Stories from Friday, December 23, 2011

William Freeman "Pete" Miller, 88, of Bradford, father of Dianne Whitwell of Shelbyville, died Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011 at Dyer Nursing Home. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 26 at Hunt Funeral Home in Bradford with Tommy Whitwell and the Rev. Phillip Jackson officiating. Burial will follow at Bradford Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m.

The jobless rate for Bedford County fell again in November to 9.2 percent, according to preliminary numbers released Thursday by the state's department of labor. Labor force estimates for Bedford County showed 20,970 employed out of a work force of 23,110, meaning that an estimated 2,140 are without a job...

NORTH POLE -- In November of this year, physicists had an argument over whether an experiment in a particle accelerator had shown that neutrinos could travel faster than light. According to Einstein's theories, nothing can travel faster than light, and eventually scientists said their original result had been a mistake...

A federal judge has ordered a hearing to see if a preliminary injunction will be issued to halt alleged retaliation against sheriff's department employees who may wish to join a lawsuit over unpaid overtime. U.S. District Judge Harry S. Mattice, Jr. has set Jan. 5 in Chattanooga for a full evidentiary hearing over claims made by four detectives who filed suit against Sheriff Randall Boyce and Bedford County...

Two laws resulting from bills sponsored by State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) will take effect Jan. 1; one relates to verifying the immigration status of employees, while the other has to do with prescription drugs at pain clinics. "Both of these new laws will have a positive impact on Tennessee," said Tracy in a news release. "The new E-Verify law has been successful in other states to help ensure that those working in Tennessee are here legally...

Three men are facing up to a dozen counts of burglary in Bedford County, and are accused of committing more break-ins in neighboring communities. Following an investigation, detectives from Shelbyville, the county and Tullahoma believe the men are responsible for a nearly year-long crime spree in their jurisdictions, as well as in Manchester, Moore, Franklin and Coffee Counties...

The Shelbyville Times-Gazette, along with the Shelbyville Quarterback Club, will co-host "An Evening with Rex" on Saturday, Jan. 21. The event is in honor of former Shelbyville Central and Community standout baseball player Rex Brothers, now a pitcher for the Colorado Rockies...