Shelbyville Times-Gazette: News : Growth and development

Growth and development

Delay sought for city building guidelines (06/30/09)
A member of Shelbyville's planning commission wants to table design guidelines for two years, claiming that the recommendations would make builders think twice about doing business here. Henry Wilhoite told fellow commissioners that builders were "not happy" with the guidelines which are to be recommendations to firms and individuals submitting site plans to the city. The design guidelines will give builders an idea of what is expected or favored by Shelbyville...

Jobless rate up to 11.5 percent (06/28/09)
Jobless numbers for Bedford County jumped once again to a new high of 11.5 percent for the month of May, according to preliminary figures released Thursday by the Department of Labor & Workforce Development. The latest figures show that unemployment was nearly double last year's rate of 6.1 percent. It was also an increase from April's rate of 10.7 percent...

Consultant: old hospital a bad idea as jail (06/17/09)
A consultant from the University of Tennessee's County Technical Assistance Service told Bedford County commission members on Tuesday that moving prisoners into the old Bedford County Medical Center building on Union Street would not be the financial boon that had been informally projected last month...

Planners to address Belmont district (06/17/09)
Shelbyville's planning commission will look over several rezoning requests when it meets next Thursday, including one in a historic district that may provoke discussion. James Farrar is requesting that property at 507 Belmont Ave. be rezoned from R-3 (medium density residential) to R-4 (high density residential), which would be contrary to the region's current land use plan, according to comments by the city's planning and engineering staff...

Sludge tank to be removed (06/12/09)
A dispute over a storage tank that was built to store agricultural sludge on U.S. 41-A South was resolved after an agreement was made to purchase the land and dismantle the structure. During Tuesday's Bedford County Board of Commissioners meeting, a group of citizens that were concerned about the tank owned by Wayne Simons were directed to the Solid Waste Authority board to express their views...

AEDC work force faces reduction (06/12/09)
President Obama's 2010 budget request includes a $24 million reduction in funding for contractor labor at the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center, according to an AEDC news release. The cuts would take effect Oct. 1, with the start of a new federal fiscal year...

Commissioners to consider zoning changes (06/04/09)
Two rezoning requests and some routine annual allocations are the highlights of a relatively-slim agenda for Tuesday night's meeting of Bedford County Board of Commissioners, perhaps marking the calm before the storm as the commission braces itself for what is expected to be a difficult budget year...

Jobs still there for persistent teenagers (06/04/09)
As a result of a troubled economy, many workers across the nation have lost their jobs -- and the same holds true for Bedford County. The local unemployment rate has risen to double digits in recent months, figures that are nearly twice what they were at the beginning of last year...

New direction ahead for Depot Street? (06/03/09)
Shelbyville City Council, after hearing from merchants in the affected area, may try keeping the segment of Depot Street closest to the square as one-way but making it westbound rather than eastbound. The issue was discussed at a study session Tuesday night...

Spring Hill closure will have local impact (06/02/09)
Although exact numbers weren't available, officials say the temporary closing of the General Motors Spring Hill plant will affect Bedford County. Walt Wood, CEO of Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce, did not have a figure for the number of GM employees living in Bedford County, even after checking with state officials...

County unemployment dips slightly (05/29/09)
Bedford County's unemployment rate fell to 10.7 percent for April, according to preliminary figures released Thursday by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, down from 11.2 percent in March. The good news is that while the jobless rate for Tennessee rose last month to 9.9 percent, 0.3 percentage point higher than the rate from March, the figures fell for many counties, including here...

Little Caesar's seeks approval for location (05/26/09)
Pizza maker Little Caesar's is planning a return to Shelbyville. The restaurant was previously located on Madison St. in the old Bi-Lo shopping center. A site approval plan for the chain is on the agenda for Thursday's meeting of the city's planning commission...

Mortgage fraud suspects released on $20K bonds (05/21/09)
The four individuals charged with bank fraud and money laundering earlier this week have been released after signing an agreement with federal prosecutors. Roger Ritch, of Shelbyville, along with William McMahan, Jonathan Henderson and Carrie Snow, all of Murfreesboro, appeared before a federal magistrate in Chattanooga Tuesday, following their arrest in connection with an alleged multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme involving hundreds of homes in Shelbyville...

Rezoning requests get rules committee nod (05/20/09)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners' rules and legislative committee recommended two rezoning requests on U.S. 41-A (Unionville Highway) during its meeting Tuesday night. Jamie Garrett has requested that his property at 2686 U.S. 41-A (Hen House Restaurant) and his property at 2678 U.S. 41-A (Garrett's Automotive) both be re-zoned from A-1 (agriculture) to C-2 (commercial)...

Bank fraud bust nets four (05/19/09)
Four arrests were made this morning in a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme involving hundreds of homes in Shelbyville. The arrests were the result of a 16-month joint investigation by the Bedford County Sheriff's Department, the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service...

Investigation was learning process for detective (05/19/09)
For Detective Sergeant Brian Farris, this morning's arrest of four individuals accused of running a massive mortgage fraud scam is the result of countless hours of work. Farris told the Times-Gazette he is happy that the long investigation is finally over with; it has taken up "a lot of long days and nights" for both him and federal investigators...

Urban Growth Boundary gains city approval (05/15/09)
Shelbyville's city council gave its OK to the city's new expanded Urban Growth Boundary during its regularly scheduled meeting Thursday. The new boundary is part of the comprehensive study and plan developed by Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon (BWSC), which was recommended to the council by the city's planning commission and calls for the city's UGB to be expanded northward...

GM dealers wait for word (05/15/09)
DETROIT -- A day after Chrysler LLC told a quarter of its dealers that it won't renew their contracts, owners of General Motors Corp. dealerships are awaiting word on whether they will be next. GM said it will notify 1,100 U.S. dealers today that their franchise agreements will not be renewed. Dealers expect to hear either by telephone or FedEx letters that will begin arriving this morning...

National Pen to add jobs, but few details known (05/14/09)
National Pen Company has announced that it will close its operations in Manila, Philippines, and bring those sales and customer service jobs back to the company's existing facility in Shelbyville, but Cathy Tollett of the company could not provide any specifics about how many new jobs would be created, how many jobs existed at the Manila location, or how soon the company might begin hiring...

Wartrace bumps to slow speeders (05/13/09)
Speeders on West Bridge Street in Wartrace, consider this fair warning. The town is about to install speed bumps. "There's a 'Children at Play' sign there, but people are ignoring it," said Wartrace resident Kelly Thompson, who approached the board of mayor and aldermen at the May meeting Monday night...

Area growth gets closer look (05/10/09)
Shelbyville's city council will vote this week on expanding the city's Urban Growth Boundary to the north and to create a new planning authority. City manager Ed Craig said county mayor Eugene Ray has asked that each of Bedford's municipalities submit a request to them to have their planning commissions become regional planning commissions...

Low bids announced for bypass (05/10/09)
The low bids for the long-awaited Shelbyville bypass were identified by the Tennessee Department of Transportation Friday. According to TDOT spokesperson B.J. Doughty, if all goes according to plan, the winning bid could be announced by the middle of June at the earliest...

Depot Street traffic concerns merchants (05/07/09)
Merchants from both on and off the public square told Shelbyville's city council Tuesday they would like take another look at traffic and parking patterns on East Depot Street. The street is now 60 days into a 90-day trial period to test the street as a one-way, outbound road from the public square...

City seeks to recover Depot Street demolition costs (05/07/09)
The city of Shelbyville will soon move to recover demolition costs from the owner of a Depot Street building. Total costs for last year's razing and restoration of the site where two buildings once stood off the public square comes to $225,215.24, according to information provided to the city council Tuesday...

Stimulus funds upgrade for South Maple Apartments (04/30/09)
Over three quarters of a million dollars in federal stimulus money is planned to be used for improvements to South Maple Apartments by the Shelbyville Housing Authority. It's part of $4 billion that is being used in an effort to create jobs by fixing up public housing projects across the nation. Shelbyville's cut of that money is $829,593...

Closer look at proposed design guidelines (04/26/09)
With just enough members to hold a meeting, the Shelbyville Planning Commission swiftly approved several items, while postponing examination of design guidelines until next month. The commission had planned to begin review of the 18 pages of guidelines, which are intended to be only recommendations to firms and individuals submitting site plans to the city...

SBA will offer disaster assistance to Bedford (04/26/09)
NASHVILLE -- Gov. Phil Bredesen Friday announced the Small Business Administration has issued a Disaster Declaration for Rutherford County and the seven adjacent counties -- Bedford, Cannon, Coffee, Davidson, Marshall, Williamson and Wilson -- for tornadoes that struck on April 10. An SBA disaster declaration makes homeowners and businesses affected by the disaster eligible for low-interest loans...

County's unemployment now 11.2 percent (04/26/09)
Bedford County's unemployment rate jumped again -- this time to 11.2 percent, according to preliminary figures released Thursday by the state department of Labor & Workforce Development. That's 87 percent higher than the jobless rate was reported for the county a year ago, when unemployment was at only 6 percent...

Re-zoning recommended for property (04/22/09)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners' rules and legislative committee recommended a re-zoning at 3164 U.S. 231 North from A-1 (agriculture) to C-1 (commercial). William Ty Irby Sr. is requesting the rezoning; the rules committee agenda stated that Irby wants to put a real estate services office at the site...

Newell Rubbermaid breaks ground on packaging facility (04/16/09)
Newell Rubbermaid Office Products broke ground Wednesday on a new 155,000-square-foot packaging center next to its distribution center on Railroad Avenue. "The packaging center is designed to ... meet the needs of continuous improvement, to provide jobs and work and expansion for many years yet to come," said Jim Cunningham, senior human resource manager for the company in Shelbyville...

Bell Buckle creates historic zoning commission (04/16/09)
The Bell Buckle Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the formation of a new Historic Zoning Commission by passing a resolution at its Tuesday night meeting. Mayor Dennis Webb and Rodney Simmons explained the function and composition of the commission to aldermen and visitors again, stressing that the primary concern is for external appearances of buildings in the C-1 and C-2 downtown district...

Bypass, Belmont bridge on governor's budget list (04/15/09)
The northeast bypass around Shelbyville (State Route 437), continued widening of U.S. 41-A between Shelbyville and Tullahoma, and replacement of the Duck River bridge on Belmont Avenue (State Route 130) are all in a list of transportation projects requested Wednesday by Gov. Phil Bredesen...

County to take over Nestledown road work (04/15/09)
Bedford County will be taking care of roads at Nestledown Crossing Subdivision following the signing of an agreed order between a homeowners association and the county. In February, the county commission authorized the county attorney, Ginger Shofner, to negotiate a settlement in the lawsuit filed by attorney Jeff Seckler, his wife, Gina, and the Nestledown Crossing Homeowners Association...

Census workers hit streets (04/14/09)
Folks began going door-to-door Monday to make sure everyone is counted. The U.S. Census Bureau has launched its first major on-the-ground operation in Tennessee to prepare for the nationwide count in spring 2010. April 1 marked one year prior to Census Day. More than 3,000 census workers have begun going block-by-block across Tennessee to develop a correct and complete address list...

City seeks federal funds to demolish eyesores (04/10/09)
The City of Shelbyville voted Thursday to apply for a grant for over a quarter million dollars that would go toward getting rid of blighted structures around town. The National Stabilization Program (NSP) grant would be for $326,023 and would be given under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, also known as the first stimulus package that was signed into law by former president George W. Bush...

City proposes guidelines for buildings, signs (04/03/09)
Shelbyville's city council will vote next week on an amendment to the city's sign ordinance that would address what some consider unsightly buildings occupied by Hispanic merchants. Mayor Wallace Cartwright said he has been hearing many concerns from residents and businesses about the appearance of local Hispanic establishments in Shelbyville and wants to alter the city's ordinance to say that signs can not be painted on buildings, among other changes...

Bell Buckle to take closer look at 'The Hill' (04/03/09)
Rumors of a developer interested in "The Hill" prompted Bell Buckle Planning Commission Chairman Rodney Simmons to suggest annexing the area. The same rumor was why Mayor Dennis Webb asked the commission to wait. "It's something that needs to be looked at but now is not the time," said Webb. "I think an attempt to annex now would smack of political correctness. I would like to find out what's going on out there."...

Web site readers divided on how soon economy will improve (04/02/09)
More than a third of the respondents to a non-scientific Times-Gazette poll think it will be 2012 or beyond before the U.S. sees meaningful imporovement in the economy, but one in five believe the economy will turn around in the second half of this year...

Celebration CEO expects decline in sponsorships (04/01/09)
Across the country -- across the globe -- it's the same. From nonprofit groups to super sports franchises, everyone is feeling the crunch as corporate sponsorship declines. In The New York Times, it was reported that the LPGA Tour is dropping four tournaments because three title sponsors dropped out, and the PGA Tour will lose three title sponsors but no events. ...

One in 10 out of work locally (03/27/09)
Bedford County's unemployment rate has nearly doubled in the past year, according to preliminary figures released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The jobless rate for February is currently at 10.8 percent, a hike of 1.1 percent points since January and 83 percent higher than the unemployment rate of 5.9 percent at this time last year...

Stimulus money to pave way for AEDC improvements (03/26/09)
The U.S. Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center in Coffee and Franklin counties will receive more than $7.7 million in federal stimulus money for improvements. The funding comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and will be used to inspect bridges, for the repair, improvement, and paving of several roads and parking lots, and upgrades to Wattendorf Highway...

Council to settle Williams suit for $180K (03/13/09)
Shelbyville's city council has agreed to pay $180,000 plus legal fees to settle a lawsuit brought by a former building official for the city. Wayne Williams, a 12-year employee of the city, sued Shelbyville and city manager Ed Craig for breach of contract and wrongful termination in May 2007...

Historic overlay explained at Bell Buckle meeting (03/13/09)
The Bell Buckle Planning Commission learned more about historic zoning commissions and overlay districts at its March meeting Thursday night when Rob Crawford, the certified local government coordinator with the State Historical Commission, gave a presentation...

Bedford jobless rate nears 10 percent (03/06/09)
Bedford County's unemployment rate soared to 9.8 percent in January, according to preliminary figures released Thursday by the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development. At this time last year, the county's jobless rate was at 6 percent and that means that over the past year, unemployment jumped 63 percent...

Economy brings students to TTCS (03/03/09)
Uncertainty about the economy, and the closure of local factories, leads some to consider new training in search of a new job. Tennessee Technology Center at Shelbyville on Madison Street, faced with an influx of interest from students, is struggling to find classes for all of those who are interested, but TTCS director Ivan Jones hopes that stimulus package funds will be available to train more people...

Bill would let county upgrade Three-Star staus (03/03/09)
Last year, the county's interest in qualifying for a higher level of the Governor's Three-Star Award program -- which could save money in grant-matching funds -- clashed with the Town of Normandy's wish to avoid adopting a zoning plan. But a new bill could create a loophole to satisfy both sides...

DREMC opens new administrative building (02/23/09)
Duck River Electric Membership Corp. moved administrative offices into its new $2 million headquarters this weekend, but local DREMC customers will continue to pay bills, start or end service, or take care of other business at the main building on Madison Street...

McPhee says MTSU will proceed with Shelbyville project (02/20/09)
Middle Tennessee State University president Sidney McPhee, speaking at the annual Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce banquet on Thursday, said Tennessee Board of Regents has given its approval for MTSU to begin offering classes in Shelbyville, working in partnership with Tennessee Technology Center at Shelbyville and with Motlow State Community College...

Rules committee views growth plan proposal (02/18/09)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners' rules and legislative committee got its first look at proposed revisions to the county's growth plan on Tuesday night, along with a report by Charles Goforth of Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon. In the late 1990s, a new state law, Public Chapter 1101, required every county in Tennessee to develop a 20-year growth plan. ...

Traders Bank seeks branch in Shelbyville (02/17/09)
Tullahoma-based Traders Bank is requesting approval of a site plan for a 3,400 square foot branch office to be addressed by the Shelbyville Planning Commission next week. Blueprints for the site show that the proposed building, which would be the bank's first location in the Bedford County market, would be located at the corner of North Main Street and Hickory Drive...

MTSU president to speak at Chamber banquet (02/16/09)
Middle Tennessee State University President Sidney A. McPhee will be the guest speaker at the Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at the Blue Ribbon Circle building on the Celebration grounds...

Bypass project to heat up during spring, summer (02/15/09)
Bids for the long awaited Shelbyville bypass will be let in May with construction to begin in July, if all goes according to plan. City manager Ed Craig announced at Thursday's Shelbyville study session that city officials met this week for a review meeting with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), attended by Craig, Shelbyville mayor Wallace Cartwright and public works director Mark Clanton...

Chamber, state discuss Shelbyville Volkswagen prospects (02/10/09)
Representatives of the state and the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce visited Shelbyville Feb. 3 to discuss Shelbyville's prospects for hosting a supplier to the new Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, according to Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce CEO Walt Wood...

Jet travel firm may take flight (02/05/09)
An environmental study will be needed for land at the Shelbyville airport to attract a possible new industry specializing in jet travel. Walt Wood, CEO of Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce, told Shelbyville's city council Tuesday that a firm that manufactures small jet aircraft is looking at locating here, but for the site to be seriously considered, a Phase I environmental study will be required...

Slow economy delays start of new Microtel (01/27/09)
The economic downturn is delaying work on a new hotel in Shelbyville, according to city planners, but there's a possibility that work may begin in the spring. Last October, the Shelbyville planning commission approved site plans for a new four-story, 60-plus room Microtel hotel to be located at 1207 North Main St., next to the Huddle House and the current site of Dennis Young Insurance Agency...

Sanford site plan goes before board (01/16/09)
When Shelbyville's planning commission meets next Thursday, one of the items to be considered will be the site plan for the 155,000-square-foot addition to the Sanford Distribution Center. Only a few technical issues with the drawings had to be corrected and those have been addressed by contractors, according to planning and codes director Kip Green...

Former Senior Center turned church comes down (01/15/09)
The walls at the former Senior Citizens Center/Living Stones Community Church building, 635 N. Main St., came down Wednesday to make way for a nine-unit professional office complex to be built by Rod Parsons, who bought the property from the City of Shelbyville...

Quarry zoning change denied by commissioners (01/14/09)
A sharply-divided Bedford County Board of Commissioners, by an 8-8 vote with two members abstaining, failed to pass changes in the county zoning resolution that would have made it possible to develop quarries in rural parts of the county. The proposed rules changes had already been rejected once before by the county commission, but Bedford County Planning Commission asked for them to be reconsidered...

Bell Buckle may ban first-floor downtown offices (01/14/09)
The Bell Buckle planning commission may be looking at some zoning changes when it meets Thursday at 6 p.m. Currently, regulations allow for private offices on the ground floor of buildings in the downtown area, but Planning Commission Chairman Rodney Simmons said the commission is considering changing that...

Tyson CEO steps down (01/05/09)
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Tyson Foods Inc. said Monday that its president and chief executive, Dick Bond, was stepping down immediately in a move he said was in the best interest for himself and the company. Tyson operates a processing plant in Shelbyville and numerous local farmers operate chicken houses under contract to the company...

