Stories from Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Spring came early to Bedford County this year, and Robert Dye and his team of lawn and landscape experts have been busy since the end of February. "This has been kind of a tipsy-turvy year, weather-wise," said Robert. It's not too late to set up services for your lawn this summer, and Roberts Lawn and Landscaping Service makes it easy for their customers with fast, free estimates and easy online payments by debit or credit card...

With all the rain and sunshine this time of year, keeping one's lawn looking good becomes a major chore, as well as a major investment if you do the work yourself. Fortunately, Molder's Outdoor Power at 755 Madison St., carries practicality everything you would need to not only keep your property looking in top condition, but also services all brands of lawn equipment...

County Wide Landscaping offers many varieties of landscape work, including any size water feature installments, all sorts of stone work including columns, patios, retaining walls and edging. They also specialize in property entrances, trees, shrubs and perennials...

Lawn engineers and yard technicians -- whether professionals or self-servicing amateurs -- go ahead and pat yourselves on the back. You made it through last year's onslaught of 13-year cicadas. If you fired up a string trimmer or blower last summer, you know what I'm talking about. They swarmed to the droning noise of two-stroke engines like teenage girls to a Justin Bieber concert...

A woman who accompanied a friend to a Heritage Medical Center lab grabbed needles and syringes from a compartment from a blood draw stand as the friend's blood was being drawn, police were told Saturday morning. The employee drawing blood told police she ordered the woman to hand over the items. She did return the items in her hands at the time, officer Mitchell Warren's report said, but several other compartments were later found to be missing needles and syringes...

Doyce Mitchell says he realizes the end result of the electrical fire that singed his Jack Pickle Road trailer home Monday could have been much worse. "If it wasn't for my boys" -- three Jack Russell terriers -- "I'd have been cooked," Mitchell said...

Cascade Middle School held a TCAP pep rally on Monday afternoon to gear up for the annual achievement test. Students were treated to a motorcycle-riding mascot and a "Thrilling" dance routine performed by their teachers, who wore t-shirts bearing the slogan, "We Got This." School Superintendent Ray Butrum and his "fist of knowledge" were on hand to encourage the kids. (T-G Photo by Mitchell Petty)

The Shelbyville Central tennis teams concluded their district schedule on Monday afternoon when they split matches with visiting Lincoln County. The Eagles emerged with a 5-2 victory and earned a No. 2 seed going into the team tournament, pitting them against Tullahoma...

Harris Middle closed out an impressive regular season with a 4-1 victory over Franklin County South on Monday. The undefeated Golden Eagles (10-0, 6-0 CTC) will now have a little time off before competing in the Central Tennessee Conference Tournament on May 12...

It's been a long road filled with highs and lows for the six four-year starters on the Cascade Champion roster. Those seniors can mark one more down in the high column as they celebrated their 100th win at Cascade High with an impressive 10-2 victory at Moore County on Monday evening...

The Eagleville Lady Eagles picked up a convincing 9-1 victory on their senior night over the Community Viqueens on Monday afternoon. The Viqueen defense kept the game close, only allowing a pair of runs in the first three innings. But Eagleville blew the game wide open with a four-run fourth inning...

EAGLEVILLE -- Eagleville's ace pitcher Bryan Smith tossed a five-inning, one-hit shutout over the Community Vikings for a 10-0 District 9-A victory on Monday afternoon. While Smith proved nearly unhittable, the Vikings still had opportunities in the early innings but couldn't cash in on chances provided by Smith...

For the second straight game, Shelbyville Central stranded too many runners on base. The outcome was a 5-4 loss to visiting Warren County on Senior Night. Four seniors -- Aleck James, Lorrie Rittenberry, Haylie Spence and Lauren Warren -- were honored before the game...

Bedford County Board of Education, on Thursday, considered a number of policy revisions. The board deferred action on a draft policy on home schooling which board member Glenn Forsee said "crosses the line" and interferes too much with the home schooling process. Forsee didn't explain to which specific provisions or points he was referring...

Shelbyville is looking for a new building and codes official following his termination on Friday. According to city manager Jay Johnson, Scotty Farrar was fired after it was learned that he was not totally certified for the job. The state Department of Commerce and Insurance recently conducted a compliance audit showing that while Farrar had a building inspector's license, his plumbing and mechanical certifications "had expired some time ago," Johnson said...

Nearly $4 million worth of bridge replacement work will begin later this year over the Duck River, with another important safety project kicking off this week. State Sen. Jim Tracy informed the city of the Tennessee Department of Transportation's current project status list, which shows that bids for the Sydney "Bud" McGrew Memorial Bridge over Duck River on State Highway 130 were recently awarded to Concrete Structures, Inc., at a price of $3,821,199.68...

Mildred Brown Oglesby, 87, of Orlando, Fla., formerly of Shelbyville, died at her home Friday morning, April 20, 2012 after a short illness. Per her request her remains will be cremated. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Ellisia Harrison loves the nature trail at H.V. Griffin Park.

Evan learns to wink!