Shelbyville Times-Gazette: News : Schools and education

Schools and education

Reaching for the stars (02/08/12)
Billy Hix of Shelbyville, a professor at Motlow State Community College who was honored in November as the state's college science teacher of the year, has been selected as one of three teacher liaisons across the United States by the Space Foundation...

Teachers are people too (02/08/12)
Throughout high school, teachers get to know their students very well, but just how well do students know their teachers? At Community High School the answer will be revealed! Each day, students are given a random fact that they have to match to a certain faculty member. ...

Adult learner is nation's best (02/05/12)
Nora Sanders of Shelbyville has been named the Adult Learner of the Year by the Commission on Adult Basic Education (COABE). Sanders was named Tennessee Adult Learner of the Year last fall and was selected from COABE from among other state winners...

Stylin' ...with a little help (02/05/12)
An agent for Shelter Insurance, Maleah Qualls is -- by nature of occupation -- a busy woman. How she keeps it all together in the springtime is a mystery, though. In the past two springs, Qualls has selflessly devoted a large chunk of her already demanding schedule to help young ladies enjoy one of the shining moments of their teenage years -- prom...

We're smart: Now it's time to prove it (02/03/12)
Bedford County school superintendent Dr. Ray Butrum challenged local leaders to do the impossible Thursday at "Their Future is Our Future," a noontime event held in the theater of Shelbyville Central High School. Local business leaders, city and county mayors, school board members and school principals were among the 125 in attendance. Approximately 200 had RSVP'd for the event...

Community students start 'boot camp' (02/01/12)
Students at Community Middle School entered boot camp last week, a 15-week program dedicated to improving state TCAP scores. The idea was the brainchild of teachers Aaron Reid and Jasen Richardson. "This plan was implemented in response to the state-mandated test because the test will count as 25 percent of the students' second semester grade," said Principal Michael Wright...

High school homies (02/01/12)
Friends. Homies. Buds. Pals. Peeps. Friends are the people who help you make it through the day. Sometimes just seeing a smile on your friend's face makes your morning better when it was going horribly wrong. Friends cause your life to be enjoyable and fun. You laugh, joke, smile, and share memorable moments with your friends which is an important part of living a joyful life...

Hands-on CPR bill moves through Senate (01/31/12)
A proposal to require hands-on CPR practice in high school resuscitation programs, sponsored by State Sen. Jim Tracy of Shelbyville, has passed the Senate. The measure was approved 31-0 last week by the full Senate. The companion bill is scheduled to be considered today by the House Education Committee...

High-tech exercises also teach (01/29/12)
Students at Harris Middle School are not only using technology during school, but after -- with a fitness program designed to get students moving while having fun. A 21st Century Community Centers Grant provides money for the Wii Fit Club, which meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays...

Happy past, hopeful future for Southside principal (01/29/12)
A sign sitting prominently on the desk of Reita Vaughn, principal at Southside Elementary School, simply says, "No Whining!" She says it's there not only for students but for teachers and parents as well. The job is a dream come true for Reita, one that she looks forward to doing every day...

Online system eases school lunch payments (01/26/12)
In a time when many families pay bills online, or by debit or credit card, the act of physically writing checks has almost disappeared. For parents of school-age children, paying for school lunch has meant sending cash or a check to school each week or so...

Closer than ever to a title (01/25/12)
With five seconds left, the clock slowly winds down, 5, 4..., he makes his last chance, split second decision. Jake Leverette breaks left and keeps his eye on the goal, 3, 2..., he shoots the ball and it bounces off the back board into the goal. 1... the crowd goes wild...

Adult classes offer more than just a diploma (01/22/12)
Regina York dropped out of school in 1976, just shy of graduation. It had nothing to do with her grades; she regularly made the honor roll, and had dreams of becoming a teacher. But she was in love and wanted to get married. She promised her mother she'd eventually go back and get her diploma...

Harris will add magnet program (01/20/12)
A magnet program at the middle school level will be phased in gradually, starting next year with the sixth grade and adding an additional grade each year, according to discussion at Thursday night's meeting of Bedford County Board of Education. According to School Superintendent Ray Butrum, a lot of professional development will need to take place to prepare teachers for the program...

A sense of family: Harris helps students adjust to changing classes (01/19/12)
The transition from elementary to middle school can be a challenge for students. In elementary grades they are often accustomed to interacting with just a few teachers, and in a self-contained classroom. To provide a positive transition between elementary to high school, this year Harris Middle adopted the mini-school concept...

2nd SRO asked for Community (01/19/12)
The safety of children was on the minds of Bedford County Board of Commissioners' law enforcement and workhouse committee Tuesday night. Commissioner Jimmy Patterson repeated his insistence that Community High School and the campus containing Community Middle and Elementary schools, which currently share a school resource officer, each needs its own dedicated SRO -- one for the high school, one for the middle and elementary schools. ...

Bullying must end (01/18/12)
One in four. . . This is the number of teenagers who are bullied in the United States. And 43 percent of these teens are bullied while online in the supposed "safety" of their own homes. Bullying has become a serious issue in the United States and some teenagers are so tormented that they consider or complete suicide; making our suicide rates even higher. ...

Fun and learning at Southside (01/17/12)
Southside kindergarten student Chloe Reynolds takes a break during gym class. (Submitted photo)

Roads safe for schools: Officials (01/13/12)
While many surrounding counties closed school this morning, according to Jimmy Williams, Supervisor of Student Placement and Safety, road conditions simply didn't warrant a closing in Bedford County. "We rode the roads this morning and just did not find enough slick spots to close," Williams said...

Top of the class: Cascade Elementary honored (01/13/12)
Just before schools let out from Christmas break, Cascade Elementary School administrators were notified of a special honor. The school has been nominated to receive designation as a U.S. Department of Education 2012 National Blue Ribbon School -- one of only six schools in the state, and just more than 300 nationally, to receive the honor...

Just think 'Flink': science comes to life at Harris (01/12/12)
Students at Harris Middle School had fun with "flinking" this week in instructor John Ziegler's science lab. The eighth graders are studying density as a property of matter. ...

Emoting 'The Odyssey' (01/11/12)
Students in Amanda Thompson's World History class at Cascade Middle School have been studying Ancient Greece. While covering the "Iliad" and "Odyssey" these fourth period students used their bodies to portray emotion through the characters of the Trojan War epics. (Submitted photo)

A penny's worth (01/11/12)
People say money isn't everything, and while this may be true we can't deny money's beneficial power. The name "Penny Wars" may not sound like too much fun or too important, but to Community High students it is a fun and meaningful competition. Students from Community are competing in a twofold competition; grades are pitted against grades and then the collective scores are compared between the two schools. ...

Time to apply for Thomas Magnet slots (01/08/12)
Applications are now being accepted for students wishing to attend Thomas Magnet School during the 2012-13 school year. For those students entering kindergarten, 60 slots are available, with additional -- but limited -- space for students in grades one through five...

Legislators earn A's for college act success (01/08/12)
MOTLOW COLLEGE -- Representatives of the state's community college system told legislators and other VIPs at Motlow State Community College's annual legislative breakfast that the Complete College Act passed in 2010 has given community colleges a new focus on student success...

New Year, new start (01/04/12)
New Year's is a time for changes, a time to free yourself from undesirable habits. Unfortunately, throughout time, New Year's has come to hold less value. It has recently come to be a day to spend partying and getting drunk, especially in more industrialized societies...

State teacher evaluations to face tough exams (01/03/12)
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced Dec. 21 that there will be both an external and internal review of the new teacher evaluation system. He has charged the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) with conducting an independent, third-party evaluation and is asking the state Department of Education to formalize a review process, which the department has already begun...

Tales of loss lead annual top story list (01/01/12)
Two stories that touched the hearts of local readers top this year's list of the top 10 local stories as determined by a poll of the Times-Gazette staff. The top story of the year was the plight of the three people collectively known as The Shelbyville Missing: Shelley Mook, Bobby Smelcer and Antonio Taylor. That story was followed by the story of a young sixth grader whose illness brought the community together and whose death broke its heart...

Order in the court! (12/28/11)
Most students have witnessed a trial in some form or another, maybe though real life situations or from a movie or television show. Some may even be semi-familiar with the legal lingo involved, but few know the true in's and out's of the courtroom. Though this week at Community High School, students in Mr. Garrette's government class have had the personal opportunity to step foot into the courtroom and attend the mock trial of Tracy Rose...

Accident survivor receives well-earned diploma (12/27/11)
Normally, graduation ceremonies take place in a large gymnasium, auditorium or civic center. Normally, the graduates are about 17 or 18 years old. Normally, a few tears are shed. But normally, those honored in a ceremony have not moved mountains anywhere near the size Victoria Atwell moved to reach the, traditionally speaking, normal rite of passage into adulthood...

30 years of caring: SCHS canned food drive continues (12/25/11)
When local educator Bill Pietkiewicz took a group of Shelbyvile Central High School students to a student council workshop in 1981, all he really hoped for was the students returning home feeling inspired. The motivational speech they heard that day, given by well-known speaker Mark Scharenbroich, planted a seed in the students' minds to start a canned food drive. That first year, 1,000 cans were collected...

Creativity flows from students' minds (12/21/11)
In October, fifth grade students in Bedford County took part in what has become an annual tradition. RiverFest, hosted by the Duck River Watershed Education Committee, fulfills part of the Life Science curriculum for the year for the 650 students who visit...

