Shelbyville Times-Gazette: News : State government

State government

State grants $52K for airport work (02/03/12)
Tennessee Department of Transportation on Thursday announced a grant of $52,200 towards $58,000 in engineering services to study taxiway repairs at Shelbyville Municipal Airport. City government will have to furnish only 10 percent of the budget, or $5,800...

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...

Project gives Civil War items new life (01/22/12)
TULLAHOMA -- Every family has a history, and as Tennessee observes the 150th anniversary of the Civil War over the nest few years, state archivists want to take a peek at what you have. A team of experts from the Tennessee State Library and Archives were busy at Tullahoma's city hall Thursday examining and digitizing rare artifacts that have been hidden away in the private collections of local residents...

New House for Bedford (01/17/12)
State lawmakers on Friday approved redistricting plans for congressional and state legislative districts, and Gov. Bill Haslam is expected to sign the proposal. The biggest change for Bedford County is that the county moves from the 6th Congressional District, currently represented by Rep. Diane Black (R-Gallatin), to the 4th, currently represented by Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-South Pittsburg)...

Tracy will not seek US House seat (01/10/12)
State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) announced on Monday that he will not be a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives but will instead run for re-election to his state seat. This year's congressional redistricting had led to some speculation that Tracy or others might challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Scott DesJarlais for the party nomination....

Bedford may move to 4th Congressional District (01/06/12)
Bedford County would move from the 6th Congressional District to the 4th as the result of proposed redistricting plans released Friday by Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey. State Sen. Jim Tracy told The Associated Press he hasn't had time to consider whether or not to run for the U.S. House in the new district...

Legislators pleased with proposed new districts (01/06/12)
Both of Bedford County's incumbent state legislators say they're happy with their proposed new districts. Proposed district maps were announced Wednesday by the Republican majorities in each chamber of the General Assembly. They won't be official until voted on by the General Assembly, which re-convenes next week...

Local, state road officials say they're ready for winter weather (01/04/12)
Bedford County Highway Superintendent Stanley Smotherman and Shelbyville Public Works Director Mark Clanton each say their departments are in good shape as the likelihood of severe winter weather approaches. Last winter, December snow caught Shelbyville before its salt delivery had arrived, and a heavy winter season had state and local officials worried by late January that their supplies would run out...

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...

Bypass, sheriff's woes among Top 10 stories (12/29/11)
The opening of a long-awaited, long-requested bypass around Shelbyville was cause for celebration in August but soon became cause for concern. That bypass, and the legal troubles of Bedford County Sheriff Randall Boyce, are the next two entries in a countdown of the year's top local stories as determined by a poll of the Times-Gazette staff...

Tracy-sponsored immigration, drug laws in effect Jan. 1 (12/23/11)
Two laws resulting from bills sponsored by State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) will take effect Jan. 1; one relates to verifying the immigration status of employees, while the other has to do with prescription drugs at pain clinics. "Both of these new laws will have a positive impact on Tennessee," said Tracy in a news release. "The new E-Verify law has been successful in other states to help ensure that those working in Tennessee are here legally...

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...

State studies bypass safety (12/04/11)
Brian Hurst, manager of the Tennessee Department of Transportation's Safety Office, points out to State Rep. Pat Marsh, lef and Shelbyville Assistant Police Chief Mike Rogers where safety-related improvements could be made to the intersection of Fairfield Pike and the new Bypass (State Route 437). Possible solutions include rumble strips, signs on the bypass warning of upcoming intersections, flashing warning signs and other methods, with bid to be let by spring. Eight crashes have occurred at Fairfield Pike and Railroad Avenue, with one fatality and four with incapacitating injuries, TDOT said. (T-G Photo by Brian Mosely)

Locals see little 'Occupy' activity (11/30/11)
State Sen. Jim Tracy said Monday that the normal paths for state legislators into and out of Legislative Plaza don't really take them past the "Occupy Nashville" protestors who have camped out on the plaza since October. State Rep. Pat Marsh said he's had no contact with the protestors but that their camp is "a mess, and it looks terrible."...

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...

State safety study ahead for bypass (11/18/11)
The state's transportation department will conduct a safety audit of the Shelbyville bypass following concerns expressed from local officials. Shelbyville city manager Jay Johnson said he and State Sen. Jim Tracy have spoken to TDOT, and the state has agreed to conduct the audit for the bypass, also known as State Route 437...

Senators want state taxes levied online (11/16/11)
U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced last week that a bipartisan group of 10 senators, including Alexander's Tennessee colleague Bob Corker, are introducing legislation that would, if it passes, give states the option to collect sales taxes on all online purchases...

Safer bypass sought (11/08/11)
Local officials are asking for help from the state to make the new Shelbyville Bypass safer for motorists following a number of accidents, including one fatality. Last week, State Sen. Jim Tracy, who is chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, expressed his concerns to city manager Jay Johnson about the safety of intersections crossing the newly opened State Route 437...

New bypass needs immediate changes (11/06/11)
It was only a matter of time before a fatal accident occurred at one of two poorly-engineered intersections on the new Shelbyville bypass. Driver error is cited as a major factor in the Oct. 22 wreck at State Route 487's (the official designation of the bypass) intersection with Railroad Road east of Shelbyville. Regardless, this intersection and the northern end of the bypass at U.S. 231 North have already become traffic trouble spots...

Right of way marked for North Main widening project (11/04/11)
Brighly colored stakes in the ground along the east side of North Main Street show where the right-of-way is to be for widening anticipated to begin sometime during fiscal year 2013-2014. The right-of-way consists of 8 to 10 feet of property and impacts 48 tracts. A center turn lane will be added from Madison Street to north of Rolling Road at Lowe's, where an existing turn lane begins. (T-G Photo by Brian Mosely)

Airport upgrades in city's future (11/04/11)
Shelbyville's airport could be seeing a number of state transportation projects in the future to help maintain the busy facility. Two years ago, the city received notice from the state there was enough funding to resurface the taxiway at Shelbyville Municipal Airport...

Attorney censured for alleged rules violation (11/04/11)
A Bedford County attorney has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court's Board of Professional Responsibility. According to a press release from the board, Robert Lee Marlow of Shelbyville received the censure on Wednesday. A public censure is a rebuke and warning to the attorney, but it does not affect his ability to practice law...

ID law talk (11/02/11)
Fewer than a dozen citizens showed up for an informational session about Tennessee's new voter identification law, which will require voters to show a valid photo ID at the polls. The new law goes into effect on Jan. 1, according to county election commissioner Summer Leverette, standing. (T-G Photo by Brian Mosely)

County receives $50K in traffic funding (10/26/11)
Two county law enforcement agencies have received more than $50,000 in highway state grants. The Bedford County Sheriff's Department received $52,924.22 for alcohol and traffic enforcement, while the Bell Buckle Police Department took in a total of $5,005 to be used for high visibility law enforcement campaigns...

