Stories from Thursday, November 3, 2016

Tunda Neka Harris-Laye, 39, died Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016. Funeral services will be 3 p.m. Saturday at Scales & Sons Funeral Home in Murfreesboro. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 2 p.m.

The City of Shelbyville may upgrade its emergency communications system next year. The city council discussed the proposed upgrades during a study session Tuesday. The plan calls for expanding the room occupied by city dispatchers and upgrading the equipment...

Billy Gray, who rode to Tennessee Walking Horse World Grand Championships in three different decades, died Wednesday at his home in Shelbyville. He was 79. "Billy's performances and personality are, and forever will be, woven into the fabric of the Celebration," Celebration CEO Mike Inman told the Times-Gazette. "A fierce competitor, yet always a Southern gentleman, the 'Master Showman' will be greatly missed by everyone."...

Bedford County government's newly-redesigned website, which launched in September, is intended to be more useful for citizens, especially the increasing number of citizens accessing the web on mobile devices, than the old version, said Josh Carney, the county's information technology (IT) director...

The newly-formed Shelbyville Police Benevolent Association stands ready to help more than just officers and their families in need. "The primary mission is to offer assistance to police officers and support staff who hold a current membership in the PBA," a statement released by the group said. ...

An intoxicated man who showed up at the residence of a Couch Lane woman he doesn't know and refused to leave was arrested after a short foot chase Tuesday night. The man, later identified as Lucas Crandall, 36, of West End Circle, ran from the home into a nearby wooded area when told police had been called...

A stage version of Victor Hugo's classic novel "Les Misérables" will be presented Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. by the Smokestack Theatre Group at Community High School. This is not the better-known musical version but a non-musical adaptation of the novel. Fugitive Jean Valjean is running from his past and trying to improve himself while being pursued by the obsessive Inspector Javert. Tickets are $5 and are available from the school, or by calling 931-212-7867, or at the door...