Stories from Friday, February 17, 2006

Guilty as charged was the verdict late Friday morning for Leslie Raydell Jones, the man now convicted for the Dec. 16, 2004 murder of Terry Lane "Pud" Alford who died in his Bedford Manor apartment. Almost immediately after Circuit Court Judge Robert Crigler thanked and dismissed the jury for their 2-1/2 days of service, he sentenced Jones to life in prison with a chance of parole. Sentencing on a burglary charge will be on March 20...

A man charged earlier this week with passing worthless checks told police Wednesday they had been stolen from his home and forged by someone else. Jay Butts of Shelbyville told police he had reported the checks stolen in early 2005 and the account had been closed...

A woman has been given a federal prison sentence of 10 months in a case in which authorities said over $70,000 in counterfeit checks were passed, including some in Shelbyville. Spring Langford appeared before Judge Curtis Collier in federal court in Chattanooga last week for sentencing...

The talent is booked and the date is set. All you have to do now is mark June 2 and 3 on your calenders. That's the date for the Wartrace Music Fest, presented by the Town of Wartrace and the town's Chamber of Commerce. A lineup of nationally and locally famous artists are slated to perform including Mike Cross, Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike, Chris Jones, Jim Hurst, Double-Take, Sisters of the South, The Creek and Ron and Peggy Taylor...

You're probably as tired of the dreary, dark and depressing days of winter as many of us are, but in just a few short weeks, the colors of spring will be coming out in Bell Buckle for their annual Daffodil Day. The event is set for Saturday, March 18 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and is sponsored by the Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce and the Tree Board...

A variety of offices and agencies will close Monday for the federal Presidents' Day holiday. Here are some schedules of broad interest: Bedford County Courthouse and courthouse annex offices will close Monday and (where applicable) Saturday....

Four candidates for county mayor, along with numerous candidates for other offices, turned in petitions to Bedford County Election Office by the deadline at noon on Thursday. Not all may turn up on the ballot, however; the candidates have until noon on Feb. 23 to withdraw their names from consideration, and some were reportedly waiting to see who else qualified or to take stock of their own intentions...

A Bedford County jury this morning was to begin deliberating the fate of a Shelbyville man charged with premeditated murder as described by police and a witness who saw flames from a gun barrel, but not the gun. Leslie Raydell Jones, 31, was charged with the Dec. 16, 2004 shooting death of Terry Lynn "Pud" Alford, 47, whose Bedford Manor door was kicked open. A bullet was found at Alford's right hip after passing through his left arm and ripping the main artery from his heart...

The second season for District 9-A schools begins this afternoon in Spencer. This is the culmination of summer team camps, countless practices and the lengthy regular season. Tonight is ladies' night with a pass to the first game being free but admission to the second round is a 'W.'...

Memorial services for Gregory C. Floied, 43, of Shelbyville, who died Wednesday at Bedford County Medical Center, will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel. Floied's remains were cremated as per his request.

MURFREESBORO -- Middle Tennessee's offense turned in their most productive output of the season, but the Blue Raider defense shined the brightest in a huge 95-59 Sun Belt Conference win Thursday night at Murphy Center. The 95 points against Arkansas State is the most the Blue Raiders have scored in a Sun Belt game since joining the conference...