Stories from Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Shelbyville-based Duck River Electric Membership Corp. has created a new district services department to oversee its district offices, and has promoted Manchester district manager David Young to lead it. "This is a position of great responsibility. I am delighted that someone of David Young's experience, enthusiasm and dedication has agreed to take on the challenge," said DREMC president and CEO Michael Watson...

Thomas Jefferson was a farmer as well as a statesman, and one of his dreams for the country he helped establish was that someday, with America's rich potential for agriculture, it would rival Europe as a producer of fine wine, says food and wine writer Doc Lawrence...

Jeanette Wilkerson, 83, of Chattanooga died Tuesday, June 10, 2014. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at East Ridge Church of Christ with Charles Cochran and John Cupp officiating. Burial will follow at Chattanooga National Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. Thursday at the East Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home.

Three vehicles were entered at three apartment complexes in three days, Shelbyville police said Tuesday. l Four fishing poles, a tackle bag and a bottle of prescription medication were taken from an unlocked vehicle at Oak Knoll Apartments, Union Street, overnight Monday...

The 69th Annual Wartrace High School Alumni Banquet was held April 26 at Cascade High School. Alumni Association President John Bramblett welcomed those in attendance for a time of lunch and fellowship. Memorabilia gathered by association historian Carolyn Smotherman was on display...

An animal welfare advocate says that you may qualify to get your pet fixed for free -- for a limited time. The Shelbyville-Bedford County Humane Association has $500 in grant money remaining to fix pets, said Kimberly Warren. She is with SBCHA and is executive director of the Middle Tennessee Spay & Neuter Clinic...

Southern Propane will host a customer appreciation day later this month. In Columbia, where the business is located at 1222 Impact Drive, a customer appreciation party will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 24. Current customers can have their 20 pound (OPD) grill bottle filled for free. The event will also feature special summerfill prices, special new customer fills and special winter prebuy prices...

On May 30-31, the Bedford County FFA Chapter of Shelbyville Central High School traveled to Doyle, Tenn., to compete in the Tennessee State FFA Forestry competition. This was the first time that the chapter had ever competed in this event. The members who competed were Jordin Hockaday, Jackson Smith, Hunter Lemmon and Jessie Sanders. ...

Riverbend Country Club pro Randy Helton has been chasing a Tennessee State Open title for several years. Though he had a handful of missed opportunities in years past, Helton finally won the Tennessee Senior State Open Championship recently, besting a field of 122 with a 66-74, good enough for four-under par...

Malek Johnson gets this trophy for Doak-Howell placing 2nd place for the season.

Anna Willis, 79, of Bell Buckle died Sunday, June 8, 2014. There will be no services. Feldhaus Memorial Chapel is handling arrangements.

Robert S. Emenheiser, 81, of Shelbyville died Monday, June 9, 2014 after an extended illness. There will be no services. Feldhaus Memorial Chapel is handling arrangements.

The AEDC Woman's Club had a tremendous 60th Anniversary Celebration at the Lakeside Center on May 6. A DVD presentation was presented by former president, Barb McGuire. All yearbooks from 1953 through 2013 were reviewed and pictures were scanned of the board members, opera presentations, programs of belly dancers, geisha girls, Demetria Kalodimos of Channel 4, historian David Heibert, and many other programs of the club. ...

It's that time of year again. Since 2002, Manchester has hosted one of the nation's most popular live music events -- the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Held on a 700-acre farm, the four-day, multi-stage event showcases a diverse assortment of musical styles and performers. Thousands of people attend, and Manchester becomes their temporary home for several days each June...

Shelbyville's budget workshops were completed Tuesday, with numbers "locked in." Council members chose last week to borrow $360,000 through a Tennessee Municipal League capital outlay note for the purchase for the rest of the 6,864 garbage rollout carts...

Bedford County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to grant a rezoning to Wayne and Adrian Bomar for property bordered by U.S. 41A (New Tullahoma Highway), State Route 64 (Wartrace Pike) and State Route 437 (the Shelbyville bypass). The Bomars had asked for the property to be rezoned from A-1 (agriculture) to C-2 (commercial), saying the construction of the bypass and the forthcoming widening of 41A had harmed its suitability for residential use and made it more appropriate to sell as a possible commercial site.. ...

Bedford County schools have rehired 21 non-tenured teachers this summer. At the end of the school year, the system had placed 49 non-tenured educators on the non-retain list. Several of those teachers had spoken out with concerns over the non-rehire process...

Monday night's storms caused damage to the building and grounds of the South's oldest Lutheran church. Cedar trees in the cemetery at Shofner's Lutheran Chapel on U.S. 41A South snapped due to straight line winds and shingles were blown off the roof. The church was founded in 1808 and rebuilt after a fire in 1867, according to Michael Shofner, church board member and trustee, who was on the grounds Tuesday morning to inspect the damage. (T-G Photos by Brian Mosely)

I haven't been to our local Chili's since the installation of tabletop tablets a few weeks back, but I'm told they're there. Dallas-based Ziosk is installing more than 45,000 of its tablets at 823 company-owned Chili's restaurants and is working towards equipping all of the franchisee-owned restaurants as well...

Robert Terry Williams, 67, of Shelbyville died late Tuesday night, June 10, 2014 at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Doak-Howell Funeral Home with Ralph Hart officiating. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. Thursday.

Pamela Carole Watson, 60, of Bell Buckle died Tuesday, June 10, 2014, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. No services will be held. Hillcrest Funeral Home is handling arrangements.