Stories from Sunday, March 15, 2015

The first time I met William Gay was while I was in college. He came to read for my professor's English class. Although it wasn't my class, my professor invited me because he knew I was a fan of William's work. I had just finished his novel Twilight--not the one about twinkly vampires and teenage love-- and I had also read that William didn't get published until he was in his late fifties. ...

"Beware the ides of March!" is a quote from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," that we often hear this time of year. Today, March 15, is the ides of March, and also, Lupercalia, an ancient Roman religious holiday. I always thought that the 15th of any month was the ides of that month, but it turns out that it's a lot more complicated than that...

"Let me tell you what kind of business man I am," says Grady McGee as he reaches to the top shelf of a bookcase and retrieves two large, African-inspired figures--they are solid wood and hand carved by McGee himself. "That poet from Bell Buckle, Maggi Vaughn," said McGee. "She was sitting on that couch right there and offered me $200 for these."...

Meghan Crowell of Shelbyville and Brad Brown of Unionville are engaged. The bride-elect is the daughter of Danny and Vickie Hull of Wartrace. She is the granddaughter of Wayne and Linda Crowell of Shelbyville, and Phil and Terry Hull of Christiana. She graduated from Shelbyville Central High School in 2008 and Tennessee Tech University in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. She works at Learning Way Elementary as a first grade teacher...

If you're looking for a quality movie the whole family can watch, look no further than "The Identical." Produced by City of Peace Films, "The Identical" follows the life of Ryan Wade (played by a newcomer, Blake Rayne), a young man bearing a striking resemblance to The King of Rock 'N Roll. Rayne worked for a time as an Elvis impersonator after winning a impersonator competition...

John Martin Feeney was born in Maine in 1894, the son of Irish immigrants at the end of a wave of immigration. He was proud of his native country, America, but he was also proud of his Irish ancestry. As a young man, he moved to California, following his older brother Francis into the movie industry, and choosing a stage name that matched his brother's: Jack Ford, which eventually became John Ford...

I'm a reader. I thoroughly enjoy reading the newspaper, magazines, a good mystery or action thriller, and the news items that scroll across the bottom of the screen on Fox News and CNN. I assume you are a reader too. After all you're reading my column right now...

A beautiful Sunday morning began with church doors opening early to welcome travelers from across the country. I was meeting a group from Pennsylvania later in the day but the quiet hours before the thousands of walkers arrived allowed me to walk those five city blocks alone. ...

Warren Sager, a playwright, lives in Rutherford County and attends Fair Haven Baptist Church in Shelbyville. He wrote the play "Something's Wrong With Abernathy" which was performed at the church last weekend. He sells scripts for churches, schools and homeschools...

There are many interesting reasons why people choose their career paths. Some people are in it for the money, others want to make a difference, some just happen to land a job and stick with it. Recently, Steve Mallard introduced the T-G to three of his students--each with various reasons for choosing to join the Computer Information Technology (CIT) program at Tennessee College of Applied Technology (T-CAT) in Shelbyville--all of whom are passionate about their field of study...

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." --Thomas Edison I think this past week was our busiest week yet so far this year. I ran 8 different bills of mine through the committee system and had visits from lots of different people including The Bedford County Leadership group and the Lincoln County Leadership group. ...

It feels like the 1990s all over again. With Hillary Clinton back in the news, you can be sure there will be scandals, denials and spin from all sides over the latest news that she used a personal e-mail account while serving as Secretary of State. I guess it all depends on what your definition of ISP is...

Five Bedford County residents who are students at The Webb School recently spent winter break, Feb. 19-22, in Quebec City, Canada. Junior Madeline Gallagher and freshman Collin Jones, both of Normandy, and freshmen Lucy Mitchell of Wartrace and Erin Parsons and Isaac Williams, both of Shelbyville, joined 20 other students and chaperones on the trip and 72-hour-stay in La Vieille Capitale...

Ready, Set, Go ... Kindergarten! will take place Thursday, March 19. The kindergarten registration will take place at Harris Middle School. The English presentation is at 6:15 p.m. in the auditorium. The Spanish presentation is at 6:15 p.m. in the library...

Chris Rodriguez, The Webb School assistant director of college counseling, recently traveled to the University of St. Andrews in Scotland for the "Counsellors Conference 2015." Rodriguez joined approximately 50 counselors from all over the world. Activities included a tour of the university, which dates to 1413, as well as the town. ...

A woman allegedly concealed clothing items and put on a pair of sunglasses before attempting to walk away from Walmart on Thursday morning, Shelbyville police said. Adriana Marie Henderson, 25, of Murfreesboro allegedly walked past all pay points before being stopped by store personnel. She was charged with criminal trespassing and shoplifting and posted $1,000 bond...

Here's our look back at the past seven days in local news. Choose the best answer for each question. 1) Shelbyville Central High School students are helping nearby Learning Way Elementary School obtain what? A. Books B. Playground equipment C. Pizza for a post-TCAP victory party...

More rehabilitation work is set for Shelbyville's airport after the state aeronautics commission recently voted to approve a grant application. While the city is awaiting an official announcement on the state grant, some $2.5 million in federal and state money will be spent for work for pavement rehabilitation on the north taxiway and ramp and an electrical system replacement...

A new, stronger law governing the annexation process is about to take place, but a state advisory committee says even more changes are needed. In 2013, the state put a moratorium on many types of annexation while laws were being studied. That moratorium was made even stricter last year...

It's almost time to get those running or walking shoes out of the closet to help make a difference in the lives of young men. Arrowhead Ranch near Normandy will be holding its sixth annual "Run for the Ranch," on Saturday, April 18. Registration time is from 8 to 9 a.m. with the start time at 10 a.m...

The old phrase "raining cats and dogs" didn't exactly apply as runners, a few with their dogs, splash off Saturday morning at the beginning of the Paws for a Cause 5K, benefiting Middle Tennessee Spay and Neuter Clinic. (T-G Photo by David Melson)

Levi Landers loved the beautiful sunshine! He played from sun up to sun down!

Levi Landers is feeding the horses with daddy Joel Landers on a beautiful sunny day!