Bypass 'ready to go' if funds approved (12/24/08)
The planned Shelbyville bypass is one of 246 so-called "ready to go" projects on which Tennessee Department of Transportation hopes to spend federal economic stimulus money if president-elect Barack Obama's relief package is approved. The bypass, which would wrap around the city's northeastern quadrant from U.S. 231 north of Shelbyville to U.S. 41-A east of Shelbyville, is the only Bedford County project on the "ready to go" list as published at Tennessee Department of Transportation's web site...

Commissioners defer action on rezoning request (12/12/08)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners, meeting Tuesday night, narrowly voted to postpone action for a month on a zoning request for an office supply store on U.S. 231 North, at the request of property owner Grady Cunningham. Cunningham has requested a zoning change from R-1 (residential) to C-2 (commercial) at his property, 2506 U.S. ...

Commission approves tax relief for hospital (12/11/08)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to create a Health Facilities Board, made up of the same members as the local Industrial Development Board, so that Heritage Medical Center can be taken off the county's property tax rolls. Commissioners, County Mayor Eugene Ray and County Attorney John T. ...

Commission delays demolition plans (12/10/08)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to conduct environmental studies of the old Harris Middle School building on Elm Street and the old Bedford County Medical Center on Union Street, but put off their demolition pending further study...

'MTSU South' not mentioned at TBR meeting (12/08/08)
Although officials said in October that Middle Tennessee State University's proposed satellite in Shelbyville would be considered by the Tennessee Board of Regents this month, there was nothing mentioned about the project at last week's meeting. The project wasn't on the agenda and didn't come up for discussion Thursday, according to TBR spokeswoman Mary Morgan...

Chamber CEO tries to drive VW business to Bedford (11/23/08)
Bedford County's top industrial recruiter said his top priority during a trip to Germany last month was to try to help Bedford County's existing automotive suppliers do business with Volkswagen, and also to possibly recruit new suppliers to the area...

BREAKING NEWS: Sanford to reorganize (11/11/08)
Sanford Corp. announced a reorganization plan today which will result in a net loss of jobs for Shelbyville, and sent employees home for the day. Look for further details in today's Times-Gazette.

Grapevine demolition bids may be considered (10/28/08)
Bids may be taken before the Shelbyville City Council's next study session for the demolition of the former Grapevine on East Depot Street. The study session has been set for Thursday, Nov. 6, which was moved from Tuesday, Nov. 4, Election Day. A very brief special called meeting took place last Tuesday to address the matter of considering proposals for the demolition of 111 E. Depot St. Councilman Al Stephenson raised the issue that the city should take bids for the work, not just proposals...

County unemployment up (10/28/08)
Bedford County's unemployment rate rose for the month of September to 7.1 percent, according to preliminary data released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. But the figures do not reflect the impact last week's announcement that Summit Polymers, Inc. will be closing its doors, leaving 263 without work...

Depot Street building may come down (10/02/08)
Costs to repair an adjoining building damaged during the recent demolition on East Depot Street could exceed $200,000, Shelbyville city council members were told Tuesday, which may lead them to order its destruction as well next week. Meanwhile, one council member said the building at 109 E. Depot should have never come down, claiming that he entered the condemned building to inspect it himself, in what another council member said would have been violation of the law...

City population may pass 25,000 by 2025 (09/30/08)
Shelbyville could see its population climb to 25,080 by the year 2025, if census estimates are correct, according to the draft of a comprehensive growth plan the city is examining. The growth plan for the city covers a 20-year period from 2008 to 2028, and describes the planning process, documents existing conditions, establishes goals and objectives, and describes the recommended plans and implementation strategies to achieve those goals and objectives...

Building's demolition gains approval (09/12/08)
With Shelbyville facing a "huge expense," the city council voted Thursday to authorize the emergency demolition of the building of 109 E. Depot St. and, possibly, the building next door. The trick will be getting the owner of the building to pay for the demolition, which will likely require litigation, the city's manager and attorney both said...

City moves toward demolition (09/09/08)
Shelbyville Mayor Wallace Cartwright inspected the walls inside The Grapevine Monday, at 113 East Depot Street. "This could come down at any minute," he said of a wall inside The Grapevine that is shared by a building deemed unsafe for habitation by the city in March...

CBAT loss disappoints area leaders (09/03/08)
The U.S. Air Force has cancelled plans for the Common Battlefield Airmen Training (CBAT) program, which Arnold Air Force Base had been under consideration to host. "I am disappointed that Middle Tennessee will not benefit from the hundreds of jobs this program would have produced," said U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon in an e-mail to the Times-Gazette...

City envisions Depot Street revitalization (09/03/08)
Turning East Depot Street into a one-way thoroughfare is one idea that is part of a revitalization project envisioned for a two block area off the public square, the Shelbyville City Council was told Tuesday. City manager Ed Craig said he had been approached by several merchants on E. Depot about making the street one way due to concerns over safety for the businesses there...

Alexander visits Bedford overpass (08/24/08)
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander visited a newly-constructed railroad overpass Friday at the site of what will soon be a northeast bypass around Shelbyville, as local officials thanked Alexander for his help in getting federal funding for the bypass project...

You don't have to like it, but understand the impact (08/14/08)
I am always astonished at the number of people who post in story and blog comments on our web site responding negatively to any mention of the Celebration's economic impact. We've had a little bit of the same type of reaction to a recent editorial which mentioned Tyson Foods' economic impact on the community...

Heavy traffic equals new business, council told (08/12/08)
Traffic flow is the key to bringing more retail businesses to Shelbyville, says the head of the city's and county's Chamber of Commerce. Walt Wood, CEO of Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce, briefed city council members last week about the continuing efforts to bring more store fronts to the community...

Bell Buckle leaders look at urban growth concerns (08/08/08)
Just as Shelbyville has done recently, the town of Bell Buckle is considering changing its urban growth boundary -- but not in the way most people would expect. Where Shelbyville is planning for expansion, Bell Buckle is headed the other direction. "Would you consider pulling the UGB in -- making it more manageable and making it more meaningful?" asked Mayor Dennis Webb at a special called meeting Tuesday afternoon. ...

Vacation homes proposed for area (08/07/08)
Architect Martin Shofner presented a proposal to Bedford County Planning Commission on Tuesday night for a private recreational compound he wants to develop on New Tullahoma Highway (U.S. 41-A) between Rowesville Road and Thompson Creek Road. The 170-acre tract would be used for vacation homes. ...

Quarry zoning change approved by planners (08/06/08)
Bedford County Planning Commission approved an amendment to the county zoning resolution Tuesday night which would change the regulations for placing quarries. The change must next be approved by Bedford County Board of Commissioners in order to take effect...

Housing permits, construction increase in city (08/03/08)
The housing slowdown in Shelbyville seems to be reversing itself, with work beginning on several projects, according to the city's planning and codes director. Kip Green said in March that the nation's housing slowdown had an obvious impact on home construction in Shelbyville, with the building of new houses down 60 percent since that time last year...

Leaders mark city's future priorities (07/28/08)
Members of Shelbyville's city council and its planning commission listed their priorities Thursday to make the city a better place in the future. Taking adhesive green "dots," members marked items they thought should be priorities for the city on several large sheets that listed a series of city goals and objectives...

Corker visits AEDC, delivers upbeat message (06/10/08)
ARNOLD AFB -- Following a major shake-up at the top levels of the Air Force, area leaders were eager to hear reassuring news from Sen. Bob Corker about the status of the Common Battlefield Airman Training (CBAT) facility, and other concerns. They got it...

State says lot change would hurt county zoning (06/06/08)
According to state planners, Bedford County's rules allowing additional houses on farm lots are already more permissive than other counties', and weakening them further -- as suggested by some county commissioners -- would cripple the county's zoning resolution...

County unemployment 5.1 percent for April (06/06/08)
Bedford County's unemployment rate for April was 5.1 percent, down 0.7 percent from March, but up 1.4 percent compared to last year, according to figures released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The county had a workforce of 22,920 with 21,740 people employed and a total of 1,170 out of work. But the rate is still higher than this time last year, when it was at 3.7 percent...

Planners hear Nestledown road issue (06/05/08)
Residents of Nestledown Crossing appeared Tuesday before Bedford County Planning Commission to discuss road problems in their subdivision, but planners say the dispute is between the homeowners and developer Marvin Parker Jr., not the county. In many large subdivisions, the developer intentionally waits to complete street paving until about 80 percent of the homes have been built. ...

County may change quarry zoning rules (06/04/08)
A proposed change to the county zoning resolution might make it easier to locate quarries in rural areas -- but one neighbor of a proposed quarry on Kellertown Road, being developed by the son of a planning commission member, opposed having the project in her neighborhood...

'Main Street' members question focus (05/27/08)
Less than a year after it began forming, Shelbyville's prospective Main Street has hit a bump in the road -- but it wasn't unexpected. "It takes a bare minimum of two years to be an official Main Street organization," said Cindy Drake, chairman of the group that began in August 2007. "And you have to be a state Main Street two years before you can be a federal one."...

Spec building could help land industry (05/22/08)
Deborah Cameron of Tennessee Valley Authority told local economic leaders on Wednesday that seven out of 10 industrial prospects want to see a potential building when they visit a community. Walt Wood, of Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce, said that some industries, if they've gotten a new customer or contract, need to be up and running in a very short period of time and don't have time to build a new factory from the ground up...

Rebate checks should finish by mid-July (05/17/08)
"Oh, I have mine already. I just don't know what I'm going to do with it!" Jane Bedford paused while working at Marsha's on the Square. "I haven't really thought about it." Bedford is one of the lucky ones who has already gotten her economic stimulus tax rebate from the government. Because she chose direct deposit, and her Social Security number was in the right range, she already has the money in hand. Now, she just needs to find something to spend it on...

Newly-placed trees are the wrong kind (05/17/08)
Don't get too used to seeing those new trees on the square. They are soon to be removed and won't be replaced until fall. According to City Manager Ed Craig, D & L Associates of Nashville, the landscaping company hired to plant and maintain the foliage, installed the wrong types of trees on the square...

End nears for Aleris workers (05/16/08)
The final day for 55 workers at Aleris International is coming within the next few weeks. The employment terminations are expected to commence June 8, according to a letter recently sent to Shelbyville Mayor Wallace Cartwright. Aleris announced last month it will permanently close its Shelbyville alloy plant, located on Railroad Avenue across from Central High School...

Commission approves one rezoning, not the other (05/15/08)
Bedford County Board of Commissoners approved one rezoning request Tuesday night but, after hearing complaints from neighbors, denied another. Approved was a rezoning request from Nancy Barton, who wanted property on Huffman Road rezoned from R-1 (residential) to A-1 (agriculture)...

Commission seeks bids on hospital, school buildings (05/14/08)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to put out a request for proposals from parties interested in buying the old Harris Middle School building and from those interested in buying the soon-to-be-vacant Bedford County Medical Center...

New trees planted on square (05/08/08)
Dirt was moved again Wednesday on the Shelbyville public square, only this time it was to finally plant the trees that have been the source of concern for both downtown merchants and city officials. Reaction to the new greenery depended on who was asked. Janet Cavna, who lives on the square and is a member of Main Street Shelbyville, said she was pleased with the result...

State study says airport site is best for soccer (05/07/08)
A state evaluation says that land near Shelbyville Municipal Airport is the best site for a proposed soccer/athletic complex, the city's park board learned Monday. The concept was a topic of discussion at last week's Shelbyville study session, with two council members, Lee Roy Cunningham and Al Stephenson, wanting to build a complex on land owned by the city's power, water and sewer utility located behind a residential area on South Brittain St...

Five-year sports facility plan outlined (05/07/08)
An outline for a five-year plan to construct a soccer/athletic complex was included in an evaluation submitted to Shelbyville by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's Recreational and Educational Services. The report recommends using 42 acres of land located near the city's airport for the proposed facility, which could include eight soccer fields and four baseball/softball fields...

Groundbreaking for Learning Way Elementary (04/30/08)

Unemployment rate shows slight rise (04/28/08)
Bedford County's unemployment rate for March rose slightly to 5.8 percent, according to figures released by the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development. The county reportedly had a total work force of 22,940, with 21,610 working and 1,330 unemployed, meaning that the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percent since February...

Building's fate to be decided (04/26/08)
The fate of an East Depot Street building deemed unsafe for human habitation by the City of Shelbyville will be decided within the next month. Barrels and yellow caution tape mark the spot where bricks have fallen from the facade of 109 E. Depot. Codes official Scotty Farrar said the building was declared dangerous when its condition was brought to the city's attention at the request of owner Alice Albright, who was having "some issues" with a tenant...

Planners address church, cycles, waste treatment (04/25/08)
A new church building, a motorcycle dealership and an improved treatment plant for Tyson were some of the items addressed by the Shelbyville Planning Commission Thursday. A public hearing was held concerning Shelbyville's new subdivision regulations before the commission meeting began. No one spoke about the new rules and the commission approved the regulations after that...

Large tree must go, city says (04/23/08)
Concern about the fate of a tree on East Depot Street led to a small public hearing Tuesday between some downtown business people and city officials. Jennifer Templeton of Templeton Insurance started a petition to save the large tree in front of the business that is slated to be replaced by a pair of single stem crepe myrtles...

North Main work begins Monday (04/19/08)
The long awaited beginning of the widening of North Main Street in Shelbyville kicks off Monday with the first phase: work on the intersection with Colloredo Boulevard / Fairfield Pike. Word was received late Wednesday from the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) that work would soon be underway, according to public works director Mark Clanton...

VIDEO: Tracy discusses North Main widening (04/18/08)
State Sen. Jim Tracy discusses the importance of widening North Main Street during a public hearing Thursday night. See the story here....

New roof on Blue Ribbon Circle (04/18/08)

Horse country delights tour group (04/17/08)
A Vermont-based tour company made a stop in the land of walking horses Tuesday as part of an Elderhostel Tour that included tourists from all over the country. Elderhostel is a non-profit organization that offers in-depth and behind-the-scenes learning experiences and adventures in all 50 states for folks over 60. ...

Shelbyville bypass gets funding (04/15/08)
State Senate Transportation Chairman Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) and State Rep. Curt Cobb (D-Shelbyville) have announced that the Tennessee Department of Transportation has included the Shelbyville bypass in its list of highway projects for the 2008-09 budget year...

Grant funds industrial spec building (04/11/08)
On the same week that one Shelbyville industry announced its closure, U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon announced that Duck River Electric Membership Corp. has been given a $300,000 grant to help build a spec building to attract a similar-sized industry to Airport Business Park...

One-structure-per-lot rule discussed (04/10/08)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners cast a meaningless vote Tuesday night on preserving an existing provision of the zoning resolution before deciding to send the issue back to Bedford County Planning Commission. Ever since county zoning was first put into place, it has included a "one principal structure per lot" rule, which is more or less standard for zoning resolutions anywhere...

Bell Buckle aiming at cleaner property (04/10/08)
Bell Buckle passed the first reading of an ordinance establishing property maintenance regulations that will give the town a procedure to deal with residents that have overgrown or dirty lots. Mayor Dennis Webb said that there was already a measure dealing with the topic on the books, but this would give the town some recourse in dealing with the matter...

Aleris will close Shelbyville plant (04/10/08)
Aleris International Inc. announced Wednesday that it will permanently close its Shelbyville alloy plant, which is located on Railroad Avenue across from Central High School. Production will be phased out, states a news release, and the site is expected to permanently close by summer....

Bank celebrates two decades this month (04/04/08)
First Community Bank of Bedford County celebrates its 20th birthday this month, as employees and customers look back at its growth and development over the past two decades. The bank was chartered April 1, 1988, and opened for business at its Elm Street location on April 28, so bank officials decided to celebrate the anniversary during the entire month of April, according to CEO Donna Stone...

County panel wants survey on nursing home issue (04/02/08)
Inspired in part by the results of an unscientific Times-Gazette web poll, Bedford County Financial Management Committee said Tuesday night it would like to conduct a more scientific poll of local attitudes towards selling Bedford County Nursing Home...

Draft of urban growth plan revealed (04/01/08)
A preliminary working draft of Shelbyville's comprehensive growth plan lays out a list of issues and opportunities, which helps identify the city's strengths and weaknesses. The draft plan was drawn up by the design firm of Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon (BWSC), which is also working on the county's growth plans. The plan calls for the city's Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) to be expanded northward where most, if not all, of the future growth is expected to take place...

Growth plan sets goals, objectives for city (04/01/08)
While the preliminary draft of Shelbyville's comprehensive growth plan shows where new development will likely to occur, it also lists a series of goals and objectives for the city's future. The plan, which is supposed to cover a 20-year period from 2005 to 2025, is being drawn up by the design firm of Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon (BWSC) and calls for the expansion of Shelbyville's Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) to the north...

Main Street program emphasizes membership month (03/31/08)
The Main Street Shelbyville program is promoting April as "membership month" and will offer special introductory rates for 2008 memberships. Main Street is a program to promote the preservation and development of the square and the downtown areas. The organization has four membership categories:...

A record-setting flight in a Shelbyville-made plane (03/29/08)
An aircraft constructed at Shelbyville's Jabiru USA facility has set a coast-to-coast speed record for a piston engine landplane that weights a ton or less. Retired Navy pilot Earl Ferguson of Atlanta claimed the record, which was approved by the National Aeronautic Association this month. ...

Planners see urban growth blueprint (03/29/08)
Shelbyville Municipal Planning Commission got its first look at a preliminary version of the city's urban growth plan Thursday night. Charles Goforth of the design firm Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon (BWSC) briefed the commission on how the city should plan for its growth over the next 20 years...

County unemployment shows slight rise (03/29/08)
Bedford County's unemployment rate rose 0.3 percent in February to 5.7 percent, according to figures released by Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The county reportedly had a labor force of 22,990, with 21,680 working and a total of 1,310 out of work. The rate was 1.4 percent higher than this time last year, when the unemployment rate was 4.3 percent...

Tyson defends hiring practices, works with refugees (03/28/08)
Tyson Foods officials have been working with the imam of Shelbyville's Islamic mosque to bridge the cultural gap that exists between the Somali community and the rest of the public. Representatives of the company also dismissed lingering charges of Tyson hiring illegal immigrants as "myths and misconceptions."...

Tyson says it has corrected sewage issue (03/27/08)
Problems with Tyson Foods' sewage treatment facility at its chicken processing plant in Shelbyville have been corrected, according to company officials. Last Feburary, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) issued a notice of violation to Tyson Foods' environmental office in Shelbyville, stating that the plant's sewage treatment facility discharged effluent into the Duck River with levels of ammonia greater than allowed by the plant's permit...

Tyson CEO says ethanol will lead to higher food costs (03/27/08)
When Dick Bond says that the price of food will soon go up due to increased ethanol production, you'd best listen to him. He should know: he's the president and CEO of Tyson Foods. Bond paid a rare visit to the Shelbyville poultry complex Wednesday to tour the facility and meet with plant management as well as officials from around Bedford County...

VIDEO: Tyson CEO visits Shelbyville (03/27/08)
Tyson Foods CEO Dick Bond visited the firm's Shelbyville plant on Wednesday. Here, he discusses the impact of ethanol promotion on food prices: ...

New Celebration CEO hopes to involve youth (03/26/08)
Doyle Meadows, new CEO of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, spoke to an enthusiastic group of breakfast Rotarians bright and early this morning at Richard's Cafeteria. "It is such a pleasure to be here," said Meadows, a native of Texas. "The Celebration is the garden of our community chest, and I appreciate that and I appreciate [breakfast Rotarians] ... you are also part of the community chest."...

County's growth ranks 7th in Tennessee (03/22/08)
Numbers released by the U.S Census Bureau show that the population of Bedford County has jumped 15 percent since the year 2000, making it the seventh fastest growing county in Tennessee. Coming at first and second place were Rutherford and Williamson counties, and it would appear likely that the boost in their populations has spilled over into this county...

Funding cuts could threaten bypass project (03/21/08)
It's too early to tell whether a rescission of $66.3 million in federal funding to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) would impact Bedford County, according to Sen. Jim Tracy. But Tracy stated that he would "work like crazy" to keep projects like the Shelbyville bypass from dropping off TDOT's list of priority projects...

Bell Buckle sues Ritch over tap fees (03/13/08)
The Town of Bell Buckle has filed suit against an area developer over unpaid sewer tap fees. Roger Ritch, doing business as American Value Homes, was served on March 7 with a civil suit demanding a total of $14,000. The town's board voted to move forward with collecting the unpaid sewer tap fees in November that had resulted from an accounting error...

CBAT pick delayed until fall (03/12/08)
The decision on locating the Air Force's proposed Common Battlefield Airman Training Facility (CBAT), for which Arnold Air Force Base is in the running, has been delayed until fall, according to Air Force officials. Local officials have also been awaiting the release of the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project, but that also has been delayed...

Local unemployment is 5.4 percent (03/08/08)
Bedford County's unemployment rate fell 0.1 percent in the month of January to 5.4 percent, according to figures released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. In January, the county had a workforce of 22,860, with 21,620 employed and 1,240 out of work. Compared to last year, unemployment has risen 0.8 percent from last January's rate of 4.6 percent...

Housing slowdown takes toll on local construction (03/07/08)
The nation's housing slowdown has had an obvious impact on home construction in Shelbyville, with the building of new houses down 60 percent since this time last year. City Planning Director Kip Green said building permits are down considerably from last year, with the slowdown beginning back in August 2007. But there's some good news, as the commercial sector takes a long-term view and anticipates the end of economic hard times...

More work added to North Main project (03/05/08)
The city of Shelbyville will vote next week on an addition of Northside Park Drive to the plans for the widening of North Main Street. The city asked the design firm Gresham, Smith and Partners to add the redesign of Northside Park Drive to the project, which would widen North Main from its current four lanes to five, beginning at Madison Street and ending at Palmer Drive, for a distance of 1.2 miles...

Annexation urged for Chapel Hill land (03/05/08)
CHAPEL HILL -- Planning commissioners here are recommending that annexation of 54 acres be approved next Monday by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Voting Monday this week, the commissioners endorsed a request from developer Ron Lampley who wants to build two subdivisions on State Route 99 (Eagleville Highway.)...

Bid awarded for improving busy intersection (03/04/08)
A local paving company was recently awarded the bid for work that will begin the long-anticipated widening of North Main Street. Wright Paving Contractors, Inc. was awarded the contract for work to be done at the intersection of Colloredo Boulevard and Fairfield Pike with a low bid of $260,626...

New sub regs to go before public (02/29/08)
Shelbyville's planning commission approved amendments to the city's subdivision regulations Thursday and a public hearing will be scheduled before the new rules are approved by the city council. The regulations deal with a variety of topics such as open space and are designed to make new subdivisions more livable...

Real estate signs are regulated (02/27/08)
Those signs with the arrows can be seen on many street corners at the entrance to Shelbyville's subdivisions, pointing out properties for sale by various local real estate firms. But an irate T-G reader has phoned to complain about the practice, which he termed an eyesore and encroaching on his property...

DREMC to construct new office annex (02/23/08)
Duck River Electric Membership Cooperative (DREMC) is planning to build a $2 million, 10,580-square foot annex office building near their present facility. The facility will be located at the corner of Eagle Boulevard and Learning Way, according to drawings submitted to the Shelbyville Municipal Planning Commission...

Verdict's still out on space crunch (02/20/08)
Local court officials are still considering their space problems, and haven't yet made a request to the county about how to solve them. County Mayor Eugene Ray told the county commission's courthouse and property committee Tuesday night that the court system will probably propose both a temporary and a long-term solution to the problem. ...

Depot Street speed limit restored (02/15/08)
Shelbyville's city council returned the speed limit on Depot Street to its previous limit of 45 mph after council members received a number of complaints from citizens. Several weeks ago, city manager Ed Craig directed the public works department to change the speed limit on East Depot Street from 45 to 30 mph due to the large amount of accidents that were occurring at the intersection of Depot, Bethany Lane and Coney Island Road...

County alters zoning rules (02/14/08)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners, meeting Tuesday night, approved a change to county zoning resolutions which will allow accessory buildings to be located in front of the main building in cases where the buildings are a great distance from the road...

Chamber honors four for community service (02/12/08)
Helen Garner, James Elkins, Johnny Reed and Dawn Holley were honored by Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce during the chamber's annual membership meeting and awards banquet Monday night at the Blue Ribbon Circle. Commissioner James Neeley of Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the scheduled keynote speaker, was unable to attend due to pneumonia; instead, Joe B. Brandon of the department spoke...

City bypass tops regional highway list (02/11/08)
CHAPEL HILL -- While construction of Shelbyville's eastern bypass remains the priority among regional transportation organizers who met here Thursday, a state official suggested they break a plan to four-lane Lewisburg Highway (State Route 64) into smaller projects...

City plans to destroy dilapidated buildings (02/08/08)
About a dozen eyesores around Shelbyville may soon have a date with the wrecking ball as the city seeks to demolish abandoned structures that have become public safety hazards. While there is a lengthy legal process behind the effort, city planning director Kip Green says that the rights of the property owner are of paramount concern...

Council plants roots for tree program (02/06/08)
Trees on the square and other matters were reviewed Tuesday during a special called meeting and study session of Shelbyville City Council. Before the study session, the council held a called meeting to deal with two items. Approved was a motion to authorize the mayor to execute a contract with Ron Parsons, who made a bid of $300,000 last month to purchase the old Senior Citizens Center building on North Main Street...

Winery, candy company join forces for new product (02/04/08)
A Tennessee treat is now available to the public due to two local companies combining their efforts to spread the taste of the region nationwide. Tri-Star Vineyards and Winery on Scales Road near Halls Mill has joined forces with Lynchburg Cakes and Candies to produce Tennessee Wine Drops, a candy that winery owners Perry and Elaine Casteel hope will catch on...

Chamber dinner set for Feb. 11 (01/30/08)
Tickets for the annual Chamber of Commerce dinner and awards banquet, Feb. 11 at the Blue Ribbon Circle on the Celebration grounds, must be purchased by Tuesday at the Chamber offices on South Cannon Boulevard, 684-3482. Tennessee Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development James G. Neeley will be the guest speaker, and the Chamber will present its four annual awards:...

Shelbyville projected for furniture sales growth (01/30/08)
Furniture Today magazine once again named Shelbyville as one of the top 50 small markets in the country projected to have the fastest growth in furniture and bedding sales in the next five years. The trade publication had Shelbyville at number 20 this year, listing it as one of 11 small metropolitan areas with a projected growth rate of 28 percent from now until 2012...

Travel easier to Nashville, new mall (01/29/08)
Bedford County residents who use Interstate 24 frequently may notice lighter traffic with the addition of a new exit and completion of a widening project which was opened to the public Monday. The new exit (Exit 80) is located on New Salem Highway (State Route 99) and motorists will now be able to use four travel lanes in each direction on I-24 from State Route 96 to U.S. 231 North...

Bedford lags behind state in broadband (01/28/08)
A new study by a non-profit group has revealed that Bedford County residents have lower broadband Internet speeds and that fewer use high speed service compared to the state average. Connected Tennessee released a county-by-county reading of average Internet speeds across Tennessee. The maps are intended to give broadband providers and state policy makers information on which communities need higher quality Internet service...

County jobless rate up slightly (01/29/08)
Bedford County's unemployment rate rose just 0.1 percent in December to 5.6 percent, according to figures released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The county had a total labor force of 22,610, with 21,360 employed and 1,260 out of work. The county's umemployment is 1.3 percent higher than it was a year ago, at 4.3 percent reported in December of 2006...

One property owner refutes fraud accusations (01/26/08)
One of the individuals accused of fraud involving Greystone Subdivison has brought the T-G evidence that the specific tenant to whom he is renting misrepresented the facts of his situation. Jason Neal provided extensive documentation that shows that Andrew Andreason of 414 Quarry St. gave Neal checks for rent in November and December of 2007 that were returned due to insufficient funds...

Planners elect officers, consider zoning requests (01/25/08)
Two new members were welcomed to the Shelbyville Planning Commission and officers were elected for the year during a brief meeting Thursday. Earl Pewitt and Henry Wilhoite were appointed to the commission last month by Mayor Wallace Cartwright. Chairman Morton Renegar advised the pair to consult with city planning director Kip Green to learn what the commission can and can't do...

Fraud claimed in home deals (01/24/08)
Several Shelbyville families in Greystone subdivision off Nashville Dirt Road, near North Main Street, are suddenly faced with losing the roofs over their heads -- even though they have been making their house payments on time. The families claim they have been victimized by several individuals from Murfreesboro who are purchasing properties from American Value Homes and setting up two-year leases with purchase option agreements...

Fayetteville Career Center closing (01/19/08)
Shelbyville's Career Center will be seeing more job seekers due to the closing of the state's Fayetteville office. The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development announced Friday it is closing the Fayetteville Career Center effective Jan. 25...

County growth plans presented to public (01/15/08)
"Is this the right direction?" That was the question posed to interested citizens during the first of three public meetings dealing with Bedford County's revised master growth plan. With large graphics of the different proposed plans displayed, Charles Goforth of the design firm Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon (BWSC) explained to the crowd of about 50 where the county should plan for its growth over the next 20 years...

Growth plan hearings this week (01/12/08)
If the future growth of the county is a topic that concerns you, you will have three chances to sound off with your opinion this week. A series of public hearings will be held by the Bedford County's Joint Economic Development Board (JEDB) on the subject of the comprehensive master plan that is to be used as an update to Bedford County's growth plan...

AEDC benefits area economy (01/12/08)
The U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) had an economic impact of more than $653 million on Middle Tennessee during government fiscal year 2007, which ended Sept. 30. This estimate is an increase of more than $54 million from fiscal year 2006...

Zoning relaxed for 'guest houses' (01/09/08)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners approved a change Tuesday night which was designed to loosen the zoning regulations slightly, to make it easier for families to have a guest house on their property. But some commissioners want the county to study completely eliminating the rule that was being loosened...

Chapel Hill considers zero lot line zoning (01/09/08)
CHAPEL HILL -- Planning commissioners here agreed Monday night to recommend a change in the town's zoning ordinance to allow zero lot line homes. Such new housing would be allowed as close as five feet to the side of a property owner's lot and therefore a minimum of 10 feet would be required between the homes...

Stockyard fires impact farmers (01/03/08)
Two stockyards in Tennessee burned this week and officials say the fires will hurt their areas' farm economies. Other stockyards, however, may benefit because of the fires. "Whenever you lose a facility like that, you lose some of your competition," said Rick Skillington, director of Marshall County Agricultural Extension Service. "When farmers carry their livestock to market, they like the competition."...

North Main widening study continues (01/02/08)
A preliminary field review of the widening of North Main Street in Shelbyville has been set by the Tennessee Department of Transportation [TDOT]. The review will be held Jan. 16 starting at 9 a.m. at the Region 3 office building in the Survey and Design Conference Room on the second floor at 6601 Centennial Boulevard in Nashville...

National Pen may get new work here (12/29/07)
National Pen Corp. in Shelbyville may be seeing some new faces soon. According to both the South Florida Business Journal and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Atlas Pen & Pencil Co. will close its Hollywood, Fla., facility and move its production to Shelbyville and Tijuana, Mexico, on April 1...

Planners allow apartments on the square (12/29/07)
Shelbyville's planning commission approved a zoning change Thursday that would make it easier to develop apartments on the square. The commission approved a recommendation to add apartments as a permitted use in two commercial zones. According to comments submitted by the planning and engineering staff for the city, it was recommended that the use table be amended by allowing C-1 (Central Business District) and C-2 (Highway Service District) zones for multi-family uses, or apartments...

Rules change would allow outbuildings in front of homes (12/19/07)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners' rules and legislative committee added its recommendation Tuesday night to two proposed changes to the county zoning resolution. One of the changes would allow accessory buildings (such as a garage or shed) to be placed in front of a home in the A-1(agriculture) zone, provided the home is more than three times the required minimum setback from the highway. ...

Homestead planned at Ag Center (12/12/07)
A new association is being planned with the goal of building a pioneer-style log home and outbuildings as a museum on the southwest corner of the Bedford County Agriculture and Education Center site. Organizers have the blessing of the Ag Center's board and of Bedford County Board of Commissioners. ...

And then there were two: Georgia no longer considered for CBAT (12/11/07)
Arnold Air Force Base in Coffee and Franklin counties now has a better chance of getting the Common Battlefield Airmen Training program, also known as CBAT, according to a Georgia newspaper. The Valdosta Daily Times reported Sunday that Moody Air Force Base, in Valdosta, Ga., is out of the running for the Air Force facility. It had been one of three sites, along with Arnold AFB and Barksdale AFB in Shreveport, La., under consideration to host CBAT...

Chickens run loose in parts of city (12/11/07)
As codes enforcer for the city of Shelbyville, David Langford has to deal with a variety of issues in his job. Routine items like abandoned vehicles, grass that is too high or when a neighbor's property is too messy are just some of the challenges Langford faces with the public...

Hearings set on growth plan (12/05/07)
Bedford County's Joint Economic Development Board [JEDB] will hold a series of public hearings next month on the topic of the comprehensive master plan to be used as an update to the county's growth plan. The series of public hearings are tentatively scheduled to be held Jan. 14 at Duck River Electric Membership Corporation, Jan. 15 at Cascade School and Jan. 17 at Community School. All of the meetings will start at 6 p.m...

Quintec sold to Italian firm (11/30/07)
Quintec Films Corp. on Railroad Avenue in Shelbyville has been acquired by Manuli Stretch Group of Milan, Italy, the world's largest stretch film manufacturer. The transfer became effective on Wednesday; terms of the deal were not disclosed. Manuli Stretch Group has annual sales in excess of $460 million and operates manufacturing facilities in Italy, Germany, the U.K. and Argentina...

Zoning Appeals grants exception for cabinet shop (11/30/07)
After hearing conflicting reports from neighbors, Bedford County Board of Zoning Appeals decided Thursday night to approve a special exception for a cabinet shop at 164 Big Springs Road. Ken Remfert has an existing cabinet shop but wanted to move it to a building he has purchased nearby. ...

Air Force secretary says CBAT study continues (11/28/07)
ARNOLD AFB -- Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne gave no new information about the possibility of Arnold Air Force Base getting the Common Battlefield Airman Training (CBAT) program during his visit on Tuesday, but said environmental surveys are still being examined...

Zoning change could allow lofts on the square (11/19/07)
A zoning change proposed for the city would make it easier to develop apartments on the square. Shelbyville Planning Commission will examine a recommendation to add apartments as a permitted use in two commercial zones when it meets next week. The commission will meet Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. in the courtroom in the Shelbyville Police Department...

Historic school building enters new phase (11/12/07)
A historic Elm Street structure has been receiving a facelift over the past few months and the public will get a chance this week to see what has been done. The building once housed Bedford County Training School, Shelbyville's school for African-Americans in the years before desegregation, which took place from 1965-67. It was later Harris Middle School. Now, it has been renovated into an office complex; the large gymnasium is in the process of restoration as well...

State main street chief to speak in Shelbyville (11/10/07)
The Shelbyville Main Street Program will host an informational meeting Wednesday at 10:30 at the Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce, 100 North Cannon Blvd. Kimberly Nyberg, Main Street director for Tennessee, will provide a presentation followed by a question and answer forum...

Streetscape plans to be developed for square (11/09/07)
Shelbyville's city council only had a few items to address Thursday evening, one of them involving trees on the public square. The council passed a motion to hire Jim Douglas with Hodgson Planning and Design Services for streetscape planning for Shelbyville's Public Square, but Councilman Lee Roy Cunningham had questions about the move...

Slow progress on 41-A widening (11/07/07)
The right of way process for the future widening of U.S. 41-A to Tullahoma to four lanes is underway, but it will be until sometime in 2009 before that phase is completed, Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) officials say. But the acquisition of land is only one part of the process, with no set date for the start of construction...

Doctor's building breaks ground (11/06/07)
A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Monday for Bedford Physicians Plaza, a medical office building on the campus of the new Bedford County Medical Center. Henry Trost of Franklin-based First Colony Healthcare, which is developing the project, noted during the ceremonies that ground has already been broken. But the company, as well as BCMC, took the opportunity to celebrate anyway, sticking their shovels into a pile of dirt at the corner of the already-prepared pad...

DRA will make pitch to Spring Hill (11/03/07)
The Duck River Agency's executive director is scheduled to make a pitch to Spring Hill aldermen that, in the face of drought, it's logical to join with other governments in the watershed to protect water quality and supply. Doug Murphy, executive of the Shelbyville-based agency, says he'll advocate regional water supply planning at Spring Hill City Hall on Nov. 13, a date recommended by Mayor Danny Leverette...

State toughens Three-Star requirements (11/02/07)
The state has raised the bar for local governments' participation in a program that's provided more than $100,000 in help to Bedford County and similar amounts in other counties. The Governor's Three-Star Award program recognizes communities for being prepared for economic development. ...

Local unemployment office may close (10/31/07)
Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner James Neeley visited Bedford County Monday. Bedford County Mayor Eugene Ray requested the meeting after hearing that federal cutbacks could cause the unemployment office here to be consolidated. The mayor stressed his desire to keep the office open, but Neeley said because of the cutbacks it is probable that services for Bedford County residents will be provided in either Lincoln or Coffee County...

Subdivision proposals to be released (10/27/07)
Developers and the public will soon be getting their first look at Shelbyville's proposed subdivision regulations so that the city's planning commission can make final adjustments before sending the document to the city council for approval. The commission plans to hold a public hearing on the new regulations after Christmas. ...

Healthy trees improve square, merchants told (10/25/07)
Downtown merchants and beautification enthusiasts agreed Wednesday that maintaining trees on the Shelbyville public square is the most important factor in keeping the area looking good, in order to promote business. The meeting was held to reach a consensus between businesses and members of the Chamber of Commerce’s Beautification Committee to decide what steps need to be taken to improve the look of the square...