SCHS celebrates with a little drama (12/21/11)
On Dec. 8, Shelbyville Central High School's Drama club had its opening night of their Christmas plays. There were four one-act plays with performances from students in between. The first group to perform was Jonah Jackson and Charlie Thomas who sang the song "Alien for Christmas." Jonah sang while Charlie played guitar. ...

Religious music OK'd for schools (12/20/11)
In a community where faith-based values are treasured, educators attempt to maintain a careful balance during a time of year traditionally set aside by Christians to honor the birth of Jesus. When the student council of Shelbyville's Central High School set out to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital by playing student-requested holiday songs in the cafeteria, they were reminded to keep the music strictly secular...

Hands-on learning: Visual tools make impact (12/18/11)
School health coordinator Dee Crabtree brought tangible tools to accompany her presentation to the Bedford County Board of Education -- including a pair of pigs' lungs. The board met for its regular December meeting Thursday, and Crabtree was there to discuss the school system's plan to improve the health of its students...

This is homecoming (12/14/11)
Homecoming -- the time for alumni of a high school to come back home and see how their school has changed and what hasn't changed. At Community High School, homecoming week took place from Dec 9. Homecoming is always a very large ordeal for Community. Each day has a theme for students to show their support. Monday was class color day with seniors wearing purple, juniors wearing gold, sophomores wearing black, and freshmen wearing white...

Graduation rate near crisis stage (12/13/11)
Local business leaders and educators came together Monday evening to address the future of Bedford County students. About 30 were in attendance in the auditorium at Shelbyville Central High School, and left in agreement to work together to improve graduation rates...

Dropout rate is topic of meeting (12/09/11)
A meeting Monday night at the Shelbyville Central High School theater is designed to enlist local businesses in improving the county's graduation rate. According to state report card figures released this month, Bedford County's 2010 graduation rate was 79.3 percent, far below the state goal of 90 percent...

Webb students ride into 'orbit' (12/09/11)
Physician and former astronaut Rhea Seddon of Murfreesboro took Webb School students with her on a journey into Earth orbit on Thursday. Seddon, a veteran of three space shuttle missions, appeared as part of the school's Follin Speaker Series. With the help of video footage, she told the story of STS-40, a 1991 mission dedicated to research in life sciences during which she and her crewmates performed a series of experiments testing the effects of space travel on humans -- and on some of the shuttle's other passengers, several laboratory rats.. ...

Open or closed? (12/08/11)
With 4,278 miles to be driven each day, and nearly as many students riding the buses, the weight of a decision to close schools doesn't come lightly to those who make it. In the case of snow and ice -- and sometimes flooding -- Jimmy Williams, supervisor of the student placement and safety office for Bedford County schools, is often up late watching a variety of local weather reports...

MTEC highlights local college classes (12/07/11)
Middle Tennessee Education Center in Shelbyville is planning a regional marketing push this week with advertising inserts in six area newspapers, including today's Times-Gazette. MTEC, located in Bedford County Business Complex on Dover Street, is a joint venture of Middle Tennessee State University and Motlow State Community College, offering on-site day and night classes for the two institutions, as well as distance learning opportunities...

Central students prove dreams 'can' come true (12/06/11)
Students at Shelbyville Central High School proved on Friday that dreams 'can' come true -- displaying 28,166 canned food items in a Disney-themed Great Canned Food Drive. Drawings and posters of Disney characters were hung throughout the school during November to remind students to bring in canned and non-perishable items to help those in need during the holiday season...

Harris 7th graders to try ACT test (11/25/11)
A handful of seventh grade students at Harris Middle School are preparing to take the ACT alongside their college-bound high school peers this year. It's part of a seventh grade talent search conducted by the Duke University Talent Identification Program...

'With joy and grace' (11/22/11)
Among holiday traditions in local schools, one of the most popular is Thanksgiving lunch at Eakin Elementary. This year more than 600 parents planned to join their children for lunch, so the event was divided into two days. "Each grade will get an hour to eat with their class and parents in the gym," said Dulcie Davis, assistant principal. The meal begins with the students of that grade singing a couple of songs, then reading a poem or acting out a skit...

Offices, agencies take holiday vacations (11/22/11)
A number of businesses and organizations will close this weekend to observe the Thanksgiving holiday. Here are some holiday schedules of broad interest: l Shelbyville Power, Water and Sewerage System l Argie Cooper Public Library l U.S. Post Offices...

Phoebe's special gift (11/18/11)
Animal shelters might have a future leader in Phoebe Jorgenson. Phoebe is celebrating her 6th birthday and instead of presents, she has asked all her friends and family members attending her party to instead bring items for cats and dogs that will be donated to Shelbyville-Bedford County Humane Association...

Magnet grads could enter 'mini-school' (11/18/11)
Thomas Magnet School, introduced in 2009 for high-achieving students in kindergarten through fifth grade, has met with approval from most quarters, but some parents have worried about what would happen to their magnet school students once they graduated from the facility and moved on to middle school...

We "ain't" smart, says new survey (11/17/11)
Shelbyville places dead last among mid-sized Tennessee cities (populations between 10,000 and 49,999) in terms of how educated its residents are, according to an analysis of Census data by the web site The Business Journals On Numbers. The web site is affiliated with the Nashville Business Journal and its parent company. ...

School plays carry children into a fantasy world (11/17/11)
It had to happen eventually -- Fairy Tale Land is a small close-knit community -- so its no surprise that Goldilocks eventually ran into the Three Pigs. The pigs are living together in the remaining brick house, and feeling a bit cramped, when they discover Goldilocks hiding from a witch...

Central students feed the hungry (11/16/11)
The Shelbyville Central High School is currently involved in a great canned food drive in the month of November. The school has been doing the great canned food drive for the past many years dating back to at least 1985. Shelbyville Central has had many themes, such as superheroes, Christmas, and Wizard of Oz. The theme of this year's canned food drive is Disney....

Students recycle (11/15/11)
Local schools have been busy all month working on some very trashy projects. As a way to bring awareness to the importance of recycling, students at various Bedford County Schools have made more than 500 trash monsters. Today is America Recycles Day, and state agencies such as the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation and Tennessee Wildlife and Resources Agency are promoting a number of projects throughout the state ranging from charitable drives to recycling opportunities.. ...

11*11*11:11! (11/11/11)
The number 11 is brought to you today by two Bedford County students who share a birthday. Timothy Page, a student at Southside School, and Haylie Parker at Thomas Magnet, are each 11 years old today, on 11/11/11. Not only do the students get the day off from school (it's a system-wide staff development day), but there's a parade being held in their honor. At least that's what Timmy's dad has told him for years...

Celebrating freedom, and those who protect it (11/10/11)
At Southside Elementary, Delainey Green was dressed to show her support of veterans during a school program today. (T-G Photo by Tracy Simmons)

Parade, programs to salute veterans (11/09/11)
Friday, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day and the annual parade will be held 11 a.m. Friday along the normal parade route. The parade will begin at the intersection of Cannon Boulevard and Lane Parkway, proceeding south on Cannon to Holland, east on Holland to the square, north on Main to Madison and east on Madison to Celebration Drive...

Pink out! (11/09/11)
October -- time for fall, Halloween, and cooler weather; however, some people focus on one thing, one very pink thing. Breast cancer awareness is something we don't always pay a lot of attention to....

Best on the beat: SRO Harvey is tops in state (11/06/11)
One of Bedford County's first student resource officers has been named Tennessee's best. Tracey Harvey has served as a law enforcement officer in Bedford County since the mid-1990s, and her career has gravitated toward serving youth. She began teaching D.A.R.E. classes in 1998 and was the third SRO hired...

Art for awareness: Harris students step up to fight breast cancer (11/04/11)
Eagle Power transformed into the Power of Pink last week at Harris Middle School. The Harris Middle School Art Club sold buttons to raise awareness for breast cancer issues during lunch period and raised more than $500. Some of the buttons carried student designs, while others were designed by art teacher Rebecca Soper...

Cascade mentors help 3rd graders in reading skills (10/28/11)
Twice a week juniors and seniors at Cascade High take time to work with younger students to help improve their reading skills. Part of the national Teen Trendsetters program, the students have been trained as reading mentors to their third grade peers...

Halloween's almost here (10/27/11)
Raggedy Ann made a stop in Shelbyville recently for a special meeting of the minds, along with Batman, Spider-Man, several animals, a few princesses, a pumpkin and several other creative characters. The eclectic group met over cookies, crayons and a special reading by Jessica Osborne, Argie Cooper Library's children's librarian...

Child Safety Fun Fair set for Saturday (10/27/11)
United Way of Bedford County will hold its annual Child Safety Fun Fair Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at H.V. Griffin Park. The free event offers fun and educational activities for the kids, but also offers the chance for parents to have their children fingerprinted by a trained law enforcement officer...

Countrified rapper gives back to Community (10/23/11)
Amaria Smith is a student at Community Middle School, whose parent-teacher organization needed a boost. Her father John is an area native, a businessman in the process of launching a national brand, and one vested in growing his community. So when Susan Haynes, president of the school's parent-teacher organization, approached Smith to help, he knew baking cookies wasn't an option...

Eagle spirit lives on (10/23/11)
Four members of the Central High School Class of 1938 gathered for a reunion recently to reminisce about those glorious days of their youth and to remember departed friends and classmates. When they and their 69 classmates graduated 73 years ago, they left to go to college or to work or to start families...

