Stories from Sunday, June 5, 2016

As their senior seasons concluded earlier this year, three particular Bedford County athletes were honored for their efforts as their respective careers concluded. Representing Shelbyville Central as the athlete of the year was O.J. Davis, Cascade was Shaina Schneider, and Community was Darian Pride...

The Shelbyville-Bedford County Public Library summer reading program held a kickoff event Wednesday at Learning Way Elementary School, although it's still not too late for families to enroll their children online at the library's website, sbcplibrary.org...

Tennessee is just so pretty in the spring! While taking a few minutes to myself along the shore of the Duck River this past weekend, I spotted an enormous crane circling over the water and then swooping in to land and take a typical one-footed stance in the shallows on the far bank...

Zack Spears is a STEM teacher at Cascade High School, his alma mater. You never know if you will see him working with students on a wind tunnel, pasta noodle bridge or trebuchet. To suggest a future subject for Sunday Conversation, email Sadie Fowler, sfowler@t-g.com. Subjects don't have to be well-known, but please give us some ideas of what topics we might want to cover in our questions...

A local church is celebrating more than a century and a half of history and service to the community. Woodfork Chapel AME Church will celebrate its 152nd anniversary on Sunday, June 12 with a special service at 11 a.m., the only service to be held that day, said member Mary Ann Brame. The guest speaker will be the Rev. Sidney Bryant, the presiding elder for the South Nashville District of the AME Church...

I've been told I'm a heavy drinker and there's not much I can say to argue that point. I'm not referring to the heavy stuff that can ruin one's life, but mainly tea, water, and coffee. If you see me, I probably have a drink in my hand. I am the most hydrated person you will ever meet...

My father was a "rock-hound." He had hunted for rocks and stones and collected them for most of his life. Our backyard was decorated with the bigger rocks that he found, and he had boxes of stones of all shapes and sizes. Any time the family would go on a trip of any kind, Dad seemed to work in a visit to a rock-shop on the way...

Participants in the annual Fired Up 'N Fit Adventure 5K, held Saturday at Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy on Unionville Deason Road, climbed walls, crawled through the mud and careened down a 70-foot water slide. The non-competitive run is a fund-raiser for United Way of Bedford County and also benefits the Tennessee Fallen Firefighter Memorial on the TFACA campus. See more photos at t-g.com. (T-G Photos by John I. Carney)...

Bedford County Board of Commissioners' courthouse and county property committee, meeting Friday night, recommended that the county build a 400-bed jail and workhouse combined with a justice center. The recommendation was broken down into four separate votes -- one of them unanimous, the other three passing by 3-2 margins...

The Tennessee Corrections Institute has recertified Bedford County Jail for another year based on improvements made over the past few months, Sheriff Austin Swing said Friday. But the jail remains under a "plan of improvement" demanded by the state...

A therapeutic horse riding program is striding into its summer program by holding four classes this week. Great Strides' summer program will run Monday-Thursday at Old Plank Stables, said publicist Shelley Walker. Classes will be from 9-11:30 a.m. and 12:30-3 p.m...

Two men who forced their way into the Marathon convenience store on U.S. 41A in Unionville early Friday got nothing for their efforts. Both cash registers were empty, a report filed by the Bedford County Sheriff's Office said. Security cameras show a man forcing and climbing through the drive-through window at 2:32 a.m., almost immediately followed by another man, deputy Ramon Castillo's report said...

To the Editor: Thanks to every sponsor, guest speakers, and everyone that had a part in the Field Of Heroes Memorial Day 2016 event, as well as all attendees. Thanks for being a part of this special event reflecting on, remembering, and honoring those that sacrificed and are no longer with us, for the freedom we are enjoying this very moment. Your part made it a great success. A extra special thanks to each family that recgonized the loss of their veteran...

Last week we published a story about a missing dog, picked up Sunday night, May 23 at a Shelbyville home after a neighbor's complaint, and gone when its owner went to pick it up the next day. Today Sky is safe at home, recovered the next day by animal control. Sky made his way to a nearby home, where he was cared for until the residents saw the T-G story, realized he was the missing dog and notified authorities...

The Bedford County Farmer's Market kicked off a new season Thursday. From left are, from the UT Extension Office, program assistant Yesenia Lira-Garcia; extension agent Whitney Danhof; and intern Megan Sager. The market will be held from 2:30-5 p.m. on Thursdays through October at the pavilion on the Celebration grounds. (T-G Photo by Jason Reynolds)