Stories from Wednesday, July 11, 2012

We saw this mother grizzly and her two cubs from our tour bus window in the Yukon.

Our family (Pruitt, Brenda and Trace Marshall) took the "Ice Road Truckers" tour in Anchorage. An Anchorage Daily News reporter happened to go along for the tour. Trace is pictured driving the simulator that the drivers from "Ice Road Truckers" train on...

view of snow-capped mountains from our airplane as we were flying into Anchorage, AK

Logan Miller, closest inset, gets ready to chase the ball on their Mets t-ball team Tuesday evening.

If you like contests, bragging rights or simply really great prizes, there are many opportunities throughout the year to win big, and you don't have to look any further than within the pages of the Times-Gazette. Recently, Tonya Poteete returned from a trip to the Opryland Hotel that she earned after winning the T-G's Mommy & Me photo contest last spring...

Disputes about water quality, pressure and pricing in Bell Buckle have reached a boiling point. Residents of Fosterville Road secured the services of Murfreesboro attorney Jay Jackson to file a class action lawsuit against the town this morning. The plaintiffs, who live just outside of town limits, began threatening a lawsuit following a petition that residents made in April to garner support for their complaint...

The county fair is an American institution. An emblematic part of summer, the fair is a time for a community to enjoy food and fun, and showcase its talents and agricultural prowess. There will be no exceptions this year, according to Bedford County Fair Association President Judy Gambill, who is promising the biggest and best fair to date next week...

Meeting Tuesday night, Bedford County Board of Commissioners voted for the fourth time to deny Grady Cunningham's request for a rezoning of his property at 2506 U.S. 231 North from R-1 (residential) to C-2 (commercial). Cunningham, owner of the office supply business Celebration 2000, has been trying for years to move it from rental space within Shelbyville to property he owns north of the city. ...

For the second summer in a row, something happened to my mobile phone while I was away at camp. I'm a long-time volunteer in, and former board member for, Mountain T.O.P., a short-term missions program that operates up on the Cumberland Plateau. In 2011, while I was spending a week at a Mountain T.O.P. ...

Bedford County now has a third tornado warning siren, and it's housed at the Wartrace Fire Hall. The Wartrace siren joins emergency alarms at Eagle Boulevard and The Webb School. Wartrace has been seeking a way to replace their old tornado siren for some time now, and thanks to a $5,000 grant received from railway transportation company CSX, they've got a new alarm...

The American Red Cross recently issued a national blood appeal, but the severe storms in the Midwest and mid-Atlantic areas may severely impact the ability to build the blood inventory back up to sufficient levels in many locations. Power outages, fallen trees and other storm impacts mean that blood donors have been unable to get to blood donation centers and blood drives. ...

2 p.m. -- Precious Miss (girls 0-11 months) 2:45 p.m. -- Baby Miss (girls 12-23 months) 3:30 p.m. -- Toddler Miss (girls 2-3 years) 4:15 p.m. -- Tiny Miss (girls 4-5 years) 4:45 p.m. -- Petite Miss (girls 6-7 years) 5:15 p.m. -- Little Miss (girls 8-10 years)...

Shelbyville's Walking Horse Trainers Association (WHTA) visited local businesses Tuesday, asking for their support of the local horse industry. The organization declared the day, July 10, as Bedford County Support Day. "The Tennessee Walking Horse industry has always been a positive influence on the economy of Shelbyville and Bedford County. ...

Ascend Federal Credit Union is once again helping 10 of its members continue their education with $1,000 scholarships. Over the past decade, Ascend has awarded a total of $100,000 to 100 credit union members to help them attend an accredited college, university, technical, or trade school...

Titan Transfer, Inc., one of the nation's premier midsized trucking firms recently announced its acquisition of USA Cartage based in Williamsport, Md. USA Cartage is a regional carrier which generates approximately $14 million in revenue annually. Titan stated that the acquisition of USA Cartage broadens the service offerings of Titan's truck load segment while expanding the company's capacity...

Brandie Leigh Hamilton, 29, of Shelbyville, died Monday, July 9, 2012. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Tim Forsythe officiating. Burial will follow at Cothran Cemetery in Rover. Visitation will be held from 2-8 p.m. Wednesday.