State hands more money to county (10/23/11)
State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) released figures from the Office of Legislative Budget Analysis on Tuesday showing that Bedford County will receive $80 million from the state during the current state fiscal year, which began July 1; that's up from $75 million in 2010-2011 and $68 million in 2009-2010...

Three-Star status remains (10/04/11)
Bedford County has achieved re-certification under Tennessee's Three-Star program for excellence in economic development. As a result, the county is now eligible to receive additional incentives under the guidelines of the state's Three-Star program...

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)

Voter ID law could mean longer waits (09/27/11)
A new law requiring voters to show photo ID at the polls may result in longer lines next year, according to Bedford County Administrator of Elections Summer Leverette. Several states adopted new laws last year requiring that people show a photo ID when they come to vote, even though the kind of election fraud that the laws are intended to stamp out is said to be rare. ...

Salutes to fallen firefighters ring out at academy (09/18/11)
Three times the bell rang -- a soft chime that drifted over the silent crowd at the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy late Saturday afternoon in Deason. The bell, they said, was calling two firefighters home, telling them their shift had ended, their duty was done...

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.)...

231N light design plan gains funds (09/09/11)
Shelbyville's council gave the go-ahead Thursday evening to have an engineering firm design flashing warning lights to be installed in front of Heritage Medical Center. The hospital had placed $97,780 in escrow with the city's planning office for a full-fledged traffic signal in 2007, but the Tennessee Department of Transportation told the city in May that the area did not meet the requirements for the signal...

North Main work gets council nod (09/06/11)
The widening of North Main Street will move one step closer to reality Thursday as the city council is slated to approve a set of plans for the project. Plans showing the right-of-way and construction details of the project were recently received by the city and have been placed on the agenda for the council's approval...

Attorney general says sheriff can be certified (09/02/11)
Tennessee's attorney general has ruled that Sheriff Randall Boyce has satisfied all requirements to be certified in his office, following a request from the county's financial committee to clarify his status. The sheriff has been embroiled in an ongoing dispute with the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission following his election in 2006 over the issue of whether he should have gone through basic law enforcement officer training after his election or whether his certification as an officer from the 1970s, plus attendance at a school for new sheriffs and other in-service training, was sufficient.. ...

Open meetings change urged at TCCA meeting (09/02/11)
HENRY HORTON STATE PARK -- The president of Tennessee County Commissioners Association told a TCCA regional meeting on Thursday that counties should push for changes in the Tennessee Open Meetings Act which would put local governments under the same rules as state government...

State spending cuts may affect city (08/25/11)
Federal spending cuts called for under the recent debt ceiling agreement could have an trickle-down impact on Shelbyville and its residents in the long term. Last week, Tennessee Finance Commissioner Mark Emkes told state agency heads to come up with a plan for how they would deal with losing up to 30 percent of their federal funding as a result of congressional spending cuts...

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...

Bypass opens to traffic (08/18/11)
A ribbon-cutting was held Wednesday afternoon for the new Shelbyville bypass, State Route 437, which is now open for use. "We know this is an important part of your growth in this community," said Tennessee Commissioner of Transportation John Schroer, who spoke to a crowd of attendees at the ceremony...

Letter to the Editor, Aug. 7 (08/07/11)
To The Editor: Your column, "Tax holiday is perfect time to purchase new computer" helps readers participate in the sales tax holiday and even encourages them to do so, when it should be warning them about the long term consequences of this boondoggle...

Signs of progress for the bypass (08/03/11)
About two weeks of paving are left to be done on the long-awaited State Highway 437 (Shelbyville Bypass), according to B.J. Doughty, Public Information Manager for TDOT. Doughty estimates that work may be completed by Aug. 15. She told the T-G that as large projects such as this go down to the wire, it's difficult to give the exact dates for opening. (T-G Photo by Brian Mosely)

Jobless rate up to 12 percent (07/29/11)
Unemployment is Bedford County soared to 12 percent in June, preliminary figures released Thursday by Tennessee's Department of Labor and Workforce Development stated. According to labor force estimates from the state, the county had an estimated total of 2,820 persons without a job out of a workforce of 23,550, with 20,740 employed last month...

Tracy favors 'Caylee's Law' bill in Tennessee (07/26/11)
State Sen. Jim Tracy said last week that he plans to follow legislation introduced by his colleague State Sen. Bill Ketron to adopt a so-called "Caylee's Law" in Tennessee. "I do feel like there needs to be tougher penalties for that situation, where someone doesn't turn in a disappearance on time," said Tracy...

Funding requests accepted by state (07/21/11)
A state agency is now accepting applications for transition funding from over 200 Tennessee communities that were recently left without local planning services. In late May, the state announced that it was doing away with state planning services provided under contract to local government and the city lost the service of state planner Art Brown, while Bedford County lost Bryan Collins...

Stop signs being posted on State Route 64 (07/18/11)
Stop signs are being erected today, Monday, on State Route 64 (Wartrace Pike) where it intersects the soon-to-open Shelbyville bypass, State Route 437. Portable electronic message signs are also being placed to alert motorists to the newly-posted stop signs...

Audit finds offices of drug task force, district attorney in good shape (07/17/11)
The offices of the 17th Judicial District Drug Task Force and District Attorney Charles "Chuck" Crawford got a clean bill of health from state auditors, who found no problems with their books. The Comptroller's Division of County Audit recently released the review of funds administered by the state's district attorneys general and the task forces of the state's 31 judicial districts for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2010...

Rubbermaid road project free to city (07/12/11)
The city is signing on the dotted line this week with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to begin the second phase of expanding an industrial access road serving Newell-Rubbermaid. And the best part is that Shelbyville won't have to shell out a cent of the estimated $770,400 to build it...

Voting district lines to change (07/08/11)
The population figures from last year's census are about to be used for redrawing district lines for city council members, county commissioners, school board and road board members, state legislators and U.S. congressmen. The "one person, one vote" rule, affirmed by the U.S. ...

Bypass is almost ready (07/07/11)
There should be minimal impacts to traffic as the finishing touches are being applied to the long-awaited Shelbyville bypass, according to a Tennessee Department of Transportation spokesperson. Meanwhile, work on U.S. 41A in southern Bedford County is on schedule to be finished by fall of next year...

State funding for planning cut (07/06/11)
The South Central Tennessee Development District could be providing planning services for Shelbyville and Bedford County following the elimination of state planners for small communities. In late May, the state announced that it was doing away with state planning services provided under contract to local government. Local governments paid a fee for those planning services, although it reportedly wasn't enough to cover the full cost of the service...

