Stories from Saturday, May 23, 2020

Bedford County Arts Council proudly announces a newly established annual $1,000 scholarship in memory of Jonathan Price, a life long participant and supporter of the arts in Bedford County, announced Christine Carlton, arts council member. The Jonathan Price Memorial Fine Arts Scholarship will be awarded to a deserving high school senior planning to continue his/her education in the area of fine arts including visual arts, performing arts, literary arts or music...

Sculpting from clay she found in her backyard as a child was a small beginning and eventually a pathway leading to great things for internationally exhibited sculptor Tracy H. Sugg of Wartrace. Sugg reflected recently how she visited a bronze foundry in her native state of New Mexico; she was inspired. Watching every step of the lost-wax bronze casting process, she had pretty much already discovered her life’s calling by age 8...

One of the most awkward, self-conscious incidents in my life occurred when I was shopping with a group, and one of my companions blithely continued browsing long after the store doors were locked. I have done assembly-line work, junkyard work and freelance writing; but I have also punched enough cash-register keys and worked around enough clerks-slash-sales-associates to know that the retail life isn’t all skittles and beer. ...

Shelbyville Central High School student Trinity Vickers is a part of the Shelbyville Rainbow Hunt Group on Facebook. Here’s a poem the student has written to “spread the happiness” during COVID-19. By the way, the local Rainbow group has about 3,000 members at this time...

When it comes to planning the annual Memorial Day lunch, especially during a pandemic, the best thing to do from the kitchen is likely seal the lunch with a K.I.S.S., that is, keep it simple sweeties. There are so many inexpensive places to purchase simple red, white and blue table decorations, it’s a cinch to do your own tablescape with ease. ...

Folks who read these articles often ask me how I pick my topics. Mostly, I wait for something in my daily life to jump out at me and give me ideas. This time, to make a seriously bad pun, it was right under my nose, or actually over it. I thought I’d talk about masks today since it seems like you can’t travel far without seeing one or hear about the “do wear” or don’t wear” argument going on. I am telling you here and now that I am not taking a side, at least not in this article...

I want to tell you an interesting story, a true story. According to news reports, Evelyn Mills Moore of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, and Ina Garrett of Selmer, Tennessee were both arrested on charges stemming from beating someone. They both have one thing in common: their choice of weapons...

Memorial Day holiday, while set aside nationally to honor those fallen in the line of military service, has also traditionally been observed locally with family reunions and cookouts to celebrate. Most of those traditional gatherings are changing as we know it this year, due to COVID-19...

Bedford County schools will return to scholastic activities in a limited capacity on June 1, to include sports, as teams look to prepare for the upcoming 2020-21 season. “It is our goal to maintain a safe and healthy school community and position our schools to normal scholastic activities in the fall. ...

Thefts from three homes have been reported in Bedford County, •A pistol, revolver and jewelry box were stolen from a home on Creekside Lane during early afternoon Wednesday, a Bedford County Sheriff’s Office report said. The back door and a window were found open and a bedroom ransacked...

Widespread recommendations to stay home amid the public health emergency have many Americans anxious about balancing unforeseen energy expenses with the desire for a comfortable home. As the country continues to navigate these uncertain times, Atmos Energy reminds customers struggling to pay their monthly natural gas bill that payment options and financial assistance are available.   ...

The family of the late John Smotherman will memorialize their loved one and World War II veteran on Monday for the first time as he passed away last August at age 91. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs, only about 300,000, out of millions of U.S. World War II veterans who served, are alive in 2020...

Normandy is completing the final steps to hire a police chief and has a judge lined up to conduct municipal court but they lack one crucial detail — they don’t have a location for the court and no place for the police chief to set up his office. Normandy has no town hall. ...

When “site selectors” for potential industries visit Shelbyville and Bedford County, they generally have at their fingertips community “score cards” which include many facets of community life, particularly how the local school system’s successes compare on a state level...

The Memorial Day weekend forecast is not looking good with a chance of showers and thunderstorms every day and that is not only through Monday but probably through the end of May and the first few days of June. It is going to be very warm and humid and with lots of moisture coming up from the Gulf of Mexico we get those showers and thunderstorms particularly during the afternoon hours. We will see a warming Trend with temperatures climbing back into the 80s this weekend...

Memorial Day has particularly been on this reporter’s mind this year, maybe because of the pandemic. Still, I began thinking this week about what I think is probably my favorite newspaper interview of all time. In fact, it has everything to do with Memorial Day...