Trees will be meeting topic (10/18/07)
The debate over trees on the Shelbyville public square will continue during a public meeting next Wednesday, with a landscape professional giving his input on the issue. The meeting takes place at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the City Hall Courtroom at the Shelbyville Police Department...

Main Street offers gift certificates (10/16/07)
The newly-organized Shelbyville Main Street program has worked with area businesses to produce holiday gift certificates. The certificates are available in $10, $15, $20 and $25 denominations and are redeemable at a wide variety of local merchants as listed below...

State hopes for Hispanic tourism (10/15/07)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee's tourism department began advertising in Spanish-language newspapers for the first time this year and plans to roll out a Spanish version of its Web site by the end of the month. "The idea is to be all inclusive," said Phyllis Qualls-Brooks, a spokeswoman for the department. "We have multiple cultures -- the census tells us that -- and we know (Hispanic) culture is part of our potential market."...

City wins motions in lawsuit, but issues remain (10/13/07)
Summary judgment in favor of the City of Shelbyville was handed down Wednesday in Fayetteville in a lawsuit between the city and a local paving company. However, two legal issues still remain in the suit that was filed nearly two and a half years ago...

Tempest in a treetop (10/12/07)
Trees on the square were a topic of discussion Thursday during Shelbyville City Council's October meeting, with a merchant and a beautification advocate expressing different viewpoints. A debate began on the topic when a motion was made to apply for a landscape grant from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry, for the purchase and installation of trees on the public square...

Main Street program organizing (10/12/07)
The newly formed "Main Street Shelbyville" program has begun the application process for accreditation with the Tennessee Main Street Program. The state program is part of the nationwide "Main Street" program created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation...

City studies new financing method (10/03/07)
Shelbyville City Council was informed Tuesday about ways to pay for capital projects with a method called Tax Increment Financing (TIF). Don Darden of the University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) explained the pros and cons of the method, which is used for redevelopment and community improvement projects...

Backroads Heritage celebrates successful year (10/01/07)
MONTEAGLE -- Tennessee's Backroads Heritage Inc., which promotes tourism in Bedford and six other southern Middle Tennessee counties, celebrated another year of achievement with its annual barbecue, held at the Bear Hollow Dinner Theatre. Ken Beck, who covers travel and entertainment for The Tennessean, was the keynote speaker, while the band Midnight Special performed. ...

Local employment rises (10/01/07)
Bedford County's unemployment rate dropped 0.3 percent to 4.6 percent for the month of August, the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development reported. The county had a labor force of 22,410, with 21,380 employed and 1,030 out of work. Tennessee's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August decreased from the July rate of 4.1 percent to 4.0 percent, a decrease of 0.1 percent. The United States rate was 4.6 percent for August, and remained unchanged from July...

Housing market may fall more (09/29/07)
MURFREESBORO -- "I believe the bottom of the housing downturn could be quite a ways off," said the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Dennis Lockhart, during Middle Tennessee State University's annual Economic Outlook Conference on Friday...

Subdivision turns to be widened (09/28/07)
Questions about turn radiuses with roads inside a proposed development dominated discussion for Shelbyville's planning commission Thursday. A preliminary plat was before the commission for Briarwood Estates, a 87-lot residential subdivision on 72.4 acres located off of Richdale Lane and Brown Lane owned by Mayor Wallace Cartwright, who is also a member of the commission...

City planner looks at 'complete streets' (09/25/07)
With so many subdivisions and planned unit developments being built in Bedford County, new transportation concepts being used in the northwest are catching the eye of Shelbyville's planning director. Kirkland, Wash., is attracting planners from around the country who are looking at its street designs, which keep busy roadways safe for bike riders and walkers without adding new lanes. ...

Where should county offices be? (09/19/07)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners' courthouse and county property committee continues to look at what to do about county offices, and Tuesday night it had two visitors with an interest in that decision: Cindy Drake and Janet Cavna of the local Main Street organization, which is now in the process of organizing...

Local businessmen buy Smyrna Air Center (09/15/07)
The Smyrna Air Center was sold this week to a group of Shelbyville businessmen for an undisclosed amount. Robert Fields, owner of R&B Transport; Corey Gillard, owner of Precision Aviation; and Erick Larson, a pilot and independent aviation-insurance agent with PIK-West Insurance bought the air-service business from Ed Thornton, John Boatman and Connie Boatman after negotiations that lasted ten months...

County presented with Three-Star Award (09/15/07)
It was smiles all around as Bedford County once again was formally re-certified as a Level III community Thursday during the Governor's Three-Star Award program in Nashville. The presentation took place at the two-day Governor's Conference on Economic and Community Development, which was attended by a variety of county and city leaders from Bedford County and across the state...

City approves its share of GIS flyover costs (09/14/07)
The Shelbyville City Council gave approval to funding the city's part of new aerial photography of Bedford County Thursday evening. The imagery will be for the Geographic Information System (GIS) and the city's portion of that cost will be $5,577. The current imagery is now around nine years old and is very out of date, especially on North Main Street where growth has exploded over the past decade. ...

Hospital topped out, doctors honored at ceremony (09/07/07)
Bedford County Medical Center held a topping-out ceremony at its new facility on U.S. 231 North on Thursday, honoring the facility's long-time doctors before hoisting the final girder into place. CEO William Macri compared the two, saying that just as a building's framework and foundation determine its shape, a hospital is shaped by its staff...

Governor's conference to emphasize rural ECD (09/07/07)
Gov. Phil Bredesen, in a telephone interview Thursday with the Times-Gazette, said this year's Governor's Conference on Economic and Community Development will have a special focus on rural communities, some of which haven't shared completely in the state's recent economic success...

City wants to talk trees with square merchants (09/05/07)
The city of Shelbyville wants to get together with businesses on the public square and others to discuss the future of trees there. The general consensus from the council was to get input from everyone concerned about planting new trees on the square...

AEDC seeks Morris Ferry Dock input (08/30/07)
The U.S. Air Force is continuing to explore alternatives for operating Morris Ferry Dock, a fishing camp on Woods Reservoir on the Arnold Air Force Base campus. The Air Force recently extended the deadline for its request for information (RFI) to Sept. 17...

Main Street program moves forward (08/29/07)
The foundation blocks were laid on Tuesday for the building of a Shelbyville Main Street project. Interested members met with County Mayor Eugene Ray to discuss the necessary steps that must be taken before applying for the highly recognized position of a Main Street community with the State of Tennessee...

Dinner Table is open yet again (08/28/07)
After nearly two years of feeding people in another city in another county, Fletcher and Sharon Griffin have brought their wonderful savors of good country cooking back home to Shelbyville. The Dinner Table Restaurant is open once again, this time on Union Street, just in time to take care of the hungry bunch of horse lovers here for the Celebration...

Sub reg changes aim for livability (08/25/07)
Making communities more livable is one of the main concepts behind updated subdivision regulations that Shelbyville's planning commission will be examining over the next few months. "We've tried to meet what state law requires and what the environment requires, being the federal government, and put that into a document that makes sense," Planning and Zoning Director Kip Green said Friday...

Local unemployment falls in July (08/24/07)
Bedford County's unemployment rate fell to 4.9 percent in July, according to figures released by the Department of Labor & Workforce Development. The county had a workforce of 22,540, with 21,450 employed and 1,100 reported as unemployed. The rate fell 0.3 percent from 5.2 percent in July...

Planners see proposed new sub regs (08/24/07)
Shelbyville's planning commission got their first look at the first draft of proposed subdivision regulations that are intended to bring the city "up to date" with surrounding communities. Chairman Morton Renegar said they have been waiting a long time for the draft, indicating the current regulations on the books were out of date...

Committee considers county's office needs (08/22/07)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners' courthouse and county property committee continued to discuss the county's space needs Tuesday night, including such ideas as building a new jail behind the old Bedford County Medical Center and turning the existing hospital building or the Medical Arts Building into a judicial building with offices and courthouses...

Celebration makes huge financial impact (08/20/07)
Like an old family friend, the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration (TWHNC) has been with Shelbyville since 1939, so long that many can't remember there being a time when there wasn't a horse show. If there is one segment of the county's business community that has its finger on the pulse of Bedford County's economic health, it is the real estate market. ...

Kisber praises local efforts (08/17/07)
Tennessee Commissioner of Economic and Community Development Matthew Kisber told a Shelbyville audience on Thursday that Bedford County is one of the state's best examples of good economic development practices. Kisber also praised The Celebration for its role in working with diverse elements of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry to resolve the crisis over horse inspections which ended last year's show without a World Grand Champion...

Growth plan revision work continues (08/16/07)
County and city officials will have choices to make as it applies to planning for future growth, according to a consultant hired to assist in updating the county urban growth plan. Members of the Bedford County Planning Commission recently heard a presentation from Charles Goforth of the Nashville planning and engineering firm Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon...

BCUD considers transferring lines to city (08/13/07)
Bedford County Utility District (BCUD) commissioners are sending a contract to Shelbyville's utility board for the sale of some of the rural district's jurisdiction to the city as another step in more than a year of discussions. While the potential agreement affects a relatively small territory, the discussions between the utilities raise growth issues for both governments and the people they serve, largely because water and sewer are basic services...

Bedford re-certified as Level III county (08/11/07)
Bedford County has been re-certified as a Level III community in the Governor's Three-Star Award program for 2007. Shan Harris of Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, who had supervised the Three-Star program in Middle Tennessee on an interim basis, and Tracy Childress, who took it over at the beginning of the month, confirmed the re-certification following a meeting with community leaders Thursday. ...

North Main widening date undecided (08/04/07)
There's no definitive date for work to begin on the widening of North Main Street, according to State Sen. Jim Tracy. Tracy has been in conversation with officials at the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) about the project, which the state senator termed as "a major safety issue."...

Main Street not just about merchants, says official (07/31/07)
Susan Hancock, executive director of Fayetteville Main Street, told a group of local merchants, officials and preservationists that Shelbyville would have a good shot at making a Main Street program work -- but it would take a commitment of money and manpower...

New elementary school approved by planners (07/27/07)
A site plan review for a new elementary school on Learning Way was approved Thursday by the Shelbyville Planning Commission, while two other items of interest were delayed until August. The school is to be located at the intersection of Learning Way and Madison Street on 3.22 acres. The property is currently zoned I-1 [light industrial]. It has no official name yet, although it is widely referred to as "Central Elementary School" for the sake of convenience...

New owner has big plans for Walking Horse Hotel (07/21/07)
The historic structure has sat dark and unused recently, but later this year, the Walking Horse Hotel in Wartrace will once again be filled with light and music. That is the plan new owner Joe Peters has for the building after recently purchasing it from John Garland. But behind these efforts to bring this key part of Wartrace back to life is the memory of Peters's wife Chase...

Yard sale restrictions proposed (07/18/07)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners' rules and legislative committee deferred action for a month on a proposal to limit the number of yard sales a rural resident can hold each year. The City of Shelbyville already has such a rule in place. It's designed to prevent someone in a residential zone from having a permanent, year-round yard sale, while still allowing the occasional clean-out-your-garage sale...

Controversial subdivision on city planning agenda (07/17/07)
The second phase of a subdivision that was met with opposition by neighbors will be before the Shelbyville Planning Commission next week. A request for final plat approval for Phase II of Stones Throw Subdivision, a 36 lot development on 12.70 acres on Highway 231 South north of Naron Road will be on the commission's agenda when they meet next Thursday at the City Hall Annex starting at 6 p.m...

Growth brings upgraded subdivision regulations (07/11/07)
With more growth in Shelbyville's future, planning commission chairman Morton Renegar says updating the city's subdivision regulations is a must. In August, the commission will begin looking at the first of several sections of the regulations which would make future developments more attractive by requiring green space and amenities such as sidewalks...

Subdivision regulations to be updated (06/26/07)
New subdivision regulations for Shelbyville should begin to be examined in August by the city's planning commission, although the process for the changes will be done a piece at a time. Planning and Codes Director Kip Green said the first regulations to be examined are intended to make future developments more attractive by requiring green space and amenities such as sidewalks...

Jobless rate up slightly in county (06/22/07)
Bedford County's unemployment rate rose 0.4 percent in May to 4.2 percent, according to figures released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The county had a workforce of 22,400, with 21,470 employed and 940 without work...

Rezoning request denied for business (06/13/07)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to deny a rezoning at 2506 U.S. 231 North which had been requested by Celebration 2000, an office supply business now located on Madison Street in Shelbyville. Grady Cunningham, who owns the business, had wanted to move from its current leased space to a site that he would own outright. He was asking the county to rezone the site from R-1 (residential) to C-2 (commercial)...

Bonnaroo will bring traffic through Shelbyville (06/11/07)
Motorists should expect to see more traffic moving through Shelbyville this week as music fans begin to gather for this weekend's Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester. With over 80,000 people are expected to attend this year's Bonnaroo, traffic will be much heavier in Manchester and surrounding areas during the festival period...

Engine for new airliner tested at AEDC (06/09/07)
The Rolls-Royce engine which will power the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been extensively tested at the U.S. Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center, say AEDC officials. The 787 will make its debut test flight later this year and is scheduled to enter passenger service a year from now...

National Pen to add 80 call center jobs (06/01/07)
National Pen Company LLC formally announced on Thursday the expansion of its call center in Shelbyville, which will add 80 jobs at the site. Billy Fox Sr., vice president of worldwide manufacturing and Tennessee site manager for the company, said some of the jobs are being moved from the company headquarters in San Diego, while others relate to new programs...

Construction begins on new hospital (05/31/07)
It's a small first step, but a large beginning -- that is the thought of the day at Bedford County Medical Center, where news of machinery on the building site for the new hospital created a stir. In a memo sent by CEO Bill Macri to the staff, the news was announced, "For those of you who do not routinely travel up (U.S.) 231 North, I wanted to let you know that construction has begun in earnest...

Walt Wood named TIDC vice-president (05/30/07)
Walt Wood, CEO of Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce, will serve as vice president of Tennessee Industrial Development Council for 2007-2008, and based on the normal rotation is projected to become president of the group in 2008-2009. "I'm honored to be selected by my fellow economic developers in the state for a leadership role in our professional organization," Wood said Tuesday morning...

Marshall leaders learn about Bedford river cleanup (05/29/07)
LEWISBURG -- Bedford County Mayor Eugene Ray and Helen Garner of the Shelbyville Bedford County Chamber of Commerce explained the Duck River cleanup project last week to members of the Marshall County river cleanup committee. County Mayor Joe Boyd Liggett said Marshall County is joining Bedford and three other counties with river cleanups this summer...

Local employment rises (05/25/07)
Bedford County's unemployment rate fell an entire percentage point in April to 3.8 percent. According to figures released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Shelbyville Micropolitian Statistical Area [Bedford County] had a labor force of 22,290, with 21,450 employed and 840 out of work...

New businesses approved for North Main (05/25/07)
Shelbyville's planning commission approved site plans for a new Taco Bell and retail center Thursday night, among other items. The two buildings are to be located at 1704 North Main St. on 1.66 acres. The plans call for a 2,700 square foot building for the restaurant, which is to seat 20 persons and an adjoining 9,350 square foot building labeled as a "retail center."...

Sheriff's Department needs more money, officers (05/23/07)
Bedford County Sheriff's Department officials say the county must hire new officers to keep up with rapid growth; members of the county Financial Management Committee didn't argue the point but said the sheriff's department may have to convince taxpayers...

Gordon, Corker respond to immigration proposal (05/21/07)
Here are statements from two of Bedford County's representatives in Congress on the immigration reform proposal now being discussed in the Senate: U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon: "I was disappointed by the ill-conceived immigration proposal put forward by the president and the Senate. ...

State expects strong summer tourism season (05/18/07)
An elderhostel group from Sugar Tours in West Dover, Vt., toured Waterfall Farms and the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration grounds on Thursday, on their way to downtown Lynchburg and a meal at Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House. Diane Murray of Tennessee's Backroads Heritage, a tourism group promoting this area, traveled with the group. Murray became director of Tennessee's Backroads this year after retiring from the state's tourism development program...

P-16 Council holds first meeting (05/11/07)
Bedford County P-16 Council, which will attempt to network all levels of education with economic and community development efforts, held an organizational meeting this morning at the Tennessee Technology Center at Shelbyville. TTCS director Ivan Jones chaired the meeting...

New greenway plan unveiled (05/04/07)
While sections of it may not be completed for some time, Shelbyville's city council got a first look at the comprehensive master greenway plan on Tuesday. Terry Mulvaney of architectural firm Gresham Smith and Partners, who has given assistance with the design concept, explained the layout to the council. The city's greenway committee decided to have a comprehensive plan instead of designing piece by piece...

Dog owners growl about proposed limit (05/02/07)
The number of pets allowed in a yard may be re-examined after the Shelbyville City council got an earful from concerned dog owners about animal control proposals. Council members have been wrestling with how to deal with changing the city's code on animal control, which came following several dog attacks, including the attack on a Shelbyville woman by two pit bull dogs last November...

TWHNC takes tourism honor again (05/02/07)
For the 19th time in 20 years, The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration has been given recognition as one of the top twenty events in the Southeast Tourism Society. Put on the list for the first time in 1988, the show has drawn continuous nominations for the honor. To be nominated, the event must have a minimum of 1,000 in attendance. The list is published by the Society quarterly throughout the U.S., reaching millions of readers...

Strategic plan helps keep Three-Star status (05/01/07)
It was only a few weeks ago, in late March, that Gov. Phil Bredesen formally recognized Bedford County for being re-certified under the Governor's Three-Star Award program. That's because circumstances last fall prevented the Governor from presenting the award at the usual time of year...

BCMC site plans get city's nod (04/27/07)
Site plans for the new Bedford County Medical Center were approved Thursday by the Shelbyville Municipal Planning Commission. The 60 bed, 100,002 square foot building is to be located on U.S. 231 North across from the Shelbyville Municipal Airport in the Airport Business Subdivision...

Sharpies celebrated at open house (04/23/07)
Sanford Brands will hold an open house Saturday at its manufacturing plant on Sharpie Way, including not only plant tours but a 35-foot rock climbing wall and an appearance by the #8 car of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. The event will take place from 10 a.m. ...

Hospital breaks ground on $35M facility (04/19/07)
Bedford County Medical Center broke ground Wednesday on a new $35 million hospital which officials say will serve as an economic development tool for the community. Construction on the hospital is expected to begin in two to four weeks and take 15-18 months to complete, with the hospital to open in the second half of 2008...

Gordon briefed on greenway project (04/11/07)
U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon stopped by Shelbyville City Hall on Tuesday for a briefing about the city's master greenway plan, and expressed support for the city's pro-active approach. "I'm happy to see you're way out in front on all this," said Gordon. Mayor Geneva Smith, City Manager Ed Craig and Planning and Codes Director Kip Green made the presentation to Gordon and his Bedford County field representative, Sean Gilliland...