Tracy refugee bill attacked by rights group (07/03/11)
A bill that originated from the desk of State Sen. Jim Tracy has been signed into law that would make sure that local communities would be able to absorb refugees. But a state immigrant rights group has blasted the new measure, calling it an "unprecedented attack on refugees."...

Several new state laws go into effect (07/01/11)
It's July 1 and aside from looking forward to a three-day weekend and Independence Day festivities, there's also a number of new laws on the books for Tennessee residents to consider. Tennessee's "Move Over" law has been expanded, welfare benefits would be denied to those with felony drug convictions, and there are tougher penalties for repeat DUI offenders and those cooking up methamphetamine...

County detective behind tougher state ID theft law (06/30/11)
A new law that strengthens how Tennessee deals with identity theft takes effect Friday, and it had its start at the Bedford County Sheriff's Department. Gov. Bill Haslam recently put his signature to a bill which amends the state's current statute relating to ID theft, making sure that crooks from out of state can be nabbed for victimizing Tennessee residents...

Signs of the times (06/26/11)
Tennessee's senators have drafted legislation in an attempt to stop a federal "unfunded mandate" requiring local governments to replace road signs to provide better visibility. But Shelbyville has been replacing them since 2008 at a cost of $65,000, and the city's public works director wonders if they can recoup the funds already spent...

New law protects sheriff (06/07/11)
The issue of peace officer certification for Sheriff Randall Boyce has been rendered moot with the passage of a new law signed by Tennessee's governor -- just one day before the state Supreme Court refused to hear the sheriff's appeal on the matter...

State funds boost anti-binge drinking effort (06/07/11)
The Bedford County Anti-Drug Coalition has been awarded a $50,000 grant by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services. The grant was made in response to the anti-drug coaltion's submission of a grant proposal "to reduce binge drinking among 14-25 year olds," according to a letter confirming the grant to Luci Taylor, Bedford County project coordinator...

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...

State planners called essential to local governments (05/29/11)
The elimination of state planners for smaller communities may result in a reduction of the speed in which Shelbyville and Bedford County deal with the complicated issues involving codes and zoning. On Thursday, state planner Art Brown informed the city's planning commission that his job at the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development had been phased out...

State costs cut, legislators say (05/26/11)
State Rep. Pat Marsh says the legislative session that ended on Saturday wasn't as much fun as the previous session -- but that's OK. Marsh says that by working harder and streamlining operations, the legislature ended its session five weeks earlier than last year, which Marsh said saved the taxpayers $450,000...

'Duck pond' intersection to receive upgrades (05/17/11)
Shelbyville City Council has executed a contract with Tennessee Department of Transportation for safety improvements for the "duck pond" intersection at Fairfield Pike and Hickory Drive. TDOT will install a number of safety improvements to the intersection at Fairfield and nearby Tulip Tree Drive, including doing away with the northern fork of Hickory Drive, which runs between the two duck ponds at the site...

City may ask state for Railroad Avenue funding (05/10/11)
Shelbyville's city council may be asking the Tennessee Department of Transportation for assistance later this week in completing an industrial access highway for Newell Rubbermaid. City manager Michael Dill said that he attended a recent meeting with TDOT, Bedford Railroad Authority, State Sen. Jim Tracy and Jim Cunningham of Newell Rubbermaid at TDOT headquarters in Nashville to discuss improvements to Railroad Avenue from the plant to the new bypass scheduled for completion in July...

'Duck pond' work nears (05/06/11)
The city is one step closer to the start of work at a intersection that's been considered dangerous. Shelbyville's city council will vote next Thursday to sign a contract with Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to install a number of safety improvements to the intersection at Fairfield Pike and Tulip Tree Drive...

Bypass paving awaits sunshine (05/04/11)
A children's rhyme has become Tommy Wright's personal motto as he struggles to complete work on the Shelbyville bypass. "All I can say is, 'Rain, rain, go away,'" said Wright, whose company, Wright Paving Co., is the primary contractor on the bypass, officially State Route 437...

Wider N. Main, new 130 bridge in state's plans (04/29/11)
Shelbyville motorists will be able to say goodbye to traffic headaches after TDOT announced the widening of North Main Street is scheduled to start during fiscal year 2013-2014. TDOT released the state's three-year transportation program on Thursday, which also included the replacement of the Duck River bridge on State Route 130 (Old Tullahoma Highway) in the upcoming 2011-2012 fiscal year...

Harwell emphasizes positive approach (04/26/11)
Tennessee Speaker of the House Beth Harwell delivered an upbeat message at Bedford County Republican Party's Reagan Day Dinner on Saturday, saying that Republicans should model themselves after Ronald Reagan, speaking not with anger or bitterness but with confidence...

Planning layoffs may hit area hard (04/22/11)
Layoffs at the state Department of Economic and Community Development will affect Bedford County's ability to study the impact of proposed subdivisions and other developments, according to Bedford County director of planning and zoning Chris White. Gov. Bill Haslam announced Wednesday that 60 employees would be laid off at ECD as part of an overhaul of the agency's mission...

Voters raise glasses to wine in groceries (04/15/11)
Almost three-quarters of participants -- 73 percent -- in a non-scientific Times-Gazette poll favor the proposal to sell wine in grocery stores, although a state House committee appears to have killed the measure for this year. The measure sponsored by Republican Rep. Jon Lundberg of Bristol failed in the House State and Local Government Subcommittee when the panel voted to delay the measure until 2012...

McWherter carved time for sculptor (04/05/11)
"They'll have to have a big church to hold all the folks who will want to be attending," said Bell Buckle sculptor Russ Faxon of former Gov. Ned McWherter's funeral. Faxon was the artist commissioned to do a larger-than-life statue of McWherter, who died Monday at age 80. Throughout the year he worked on the statue, Faxon had several meetings with McWherter and came to know him well...

Ned McWherter dead at 80 (04/04/11)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Ned McWherter, a one-time factory worker who became a millionaire businessman, speaker of the state House and then a two-term Democratic governor, has died at the age 80.

Traffic camera bill approved by committee (04/03/11)
The Senate Transportation Committee has approved legislation sponsored by its chairman, State Sen. Jim Tracy of Shelbyville, to provide statewide guidelines to govern the use of unmanned traffic cameras. The proposal comes after much legislative debate on the matter during the 2009 and 2010 legislative sessions...

State backs slower 231 (03/20/11)
The state has given Shelbyville approval to lower the speed limit on a section of U.S. 231 North, but the city is still awaiting word about a traffic light at Heritage Medical Center. According to a letter from the Tennessee Department of Transportation, they have performed a speed limit study in the area of 231 and Airport Business Park Drive, and are recommending that it be lowered to 55 mph through a nearly four-mile section of road that includes Shelbyville Municipal Airport and Heritage Medical Center.. ...

