Stories from Thursday, April 4, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper says his support of civil unions for gay partners developed over his years in office. The Democratic lawmaker from Nashville told a Washington reporter for The Tennessean he sees the issue not as only a civil right, but as an economic matter as well...

An online poll at the T-G web site on the development of a new industrial park drew a few comments related to existing buildings. "How 'bout using the EMPTY Walmart balding or the EMPTY Krogers building...dummies," wrote one. I understand that one of those two buildings recently changed hands and may not be empty much longer, but setting that aside for a moment, let's talk about that idea. ...

Those aiming to quell violence in schools by arming personnel may be aiming at the wrong target. The National Rifle Association, through its School Shield Program announced Tuesday, wants -- in addition to programs to identify possible shooters -- more school employees to be armed and trained in firearms use...

Dear editor: The United States Postal Service (USPS) transports hundreds of billions of pieces of mail a year to addresses everywhere in the United States. It does so with no government subsidies. If you don't use the postal service, you don't pay for it...

Well over 100 pages of testimony have been submitted to a federal judge in an effort to dismiss a lawsuit against Bedford County and a deputy. Attorney Michael T. Schmitt asked U.S. District Judge Harry S. Mattice Jr. to summarily dismiss the complaint of Ricky Robertson, who has been suing the county and Deputy Kevin Roddy since 2010...

Offense was in no short supply for the Community Middle Viqueens on Wednesday afternoon. In a doubleheader against Fayetteville, the Purple and Gold claimed wins of 20-10 and 13-0. In game one, the Viqueens got the offense working thanks to some key hitting from pitcher Karla Pena...

It was win or go home for the Cascade Middle Champions on Wednesday evening, and they decided they have a little more baseball left to play. The Champs knocked off Westwood Middle in a conference tournament play-in game, 15-1, and advanced to the next round of the tournament, which will be held on Saturday at noon...

COLUMBIA -- It was a much better performance by Shelbyville Central, despite a 5-1 loss to Columbia in a District 8AAA matchup on Wednesday afternoon. "A couple of mishaps fielding a pair of bunts and this game is really close," Shelbyville coach Brad Frasier said. "Dax (Ward) really pitched well and we played much better but we've still got to do a better job of hitting."...

Bedford County Historical Society held its spring meeting March 18 at First United Methodist Church. The program was presented by Andy Downs of Murfreesboro, who presented the details of the Oct. 4, 1971, hijacking of an airplane piloted by his father, the late Brent Downs, who was a native of Shelbyville and was slain in the incident. ...

Items on a list of possible future projects for Shelbyville could be shifted around, depending on the city's needs. City council members began reviewing a guide Tuesday that describes proposed improvements over the next six years. City manager Jay Johnson said the objective he and the city staff has been working on is to improve the city's financial management and planning, and so that council members can make informed decisions, the guide provides "the big picture."...

Nearly half of the respondents to an unscientific online poll at the Times-Gazette website say that local governments do not need to develop a new industrial park or spec building. A little more than a third favored the project and agreed with a statement that doing it right might cost money. The remaining voters favored a project but only if it could be done at a very low cost...

Shelbyville's planning commission and board of zoning appeals (BZA) will review and evaluate site plans for a rock quarry that's been the subject of a $10 million federal lawsuit. On April 25, the group will look at the plan submitted by Wright Paving for property on L. Fisher Road -- the same location the company tried to get approved nine years ago...

Margaret Gill "June" White, 57, of Lake County, Calif., a Shelbyville native, died Tuesday, March 19, 2013. Memorial services will be announced.