Stories from Saturday, August 18, 2007

MURFREESBORO -- Shelbyville Central second-year coach Jason Hardy was looking for some momentum to take into the opening game of the regular season when his Eagles squared off against host Blackman in jamboree action Friday night. Even though Shelbyville and the Blaze finished in a 13-all tie after two quarters, the Eagles' effort and performance raised a lot of hope for the coaching staff and fans...

Editor's Note: The following article is being reprinted due to the many requests received. Like the aftermath of a cataclysmic disaster, the ghosts of yesterday's colorful past swept up and down Madison Street one hot August day. Instead of a street crowded with tourists and horse trailers, emptiness crowded the silence. Businesses were closed. Houses stood empty. Signs swung on rusty nails in the humid breeze...

The Rev. Beth Ezell has been a licensed Methodist minister for the last 10 years, and a year ago she became the pastor of Bell Buckle United Methodist Church. This is her first full-time charge. "I was very involved in the church prior to going into the ministry," Ezell said, "but I always thought I was called to be there to help the pastor. I like being in the background and not up front, but God called me, and here I am."...

The Shelbyville City Council took action Thursday to begin the process to obtain funding for the revitalization of the Purdy Court Park area. The grant being applied for would be for $103,840. The in-kind amount paid by the city would be $28,000, going toward the labor costs of renovating restrooms at the site...

An Aeronautics Grant in the amount of $95,660 has been approved for the Shelbyville Municipal Airport, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation [TDOT] Aeronautics Division. Funds from the aeronautics grant will be used for an addition to the airport's existing apron [ramp]. Last month, the Shelbyville City Council gave approval for the mayor to execute a state grant application for construction of the new apron for a new maintenance hangar...

Inez Harden, 83, of Winchester died Thursday at Golden Living Center. Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Monday at Bright Temple Church of God in Christ in Shelbyville with Larry Crismon officiating. Burial will follow at Mulberry Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. at the church. J.A. Welton and Son Funeral Home of Tullahoma is in charge of arrangements

As you can see I would be the perfect candidate in 2008. I have found out a terrible fact: whatever I write, someone, somewhere reads and has an opinion on it. Usually they like to make the comment heard and I suddenly feel sorry for people clambering to be in the political spotlight...

"I don't want somebody in this county to get run over and killed by someone that I've had in my jail numerous times ... and he's still here." Those were the words from Sheriff Randall Boyce last month as he talked about implementing the federal database sharing program called 287(g) that would be used to identify and then deport illegal immigrants...