Stories from Wednesday, April 3, 2013

April Fool's Day was around long before the Internet, of course, but there's something about the Internet that seems to lend itself to e-mail pranks. Google, in particular, seems to relish the holiday, and various Google divisions worldwide fielded no fewer than 12 April Fool's pranks on Monday, including a video based on the presence that YouTube had been some sort of contest and, now that all of the entries had been submitted, the site would be shutting down as judges worked on the decade-long task of judging all of the millions of entries.. ...

(Editor's Note: State Rep. Pat Marsh's newsletter typically appears in the Sunday edition of the Times-Gazette). Session is moving very fast with the anticipation of closing by late April. The halls are crowded in the Legislative Plaza and most committee meetings are packed with visitors...

Tennessee Public Health Association is observing National Public Health Week this week, April 1-7. The theme is "Public Health Makes Cents: Save Lives Save Money." Focus areas for this year's celebration include ensuring a safe, healthy home for families; providing a safe environment for children at school; creating a healthy workplace; protecting those on the move; and empowering a healthy community...

T-G STAFF REPORT Tygr Taylor is serving as the alternate princess for the 2012~2013 American Junior Saler Association, the youth group of one of the beef breed associations in the United States. This breed originated in France and is popular in many areas of the country...

Middle Tennessee Business Network meets Thursday mornings from 8 to 9 a.m. at the Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce. MTBN is a referral and networking organization designed to help local entrepreneurs grow their business. It is open to anyone who is in business or wanting to start a business. Members do not need to be self-employed...

More than $1,000 was stolen from a vehicle at a Belmont Avenue home Sunday night, police said. The theft wasn't discovered until police were told a purse and most of its contents were scattered across the front yard of a Deery Street home. The purse contained the victim's identification...

Tennessee Technology Center at Shelbyville is expanding its truck driving program next month to reach more students. "We wanted to make the program available to folks by doing a weekend program," said Ivan Jones, the center's director. The center offers a seven-and-a-half week class from 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. daily The weekend classes will run for 11 weeks from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The first weekend class starts May 4-5...

In a late addition to the schedule, the Community Viqueens faced off against the Franklin County Rebelettes in a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon, but dropped both contests by scores of 9-3 and 7-3. "They put it in play on us and forced us to make plays. That ended up hurting us more times than not. We had our fair share of errors," said Viqueen coach Eric Hunt...

Columbia standout right-hander Hayden Stone pitched a perfect game in a 10-0 run-rule victory over host Shelbyville Central in a five-inning District 8-AAA matchup on Tuesday evening. Stone, a Vanderbilt signee, fanned 10 batters and helped his cause at the plate by ripping a triple, double and single in three at-bats...

The county's jobless rate in February fell half a percentage point to 8.5 percent, according to preliminary numbers released by Tennessee's department of labor and workforce development. An estimated 1,930 people were without work in February, with 20,690 employed out on an estimated work force of 22,620 in the county...

Shelbyville's council will be requesting more information from Bedford County's E-911 District before moving forward on a request for an interlocal agreement. But no matter which choice the council makes, more funding will be needed. The E-911 board voted in January to begin negotiating the terms of an agreement with the city, as required by the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board...

An estimated 54 wagon teams, according to park ranger Shane Petty, were at the Henry Horton State Park campground Monday for the annual wagon ride to this weekend's Mule Day festivities in Columbia. Participants rode in and around the park on Monday, and visited the Nathan Bedford Forrest boyhood home on Tuesday before leaving the park today to head for Columbia, where Mule "Day" -- actually an extended, multi-day festival -- will kick up in earnest on Thursday...

Floyd M. Smith, 80, of Wheel died Tuesday, April 2, 2013 after an extended illness. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Doug Dezotell and the Rev. Chris Harris officiating. Burial will follow at Mt. Lebanon Methodist Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. Thursday.

Moses L. Lee, 88, of Shelbyville died Tuesday, April 2, 2013 after an extended illness. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Doak-Howell Funeral Home. Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. Friday.