County re-certified for Three-Star Award (04/06/07)
Bedford County was re-certified under the Governor's Three-Star Award program during an awards ceremony last week at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville. Gov. Phil Bredesen, Commissioner of Economic and Community Development Matthew Kisber and Assistant Commissioner Rick Meredith participated in the ceremony along with members of the state's Three-Star Advisory Council. The state recognized 87 Three-Star communities during the program...

Discussions begin on handling growth (03/28/07)
Leaders of Bedford County and its municipalities are trying to prepare for growth by updating a 20-year growth plan, and their consultant led a discussion with nearly two dozen people last night to familiarize the public with the issues. "Over the next 10 years, you all are poised for significant growth," said Doug Tennant, a vice president with Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon's planning division in Nashville, which was hired by the Joint Economic Development Committee...

Bedford County business granted Marshall County rezoning (03/27/07)
LEWISBURG -- The Marshall County Commission granted a request from two Bedford County businessmen Monday night for the rezoning of more than 100 acres so they can open a rock quarry next to a quarry that's been open since before that county had land use zoning...

Cancer-stricken family can live together (03/24/07)
A Farmington-area family wracked with cancer received unanimous support from a Bedford County zoning panel on Thursday for another house trailer behind their modest home, allowing more relatives to be close for mutual support. "God bless you," George Mitchell said after permission was granted by the Board of Zoning Appeals for a "temporary dwelling unit in cases of medical emergency" so his mobile home can be towed from Chestnut Ridge to his father's six acres just east of the Marshall County line.. ...

New subdivision rules being readied (03/23/07)
Shelbyville's Planning Commission may have new subdivision regulations in their hands by this time next month, according to the city's planning and zoning director, Kip Green. Finishing touches were being put on the new regulations, Green said, which are intended to make future developments more attractive by requiring green space and amenities such as sidewalks...

Merger will create hospital giant (03/20/07)
Community Health Systems, Inc., the Franklin-based health care chain that owns Bedford County Medical Center, announced Monday that it has agreed to acquire Triad Hospitals, Inc. of Plano, Texas, a merger which the company says will create the largest publicly-traded hospital company in the U.S...

New plan may allow planners more for less (03/17/07)
Conservation planning, an approach to housing development that might result in more for less with imagination, was described to nearly 100 leaders from Bedford, Marshall and other nearby counties on Thursday night during a seminar here in Shelbyville...

Trees, open space concern Bell Buckle (03/16/07)
Recommendations for an open space ordinance will be examined by the Bell Buckle Planning Commission as members continue to shape how they want their community to look. Alderperson Jenny Hunt, who is also a member of the town's tree board, gave commission members suggestions for them and state planners to examine...

Family struggles used to justify land use request (03/15/07)
Struggling with cancer, other maladies and disabilities, a Bedford County family has requested a second exception from strict enforcement of the zoning code for a third mobile home behind their modest frame house. County zoning regulations require permission from the Board of Zoning Appeals for a "temporary dwelling unit in cases of medical hardship," and the BZA is scheduled to meet on March 22 at 5:30 p.m. ...

What will county look like in 2027? (03/12/07)
Residents from all parts of Bedford County are invited to express their opinions on how they think their community should grow during the next 20 years. The public hearing scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on March 27 is in conjunction with discussions started this winter by an advisory panel with a consultant from a Nashville planning and engineering firm...

Planners deny rezoning request (02/23/07)
Shelbyville's planning commission denied a rezoning request Thursday for land at the corner of Lewis Avenue and Coble Circle from R-1 [low density residential] to C-2 [highway service district]. City staff had recommended the denial due to encroachment into an established R-1 community being located near a flood prone area. Increased traffic at the location could also pose a hazard to the natural flow coming into Shelbyville from Highway 64, they said...

Garage request strongly denied (02/19/07)
A Bedford County man who complained he couldn't get a clear decision from the county's Board of Zoning Appeals in January was given a direct response on Thursday when the board unanimously denied his request. Frank Bohanek of Redbud Road got permission last year to build a garage larger than normally allowed, but he changed his plans and built it even bigger than the special exception authorized, so when county officials found out, he ended up back at the zoning appeals board...

CalsonicKansei to close Manchester plant (02/16/07)
CalsonicKansei North America (CKNA) announced this week that they will close their plant in Manchester starting in April. The closure is expected to by finished by August. According to the announcement, CKNA intends to consolidate production from the plant in Manchester with their facility in Lewisburg...

Bell Buckle creates new zoning (02/16/07)
A new zoning classification has been created in Bell Buckle that will allow residential areas containing large estates. The town board voted Tuesday to create the classification called an Agricultural/Residential Estate Zone, which would "provide suitable areas for large estates and for agricultural uses" with a minimum required lot size of three acres...

Restaurant approved, tire shop delayed (02/16/07)
A family restaurant planned on Unionville Highway has received the approval it needed for construction to continue, but there's another delay for the family's tire and repair business; it needs a special exception before the shop can be built. That's the split decision Thursday night from Bedford County Board of Zoning Appeals, which considered information presented by Zoning Compliance Officer Kay Demonbren. ...

Fees waived when disaster strikes (02/14/07)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to waive building permit fees for someone rebuilding the same size structure if it is destroyed by a fire or natural disaster. But they deferred action on a proposal to waive subdivision plat requirements for a parent giving land to a child while investigating whether such an exception would be legal...

Developer granted rezoning (02/13/07)
CHAPEL HILL -- About 35 acres were rezoned by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen here Monday after a few questions were answered for residents with property adjoining that land. Unionville-based CAT Developers were granted the reclassification of property for development with 87 homes. The change reduces the distance required between homes and that became a concern for nearby residents...

Construction began before permit (02/13/07)
UNIONVILLE -- A Bedford County businessman wants to move his auto shop to Unionville Highway near Columbia Road and build a restaurant to be run by his mother. However, Jamie Garrett started construction before obtaining a special exception from the Bedford County Board of Zoning Appeals which is scheduled to consider the situation on Thursday...

Farm bill proposals draw mixed responses (02/06/07)
Changes proposed for the farm bill that congressmen have received from President Bush may benefit water customers in Bedford County, according to the manager of the rural water district who's also the county Farm Bureau president. More money would be spent to protect water quality, and funding for loans and grants to water districts could help fund the extension of water pipes to residents who want so-called "city water," Marty Davis said after listening to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns last week.. ...

Rezoning sought in Chapel Hill (02/05/07)
CHAPEL HILL -- A Murfreesboro man wants planning commissioners here to recommend changing three acres between Town Hall and the Marshall County Farmers Co-op from a residential classification to a business zone. In another example of growth in north Marshall County, Lewisburg-based Realtor David Jent and two partners have submitted to the commission a document to transfer a sewage pumping station in exchange for a guarantee that 94 lots at Stoney Brook will have sewer service...

Glitch in zoning laws to be examined (02/03/07)
Shelbyville City Council was briefed Tuesday about a "catch-22" in the city's current zoning regulations that would impact about 20 homes. The issue has arisen over a home that has existed in the city for 30 years in a commercial zone. According to planning and zoning director Kip Green, if the home was to be 60 percent destroyed by a fire or other disaster, the city would not be able to issue a building permit as codes are currently written...

Tyson sued over illegal immigration issue (01/30/07)
CHATTANOOGA (AP) -- A lawsuit that contends Tyson Foods depressed wages by hiring illegal immigrants and should pay damages to legal workers will go to trial in March 2008, a judge said Monday in a conference with attorneys. The lawsuit contends Tyson hired illegal immigrants at eight plants since April 1998...

Officials in Bedford, Marshall prepare for growth (01/29/07)
LEWISBURG -- Opposition to the perceived prospect of annexation in Marshall County is so great that it's attracted a third crowd to a public meeting on growth plans and prompted Chapel Hill's town board to sign a resolution saying it won't annex farm land unless there's a request from the owner...

Marshall Chamber sets up in Chapel Hill (01/29/07)
LEWISBURG -- Marshall County's Chamber of Commerce will be opening a satellite office in Chapel Hill soon because of a unanimous vote by the chamber's board of directors last week. "We are excited about this opportunity," Chapel Hill Town Administrator Mike Hatten told the board in a letter promising office space and utilities including a telephone line and computer connection to the Internet...

SCHS site plan gets city nod (01/26/07)
Approval was given Thursday by the Shelbyville Planning Commission for the site plan for work to be done on areas of Shelbyville Central High School. The additions will total 96,538 square feet, containing a new two-story classroom and office building, which are to be placed between the existing building and the gymnasium, becoming the building's new front entrance, facing Learning Way and the Harris Middle School campus...

Miss Mary Bobo's reopens (01/25/07)
LYNCHBURG -- Miss Mary Bobo's, the celebrated restaurant owned by the Jack Daniel Distillery, celebrated its renovation on Wednesday with a meal for various invited VIP guests and the media. State Sen. Jim Tracy and Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce executive Walt Wood were among those in attendance. Media from Nashville, Chattanooga and Huntsville, Ala., covered the event...

An incentive to preserve open space (01/24/07)
Anyone who drives around Bedford County and other rural spots in Tennessee knows that growth is slowly eroding the peace and quiet of the countryside and replacing it with subdivisions. However, a new law passed by Congress is giving landowners an incentive for conservation easement donations, resulting in permanently preserving their land while giving the owner increased federal income tax benefits...

Piggly Wiggly meets Unionville (01/23/07)
While there are many advantages to living in a small community like Unionville, one drawback is the 20-mile round trip to buy groceries. But that problem will be a thing of the past this spring once H & H Piggly Wiggly opens its doors. With the residential growth exploding in that part of the county, it was only a matter of time before business growth came along with it. With that in mind, Andy and Susan Haynes met with Eric Habel to see about serving their community...

Creating growth, or managing it? (01/23/07)
A special advisory panel on growth in Bedford County has indicated its preferences to a consultant who interpreted them Monday afternoon during a meeting at the Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce. "Do we want to create or manage growth?" consultant Doug Tennant asked during introductory remarks for the panel's second meeting. "Some communities just want to manage it. I think you are about creating and developing growth."...

Annexation-fearing residents challenge Chapel Hill board (01/22/07)
CHAPEL HILL -- Town leaders have been told by 86 persons living near Chapel Hill they don't want their land included in the municipality's urban growth area because they don't want it to be annexed. Two public hearings on Chapel Hill's urban growth plan were held this month. Nearly 150 attended the first hearing on Jan. 11, with 39 reporting opposition. About 85 were at last Tuesday night's hearing, where 47 said they want their property excluded...

Controversy arises over big garage (01/22/07)
A Bedford County man given permission to build a garage larger than normally allowed says he changed plans, made it bigger with what he assumed was approval from an official, and is now frustrated since it appears demolition may be required. That's Frank Bohanek's dilemma on Redbud Road, in the subdivision across from the sod farm along Lewisburg Highway. ...

New doctor's offices will adjoin new hospital (01/19/07)
Doctors' offices are planned on U.S. 231 where a replacement hospital is to be built just west of Shelbyville's airport and Thursday night about a dozen physicians seemed favorably impressed. Some spoke about due diligence before investing in the $5.5 million project, but it's clear, doctors want offices close to what Community Health Systems will build to replace Bedford County Medical Center...

AEDC could host short-term training too (01/19/07)
Arnold AFB, already under consideration as a site for the Common Battlefield Airman Training (CBAT) program, is also in the running to host a smaller, short-term interim version of CBAT training, Arnold Engineering Development Center spokesman Tim White revealed during a civic club program here...

Planners to review SCHS site plan (01/18/07)
Next Thursday, the Shelbyville Planning Commission will consider the site plan request for work to be done on parts of Shelbyville Central High School. The additions will total 96,538 square feet, containing a new two-story classroom and office building, which is to be placed between the existing building and the gymnasium, becoming the building's new front entrance, facing Learning Way and the Harris Middle School campus...

Quarry planned for Marshall / Maury border (01/17/07)
LEWISBURG -- Unionville-based B&W Excavators have won a recommendation from Marshall County planning commissioners for the rezoning of 128 acres to develop a rock quarry on the border between Marshall and Maury counties. Faced with opposition from a couple of Marshall County residents, Bedford County resident Chris Brothers reacted after the commissioners' unanimous vote on Tuesday afternoon by saying, "I don't think they've raised any new issues for the rock crusher."...

Annexation foes testify at hearing (01/15/07)
CHAPEL HILL -- More than 100 people turned out on a cold Thursday night last week for a public hearing on this north Marshall County town's 20-year growth plan and almost all who spoke opposed the plan. Urban growth plans are required by the state because lawmakers want counties and municipalities to deal with annexation. Town leaders say annexations aren't anticipated, but they're illegal if the land isn't in the 20-year plan...

AEDC's economic impact near $600M (01/15/07)
The U.S. Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center's (AEDC) economic impact in Middle Tennessee neared $600 million during government fiscal year 2006. This is an increase of almost $45 million from fiscal year 2005. AEDC operates the world's largest complex of flight simulation facilities with a replacement value of more that $7.8 billion. Most of those employed at AEDC work for a civilian contractor, Aerospace Testing Alliance (ATA), which works under Air Force and Navy supervision...

Growth planning process continues (01/13/07)
Leaders from various aspects of Bedford County and its municipalities will gather again soon as an advisory panel to help a consultant develop a growth plan for local governments. The consultant, Doug Tennant of Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon Inc., Nashville, has planned another meeting of the panel he's calling the "PC 1101 Plan Advisory Committee" to help local governments respond to a law requiring urban growth plans...

North Main work gets council nod (01/12/07)
Approval was given by the Shelbyville City Council Thursday to a proposal for survey and design work for one of the stages of the widening of North Main Street. The work is to be done by the design firm of Gresham, Smith and Partners for a cost of $358,000. According to the firm, it is intended that the widening be completed on the eastern boundary of the road. Handicap ramps on the western side of the road will also be updated in the project...

Publicly-owned industrial park needed (01/12/07)
Shelbyville and Bedford County leaders ought to consider establishing a publicly-owned industrial park, according to a industrial development consultant who spoke in Shelbyville on Thursday afternoon. "It gives you more control over the project," stated Sims Lance, a consultant with the Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Association which is funded by electric cooperatives and municipal power systems...

Support evaporates for water extension (01/11/07)
A pipeline extension to provide water at new homes on the border between Bedford and Rutherford counties won't be built, according to one of the people who wanted service from Bedford County Utility District. Interest has apparently evaporated among those who could have banded together for a pipe estimated at 1,600 feet, but at a trenching cost of $10 a foot, it's too expensive for one household, Clarence Nelson said Tuesday...

Waiver proposed for fire victims (01/10/07)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners has proposed waiving county permit fees for persons rebuilding after a fire or other natural disaster; the fees will be waived in the specific case of Bain Williams while the commission studies how to implement the change on a permanent basis...

Unionville partners get OK for homes in Chapel Hill (01/09/07)
CHAPEL HILL -- Eighty-seven new home sites could be approved for development here this spring as the Board of Mayor and Aldermen has accepted a recommendation from the town's planning commissioners. The step forward for CAT Developers Chris Brothers, Andy Haynes and Todd Warner was one of the more definitive actions by the town board on Monday when various other growth issues demanded more consideration...

North Main widening moves forward (01/04/07)
The first new item of 2007 for Shelbyville's city council next week will be approving an agreement for a survey and roadway design for the widening of North Main Street. The work is to be done by the design firm of Gresham, Smith and Partners for a cost of $358,000. According to the firm, it is intended that the widening be completed on the eastern boundary of the road and handicap ramps on the western side of the road will also be updated in the project...

Planners recommend Chapel Hill rezoning (01/04/07)
CHAPEL HILL -- Planning commissioners here are recommending that the town's Board of Mayor and Aldermen rezone land for 87-homes on the town's northern border. CAT Developers propose single family homes valued at about $140,000 and measuring between 1,300 to 1,600 square feet, according to Todd Warner who attended the planners Tuesday meeting for his partnership with Chris Brothers and Andy Haynes...

Marshall chamber could open in Chapel Hill (01/03/07)
CHAPEL HILL -- Marshall County's Chamber of Commerce appears ready to act on a suggestion that it open a branch office in Chapel Hill, according to town and chamber officials. "We feel positive about it and feel that it will work out," said Ritaanne Weaver, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce with offices on Second Avenue North in Lewisburg...

City will concentrate on roads, storm water in '07 (12/29/06)
Work on roads and storm water detention around Shelbyville will be a priority in 2007, according to city manager Ed Craig. The city made plenty of accomplishments, from administrative to planning, in 2006 and citizens should be seeing progress on several fronts in the upcoming year, Craig said...

Foreign workers at Sanford scrutinized (12/26/06)
The employment agency providing workers for a Shelbyville factory says it's been asked to screen employee records and make sure they're eligible to work in the United States. "Sanford, on or about Nov. 17, asked that we add an additional requirement" to be sure that the workers provided are eligible for employment in the U.S. ...

Policies attempt to determine worker status (12/26/06)
It's almost like ordering a meal at a Chinese restaurant; one from column A, or one each from columns B and C. That's a significant part of Form I-9 as issued by the Department of Homeland Security for the verification of a worker's employment eligibility...

Marshall County looks at growth (12/22/06)
LEWISBURG -- A growth planning committee here has accepted plans for Lewisburg and Marshall County, and public hearings have been scheduled to see how residents like the proposals on where municipalities might annex land in the county. The Marshall County Coordinating Committee has been meeting for months to readjust a six-year-old plan in compliance with state law to designate areas where municipalities might annex land in the next 20 years. ...

Extension campus proposed for old HMS (12/20/06)
A non-profit foundation has proposed marketing the vacant Harris Middle School / Central High School facility on Elm Street as an extension campus for a major state university. Glen Tilton of Brentwood-based Community Initiative appeared Tuesday night before Bedford County Board of Commissioners' courthouse and county property committee. ...

Land swaps, zoning close out year for council (12/18/06)
Land swaps and rezoning were the main items on the Shelbyville City Council's agenda at the last meeting of 2006 Thursday. The council voted to approve a land swap with Bobby Parker on property on Eagle Boulevard and to authorize the mayor and city recorder to execute the agreement and deed...

Tracy says bypass still on track (12/15/06)
State Sen. Jim Tracy, in a speech to the Shelbyville Rotary Club, said plans are still on track for the northeastern bypass around Shelbyville, and he hopes construction contracts will be let in 2007. "The bypass, as far as we can tell, is still on go," said Tracy...

Bell Buckle water system can handle growth (12/14/06)
Bell Buckle's water system appears to be in good shape and can handle demands in the future, according to a capacity analysis done for the small town. According to environmental engineer Jim Patterson, much of their water system can serve "reasonable growth within the system without sacrificing the quality of service being provided," and that there are only certain areas that would require upgrades, limited primarily to line size...

Chapel Hill agrees on sewer extension (12/13/06)
CHAPEL HILL -- Agreements were approved Monday by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen with a Unionville contractor and a Lewisburg Realtor in connection with the town's extension of a sewer main into recently-annexed areas. The agreements are another indication of continued growth at the north Marshall County town where on Monday night another developer, David Jent, spoke with the town board about progress at the second phase of his Stony Brook subdivision...

