Stories from Sunday, February 28, 2010

Have you ever wondered what those big metal boxes are you see next to bridges and dams? The ones with USGS on the side that look like science fiction satellite transmitters? Well, they aren't science fiction, but they are science and they are, in fact, satellite transmitters. The boxes, such as the one by the dam at Fisherman's Park and the one by the bridge on Sims Road, are connected to water quality monitors that hang in the Duck River, recording information 24 hours a day, seven days a week...

A senior at Community High School, Brandon Adcock didn't get to spend much time in the new building, but that doesn't keep him from wanting to leave it a legacy. There are now nine picnic tables outside the cafeteria, the product of his school spirit -- and his Eagle Scout project...

The attorney for Bedford County has responded to a lawsuit filed by a man who claims harassment and false arrest by sheriff's deputies, saying that the statute of limitations in regards to the suit has expired. On Feb. 2, John Darron Thomas filed a $6 million federal lawsuit against the county, the Sheriff's Department, Sheriff Randall Boyce and Deputies Benjamin Burris, Kent Jacobs and Kevin Roddy...

Shelbyville's planning commission elected new officers and approved a conceptual plan at a brief meeting Thursday evening. Morton Renegar was re-elected chairman of the commission, with Warren Landers selected as vice-chair and city recorder Betty Lamb taking the job of secretary...

Shelbyville Central's girls continue to make believers out of naysayers. After claiming the District 8-AAA tournament championship earlier in the week, the Eaglettes advanced to the Region 4-AAA semifinals with a 54-45 win over visiting Siegel on Friday night...

McEWEN -- In a span of 2 minutes, 31 seconds, the fourth-seeded Cascade girls went from being up nine points to down two in the fourth quarter against No. 1 seed McEwen. After holding the lead the entire second half up to that point, the Lady Champions simply couldn't circle the wagons down the stretch and lost 60-56 in the opening round of the Region 5-A tournament...

To the Editor: "If you have a better idea, show it to me." This was President Obama's challenge to the GOP concerning healthcare reform. Well, conservatives have better ideas; they just can't get them into the debate. Liberal majorities in Congress have insured their absence from the congressional record. ...

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. That's what I'll keep telling myself this morning as I creak, pop and groan my way out of bed -- my first day as a 48-year-old woman. That's what it says on my birth certificate anyway. Since I feel 24 in my heart and 72 in my body, I guess that's fairly accurate...

During their darkest hour, a bright light shone through in the form of random acts of kindness for the Dickson and Vincent families. Stephanie Vincent and Buddy Dickson, along with sons Logan and Tony, set out to Louisiana with Buddy's father, Ron, on Feb. 11. Buddy's sister, Amy Lodge and her family, had moved down there a few months before for her husband's job. They were going for a visit for the long weekend...