Stories from Thursday, June 4, 2009

To the editor: I agree with John Owens [Letter to the editor, May 31]. People do need to educate themselves and read the Bible. They definitely should not depend on preachers. He also raised a very appropriate question: "Is an unborn fetus considered by God as a bona fide human being?"...

Susan Denise McPherson Colon Gatlin, 54, of the Lakewood community in Beech Grove, died at her home Monday night after an extended illness. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 5 p.m. Friday at Doak-Howell Funeral Home with Tim Calloway officiating.

Two rezoning requests and some routine annual allocations are the highlights of a relatively-slim agenda for Tuesday night's meeting of Bedford County Board of Commissioners, perhaps marking the calm before the storm as the commission braces itself for what is expected to be a difficult budget year...

After more than 56 years of legal practice, Allen Shoffner is looking back at a life of law and looking forward to a life of leisure. "I've tried to avoid the use of the term 'retirement,'" said Shoffner. But while he still does occasional favors for old clients, he's not taking any new ones and is in the process of closing his law office, saving files of historic or personal value, and destroying the rest...

The City of Shelbyville Parks and Recreation Center has begun its second year of the Starlite Cinema, a family-friendly movie event that takes place at H.V. Griffin Park behind the small shelter at H.V. Griffin Park in Shelbyville. WALL-E was the premiere movie and it was shown on Friday, May 22...

As a result of a troubled economy, many workers across the nation have lost their jobs -- and the same holds true for Bedford County. The local unemployment rate has risen to double digits in recent months, figures that are nearly twice what they were at the beginning of last year...

Shelbyville Team Camp No. 1 concluded play Wednesday at five different locations for 28 teams. Shelbyville Central coach Lynn Burkey was pleased to see the four-day camp go smoothly after having to work around new additions to his school in years past...

Scotty Wisniewski, son of Donna and Gary Wisniewski of Murfreesboro, and a senior at Webb, was the recipient of the 2009 John R. Freeman Award, named in memory of the Webb student-athlete who was killed in a car accident in 2003. The award is given to the student who "best models the joy of sport and competition, a high level of effort and achievement, and a keen sense of integrity and sportsmanship."...

For the past two years, Whitney Danhof and Gay Ervin have taught gourmet cooking classes at the University of Tennessee Extension Office in Shelbyville. Beginning this summer, they'll be shifting their focus from more seasoned cook to the beginner cook with their new series of classes, called "School of Everyday Meals."...

A deadbolt lock didn't prevent a burglary at Forest Hills Apartments on Tuesday, Shelbyville police said. The victims, a husband and wife, told police a large-screen television, Playstation II, Nintendo games, Dell Inspiron laptop computer, iPod and Kodak digital camera were gone when they arrived home...

Annie Pauline Stewart Alford, 76, of Tullahoma, died Wednesday at Harton Regional Medical Center. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Hillcrest Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens in Tullahoma. Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday...