Stories from Thursday, May 16, 2013

Barbara Ann Silcox, 83, of Shelbyville died Wednesday, May 15, 2013. She will be cremated and her family will arrange a private celebration of her life. Feldhaus Memorial Chapel is handling arrangements.

A few times in recent years, I had participated in the annual "Read Across America" day held in schools around the date of Dr. Seuss's birthday. I always had fun, being a ham actor with a fondness for Dr. Seuss, and so when United Way of Bedford County started its participation in the "Raise Your Hand Tennessee" program, I thought it sounded like fun, and -- being a former United Way board member -- I wanted to support it...

Returning a stolen wallet didn't pay off for the finder Wednesday. Michael Dewayne Claxton, 40, of Wartrace Road turned in the wallet at a North Main Street store several blocks away from where it was reported stolen, police said. The wallet's owner met Claxton and questioned why $108 and a heirloom silver dollar were missing...

Third graders from Liberty School learned about local government with a walking tour of the public square Wednesday, stopping by city hall, the police and fire departments, and then taking a break on the grounds of the courthouse, where they learned some local history about the times the building was destroyed and how other public squares are designed after Bedford County's seat of government. One teacher remarked this was the first time many of the students had ever seen the square. (T-G Photos by Brian Mosely)

Bell Buckle's new Arts Council is getting organized for future events to attract visitors. Sally Kilgore gave a status report on the new group, praising Tennessee Poet Laureate and town resident Maggi Vaughn for originating the idea. Vaughn had suggested inviting a different arts group to town each month, with the citizen-organized council standing on its own and with the blessing of the town board...

Although the application process was completed in early spring, it will likely be October before Wartrace receives word on whether it qualifies for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to replace aged main water lines. The board of mayor and aldermen sought the grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development earlier in the year due to continuing high water loss...

Last May, representatives of Tennessee Valley Authority told the Times-Gazette that Normandy Lake was at its lowest summer level since 1981, and the agency's Chuck Bach suggested that readers "wash their cars, do their rain dances, cut hay, whatever causes it to rain."...

Searchers were scouring wooded northeastern Bedford County this morning for a missing Murfreesboro man thought to be in the area. David Cunningham, 53, was last seen driving on Beechwood Road, Sheriff Randall Boyce said, and his truck was found Wednesday afternoon near Fox Lane...

Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Walt Wood announced his retirement, effective June 30, to the Chamber board on Tuesday. Wood has been CEO for 15 years and was an active Chamber volunteer for five years prior to that...

Enough already. The public has the right to advocate causes, and the media the right to report news, without government intrusion. Probes by the Internal Revenue Service into records of conservative groups such as the Tea Party are completely uncalled for. ...

4 days old

James Hart Thomas, 75, of Shelbyville died Thursday, May 16, 2013. A celebration of life service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Hillcrest Funeral Home with the Rev. Jay Pope officiating. Burial will follow at Rosebank Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. Saturday.

Three of Shelbyville's newer policemen -- from left, Jarred Frazier, Russ Grubbs and Brock Horner -- gather at the marker honoring the city's fallen officers on Wednesday, Police Memorial Day. Those who died in the line of duty were officers Charles Henry and Redden Purdie, shot Oct. 31, 1911 by a man seeking revenge following his arrest earlier in the day; Chief Sumner A. Dillard, shot by a friend of a suspect being driven away from his home; officer Floyd T. Collins, who died of a heart attack while on patrol Nov. 27, 1985; Sgt. G.J. Jordan, killed in an accident Jan. 22, 1995 while responding to a call; and officer Melvin Claxton, who collapsed during a foot pursuit Feb. 17, 1999. (T-G Photo by David Melson)