Air Force project would benefit county: Wood (12/09/06)
Walt Wood of Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce was among the speakers at an environmental public hearing Tuesday night on the possibility of Arnold Air Force Base hosting a large new Air Force training facility. More than 100 people from communities surrounding Arnold AFB attended a public scoping meeting Tuesday night for the Common Battlefield Airmen Training (CBAT) program environmental impact statement. The meeting was held at Coffee County Administrative Plaza in Manchester...

Planners approve 225-lot subdivision (12/08/06)
Shelbyville's planning commission approved a request for rezoning for a 255 lot subdivision Thursday, just one of many items addressed during the last meeting of the year The subdivision known as Hearthstone was approved to be changed from R-1 [Low Density Residential] to PUD [Planned Unit Development]...

Committee accepts Chapel Hill growth plan (12/07/06)
LEWISBURG -- Chapel Hill's proposed 33,818-acre growth area, which is 39 times the size of the 867-acre area approved several years ago, was accepted on a split vote Tuesday when two reasons for a one-vote margin were revealed. One reason is that the area where Chapel Hill might annex land -- all the way to the Bedford and Williamson counties' borders, and territories just as large both west and south of the town -- is so big. ...

Prepare for flat Earth, says UTSI speaker (12/08/06)
TULLAHOMA -- Changes in technology and geopolitics are gradually putting the nations of the world on more of an equal footing, and Americans must stress education and preparedness if they want to preserve employment and provide good opportunities for future generations, according to Dr. Gregory Sedrick of the University of Tennessee Space Institute...

Growth plan being reviewed (12/04/06)
Bedford County leaders have begun a series of meetings to reconsider their urban growth plan which was adopted several years ago and their approach is with the help of a professional planner. The consultant, Doug Tennant of Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon Inc., Nashville, met with a panel he's calling the "PC 1101 Plan Advisory Committee." They're members of the community's Joint Economic Development Committee...

Southern Family Markets to close (11/30/06)
Southern Family Market at 612 Madison St. in Shelbyville is closing its doors effective Dec. 9. Employees learned of the store's fate on Monday after corporate representatives informed them of the decision. According to an unidentified employee, all seven of the stores in Tennessee will be shutting down although a couple will remain open in Alabama....

Planning Commission has long agenda (11/29/06)
There will be two months worth of items to consider for the Shelbyville Planning Commission when they meet Dec. 7, including site plans for a new business, expansions of existing ones and a look at two large subdivisions. A request for rezoning for a 255 lot subdivision called Hearthstone and a 6.17 acres commercial tract is one of the items. Latting Road LLC and Harts Chapel, LLC is asking for the 120 acres to be changed from R-1 [Low Density Residential] to PUD [Planned Unit Development]...

State money available for home rehab (11/27/06)
Bedford County recently received a half million dollars that will go toward the rehabilitation of homes and you may qualify for the program. A public meeting is set for Monday, Dec. 4, at 6 p.m. at the Bedford County Courthouse to discuss the $500,000 HOME grant from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency...

Poll participants say they'll spend less this Christmas (11/25/06)
In an unscientific poll on the Times-Gazette web site, www.t-g.com, about half the participants said they plan to spend less on gifts, entertaining and decorations this Christmas than they did last year. Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally one of the most critical shopping weekends of the year, with many people using the long weekend to do Christmas shopping. The day after Thanksgiving is even called "black Friday" because it is the day when some merchants first turn a profit for the year...

Area student learns entrepreneurship (11/25/06)
Lipscomb University in Nashville has become a center of commerce this semester as 11 student-run businesses have sprouted on-campus, providing everything from fresh-baked cookies to laundry services. �Jason Wade of Chapel Hill is a part of this fall's industrial revolution as one of the owner/operators of 6th Man Apparel, one of 11 companies established by students enrolled in "Foundations of Business: A Christian Perspective." Wade is a accounting major...

CalsonicKansei to add jobs (11/17/06)
CalsonicKansei North America, a Tier 1 Automotive Supplier with 4,000 team members and annual sales revenues of $1.5 billion in North America, with operations in California, Michigan, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Mexico, is announcing plans to begin a phased expansion of the operations in Shelbyville and Canton, Miss...

Developer gets rezoning in Chapel Hill (11/14/06)
CHAPEL HILL -- The town's Board of Mayor and Aldermen has granted a Murfreesboro developer's request that's to lead to an office park, thereby increasing the town's commercial area from 71 acres to 131 acres. Developer Howard Wall also plans to develop homes in his Horton Station project which will border the office park just southeast of Chapel Hill Elementary School, according to recent discussions at town board meetings...

BCUD approves contract for new lines (11/13/06)
Bedford County Utility District has approved a quarter million dollar contract to extend water service to a couple dozen households several miles west of Shelbyville. "Getting water service will just be a wonderful thing," said Kim Neeley, a member of the Mt. Lebanon Methodist Church. "The church has been there since the mid-1800s and its well has gone bad."...

Marshall County re-examines growth boundary (11/06/06)
LEWISBURG -- Marshall, Bedford and six other counties comprise Tennessee's South Central Region, the state's second-fastest growing area according to a state think tank. Marshall County planners are keeping that fact in mind as county and municipal leaders start to redraw Urban Growth Boundaries...

More green space would enhance city (11/04/06)
In the next few months, Shelbyville Planning Commission and the city council will look at updated subdivision regulations that would make future developments more attractive by requiring green space and amenities such as sidewalks. In fact, the planning commission recently turned down a plat request for Lexington Cove, a 241-lot residential subdivision on 91.55 acres located off of Morton Street and Vine Street proposed by Roger Ritch, over such issues...

FirstBank will acquire AmSouth here (11/02/06)
Lexington, Tenn.-based FirstBank, the largest independently-owned bank in the state, will take over the operations of AmSouth Bank in Shelbyville, Fayetteville, Woodbury and four other Tennessee cities in a deal announced on Wednesday. FirstBank owner and chairman Jim Ayers and CEO Doug Cruickshanks visited the Shelbyville branch this morning. ...

BCMC closes on new hospital site (11/02/06)
Bedford County Medical Center has closed on the sale of its new site, on U.S. 231 across from Shelbyville Municipal Airport. The sale closed about two weeks ago, according to hospital CEO William Macri. "We're real excited about it," said Macri. He said a formal groundbreaking will be held in spring 2007 with the new $35 million facility, which is licensed for 60 beds, expected to open in late summer 2008. ...

Construction method for SCHS chosen (10/27/06)
Bedford County Board of Education selected "construction management at risk" Thursday night as the method for contracting for the expansion of Central High School. The board held a special called meeting Thursday night. When the special meeting was announced last week, school board members hoped they would be able to also consider a proposed construction management at risk contract from American Constructors, the firm which performed that role on the recent Harris Middle School project...

Planners deny subdivision plat (10/27/06)
Shelbyville's planning commission Thursday evening denied a preliminary plat citing concerns over road design and open space issues. The plat request was for Lexington Cove, a 241-lot residential subdivision on 91.55 acres located off of Morton Street and Vine Street, owned by Roger Ritch...

AmSouth branch here will be sold (10/20/06)
Local customers of AmSouth Bank who thought they'd be absorbed into Regions Bank as part of a huge merger will be transferred to some other bank instead. The parent companies of AmSouth and Regions, both of which have operations in Shelbyville, are merging. ...

Cleaned-up lot still called a nuisance (10/13/06)
Shelbyville's city council passed a resolution Thursday declaring a property on Landers Street a nuisance, even though the lot had been recently cleaned. The property in question is owned by Linda Lee Wilhoite of 614 Landers St. She was fined a total of $2,250 plus court costs last week by City Judge John T. ...

Commissioners approve construction tax (10/11/06)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners, meeting Tuesday night, approved on first reading a tax on new residential construction that they thought they approved months ago. Several counties had asked the state legislature in recent years for permission to enact a tax on new residential construction in order to pay for the costs it creates, such as the burden placed on the local school system. ...

Chapel Hill postpones decision (10/10/06)
CHAPEL HILL -- Having heard questions about a 60-acre proposal and some opposition to commercial development, the Chapel Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted Monday to postpone a decision on a Murfreesboro Realtor's request. "In light of the information I have heard and in consideration for the people who have made statements," Mayor Carl Cooper said turning to Town Attorney Todd Moore, "is there any reason not to defer to give time to consult with the planning commission?"...

Chapel Hill faces massive growth (10/09/06)
CHAPEL HILL -- Up to $110 million worth of homes and commercial building sites are anticipated at Horton Station, a development planned near Chapel Hill Elementary School, according to a Murfreesboro-based businessman. "By the first of the year, we'll have a concept plan," said Howard Wall of designs that he and wife, Sally, would propose for the several hundred acre farm they've used as a get-away country home until they thought the time was right in this Marshall County town...

Musgrave celebrates 90 years (10/04/06)
Musgrave Pencil Company, one of the reasons Shelbyville was nicknamed "The Pencil City," celebrates its 90th anniversary this year with a reception planned for Saturday at the factory on West Lane Street. The company, founded by James Raford Musgrave (nicknamed "The Colonel" by his northern contemporaries), is run by the third generation of family ownership, with a fourth generation already involved in management...

City levies fine for trash (10/04/06)
A Shelbyville homeowner was found guilty of "public nuisance" over sanitation issues and the accumulation of rubbish and garbage at her home on Landers Street. Meanwhile, city officials say that the council will likely move forward to pass an ordinance formerly declaring the property a public nuisance when they meet on Oct. 12...

Economist says aliens need to be legalized (09/30/06)
MURFREESBORO -- Economist Dr. Donald Ratajczak said there needs to be a way to make the millions of illegal aliens in the U.S. legal, since they're willing workers and employers need them. "Why don't we have a legal way for this to happen?" asked Ratajczak during a speech Friday at the Middle Tennessee State University Economic Outlook Conference. Ratajczak, who is a professor emeritus at Georgia State University and a member of numerous corporate boards, is a regular speaker at the conference...

Home may be declared public nuisance (09/28/06)
The Shelbyville City Council will be looking at passing a resolution to declare a piece of property on Landers Street as a public nuisance. The home in question is at 614 Landers St., owned by Linda Lee, which has been the subject of numerous complaints over abandoned vehicles, scrap metal, junk and other items that have littered the property since 1999...

Road work will address traffic problems (09/28/06)
Motorists traveling through Shelbyville will be slowing down in two areas over the next few weeks, but it will be due to some much anticipated road work to help ease traffic problems. Survey work began Wednesday on North Main Street in front of the former Renegar Drug Store and Auto Zone. The city hopes to finish making that segment into a four-lane street by the end of October...

Chili's to build in Shelbyville (09/19/06)
Shelbyville will have a new dining experience in the near future with the addition of Chili's Grill and Bar. A site plan request has been submitted to the Shelbyville Municipal Planning Commission for a 4,215 square foot restaurant to be located at 1734 North Main St...

Governor lays out economic development plans (09/14/06)
NASHVILLE -- Gov. Phil Bredesen outlined a four-point plan for improving the state's business climate during a speech Wednesday night at the annual Governor's Conference sponsored by Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. His plan includes an emphasis on community colleges; he would like to guarantee free tuition at community college for qualified high school students...

Hearing shows support for widening, but concerns too (09/13/06)
Reactions among the 75 people at a state transportation meeting on the planned widening of Tullahoma Highway seemed consistent Tuesday night: a wider road would be better. "I'm very much in favor of the four-laneing," said Jim Bomar, whose family has property fronting the road, U.S. 41-A. "We've needed it for a very long time. All you have to do is get on the road to see that."...

Open meeting planned on 41-A widening (09/11/06)
A description of state plans to widen the road to Tullahoma southeast from Wartrace Pike will be presented Tuesday in the community room at Duck River Electric Membership Corp. headquarters. The chief topic for discussion will be how the Tennessee Department of Transportation acquires land for road widening projects and the procedures it follows when relocation of residents is required, according to an announcement from TDOT's transportation manager...

Planners examine city's growth (09/11/06)
With new developments popping up all over Shelbyville, the city's planning commission sat down Thursday to discuss what kind of growth they want. The commission discussed guidelines for city staff for planned developments, specifically mixed uses within the development such as agricultural and commercial, as well as what style of homes they want in the PUDs -- a rural appearance, a Florida Keys townhouse or a Cape Cod style unit with a minimum separation between buildings...

No panic yet over TWH crisis (09/08/06)
Although community leaders are following the crisis in the Tennessee Walking Horse industry with some interest, they say there's no sense of panic and no indication that the uncertainty is having any major impact on local business. "I think it's too early to tell at the present time," said Walt Wood, executive director of Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce...

Concrete slabs delay Madison Street project (08/29/06)
A state contract for repaving Madison Street next month will be cut into two parts, according to the contractor and state officials who've explained the work close to North Main Street is too complicated to be included with the longer section. "There is concrete under that section," Tennessee Department of Transportation Community Relations Officer B.J. ...

Land sale might not end problems (08/29/06)
An attorney involved in a complicated land dispute says the property will likely be sold to a Nevada firm once a court in Nashville rules on issues surrounding the ownership. But even if the land sale is made to the company, there could be problems getting the proposed factory rezoned and approved in the area of Horse Mountain Road...

Stone's Throw final plat approved (08/25/06)
The final plat for Stone's Throw Subdivision was approved Thursday by Shelbyville's planning commission as members ready for a study session next month to discuss another large development that has been proposed. The Stone's Throw request was for Phase I of the project, described as a 26-lot residential subdivision consisting of 8.03 acres, located on Highway 231 South, north of Naron Road...

Renovations underway at post office (08/25/06)
Renovations valued at $212,000 are being made at the Shelbyville Post Office where a delay in replacement floor tiles has delayed work in the lobby so now the contractor has another 24 hours because tiles will be replaced over the Labor Day weekend...

Land dispute delays proposed factory (08/24/06)
"This was all a surprise to us." That was the reaction from Doug Hamby, president and CEO of eHolding Technology of Reno, Nev., who had hoped to purchase land on Horse Mountain Road for a proposed factory that would make engineered wood building components...

Land dispute threatens proposed factory (08/22/06)
The status of a piece of property that may house a proposed modular home factory has been called into question, resulting in the matter being removed from the city's planning commission's agenda this month. One man says he has had a contract to buy the land for the past two years while another has taken the landowner to court with the claim that he owns half of it...

Palmer Foodservice begins expansion (08/21/06)
Palmer Foodservice, a company that had its beginning shortly after World War II, held a groundbreaking ceremony Saturday for a new plant on Stanley Boulevard. Still family-owned, Palmer Foodservice will relocate from its familiar Lane Parkway site to the new building when construction is complete...

BCUD plans expansion of service area (08/18/06)
With trenches being dug for natural gas pipelines just north of Shelbyville, the interim general manager of Bedford County Utility District says the rural water and gas utility is taking steps to expand with the county's growth. "We're negotiating with several developers to probably double or triple that in the next 10 years," BCUD Interim General Manager Marty Davis said Thursday about plans to increase in the number of customers currently served...

New industry proposes own subdivision (08/17/06)
A proposed industrial plant that would build modular homes and an adjoining subdivision that would feature them near H.V. Griffin Park will be on the agenda of Shelbyville Planning Commission when they meet next Thursday. However, the city's planning and zoning director indicated that several issues surrounding the proposal would need to be addressed before approval...

Growth issues frustrate farmers (08/14/06)
FRANKLIN -- Proof that residential growth doesn't generate sufficient revenue for local government services such as schools, fire and police was delivered to the Tennessee Farm Bureau late last week during the group's Presidents' Conference. "While residential development contributes the largest amount of revenue, its net fiscal impact is negative," according to the American Farmland Trust's executive summary for one of its Cost of Community Services Study reports released at the Bureau's conference.. ...

Shelbyville square undergoes a renaissance (08/10/06)
From franchise headquarters to women's dress shoppes, Shelbyville's public square continues to develop toward the uptown place the merchants' Our Town group has envisioned over the years. Some of the changes are as obvious as the new signs on the east side announcing the Purple Turtle Children's Boutique that Laura Bennett has moved from Tullahoma. Others are as invisible as Little Caesar's office plan...

Workshops cover growth-related issues (08/03/06)
One of the biggest issues this area is facing is the massive growth that is spreading southward from Rutherford and Williamson counties. But local leaders aren't just sitting on their hands and waiting for something to happen. Over the past year and a half, area leaders from several counties have been gathering at Henry Horton State Park to discuss growth readiness for the Duck River Watershed...

New DRA exec favors caution with escrow fund (07/31/06)
As a five-county panel is about to regain control of what might be seen as a $10.29 million endowment from water customers in the Duck River watershed, the agency's new executive director is advocating caution. "I look at this as a diamond in the rough," says Doug Murphy who's coming from Guntersville, Ala., to start his new job as executive director of the Duck River Agency on Tuesday. "We need to be careful about how we cut it and shape it and take care of it."...

BCUD view on water deal sought (07/28/06)
Two members of Shelbyville's utility board are going to the next meeting of the rural water district based here to officially find out what that panel's position is on a property owner's preference for city water. D.E. "Ed" Crowell of Jackson, his wife and father own 126 acres just north of the city line at Unionville Highway and they'd like to annex the land for sewer service. ...

City approves site plan for new hospital (07/28/06)
Shelbyville's municipal planning commission gave the thumbs up to a site plan for the new Bedford County Medical Center [BCMC] Thursday but not before some questions were asked. Several commission members asked about what the impact of the noise from aircraft traffic might have on patients...

Wartrace annexes nearby land (07/27/06)
Wartrace approved the annexation of 128 acres next to the city limits, as well as a new zoning classification and plan of services. The property in question lays south of Wartrace along Highway 269 and is contiguous with the town's city limits. The topic had first been addressed in February, when the board passed a first reading of the annexation. ...

State studies bike track situation (07/24/06)
Because of a neighbor's complaint, the state is investigating a grandfather's transformation of a Duck River flood plain into a place for his grandson to jump motorcycles from hill to hill. It's an investigation that's been going on for nearly three months, and late last week a Bedford County panel reached its own consensus on the matter. Its members don't see it as something they want to stop. Nor do they want to take official steps on the matter...

New financial director a familiar face (07/22/06)
The Duck River Agency's new financial director is the woman who's been auditing its books for several years. She's Jill Garrett of Culleoka, originally from Lewisburg, who started her new job in Shelbyville on June 19. She succeeds Margaret Lane. The financial director of the five-county river agency is an equal partner in the administration of the agency which was created in conjunction with the construction of Normandy Dam...

City services wanted in rural area (07/17/06)
A Bedford County family wants to develop 126 acres on the west side of Unionville Highway just beyond Shelbyville's city line where there are jurisdictional and water pressure issues. The situation reveals one of the growing pains here as the city utility could extend water and sewer service into the rural water district if the rural utility agrees. ...

Three-Star upgrade is certain for county (07/15/06)
It's all over but the shouting. According to a review team which visited Shelbyville on Friday, Bedford County's upgrade to a Level III certification in the Governor's Three-Star Award program is, while not yet official, a foregone conclusion. "The points are here," said Renee Winchester of the review team. "You are being certified, so let me congratulate you."...

