Shelbyville Times-Gazette: News

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Man escapes courthouse, then apprehended (11/06/09)
"He's frickin' Spider-Man!" That was the statement of one courtroom observer after a man escaped the custody of deputies by climbing out a second story window of Bedford County Courthouse Thursday afternoon and fleeing....

Spotted horses get sporty at Calsonic Arena (11/06/09)
Gaited horses are back at Calsonic Arena this weekend, only they've left their English saddles and fancy riding habits behind. This weekend features the Spotted Saddle Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association's Sport Horse championship, where the breed truly gets to prove its versatility. ...

City loses appeal of zoning lawsuit (11/06/09)
The city of Shelbyville has lost an appeal with a local paving company who claimed the city did not give adequate notice of a change in zoning laws they say impacted their property. But the impact of the court ruling may be moot since the city will likely pass an identical ordinance next week after the appeals court declared the old one invalid...

TVA eyes nuclear power (11/06/09)
Ron Owens, vice president for customer service of Tennessee Valley Authority, told the Rotary Club of Shelbyville on Thursday that TVA wants to increase the percentage of power it gets from sources like nuclear power plants in order to reduce its carbon emissions...

Gambling house workers receive jail sentences (11/06/09)
Despite pleas for leniency, two men convicted of helping to run an illegal poker house in Shelbyville last year will spend the next 45 days in jail and the rest of a 18-month sentence on probation. Andrew Welsh Craze and Samuel Cory Owens were found guilty in September of one count each of aggravated gambling promotion, a class E felony, and on Thursday, Circuit Court Judge Lee Russell handed down their punishment...

Local residents to attend Nashville 'tea party' (11/06/09)
A number of Bedford County residents are planning to travel to Nashville Saturday to join others from across Tennessee to participate in what organizers are calling "the first ever statewide tea-party." The rally is scheduled to occur at Legislative Plaza from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, a date that organizers hold significant because it marks approximately one year from the 2010 Congressional elections...

Couple loses residence to fire (11/06/09)
A Flat Creek-area couple lost their home and possessions to fire Wednesday, the Bedford County Fire Department said. Charles and Alice Warren arrived at their Mount Herman Road home to find flames erupting, a family member said. They left in an unsuccessful attempt to find a son who leaves nearby, then returned to what was left of their home....

CASA stands by troubled children (11/05/09)
When a child's safety comes into question, several agencies move to protect him. Police officers investigate and protect. Schools observe, counsel and protect. Social workers with the Department of Children's Services work with the Juvenile Court system to save and protect...

Local guard unit readies for deployment (11/05/09)
The 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment of the Tennessee National Guard, which includes the guard troops based in Shelbyville and Lewisburg, is preparing to return to Camp Shelby, Miss., on the first leg of its scheduled deployment to Iraq in February. The unit just completed three weeks of annual training at Camp Shelby and will return there on or about Dec. 5. to begin mobilization training. The unit will train for two months at Camp Shelby before its scheduled deployment...

Tow truck favoritism alleged in lawsuit (11/05/09)
A tow operator who is suing the city of Shelbyville made more claims of favoritism Tuesday, calling for the firing of the police chief and his deputy. However, the city council made no comment about the allegations and the city recorder told council members they can not be speaking with Bushnell about the issue, nor should he have been permitted to address the council...

55 MPH speed limit discussed for 231 inside city limits (11/05/09)
Lowering the speed limit on U.S. 231 North to 55 mph inside the city limits will be considered next Thursday by the Shelbyville City Council. Mayor Wallace Cartwright said Tuesday he would like to see the speed lowered due to the location of Heritage Medical Center and other establishments on the state highway...

Wheels, camcorder taken by thieves (11/05/09)
Wheels and tires were stolen from a vehicle at Pirtle & Howerton Automotive, North Main Street, between Friday and Monday, Shelbyville police were told. A Hitachi digital camcorder was taken from its bag at a West Lane Street residence sometime since mid-October, police said...