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...

Redistricting process will begin soon (03/15/11)
Bedford County Administrator of Elections Summer Leverette expects to receive the Census results next month which the county will need to begin the process of drawing new county commission districts. Leverette discussed the redistricting process during her quarterly report at this month's county commission meeting...

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...

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...

Governor visits hard-hit area (03/03/11)
FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Gov. Bill Haslam got a first-hand look at the damage done by an EF-2 tornado that ripped through a rural area south of Tullahoma, killing an elderly man. Haslam spent some private time speaking with the family of 78-year-old Melvin Hambrick, who died of injuries he sustained when the trailer he lived in was struck by the twister, which packed winds of up to 120 mph...

Heavy load of bills on Tracy's plate (02/22/11)
Evaluating refugee resettlement, training requirements for sheriffs, and drug testing those taking government benefits is just a small sample of proposed bills introduced this year by State Sen. Jim Tracy. With the 107th General Assembly now in session, over 2,000 pieces of legislation have been filed so far after last Thursday's deadline expired for bills to be introduced...

THP to conduct license checkpoint (02/20/11)
The Tennessee Highway Patrol will be conducting a driver's license checkpoint the week of Feb. 20 on State Route 64 in Bedford County. Recognizing the danger presented to the public by drivers who are under the influence and unqualified drivers, troopers will concentrate their efforts on vehicles being operated by drivers who violate the driver's license laws of Tennessee...

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."...

Boyce ruling overturned (02/13/11)
The Tennessee Court of Appeals has overturned a 2009 chancellor's ruling that reinstated Bedford County Sheriff Randall Boyce to peace officer certification, which allowed him to run for reelection last year. But the sheriff said he will appeal the ruling, saying the matter was "new legal ground."...

Bypass work on schedule despite snow (02/04/11)
Winter weather is expected to slow down road construction projects, and that's accounted for when a project is scheduled. That's why the unusually-snowy winter of 2010-2011 hasn't yet put work on the Shelbyville bypass behind schedule, said Tommy Wright of Fayetteville-based Wright Paving Co., the primary contractor on the bypass...

TennCare may cut hospice counseling (02/04/11)
NASHVILLE -- Counseling services to hospice patients and their families that are now provided by the state's expanded Medicaid program could be eliminated under potential TennCare cuts, state officials said in budget hearings with Republican Gov. Bill Haslam on Thursday...

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...

Notaries may be allowed to conduct marriages (01/28/11)
A bill introduced by State Sen. Jim Tracy would, if approved by the General Assembly and signed by the governor, give notaries public the authority to conduct marriage ceremonies. "It came from a constituent," Tracy told the Times-Gazette last week. Tracy said the constituent had been asking for some time for Tracy to introduce it...

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...

Illegals, drunks will feel new laws (01/04/11)
Bedford County is ready to enforce a couple of new laws on the books this year, including one impacting those who can't prove they are in the country legally. But the sheriff wonders how the feds are going to be able to keep up with all the people who will get reported under the new law...

Report lists county's needs (12/30/10)
Bedford County has been ranked as the 9th fastest growing county in Tennessee, according to a new report that says the county also has some $190 million in infrastructure needs. The report was released Tuesday by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations and was based on information provided by state and local officials...

Bypass paving continues (12/30/10)

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...

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...

New map marks sex offenders' homes (12/16/10)
There are 56 sex offenders living in Bedford County, and a new web site from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations lets you check out who they are and where they live. The web site can be found at http://tnmap.state.tn.us/sor/. You can search by location, offender's name, or just use the interactive map to zoom in. By clicking on the blue dots, complete information on an offender, including a photo, address and the type of offense the person was convicted of will appear...

Senators keep eye on traffic cameras (12/10/10)
State Sen. Jim Tracy says he's not sure whether any legislation will result from a study committee on the topic of traffic enforcement cameras, but it's proving to be "an interesting discussion." Tracy chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, which decided last spring to study the concept of traffic cameras, which are being implemented by several communities across the state, including Murfreesboro, Chattanooga and Knoxville...

City considers historic markers as Civil War's 150th approaches (12/03/10)
Shelbyville's city council will consider applying for a grant next week to place historic markers in town for the upcoming 150th anniversary of the Civil War. City manager Michael Dill told the council that there is going to be a lot of tourism in Tennessee over the next several years due to the sesquicentennial of the conflict, and Shelbyville needs to participate...

Judge reprimanded by state (12/02/10)
One of the county's Circuit Court judges has been reprimanded by the Tennessee Court of the Judiciary for delaying an opinion on a case for nearly 11 years. Judge F. Lee Russell received an public reprimand from the Court of the Judiciary on Monday for his handling of a complaint for damages that had been filed by David Reha against Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Co. in Marshall County Chancery Court...

Heat leads to disaster declaration (11/30/10)
Gov. Phil Bredesen is requesting additional federal disaster assistance for farmers in Bedford and 27 other Tennessee counties as a result of drought and excessive heat during the growing season. University of Tennessee Extension agent John Teague said Bedford County farmers were hit hard by the summer heat and lack of rainfall...

Tax fee change is taxing (11/11/10)
The change earlier this year from local to state collection of business taxes hasn't worked out particularly well for two county offices, according to quarterly reports at Tuesday night's meeting of Bedford County Board of Commissioners. On Jan. 1 of this year, the state took over collection of business taxes and renewal of business licenses, which had previously been managed by local city and county governments. ...

State plans N. Main land buys (11/07/10)
Shelbyville's city council will vote Tuesday on whether to give the OK to the final step in widening North Main Street -- namely right-of-way acquisition for the project. But according to a state spokesperson, the project is not yet funded for construction...

Attorney suspended over missing phrase (11/05/10)
A Bedford County attorney and former state legislator has been suspended from the practice of law for 60 days. Clarence W. Phillips was suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 26, according to an informational release by the Board of Professional Responsibility...

Marsh rides GOP wave to re-election; Gallagher, Stephenson, Cunningham lose to challengers (11/03/10)
State Rep. Pat Marsh, Shelbyville Mayor Wallace Cartwright and Normandy Mayor Larry Nee were handily re-elected Tuesday, but Wartrace Mayor Don Gallagher lost to challenger Ron Stacy, and Shelbyville city council members Al Stephenson and Lee Roy Cunningham lost to challengers as well...

Nearly 4,000 vote early (10/29/10)
A total of 3,992 Bedford County citizens participated in the early voting period for Tuesday's general election, according to deputy administrator of elections Andrew Robertson. Robertson said the turnout was only slightly lower than what the office had been expecting and that it indicates a "decently-large" turnout on election day...

