Stories from Thursday, November 15, 2012

A bill signed into law in October makes it easier for veterans to get commercial driver's licenses. The Military Commercial's Driver's License Act of 2012 was signed by President Obama on Oct. 19. It lets military members be licensed in the state where they are stationed, even if that state is not the military member's permanent home address...

A business, or a non-profit that acts like a business, has two different types of costs: fixed and variable. Imagine a fast-food restaurant selling hamburgers. The cost of the ground meat would be a variable cost. The more hamburgers you sell, the more ground meat you need to buy -- but that's OK, presumably, because you're bringing in extra revenue from all those extra hamburgers you're selling. The cost is, for the most part, linked to revenue, and so it's self-supporting...

We're here for you. Always. And always will be. But we can't help but get irritated sometimes at how so many people take their requests for news coverage directly to Nashville television stations. Example: Last year a woman who spent quite a bit of time as a self-appointed representative of Shelly Mook's family told me that they were going to concentrate on television rather than newspaper coverage...

Caregiver Relief of Bedford County offered free memory screenings this week, in conjunction with the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. In a session held at Bedford Drug on North Main Street, several local residents were briefed on the early signs of the disease and completed a series of questions and tasks designed to test memory, language skills, thinking ability and other intellectual functions...

A new video distributed by the district attorney's office describes the dangers of misusing prescription drugs, as well as the newest craze -- synthetic drugs, more commonly known as "bath salts." The video, "Deceptive Danger," shows that prescription medication and synthetic drugs may falsely appear "safe" because they come from a pharmacy or can sometimes be bought in a convenience store...

Bedford County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to formally propose providing space for the National Resources Conservation Service. NRCS had been sharing local office space with the Farm Service Agency on East Lane Street. It is now left without a co-tenant and will be giving up its rental space...

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for early next year for four suspects accused of a murder-for-hire plot. On Friday, Jan. 25, Sean Gearhardt, 20, Jason Starrick, 25, both of Antioch, as well as Susan Walls, 54, and Dawn Walls, 27, the wife and daughter of murder victim Larry Walls Sr., will appear before General Sessions Judge Charles Rich...

Shelbyville will be receiving much more state and federal funding to pay for needed repair work at the city's airport. An extra $1,425,000 is being added to the city's current contract of $1,658,000 to perform the rehabilitation of the airport's parking ramp, to go along with work to be done on the taxiway...

It's no secret to any Tennessee Volunteer fan. Ole Rocky Top just hasn't been the same in the last few years and virtually everybody in the state has no trouble with pointing a finger at Lane Kiffin, who gutted the team of talent when he skipped town after one season and headed for "greener pastures" at USC...

Patsy Whaley, 59, of Farmington died Thursday, November 15, 2012. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Lawrence Funeral Home in Chapel Hill with the Rev. Larry Pedigo officiating. Burial will follow at Whaley Cemetery in Farmington. Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. Friday.

Debbie Dunn, 61, of Fayetteville died Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012 at her home. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Gallant-Riverview Funeral Home in Fayetteville with Cleo Moon officiating. Burial will follow at Stewarts Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 2-8 p.m. Friday.

Harry Richard "John" Ransom, 91, of Unionville died Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012. Funeral services will be held at noon Wednesday at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Timothy Wright officiating. Burial, with full military honors, will follow at Holden Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m.