Stories from Sunday, January 4, 2015

Trynt Anderson jumps and twists to keep from getting hit during a dodge ball game at the After School Care Program. (T-G Photo by Jim Davis)

By many accounts, this influenza season is a bad one as sick patients are flooding emergency rooms and walk-in clinics. In Tennessee, influenza-like illness activity is above Centers for Disease Control and Prevention epidemic thresholds, and the Tennessee Department of Health reports it has detected confirmed cases of influenza in 44 of 95 counties...

A proposed inter-local agreement between the county and city on the envisioned industrial park on Frank Martin Road is still in the discussion stage. Two "wide ranging" meetings have been conducted with county officials, according to city manager Jay Johnson...

Shelbyville's beer board is still rewriting the city ordinance dealing with the sale of alcohol, but one councilman is suggesting doing away with a distance requirement entirely. The ordinance was studied "paragraph by paragraph" by the beer board during a recent meeting, basically clarifying and rewriting much of the provisions in the existing document...

This week, instead of our normal weekly news quiz, we have a quiz covering each month of 2014. Choose the best answer for each question. 1 -- JANUARY What did several Shelbyville neighborhoods receive on Monday, Jan. 27? A) New street signs B) New trash carts...

Cascade coach Chad Spencer has had to work with a bit of a skeleton crew over the holidays, but finally saw some solid production from his post players as his team picked up a 55-48 victory to start off 2015 on a high note. "We've had a skeleton crew. Tonight was the most kids we've had on the bench for a while. Some of the things that we had been working on in practice with our post players had paid off," Spencer said...

The Cascade Champions (11-3) rang in the new year with an 86-68 thrashing of the Huntland Hornets (7-6) on Friday night. "They did a pretty good job of executing some things. We just shot the ball well. That's all we worked on today and it paid off," said Cascade coach Mike Edmondson...

The Argie Cooper Library bid farewell to children's librarian Jessica Osborne on Wednesday morning. Osborne, a student at MTSU, recently took a position at MGL Memorial Library in Murfreesboro as she pursues her education degree. The library staff and numerous patrons gathered as Osborne held her final storytime in Shelbyville...

Crystal methamphetamine was found in a vehicle during a traffic stop Thursday, the Bedford County Sheriff's Department said. A search of the vehicle found 2.5 grams of a "rock-like substance" in a vehicle driven by Harold Ray Nix, 45, of Jarrell Street, the BCSD report said...

New Year's always brings with it a time for reflection. Whether or not you commit to or stick with a resolution, I think most people at the very least use early January as a marker to reflect on the past and think about the future. I believe it's human nature to want to improve ourselves; to strive ahead...

Covering the local justice system is a unique experience. From people dealing with their first traffic violation, to more serious crimes, everyone gets their day in court. It can be tedious, exciting, and educational all at the same time. However, there are many instances that leave you scratching your head and wondering when the endless cycle of bad behavior will end, or why it is allowed to continue in the first place...

This past year Denise Graham's son graduated high school with an standard diploma, a feat that she didn't always know would be possible. The story begins in 1996, when Graham arrived at the hospital to deliver her baby. She was expecting the normal birthing procedure and wasn't fully prepared for the days to come...

This week the T-G caught up with Joshua Taylor, new assistant manager at a local paint store and resident of Bedford County. If you have any suggestions for future Sunday Conversations, email Sadie Fowler at sfowler@t-g.com. T-G: Where are you from?...

Haley and Zachery Sanders of Shelbyville announce the birth of a son, Levi Garen Sanders, on Dec. 25 at Harton Regional Medical Center in Tullahoma. The baby boy weighed 7 pounds, 19.6 oz. He is the grandson of Faren and Randy Taylor, Tabitha and Brian Hawkins, and Jimmy Sanders. He is the great-grandson of Ann Ford, Flora and Tom Hopkins, Clara Mae Davis, and Buck Ford...

Brian and Amanda Crews of Shelbyville announce the birth of a daughter, Sara Emery Crews, on Dec. 5 at Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital in Murfreesboro. The baby girl weighed 7 pounds, 11 oz. She is the granddaughter of William and Faye Crews of Shelbyville, Judy Dale of Shelbyville, and Paul and Diane Dale of Estill Springs. She is the great-granddaughter of Virgie Jacobs of Shelbyville and Robert and Mary Bolin of Estill Springs...

It seems like after all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays lots of folks suffer a real letdown of their spirits. Back in Montana, we often referred to it as "SAD," Seasonal Affective Disorder. There are fewer days without sunshine here in Tennessee, but whatever the season and whatever the reason, sometimes I think we all need a boost from the doldrums...

It was the spring of 1972 when a friend and I saw the movie, "The Last Picture Show," at the Empire Theater in downtown Grand Forks, North Dakota. This film was a coming of age story about several high school students in a small town on the plains of Texas. They talked about getting out of that town and exploring the world outside of Texas...

I am apparently one of the most trustworthy people in the United States. I didn't just wake up and decide this, but it has been confirmed over and over again these last few months by various people from across the world that want to entrust me with large bundles of money. ...

Hal and Janie Skelton of Wartrace observed their 50th wedding anniversary last month, although health issues prevented a public celebration. The couple was married Dec. 20, 1964, in Hampshire, Tennessee. (Submitted photos)