Stories from Wednesday, February 18, 2015

An employee of a contract cleaning company was killed early Tuesday morning while cleaning and sanitizing equipment at the Tyson Foods poultry plant in Shelbyville. James A. Currier, 38, of Shelbyville was dead after apparently falling into a piece of machinery, Shelbyville police said Tuesday...

Middle Tennessee State University has signed a first-of-its-kind partnership with Florida's Montverde Academy, a premier private boarding school known for its strong international enrollment and 100 percent college placement rate...

TuTu's Treasures in Shelbyville is donating 20 percent of all sales from Saturday, Feb. 21 to the Veterans' Aquatic Rehabilitation Fund. The Veterans' Aquatic Rehabilitation Fund provides free physical and psychological healthcare to veterans of the United States of America utilizing advanced aquatic therapies. ...

There is an organization available to help seniors prepare their income taxes for free. Tax-Aide is a national organization of volunteers who prepare income tax returns and provide assistance to middle to low income taxpayers with special attention to those 60 and over. All services are free...

According to the Small Business Administration, of the 22 million non-employer businesses only about 11 percent ever make six figures. To earn six figures in a year, you need to earn $8,333.33 a month or $1,923.07 a week. And more importantly, you have to have a clear and concise plan of how you're going to generate that new revenue each week (and month) in your business...

Duck River Electric Membership Corporation (DREMC) presented a merger proposal last week to the Mount Pleasant Power System Board that includes an offer of $12.275 million for utility assets and a commitment for $2.5 million in electric system improvements...

An allegedly intoxicated driver escaped serious injury after a short, but wild, drive ended in a major crash Sunday night. Tashiana Rankins of Shelbyville slammed into a ditch on West Jackson Street after almost striking a tractor-trailer, police said. She was charged with DUI, reckless driving, illegal consumption and violation of the implied consent law, officer David Dye said...

The "Saturday Night Live" 40th anniversary special on Sunday night drew huge ratings for NBC, but there has been some hand-wringing lately about the long-term prospects for the show. I'm not talking about the eternal complaints that "the new cast isn't as good as the cast I grew up with." Those complaints have gone on throughout the show's history, and the cast that one generation blamed for ruining the show is looked back on fondly by a different generation as representing a golden era. ...

A Shelbyville native hopes to stamp out Alzheimer's disease, one step at a time. Jennifer Reed Beavers is organizing the third annual Race for the Summitt 4-Miler. The event will raise funds for The Pat Summitt Foundation, an organization that advances research for curing and preventing Alzheimer's disease. The race will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 21 at the University of Tennessee Health Science Park in Memphis...

Schools are not the only institutions that are having to cancel functions due to the weather -- many churches have had to change the way they mark the start of Lent. Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten season that leads up to Easter, which is April 5. Some churches hold special services on Ash Wednesday. Some also host special meals the day before, which is called Shrove Tuesday (or Fat Tuesday)...

Duck River Electric Membership Corp. worked steadily throughout the day on Tuesday to bring customers back online after Monday night's ice storm, but at 4 p.m. Tuesday 1,217 homes in the Shelbyville district were still without power. Many of those homes saw power restored overnight as crews worked all night in snow flurries and 19-degree temperatures...

Feb. 15-21 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Tennessee, and while this week's wintry weather has been on everyone's minds, the annual observance is meant to call attention to all kinds of severe weather and how we can prepare for and respond to it...

Lone Star Rodeo has postponed this Saturday's performance for one week, until Saturday, Feb. 28. Advance tickets purchased for this Saturday will be honored on the 28th. Tickets are now on sale at the Celebration box office (684-5915 to order by phone); The Winner's Circle; Tullahoma Drug Store; and Russell Barnett Dodge in Winches ter. For more information about the rodeo, go to http://lonestarrodeocompany.com, call (270) 269-6000 or e-mail Info@LoneStarRodeoCompany.com. (Paladin Pro photo)

Duck River Electric Membership Corp. linemen and personnel -- augmented by mutual aid crews from instate and out-of-state electric cooperatives, municipal utilities and contractors -- this morning whittled down the number of households affected by outages from Monday's ice storm to 2,810...

Fred L. Williams, 92, of Murfreesboro died Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015 at Alvin C. York Medical Center. A memorial service with military honors will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21 at Woodfin Memorial Chapel in Murfreesboro with Charles McKnight, W.D. Thomason and Owen Ivery officiating. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. A private graveside service will be held at a later date.

Dad (James Stewart)took his evening to sled with his son (MickeyStewart)

Picture taken on Bethlehem Church Road

Photo taken on Bethlehem Church Road.

Coyote hunting for mice and voles in Yellowstone National Park.

I was recently visiting Yellowstone and spotted this male Big Horn sheep. Beautiful winter day and beautiful sheep.

Taken on the morning of Feb 18 - Highway 82, Flat Creek area.

The Walmart team in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life will hold a bowling fundraiser, "Bowling For A Cure," 1 p.m. Saturday at Shelbyville Bowl. The event will have six-person teams and the cost is $20 per person, which includes shoe rental and two games. There will be numerous prizes including best bowling shirt. All bowlers must be pre-registered and space is limited. Call 931-607-0939 or 931-205-1693 for more information...

James Allen Currier, 38, of Shelbyville died unexpectedly Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015. Per his wishes, he will be cremated. A celebration of life service will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25 at Gowen-Smith Chapel with Ron DeWitt officiating. Visitation will begin at 4 p.m.