Stories from Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Charles Michael Cooley, 66, of Tullahoma died Wednesday, April 8, 2015 at Christian Care Center in Shelbyville. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at J.A. Welton & Son Funeral Home in Tullahoma with the Rev. Lance Shelton as eulogist. Burial will follow at Stones River Veterans Cemetery in Murfreesboro. Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. Online condolences may be sent to www.weltonfuneralhome.com.

Clarence Edward Elkins, Jr., 76, of Smyrna, a former Bedford County resident, died Tuesday, March 31, 2015. Funeral services were held Saturday, April 3 at Woodfin Memorial Chapel in Murfreesboro with W.D. Thomason officiating. Burial followed at Simpson Cemetery in Rover.

Bedford County youth will get to R.O.K. and roll once again this spring. The third annual Rewarding Our Kids (R.O.K.) Concert will be Saturday and is hosted by local emergency services. This may be the concert's third year, but it has one major change, organizer Jason Barber said. The concert has moved to a new venue: Pleasant Valley Farms, 2395 Highway 64 East...

The first National Autism Awareness Month was declared in April 1970 by the Autism Society. Since then, the month has become widely recognized and celebrated worldwide by families, businesses, political leaders, educators, autism organizations and celebrities...

Shelbyville mayor Wallace Cartright, right, listens as the state building committee approves an application for a certificate of need and public purpose -- a critical step in the construction of a commerce business park. City manager Jay Johnson listens at left. (T-G Photo by Brian Mosely)

Multiple charges have been filed against a man accused of demanding guns and money from a Unionville-Deason Road resident after breaking into her home March 28. Coby Allan Davis, 24, was arrested Monday night at an apartment on Main Street in Wartrace by Deputy Chris Morton...

Before you dig into your next outdoor project, Atmos Energy invites you to enter its Yard Rescue 811 contest. As part of National Safe Digging Month in April, the contest reminds property owners, construction crews and do-it-yourselfers to stay safe by always calling 811 before digging...

LEWISBURG -- Gage Blackwell had something to brag about when he attended school on Monday. He sang with one of the most well-known country singers -- Dolly Parton. Gage, 12, has Down Syndrome, but his mother Lynnae Blackwell doesn't want people to feel sorry for him...

One of the dangers of children and technology is hearing loss. Kids sometimes like to turn their headphones up loud -- too loud. That can lead to long-term hearing loss. Kidz Gear is an El Dorado Hills, California-based manufacturer of tech products and accessories for, as the name implies, children. The company's latest product is its Kidz Gear Deluxe Stereo Headset Headphones with Boom Microphone. The company had already been making a version of the headphones without the mike...

Southside Elementary students gathered March 24 to pay tribute to classmate Davin Lynch on what would have been his 11th birthday. Davin lost his life in a traffic accident on Dec, 19, 2014. Southside fifth grader Azaezha Williams proposed the idea that she and her classmates release balloons on Davin's birthday...

NASHVILLE (AP) -- Jack Daniel's has turned back the latest challenge to a state law that determines which spirits can be marketed as "Tennessee Whiskey," but upstart distillers hoping their brands make the cut vow the fight isn't over for good. Opponents of the law enacted at the behest of Jack Daniel's in 2013 said they withdrew their repeal measure Tuesday to try to generate more support before next year's legislative session. ...

Athena Broadband internet providers earned recognition as the Shelbyville Bedford-County Chamber members of the month. From left: Stephanie Crosslin of the Chamber; John Rowland and Josh Lynch, owners of Athena; and Chamber CEO Allen Pitner. (T-G Photo by Sadie Fowler)

A glance at the final score between Cascade and Giles County on Tuesday night might be a little misleading. Though it went down as a 2-0 loss for the Champions, coach Zane Perry was plenty pleased with his team's effort against one of the tougher teams in District 12-AA...

FAYETTEVILLE -- It was another split for the Shelbyville Central tennis teams on Tuesday evening at Lincoln County. The Shelbyville Central Golden Eaglettes nipped the Lady Falcons 4-3, while the Eagles dropped another tough loss, 6-1. In the girls' match, Shlebyville took the top three matches, with Keely Smith knocking off Lauren Gower, 8-2...

SPRING HILL -- Cascade fell behind the Spring Hill Raiders early, but rallied for two runs late in Tuesday night's District 12-AA game. Although the Champs rallied and sat with a chance to win, the Raiders were able to claim the win on a walk off wild pitch, 3-2...