Stories from Monday, July 21, 2008

SAN ISIDRO, Heredia, Costa Rica -- Gail Drake and Debra Snellen, the founders of LEAMIS International Ministries, developed a leadership training curriculum designed for pastors from Third World countries. Many such pastors, especially those at remote, rural churches, have had very little training and have responded enthusiastically to the leadership principles contained in the LEAMIS training. ...

Roger Brothers, one of the most powerful and longest-serving members of Bedford County Board of Commissioners, died Saturday morning in Nashville at the age of 61. Tonight's special called meeting of the county commission has been cancelled due to Brothers' death and will be rescheduled July 28 at 6 p.m., according to County Mayor Eugene Ray...

Funeral services for Roger Kent Brothers, 61, of Unionville, who died Saturday morning in Nashville, will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Fairlane Church of Christ. Kirk Brothers, Russ Countess, Dan Reed, John T. Bobo, Ed Gray, Joe Brothers and Geoff Giesemann will officiate and burial, with full military honors, will follow in Pressgrove Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the church. Lawrence Funeral Home, Chapel Hill, is in charge of arrangements.

Laura Brandon would rather ride a horse than a bike -- but then, she's been riding Tennessee walking horses all her life, as well as showing them and judging them. "I ride the bicycle so I can ride the horse," said the 66-year-old woman. Although she and her husband, retired trainer Wallace Brandon, live in Franklin, they spend lots of time in Shelbyville. ...

Shelbyville Senior American Legion Post 23's sticks showed no ill effects of Saturday afternoon's heat, banging out 23 hits in their doubleheader sweep of visiting Pulaski Post 60, including a 12-4 win in the opener. Post 23 wasted no time jumping all over the Giles Countians as one-out doubles from both Ben Jones and Bryant Prater helped stake them to a 3-0 advantage they would not relinquish...

MADISON -- After a long work week, the last thing your average weekend warrior wants to do is get up early on Sunday, drive 75 minutes and run around in 97-degree heat for six hours. That thought got the better of much of the Shelbyville Sox roster as they struggled to get enough players for their Tennessee Baseball Federation doubleheader at Fred Brake Park...

NASHVILLE -- Times-Gazette staff writer Brian Mosely received the state's top award for investigative reporting by The Associated Press Saturday night, highlighting a total of 18 awards won by the paper in the state's two major press competitions held this weekend...

You don't have to have a big farm loaded with livestock to show your animals at the Bedford County Fair. Just ask Diamondie Wilson. The 14-year-old, who will be a freshman at Central High School this year, has 13 examples in her back yard, smack in the heart of Shelbyville...