Stories from Sunday, July 14, 2013

Every time I get ready to go on a trip and fly somewhere across the country I get really excited. For weeks and maybe months in advance I tell people how excited I am. I recently flew out west, and I think my friends and family were getting tired of hearing, "I'm so excited," from me before the trip...

Harvey and Lisa Martin of Shelbyville announce the marriage of their daughter Hannah Elizabeth Martin of Shelbyville to William Chase Landers of Decatur, Ala., son of Mike and Lisa Landers of Decatur, Ala. The bride is the granddaughter of Judy Agee, Derrel and Brenda Parsons, Virginia Martin, the late Robert "Bud" Martin and the late John Agee. She is the great granddaughter of Louise Smotherman...

I had a friend that recently wrote a blog about, what she defined as, "The Most Beautiful Ruined Moment." Since writing the blog, it has received an insane amount of views. (A fact she feels the need to remind me of on a regular basis.) The Times Gazette even posted an article about the viral success of the blog entitled, "A Jedi Master and the Blog Side of the Force."...

I'm writing this column on July 5. Trust me, the date is relevant. My body is in motion, but my mind is stuffed with cotton -- that fuzzy feeling when you have not slept well. I have trouble concentrating on a task, and I am frequently "blanking," or simply stopping and staring into space. There are serious black bags under my eyes...

Marissa Hope Jones of Unionville was wed to Jordan Adam Baker of Mount Juliet on the afternoon of June 1 at North Fork Baptist Church. The bride is the daughter of Andy and Mary Jones of Unionville. She is the granddaughter of Billy and Arlene Jones of Unionville, and Carl Hasty and the late Mary Frances Hasty of Flat Creek. She is the great-granddaughter of Sadie Jones of Unionville...

Megan Leigh Parsons of Shelbyville was married to Kyle Joseph Insell of Murfreesboro on the evening of June 8 at Fairlane Church of Christ in Shelbyville. The bride is the daughter of Norman and Vickie Parsons of Shelbyville. She is the granddaughter of Ruth Parsons of Shelbyville and the late Russell Parsons and Katie Bernd of Shelbyville and the late Bill Bernd...

A church in Deason is honoring veterans by recreating a small portion of the past. Ransom United Methodist Church has set up a version of a 1940s-era living room in the Deason Community Center. "We are a blessed nation, and we need to recognize it every day of our lives," said church member Mary Blue. "This is why our tribute to the soldiers has become a much-detailed display in (the) community center."...

Mid-Summer marks the beginning of fair season. Our Bedford County Fair is one of the first of the season and this year it is a little later than usual, opening on July 29 and running through August 3. One of the pleasures of the fair is fair food. It's the joy of eating food off a stick or fried "anything" -- from pickles to candy bars...

It's amazing how age can make the size of things seem different. "It looks smaller, but then, I was smaller," former East Side Elementary student Xavier Hamler said about the school. Now, Hamler is the principal of East Side, not the student. The Shelbyville native has spent July getting the school ready for when classes resume Aug. 5. July 1 was his first official day, and he wasted no time in interviewing and filling vacancies for two teachers, a librarian and a guidance counselor...

Donald Popham started making wooden bowls 10 years ago, when he was a younger man ... age 85. He's still at it today, and will likely still be at it in September, when he turns 96. The bowls are turned on a lathe and then decorated with wooden inlays. Because of the laborious process of gluing the inlays into place, it takes about three weeks to complete one...

The surveillance camera was stolen from a portable classroom at Bedford County Vocational School, J.G. Helton Drive, between Monday and Thursday, Shelbyville police said. Items on desks were thrown on the floor and the fire extinguisher was discharged after the door was pried, police were told...

Ashley Nichole Henley and Cody Wayne Crowson announce the birth of a son, William Connor Henley, on June 22 at Maury Regional Medical Center. The baby boy weighed 5 pounds, 15 ounces.

Middle TN Business Network met Thursday for a breakfast meeting hosted by Linda Nichols of First Community Bank. The group meets at 8 a.m. each Thursday morning at the Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce and occasionally at other locations for field trips. Members enjoy the opportunity to learn about other local businesses as well as networking with other group members...

Tennessee Technology Center at Shelbyville has a new name but the same mission. The school is now called the Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Shelbyville. State Sen. Jim Tracy and State Rep. Harry Brooks sponsored the name change bill in the General Assembly, and Gov. Bill Haslam signed the bill into law. The name change recognizes that the TTCS is a post-secondary higher education institution and part of the Tennessee Board of Regents University and Community College system...

Just looking out over Shelbyville from one of the overlooking hills - say, New Hope Road or County Line Road on Chestnut Ridge - is one of the most comforting feelings in the world. Look during early morning or late afternoon. The buildings we all visit everyday, nestled in the foggy valleys amidst the sun's rising or setting glow. ...

Applications are being accepted for the Leadership Bedford Class of 2014. The program, sponsored by the Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce, begins each fall and participants graduate the following spring. The deadline for this year's applications is Aug. ...

They say championships are won in the offseason. If the amount of work rising Community Viking AJ Harris is putting in is any indication of his drive and dedication to the upcoming football season, it's a safe bet to say Harris hopes to lead the team to a successful year...

Sometimes teachers switch roles and become the students, especially when education standards change and they have to get up to speed on new techniques. Common Core State Standards is an initiative in 47 states to bring school curricula into closer alignment, and Bedford County schools have been implementing the program even before the state's deadline of 2014-2015...

Two Indiana cousins rode their bicycles through Shelbyville Wednesday on a quest to help cancer patients. Jesse Beller and Garrett Caldwell said their mission is personal -- their grandmother, Sue Nance, is a breast cancer survivor who is now cancer-free...

Part of providing a successful environment for today's youth to grow and thrive in is providing children of today every opportunity available to succeed. Many successes children learn are often found through sports--particularly soccer. The Azules club soccer team has been such a bastion for child development for some time in Bedford County, but is on the brink of losing its state-certified club status...

Sophia Luna takes a break from selling lemonade to sampling lemonade. Oh what fun she had with her first lemonade stand! Sophia is the daughter of Jason and Aimee Luna. She sold lemonade at her parent's yard sale.