Stories from Monday, May 21, 2007

It's amazing how a few little words can have an impact on your life decades later. In the fall of 1980, I was a freshman at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla. I was still wide-eyed, and naive, and I was still trying to process some worship styles and beliefs that were quite different from what I'd experienced in little country United Methodist churches back here in Bedford County...

Ah, environmentalists. You just gotta love 'em. They are so concerned with getting the word out to folks about the dangers we pose to this planet that they seem to overlook their own eco-crimes while doing so. For example, on Wednesday we received a rather large envelope from an outfit based in Hertfordshire, England called Earthprint Limited. ...

There is something so personal about a handwritten note. Not that an e-mail message contains less sentiment, but the time it takes to pen an actual letter is, within itself, an encouragement like none other. As a youngster I would wait for Mr. W.M. Joyce, my rural postman, to make his rounds. It didn't really matter what he brought to our mailbox. He was kind and caring, taking the time to make idle chit-chat with those whose letters he delivered...

Bedford County Bicentennial Organizing Committee members said this morning that the feedback from this month's Bicentennial Fair on the Square has been overwhelmingly positive. "Everything that I heard about ... was absolutely awesome," said Dixie Parker, who chairs the committee...

More than 2,000 motorcyclists descended upon Bell Buckle for their third annual Motorcycle Days on Saturday. This year's event, which is the Official Tennessee State Bike Show Championship, was about twice as big as last year according to organizers, so much so that parking became an issue early on Saturday...

Funeral services for Lawrence W. "Skipper" Spencer Jr., 59, of Lascassas, who died Sunday at his home, will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at Gowen-Smith Chapel. Owen powell will officiate. Visitation with the family will be 5-9 p.m. Tuesday.

Funeral services for Anna Mae Clark, 72, of Unionville, who died Friday at Bedford County Medical Center, will be held 1 p.m. EDT today at Shannon Funeral Service, Shelbyville, Ky., with George Blakeman officiating. Burial will follow at Louisville (Ky.) Memorial Gardens East. Doak-Howell Funeral Home handled local arrangements.

The early bird, it is said, gets the worm. But according to experts representing the Tennessee Bluebird Trails, the early bird will depend all but solely on humans this coming winter to provide that worm. Members, guest speakers and visitors met Saturday at the Webb School in Bell Buckle to discuss the fate of the Eastern Bluebird and its feathered cousins. ...

While the dry weather has caused much concern for area farmers, it hasn't impacted the local water supply, at least, not yet. David Crowell, general manager of the Shelbyville Power, Water & Sewerage System says while the Duck River is down and Normandy Lake is several feet below its summer pool, the water supply for Shelbyville is fine...

Fred Harrison has announced his candidacy for re-election to a sixth ward seat on Shelbyville City Council in the June 7 general election. Harrison has been a state auditor and a teacher and runs a bookkeeping and income tax service. He served 12 years on Bedford County Board of Commissioners and its budget and finance committee, including about six years as chair of that committee...

Here are statements from two of Bedford County's representatives in Congress on the immigration reform proposal now being discussed in the Senate: U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon: "I was disappointed by the ill-conceived immigration proposal put forward by the president and the Senate. ...

Shelbyville Central standout athlete Tony Allen has signed to play baseball at Columbia State Community College. Allen, a four-year member of the Eagle baseball and football teams, was named All-District 8-AAA this past season after posting a .470 batting average with eight home runs, six triples and 14 doubles with 29 RBIs...

D. June Yoes Lawwell, 72, of Murfreesboro died Sunday. Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at Advent Lutheran Church in Murfreesboro, where she was a member, with the Rev. Edward W. Myers officiating. Burial will follow at Roselawn Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. today at Woodfin Memorial Chapel.

Funeral services for Carl Avery "Killer" Smith, 70, of Shelbyville, who died Saturday at Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro, will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at Hillcrest Funeral Home with the Rev. Bobby McGee and the Rev. Carlton Bell officiating. Burial will follow at Willow Mount Cemetery. Visitation will be 4-9 p.m. Monday.

Graveside services for Vesta Wheeler Wortham, 86, of Chapel Hill, who died Saturday in Shelbyville, will be 2 p.m. Monday at Wheeler Cemetery with the Rev. Lee Plummer officiating. Visitation will begin 10 a.m. Monday at Lawrence Funeral Home in Chapel Hill.

Emogene "Jean" Sons Vaughn, 73, of Shelbyville died Friday at her home after an extended illness. Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Monday at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens with the Rev. Ronnie Adams officiating.

If a reporter can't protect his or her confidential sources, those sources -- and the news they provide -- will be a lot harder to find. That's the idea behind what are called "shield" laws, which are in place in 33 states and the District of Columbia. They protect reporters from being forced to reveal their sources except in extreme circumstances...

Timing in life is everything. Knowing when to sell property, stocks or bonds, takes timing to be successful. Launching into a new career, with proper timing, will make the goals fruitful. Weddings, children and even planting a garden requires the ability to be patient and wait for just the right timing...

Although School Superintendent Ed Gray had a draft copy of a 2007-2008 budget laying on his desk Thursday, he didn't present it to Bedford County Board of Education that night, telling the board that it's better to wait and see what the state is going to do with education funding before locking in a budget which would have to be changed later...