Stories from Sunday, October 7, 2012

The annual Halls Mill Sorghum Squeeze was held Saturday on Paschal Road. Sorghum cane, grown at the site and in the area, was fed into a mule-driven mill to extract the sweet juice. The juice was then boiled down in a fire box to thicken it into the beloved, syrupy condiment. The event also featured vendor booths, live entertainment and displays of historic farm equipment. (T-G Photo by John I. Carney)

Cousins Riley Meeks and Gavin Upchurch enjoy a nice Fall day. Gavin pitching the leaves up and watching them fall

My 50th birthday gift to myself on June 18, 2012. I went to the animal shelter on Lane Pkwy and got me a friend, Sophie...! When I was looking at the animals, trying to choose the best one for me, this little girl got into my purse, then I knew I had the right match for me...

Auntry with his grand daddy's motorcycle helment on.

Our Wedding Day on July 21, 2012 @ Cortner's Mill.

These were among an estimated 400 to 500 or more bicycle riders passing through Shelbyville on Saturday in the annual Bike to Jack and Back, a two-day ride from Franklin to Lynchburg to raise money for the fight against multiple sclerosis. Riders will be returning through Shelbyville today. Several motorcyclists from the Gold Winr Road Riders Association were also riding and helping non-motorized participants, a club member said. (T-G Photo by David Melson)

UNIONVILLE -- Community senior Austin Lees had a night that was fit for-well-like royalty in a Friday night 41-21 win over Huntland. Lees was crowned homecoming king during pre-game festivities, then promptly ruled the gridiron by shredding the Hornet defense for 362 all-purpose yards and scoring five touchdowns to lead the Vikings to their first ever homecoming win...

LYNCHBURG -- Going into Friday night's District 9-A showdown, Champion coach Kenny Parker knew the Moore County Raiders (8-0, 4-0 9-A) were going to bring a full-on attack with several offensive threats and a strong defensive effort. Although the Champs (5-2, 2-1 9-A) controlled the tempo of the game early, it was the Raiders who had just a little more in the tank and were able to make a handful of key plays to pick up the 16-13 victory...

Bedford County Board of Education plans to meet in a closed attorney-client session 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the school system central offices on Madison Street. In general, meetings of governing bodies like the school board are subject to the Tennessee Open Meetings Act, nicknamed the "Sunshine Law," which requires that they be open to the public. ...

National Newspaper Week begins today, and the Times-Gazette will hold its annual reception in honor of the event on Tuesday -- but, unlike past years, this year's event will be in the afternoon, from 2:30 until 3:30 p.m., at our offices, 323 E. Depot St...

A beautiful chocolate diamond necklace is just one of many fantastic door prizes that will be given away during the Times-Gazette/Relish Cooking Show and Expo later this month. The necklace will come from Lowery Jewelers, located at 768 North Main St. in Shelbyville...

You may take your pet to church this afternoon at Episcopal Church of the Redeemer on East Lane Street. It's an annual tradition the church offers to the community to celebrate the love pets provide to their families. Families like the Crowells have been joining this event since it began a half-dozen years ago. "We love our boys," said Billie Crowell of her 'granddogs' Conrad and Oscar...

Two wallets were reported stolen to Shelbyville police within two days. A wallet containing $173 and personal items was stolen from a vehicle at Sherwood Trailer Court between midnight-8:15 a.m. Friday, Shelbyville police said. Another wallet, containing wedding bands, was taken from the owner's purse while she slept at a Cowan Drive home between 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday...

City council members are reviewing proposed upcoming changes to Shelbyville's human resource manual that will impact municipal employees. A first draft of the new rules and regulations were distributed to council members earlier this year for review, and each week since then, city manager Jay Johnson and city recorder Vickie Haskins have gone over the manual "line by line" with department heads...

Five of six defendants charged in an alleged conspiracy involving forged prescriptions passed at area pharmacies learned Thursday when they will have to make a decision about their case. Nov. 1 was set as the disposition date for the five who were indicted by direct presentment to the grand jury two weeks ago. They must decide to make a plea or go to trial...

A federal judge has ordered Sheriff Randall Boyce to turn over documents related to a lawsuit dismissed in July, saying that the litigation could be reconsidered. U.S. District Judge Harry S. Mattice signed the order this week in the case filed by Jimmy Ray Massey, 38, who filed two hand-written lawsuits -- one claiming at the end of February that jailers were preventing him from filing a suit, and another complaint in May that stated that he was briefly moved out of state without permission...

I had the privilege this week of singing with the Senior Citizens Choir at one of the local nursing homes. There sure was some good singing going on with that group. I was one of the youngest members of the choir, but they didn't exploit my youthfulness by making me stand alone and sing "Jesus Loves Me" or "Deep and Wide" to delight the crowd. They just let me sing along, and it was great...

One thing I miss about a long commute to work is the epiphanies which came along the way, brain in neutral, thoughts focused on not much at all because you had done this drive every day for ever so how long. Some clarity comes from that place, of being disengaged...

When you meet her, Dongmei Wang will ask one thing: "I hope you could speak English slowly." While southerners are often teased for speaking slowly, to an ear hearing our language and accents for the first time, it can be confusing. Throw in our frequent use of idioms and the number of words we use interchangeably, well, it takes time to get used to...

James and Jackie Hale saw a need and answered it. Owners of a successful Saddlebred training facility and consignment sales operation, the couple decided to take action when the Tattersalls sales pavilion in Lexington, Ky., closed last year. It's safe to say that the Hales have been to a sale or two, know how to utilize new technologies, and can tell a good horse when they see one. Still, establishing a new sale would be a risk...

Lettie Phillips celebrated her 83rd birthday with family at Bedford County Christian Care Center on Sunday, Sept. 16. Lettie, or "Little Bit," as she was called, was born on Sept. 12, 1929, and has lived in Bedford County most of her life. When she was 20, Lettie went to Mississippi to help her sister, who was having health issues, with her children. ...

Steve Petusevsky, who will be the featured chef at the Times-Gazette / Relish Cooking Show and Expo Oct. 23 at Calsonic Arena, says his presentation will include fun menu items and "chef secrets," including tips for advance prep that can make a special meal come together faster when it's time to actually cook...

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life in Bedford County held a kickoff for its 2013 season on Sept. 29 at the Midland Heights Baptist Church pavilion. Although the actual Relay event won't take place until May 31 through June 1, 2013, teams raise money for months ahead of time, through a variety of individual and team fund-raisers. Two teams selling T-shirts had them on display at the kickoff...