Stories from Sunday, July 30, 2017

Children who don’t have basic school supplies are going to face serious challenges in pursuing their education. Just because public schools do not charge tuition and are deemed to be “free” does not mean there is no cost for the students’ parents and guardians. Challenges at home can translate into challenges just providing an education.

Shelbyville’s Tennova Healthcare was one of just two Tennessee hospitals to earn a single star in Medicare’s first publicly available evaluation of 4,600 hospitals nationwide, 108 in Tennessee. That single star rank was where the chips fell in Medicare’s first review but since then CEO Bill Rich has been busy healing the hospital’s ailments...

Public schools are required to provide an education to every child who walks through the doors on a daily basis. Over the years, that mission has evolved to include feeding children, providing counseling, connecting disadvantaged children with social services, handing out donated clothing, helping teachers understand families’ economic challenges and much more...

One might assume homelessness is only a big-city problem. But more than 100 Bedford County students were classified as homeless last year. The Bedford County Department of Education certified 103 students at various times last school year as being homeless, said student services supervisor Barry Bennett. Such students either are either homeless or otherwise live in a family that has some sort of transient housing arrangement...

A small bag of marijuana was in the clothing of a man being questioned about a disturbance on Anthony Lane Thursday night, Shelbyville police said. Diamanche Travio Green, 20, of the Anthony Lane address had 8.4 grams of marijuana in his clothing and inside a vehicle where he was sitting, the report indicated...

A website, which we will not dignify by reporting its identity, published a story Wednesday that has stirred some unwarranted and unwanted media interest in Shelbyville. At the Times-Gazette we've been getting a few phone calls from all over asking if it's true that Somali refugees are “rapidly transforming” Shelbyville “into a Sharia swamp.”...

A lot of hard work is put in before a high school football season starts and that hard work usually begins at the end of the previous season. Such is the case for Shelbyville Central’s Golden Eagles as the 2017 season nears. Winter workouts, spring practice and summer condition have gone and passed for the Eagles and the pads have been put on for full contact as the team prepares for the upcoming season...

UNIONVILLE – The Community Vikings used a strong defensive effort to set the tone for the offense during a pre-season football scrimmage against the Ezell-Harding Eagles Friday night. The Vikings found the end zone five times while the Eagles scored once...

Team Fowler, coached by Sterling Smith and Pro Randy Helton, and Team Spieth, coached by Jake Pimental and Elliott Smith, battled it out last weekend at River Bend Country Club in the inaugural Junior Ryder Cup. A total of 28 players ages 9-17 put on a show for club members, families, and friends...

For the many volunteers who work to give visitors the best experience possible the Bedford County Fair is more than just cotton candy, corn dogs, music, livestock, tractors and contests. To prepare for the seven days of the fair is a year-round volunteer job for president Judy Gambill and the officers and board members for the Fair Association of Bedford County...

A few weeks ago, I wrote a column centered around walking horses and their cool names. I also wrote that I'd refrain from getting too "horsey" with my columns, fully knowing not everyone wants to read about horses every week. This morning, I'm eating my words a bit because I have to write another column that ties into horses. ...

According to Christianity Today's website on Christian History, the man who wrote some of Christendom's favorite hymns is the Englishman Isaac Watts. He is referred to as "the father of English hymnody." Watts penned these words that are sung by so many at Christmas time: "Joy to the world, the Lord is come / Let earth receive her King / Let every heart, prepare him room / And heaven and nature sing / And heaven and nature sing / And heaven and heaven and nature sing."...

I am thinking of John McCain today. Many of the politicians I have observed through the years have been people with whom I couldn't always share a political stand, but in most cases, these men and women are people whose intelligence, bravery and patriotism make them easy to respect. It hardly seems fair that a public servant like Sen. McCain has yet another huge life crisis thrust upon him with this aggressive brain tumor...

Each year, students and alumni from Community High have beaten the summer heat in the confines of the CHS auditorium, working on a play. Past productions have included Ira Levin's "Deathtrap", the comedy/drama "Butterflies are Free", and last year's "Revelations," a series of original student and teacher written one-acts. This year their offering is "Magic to Do: Smokestack Theatre through the Ages"...

Quentin Thompson, vice president of the board of directors for Bedford Builds Habitat for Humanity, has won a state award. He received the Millennial Volunteer Leader of the Year award at the July 19 Tennessee Habitat for Humanity State Impact Award banquet. Thompson is the vice president of the Bedford Builds Habitat for Humanity board of directors...

Rachel Emerson, a Shelbyville native who lives in Nashville, and Alex Hutto, a Lebanon native who lives in Nashville, announce their engagement. The bride-elect is the daughter of Gary and Sheri Emerson of Shelbyville. She is the granddaughter of Bailey and Trena Little of Shelbyville, and Bertha and the late George Emerson of Gadsden...

Kathryn Nicole Calahan of Murfreesboro and Zeke Parker Grissom of Shelbyville were united in marriage on the evening of June 23, 2017 at Grace Valley Farm in Shelbyville. The bride is the daughter of Phillip and Paula Calahan of Murfreesboro, and the groom is the son of Kevin and Marinda Grissom of Shelbyville...

Brentney Hope Adams and Justin Timothy Darnell, both of Shelbyville, announce their engagement. The bride-elect is the daughter of Brent and Varonica Adams of Milton. She is the granddaughter of Ronald and Elizabeth Briley of Lascassas, and Billy Joe and Geraldine Adams of Murfreesboro...