Shelbyville Times-Gazette: News

UPDATE: Crash seriously injures wrestling referee (05/24/13)
A well-known professional wrestling referee was among the injured Thursday afternoon in a head-on crash west of Shelbyville on State Highway 64. Eric Hix of Shelbyville was en route to Thursday night's All State Wrestling matches, promoter Glen Mullins said...

Stolen items found in stolen car (05/24/13)
Items suspected to be stolen were found in a vehicle, also reported as stolen, stopped by police in Circle O Trailer Park, Railroad Avenue, early Thursday. Moments after the car was reported stolen officer Todd Sanders spotted it on North Hillcrest Drive. Sanders said in his report he followed the car into the trailer park before attempting a traffic stop...

Longview clubhouse to become fire hall (05/24/13)
The agreement to give property at Longview for a new fire hall has been finalized, and the deal is now in the process of being filed with the register's office, according to discussion at Tuesday night's meeting of Bedford County Board of Commissioners' courthouse and county property committee...

Back to school as an adult? Sure! (05/24/13)
Almost two-thirds of the respondents to a non-scientific Times-Gazette website poll say they've considered going back to school as an adult for college or vocational training, and several commenters on the poll have already done so: "I am currently attending classes and about to graduate with my four year degree."...

Swimmers urged to be careful (05/24/13)
The family of a Cascade High School student who drowned two years ago is urging teens to think before they go swimming in non-designated areas and to check the water temperature. Robert Alan Moore, 17, who went by Alan, drowned Wednesday, May 25, 2011, at Normandy Reservoir. The Wartrace teen and a friend had dived off the middle of the Barton Springs bridge near the border between Bedford and Coffee Counties...

A new view inside Calsonic Arena (05/24/13)
New renovations to the Hall of Fame Club inside Calsonic Arena make it easier to view activities in the arena from the club. A new counter, new and less-obstructed windows, and new chairs allow visitors to the club to sit at the windows facing the arena and clearly see what's going on inside, said Celebration CEO Mike Inman...

Cool spray on a hot day (05/24/13)
Boy, that feels gooooooood! Jessica Hleback gives her horse Jose's Last Rose a bath in preparation for the 43rd annual Spring Fun Show at Calsonic Arena this week. (T-G Photo by Jim Davis)

Mary Sue 'Granny' Boyce (05/24/13)
Mary Sue 'Granny' Boyce, 93, of Shelbyville died Friday morning, May 24, 2013. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at Doak-Howell Funeral Home with Scott Reed and Dave Turner officiating. Burial will follow at Willow Mount Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 3-8 p.m. Sunday.

Teachers earn A's for work (05/23/13)
The Bedford County Board of Education honored retiring teachers and the school system's top educators on Tuesday. Prior to its monthly meeting, which was held at Shelbyville Central High School, the board paid tribute to 22 teachers of the year, ranked by school building and grade division. Three of those teachers were selected as system level winners. Several teachers were unable to attend the ceremony due to other commitments...

Budget choices face Shelbyville council (05/23/13)
Shelbyville City Council members have three evenings full of number crunching ahead of them next week. The council will spend Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday reviewing the proposed fiscal year 2013-2014 budget, starting at 6 p.m. at the courtroom inside Shelbyville police headquarters...

Teacher, assistant appear in court (05/23/13)
A Harris Middle School teacher's assistant accused of slapping a special education student made his first court appearance Wednesday. W. Bret Lawrence, 53, of Lantern Lane stood before General Sessions Judge Charles Rich, and at first stated he would represent himself, but then later told prosecutors he would hire his own attorney...

Additional classes added for Spring Fun Show (05/23/13)
The 43rd annual Spring Fun Show kicks off tonight in Calsonic Arena on the Celebration grounds. The spring Tennessee Walking Horse show, held each Memorial Day weekend, is run by the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. "We're excited," said Celebration CEO Mike Inman, who said midday Wednesday that based on the number of out-of-town trainers who'd already arrived for the show, participation looked to be strong...

Zoning change allows Wartrace development (05/23/13)
Hesitancy by planning officials to recommend a zoning change in the Sunset Boulevard area did not deter the Wartrace Board of Mayor and Aldermen from approving it on second and final reading Monday evening. In his previous report to the board, building code official Scott Farrar expressed concern over a proposed zoning change from R-1 to R-3 for 204 Sunset Blvd...

