Stories from Sunday, April 6, 2014

We are getting ready for the kickoff of our "Geek the Library" campaign. What's "Geek the Library all about?" It's a celebration of what makes you excited, what you are enthusiastic about, what tickles your fancy, what you know and love. We want to encourage everyone to remember that whatever you "geek" you can supplement your information and enjoyment by visiting the library. ...

Ashley and Kaylie King of Unionville were excited to find a balloon in the field next to their house with a tag on it from a little girl at Westside Elementary School in Greenbrier, Ark. The balloon was released in honor of Dr. Seuss Day at the Arkansas school. The date on the tag was Friday, March 14. Ashley and Kaylie found the balloon with the note, Saturday, March 15. It traveled approximately 400 miles in one day. The girls are shown here writing the student back to let her know they found it. They weren't able to write the note until a week or so after they found the balloon and haven't yet received a response. (Submitted photo by Elysha King)

On warm days, many locals take a trip to Fisherman's Park on the bank of the Duck River to cool their toes or toss a line in to see if they get a bite. But on Thursday, a group of college students came down from the University of the South to do both...

With the number of highway deaths up in Bedford County, Shelbyville will be requesting $71,000 in state grants in hopes of lowering the fatality rate. Each year, the city asks for a $5,000 grant from the Governor's Highway Safety Office to provide for overtime for DUI enforcement...

Shelbyville's city council will make a decision next week whether to sell a piece of property in the Shoma Park neighborhood. Lot 8 of the Shoma Park subdivision, next to 104 Navaho Drive, was donated to the city in 1988. The lot was a small neighborhood park for many years but about three years ago, playground equipment had to be removed due to its age, poor condition and the fact it was not compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations...

Chuck Heflin has announced his candidacy for a fifth district seat on Bedford County Board of Commissioners in the May 6 Republican primary. He is the production and operations manager at Worlds of Games L.L.C. For the past 22 years he has overseen the daily operations including research, product design, production control, purchasing and customer service...

Every basketball player's goal is to win a state championship. Jill Mitchell Phillips, formerly of Shelbyville, did such a feat as a member of the Shelbyville Central Golden' Eaglette state championship team. While a state championship as a player was good, Phillips recently added to the memory banks, coaching the Princeton Vikings to the 2013-2014 Ohio state championship, where Phillips' team defeated Hoover High School, 61-55...

MURFREESBORO -- Though they were originally slated to play the Moore County Raiders, the weather proved uncooperative for the Cascade Champions on Friday evening. Instead, the Champions traveled to Murfreesboro and faced the MTCS Cougars, who also had a rain out, and picked up an impressive 11-4 win over the former district opponent...

An employee of a rental firm denied chasing two people for miles in an attempt to recover a stolen laptop computer Thursday night. One of the occupants of a truck being chased said they were in a Madison Street parking lot when the rental agency rep told them to stop or he would hit them...

I have written many times about how staff at the Legislature and the State in general are very professional, competent, and very eager to help when I have a concern. ...

The Bedford County "Longbeard" Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) is hosting its 12th annual banquet on Saturday, April 12. The event will be at Blue Ribbon Circle Club. Doors open at 6 p.m. Sit-down dinner served at 7:30, catered by Joe McCurry...

Hee Haw 'N Howdy packed all the excitement into one weekend this year. Saturday night was filled with anticipation and excitement as the audience filed into Central High's auditorium for this season's final performance. Renita Hill, music director, felt this year's success was due to those in attendance...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Juan M. Garcia today announced the extension of the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program. The extended MILC protects dairy farmers enrolled in the program against income loss through Sept. 1, 2014, or until a new Margin Protection Program for dairy producers (MPP), established by the 2014 Farm Bill, is operational...

Katherine Motlow McLean of Hendersonville is engaged to Jacob Edwards Stanfill of Hendersonville. The future bride is the daughter of Kay and Andrew Grossberg of Cottontown, Tenn., and Sam Hays McLean Jr. of San Antonio, Texas. She is the granddaughter of Cornelia Riddle of Shelbyville and the late Albert Riddle, and the late Sam and Anne McLean...

Many folks in Bedford County are returning from Spring Break vacations this weekend. I know people who have been playing at the beach in Florida and on the coast in Alabama; and I have friends who have been on a cruise in the Caribbean. My wife and I recently returned from a vacation in the Caribbean too, and it was a great vacation for us and our friends, Dennis and Ina Pratt, from Memphis...

As the weather starts to warm up everything becomes more active. Already the paint store I work at has gone from the occasional winter consumer to a bustling hive of activity. As people become more and more motivated to do what the winter months prohibit, a sense of productivity and acceleration seems to fill the air. Everything is livelier. Perhaps this is why April was chosen to serve as the month in which we pay tribute to one of humanities' noblest endeavors, poetry...

The following conversation reflects a Q&A interview with Michael Perryman and the Times-Gazette. If you have someone you would like to nominate for Sunday Conversation please contact editor Sadie Fowler at sfowler@t-g.com. T-G: Tell us about your family...

Amanda Courtney Ray of Pleasant Grove is engaged to Brian Michael Calvin Bogle of Flat Creek. The bride-elect is the daughter of Gene and Shelia Ray of Pleasant Grove. She is the granddaughter of Larry and Connie Hasty of Unionville, Sarah Jane Ray of Unionville and the late Robert Cecil Ray...

A devotional from Nelson Books connects readers with Jesus with a little help from Spider-Man, Capt. James T. Kirk and Jane Eyre. "No Cape Required: 52 Ways to Unleash Your Inner Hero" provides one devotional for each week using a portion of Scripture, a fictional hero's anecdote, and a guide for prayer and taking action. Kristen Parrish, editor-in-chief of Nelson books, is the author of "No Cape Required."...

Barbara Troxler of Normandy was recently honored by The Tennessee Cooperator magazine as "Cook-of-the-Month" for her rendition of stuffed celery. Though Barbara, a well-known cook throughout Bedford County, is modest about her abilities in the kitchen, her husband James said the recipe is too good not to share...

Tim and Sherry Miller of Unionville announce the engagement of their daughter, Heather Denise Miller, to Corey Brooks Young, son of Chad and Becky Young of Shelbyville. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Cuba Miller of Murfreesboro, the late Walter Miller, and the late Carl and Judy Cooper...

Family and Community Education (FCE) clubs of Bedford County recently gathered for their annual Achievement Night. There are 14 clubs active in the county this year and FCE is administered by the UT Extension Office. Achievement Night is an annual event to honor the achievements of individuals and clubs during the previous calendar year. Criteria for the different achievement categories can be found in the FCE handbook...