Cascade overcrowding may draw closer study (10/21/11)
Bedford County Board of Education, responding Thursday night to discussion by county commission members earlier in the week, asked School Superintendent Ray Butrum to meet with County Mayor Eugene Ray and propose a study committee to decide how to address overcrowding at the building which houses Cascade High School and Cascade Middle School...

Students on the move (10/21/11)
Kindergarten students at East Side and Eakin Elementary are moving to learn in a newly-adopted program called Stimulating Maturity through Accelerated Readiness Training -- or SMART. Based on the notion that movement anchors learning, students are spinning and jumping and walking on balance beams to enhance their abilities in the classroom...

RiverFest: Serious fun (10/19/11)
Fair skies prevailed Tuesday morning as Bedford County fifth graders from eight different schools made their way through exhibits at RiverFest on the Duck River Greenway at River Bottom Park. Now in its seventh year, the Duck River Watershed Education Committee hosts the event which allows students to investigate how living things interact with each other and with nonliving elements of their environment...

Economy hits Cascade (10/19/11)
County officials said Tuesday night they're still looking at overcrowded Cascade High School but that the county's options are limited at present. "It's easy to borrow money," said County Mayor Eugene Ray. "But where are you going to get the money to pay it back?"...

Ghouls, thrills and books (10/16/11)
Librarian Dona Northcutt is caretaker of a prime spot of window space near the main hallway of Harris Middle School, and she's using it to entice -- and entrance -- students to visit. Students regularly visit the library through their reading classes to select books for an assignment, however, "The true measure of a library's success is to create an inviting environment that draws the students into the media center voluntarily and for leisure reading," said Northcutt...

Learning with the Bedside 5 (10/14/11)
If you've ever slept with a textbook under your pillow the night before a big test, your learning strategy may not have been too far off the mark. Research suggests that information travels from our short-term memories to long-term memory during the sleep cycle. The information closest to the sleep cycle transfers first, suggesting that the information you collect just before going to sleep has the best chance of staying in the memory...

Webb siren may serve town (10/13/11)
For a warning siren to be useful, you have to be able to hear it, and to know clearly what it's trying to communicate. The Town of Bell Buckle is working with The Webb School to improve emergency notification for both the town and the private prep school located there...

Schools go home through eLearning (10/11/11)
Students in Bedford and surrounding counties have a new educational option -- online courses offered by the Bedford County Board of Education in their eLearning program. The county has made use of eLearning for six years now, with classes mostly offered to homebound students, those at risk of dropping out and for classroom credit recovery...

Students donate more than 1,200 shoes (10/11/11)
During homecoming week the Shelbyville Central High School student council coordinated a successful Soles4Souls shoe drive, collecting 1,258 pairs of new shoes. Non-profit organization Soles4Souls was born from the sofa of founder Wayne Elsey while he watched the devastation of the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia. The image of "a single shoe, stranded on a decimated beach," sparked the seed of the idea...

Preliminary work for Unionville road project (09/29/11)
Utility technicians relocate power and communications lines along U.S. 41A in Unionville Wednesday to make way for a new realigned intersection of the highway and Deason Road. The bid for the project was let for long-awaited improvements to 41A in the area of Community Elementary School and Community Middle School, including a turn lane in front of the schools and a reconfiguration of the intersection between 41A and Unionville-Deason Road. (T-G Photo by Kent Flanagan)

Refinancing debt may save $650K (09/28/11)
Bedford County hopes to save about $650,000 by refinancing some of its debt, according to discussion at Tuesday night's meeting of the county's Financial Management Committee. The refinancing will not change or extend the term of the debts being financed, which are about five years from being paid off. But it will take advantage of interest rates that are lower now than when the money was first borrowed...

Letters to the Editor, Sept. 25 (09/25/11)
To the Editor: Regarding your article Sept. 13, 2011, about Cascade School, I must say you made my heart jump. In a glance I saw the words "Cascade and New School." Oh, but then the details, the said details. Silly my. I thought "new school" would mean construction of a building...

Johnson 'shocked' by Webb award (09/22/11)
Mary Jo Johnson, a former Bedford County school board member who has taught English for 13 years, was recognized by the Webb School Parents' Association with the WSPA Faculty Enrichment Award. Leigh Huddleston, WSPA president, presented the award at the opening of school Faculty and Trustee Dinner...

County animal facility remains fully populated (09/22/11)
Bedford County Animal Control director Brenda Goodrich reported to the county commission's law enforcement committee on Tuesday that the facility is staying full -- even after the Rescue Waggin' program took some animals away, the facility quickly filled back up again...

Special time for fun (09/20/11)
The Boys & Girls Club of Bedford County held its Day for Kids activities last weekend to give school-age children and their parents time to visit the new Shelbyville club and enjoy themselves. The activities included different activities Thursday through Saturday such as face painting, cornhole, basketball, karaoke and treats...

New test gives Webb info on student skills (09/20/11)
Measuring students' ability to think critically, assimilate information, and reason is the basis of a new College Work and Readiness Assessment (CWRA) that was recently administered at The Webb School. The ultimate goal is to better prepare students for college and life...

State's best sees success (09/16/11)
Nora Sanders has been named Tennessee Adult Learner of the Year by the Tennessee Association for Adult and Community Education, and a coffee was held in her honor Thursday at Bedford County Adult Learning Center. Sanders, a native of Mexico, took English classes, basic skills classes and GED classes. ...

Butrum will face tougher evaluation (09/16/11)
Bedford County Board of Education, meeting Thursday night, approved a new, more comprehensive evaluation form for School Superintendent Ray Butrum, who will be evaluated at the end of the year, after six months in office, under the terms of his contract...

Math counts heavily for new Community leader (09/15/11)
What impressed principal Michael Wright most about his first day on the job were the students at Community Middle School. "They were the first ones to greet me, the first ones to shake my hand," he said. Now in his 25th year as an educator, he's spent the last 19 in administration, most recently as curriculum coordinator at Highland Rim School in Fayetteville. ...

Bid let on upcoming 41-A work (09/15/11)
County Highway Superintendent Stanley Smotherman, making his quarterly report Tuesday night to Bedford County Board of Commissioners, gave updates on several state highway projects of local interest. The bid has finally been let for long-awaited improvements to U.S. 41A in the area of Community Elementary School and Community Middle School, including a turn lane in front of the schools and a reconfiguration of the intersection between 41A and Unionville-Deason Road...

Alexander behind proposal to cut back NCLB (09/15/11)
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander and two of his GOP colleagues say they want to scale back some provisions of the No Child Left Behind act which are no longer needed, while preserving its testing, accountability and parent information provisions. "It's time to transfer responsibility back to the states and the cities," said Alexander during a conference call with Tennessee reporters on Wednesday. Also on the call were Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.)...

Purdy Court residents to gather (09/14/11)
Residents and neighbors of Purdy Court Park will gather Thursday to strategize and build a base of ideas to transform the recreational area. It's the first step in a new city initiative, When Everyone Cares About Residential Environment (WE CARE), to develop residential environments that promote safety for children and families, beautiful landscapes and build community pride...

Teacher's spirit lives on (09/14/11)
Liberty School students got their groove on Tuesday in memory of the late Stephanie Cameron, a fifth grade science and social studies teacher who was killed one year ago in an automobile accident. On the first anniversary of her death, students paused to remember their former teacher, who was known for her laid-back and free-spirited approach to life...

Cascade Middle celebrates (09/13/11)
A week ago a milestone in the history of Cascade schools was quietly marked. The Bedford County Board of Education received notice that the request to divide the former Cascade School into two entities had been approved by the State of Tennessee. Cascade School formerly comprised grades 7-12. ...

It's all about the words at library (09/13/11)
There's more happening at the Argie Cooper Library these days and children's librarian Jessica Osborne couldn't be happier. "I wanted to do some new things," she said. "Especially for the children I call the Tweens, the ones between 8 and 12 years old. I feel like the Tweens get left out of a lot. They aren't old enough for the teen activities, but they're too old to be read to at Story Hour -- or at least, they think they are."...

'Stick'ing out in a crowd (09/11/11)
As horses worked the big oval during the last days of summer, local children had a show all their own, and they didn't need horses. Not real ones, anyway. Preschoolers from Miss Judie's at the Park Day Care "walked on" aboard their stick horses for the inaugural Walking for the Children Stick Horse Show...

Tragedy unremembered by those too young (09/09/11)
This year's class of fifth graders were either infants or not yet born on Sept. 11, 2001. We asked students at Thomas Magnet School to share their feelings about the events of that day, and to contemplate how they might feel if the events happened today. Excerpts from their essays are below...

Thomas Magnet uses Paideia to encourage thinking (08/30/11)
Paideia is a relatively rare approach in academics, but one which has gained national recognition -- and has been a startling success -- in the schools in which it has been adopted. Thomas Magnet School principal Tim Harwell studied the topic at length last year, taking a team of instructors along for a day trip to Chattanooga to view the model in action. ...

New MTEC director out to educate public (08/25/11)
Lisa D. Moore, the new director of Middle Tennessee Education Center, says she's been amazed at the support the center has from community leaders but wants to do more to make sure potential students are aware of what the center offers. MTEC, located in the Bedford County Office Complex on Union Street, is a satellite campus and joint venture of Middle Tennessee State University and Motlow State Community College. Currently, education and business degree programs are offered...

County to increase salaries (08/24/11)
Bedford County Financial Management Committee reviewed a salary chart for county employees last night and approved 1 percent raises retroactive to the start of the fiscal year on July 1. The raises were planned in the budget process, but the committee wanted to take a look at county employee salaries before enacting them...

