Stories from Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Bedford County Financial Management Committee recommended Tuesday night that the county go back on a decision it made during the just-completed budget process and give a $21,000 increase in its contribution to the Natural Resources Conservation Service...

A while back, I reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Gear, a smartwatch from Samsung which works only with Samsung smartphones. It was a clever device, and a fun thing to have for a week and be able to show off, but I wasn't sure whether it would sell. Now, Samsung has its second wave of smartwatches on the market, and I recently, courtesy of AT&T, got to try out two of them: the Samsung Gear Fit and the Samsung Gear 2 Neo...

Zander & Malek Johnson - enjoying the last few days before school starts back.

Frank Philpott (3) stops to take it all in on his tour of the Shelbyville Firehouse. He was so excited to "Go see the heroes". When we got there his smile was so big, it wrapped around his head 3 times!!!! A super huge thank you to Fire Fighter Zack Warren for the fantastic tour and making this event so special for Frank...

Billy 'Bill' Hulan Jr., 47, of Newnan, Ga. died Tuesday, July 22, 2014. Memorial services will be held at noon Saturday at Hillcrest Funeral Home with the Rev. Ray Armstrong officiating. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Another gathering will be held Sunday afternoon at Four Corners Church in Newnan.

Martha Lynn Griffith Hale, 92, of Wayland, Massachusetts, formerly of Shelbyville, died Monday, July 21, 2014. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5 at Wellesley Congregational Church in Wellesley, Mass. George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

ARNOLD AFB -- Ike Farrar, 95, a retired U.S. Air Force major who flew medical supplies to the Pacific as the Allies moved closer to Japan, was honored Tuesday at Arnold Engineering Development Complex, and presented with a letter from Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force...

Kids in Tennessee are better off than they were a year ago, but there is still work to be done, according to an annual study. Tennessee rose from a ranking of 39th to 36th in a measurement of child well-being called KIDS COUNT National Data Book. Tennessee was among the five states with the biggest improvements since 2013...

A "Century Farm" refers to a farm that has been in the same family ownership for more than 100 years. Bedford County has 27, including one added to the list just recently. As Bedford County Fair officials prepare for the opening of the fair next week, they held a coffee on Tuesday recognizing the agricultural heritage represnted by those 27 families...

Unique tomato plant -- or marijuana? Gary Wiker of Madison Street insisted his "tomato plant" is rare and "no one else grows that kind of tomato," officer Tory Moore said in his report. Police who found the plant say it's marijuana -- and charged Wiker, 53, with possession and sale of a schedule VI substance...

The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration has announced a three-member veterinary advisory committee that will be in charge of rules and regulations pertaining to the safety and well-being of the Tennessee Walking Horse. The panel consists of Drs. Jerry H. Johnson, D.V.M, Dallas O. Goble, D.V.M, and Phillip D. Hammock, D.V.M...

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean will speak at a Bedford County Democratic Party rally Saturday evening at the Fly Arts Center on South Main Street. Democratic candidates for U.S. House, governor, U.S. Senate and for several local offices are scheduled to attend, along with Tennessee Democratic Party chairman Roy Herron...

Donations have been received for the Memorial Fund, Memorial Books and Building Fund in memory of Shirl Abbey by The Library Book Club, Louise Armstrong; Avery Thomas Arnold by Wilborn and Annie Ruth Sanders; Debbie Atashzay by Happy Hands Quilt Guild; Kenneth D. ...

During a recent meeting of Middle Tennessee Business Networking of Bedford County, several members mentioned they had either done business with other members or referred them to friends, family and business acquaintances. It soon became evident just how much money circulated within the group...

Kroger is hosting a School Supply Drive now through Aug. 5 to help support public schools in Middle Tennessee. Customers are encouraged to purchase a $6 pre-assembled school supply kit or any other school supply items of their choice and place the donations in the special drop-off bins at the front of the stores...

Five years after its founding, Community Middle School's Stage 13 Productions is going back to its roots. The group's first-year members are reuniting for new performances of "The Outsiders" -- the play that kicked off the group. Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Community Middle's auditorium. Admission is $3...

Aimee Hoover, a Murfreesboro resident with a background in teaching and marketing, has joined The Webb School in Bell Buckle as assistant director of admissions. Hoover's main responsibility is to introduce Webb, its curriculum and programs to prospective students and families. The primary recruiting focus will be Webb's day markets. These day markets include cities located in Bedford, Cannon, Coffee, Rutherford, and Warren counties...

Tonya Swoape, a registered dietician, spoke to Shelbyville Lions Club members on diabetes and on issues facing those with diabetes. She explained some of the more common symptoms a person may be having if they are diabetic as in no sensation in their feet, being extremely thirsty all the time, and very tired. ...

ROCKVALE -- In their 2014 season opener at Champions' Run Golf Course, the Community Vikings fell in a dual-team match to backyard rival Eagleville, 244-265. In the nine-hole match, Brayden Stephenson was the low-round scorer for the Purple and Gold, carding a 45...