Stories from Thursday, February 2, 2017

My pet is Bentley; he is 18 months old. I have had him since he was 8 weeks old. I have 2 dogs. The other one is Victoria, she is 3 and I have had her since she was 12 weeks old. They are both Chinese Shar-pei. I have had Shar-pei since 1994, over 20 years....

Gov. Bill Haslam's IMPROVE Act, which would include raising taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, would include extending the Shelbyville bypass, State Route 437, west from U.S. 231 (Murfreesboro Highway) to U.S. 41A (Unionville Highway), according to a news release from the governor's office...

City Manager Jay Johnson said Tuesday that planning for a traffic signal on North Main Street at Palmer Drive is "slowly moving forward." Johnson made the remark about the signal for a planned shopping center during a city council study session. The city received a letter from the Tennessee Department of Transportation in the final week of December green-lighting the signal, he said. ...

To the Editor: My Mother, Ms. Hattie O'Neal, wanted to publicly recognize and thank the staff and members of the Rescue Mission in Shelbyville, TN. She asked me to draft the attached message to be printed in the editorial section of the Times-Gazette. ...

To the Editor: Celebration board member Jeffrey Howard's recent attack against efforts to protect horses comes as no surprise given his track record, but we'd like to take a moment to dispel some patently false statements he made. ...

A life-long dream came true for Shelbyville Central senior Michael Salisbury on National Signing Day. On Wednesday, Salisbury, a 6-foot-3 210 pound senior, signed his letter of intent to play football at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland...

Even though deer season is all but a memory, there is no need for a void in your outdoor time. Bass fishing in the mid-state area is still very good and heats up as the days get longer. Wintertime bass fishing can be as productive as fishing in the summer if you adjust your tactics. ...

Lone Star Rodeo Company will hold the largest two-day rodeo in Tennessee Friday and Saturday at Calsonic Arena. The event will be the championship for the company's season. The rodeo will include competition in bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, cowgirls' breakaway roping, team Roping, cowgirls' barrel racing and Brahma bull riding...

Shelley Gann takes a moment from serving a customer at a local diner Wednesday morning to pose for a photo. The waitress is well-known among regulars for cutting up and making meals more interesting. (T-G Photo by Jason Reynolds)

Members of the Rotary Club of Shelbyville learned about the work, responsibilities and services provided by CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) at their weekly meeting on Wednesday mornings at the Urban Plantation. Pictured are Wanda Strayhorn, right, executive director of CASA, and Teresa Barber, CASA supervisor for Bedford County, along with Rotary Club president Ivan Jones. (Submitted photo)

Margaret May Featherstone, 90, of Bell Buckle died early Thursday, Feb. 2, 2016, at her daughter's home. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Doak-Howell Funeral Home.