Fairfield Pike open (10/27/10)
Law enforcement scanner traffic this morning indicated that Fairfield Pike has, as projected, re-opened to through traffic. The road had been closed for months at its intersection with the new Shelbyville bypass, which is still under construction.

Go! Fairfield Pike to reopen this week (10/24/10)
The section of Fairfield Pike closed since November 2009 due to bypass construction should reopen later this week, according to Tommy Wright of Wright Paving Co., the primary contractor on the bypass. When Fairfield Pike re-opens, its intersection with the bypass will have stop signs, even though there's no cross traffic yet. That's so that drivers on Fairfield Pike can get used to stopping at the intersection, said Wright...

41A resurfacing continues; traffic affected (10/22/10)

City given $450K for sewer work (10/21/10)
A Community Development Block Grant of $450,000 has been approved to help with the rehabilitation of the city's sewer system. The awarding of the grant was announced Wednesday afternoon by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development...

Voting starts strongly (10/20/10)
A total of 1,432 votes were cast in the first week of early voting for the Nov. 2 general election, which began Oct. 13. "It's more than we expected," said deputy administrator of elections Andrew Robertson this morning. "We kind of expected it to be slow for a November election, but we've been surprised."...

Standing tall: Local sculptor crafts McWherter statue (10/19/10)
Former Gov. Ned McWherter, we'd like you to meet ... Gov. Ned McWherter. The former governor of Tennessee, 46th to hold that title, serving from 1987 to 1995, made his presence known on the courthouse lawn of his hometown Dresden Friday morning. The occasion was twofold -- his 80th birthday was being celebrated, as well as the installation of his 7-foot tall bronze doppelganger -- a beautiful statue in his image created by Bell Buckle's own Russell Faxon...

Early voting period begins Wednesday (10/12/10)
Early voting will begin Wednesday for the Nov. 2 general election, including the race for Tennessee governor, an amendment to the Tennessee constitution to protect the right to hunt and fish, and other state and local contests. Early voting will run Oct. 13-28 in the basement of the county courthouse. Hours are 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Mondays, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and 9 a.m. until noon on Saturdays...

A birthday celebration (10/10/10)
True to form, Bedford County's University of Tennessee Extension Office went all out last Tuesday evening -- for a very good reason. "This is something special," said Whitney Danhof, extension agent, explaining the festivities were not something held annually. "This is a one-time thing. Every county across the state is doing something special today to celebrate our history."...

Expect delays as overpass work continues (10/06/10)

New park to enhance Purdy Court (10/01/10)
Shelbyville will be getting a new one-acre park after the city's recreation department received a $10,000 matching state grant for playground equipment at Purdy Court. And an invitation is going out to community groups to help get the project completed and looking good...

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...

Star of the state: Rec center honored (09/28/10)
The city's recreation center has won two Four Star Awards from the Tennessee Parks and Recreation Association for its exercise program for the younger set and for being a little spooky. Shelbyville's "Healthy Beginnings" Initiative, an exercise program for toddlers, and Goblin's Groove Dance and Haunted Woods both were recognized with Four Star Awards...

231 traffic study approved (09/23/10)
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) told the city Wednesday they will conduct a traffic study at the intersection of U.S. 231 North and Airport Business Park Drive. Two weeks ago, Shelbyville's city council voted to lower the speed limit on U.S. 231 to 45 mph near Heritage Medical Center so a traffic signal can be installed if the state chooses to do so...

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. ...

Lower 231 limit awaits state's okay (09/14/10)
The city is awaiting advice from the state before posting the new 45 mph speed limit on U.S. 231 North, Shelbyville officials say. Shelbyville had initially planned to erect the new signs on Monday, after the council voted last Thursday to lower the speed on the highway inside the city limits to 45 mph between Harts Chapel Road and Frank Martin Road...

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...

Bypass work continues (09/08/10)

Communications Center recipient of $12K grant (09/03/10)
Bedford County Communications Center has received a $12,000 training grant from Tennessee Emergency Communications Board. Com center director Cathey Mathis said she's delighted by the grant, which followed a similar but slightly smaller grant last year...

McWherter, Black visit TWHNC (08/29/10)
Gubernatorial candidate Mike McWherter and U.S. House candidate Diane Black visited the Celebration on Friday, eager for the chance to greet potential voters. McWherter is a past visitor to the Celebration whose cousin once exhibited here. Black, a state senator from Gallatin, made her first Celebration visit on Friday...

UPDATED: Horses aren't the only competitors at show (08/27/10)
It's Celebration season, and it's also election season, which means candidates for governor and the 6th District House seat will be making the pilgrimage to Shelbyville. Businessman Mike McWherter, the Democratic nominee for governor, plans to be at the show tonight, while Republican nominee and Knoxville mayor Bill Haslam will be at the show on Sept. 4, the night of the World Grand Championship...

County cash shortage, recovery shown online (08/18/10)
The public now has online access to information having to do with cash shortages and thefts which appear in financial reports for all of Tennessee's 95 counties. But while Bedford County does appear in the report, the culprit has already been caught, sent to prison and the county reimbursed by its insurance company...

Tracy, Ketron dislike Regents appointment (08/13/10)
State Senators Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro) and Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) said Thursday they have asked Senate Education Chairman Dolores Gresham (R-Somerville) to schedule a meeting of the Senate Education Committee "as soon as practicable" to hear testimony regarding the appointments of members to Tennessee Board of Regents...

Few changes made to final election results (08/13/10)
Bedford County Election Commission met Thursday evening to certify the local results of the Aug. 5 general and primary elections, making only minor changes to the totals announced on election night. No outcomes were changed in contested races. In the Republican primary, gubernatorial candidate Ron Ramsey's local total rose from 1,503 to 1,504, while congressional candidate Jim Tracy's total rose from 3,061 to 3,062...

Tracy concedes (08/10/10)
State Sen. Jim Tracy issued a concession statement this afternoon in the tight three-way Republican primary battle for the 6th District U.S. House race, although he left open the possibility that he would "reassess the situation" if irregularities came to light. "We've had a tough primary battle," stated Tracy in a news release, "but it is now time to look ahead to November and I encourage all the candidates to get behind our Republican nominee for Congress in the 6th District, Senator Diane Black." ...

Haslam, Tracy, Leming, Marsh, Hunt carry Bedford County in primaries (08/06/10)
Bedford County voters joined their counterparts statewide in choosing Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam as the Republican nominee for governor and giving complimentary votes to Mike McWherter, son of former Gov. Ned McWherter, as the unopposed candidate for the Democratic nomination. Haslam and McWherter will face each other, and a handful of independent candidates, in November....

