Stories from Thursday, November 4, 2010

Dixie Burnett, 69, of Winchester died Wednesday at Alive Hospice at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Old Cowan Road Church of Christ in Winchester with Paul Elam as eulogist. Burial will follow at Duncan Reed Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. J.A. Welton & Son Funeral Home of Tullahoma is in charge of arrangements.

When a public figure sues someone for libel, they must prove not only that what was published was wrong but that the person who wrote it had "actual malice" -- they either meant to lie or were so reckless that they might as well have meant to lie. Last weekend, I noted a Twitter update making an accusation against a public official...

Several thefts and burglaries have been reported to Shelbyville police since Monday. n A wedding band and medication were stolen from a West Lane Street between Friday of last week and Monday. n WIC vouchers were taken from a car left beside Gowen Drive between Wednesday and Tuesday after it ran out of gas...

At the Celebration, the horse show goes on, weather or not ... but it always helps to know just what weather that's going to be. That's where the NWS comes in. "The National Weather Service is a critical resource and partner for local emergency management agencies and other officials," said Scott Johnson, director of the Bedford County Emergency Management Agency. ...

A thrifty American farmer from a tiny Tennessee town goes to Mexico and makes a fortune. Depending on your point of view, this story could go down many different roads. Was he an industrial tycoon who exploited the natives? Was he a candidate for philanthropy sainthood?...

When you think of Tom Sawyer, you tend to think of more innocent days, when boys could spend lazy summer days on a raft without life preservers, DCS summonses or attacks from giant, flying Asian carp. But those days, and the adventures of that fictional boy, weren't as innocent as we tend to recollect. ...

When James Anderson resigned from the Bell Buckle board of mayor and aldermen last month, it wasn't exactly a sudden decision. By the time the election came around in August, Anderson didn't even want to run and it had nothing to do with politics -- or water...

Construction on the city's new sewer plant will be delayed until Shelbyville's council receives assurances that the city will be legally protected after they discovered that workers will be digging under part of a storm water flume. Public works director Mark Clanton briefed the council Monday about discussions late last week he had with utility members about the new facility, where work was scheduled to begin Nov. 8...

The reset button has been pressed. All the overall records, district standings, playoff prognostications and top 10 rankings don't mean anything at this point. It's high school football playoff time in Tennessee and the action returns to Bedford County soil on Friday night when Cascade hosts Jackson County in Class 2A play...