AEDC to reduce work force (07/14/06)
The primary contractor at Arnold Engineering Development Center says it will need anywhere from 130 to 210 fewer employees next fiscal year and is offering voluntary severance packages and (in some cases) early retirement in hopes of reducing its workforce without layoffs...

Commission adopts adequate facilities tax (07/12/06)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night on second and final reading to approve a $1 per square foot "adequate facilities tax" on new residential construction. The tax will take effect immediately. It will be assessed when a building permit is obtained but won't be collected until a purchaser closes on a house. It's intended to make new construction bear some of the tax burden for the impact the county's growth has had on infrastructure...

Growth issues dominate candidate forum (07/08/06)
How to deal with growth in Bedford County was a chief topic at the candidates forum conducted Thursday by the local branch of the NAACP. Crowded schools and congested roads were mentioned by county mayoral candidates Mike Fisher and Eugene Ray while Chris Brown, a candidate for sheriff, suggested deputies' use of rural fire halls as substations...

Hobble House closes its doors (07/01/06)
Tears flowed Thursday as the last meals were served at Shelbyville's Hobble House, which closed its doors after decades of feeding hungry customers. But don't worry, the same crew will soon be cooking at a new location under a different name. Owners Joan and Donnie Jones and Debbie Vaughn gave several reasons for shuttering the eatery; one of which is that they are starting a new business, hopefully by this Friday...

Bids to be sought on Elm and Union properties (06/27/06)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners' courthouse and property committee has recommended that the county take bids on the old Harris Middle School property and on four lots on Union Street, even though commissioners aren't in complete agreement about whether to sell either site...

New development planned for Madison (06/23/06)
A brief meeting of Shelbyville's planning commission Thursday saw the approval of three items, one of which is hoped to bring rejuvenation to a part of the city. The commission voted to rezone 747A Madison St. from C-2 to PUD [Planned Unit Development] for Celebration Plaza, which owner Bill Papanos described as housing "upper class units."...

Action on codes recommended for deferral (06/21/06)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners' rules and legislative committee recommended Tuesday night that the full commission defer action on changes to county building codes for another month. Commissioners approved adoption of the International Building Code and the International Residential Code late last year. ...

Wartrace considers subdivision proposal (06/20/06)
A proposed subdivision will again be the topic of a public hearing next month in Wartrace. An annexation study has been put together for the town by Don Darden of Tennessee's Municipal Technical Advisory Service [MTAS] as a result of issues surrounding an annexation request for the Painter property south of Wartrace along Highway 269 and contiguous with the town's city limits...

Clauses keep 'spec builders' in business (06/17/06)
Recent changes in state law regarding the licensing of construction contractors have been revealed by litigation in Bedford County Chancery Court, where a Bell Buckle woman has sued her home builder. The buyer complained that the crawl space under her home on Cascade Lane floods and that it shouldn't have been built there. Her lawyer says the builders should have known that and the case will show their actions took them beyond the protections of an exemption from licensing for certain builders...

Housing Authority receives $678K grant (06/16/06)
The Shelbyville Housing Authority has been awarded $678,559 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to upgrade its housing units. The announcment was made Tuesday by U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon. Shelbyville Housing Authority's Director of Operations Ronald Tillman says they will use the money for modernization projects...

Commission approves tax on new construction (06/14/06)
In a surprise vote, Bedford County Board of Commissioners approved on first reading an adequate facilities tax of $1 per square foot on new residential construction Tuesday night. The tax was approved unanimously by the 17 commissioners in attendance. Commissioner Phillip Vincent was absent...

Retiring Duck River Agency exec looks ahead (06/12/06)
Larry Murdock is busier now that he's retired. It's really just another change in the kind of work he's been doing. "It's all attitude," Murdock said last week during a long conversation about his life and work. Now, his work has the reward of grandchildren visiting and relatives ready to ride horses that, as he puts it, "need riding."...

City design manual to be printed (06/09/06)
Shelbyville's city council will enter into an agreement with design firm Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon to develop a Community Design Standards Manual. Councilman Wallace Cartwright voted against the measure. The cost of the manual will be $16,700 and could include items such as landscaping requirements for businesses and sidewalk requirements for new subdivisions...

Bonnaroo has huge economic impact (06/08/06)
Bands and fans will be back in Manchester next weekend for the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, and so will the money, according to a study conducted by Middle Tennessee State University. The total estimated business revenue impact of Bonnaroo on Coffee County is more than $14 million, according to the lead investigator of the study, Dr. Murat Arik...

Plat approved for controversial subdivision (06/07/06)
Shelbyville's planning commission reversed a previous vote Tuesday and approved the preliminary plat for Stone's Throw subdivision, which has been the center of a lawsuit between the city and its developer. However, one citizen said she would hold the commission responsible for any accidents that occur in that area due to increased traffic...

Facilities tax rate won't be set yet (06/06/06)
Bedford County must get a handle on growth and make sure that all rural construction is going through the proper permit process before it can decide a proper rate for the adequate facilities tax, say members of the county commission's budget and finance committee...

Cattle are growing but so are subdivisions (06/06/06)
Monday's weekly cattle auction in the stockyard near Unionville was a lot like others recently, but long-time observers have noticed rising land prices because of development and foresee more ranch homes and fewer ranches. "It's making the runs of cattle smaller," says Wayne Wilson, one of the cattlemen among the buyers and sellers at the Mid-South Livestock Center on U.S. 41-A. "I'd say the livestock business will be a thing of the past in about 15 years in this area."...

Lawmakers approve adequate facilities tax (06/01/06)
State lawmakers have provided a way for Bedford County to increase revenue and, in a state budget development, shared state revenue has been restored for cities and counties. A state-wide system of adequate facilities taxes can now be used by Bedford, Rutherford, Williamson and other designated fast-growing counties, according to state Sen. Jim Tracy and state Rep. Curt Cobb...

City considers design standards (05/31/06)
Community design standards, which could include everything from landscaping requirements for businesses to sidewalk requirements for new subdivisions, were discussed by Shelbyville City Council during a study session Tuesday night. On the table for the council's June meeting is a proposal to hire the engineering firm Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon to draft a community development design standards manual for the city...

Pope's will expand to house Vandyland assets (05/30/06)
Pope's Cafe is expanding into the space just uphill from its location on the east side of the Shelbyville public square since a lease has been signed and the assets of Vandyland have arrived from Nashville. "We're leasing the space next door from Frank Neal of Nashville," said Russell Smith, who operates the restaurant with his business partner, Debra Weaver...

Stone's Throw to be studied (05/26/06)
A special called meeting of Shelbyville's planning commission will be held June 6 to re-examine the matter of the proposed Stone's Throw subdivision, which has been the center of a lawsuit between the city and its developer. In March, P&R Development LLC filed a compliant in Bedford County Chancery Court alleging that the commission had "arbitrarily and capriciously denied preliminary plat approval, which was an abuse of discretion and illegal."...

Regions Bank to purchase AmSouth (05/25/06)
The parent company of Regions Bank announced Thursday that it would buy AmSouth Bank in a nearly $10 billion transaction; both companies have strong Bedford County presences. It is probably too early to tell how the merger might affect Shelbyville staffing. Regions Bank has three locations in Shelbyville while AmSouth has one....

Bypass included in state work plan (05/24/06)
Bedford County has one road project included in a three-year Multi-modal Work Program for the state of Tennessee involving the Shelbyville Bypass. According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation [TDOT], the project is funded in Fiscal Year 2007 for right-of-way for the construction of a railroad trestle overpass over the proposed State Route 437 [Shelbyville Bypass]...

New courtroom space needed, say officials (05/23/06)
Bedford County's court system has outgrown the county courthouse, according to General Sessions Judge Charles Rich and Circuit Court Clerk Thomas Smith, who appeared Monday before Bedford County Board of Commissioners' courthouse and county property committee...

Vandyland, meet Pope's Caf� (05/19/06)
The owners of Pope's Cafe on Shelbyville's public square have acquired the assets of Vandyland, a long-time Nashville eatery on West End that's lost its lease and is closing this weekend. Those assets include all the furnishings, tables, chairs, booths, cups, plates, glasses; "Everything that makes a restaurant," Russell Smith explained Thursday with his partner, Debra, who got the idea to get those things and more...

City census yields disappointing result (05/19/06)
Privacy concerns from residents in Shelbyville appear to be the reason that results of a city-wide census are much lower than anticipated, according to city officials. Planning and zoning administrator Kip Green turned in the numbers to the state Monday, which totaled 16,213, a gain of just 108 people compared to the last census conducted...

Residents, developers want BCUD water (05/15/06)
A continuing parade of Bedford County property owners requesting water service faced the Bedford County Utility District's Board of Directors on Thursday when several substantiated the trend of growth between Shelbyville and Murfreesboro. Most of the requests came from residents who were told they must wait until the rural water utility's budget was set to start July 1. ...

Council approves its share of growth plan cost (05/12/06)
Shelbyville's city council voted Thursday night to enter into an agreement with the county to have a comprehensive master plan developed as an update to the county's current growth plan. The city will split the costs of the study with the county, a total of $41,055. The Joint Economic Development Board [JEDB] had asked the two government bodies to split the costs of the plan, which will be developed by Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon, Inc. [BWSC]...

Commission allocates $3.2M for school plans (05/10/06)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to allocate $3.2 million for plans for expansion of Central High School and Cascade Elementary School, a replacement elementary school in Unionville and a new elementary school next door to Harris Middle School in Shelbyville...

Lewisburg Highway could be four-laned (05/06/06)
It will take a few years, but progress is being made to turn the idea of expanding State Highway 64 west of Shelbyville to four lanes into a reality. Shelbyville's planning and zoning director, Kip Green, said that a feasibility study for the project has been completed by the Tennessee Department of Transportation [TDOT]...

County faces continued growth, says planner (05/03/06)
Bedford County is "in the path of growth" that will "continue unabated," according to a professional planner that addressed the Shelbyville City Council Tuesday. The city has been asked by the Joint Economic Development Board [JEDB] to split the costs for a comprehensive master plan as an update to the area's overall growth plan...

Local unemployment falls (05/02/06)
Bedford County's unemployment rate fell 0.2 percent in March according to figures released by Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Data for March revealed that the county had a labor force of 21,560, with 20,530 working and 1,030 unemployed...

Census takers hired (05/01/06)
The City of Shelbyville has hired 10 people to go door to door with red folders and name tags and put the finishing touches on a special city-wide census. According to planning and zoning administrator Kip Green, the city has about 3,000 addresses to visit and only 10 days to do it. Shelbyville firefighters already have helped out by going door-to-door to homes of those who have not yet responded to the census...

Annexation requests pulled from agenda (04/28/06)
Two annexation requests were pulled from the Shelbyville Planning Commission's agenda Thursday and other requests were approved. One request was from owner W.J. Crowell for 126.07 acres of land on U.S. 41-A North to be annexed into the corporate limits...

Growth plan to include public input (04/26/06)
If the county and Shelbyville choose to split the costs of a comprehensive master plan updating the area's growth plan, a complicated seven-month process would get underway that will make sure everyone has a voice. Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon, Inc. [BWSC] recently submitted a proposal to provide professional planning services at a cost of $82,110...

County, city asked to fund growth plan (04/25/06)
Bedford County's Joint Economic Development Board [JEDB] is requesting that the county and Shelbyville split the costs for a comprehensive master plan as an update to the area's growth plan. A proposal has been submitted by Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon, Inc. [BWSC] to provide professional planning services for the county at a cost of $82,110...

Bell Buckle planners approve tap requests (04/24/06)
Bell Buckle's planning commission made several recommendations concerning a water tap request and a site permit for Webb School. Adam Hensley of Bob Parks Reality made a request for 10 to 15 water taps for a piece of property on Highway 82. The taps would tie into the existing line and would not be affected by a moratorium placed on extending water lines by the town...

City census still underway (04/22/06)
The head count is now under 13,000 for Shelbyville's special census and the deadline for reporting the figures to the state is less than a month away. Planning and zoning administrator Kip Green said Wednesday that there are a total of 4,400 addresses in the city where people have responded...

City receives annexation request (04/21/06)
As the city ponders how to manage the explosive growth it is experiencing, Shelbyville's planning commission has received a request to recommend annexing 126.07 acres of land into the corporate limits. The request comes from owner W.J. Crowell for property on U.S. 41-A North. However, that request could be denied until certain issues are addressed, according to comments made by the city staff that advises the commission...

Reappraisal notices are in the mail (04/21/06)
Nearly 20,100 owners of property in Bedford County will start receiving notices today or tomorrow from the county's property assessor who has figures indicating the average increase for property values is 30 percent within five years. That growth is revealed by the reappraisal of property values conduced by Property Appraiser Ronda Helton and her staff. ...

Renovation of square continues with Bella Donna (04/20/06)
Renovation of commercial buildings on Shelbyville's public square is advancing another step this month with the opening of another business in a building that's been rebuilt since fire gutted the space several years ago. But when asked this week when her Bella Donna Salon will be opening, proprietor Barrettea Price has a couple of answers. At first she says "Friday," apparently because she has a customer that day. Then she says, "Oh, let's say Monday."...

Business owners discover unexpected heritage (04/17/06)
Owners of a new business opening on Shelbyville's Public Square will operate in a building used by one of their ancestors. Remarkably, they didn't know they were buying a building once owned by the wife's grandfather. That realization came while renovations at 100 East Depot St. were well underway, after a business card was found, and a former employee confirmed what, by then, the couple saw as a personal bonus of family significance...

Deason-area property rezoned (04/14/06)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners approved a rezoning Tuesday night for 4.16 acres of property at 3331 U.S. 231 North from A-1 (agriculture) to C-1 (commercial). The stated purpose of the rezoning is for mini-storage units, although a rezoning isn't tied to one use and opens the door for any use allowed by the rules of the new zone. Current property owner George Hofstetter said Tuesday night his intent is to sell the property...

Firefighters help with census (04/13/06)
With just a short time left to complete an important special city-wide census, members of the Shelbyville Fire Department started helping out Monday by going door-to-door at the homes of those have has not replied yet. However, the results are still around the 10,000 mark, far lower than the 20,000 responses the city was hoping for when the head count began last month, according to Kip Green, planning and zoning administrator for Shelbyville...

Site at center of Bell Buckle controversy sold (04/08/06)
A piece of property outside of Bell Buckle which has been the center of controversy in that small community for nearly two years has been sold. According to records from the Bedford County Register of Deeds, Billy and Sue Dean sold the 210 acres of land on Highway 82 East that many local residents feared would be developed to Virginia L. Stewart of Gretna, La...

CalsonicKansei moves jobs to Lewisburg (04/07/06)
CalsonicKansei North America is moving its injection molding manufacturing operations from Shelbyville to Lewisburg. Bob Masteller of CKNA said the automotive supplier is now talking to employees one-on-one about the move and declined to say exactly how many employees would be affected, saying that would depend on the decisions made by individual employees. ...

Local 84 Lumber store closes (04/06/06)
84 Lumber is to close its store in Shelbyville, along with 66 other stores in 19 states, including seven in Tennessee. But the company announced Tuesday that it plans to open 125 new stores in faster-growing areas in at least 20 states. Other stores in Tennessee to be shuttered are in Kingsport, Oak Ridge, Knoxville-Clinton Highway, Union City, Lawrenceburg and Decherd. New locations in Tennessee to open this year are in Chattanooga, Hendersonville and Piperton...

Officials hope for widened S.R. 64 (04/06/06)
Traffic and growth are two issues local leaders are grappling with more and more as both business and housing expands in this area of Tennessee, which is why they are promoting the idea of expanding State Highway 64 west of Shelbyville to four lanes...

Planners look at managing growth (03/31/06)
Shelbyville's planning and zoning administrator is in the process of gathering information so that the municipal planning commission can start looking at ways to manage the explosive growth the city is experiencing. Morton Renegar, chairman of that committee, has called for a moratorium on large subdivisions in the past...

Counties may get more taxing authority (03/31/06)
MURFREESBORO -- Bedford County may soon have the new source of revenue it sought last year when its commissioners asked state lawmakers to grant it the authority to tax construction. That's according to a panel discussion Thursday evening including state Rep. Curt Cobb (D-Shelbyville) and state Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shebyville) who attended a meeting in the Rutherford County Courthouse...

Census will go door-to-door (03/31/06)
Shelbyville isn't getting the feedback they expected from a special city-wide census, so in the next few weeks, they'll start doing it the old fashioned way -- door-to-door. "So far, we have not had the response we had hoped to get," according to planning and zoning administrator Kip Green. Approximately 10,000 people have responded to the city-wide head count, and that's just half of what was expected, according to Green...

Future of local impact fee is unclear (03/30/06)
NASHVILLE -- Bedford County's delegation to the state Legislature is split on whether their county commissioners' request for authority to impose a tax on new construction will be granted by the General Assembly this year. State Rep. Curt Cobb (D-Shebyville) isn't hopeful about the prospects for an adequate facilities tax, but state Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shebyville) says, "I think there will be something to give them the authority" to tax new construction...

Fairfield Pike residents complain about traffic (03/25/06)
Residents along Fairfield Pike are fed up with the traffic situation in front of their homes and a spokesperson for the group claims that Shelbyville's city manager is not doing his job. But City Manager Ed Craig said that the council is already considering its options regarding the matter...

Planners define quarry, quarrying (03/25/06)
Shelbyville Municipal Planning Commission approved a definition for stone quarrying Thursday, a left-over issue from a controversy surrounding a local paving company and the city. According to the definition, stone quarrying is "the excavation or extraction from the earth of a parcel of property of rock and stone by cutting, digging, blasting, or other means, except where such excavation is necessary or required for construction on that parcel pursuant to a properly issued grading permit, and in compliance with all state and federal laws and regulations.". ...

Developers sue city planners (03/24/06)
A Lewisburg development firm has filed suit against the Shelbyville Planning Commission over their denial of preliminary plat approval for Stone's Throw subdivision in January. P&R Development LLC filed the compliant in Bedford County Chancery Court alleging that the commission "arbitrarily and capriciously denied preliminary plat approval, which was an abuse of discretion and illegal."...

Census response is low so far (03/23/06)
City officials are hoping for a bigger response to the special citywide census, with only 25 percent, a little over 5,600 taking part so far. Planning and zoning administrator Kip Green said Tuesday that they will be sending a list of those who have not responded to telemarketers who will be begin making calls Wednesday until the middle of next week...

Wartrace puts off annexation decision (03/22/06)
Action on annexation of property south of Wartrace along Highway 269 has been deferred to give the town's board members more time to study the issues surrounding a proposed subdivision. But the board did approve the creation of a new residential zoning district, Rural Estate District, R-RE1, for low-density residential development...

City ranks high for shopping center growth (03/18/06)
The magazine Shopping Centers Today, published by the International Council of Shopping Centers, has recognized Shelbyville as one of the top 20 U.S. "micromarkets" for shopping center growth. The chart, compiled with information from Claritas, CoStar Group/National Research Bureau, lists Shelbyville as having 3.44 square feet of gross leasable area (GLA) per capita in 2005, with projected annual income growth of 4.62 percent between 2005 and 2010. ...

