Stories from Sunday, August 2, 2015

As the soccer season draws near, the anticipation builds for the Golden Eaglettes as they look to defend the District 8-AAA championship for the fourth straight year. The anticipation is even more for longtime Shelbyville Central coach Neal Gordon, in his last season as the Eaglette head coach before turning the duties over to his daughter Whitney, a former Eaglette player and current assistant coach...

The third annual Summer Feed and Fun Blowout drew more than 500 on Friday, organizers said. Sponsored by the Johnson Residential Group and The Center for Family Development, the event also provides children with a backpack and school supplies. Ashley Johnson (in red), a former Shelbyville Central Golden Eaglette basketball standout, talks to kids waiting in line for lunch. Jeremiah Wyatt (left) and Ernie Kennerly hand out milk to kids at the event...

Well, that's what this bird ready for the competition in the Bantum, Silkie division at the Bedford County Fair could be thinking. (T-G Photo by Jim Davis)

Effective last month, the State of Tennessee got out of the business of regulating race tracks and drag strips, turning that authority over to local counties. County Mayor Eugene Ray said Friday that he knows of no concerns about Duck River Raceway Park, a dirt-racing track near Wheel, and the county has no plans for any new regulations...

Early voting will begin Monday, Aug. 10, in the contested Zone 4 election for a seat on Duck River Electric Membership Corp.'s Board of Directors. Wayne Tucker, the incumbent, seeks his third term. He is challenged by nominating committee candidate Chris Bell. DREMC's Zone 4 includes Bedford and Rutherford counties. Only co-op members residing in these counties may cast ballots...

An inmate has filed a federal civil rights suit against Bedford County Jail, demanding $2.2 million for a variety of claims. Matthew G. Cooper claims after he was taken into custody on a charge of aggravated assault, he was "issued a thin sheet of plastic, with no cushion, on which to sleep," saying that the jail refers to it "as a mattress."...

An oxygen mask/bottle and GPS unit were stolen from an unlocked car at an Anthony Lane apartment overnight Wednesday, police said. Also reported to Shelbyville police: *The stereo system was stolen from a vehicle at Snatch and Grab Recovery, West Depot Street, between Tuesday and Thursday...

There's been a lot of interesting national news going on this week, but you may have not heard about it, depending on where you get your information. This week, a federal judge threatened to hold the IRS commissioner and Justice Department attorneys in contempt of court after the IRS failed to produce status reports and newly recovered emails belonging to Lois Lerner, who has been accused of targeting conservative groups...

It's not easy to frame someone's entire life into a single feature, especially when that person is local artist and business owner Michael Bush. It's an early weekday morning and Bush is seated at an outdoor table near his home, the rolling hills of Bell Buckle making up the scenery. Just behind Bush is his home studio, in a separate building from his house and where he goes to work on his latest art and painting projects...

T-G: Tell us a little about your family. Are you a single child? Haney: I am the middle child of a family of 8. Myself and all of my siblings were home schooled so we grew up very close. They are a group of incredibly talented individuals and a lot of fun to be around....

As many of you already know, the Shelbyville-Bedford County Public Library bookmobile was destroyed in a fire on July 23. Some equipment and all of the books onboard were also lost. That's the bad news. The good news is a great deal more important. No one was hurt. That's first and foremost. Thanks to all the firefighters and law enforcement who came to our aid as well as employees of the Whiteside Market who were there to help when trouble struck...

You can learn a lot about marriage from the book of Genesis, whether it's the creation of the sacrament with Adam and Eve or the relationship between Isaac and Rebekah. The latter is highlighted in a new book by a local publisher. Sword of the Lord Publishers in Murfreesboro has released "Rebekah: The Chosen Bride."...

Jennifer Swann is in her eighth year as the program coordinator for Shelbyville Parks and Recreation and still finds the joy in her work. "When you wake up everyday, you have the opportunity to change somebody's life," Swann said. Swann, a Normandy native, graduated from Cascade before attending Middle Tennessee State University to major in outdoor recreation...

How far has your faith taken you? One Bell Buckle resident's faith took her to Israel to do fellowship with a missionary in the Holy Land. LouAnn Smith of Bell Buckle was part of a group of 17 Middle Tennesseans who toured Israel over the course of 10 days in June. The trip was organized by their church, Christian Life Church in Murfreesboro. Each person raised his or her own funds to pay for the trip...

Have you ever had one of those days when everything just seemed to go wrong? From the time you woke up in the morning until you manage to crawl into bed at night, one thing after another goes wrong, and your whole day is just messed up. I hate it when that happens...

I should open by noting that this isn't written as a bashing of the church or the people within. I'm simply writing about various instances in which I noticed a certain attitude towards death and justice amongst my fellow churchgoers. I was raised in the church and have attended just about every denomination there is, so I feel I have some credibility when it comes to the topic. You do anything long enough and you're bound to notice something...

Kristin Sollenne is a New York-based chef and nutritionist who oversees the kitchens of three different restaurants and who makes TV appearances -- she was a mentor on "Food Network Star," has been a frequent guest judge on "Beat Bobby Flay," and will be a season finale judge for the next season of "Worst Cooks in America." She also appears frequently on local New York City television...

Kayla Tomlin and A.J. Harris of Shelbyville are engaged. The bride-elect is the daughter of Jenny Tomlin of Unionville. She is the granddaughter of Ronnie and Teresa Tomlin of Unionville. She is a 2015 graduate of Community High School. The groom-elect is the son of Allan and Karen Harris of Shelbyville. He is the grandson of Harry and Elizabeth Molder of Shelbyville, Linda Harris of Bell Buckle and the late Terry Harris...