Haslam brings Pearl for visit (08/04/10)
About 100 supporters packed Shelbyville's Parkway Cafeteria Tuesday to meet GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Haslam -- but to also meet and get an autograph from UT men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl. With only two days before the Thursday primary, Haslam arrived at the popular dining spot in a colorful campaign bus to sell his message...

Courthouse gets new energy with $100K state grant (07/04/10)
The state announced Thursday that Bedford County will receive nearly $100,000 in grant funds to improve energy efficiency at the county courthouse. Gov. Phil Bredesen and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber announced a total of $3.8 million in grants to 42 communities statewide; an additional $9.2 million had been awarded a few months earlier. ...

Primary, general elections have different purposes (07/04/10)
Some voters who have spoken with the Times-Gazette are unclear about the difference between the primary and general elections which will both take place on the same day in August. Here is a brief explanation: In the general election, you are helping to make the final decision about who will take office. In the primary election, you are helping to choose your party's nominee to run in the November general election for state and federal offices...

41A widening project begins (06/29/10)

Bypass work resumes (06/25/10)

Registration ends July 6 for election (06/24/10)
July 6 is the last day for new or purged voters to register and be eligible to participate in the Aug. 5 primary and general elections. Early voting will begin July 16 and continue through July 31. Voters may register in the county election office in the basement of the courthouse, or at any of these other locations:...

Candidate spends day on the 'job' (06/18/10)
"I'm pretty good at this!" That was the declaration made by Mike McWherter, the unopposed Democratic candidate for governor, as he loaded a massive dishwasher Thursday at Parkway Diner. "We used to have one just like this in the governor's mansion -- and I had to use it, too!"...

GOP candidates argue over immigration bill (06/11/10)
On Wednesday, the Tennessee Senate and House approved a bill which requires jails in Tennessee to send information to federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding prisoners who don't have documentation that they are in the U.S. legally. State Sen. ...

English bill move upsets advocates (06/04/10)
NASHVILLE -- Last minute changes to a bill addressing when employers can require their workers to speak English has upset an influential immigrant advocacy group that agreed not to oppose the measure. The bill adopted on Thursday was stripped of language that clarified when workers can and cannot be compelled to speak English. That was replaced with a brief paragraph stating that English-only policies are not discriminatory where there are legitimate business reasons for them...

Bredesen pleased with state budget (06/04/10)
NASHVILLE -- Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen said he's largely pleased with the latest form of the budget plan that passed the Senate Thursday night. Members approved the plan 30-3. The House was expected to take it up today. The proposal is a compromise that legislative leaders from both chambers said they worked out earlier this week. The dissenting Senate votes were from Republicans Jim Tracy of Shelbyville, Dewayne Bunch of Cleveland and Mae Beavers of Mt. Juliet...

State budget up for vote (06/03/10)
NASHVILLE -- Both chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly were poised to vote on the state's annual spending plan following a breakthrough in negotiations. The Senate was scheduled to vote on the budget plan this morning and the House Finance Committee voted late Wednesday to advance the plan to the floor...

Wider road may lead to new jobs (05/07/10)
State Sen. Jim Tracy and State Rep. Pat Marsh on Thursday announced that Tennessee Department of Transportation has agreed to fund the first phase of improvements to Railroad Avenue in front of the Newell Rubbermaid packaging and distribution center, which officials say will improve safety at the site and is a first step towards any future expansion of the facility...

TTCS to offer free Microsoft training (04/29/10)
Gov. Phil Bredesen announced a program on Wednesday which will provide free training on Microsoft software to people across the state, including courses at Tennessee Technology Center at Shelbyville. Vouchers will also be available for those who have learned the software to be tested and certified...

County's bond rating improves (04/28/10)
Bedford County's bond rating from Moody's Investor Services has been upgraded two steps, from A2 to Aa3, reflecting a re-calibration by bond rating agencies. The change was discussed Tuesday night by the county's Financial Management Committee. The state's bond rating has been improved one step, from AA+ to AAA...

Shelbyville lights up over energy grant (04/22/10)
Shelbyville has received a $100,000 grant that will go toward lighting retrofits at the city's recreation center, as well as street light and traffic signal replacement. An announcement by Gov. Phil Bredesen and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber stated that more than $9.2 million in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants was being awarded to 100 Tennessee cities and counties...

Compromise reached on traffic cams (04/20/10)
NASHVILLE -- If he had his way, state Sen. Tim Burchett would get rid of every traffic camera in Tennessee. "I'd like to just put them out of business," the Knoxville Republican said. Burchett is the Senate sponsor of legislation that would place greater restrictions on the process by which traffic cameras photograph motorists and send them tickets if they speed or run red lights. A less stringent compromise bill is moving in the House...

AG: 'Jesus is Lord' plate likely unconstitutional (04/20/10)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- The state's attorney general says a proposal to create a specialty license plate in Tennessee that says "Jesus is Lord" is probably unconstitutional. The bill would require fees collected from the sale of the plates be used to further the mission of a nonprofit, nonreligious organization, such as the Children's Advocacy Center...

Bredesen: Tax hike protects state pay (04/16/10)
NASHVILLE -- Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen said Thursday that lifting Tennessee's sales tax cap to plug an $80 million budget gap would avoid a pay cut for all state employees. Bredesen told reporters after a speech to educators that the alternative to lifting the cap would be to require a 5 percent salary decrease for all state workers...

Bypass work will restart this month (04/14/10)
Tennessee Department of Transportation says work should resume on the Shelbyville bypass April 26 following the replacement of a grading subcontractor. B.J. Doughty of TDOT said the change should not have any impact on the bypass's planned completion date next year...

Crowd seeks U.S., state House seats (04/09/10)
No fewer than 19 people -- seven Republicans, seven Democrats and five independents -- have filed to succeed U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon in the Sixth District House seat. Gordon, a Democrat from Murfreesboro, is not seeking re-election. He is the longest-serving member of Tennessee's Congressional delegation...

Winton announces entry into state House race (04/07/10)
Mike Winton has announced his candidacy for the 62nd District state House of Representatives in the Aug. 5 Democratic primary. Winton, a native Tennesseean, is a 19-year resident of Bedford County. He identifies himself as a conservative Democrat. Winton and his wife, Vicki, started a small company from their home several years ago and now manage projects in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. ...

'Race to Top' could cost county (04/06/10)
The $1.69 million that Bedford County schools will receive under the "Race To The Top" grant program over the next four years will be tied to specific programs, said School Superintendent Ed Gray, and could require the county to commit to funding those programs on its own once the four-year grant period has ended...

