Stories from Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Four teenagers have been charged with breaking into Shelbyville Central High School's baseball and softball three times over the past few weeks, Shelbyville police said. Most of the over $5,000 worth of baseball and softball equipment taken was destroyed or lost as the suspects, who live nearby, used them, Detective Sgt. Brian Crews said...

Contestants from seven states have entered this weekend's back-to-back chili cookoffs on the Shelbyville square, and plans are shaping up for the Uptown City Fair which will take place on Saturday, according to festival organizer Calvin Cannon. As of midday Monday, 10 contestants had signed up for Friday night's regional International Chili Society cookoff, while a dozen had signed up for Saturday's state championship ICS event...

Issak and Isaiah Zwarton having fun at the Chattanooga Aquarium.

School starts back in less than a month, and teachers are cramming to learn new state standards. Before students start walking the halls again on Aug. 5, teachers will have learned up-to-date information on using the Common Core State Standards curriculum in their classrooms...

For the fifth time, Grady Cunningham asked Bedford County Board of Commissioners to rezone his property at 2506 U.S. 231 North from R-1 (residential) to C-2 (commercial). For the fifth time, commissioners said "no." Observers might have expected a different result this time around, if only because Bedford County Planning Commission, which had advised against the rezoning on earlier attempts, recommended the request in a 5-3 vote last month, with one abstaining...

Bedford County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to take the $582,974 the county owes in a wage and hour lawsuit by sheriff's department employees from proceeds the county had set aside after selling the former Bedford County Nursing Home. The total judgement and attorney's fees in the lawsuit are $872,384, but some of that amount will be covered by the county's insurance policies, leaving the county on the hook for nearly $583,000. ...

An issue over an unusable fire hydrant that could have put a snag into an upcoming sidewalk project has been quickly resolved. City council members and officials expressed concern last week about the hydrant at 200 E. Depot St., which had been covered with black plastic for seven years -- until Tuesday...

An intruder grabbed money from the cash box from Fastenal, Northside Park Drive, overnight Sunday, police said Tuesday. Officers were called after a customer of a nearby gym noticed glass in Fastenal's front door was broken. An employee told officers only the money was missing...

There's an old saying about people who live in glass houses, and as someone whose job description includes uploading and coordinating content for the Times-Gazette web site on a daily basis it may be a bad idea for me to complain about the design of other web sites. So let me preface my remarks by saying we always welcome your input on our own web site design, and if it's not a problem we can address locally we can certainly take it up with our webmasters in Missouri...

Urologist Dr. Troy Sofinowski at Murfreesboro Medical Clinic and SurgiCenter offers vasectomies without the use of needles or scalpels. A permanent fertility control solution, the procedure is usually performed in about 15 minutes. Physicians apply a single puncture that is too small for sutures or stitches. Safe and simple, this procedure results in less pain and fewer postoperative complications compared to conventional vasectomies...

Big G Express celebrated the retirement of Jimmy Hendren, driver manager, with a surprise retirement party on June 28. Hendren has been in the trucking industry for more than 30 years and has been a driver manager at Big G Express for the last three and a half years. Big G officials said he has been a blessing to Big G and his positive attitude and uplifting spirit will be greatly missed...

Stephen Richardson was named Big G Express's Driver of the Year at its fourth annual ESOP Meeting. Richardson has racked up an impressive 1.4 million accident free miles since he started at Big G in January of 2001. Stephen was recognized as Driver of the Month in June of 2012 and was unanimously voted Driver of the Year by the committee. Not only does he have an impeccable safety record, but his on time service is spotless. Richardson represents Big G in a polite and courteous manner that has led to customer compliments on his performance. Stephen Richardson is a top notch driver with over 20 years of professional driving experience. Richardson lives in Decatur, Ala. and is known by an appropriate handle, "One of a Kind." From left: Stephen Richardson and Vice President of Operations, Greg Thompson. (Submitted photo)