Stories from Wednesday, September 18, 2013

For the staff at Middle Tennessee Education Center in Shelbyville, feeding the mind -- and the people -- is serious business. In fact, it's a matter of survival. "We must develop our own food sources," Motlow State Community College president Dr. MaryLou Apple said at the school's MTEC site open house Tuesday night. "One day it will make a difference in who survives."...

Southside School and several residents in an area between South Cannon Boulevard and Lewis Avenue were evacuated after a natural gas leak at midday today. The students were taken to Cannon United Methodist Church next to the school. Many of the residents were evacuated to Never Rest Park...

Mrs. Madeline "Mitzi" Pratt Hillin, 86, of Nashville died Tuesday, September 17th. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Hillcrest Funeral Home with Thels Finchum and the Rev. Mike Gentry officiating. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. Thursday.

How do you make a school safer? The answers aren't always easy, and every choice can have unintended consequences. That was the dilemma faced by Bedford County Board of Education on Tuesday night as it heard a report from architect John Davis on school security issues...

MOTLOW COLLEGE -- Any discussion of the Second Amendment is sure to provoke spirited discussion, and this year's Constitution Day Forum at Motlow State Community College was no exception. The annual event, attended by students and members of the public alike, brings together several Motlow faculty members to give their viewpoints on a Constitution-related topic...

SPRINGFIELD -- The Community Viking golf squad concluded its season on Tuesday in the district tournament, held at The Legacy Golf Course. With a combined team score of 383, the Vikings finished sixth in the competition. Senior Blake Fanning led Community in the final round of the year. He posted a 90 on the afternoon, while teammate Jake Garrette turned in a 91...

Shelbyville Central's Golden Eaglette soccer team remains unbeaten in District 8-AAA play after claiming a 3-0 shutout over visiting Coffee County on Tuesday night. The Eaglettes (4-3-2, 2-0-1 8-AAA) led 2-0 at halftime off goals from Tiana Sanders and Alexis Larion before Lesleigh Blackburn found the back of the net in the second half...

Harris Middle School's Golden Eagles capped of an exciting homecoming with a 36-30 win over White County on Tuesday evening. After leading 22-14 at halftime the Eagles extended the lead to 36-14 before playing mostly substitutions the rest of the game...

UNIONVILLE -- The wait was worth it for the Community Viqueens as they downed the Fayetteville Lady Tigers in straight sets Tuesday night in District 9-A volleyball action. After Fayetteville arrived 45 minutes late to the contest, the Viqueens were primed to set the tone for the night. Community would score the first three points of the first set, and never trailed in the set. Though the Lady Tigers would only be down 18-16, the Viqueens finished the set with a 7-1 run to win 25-17...

On any given Thursday this season -- designated as "Football Day" at Liberty School -- players wear their jerseys to school. But it is what happens before the school day begins that has sparked so much interest outside the stadium. Eleven eighth grade members of the football team arrive at 7:30 a.m. each Thursday to read books to kindergarten and first grade students. The youngsters have quickly become fans of the reading program and, even more so, its leaders...

Wartrace's attorney is to examine the legal status of a dead-end road that is at the center of a drainage issue. Questions about ownership and jurisdiction were raised last month after members of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Wartrace raised issues over drainage and who should be responsible for fixing the problem...

While some people are comfortable handling their own investments, many are not. The Securities Division with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance wants to show consumers where to turn for help with their investments. "Investing is complicated process," says Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak. "If you are not comfortable handling your own investments it is important to solicit the help of a financial services professional who can help you make the right decisions."...

A fascinating article by Marcia Hoffman at the Wired magazine website reveals the possible legal consequences if the fingerprint authentication introduced on the new iPhone 5 becomes standard. The new phone, introduced by Apple last week and mentioned in last week's column, includes a fingerprint sensor, and you can use the touch of a finger instead of a password to unlock your phone or make purchases from the iTunes store. ...

statewide trucking safety award Big G Express Inc. was honored for its outstanding safety record at the Tennessee Trucking Association's Awards Banquet held in Destin, Fla., on Sept. 10. Big G Express received the first place fleet safety award in the Truckload Division, Over 7 Million Miles Division. ...

Family Staffing Solutions hosted the Chamber coffee on Tuesday at the Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce. The company does home visits and provides round-the-clock personal care. From left are Margie Moore, Dee Burk and Teresa Barnes, director. (T-G Photo by Jason Reynolds)

Brandy Ricco has joined the staff of Tropical Island Hair and Tanning Salon, 901 1/2 Madison Street. Ricco has six years' experience as a stylist and is a former manager of Smart Style. She will specialize in cuts and color for the entire family and will be at the salon Wednesday through Saturday. (Submitted photo)

Betty and Jim Brown, right, present a check for $200 to David Parker, principal of Cascade Middle School. The Browns are members of Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society, Chapter 6297, which donated $200 to every public school in Bedford and Coffee Counties to help with the purchase of supplies for needy students. (Submitted Photo)