A special reward (05/23/13)
Mastering math facts becomes extremely important to students in fourth grade, according to Community Elementary fourth grade teacher Marie Gilbert. "In order to encourage them to learn their facts, the students that were able to learn all their facts to their 12's were able to build their very own bird house at the end of the school year," she said...

No new taxes included in city's budget (05/22/13)
With no new taxes or services included, Shelbyville's city council passed the 2013-2014 budget on first reading Tuesday. City manager Jay Johnson said that he and treasurer Jamey Owen followed the council's instruction to "live within our means," keeping the tax rate at $1.65 per $100 of assessment value...

New teachers budgeted (05/22/13)
The Bedford County Board of Education approved a proposed budget Tuesday. The proposed 2013-2014 budget includes estimated revenue of $52.4 million, total available funds of $57.3 million and total expenditures of $54.9 million. Former Superintendent Ed Gray, acting as a budget consultant, said the proposed budget would not cut any teachers or school-level administrative jobs. ...

Offenders may fund book program (05/22/13)
Bedford County Imagination Library, which gives books to young children every month from birth to age 5, needs money -- and would like to get it from offenders passing through the court system. But county commissioners who heard the request Tuesday night say the proposal must be studied carefully to make sure it's legal...

Wartrace arts group seeks support (05/22/13)
Proponents of an arts and lifestyle center in Wartrace held another meeting Tuesday night, but were faced with lower turnout than at previous meetings, and they aren't certain whether that indicates a lack of support or just a busy time of year. Supporters of what's being called the Wartrace Arts Community are talking about buying a home and property in Wartrace for use as a center for the arts, for demonstrations of sustainable living, and other projects. ...

Tornado survival depends on plans (05/22/13)
Scott Johnson of Bedford County Emergency Management Agency says that this week's tragic EF-4 tornado in Oklahoma should cause local residents to take a moment to consider their own tornado preparedness. "Any simple plan should include how to get tornado warnings in a timely manner and where to go to for protection," wrote Johnson. ...

Habitual offender's sentence remains intact (05/22/13)
A repeat offender from Bedford County lost an appeal for a reduced sentence and an overturned conviction. William Henry Smith, Jr. is serving a six-year sentence for being an habitual motor vehicle offender, but special judge Christopher Craft ruled that the sentence is "supported by the record."...

Judge upholds gun sale conviction (05/22/13)
A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction of an man who sold a fully automatic weapon to an undercover Bedford County officer two years ago. In 2011, Thomas Lee Stetler of Port Clinton, Ohio, was convicted of illegally possessing 14 firearms he had sold to undercover agent David Sakich of Bedford County Sheriff's Department...

Local bank to help tornado victims (05/22/13)
Peoples Bank of Bedford County will be accepting donated items for the tornado victims in Oklahoma. An enclosed trailer will be the bank's parking lot that the items will be loaded into and then carried to Nashville to Churches of Christ Disaster Relief. The church is located at 1122 N. Main St...

MTSU offers new master's in management degree (05/22/13)
MURFREESBORO -- Starting in the fall, Middle Tennessee State University will offer a new master's degree in management geared toward professionals in the workforce looking to advance in their careers. The Tennessee Board of Regents recently gave final approval for the Master of Science in Management program through the Jennings A. ...

THP checkpoints scheduled for June (05/22/13)
Four Tennessee Highway Patrol checkpoints are scheduled for June. Driver's license checkpoints will be held June 8 at the Midland Road-Whiteside Road intersection, June 21 on State Route 64 at the 18 mile marker and June 28 on State Route 82 at the 6.5 mile marker. A sobriety checkpoint will be held June 28 on State Route 82 at the 9 mile marker...

Boston terrier pups stolen from home (05/22/13)
Two Boston terrier puppies were stolen from the back porch of an Oak Street home Monday, Shelbyville police said. A man who was at the home earlier asking about the puppies is listed as a possible suspect. The following were arrested since Monday by the Bedford County Sheriff's Department, Shelbyville Police Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol or 17th Judicial District Drug Task Force. They are only charged; guilt or innocence will be determined by the courts...