)

Although Edward Willingham Arnold spent most of his time in San Francisco boardrooms and driving past the Golden Gate Bridge, his heart remained at home in Tennessee. Arnold was an original founding partner and chairman of Coldwell Banker Real Estate, one of America's greatest companies. ...

Okra is one of those quintessentially southern vegetables. I had never heard of it until I moved to the South. Now whenever we have visitors from the North, okra is on the menu as a new experience. For years I enjoyed fried okra. In fact it was the only way I would eat it. ...

Recently, Southside faculty and staff held a ribbon cutting for their new fence. It was dedicated in memory of principal Reita Vaughn's mom, Helen Giles, who faithfully served as cafeteria manager at Southside for over 35 years. Money given in Giles' memory as well as money from a fall fundraiser was used to purchase and build the fence that protects Southside students...

David Lee Archer took it as a compliment when a dozen years ago people nicknamed him the "Tennessee Horse Whisperer." When you watch Archer in a round pen working with Smoky Joe Junior, a young Andalusian stud, it's readily apparent that he communicates well with horses but he doesn't whisper. Archer's mode of communication is not his voice. Archer uses subtle gestures and movements, body language, to convince a horse to cooperate...

Shelbyville Woman's Club met on Wednesday, July 12, with Mary Jo Gunter Graham presenting the program, "Living Beyond What You Can Do." Graham is the author of "When He Sends Redbirds -- Walking Through Emotions As A Caregiver." She is also a painter, creating a series of works called "Hidden Crosses."...

This summer, Belmont has sent its largest group of students across the world for study abroad experiences. With more than 650 students participating in 34 programs, including Maymester trips, students have spent time in Greece, Brazil, England, France, Switzerland and Haiti, among many other locations. Participating students include:...

Polly Frazier, center, with her daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter, Freda Head, Hillary and Amelia Westcott. (Submitted photo)

For the many volunteers who work to give visitors the best experience possible the Bedford County Fair is more than just cotton candy, corn dogs, music, livestock, tractors and contests. To prepare for the seven days of the fair is a year-round volunteer job for president Judy Gambill and the officers and board members for the Fair Association of Bedford County...

Keith Wortham grew up around Southern Gospel music, and had listened to and known members of the quartet The Kellys since he was 5 years old. A decade later, The Kellys came to Shelbyville for a performance, and 15-year-old Wortham also sang during the same service. He sounded different than the last time they'd heard him...

Movie fans often play the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" parlor game, tracing the actor's connections to other actors through his many movies. Chili cook-off contestants could easily play a variant of the game and call it "Six Degrees of Dicky Thorpe," a Shelbyville competitor. The theory for the Bacon game is that "any two people on the planet Earth are six or fewer friend or acquaintance links apart" according to Wikipedia...

There was chili and there were dogs, but they were not served on buns. Vintage cars and various booths selling and promoting a variety of items were also on display. The square was filled with visitors last Friday night and Saturday as the 10th annual First Square Fair was held. ...

The Shelbyville Woman's Club met in June with Sara Wood presiding. The devotional was given by Janie Burke. Nelly Barnes did decorations, Sue Cates and Sandra Housch did placecards, and reservations were taken by Barbara Lamb. Roxanna Fransesconi and Dinah Agnew provided hospitality for the meeting. The scholarship winners were announced by Lynn Womack. These were Kaitlin Gann of Community High School, Emma Haynes of Shelbyville Central High School and Mariah Bowen of Cascade High School...

When you have a home named Heavenward, blessed with a truly beautiful view of the countryside of Bedford County, it is hard to believe you want to ever leave home. But Floyd Cole of Normandy has left home many times: in the service, visiting relatives and friends and just being a tourist with his wife, Mary. This past month he visited Vermont, completing his task of visiting all 50 states...

Members of the Bedford Cancer Foundation cleaned up a stretch of U.S. 231 near the airport on Saturday, June 24. Pictured (from left) are: Barbara Pate; Cathy Mercer; Rebecca Jones; Maddie Jones; Karen Inman; Connie Allen; and Ralph Allen. (Submitted photo)

My name is Ashley, and I have the pleasure of interning with Bedford County Extension this summer. I am about half way through my internship, and I am having a blast so far. I have learned so many new things and gained countless new experiences. Just last week, we went peach picking at Forgie's Fruit Farm located just outside of Lewisburg. ...

Mary Pitner has been involved with public education in Bedford County from every conceivable angle as an elementary school teacher in every grade K-fifth grade, an assistant principal, a principal, a Central office staff member in curriculum and student services and as the mother of two former students, Martha and Mike, who attended public schools. ...

The Webb School Summer Program Day Camp participants took part in many fun yet educational activities last week. They learned how to use a pottery wheel and took a completed project home at the end of the week. The class is taught by Sue Wood, Webb's pottery teacher. Other classes were Engineering Challenges, Outdoor Adventures, Inspirational Math and LEGO Robotics. To see day camp photos, visit thewebbschool.com...

Calvin Kincaid spent much of the early part of the day checking registrations for the show and directing drivers to the proper locations for judging during the Southern Wheels in Motion Show. The show attracted 298 entries. Before he could walk or talk, Calvin Kincaid was ready to drive a car...