Haslam says state must be run like a business (03/30/10)
Knoxville mayor and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Haslam brought his campaign to Shelbyville on Monday with a meet-and-greet at Calsonic Arena on the Celebration grounds which included an opportunity for Haslam and his wife Crissy to ride Tennessee walking horses...

County students gain funding for online learning (03/30/10)
Tennessee Commissioner of Education Timothy Webb on Friday announced Title IID Education Technology grants to Bedford County and 59 other school districts across the state, using stimulus funds to expand the state's e4TN online learning initiative. School system technology coordinator Joan Gray said this funding will be in addition to the online learning funds Bedford County has been getting through e4TN for the past five years...

Bredesen, state lawmakers celebrate 'Race to Top' (03/30/10)
NASHVILLE -- Gov. Phil Bredesen said Monday that Tennessee's success in securing $500 million in the national competition for federal "Race to the Top" education money shows that politics wasn't a factor in the decision. Bredesen noted that Tennessee is not a swing state politically and that "yours truly" had been a frequent critic of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul...

House GOP leader Mumpower to retire (03/26/10)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Tennessee House Majority Leader Jason Mumpower, who lost last year's election for speaker in a shocking upset, announced Thursday he won't seek re-election. The 36-year-old Republican was first elected to the seat representing part of Sullivan County and all of Johnson County in 1996...

Governor 'not wringing hands' on health care bill (03/23/10)
NASHVILLE -- Gov. Phil Bredesen said Monday that while he opposed President Barack Obama's health care plan over the projected $1.1 billion cost to Tennessee, he stands ready to prepare the state for the Medicaid expansion that the measure envisions...

Emergency communications exercise held at fire academy (03/11/10)
Emergency communications units from local, state and federal agencies operating in Middle Tennessee gathered this week at the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy for an exercise designed to improve inter-agency communications in the case of a major disaster or other emergency...

Bypass subcontractor to be replaced (03/09/10)
A grading subcontractor on the Shelbyville bypass, State Route 437, has gone out of business, but a new contractor should be lined up soon and state transportation officials say the change will have no impact on the completion date for the bypass. Callers to the Times-Gazette reported that work on the bypass, which connects U.S. ...

Wartrace liquor awaits signature of governor (03/04/10)
Gov. Phil Bredesen's signature is the last thing standing between liquor by the drink and the Walking Horse Hotel. Well, that, and a half a dozen other things, such as permits, time and money. The special exception to serve liquor by the drink requested by the Town of Wartrace has passed both House and Senate votes, said the owner, Joe Peters, who said the governor's signature is the only step left on that end of the deal...

Late firefighter trained many local volunteers (03/04/10)
Local firefighters say that Lewis H. Baker, 81, of Murfreesboro, who died Sunday, was instrumental in fire service training, including many of Bedford County's volunteers. Bedford County Fire Chief Mark Thomas said that Baker had been one of three men hired by the state in the late 1950s -- one for each Grand Division -- to train firefighters...

Legislators take shots (03/03/10)
Several Tennessee legislators faced bitter cold -- and some criticism -- to visit the shooting range at Arnold Air Force base Tuesday afternoon. The visit, an annual event coordinated by Rep. Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma), gives the lawmakers a chance to see the purpose of the range and hear about its implications, as well as tour and learn more about the University of Tennessee Space Institute. They get to try out some the weapons, shooting at targets in the field, or in the simulator...

Democratic gubernatorial hopeful visits Shelbyville square (03/03/10)
Gubernatorial candidate Kim McMillan brought her campaign to Shelbyville on Tuesday, stopping at the county courthouse and at a business on the square to meet and greet potential voters. McMillan, a Democrat from Clarksville, is a former state house majority leader and a former senior advisor to Gov. ...

County can't immediately send felons to state (03/02/10)
Bedford County Sheriff Randall Boyce said Monday that the county is at the mercy of the state when transferring felons to the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC), despite what a county commissioner and an attorney general's opinion have indicated...

Just a drill: Hazardous materials response tested (02/24/10)
It was just practice ... and that's a good thing. Because had the men in the weird looking suits with the fancy equipment been here for real, it would mean that Shelbyville had suffered either a chemical or biological incident. Four members of the Air Force National Guard and 18 members of the Army National Guard were using Calsonic Arena for a training exercise on Tuesday to prepare for exactly that type of nightmare...

Marsh asks full term as state representative (02/21/10)
State Rep. Pat Marsh has announced his candidacy for re-election to his 62nd District state House of Representatives seat in the Aug. 5 Republican primary. Marsh was elected to the seat in a special election last year following the resignation of State Rep. Curt Cobb. Marsh serves on the House Commerce Committee and the House Transporation Committee...

A college town now: MTEC holds ribbon-cutting, open house (02/19/10)
Middle Tennessee Education Center, a joint venture of Middle Tennessee State University and Motlow State Community College, held an open house and ribbon-cutting Thursday morning, and MTSU President Dr. Sidney McPhee announced two full degree programs which MTSU will offer at the facility...

TennCare cuts could hit hospitals (02/09/10)
Gov. Phil Bredesen's proposed cuts to the state's expanded Medicaid program would cost state hospitals hundreds of millions of dollars and may force some of them to shut down, health care officials say. TennCare is the name for Tennessee's program using federal Medicaid dollars....

Bredesen: Use reserves to take edge off cuts (02/02/10)
NASHVILLE -- Gov. Phil Bredesen said Monday night that he plans to use the state's reserves to spare some state jobs and key services but he stressed that painful cuts will be unavoidable and hundreds of state employees may be laid off. The Democratic governor detailed his plans during his eighth and final State of the State address...

Bypass work blocks roads (01/24/10)
Progress is continuing on the Shelbyville bypass, State Route 437, but a spokesperson from Tennessee Department of Transportation says that a second road closure is planned. TDOT Community Relations Officer B.J. Doughty told the Times-Gazette that Fairfield Pike will remain closed for the next few months as material hauling along that route continues...

Falling tax revenues impact Shelbyville (01/21/10)
City departments are continuing to keep expenses down, but a continuing drop in revenue is also still plaguing Shelbyville, according to the city's treasurer. Gary Cantrell says that while it is nice to be able to go to a large retailer that is not crowded, Shelbyville needs to keep parking lots full to keep tax dollars flowing...

Lawmakers take up higher ed proposal (01/19/10)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Lawmakers and education officials say Gov. Phil Bredesen's proposed changes in higher education will benefit the state longterm despite challenges to some colleges and universities. The changes are part of a special session the governor called to also make changes in K-12 education policy, which he said was needed to strengthen the state's application for $485 million worth of federal "Race to the Top" money. Lawmakers approved those changes last week before the Jan. 19 deadline...

