Stories from Friday, February 18, 2011

Family members of Bobby Smelcer, who has been missing since late November, are planning a candlelight vigil on the lawn of Bedford County Courthouse at 6 p.m. Saturday. "Our family has organized this mass gathering to serve several purposes -- to honor Bobby Smelcer and to give thanks for all the outpouring of love, support and prayers that we have received in our quest to find our loved one," Karen Harris, Smelcer's sister, said...

If you got an e-mail recently from the Internal Revenue Service about your taxes -- you didn't. "The IRS will never e-mail you about your taxes -- not ever," said Dan Boone, who handles IRS media relations for Tennessee and Alabama. "If you get an e-mail that looks like comes from the IRS and it looks like it has something to do with your personal taxes or business taxes, it's a scam."...

Bedford County Board of Education, meeting Thursday night, defended the practice of paying school bus mechanics to purchase their own tools, but said how that money is accounted for will have to change to bring the county in compliance with tax law...

Shelbyville Central avoided elimination Thursday night as the Eaglettes rolled to a 56-41 victory over visiting Tullahoma in the opening round of the District 8-AAA tournament. The win was important in a number of ways and guarantees Shelbyville at least three more games, including a ticket to the Region 4-AAA tournament...

The Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce held its annual awards meeting and banquet Thursday at the Blue Ribbon Circle. The annual ceremony recognizes community members through four awards given out while new Chamber officers are welcomed on board during the luncheon...

Answering no questions but getting an earful, Shelbyville's city council heard from residents upset over the possible elimination of garbage service. The two dozen speakers included two former council members defeated in last November's election, one of which who admitted to a possible Sunshine Law violation...

I have always been a light sleeper. Even on good nights, I usually wake up around 4 a.m. When I was growing up, every morning at 4 a.m. I would wake up for just a minute to the sound of my father's footsteps frantically pounding down the stairs. He was always running late (or so he thought), even though he was always first to arrive to work in the morning. I never quite figured that out...

Robert Samuel Pickle, Sr., 52, of Pleasant Grove died Thursday at the Vanderbilt University Medical Burn Center in Nashville. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Doak-Howell Funeral Home with Jim Sorrells officiating. Burial will follow at Round Hill Cemetery in Belfast. Visitation will be held from 1-9 p.m. Saturday.