Stories from Monday, January 7, 2008

NASHVILLE (AP) -- The General Assembly returns to session Tuesday with a few fresh issues and several leftovers from last year on lawmakers' plates. They can count on it being warmed up by the heat of election year politics. Political maneuvering and hot-button issues are almost certain, not least because tight budget projections mean lawmakers likely won't be distracted by spending any windfalls...

Bedford County's unemployment rate rose by 0.7 percent in November to 5.5 percent, according to numbers released by Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development The county was reported to have a labor force of 22,890, with 21,640 employed and 1,250 out of work...

Here are excerpts from some recent blog postings at the Times-Gazette web site, t-g.com: Thom Williamson has been making a series of blog posts in which he comments on the amendments that make up the Bill of Rights. Here's an excerpt of what he had to say about the Fifth Amendment:...

Bedford County Board of Commissioners will meet 7 p.m. Tuesday, following a zoning public hearing, in the second floor courtroom at the county courthouse. Here are some items on the agenda: School building program: Commissioners will consider a capital outlay note of up to $4 million to make sure the school system can pay for a new Community High School. The school system will reimburse the county to repay the bond from its capital outlay line item...

The Tony Rice Center of Shelbyville will hire an additional substance abuse counselor for its women's program as the result of a grant. A $76,119 grant was awarded by the Baptist Healing Trust, which was created when Baptist Hospital of Nashville was sold to Ascension Health of St. Louis...

A memorial service for Sharon Adele Lane Benshoof, 72, of Manchester, who died Dec. 18 at her daughter's home in Niceville, Fla., will be 1 p.m. Jan. 19 at Christ Lutheran Church in Shelbyville. Her remains will be interred beside those of her husband, retired Air Force Col. William Bryan Benshoof, July 7 at 11 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. There will be a chapel service followed by an interment ceremony at the Columbarium...