Stories from Thursday, June 20, 2013

What a special evening it was! I had the opportunity to attend the Bedford County Boys & Girls Club's annual Steak & Chicken dinner fundraiser on Monday night and was very impressed. Vanderbilt football coach James Franklin was outstanding as the keynote speaker and it was great to see the support the club has received from this community...

Folks across my district universally support providing their children with a good education. Educating our children strengthens our communities, creates and supports jobs, and boosts our economic competitiveness in the global market and at home. As long as parents, teachers, administrators and other state and local actors are offered the ability to hold their educational systems accountable, our schools will be robust and our children will thrive...

The Bedford County Fair Association is accepting trade show booth and outside concession applications. The application deadline is Monday, July 15. Vendor setup will begin on Sunday, July 28, between 2-5 p.m. Receiving for the home economics/agriculture exhibits will also begin on Sunday, between 1-5 p.m...

At a reception on Wednesday, outgoing Duck River Electric Membership Corp. president and CEO Jim Allison was praised as a man for whom family came first but who was also dedicated to DREMC. "I don't know anybody that works as hard as this man has worked," said Michael Watson, who succeeds Allison as president and CEO of the Shelbyville-based utility...

Summer fun continues tomorrow at Argie Cooper Public Library. "Reading in Action" will take place from 9 to 10:30 a.m. The event aims to raise awareness of the local Raise Your Hand Tennessee Program, which kicked off locally during the last school year...

Organizers have decided no boats of any kind will be allowed during this year's River Cleanup event, to be held this Saturday. The decision was based by the high levels of water flowing through the Duck right now, said Helen Garner, event coordinator...

After five months of work, Shelbyville's Downtown Task Force has set a list of ambitious goals to improve the public square. Since January, business owners and other citizens met once a month to establish short term goals that would develop ongoing programs...

The city's industrial development board approved real and property tax abatements for businesses that are expanding and planning to hire new workers. Century Mold Co., Inc. on Blue Ribbon Parkway has been phasing in $1.8 million in equipment to its facility and between now and this time next year, another $2.8 million worth will be brought in, according to the board's attorney John T. Bobo...

At times on Tuesday, brief rain showers passed through downtown Shelbyville, just enough to bring out the umbrella. (T-G Photo by Jim Davis)

Dorothy Lee Monce Tucker Hill, 72, of Maury County, a near lifelong Shelbyville resident, died Tuesday, June 18, 2013. She did not want a memorial or funeral service.