Stories from Friday, June 3, 2005

Funeral services for Billy Joe Cunningham, 74, of Salvisa, Ky., who died Wednesday at his home, will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Alexander & Royalty Funeral Home in Harrodsburg, Ky. P ete Toth will officiate and burial with full military honors will be in Spring Hill Cemetery. He was the father of Carol Gregory and Bobbi Jo Cunningham, both of Shelbyville...

Children ages 12 and under are invited to be a "Major League" reader by joining the 2005 Summer Reading Program sponsored by Argie Cooper Public Library. Participants must read at least 10 easy books or five juvenile books to earn a summer reading certificate; only books from the library may be counted...

William Ferguson has given to his country -- he served 12 years in the Army and was wounded three times in Vietnam -- but he is visibly uncomfortable about asking for anything from his neighbors. Ferguson is facing many thousands of dollars in medical bills -- even after insurance. He's still waiting for a bone marrow donor, and whenever one is found he could be hospitalized for months and out of work for a year or more...

Bedford County voters defeated a proposed $35 wheel tax by a more than two-to-one margin, 1,950 to 920, according to unofficial totals from Thursday's general election. In the City of Shelbyville election, challenger Randy Vernon defeated incumbent Third Ward council member Jean Pruitt by a margin of 548 to 522, while Jo Ann Holland (First Ward) and Wallace Cartwright (Second Ward) were unopposed for re-election.

Without a property tax rate hike, Shelbyville's city manager is expecting an increase in city revenue for the annual budget that's to start July 1. "It's because of growth," City Manager Ed Craig said Wednesday during a brief review of the first draft of anticipated revenue, and proposed expenses that will be brought into line...

Mrs. Johnnie Myrtle Underwood, 77, of Eagleville died Friday in Murfreesboro. Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Lawrence Funeral Home in Chapel Hill with the Rev. John Hyden officiating. Burial will follow at Carlton Cemetery.

Coach Lynn Burkey now has a day under his belt at the helm of the Shelbyville Golden Eaglette basketball program. That first day proved very eventful. I had an opportunity to talk with Burkey late Thursday night and we discussed his first day on the job...