Stories from Sunday, July 17, 2016

Members of the Shelbyville Central High School class of 1971 met recently at the home of Wayne Dillingham in Murfreesboro in preparation of their 45th reunion. The reunion will be held Saturday, Aug. 13 at the Bell Buckle Banquet Hall. Classmates who have not yet registered are encouraged to do so via the class web site. Regarding the planning group, Dillingham said the reunion has been a fun opportunity for the friends to get together for a casual good time. "We're not anything official -- just a group of classmates in this area who determined that we had a wonderful time at our 40th reunion and that our waiting for the 50th would be far too long for another get-together. So, as an ad hoc planning committee, we simply started working on it to make a 45th reunion happen." Front row, from left: Pam Jones and Dillingham. Back row, from left: Debbie Sager, Grant Hitt, Debbie Griffy, Debbie McClanahan, Mike Wells and Phil S. Baker. (T-G Photo by Sadie Fowler)

Bland? Bland? I was somewhat unhappy with my chili on Friday night, but "bland" is not the criticism I would have used. If anything, I thought I'd gone overboard on a couple of things. Even so, Saturday morning, the word was there on my judge's sheet, staring me in the face...

I was speaking to a friend of mine recently about the process of writing a book. My friend asked me some things and I gave the advice I could in terms of the friend's specific needs, such as how I would approach the chapters, the publishing aspect, marketing, etc...

Award-winning documentary "Patterns of Evidence" showed stunning proof of how science proves the biblical accounts of the Exodus. Now, the documentary series continues with the next chapter, titled "Young Explorers." "Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus" won 13 awards. ...

Dane and Brandi Reid of Shelbyville announce the birth of a daughter, Zora Nicole Reid, on June 14 in Murfreesboro. The baby girl weighed 7 pounds, 5 oz. She is the granddaughter of Rick and Brenda Overcast, and Pam Reid and the late Jim Reid. She is the great-granddaughter of Mary Lou Gusman of Shelbyville and Al Shaver of Maryville...

A few weeks back, I kept having problems with my side. I'd be in the middle of working and suddenly my side would start aching for no reason. It didn't do it that often, but it did it enough that I mentioned it to a few people and faced my fear of looking up symptoms...

The 'Sunday Morning" show on CBS last week included a feature on a new item showing up in different places in Europe. Short story vending machines that print out 5, 10, or 20 minute short stories for people to read while they are in various situations where they need to kill time. There is an entire group of folks submitting stories of all kinds to the vending company for "publication."...

My wife and I just returned from vacation. We spent our time on the lake in the north woods of Minnesota. We enjoyed the company of my sister, Cindi, and her family; and my brother, Paul, and his spouse. It was a great time of reconnecting and reminiscing with my siblings...

Heather Helton has made Bedford County her home with husband, Ryan and their children, Haley and Fisher. She is a wife, mother, friend, small business owner, and over the last year and a half she has become a force to be reckoned with as she stands by the side of her husband through his battle with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. ...

How does one become only the seventh distiller of Jack Daniel Distillery, especially when the job was largely done by family or friends of the family? Jeff Arnett is the seventh person to carry the title of master distiller. The Jackson native's father was a railroad worker and his mother was a teacher...

LYNCHBURG -- Jack Daniel Distillery -- and its beverage selection -- keeps getting better with age, which is fitting seeing as the company is celebrating its sesquicentennial (150th anniversary). Jack Daniel registered his whiskey in 1866, making it the oldest registered distillery in the United States, said seventh master distiller Jeff Arnett...

Carol Ann Gavin, 78, of Dalton, Georgia and Wartrace, died Friday, July 15, 2016 at Adams Place in Murfreesboro. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, August 6 at Bensalem Community Chapel, 205 Knob Creek Road in Wartrace. Following the service, the family will receive friends in her garden at Belle Meadow Farm, 6701 Highway 64 East near Wartrace.

In his third season as head football coach of the Community Vikings, Chris Grooms has put an emphasis on getting his linemen ready for the regular season by introducing an off-season conditioning program complete with appearances at various camps in the area. With the team buying in to the opportunities presented to them, Grooms knows the work has paid off...

Bedford County Historical Society held its summer quarter meeting at First United Methodist Church on the square. After the evening meal, President Al Simmons conducted a brief business meeting. He presented the minutes of the March meeting. Treasurer Hazel Foster gave the financial report. ...

Marijuana was discovered by a Bedford County deputy on a passenger in a vehicle stopped due to an alleged traffic violation Thursday night. Christopher Lavante Stovall, 27, of Estill Springs allegedly admitted having a bag of marijuana in his pants as deputies prepared to transfer him to jail following the traffic stop on U.S. 231 North...

Here's our look back at the past seven days in local news. Choose the best answer for each question. 1) Which is these is true about the Rev. Ellen Hill, who recently retired as pastor of Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church? A. She is a big game hunter...

Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced significant changes to state assessments Thursday that respond to feedback from educators, parents, and students, the department announced in a press release. The changes include eliminating Part I in all subjects, restructuring the test to better fit within the school day and year, and reducing overall testing time. ...

Deadly vehicle pursuits like those originated by Manchester and Coffee County officers over the past month that resulted in deaths of innocent people would be unlikely locally due to established -- and restrictive -- pursuit procedures in place. "I just sent a briefing to all officers this week to make sure we're familiar with our policies and refresh their memories," Shelbyville Police Chief Jan Phillips said...

It's time once again to stuff the school bus. United Way of Bedford County's annual "Stuff The School Bus" campaign asks for donations of school supplies, which are given to children in need. Advance drop sites for the drive will be open starting no later than Monday; some, like the Times-Gazette, already have their boxes out. That donation period continues through Aug. 5...

James R. "Jamie" Calvert has announced his candidacy for re-election to a District 1 seat on Bedford County Board of Education in the Aug. 4 general election. Calvert, a Bedford County native, was raised in and still lives in Bell Buckle. He's a 1995 graduate of Cascade High School, married to Heather Calvert, a teacher at East Side Elementary School. He has two daughters, who attend Cascade Elementary and Cascade Middle School...

Providing for a special tourist experience is not the only way Jack Daniel's is celebrating its 150th anniversary. In addition to marking retail packages of liquor with an anniversary logo, the distillery is sending fans on a global scavenger hunt. From this month through September, 150 handcrafted whiskey barrels are being hidden in various regions across the globe at historic and cultural sites, with clues on Jack Daniel's Facebook pages to help guide fans to the secret location...