Stories from Sunday, May 22, 2011

To the Editor: About two years ago, my mother, Mildred Troupe, lost her canine companion of many years. Two of her grandchildren took her to the Bedford County animal shelter to find another friend. She asked to see Grady, who had only a few days before he was to be taken away. Mother and Grady immediately connected. Mother asked to adopt Grady...

A local couple pleaded guilty Wednesday to child endangerment charges stemming from a case where officers found six kids living in a home with a meth lab. Sandra Jean and David Gordon Mortimer, both 34, pleaded to five counts of child endangerment and will serve 60 days, plus pay court costs within 10 months. The pair were sentenced to 11 months, 29 days at 75 percent for each count, but the terms were all suspended except for the 60 days...

Two wrought iron benches and a child's four-wheeler and Radio Flyer wagon were stolen from the garden area and shed of a home in Highway 82 East in Bell Buckle between early May and Thursday, a Bedford County Sheriff's Department report said. A neighbor told investigators a red over brown small extended cab pickup truck was seen at the home last Sunday...

A total of 19 teachers and school system employees representing 449 years of combined service were recognized Thursday night on the occasion of their retirement. Bedford County Board of Education hosted the annual reception for school system retirees in the Shelbyville Central High School library. Each retiree was acknowledged by his or her principal or supervisor and then presented with a gift by a school board member...

The Tennessee Health Care Association (THCA) has named Howard Shofner, a patient at Christian Care Center of Bedford County, to its annual Who's Who in Tennessee Nursing Homes. Honorees in this year's Who's Who recognition program themed, "American Classics," include athletes, educators, military veterans and other individuals living in THCA-member nursing homes statewide...

Some of the Community Middle School students who helped make the quilt of valor, from left, are Karina Pina, Tawny Nelson, Denton Bell, Nikki Thurber, Jake Cartwright, Maggie Yates and Jamie Demonbreun with their art teacher, Cynthia Donnelly. This story is about a quilt. But not just any quilt, but a "quilt of valor."...

Going back to work after an extended leave is always kind of surreal. The only other times I've done it was after maternity leave and I was usually scratching and whining at the kitchen door to get out three days after the baby was born. By the time I was finally cleared to go back to work, there were fireworks displays, parades, feasts and services of joyous thanksgiving. And that was just from my family...

When I was real little, my family lived several blocks from the home of the Roman Catholic nuns who taught at the Catholic schools and worked at the Catholic hospital in town. Growing up in Grand Forks, N.D., you were either a Catholic or a Lutheran. I was both in a way. My father was a Catholic and my mother was a Lutheran...

When I first heard that some middle school students in Unionville had decorated a quilt for a wounded soldier, I thought it might make a nice little feature story for the Times-Gazette. But after I met Community Middle School principal Dee McCullough and read the letter of thanks he and art teacher Cynthia Donnelly had received from the aunt of the wounded marine, I began to see it was a much deeper story...

We have been hearing rumors that Publix might have a new policy in the workings. It is true some things have slightly changed. This week I am going to highlight these changes for you and let you know what you can expect on your next shopping trip. First of all let me mention, you don't need to panic, most of your usual shopping habits should remain mostly the same. Let's take a look at an overview of this policy...

Due to two days on which Bedford County Schools closed as a result of flooding in late April, this week's school schedule is different than originally announced. Wednesday and Thursday, May 25 and 26, will be regular school days. Friday, May 27, is an administrative day for teachers only, and student report cards will be given out on an abbreviated school day on Saturday, May 28. ...

Shelbyville may be seeing a new pizza outlet go into business sometime in the future, with the planned addition of Little Caesar's to the city's dining options. Owner Pat McMillian has submitted a request for site plan approval to the city's planning commission for the restaurant at 1205 -1207 North Main St., taking up 0.47 acres for the 5,075-foot building and parking area...

The city has contacted the CEO of Heritage Medical Center to ask him to request in writing the return of some $100,000 in escrow after a Tennessee Department of Transportation study determined that the area in front of the hospital does not meet the requirements for a traffic light...

Commencement marks the end of one part of a person's life and the beginning of something new. Seniors in Bedford County's public high schools entered new chapters of their lives as graduates this weekend. Graduation ceremonies were held at Calsonic Arena on Friday night for Community and Saturday for Shelbyville Central and Cascade...

SUMMERTOWN -- Only one of the 16 teams competing in a TSSAA Class A sectional on Friday will celebrate winning its final game of the season. Cascade became one of the eight that realized it would not have a dogpile in its immediate future after losing 5-2 to Summertown...

Tuesday night the city of Shelbyville will be in the national spotlight when the film "Welcome to Shelbyville" is broadcast on the PBS series Independent Lens. Since last fall, the documentary has been screened across the country, including Nashville last Saturday and has been shown by the U.S. State Department in other countries...