Youths become ill from substance near school (08/23/11)
A teen described by police as a "juvenile male" faces drug charges after two youths at Central High School became ill from a substance they say they were given during Friday night's football game. The substance, thought to be "7H" and described by police as "fake marijuana," left the youths ill. Officers found them lying on a sidewalk behind the school, one sick at his stomach and the other claiming his nose was bleeding...

Search continues for work crew escapee (08/20/11)
A Bedford County Jail inmate who ran away from a work crew was still at large Saturday, investigators said. Three eastern Shelbyville schools were placed on lockdown late Friday after Billy Ellis Gooch, 39, fled a group mowing the yard of an eastern Shelbyville school, according to officials....

Youth football team will add to Liberty athletic facilities (08/19/11)
The Liberty team in the Duck River Valley Youth Football League will build a new restroom and concession stand building at the Liberty School athletic fields. Bedford County Board of Education granted permission for the facility at its meeting Thursday night...

Butterflies are Free ends run at Community (08/17/11)
Photos by Renee Powell

Kaylea King as "Jill Tanner" in Butterflies are Free. (08/17/11)
Kaylea King as the flower child, "Jill Tanner" in Butterflies are Free, which recently ended its' run at Community's Smokestack Summer Theatre.

"Mrs. Baker", played by Tawny Helton, confronts "Jill Tanner" in a scene from Butterflies are Free. (08/17/11)
Tawny Helton played "Mrs. Baker", the conservative but opinionated mother of Dalton Reeves' "Don".

Jordan Powell, Tawny Helton, and Kaylea King in Butterflies are Free. (08/17/11)
When yet another man appears in Jill Tanner's life, Mrs. Baker's anger reaches a boiling point.

Ribbon cut as Harris Head Start nears opening (08/14/11)
The new Harris Head Start facility at 610 Elm St. will open Sept. 6 serving 68 children. A Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Friday. The site joins four other Head Start programs in Bedford County: Wartrace Head Start, Shelbyville Head Start, Bedford Early Head Start and Learning Tree Head Start. The programs are run under the auspices of South Central Human Resource Agency...

Salamander stroll: Southside teachers visit new students (08/12/11)
As traditions go, it's fairly new -- but one which has become warmly embraced by families of elementary students zoned for attendance at Southside Elementary School. It began a little over three years ago as first grade teacher Caron Lovvorn shared an article about a school that had great success with making home visits to students at the beginning of the academic year. Her idea was not only embraced, but quickly implemented by administrators, faculty and staff...

Teachers urged not to friend students on Facebook (08/09/11)
Last week Bedford County teachers and employees of the school system received a "strong recommendation" from their principals and from Supt. Ray Butrum's office to end online relationships with currently enrolled students. "At this point, we have recommended strongly that teachers not be "friends" with students in their school who are underage and [who are up to age] 19 if they are still in school," said Cheryl Harris, who serves as Community Engagement and Special Projects Liaison for the Bedford County Board of Education.. ...

'Butterflies' in the round at Community (08/05/11)
When Community's Smokestack Summer Theatre opens its production of "Butterflies are Free" next week, there won't be a bad seat in the house. In fact -- there won't be anyone sitting in the house. "We're doing a theater-in-the-round," said Director Tony Davis. "Everyone will be seated on the stage in an arena-style production."...

County youth leaders attend abstinence training session (08/02/11)
Among those getting ready for a new school year are the leaders of Choices that Challenge, a popular abstinence curriculum offered in middle and high schools across Bedford County. Scott Phelps, the author of the curriculum and founder of the Abstinence and Marriage Partnership, was vacationing in Nashville this week and offered to visit Shelbyville to conduct a training session...

Summer vacation ending too soon (07/31/11)
We were driving home from camp Sunday night and passed by one of the local schools in Tullahoma. "First Day of School: Wednesday, July 27" stated the sign out side the school. Oh, good, I thought. Make a note of that in my mental calendar so I'll remember to get Buzz ready to go...

Down to earth...for now; space educator mourns shuttle program (07/20/11)
Billy Hix watched the last shuttle launch and got a tear in his eye. It wasn't sentimentality, though, as much as it was disgust. "I have lost my dream tool in teaching," said the NASA educational consultant who lives in Bedford County. "I never lied when I told my students if you want to work hard enough, you will get into space."...

New school administrators announced (07/19/11)
On the day of his first school board meeting and a reception in his honor, Bedford County School Superintendent Ray Butrum announced a wave of new appointments, including new principals at Community Middle School and Eakin Elementary School. Butrum took office July 1, succeeding Ed Gray, who retired...

Butterflies are Free, a comedy/drama at Community High (07/17/11)
Kaylea Lauren King makes an entrance as "Jill Tanner", a free-spirited "hippie" who moves in next door to a straight-laced young man in the comedy/drama "Butterflies are Free" coming August 12-14th from Community High's Smokestack Summer Theatre.

The cast of Butterflies are Free, the summer play at Community (07/17/11)
Tawny Helton as "Mrs. Baker" wrecks havok on her son's life when she attempts to stop a budding romance with "hippie" wild-child "Jill Tanner" (Kaylea King). Dalton Reeves (sitting) plays the son, "Don". Jordan Powell rounds out the cast as "Ralph" an assinine off-broadway director...

Rehearsals are now in progress for "Butterflies are Free" (07/17/11)
Kaylea King and Dalton Reeves rehearse a scene from Butterflies are Free, a "psychodelic" comedy/drama set during the summer of Woodstock! Tickets are $3 and can be purchased through any of the actors or by calling 212-7867.

Kaylea King and Dalton Reeves star in "Butterflies are Free". (07/17/11)
"Jill Tanner" (King) and "Don Baker" (Reeves) get to know each other in an early scene from "Butterflies are Free". The show will be presented "theatre in the round" style on August 12-13th at 7:00 pm and Aug. 14th at 2:00 pm.

"Stuff the Bus" school supply drive continues (07/17/11)
The "Stuff the School Bus" campaign, in which donated school supplies are distributed to needy students in Bedford County, will continue through July. Donation boxes are available at retail stores throughout Shelbyville. An on-site collection will be held at Atmos Energy, 321 Lane Parkway, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday...

Schools grade higher in TCAP (07/14/11)
Bedford County Schools' system-wide scores in the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program test, released last week, showed improvement in reading, math and science, but a very slight decline in social studies. Students in grades 3-8 take the TCAP test each spring...

Former soccer coach receives probation (07/14/11)
A former volunteer assistant soccer coach charged with providing alcohol to minors has had her case deferred and was placed on probation Wednesday. Rebekah L. Gregory, 24, who was a non-faculty assistant for the Community High School girls soccer team, was arrested June 6 and charged with three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor...

Student artists color their world (07/10/11)
Go into any elementary or middle school in Bedford County and you're going to find budding young artists. You will find them helping with murals to cover stucco and concrete block walls and competing for the honor of having his or her art adorn the covers of yearbooks or student agendas...

Time to 'Stuff the Bus' (07/06/11)
It may seem hard to believe, but children in Bedford County will return to school next month. Many local stores are already stocking their school supply shelves. July also means the kick-off of an important local initiative. Bedford County United Way is launching it's fifth "Stuff the Bus" campaign to aid school-aged children in having all the supplies they need to fully participate in classes this fall...

Parents cry foul over ban (06/26/11)
A change in policy for student extracurricular activities by the Bedford County Board of Education has set off a wave of reactions to the board's decision that bars home-schooled students from participating in public school activities including sports...

Arrowhead Ranch thrives, grows (06/24/11)
About a year ago, there were only a few boys living at the Arrowhead Ranch at 239 Cortner Mill Road near Normandy -- a good start for the home for boys, but not good enough for executive director Jeff Sweeney. Six months ago, there were seven boys, all between the ages of 10 and 17...

Volunteer assistant barred from team (06/22/11)
A woman who served as an assistant coach will no longer have any contact with Community High School's girls soccer team following her arrest for allegedly providing alcohol to minors according to the principal. Meanwhile, a parent who informed the T-G about the incident claims it was "inappropriate" for the woman to be taking teen girls to movies and "sleepovers."...

Volunteer coach accused of providing alcohol to minors (06/19/11)
A non-faculty assistant for the Community High School girls soccer team has been arrested for allegedly providing alcohol to minors. According to warrants filed by Deputy Steven Daugherty of the Bedford County Sheriff's Department, 24-year-old Rebekah L. Gregory was charged with three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor on June 6...

Homeschooled students can't participate in public school activities (06/17/11)
The Bedford County School Board revised its policy regarding extracurricular activities during their regular monthly meeting in the Central Office Building board room Thursday. The policy was amended to read, "To be eligible to participate in extracurricular or curricular activities, a student shall be enrolled as a full-time student in Bedford County Schools."...

Gray sees new world ahead for education (06/10/11)
When Ed Gray first entered the teaching profession in 1966, he said, the emphasis was on teaching children to be good citizens and productive members of society. Much has changed over the past four decades. Today, schools must educate children in preparation for high-tech jobs that don't even exist yet. Children are accustomed to electronic communications from an early age, and teachers must use high-tech tools to keep and hold their attention...

Gray leaves legacy of success (06/09/11)
"I got my golf clubs out," said Ed Gray. "I haven't used them, but I'm talking to them." As Bedford County's school superintendent counts down the days toward the end of his 44-year career as a full-time educator, he expects not only to play golf but to remain active in Bedford County, and active in education -- just not at the same time...