New Catholic church to open (03/16/06)
St. William Catholic Church is preparing for a public open house at its new facility on South Brittain Street 10 a.m. until noon Saturday, followed by a dedication service at 10 a.m. on March 25. The Rev. David Choby, Bishop of the Diocese of Nashville, will conduct the dedication service...

New addresses indicate continued growth (03/16/06)
Shelbyville and Bedford County are growing. That's something people here just know from looking around, but this month the postmaster can say how much because her office has counted addresses. "Total possible deliveries increased by 5.07 percent" on the rural postal routes, according to Postmaster Kim Mertz, who reported the growth from March 2003 to March '06. "There's not much difference in the city where the increase has been 4.7 percent."...

Census results begin to come in (03/14/06)
The first results are in and so far, 2,425 have responded to Shelbyville's special census, a total of 13 percent of the city's goal. The red envelopes bearing the forms went out to the public a little over a week ago and the city will give citizens several weeks to respond to the mailed letters, although the postal system isn't the only way folks can answer...

Recruiter disputes low ranking for Shelbyville (03/13/06)
Bedford County's chief industrial recruiter has taken issue with a survey, published by Business TN magazine, which ranks Shelbyville 44th out of the state's 50 largest cities in terms of being business-friendly. The survey, conducted by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, was published in a supplement distributed with the magazine's March issue. ...

AEDC takes control of California facility (03/08/06)
The U.S. Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center has agreed to take over a NASA-owned aerodynamics complex in California which specializes in testing of helicopters; this will become AEDC's second remote location. AEDC and the Air Force have signed a lease with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to reopen the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC) located at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. ...

Planners told to think 20 years ahead (02/24/06)
The chairman of Shelbyville's Municipal Planning Commission asked members to start thinking about what kind of city they want in the next 20 years. It's a topic that Morgan Renegar has spoken about before due to the size of some of the subdivisions that have been before the body over the past year. In October of last year, he called for a moratorium on large subdivisions...

Protecting Bell Buckle's history (02/18/06)
State planners turned over copies of new subdivision regulations to the Bell Buckle Planning Commission and proposed subdivision guidelines were examined Thursday. Planners made sure that the new regulations, approved last month, were properly signed off on. The approval of the regulation paves the way for the community to designate its planning commission as a regional planning commission, which requires approval from the county commission and state officials...

Wartrace passes annexation on first reading (02/16/06)
Growth was a main topic that Wartrace's board of mayor and aldermen tackled Monday, acting on three measures related to an annexation request. The annexation requested passed its first reading 4-1 with Alderman Thomas Hurt voting no. The board also approved a new zoning classification on first reading and a resolution that would establish the town's municipal planning commission as a regional planning commission...

Hospital to build across from airport (02/13/06)
Bedford County Medical Center has begun the application process for building a new $35 million facility in the Airport Business Park across from Shelbyville Municipal Airport. Rumors had been circulating about the airport site for several weeks, and on Friday the hospital published a public notice ad in the Times-Gazette to begin the process of asking for a "certificate of need," the license from the state which is required to operate this type of health care facility. ...

Adventists propose $20 million camp here (02/08/06)
The South Central Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Church is developing a master plan for a $20 million camp and conference center in Bedford County, to be located on Gant Hollow Road just off state Route 130 in the southern end of the county...

Lot size increase discussed (02/08/06)
Bedford County Planning Commission discussed ways to control the county's rapid growth during a meeting Tuesday night but stopped short of recommending a proposal to increase the minimum lot size in the A-1 (agriculture) zone, a solution which real estate agents said would cause a hardship to young families buying their first homes...

Chamber honors four at annual meeting (02/07/06)
"Your presence reflects your interest and involvement in the community," Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce president-elect Ronda Helton said in her welcoming address at Monday night's annual membership meeting and awards banquet. With "Celebrating 58 Years of Community Leadership" as this year's theme, the highlight of the night was the presentation of awards. ...

Local industrial site is 'deal-ready' (02/03/06)
Airport Industrial Park, across from Shelbyville Municipal Airport on U.S. 231 north of Shelbyville, has been certified as "deal-ready" by the Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Association, meaning it has the infrastructure needed for immediate development by industry and is cleared for purchase...

Livery Stable Antique Mall can expand (01/27/06)
The Livery Stable Antique Mall in Bell Buckle was approved Wednesday evening for an expansion of about a third more than its current 6,000-square-foot building. Bell Buckle planning commissioners unanimously approved a request from mall owner Ron Rowlette who estimated the 2,000-square-foot expansion will cost approximately $55,000...

Planners deny Stones Throw subdivision (01/27/06)
Stormwater drainage, more traffic on a narrow road and the lack of a neighborhood playground were why Shelbyville planning commissioners on Thursday denied a businessman's request to develop Stones Throw subdivision on U.S. 231 South just north of Naron Road...

City, county hold summit (01/25/06)
Shelbyville and Bedford County officials met Tuesday night to try to clear the air over disagreements regarding taxation. Both governments claim to have severe fiscal needs, and Shelbyville officials have hinted in recent weeks at possible court action to nullify a 30-year-old agreement for dividing up sales tax revenue...

Shelbyville projected for growth by trade magazine (01/24/06)
Shelbyville has been named by the trade publication Furniture Today as one of the top 25 small markets in the nation projected to have fast growth in furniture and bedding sales over the next five years...

Bell Buckle adopts subdivision regulations (01/20/06)
A rough draft of subdivision regulations were adopted by the Bell Buckle Planning Commission Thursday, paving the way for the small community to designate its planning commission as a regional planning commission. That action would require approval from the county commission as well as an OK from the State of Tennessee. ...

County to begin codes enforcement Feb. 13 (01/12/06)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday night to hire a codes enforcer and begin enforcing county building codes Feb. 13. Commissioners also approved a re-zoning on U.S. 41-A just east of Shelbyville for a trucking warehouse and a proposed soybean oil extraction plant...

Wartrace to consider annexation (01/10/06)
The Town of Wartrace will look at an annexation request next month for property south of the existing city limits. Mayor Don Gallagher and Wartrace aldermen received a letter last month from Carl McClanahan of Bob Parks Realty, representing Patricia Painter, requesting the annexation of 128 acres on Knob Creek Road. ...

Local taxation powers debated (12/20/05)
An organization of government officials studying tax proposals, including the proposed adequate facilities tax for Bedford County, wants changes in state law to make it easier for Tennessee cities and counties to impose or raise taxes, but some state lawmakers and lobbying groups are opposed...

Bell Buckle planners get rough draft (12/17/05)
Bell Buckle's planning commission received a rough draft of subdivision regulations and the group will conduct a public hearing next month so that the public can have input. The planning commission meets on the third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m., which would be Jan. 19 in this case. The group recommended that the town council advertise notice of a public meeting...

Commission grants one rezoning, refuses another (12/15/05)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners, meeting Tuesday night, went along with the recommendations of Bedford County Planning Commission on two zoning requests -- allowing one and denying the other, just as planners had recommended. Grady L. Cunningham had requested to rezone property on U.S. ...

EMA, troopers move into new building (12/10/05)
It has an emergency command center, offices and a Highway Patrol station. It has a driver's license testing station, scheduled to open some time next month. What it doesn't have yet is a name. The former Tennessee Rehabilitation Center on Eagle Boulevard (it actually has a Railroad Avenue street address) is now the home to Bedford County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and the local Tennessee Highway Patrol station, both of which moved in to the facility last month from their previous homes on Union Street. ...

Midstate business is booming (12/09/05)
Booming populations and economic growth in Murfreesboro and Franklin are why Middle Tennessee is bringing statewide Christmas sales figures up and because of U.S. 231 there's an effect on Shelbyville. That's a conclusion based on remarks from Dr. Bill Ford, professor of economics at Middle Tennessee State University, a former president of the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta and a long-time prognosticator of Christmas sales...

Christmas tree donated for square (12/09/05)
A Unionville man will donate a Christmas tree for placement on the Bedford County Courthouse grounds, according to the executive director of Our Town, an association of Shelbyville merchants. While wreaths with red bows were hung on the courthouse Wednesday, uptown merchants on Tuesday expressed their regret that there was no Christmas tree on the Public Square, although a magnolia had been decorated and lit years ago...

Merchants want tree-lighting on square (12/07/05)
Leaders of Our Town, Shelbyville's group of uptown merchants organized under Tennessee's Main Street program, wish there could be a Christmas tree lighting event on the Public Square. And their executive director, Betty Harrison, issued a public appeal on Tuesday for help in making that wish come true, asking civic leaders -- the movers and shakers -- to step up and financially support such an event, including placement of a tree...

Palmer to add 18 jobs with grant (12/03/05)
Gov. Phil Bredesen and Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD) Commissioner Matthew Kisber have announced the approval of a $84,600 FastTrack Infrastructure Development Program (FIDP) grant for the City of Shelbyville. The funding will assist in infrastructure improvements for Jack Palmer Foodservice on Lane Parkway...

Subdivision delayed for traffic study (12/02/05)
Action on Stones Throw Subdivision was tabled by the Shelbyville Municipal Planning Commission until a traffic study can be done. A preliminary plat has been submitted for the subdivision, which is now described as a 113 lot residential development consisting of 42.31 acres off U.S. 231 South, north of Naron Road...

State grant to help Palmer Foods provide new jobs (12/02/05)
Gov. Phil Bredesen and Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD) Commissioner Matthew Kisber have announced the approval of a $84,600 FastTrack Infrastructure Development Program (FIDP) grant for the City of Shelbyville. The funding will assist in infrastructure improvements for Jack Palmer Foodservice on Lane Parkway...

Subdivision comes back to city planners (11/25/05)
A controversial subdivision will be on the agenda once again for the Dec. 1 meeting of the Shelbyville Planning Commission. A request for a preliminary plat has been made for Stones Throw subdivision, which is now described as a 113 lot residential development consisting of 42.31 acres off U.S. 231 South, north of Naron Road...

GM to close one line at Spring Hill (11/21/05)
DETROIT (AP) -- General Motors Corp. will eliminate 30,000 manufacturing jobs and close nine North American assembly, stamping and powertrain plants by 2008, including one line at Spring Hill, Tenn., as part of an effort to get production in line with demand...

Cooperation a must in planning, says speaker (11/18/05)
Cooperation between the county and cities is a vital component to effective planning, according to one of the authors of Public Act 1101, which requires growth plans in Tennessee. Sam Edwards, executive director of the Greater Nashville Regional Council, the counterpart to the South Central Tennessee Development District, spoke Thursday to various county commissioners and planning commission members, as well as mayors and members of their planning boards, during an educational meeting...

Bell Buckle mulls subdivision rules (11/17/05)
Citizens submitted suggestions and the Bell Buckle Planning Commission worked toward tweaking subdivision regulations that many hope would allow the small town to deal with growth and retain its unique character. One possible addition to the regulations, submitted by commission member Frank Reagor, would create a designated open space in any future subdivision. Developers would be required to provide an additional 30 percent of open space over and above the minimum lot size...

Rezonings placed on commission agenda (11/17/05)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners' rules and legislative committee, meeting Tuesday night, placed two proposed rezonings on the full commission's December agenda -- one of them with a favorable recommendation and one with an unfavorable recommendation...

Mayor says growth demands vehicle fee (11/16/05)
Shelbyville is growing and the city needs the roads to expand along with it. That's the reason Mayor Geneva Smith gave for breaking a tie vote last week on the second reading of a vehicle registration fee which would pay for traffic improvements across Shelbyville...

Nissan relocation could mean benefits here (11/11/05)
Local officials say Nissan Motor Corp.'s decision to relocate its U.S. headquarters to Williamson County is good for the entire state and could lead to spin-off benefits for other counties including Bedford. "It's exciting news for Middle Tennessee, and Tennessee as well," said Walt Wood, executive director of Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce and the county's primary industrial recruiter. "It puts us on the map in yet another way."...

It's official: Nissan to move US headquarters to Tennessee (11/10/05)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Nissan Motor Co. announced Thursday it is moving its North American headquarters from California to the Nashville area. "The board of Nissan decided to relocate our North American headquarters, and we're coming to Tennessee," Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said at a news conference at the state Capitol attended by Gov. Phil Bredesen and other top state officials...

City, county leaders to discuss growth (11/03/05)
There are cries about annexation in Bell Buckle. New zoning changes have been made for rural areas. A call for a moratorium on large subdivisions and changes in the urban growth boundary are being discussed in Shelbyville. No doubt about it, one of the leading issues facing Bedford County is growth and development, which is why county and municipal leaders are being called together to talk about it on Nov. 17...

Hispanic business meetings set (10/27/05)
The Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) will be holding meetings next month to help local Hispanic business people, both with existing businesses and for those wanting to start one. Two meetings are to be held: one for start up businesses on Tuesday, Nov. 8, and on Nov. 9 for existing businesses at noon until 2 p.m. at the Shelbyville Recreation Center. The meetings will be open to all, not just Hispanics wanting assistance...

Building on Tennessee's Japanese ties (10/20/05)
Building personal relationships seems to be the key to bringing foreign investment to Tennessee, according to Gov. Phil Bredesen, who just returned from a trip to Japan. Bredesen, along with the Tennessee delegation of the Japan-U.S. Southeast Association, traveled to Tokyo last Friday to meet with representatives from Nissan Motor Co. and other Japanese businesses to attract more companies to the state...

'New urbanism' draws Ward to square (10/20/05)
Jerry Ward, Bedford County's very own White House-approved artist, is coming to Shelbyville's Public Square in a move city planners might call new urbanism and what Our Town sees as revitalization. "We're trying to create a draw for people to live on the Square," explained Ward, perhaps best-known for having painted Millie, the English Springer Spaniel pet of George and Barbara Bush when he was president...

County's zoning rules strengthened (10/12/05)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners adopted changes to the county zoning resolution Tuesday night which will make it harder to develop high-density subdivisions in rural areas. County government has been challenged by keeping up with the area's rapid growth, which requires new schools, road improvements and other infrastructure. The school system recently proposed a 10-year building program which will cost $80 million, and commissioners say they aren't sure how to pay for it...

Moon Pie fest among state's "must-see" experiences (09/24/05)
FRANKLIN -- Gov. Phil Bredesen has asked his department commissioners to name 20 things people need to do in Tennessee before they die, and typical tourist attractions don't count. Those other things include attending the RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival in Bell Buckle, according to Dianne Murray, a volunteer with Tennessee's Backroads Heritage who attended the governor's tourism conference Friday...

Subdivision proposal off agenda (09/23/05)
A controversial proposed subdivision that had brought residents out in force to protest was dropped again from the agenda of the Shelbyville Municipal Planning Commission. Stone's Throw, a 118 lot-residential subdivision consisting of 52.86 acres located of Highway 231 South and north of Naron Road, has been the topic of debate for the past several months. ...

10-year, $76 million school building program proposed (09/23/05)
Bedford County Board of Education voted Thursday night to send a 10-year, $76 million master school building plan to the county commission. The plan was presented to the school board by former school superintendent Mike Bone, who had been working for months on it along with current superintendent Ed Gray. The plan will first go to the commission's budget and finance committee, although at some point school board members would like to have a joint study session with the full commission...

Stricter zoning on way to commissioners (09/21/05)
Proposed changes to Bedford County's zoning resolution which will make it harder to develop high-density subdivisions in rural areas were sent to the full county commission Tuesday night by the commission's rules and legislative committee. Bedford County Planning Commission has proposed the changes and tweaked them at a special called meeting Monday night. ...

Wartrace approves one rezoning, denies another (09/21/05)
Wartrace Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the second and final reading of an ordinance Tuesday rezoning five parcels of land along Blackman Boulevard East from R-2 (medium residential) to C-1 (general commercial). The area is now predominantly used for commercial purposes...

Bell Buckle planners receive survey (09/17/05)
Bell Buckle's Planning Commission received the results of a town survey on growth that many hope will serve as a road map for a land use plan. Alderman Dennis Webb stated that a total of 174 numbered copies of the survey were distributed to homes in the city limits, with 85 returned. Many comments from citizens were also included with the results...

AEDC is more than just a wind tunnel (09/17/05)
ARNOLD AFB -- Some people think of the U.S. Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center only as a wind tunnel. Actually, AEDC includes 58 different test facilities, 14 of which have no equal anywhere in the world. Satellites can be tested to see how they will survive the cold and vacuum of Earth orbit. ...

Impact of Newell Rubbermaid changes unclear (09/15/05)
A corporate spokeswoman for Newell Rubbermaid Corp. said Thursday that no announcements have been made about which plants the company will close over the next three years, making it unclear what impact, if any, the closures will have on Sanford Corp. plants in Shelbyville and Lewisburg...

Rezoning requests withdrawn (09/14/05)
A near-capacity crowd filled the second floor courtroom at Bedford County Courthouse Tuesday night to protest two proposed rezonings -- and, even after it was announced that the rezoning requests had been withdrawn, some in the crowd still wanted to address the commissioners...

European tourists sought for Backroads area (09/12/05)
Officials from the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce are working together to promote tourism in Bedford and its neighboring counties by Europeans, according to a Commerce Department official in Shelbyville on Saturday. "I'm mainly working with my colleagues in London," said Ericka Stevens, an international trade specialist who attended Tennessee's Backroads Heritage Barbecue Dinner Saturday at the Blue Ribbon Circle on the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration Grounds...

Zoning limits gain planners' support (09/08/05)
Bedford County Planning Commission voted Tuesday night to recommend changes to the county zoning ordinance which would prohibit any R-1 (residential) zoning outside the urban growth boundaries of Shelbyville, Bell Buckle, Normandy or Wartrace. Subdivisions could still be built in the A-1 (agricultural) zone, but they would be subject to the larger minimum lot sizes which accompany that zone...

Planners struggle to define quarrying (08/29/05)
Shelbyville's Municipal Planning Commission examined a definition for stone quarrying Thursday, a left-over issue from a controversy surrounding a local paving company and the city. The commission will examine the definition again next month and possibly recommend it to the city council as an ordinance. ...

Wartrace considers rezonings (08/24/05)
Wartrace is looking at rezoning some areas of the small community and the public will get a chance to comment on the changes. The board approved the first reading of an ordinance rezoning five parcels of land along Blackman Boulevard East from, R-2 to C-1, General Commercial. The area is predominantly used for commercial purposes now...

TWHNC has major economic impact (08/23/05)
Shelbyville becomes "Celebration City" once again this week as the 67th Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration starts Wednesday morning even though horses, owners, trainers, riders and pets have been gathering for more than a week before the 11-day event officially begins...

Petitions signed against new development (08/22/05)
Residents near Halls Mill Road and at Rover are signing petitions against a Shelbyville-area developer's plan for new homes in Bedford County where he can build more homes without the requested rezoning, officials have said. "If you come in with a STEP system, you can go down to 22,000-square-foot lots," said Bedford County Zoning Compliance Officer Sam Riddle who on Friday described provisions of the A-1, agriculture zone for land use in Bedford County, and other parts of the state...