Stories from Thursday, January 26, 2006

A Florida appeals court ordered a 4-year-old living in Bell Buckle returned to a foster couple who had cared for the boy before local relatives gained custody of him. Denise and Ivar Baklid had cared for Christian, for 16 months after his birth. They had planned to adopt him in March 2003 when his maternal cousin, Tiffany Delk, and her husband, Jeff, both of Bell Buckle, applied for adoption...

"Did you get what you were looking for?" Matthew Ray of Shelbyville told police he asked two men he found in and near his car at Wal-Mart, North Main Street, early Monday afternoon. They allegedly did -- but Ray got what he was looking for, as well: The suspects' arrests...

Two Bedford County officials' comments about an East Tennessee judge's indictment on charges that he received kickbacks from a driving school have indicated that the system is different here and under closer state scrutiny. Roane County General Sessions Court Judge Thomas A. Austin, 57, was arraigned Monday on federal charges alleging he received more than $13,000 in kickbacks from a privately operated school for drivers referred to the school by Judge Austin...

The 7-year-old Shelbyville boy who led city police on a 5.5-mile chase on Jan. 9 was put on probation last week. Bedford County Juvenile Court Judge Charles Rich placed the boy on a delinquency prevention program during a 20-minute hearing on Thursday...

Extensive rain this week affected Normandy Dam operations and prompted a brief exchange between the chairman and manager of Shelbyville Power, Water and Sewerage that foreshadows spending up to $20 million and utility rate hikes. Doubling the capacity of the city's sewage treatment plant is to be funded with loans totaling $15-20 million from Tennessee's revolving loan program which now has rates lower than municipal bonds. Water and sewer rates will have to go up to pay off the debt...

For Josh Lyons, training horses is all about the power of trust, and the nationally and internationally acclaimed horse whisperer will be demonstrating that power this weekend at Calsonic Arena during the "Weekend With the Pros." Lyons is the son of John Lyons, one of the most respected horse trainers in the world. The elder Lyons has traveled all over the globe helping train and retrain both people and their horses...

Even though a first-ever party primary for county commission seats has changed the deadline for county commission races, county commissioners who plan to run for county mayor will still be able to run for re-election to their commission seats as a fall-back position...

The Continental T-Belles of Nashville, under the direction of coach Sam Smith, toppled state records in the 100 meter dash, 400 meter dash in two separate divisions and the heptathlon. Shelbyville Central student Kayla Bryan won two silver medals at the state meet at Tennessee State University in the 4x400 meter relay and the region meet in Hoover, Ala...

The Bedford County Middle School Basketball Tournament tips off this afternoon at Cascade High School. The Liberty Middle girls take on Webb Middle's ladies to kick things off at 4. The Lady Patriots (15-3) took both regular season matchups by convincing scores over the Lady Feet (0-12)...