Helping hands: Volunteers pitch in to build Boys & Girls Club (06/05/11)
Roger Harrell brightens up like a boy at the circus when he talks about the Boys & Girls Club of Bedford County and the army of volunteers who are turning a dream into reality. As area director for the club, Harrell became the No. 1 volunteer when he accepted the opportunity last year to help create a club from scratch in a community that has never had one. For Harrell, this is his 22nd Boys & Girls Club in a career that has spanned more than 27 years and five states...

Tracy-backed bill mandates early learning (06/02/11)
State Sen. Jim Tracy said that a bill he co-sponsored which has gotten little coverage in the media may have been one of the most important things passed during this year's legislative session. Tracy made the statement at the Bedford County Retired Teachers Association's quarterly luncheon meeting...

Water Safety Day is fun yet serious (06/01/11)
The third annual Water Safety Day, planned for Saturday at Shelbyville Recreation Center, aims to make information fun for both children and parents, according to Pam Henry, aquatics director for the rec center. It covers water safety for all sorts of venues -- home and public pools and natural bodies of water...

School's out: Time for summer fun to kick into high gear (05/29/11)
On the last day of the school year, students shared their plans for the summer with Times-Gazette readers. "Play at the playground. Go to the aquarium in Atlanta." -- Nicola Zuasnava, first grade, Cascade Elementary "Swim. Go on a trip." -- Lane Jackson, third grade, Learning Way Elementary...

A chance to play: Angels League serves special needs kids (05/29/11)
The morning was crisp and clear, the burgers had just gone on the grill in the concession stand, and the first game of the morning had begun. Parents cheered the runners. The athletes laughed and high-fived their coaches as they tagged the bases. Yet, there was no scorekeeper. No outs were called, and if there were fouls or fly balls no one paid any note of them...

Kids travel world without leaving home (05/27/11)
Hey, kids, are you ready to go around the world? Relax, parents, you aren't going to have to get a second mortgage to buy gas for the voyage. Just get them to Argie Cooper Library every Wednesday from June 1 to July 13 for the library's annual summer reading program...

Graduates step into new beginnings (05/22/11)
Commencement marks the end of one part of a person's life and the beginning of something new. Seniors in Bedford County's public high schools entered new chapters of their lives as graduates this weekend. Graduation ceremonies were held at Calsonic Arena on Friday night for Community and Saturday for Shelbyville Central and Cascade...

Area school schedule changes in final week (05/22/11)
Due to two days on which Bedford County Schools closed as a result of flooding in late April, this week's school schedule is different than originally announced. Wednesday and Thursday, May 25 and 26, will be regular school days. Friday, May 27, is an administrative day for teachers only, and student report cards will be given out on an abbreviated school day on Saturday, May 28. ...

School system retirees honored (05/22/11)
A total of 19 teachers and school system employees representing 449 years of combined service were recognized Thursday night on the occasion of their retirement. Bedford County Board of Education hosted the annual reception for school system retirees in the Shelbyville Central High School library. Each retiree was acknowledged by his or her principal or supervisor and then presented with a gift by a school board member...

School board hires Butrum (05/20/11)
It's official: Dr. Ray Butrum will be Bedford County's new school superintendent. Bedford County Board of Education, which voted earlier this month to negotiate a contract with Butrum after selecting him from among 12 applicants and four finalists for the position, approved a three-year contract Thursday night. Both parties signed it immediately following the school board meeting...

Students step into new lives (05/20/11)
Excited. Nervous. Sad. Glad. Those are the emotions that will be rocketing around Calsonic Arena tonight and tomorrow as the Bedford County classes of 2011 make their ceremonial march into the next phase of their lives. Hundreds of mortarboards will sail into the air in the next 48 hours, each belonging to a different student with a different dream, from medical school to mechanic to the military...

Drainage draws complaints (05/18/11)
Several residents of Wildwood Drive in Unionville say the construction of the new Community High School has created flooding problems in their yards which pose a safety issue for neighborhood children, and that they're tired of waiting for the county to do something about it...

Butrum plans move to Bedford (05/15/11)
Incoming Bedford County school superintendent Dr. Ray Butrum has confirmed that he does plan to move to Bedford County, and is looking for rental property here, but said his adult children will continue to live in his home in Murfreesboro for the short term and he hasn't yet decided how quickly he will change his legal residence and give up his seat on the Murfreesboro city school board...

A gritty will to survive (05/10/11)
That morning last August was full of promise. Sunshine, new beginnings, new students. Community Middle School teacher Taylor Grissom, 24, had just completed the first day of a new school year, an abbreviated day, and was headed to pick up her brother to take him swimming...

School security camera access approved, but concerns remain (05/08/11)
Bedford County Board of Education will move forward with plans to give school security camera access to local emergency dispatchers in the event of an emergency such as a fire or a Columbine-style school shooting. But the school system, citing a letter from its law firm which raises privacy concerns about allowing outside access, wants a memorandum of understanding relieving the school system of any liability in the event of problems...

School calendar extended to make up for flood days (05/06/11)
During Thursday's special called meeting, the board voted to extend the school year by two days to make up for two days schools were closed last week due to flooding. School will now be in full-day session on Wednesday and Thursday, May 25 and 26. An administrative day will take place Friday, May 27, and report cards will be given out on an abbreviated school day Saturday, May 28. Normal school buses will run on that Saturday but special education buses will not...

Butrum is board's choice for superintendent (05/06/11)
Bedford County Board of Education, in a special called meeting Thursday night, selected Dr. Ray Butrum, assistant principal of Barfield Elementary School in Rutherford County, as its "person of focus" for school superintendent, and voted to enter into contract negotiations with Butrum for the position....

High note: Symphony, Cascade and Motlow bands delight crowd (05/04/11)
The crowd for Tuesday night's "Symphony at the Celebration" concert featuring the Nashville Symphony and the Cascade High School Band was so large that the box office ran out of printed tickets, according to organizers. No firm estimate of the crowd was available, but it appeared to be one of the largest ever for the annual event. ...

Nursing students lend helping hands (05/03/11)
Nursing students from Shelbyville will be heading to storm-ravaged Alabama on Friday and are asking for donations. The 31 students from Tennessee Technology Center at Shelbyville, led by instructor Vicky Aman, will provide first aid, help storm cleanup efforts and deliver emergency supplies to victims of last week's tornados...

Critical schools choice to be made Thursday (05/01/11)
Bedford County Board of Education will hold a special called meeting 7 p.m. Thursday at the central office on Madison Street which may be as busy and varied as many of its regular meetings. The board will have four items to discuss: n Selection of a new school superintendent, following last week's interview process with four short list candidates...

Students in Service (05/01/11)
Students from The Webb School in Bell Buckle participated in their annual Community Service Day last Thursday, April 21. After determining areas they felt were most in need of their help, students traveled throughout Bedford, Coffee, Rutherford and Davidson Counties...

Superintendent talks end (04/29/11)
Dr. Ray Butrum, the last of four candidates being interviewed for the position of Bedford County School Superintendent, said that if he is chosen, he plans to spend a big part of his first year in the schools, evaluating them. Butrum is the assistant principal at Barfield Elementary School in the Rutherford County school system, teaches classes at Middle Tennessee State University and is a school board member for the Murfreesboro city school system. ...

Seeking a Superintendent (04/28/11)
Former Community School principal Mike Landis, now principal of Tullahoma High School, said Wednesday that if he is selected as Bedford County School Superintendent, his goal will be to maintain "a culture that's all about kids." Landis, the third of four short-list candidates interviewing this week for the superintendent position, is the only one with strong local connections, having taught at Shelbyville Central High School and Harris Middle School and served as assistant principal at Harris before moving to Community as principal. ...

Symphony tickets still on sale (04/28/11)
Tickets are still available for Tuesday night's concert by the Grammy Award-winning Nashville Symphony in Calsonic Arena on the Celebration grounds. The casual, family-friendly concert, beginning at 7 p.m., includes performances by the Cascade High School band and the Motlow College Jazz Band...

Schools hopeful visits (04/27/11)
Dr. David Roper of Middle Tennessee State University, the second of four short-list candidates being interviewed this week for Bedford County School Superintendent, said his experience as an educator and former superintendent helps him see how academic principles and research apply to the real world of classroom teaching...

School interviews start (04/26/11)
Loudon County Director of Schools Wayne Honeycutt, the first of four short list candidates for Bedford County school superintendent, told school board members and community leaders on Monday he is a hard worker who believes in the chain of command and who expects professional behavior and appearance from his staff...

School budget goes before board soon (04/24/11)
Bedford County Board of Education will consider a proposed 2011-2012 budget during its special called meeting on May 5. A draft budget was presented to the school board Thursday night by county finance director Robert Daniel. Daniel said the budget contains no raises except for state raises for teachers and scheduled step increases for all employees. The board asked Daniel to figure the cost of adding one year to the level at which employee step raises top out...

School system to consult lawyer on security camera access (04/24/11)
Bedford County Board of Education, meeting Thursday night, voted to defer action for two weeks on a proposal to make school security cameras available to emergency personnel, so that the school system can seek advice from its attorney. Emergency management officials have been asking for the access for a year and a half, according to discussion Thursday night. ...

Four chosen as school superintendent finalists (04/22/11)
Bedford County Board of Education, meeting Thursday night, approved a short list of four candidates to be the next school superintendent; each of the four finalists will be interviewed by the school board on a separate day next week. None of the four finalists is currently employed by the local school system, although one is a former Community High School principal...

SCHS students give blood to remember Korley (04/22/11)
Korley Davis died in February, just shy of her 12th birthday. But on Thursday, she may have saved a life. Shelbyville Central High School students held an American Red Cross blood drive in Korley's memory, with 201 donors scheduled, not counting a waiting list for available slots. Sean Armstrong of the Red Cross said the agency was hoping for 120 pints of usable blood from the event...

School bus choreography (04/21/11)
Every school day, Bedford County school buses run their routes, collecting students before heading to Community Middle School and Elementary. Today, 10 buses lined up by twos in front of the school and held their charges inside until just after 7 a.m. when teachers and administrators were ready to let them go into the school. Within a few minutes, the last of the students were on their way to class and the buses lined up again to take the rest of their passengers to Community High School, almost like a carefully choreographed dance.

Emergency access to school cams allowed (04/19/11)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution last week to request that Bedford County School System grant Bedford County Emergency Management Agency and the county communications center access to school system video surveillance cameras in the event of an emergency...

Testing time for many students: TCAP week arrives (04/10/11)
Ah, spring. Season of baseball, of flowers, of new life ... and TCAP tests. Bedford County students in grades 3 through 8 will begin taking the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program achievement tests on Tuesday, and educators try their best to get students and their parents prepared for the test...

3 apply to lead schools (04/08/11)
Bedford County Board of Education Chairman Barry Cooper said Monday that, as of April 1, the Tennessee School Boards Association had received only three applications for the position of school superintendent. Cooper said TSBA called him last Friday with an update on the number of applicants but that he told them he did not want to know their identities...

Statuesque performance: Cascade makes it in the Big Apple (04/03/11)
Every two years, according to Cascade High School band director David Lucich, the band takes a big out-of-town trip. This year, based on feedback from students and parents, the trip was to New York City; after all, as the song lyrics suggest, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere...

Boys & Girls Club celebrates first week (03/25/11)
Today is the last day of the Boys & Girls Club's first week and the verdict is in. "It's cool." That was the opinion of Caleb Peacock, an Eakin student who attends the program with his little sister, Alyssa. He admitted missing his computer and the games on it, but didn't seem to mind playing Connect 4 with his sister, or pool or foosball with the other guys...

History, fun gel for students (03/20/11)
There are two points during the annual tour of Washington, D.C., when Tim Harwell knows for certain that his flock of eighth graders will be quiet. One is the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. "You can hear a pin drop," said Harwell...

Spring break plans, or lack thereof (03/20/11)
Spring break for Bedford County Schools will be March 28-April 1. Other overnight school trips scheduled during the spring break period include FFA members from Cascade and Shelbyville Central high schools attending a convention in Gatlinburg and Technology Student Association students from Cascade attending a convention in Pigeon Forge, both on March 27-30...

Driven to serve (03/20/11)
Service might have been Kelly Pietkiewicz's first word. The daughter of two local educators, the University of Memphis senior has been taught to take a hand in the game and serve her community for as long as she can remember. "My parents are both teachers and Micky and I come from Shelbyville, a very giving town," said Kelly, sister of former Times-Gazette intern Micky Pietkiewicz and daughter of Bill and Miriam Pietkiewicz. "We were both always taught to give back."...

Alexander sees possible cut in number of tests (03/18/11)
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Republican from Tennessee, and U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat from Colorado, are forming a task force to study ways to reduce and simplify federal education regulations, and perhaps to reduce the number of tests taken by students in order to leave more time for teaching...

Searches for Mook continue (03/17/11)
The search for missing teacher Shelley Mook continues with little success but much effort, Bedford County Sheriff Randall Boyce said Wednesday. "I've had four or five people on it every day," Boyce said. "We're following tips when we get them. We need to just keep looking...

Prom helper (03/13/11)
Big and poufy? Simple and sleek? Long or short? No matter what adjective best describes the dress you want to get for prom, one thing's for sure -- you don't have to pay hundreds of dollars for that dress. "You get one shot at prom, and that's it," said Maleah Qualls of Shelter Insurance. "Some people can't afford it. I had a friend who once told me, 'I didn't go -- I couldn't afford it.' I thought that was awful."...

Young Viking voyagers (03/11/11)

Harris unites in support of Mook (03/10/11)
From calming students' fears to refuting rumors, Harris Middle School personnel are trying to keep the school on an even keel in the wake of reading teacher Shelley Mook's disappearance last week. Principal Bill Pietkiewicz said Wednesday he's determined to offer full support to the student body and staff -- and is gratified at the school's, and community's, response to the situation...

Liberty, Community, Cascade students eligible for Boys & Girls Club (03/10/11)
Families of students from Liberty School, Community and Cascade elementary schools may apply for membership in the Boys & Girls Club of Bedford County this week, according to area director Roger Harrell. A story published Wednesday in the Times-Gazette incorrectly stated that students from Liberty, Community and Cascade would be added later...

Teachers, opponents square off (03/09/11)
Two groups that have different opinions about education held rallies Saturday at the state Capitol in downtown Nashville. Tennessee Education Association had scheduled a rally to protest bills which would do away with teachers' collective bargaining rights, while various Tea Party members held a counter-rally...

County school system receives accreditation (03/06/11)
Bedford County Schools have been accredited for a five-year term by AdvancED on behalf of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). AdvancED was founded as a joint venture of SACS; the North Central Association, another similar accrediting body; and the National Study of School Evaluation. AdvancED now serves as the council on accreditation and school improvement for elementary and secondary schools for both SACS and NCA...

Book 'em when they're young (03/06/11)
It's never too early to read to your baby -- or too late. "My daughter is 20 years old and we still read together," said Teresa Winnette of the Child Development Center. "I'll be cooking dinner and she'll read a chapter of a James Patterson book to me, and then I might read another chapter to her later while we're sitting on the couch."...

Mook's burned car found (03/04/11)
A creek near where missing teacher Shelly Lynn Mook's burned car was found in Rutherford County was searched Thursday, investigators said. Mook, 24, an eighth-grade reading teacher at Harris Middle School, was last seen Monday afternoon after dropping off her child at the home of her ex-husband on Nashvillle Dirt Road near Shelbyville, police said Wednesday...

Several Bedford teachers to march in TEA rally (03/04/11)
Bedford County Education Association president Tamra King, a teacher at Community Elementary School, estimates that 10 to 20 local teachers will attend a Tennessee Education Association rally Saturday in downtown Nashville. The rally is in response to legislation which TEA calls "anti-teacher" aimed at issues such as tenure and collective bargaining...

Missing teacher's vehicle found (03/03/11)
The car owned by a missing Harris Middle School teacher was found burned in Rutherford County late Monday night, Bedford County Sheriff Randall Boyce said this afternoon. Local authorities released information about the teacher's disappearance Wednesday....

Come together and let it be (03/02/11)
If you like live concerts and if you enjoy the Beatles' music in particular, Shelbyville Central High School's theater is the place to be on Friday night as Eaglepalooza 2011 takes a new twist from the original spinoff of the video game "Rock Band" to live performances from Central students and local performers...

School system draws praise, ire at community meetings (02/27/11)
A community forum on education, held Thursday night as part of the process for selecting a new school superintendent, produced both praise for the local school system and skepticism of the process, with some attendees alleging that the public selection process is a sham...

'Girl Talk' makes delicate discoveries easier -- and fun (02/25/11)
Is there anything more uncomfortable than being a 12-year-old girl and having to get "The Talk" from her mom? Yep -- being the mom. The Bedford County Extension Office has a way of making that information exchange clearer, less uncomfortable, and, in fact -- fun...

County can hike facilities tax (02/24/11)
Under state law, Bedford County is now eligible to increase the adequate facilities tax charged on new residential construction, but Bedford County Financial Management Committee deferred action on any such tax increase, saying more study is needed...

Going green saves green (02/23/11)
Harris Middle School, the only county school with geothermal heating and cooling, had by far the lowest per-square-foot energy costs of any school in the county during the 2009-2010 school year, according to a presentation Thursday night by Daniel Kleindienst, who oversees the school system's maintenance, to Bedford County Board of Education...

Mom drives stolen truck to child's school (02/23/11)
An intoxicated, armed woman allegedly stole a truck from a Shelbyville funeral home and drove to a Unionville school to pick up her child Monday afternoon, Shelbyville police said. Rhonda June Grogan, 39, U.S. 41A North, was stopped at a store near Community Elementary School by Sgt. Rick Gann of the Bedford County Sheriff's Department shortly after leaving with the child. She had the firearm with her on school property, the police report said, and was charged accordingly...

State vs. teachers' union (02/20/11)
State Sen. Jim Tracy of Shelbyville, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, has said in a letter that he supports teachers but that teachers unions "are in the business of protecting membership and power, not serving the best interests of students or the teachers they represent."...

School board backs tool purchase policy (02/18/11)
Bedford County Board of Education, meeting Thursday night, defended the practice of paying school bus mechanics to purchase their own tools, but said how that money is accounted for will have to change to bring the county in compliance with tax law...

Schools to open one hour late Friday (02/10/11)
Bedford County Schools will open one hour late on Friday after having been closed on Thursday, School Superintendent Ed Gray announced just after 3:30 p.m. today. Gray said there are still wet spots on some county roads which could be treacherously icy overnight, but temperatures tomorrow should warm enough to make driving safe with the one-hour delay...