Community opens new theater, 'Oz' with large cast (11/05/09)
The Smokestack Theater group of Community High School is kicking off its first year in a new building in a huge way. L. Frank Baum's classic "The Wizard of Oz" will be held Friday and Saturday night in the Community High School auditorium. "I wanted to do something to open up this new school building that was very popular and this seemed like a perfect fit," said director Anthony J. Davis...

Chili brings out a hungry crowd (11/05/09)
The side streets around Peoples Bank of Bedford County were lined with parked cars Wednesday between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and nobody seemed to mind at all. People were walking down the road, calling out greetings to those sitting on the porches, and they were all lining up for lunch. There were lawyers and farmers, mechanics and doctors, politicians and grandmothers of all colors and backgrounds...

County schools earn Cs and Ds (11/04/09)
Tennessee Department of Education released the annual report cards Tuesday for schools, school systems and the state as a whole, although state officials say a recalibration of the guidelines makes it impossible to compare this year's letter grades with previous years. The letter grades apply to schools with students in fourth through eighth grades and are meant to describe the success of a school or school system in providing value added....

Two more meth labs discovered (11/04/09)
Two more methamphetamine labs have been uncovered by Bedford County deputies -- except this time, authorities weren't even looking for the source of the dangerous drug. Officers who had been dispatched on matters unrelated to meth stumbled upon the labs, ending up making three arrests, and came away with a damaged patrol car as well...

Clanton honored for flume work (11/04/09)

Bredesen says state layoffs are likely (11/04/09)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Tennessee's budget woes will likely make layoffs of state employees unavoidable, Gov. Phil Bredesen said Tuesday. "This will be my toughest budget year," said the Democratic governor whose term ends in January 2011. "I hate to go out that way, but that's the way it is."...

Poker run to raise support for spay-neuter clinic (11/03/09)
Anita Epperson knows all too well the issues that lie within local animal shelters. She has witnessed them first hand, and is therefore grateful that the Shelbyville-Bedford Spay Neuter Committee is days away from opening its free spay-neuter clinic to those who qualify...

Documents show extent of fraud scheme (11/03/09)
Documents released by federal prosecutors in regards to Carrie Snow's sentencing memorandum included copies of Snow's and Roger Ritch's 2008 interviews with the FBI that detail how the mortgage fraud scheme evolved. The documents also contain a list of the losses on foreclosures from American Value Home sales from November 2004 to December 2006, with many of the homes in question located on Christopher Court, Saddlewood Drive, Cottonwood Drive and Southwood Lane in Shelbyville...

Judge: Snow faces 'substantial jail time' (11/03/09)
Sentencing for one of the defendants who pleaded guilty to participating in a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme has been delayed until Dec. 7. However, the federal judge handling the case told Carrie Snow Monday that she is "looking at substantial jail time" for her role...

BCUD given funding to extend water lines (11/03/09)
A $360,000 Community Development Block Grant announced by the state last week will fund Bedford County Utility District water line extensions serving 38 families. "I think all the commissioners are very pleased with it," said BCUD general manager Marty Davis...

Seven years' effort pays off: Bell Buckle awarded water grant (11/03/09)
Between old and overloaded pipelines, changing suppliers, and flooding, Bell Buckle has had several years of bad news when it comes to water. Last week, the town finally got some good news -- it has been awarded a $294,000 Community Development Block Grant to assist in infrastructure improvements. Specifically, the grant will be used to rehabilitate the existing water system...

Tuckers' sentencing delayed until next week (11/03/09)
Sentencing for a husband and wife who plead guilty to operating a gaming house in Shelbyville last year has been delayed in federal court. James Chad Tucker and his wife, Christina Tucker, were scheduled to be sentenced last Monday but a scheduling conflict with their attorney has resulted in the hearing being postponed until Monday, Nov. 9...

Speeding driver endangers trick-or-treaters (11/03/09)
An unlicensed driver accused of speeding down a residential street filled with trick-or-treaters was arrested after allegedly trying to elude a police officer on foot, reports indicate. Javier C. Hernandez-Tavera, 20, of Saddlewood Drive, was clocked at 49 mph in a 30 mph zone on Davis Street Saturday night, Officer Waymond Boyd said...