'A solid sheet of ice,' says highway superintendent (02/10/11)
Bedford County roads are "a solid sheet of ice," Highway Superintendent Stanley Smotherman said at 8:40 this morning. "I would encourage everyone who doesn't have to get out to stay home," he said. Bedford County Schools closed today due to snow, School Superintendent Ed Gray announced just after 9 p.m. Wednesday....

Tumbling to the top: Young gymnast sets sights on stardom (02/06/11)
"We basically talk to him upside down," said Alex Johnson. Alex has gotten used to looking at her son's feet because at 8 years old, Jackson Jones spends hours a day doing hand stands and back handsprings. He's already an accomplished gymnast, most recently topping the competition in his age group last weekend in Franklin...

Korley loses brave battle with illness (02/03/11)
For Korley Davis, the long hard battle is over. The Liberty School sixth grader, who would have turned 12 on Friday, died Wednesday morning at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. She was the daughter of Becky and Donald Davis of Wheel. "Liberty School is in mourning today as we have suffered a great loss," said Principal Mike Novak in a written statement. ...

UT Extension cutbacks hit local 4-H clubs hard (02/02/11)
Bedford County lost one of its two 4-H agent positions as a result of last week's cutbacks in the University of Tennessee Extension budget, said local extension agent John Teague. "Obviously, that's going to impact ... how we do things," said Teague...

Fewer but better report cards ahead (01/28/11)
Bedford County students will get fewer official report cards during the 2011-2012 school year, as the county moves from six-week grading periods to nine-week periods. The change was approved Thursday night by Bedford County Board of Education, which adopted a calendar for the 2011-2012 school year...

Snow strikes again (01/26/11)
Bedford County School Superintendent Ed Gray originally announced that schools would open two hours late this morning due to an overnight snowfall. But, after daylight, Gray and other school officials continued to inspect local roads, and Gray announced just before 8 a.m. that schools would close entirely...

Magnet applications due (01/25/11)

Magnet for learning (01/19/11)
It's just the middle of the school year, and most parents aren't really thinking yet about where their kids will be going to school next year. If they want them going to Thomas Magnet School, however, they need to start thinking about it now. "The deadline is Jan. ...

Schools chief to retire (01/14/11)
Bedford County School Superintendent Ed Gray announced his retirement, effective June 30, during a called school board meeting on Thursday, and the board agreed to contract with Tennessee School Boards Association to help with the search for a successor...

Science takes hit in schools (01/12/11)
Bedford County's achievement and value-added report cards for kindergarten through 8th grade were in line with the statewide results except that Bedford County did worse than the state in value-added results for science. The state released school report cards and adequate yearly progress, or AYP, scores last week...

Schools to close Wednesday (01/11/11)
Bedford County Schools will remain closed on Wednesday, Superintendent Ed Gray announced this afternoon. Bedford County Highway Superintendent Stanley Smotherman said state highways and many main county roads are clear, and some are even beginning to dry. But shady and less-traveled roads are still covered with snow, and even a road that seems safe may have an icy patch lurking due to shade, an overpass or standing water, causing trouble for motorists....

Education spending increases proposed (01/11/11)
MOORE COUNTY -- Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor John Morgan and other officials told state legislators on Friday that the Board of Regents would like $8 million on a recurring basis to start a more aggressive scholarship program for students at community colleges, and another $8 million on a one-time basis to redesign and reconfigure the developmental and remedial programs at community colleges...

Bedford schools improve on state report card (01/09/11)
Bedford County School System as a whole is in good standing with the state in terms of adequate yearly progress, or AYP, results released Friday by the state, but four schools are at various stages of coming into or out of AYP problems. "Bedford County Schools, as a system, are off the high priority list," said Betty Thames, supervisor of education for the school system...

Haven of help: St Jude Children's Hospital gets help from SCHS (01/09/11)
Imagine if your child was diagnosed with cancer. Where should we go for treatment? How long will the cancer last? Will it be fatal? How are we going to pay for everything? These are just a few questions that would weigh down your mind. At St. Jude Children's Hospital you could cross out the last question. No family is ever turned away because they are unable to pay for their child's treatments...

TCAP tests step to head of class (12/21/10)
Bedford County Board of Education, meeting Thursday night, approved a policy required by the state which will, starting in spring 2012, make TCAP scores count for 25 percent of a student's overall grade for particular subjects in grades 3-8. But in order for the policy to work, the state must begin making TCAP scores available more quickly; they currently don't arrive in time to be figured into final grades...

Books on wheels: Librarian drives into a world of reading (12/19/10)
The 1984 Chevy box truck needed a little extra time to warm up on a bitter cold morning last week, so Santa's elf arrived at work a few minutes early. Once the engine warmed up, Margaret Petty, all dressed in elf, got behind the wheel for a busy morning of spreading holiday cheer...

Exams influence school decision (12/17/10)
School Superintendent Ed Gray told Bedford County Board of Education on Thursday night that safety is the prime factor in making decisions about whether to close the schools for inclement weather, but the decision to have schools open on Tuesday was influenced by the fact of final semester exams...

School system report card will be delayed to January (12/17/10)
State education officials said Wednesday that the adequate yearly progress, or AYP, and school system report cards will be delayed until January. Officials had hoped to release the reports next week, but some school systems asked that they not be released while schools were out of session and school personnel might not be available to respond to the public queries...

Christmas spirit (12/16/10)
The Webb School Choir and String Ensemble performed to a packed house on Thursday, Dec. 9, at the annual celebration of Lessons and Carols. In addition to music and song, the service of Lessons and Carols included the reading of nine Bible passages by select members of the Webb faculty and student body. The same Bible verses are read each year; they tell the story of the fall of mankind, God's redemptive grace and His ultimate gift of Jesus Christ...

College classes don't attract local students (12/16/10)
Molly Culbreath, who oversees the Middle Tennessee State University side of Middle Tennessee Education Center, says she's pleased with the overall numbers for the elementary education degree program being offered at MTEC, including students from Marshall, Williamson, Maury and Coffee counties...

Schools to close at 1 p.m. (12/15/10)
Bedford County Schools will close at 1 p.m. today due to winter weather, School Superintendent Ed Gray announced this morning.

Songs for Brenda (12/15/10)
Saturday marks the first anniversary of a tragedy that touched many lives in Bedford County, especially the friends and families of Brenda Golden and Victoria Atwell. The two Cascade High School seniors were involved in a deadly accident on U.S. 231 North at Deason on Dec. 18, 2009...

Schools to open one hour late Tuesday (12/13/10)
Bedford County Schools will open one hour late on Tuesday after having been closed Monday, School Superintendent Ed Gray announced late Monday afternoon. Bus drivers will use their own discretion about questionable roads, Gray said, and children whose parents do not believe it safe for them to travel will be granted excused absences...

Lights, camera... (12/10/10)
When he accepted his award for "Best Director," there wasn't a 30-second warning flashing on a TelePrompTer in front of him and there weren't any celebrities waiting in the wings. Instead of some massive theater in Hollywood, Josh Heflin picked up his award at the Green Hills Regal Cinema, and the prize itself was more academic than Academy...

Fee for free: A great gift (12/08/10)
For someone without a high school diploma, a GED can be the stepping stone to the next level of education, and ultimately to a new job or career. That stepping stone is especially vital in today's economy, said Elaine Weaver of Bedford County Adult Education Program on Depot Street...

Schools try to bring quick end to bullying incidents (12/05/10)
Bullying prevention programs are offered as in-service training to teachers each year, but with so many different in-service topics and demands on educators' time, they aren't always well-attended, said Bedford County Supervisor of Elementary Education Betty Farrar...

Giving Tree winner lives up to name (11/28/10)
Students recognized two members of Shelbyville Central High School's staff during the school's annual food drive last week. Following the announcement that the students had collected more than 26,000 items to donate to the local Good Samaritan, students continued their cheers as Louise Armstrong was named one of two recipients of this year's Giving Tree Award...

Can-sas arrives: Canned food drive a success (11/28/10)
The holidays are approaching, the economy remains weak and the shelves at Good Samaritan are bare. Or they were bare -- until last week. Each year, Shelbyville Central High School's Great Canned Food Drive seems to come at a time when Good Samaritan is in great need, and this year was no exception. This year's theme, "Toto, I don't think we're in Can-sas anymore," trumped last year's totals with nearly 27,000 items delivered to Good Sam following the Nov. 19 food drive...

8-year-old bus rider injured by high school students (11/25/10)
Bedford County School Superintendent Ed Gray said on Wednesday that, although it's a necessity in small school systems to have multiple ages riding on the same school bus, "a high school child picking on an elementary child won't be tolerated." Last week, a 17-year-old Community High School senior allegedly tossed 8-year-old Jeremiah Blair across a seat, resulting in the child suffering head and neck pain and being taken to the hospital for diagnosis. ...

Time for a holiday break (11/23/10)
A variety of local offices and facilities will close for the Thanksgiving holiday. Here are some closings of broad interest: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford County Courthouse Annex and Bedford County Office Complex will close Thursday, Friday and (where applicable) Saturday...

Thomas Magnet students travel globe without leaving home (11/21/10)
One of the advantages to being in magnet school, said Tara Turner, a third-grade teacher at Thomas Magnet School, is that "There are more opportunities to stretch the kids and go beyond the curriculum." How far beyond? How does the Great Barrier Reef in Australia sound? Or a guided tour of the Great Wall of China? The Pyramids of Giza?...

Liberty repairs to be complete in December (11/19/10)
Wind damage to the roof of Liberty School won't be fully repaired until next month, according to discussion Thursday night at Bedford County Board of Education's regular monthly meeting. The roof was damaged in September and parts of it are currently covered by a tarp...

Violence, tragedy hit children hard across Bedford (11/18/10)
According to the annual Kids Count report released this month by the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, Bedford County has infant mortality twice as bad as the state average, a rate of substantiated child abuse that is nearly twice the state average and a rate of teen violent deaths that is nearly twice the state average...

Cascade play portrays nosy neighbor conundrum (11/18/10)
Do you think you have nosy neighbors? They can't possibly be as bad as the busybodies who invade the new country home of retired actress Myra Marlowe. In fact, they've gotten so bad she's had to call upon her acting skills to create a diversion -- a homicidally crazy "sister" -- to scare them away so she can write her autobiography...

Commissioners to consider vehicle use (11/17/10)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners' rules and legislative committee, meeting Tuesday night, placed a policy for use of county vehicles onto the full commission's December agenda. The policy prohibits most personal use of county vehicles but does allow emergency personnel, such as sheriff's deputies, who are on call around the clock to take their vehicles home with them and to use them for personal obligations such as dropping a child off at school...

Special flag will fly for veterans (11/09/10)
The annual Veterans Day parade, beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, will include a special ceremony in front of the Bedford County Veterans Memorial on the square. An Army Ranger who has fought twice in Afghanistan has provided a flag flown in battle which will be raised to half-staff at the memorial once the parade arrives. Bedford County Mayor Eugene Ray will read a special proclamation, and then the flag will be taken down and ceremonially folded...

Tom's on the scene (11/04/10)
When you think of Tom Sawyer, you tend to think of more innocent days, when boys could spend lazy summer days on a raft without life preservers, DCS summonses or attacks from giant, flying Asian carp. But those days, and the adventures of that fictional boy, weren't as innocent as we tend to recollect. ...

Safe haven: Troubled boys find new life at Arrowhead (10/31/10)
Almost one year ago to the day, the Arrowhead Ranch, beautifully laid out across nearly 200 acres in Normandy, was structurally ready to begin its mission of serving boys in need of a home, love, structure and stability.. ...

Donations help feed homeless county students (10/22/10)
Bedford County Schools' backpack program sends food home -- for lack of a better word -- each weekend with students who qualify as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Director of Student Services Terry Looper told Bedford County Board of Education on Monday that the program is thriving due to strong community support and a grant program from Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee...

School system budget cuts needed for teacher raises (10/19/10)
Bedford County Board of Education approved a new contract with local teachers Monday night, but the school system will have to trim $260,943 from other line items in order to be able to afford the raise promised to teachers. The proposed contract negotiated between the school system and Bedford County Education Association is still waiting ratification by the teachers who make up BCEA...

Virtual learning (10/17/10)
At 12:40 each day, physics class convenes at Central High School, taught by Linda Yockey. At about the same time, physics class convenes at Cascade High School, taught by ... Linda Yockey. At 2 p.m., algebra classes begin at both Liberty and Community middle schools, both taught by Shelli Burk...

High grades awarded to school system (10/14/10)
A site team which inspected local schools this week will recommend that Bedford County Schools be fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The site team, officially referred to as a Quality Assurance Review team, made its exit report during a special called meeting of Bedford County Board of Education on Wednesday afternoon. ...

Fall Freedom (10/07/10)
Don't expect to see the school buses out today -- fall break began for Bedford County school children and they won't be back in session until Monday. So what are they going to do on their 4-day break from reading, writing and arithmetic? Some of the second-graders in Mary Pitner's class at Learning Way Elementary School have made plans, combining the best parts of summer and fall in one long weekend...

Praying for a teammate (10/01/10)

Budget amendments OK'd by committee (10/01/10)
Bedford County Financial Management Committee approved budget amendments Tuesday night and heard a complaint from a local firm about how the county obtains its copiers. The budget amendments approved Tuesday night were largely to account for various grants received by the school system and by the county general fund...

Wreck injures 2 Cascade seniors (09/29/10)
Two Cascade High seniors were seriously injured after both were thrown from an overturning car as it veered off Fairfield Pike early Tuesday afternoon. Nicholas Lynn Hamilton and Jorge Luis Morales, both 17 and from Shelbyville, were flown from the scene to Vanderbilt Medical Center. Hamilton was expected to undergo surgery this morning, investigators said...

Senate panel discusses composition of TBR (09/28/10)
NASHVILLE (AP) - Members of the Senate Education Committee meeting to discuss the composition of the Tennessee Board of Regents and its hiring of a new chancellor say their intentions are not political or to cause embarrassment. The panel on Tuesday heard from higher education officials about the makeup of the board and its responsibility...

SCHS Homecoming Queen crowned (09/28/10)

Enrollment slightly up in schools (09/24/10)
As of Sept. 14, Bedford County Schools had an enrollment of 7,866 students and an average daily attendance of 7,521, director of student services Terry Looper reported Thursday night to Bedford County Board of Education. The enrollment represents a slight increase over the 2009-2010 school year, said School Superintendent Ed Gray. ...

Seniors win 'powder puff' contest (09/24/10)

MTSU enrollment sets a record (09/23/10)
Middle Tennessee State University is reporting a record fall enrollment of 26,430, up 1,242 from the same period in 2009. That number included 32 students registered for MTSU courses at Middle Tennessee Education Center in Shelbyville. Three more have registered at MTEC since the census date, bringing the total enrollment to 35. ...

Student test scores may shock parents (09/19/10)
Results from last spring's TCAP testing will go out to parents of school children throughout Tennessee over the next few weeks, and parents may not like what they see -- but state officials say it's not because children are falling behind this year but because the measuring stick has changed...

Fringe Festival invites Webb theater students (09/19/10)
Students from The Webb School in Bell Buckle are set to showcase their acting and theater production skills overseas next year, thanks to an invitation from the American High School Theatre Festival (AHSTF). The Webb Theatre program was recently selected to participate in the 2011 Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. ...

Caring hearts reach out to help Liberty (09/15/10)
Liberty School students and faculty mourning the loss of fifth grade teacher Stephanie Cameron, who was killed in a traffic accident Monday afternoon, had a lot of caring shoulders to lean on when they returned to class Tuesday. "We had every guidance counselor in the county here and Centerstone came out," Liberty principal Mike Novak said. "They were there for the teachers as well for the students."...

A lesson in remembrance (09/12/10)
Nine years ago Saturday, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks changed the course of America's history. Most Americans will probably never forget where they were when they heard the news of the Sept. 11 attacks, but as time goes on, a new generation will need to be reminded...

TCCA reps talk issues at region meeting (09/10/10)
HENRY HORTON STATE PARK -- County commissioners from a number of southern Middle Tennessee counties discussed education, fee offices and the state's new building code program during a regional meeting of Tennessee County Commissioners Association Thursday night...

Webb students to learn on horseback (09/07/10)
The Webb School is expanding its extracurricular offerings to include horseback riding. A pilot program initiated last spring by 1995 Webb alumna Sandi Jobe and six enthusiastic students, Webb's after-school equestrian club begins anew this month with a goal of becoming a member of the Interscholastic Equestrian Association...

New industry likes TTC's efforts (09/02/10)
A new industry, or an existing industry looking to expand, needs workers, and that's why the recruitment process often includes information about local opportunities for workforce training. When SMW Automotive announced last week that it would open in the former Summit Polymers building and bring 170 jobs to Shelbyville, the news release issued by the state specifically quoted an SMW executive praising the role played by Tennessee Technology Center and its industrial programs...

Tale of the dragon (08/29/10)
What's great, weird, sour, and squishy, and tastes like candy, apples and sushi -- all at the same time? Answer: Ummm, hello! That's easy ... it's ... like ... dragon fruit! Students at East Side Elementary became experts on the exotic fruit Thursday as part of a government grant the school receives each year to provide students with nourishment as well as an education about different types of produce...

Engineering fees gain committee's support (08/25/10)
Bedford County Financial Management Committee gave its recommendation Tuesday evening to a schedule of engineering fees which will be passed along to the developers of major subdivisions. The county is contracting with Smyrna-based Dempsey, Dilling & Associates to provide engineering services. The developer of a subdivision will still hire his or her own engineer to draw up plans, explained county commissioner and planning commission member Linda Yockey...

Booster club to build new SC fieldhouse (08/24/10)
Bedford County Board of Education, meeting on Thursday, granted Shelbyville Quarterback Club permission to raise funds for, and build, a fieldhouse at the Shelbyville Central High School football field. The project will be funded by the Quarterback Club, not the school system...

Copenhaver chosen as new Motlow provost (08/20/10)
Dr. Bonny Ball Copenhaver, a veteran community college educator and advocate, has been named provost and vice president for student affairs at Motlow College, according to Dr. MaryLou Apple, college president. The appointment became effective last month...

The games of leadership (08/15/10)
Fourteen students from four Bedford County schools recently gave up a week of their summer to attend student council camp. Yes, that's right, student council camp. Many people probably wonder what kind of activities one participates in at a student council camp...

Lots of stuff fills bus (08/13/10)
Every year around Christmas and Thanksgiving, people from this community and across the nation give to others. However, those are not the only times of the year that people are in need. That is one reason that the United Way of Bedford County organizes the "Stuff the Bus" fundraiser. This year marked the fourth annual event...

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