Deason signal gains support (01/13/10)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to endorse the idea of placing a traffic signal at the intersection of U.S. 231 and State Route 82, the site of a fatal traffic accident last month. State officials say only that they will study the situation by reviewing the past three years of accident reports and are committed to making the intersection safer...

Census counts, officials say; funding is based on numbers (01/07/10)
Each person who lives in a community results in costs to local government -- perhaps for schools, roads, police protection, street lights, fire protection, administration. It costs more to run a government for a community of 100,000 than it does for a community of 10,000...

Inspection scores rise for local restaurants (01/05/10)
Follow-up health inspections for four Shelbyville restaurants shows improvement, according to the man who does the checking. Last week, the Times-Gazette published health inspection scores for Bedford County eatries, some of which had been graded only days ago...

County's eateries score well in state exams (12/31/09)
State health inspectors have been busy during the last month of the year in Bedford County checking restaurants and as a result, only four eating establishments were given a score below an "80." Tennessee's Department of Health is responsible for regulation of food service establishments and the law requires that restaurants have an unannounced inspection at least once every six months to determine if they are in compliance...

CORRECTED: State won't identify alleged business tax violators (12/22/09)
Although state officials say they've already identified thousands of businesses which don't appear to be paying business tax, they won't give a county-by-county breakdown of potential offenders or release any individual offender names. The state is in the process of taking over business tax collection from local governments, and the state's argument for doing so is that by cross-checking various types of tax records, particularly sales tax records, the state can identify businesses which should be paying business tax but aren't.. ...

Warning lights ahead for 231 North (12/22/09)
Flashing warning lights will be posted at the intersection of U.S. 231 North and State Route 82 (Webb Road), State Sen. Jim Tracy announced on Monday. The intersection was the site of a traffic accident on Friday which killed a Cascade High School senior, but Tracy said he'd been talking to state officials about the intersection long prior to the accident. He said that the lights have now been ordered, and that the timing of the project was not related to the accident...

County nets over $28M in stimulus funding (12/15/09)
As of Sept. 30, Bedford County had received nearly $28.4 million in federal stimulus funds, according to figures compiled by the investigative journalism web site ProPublica. ProPublica's figures don't count nearly $3.2 million in stimulus funds given to the local school system, as reported by the official recovery.gov web site...

McWherter pays campaign visit (11/22/09)
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike McWherter, the son of former Gov. Ned McWherter, visited Shelbyville on Friday, saying his experience as a businessman makes him a good choice to manage the state. "I am a small businessman," he said. "Small business is the backbone of the economy of this state."...

Fire Academy holds graduation (11/22/09)
Pete Souphom of Shelbyville Fire Department was one of 22 graduates of the 22nd graduating class at Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy on Friday. The academy, operated by Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, is located on Unionville-Deason Road...

Tracy may challenge Gordon (11/19/09)
State Rep. Jim Tracy of Shelbyville told the Times-Gazette on Wednesday he has been "humbled and honored" at the number of people locally and in Washington who have urged him to run for the Sixth District U.S. House seat in 2010. Tracy said Wednesday he is exploring his options but has no timetable yet for making or announcing a decision about running...

Marsh: Nashville office up and running (11/19/09)
NASHVILLE -- State Rep. Pat Marsh has now settled into an office in Nashville, and has hired staff to handle constituent services. Marsh was sworn into office last month after winning the District 62 special election in early October. "I have now been assigned an office, phone number, and E-mail address. ...

Fairfield Pike closed until summer (11/18/09)
Fairfield Pike will not reopen to through traffic until late summer of next year, according to the project supervisor for the Shelbyville Bypass. While many local motorists use the road to travel to Cascade School, Bell Buckle and other parts of the county, they will have to find another way to their destination, according to Melissa Cannon, Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) project supervisor for the State Route 437 project...

Detour required for bypass work (11/12/09)

Wartrace liquor proposal sent to state legislature (11/11/09)
Whether or not customers at the Walking Horse Hotel in Wartrace can be served liquor by the drink is now up to the state legislature. The town's Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 3-2 Tuesday night in favor of petitioning the state for a special exception...

Cobb completes state leadership program (11/08/09)
Bedford County Clerk and Master Curt Cobb is one of 16 local government leaders who successfully completed the 17th annual Local Government Leadership Program last month at the Jimmy Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership, part of the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service...

County schools earn Cs and Ds (11/04/09)
Tennessee Department of Education released the annual report cards Tuesday for schools, school systems and the state as a whole, although state officials say a recalibration of the guidelines makes it impossible to compare this year's letter grades with previous years. The letter grades apply to schools with students in fourth through eighth grades and are meant to describe the success of a school or school system in providing value added....

Bredesen says state layoffs are likely (11/04/09)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Tennessee's budget woes will likely make layoffs of state employees unavoidable, Gov. Phil Bredesen said Tuesday. "This will be my toughest budget year," said the Democratic governor whose term ends in January 2011. "I hate to go out that way, but that's the way it is."...

Pat Marsh sworn in to state House (10/27/09)
Pat Marsh was sworn in Monday as 62nd District state representative and was appointed to the House commerce and transportation committees, giving the Republican party majorities on both. Marsh is a co-founder of Big G Express, a Shelbyville-based trucking company...

'A whole new world' as Marsh awaits swearing-in ceremony (10/25/09)
Pat Marsh, who will be sworn in Monday morning as 62nd District State Representative, visited the State Capitol on Thursday to turn in some paperwork and take a tour. "I'm excited," said Marsh about the swearing-in ceremony. "It's a huge event." He said he expects about 30 family members and friends to attend the 10 a.m. ...

Local agencies get highway safety grants (10/16/09)
Three Bedford County agencies have been awarded highway safety grants totaling $60,260, state officials announced this week. Agencies receiving the grants are: Funding for the Governor's Highway Safety Office grants were provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Sen. Jim Tracy worked to secure these funds for Bedford County...

State Democratic leader undeterred by 62nd District loss (10/15/09)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Democratic House candidate Ty Cobb had an abundance of campaign cash, a coveted endorsement from a prominent anti-abortion rights organization and a family history that includes his father and brother perviously holding the seat he sought. He still lost by 15 percentage points...

Marsh wins 62nd District House seat (10/14/09)
Republican nominee Pat Marsh won the special election Tuesday to fill the vacant 62nd District seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives. Marsh, with an unofficial total of 4,931 votes district-wide (56 percent), defeated Democratic nominee Ty Cobb, with 3,663 votes (41 percent), and Constitution Party candidate Chris Brown, with 255 (3 percent). In Bedford County, it was Marsh with 3,215 votes to Cobb with 2,508 votes and Brown with 183....

Polls remain open until 7 p.m. in special election (10/13/09)
Polls remain open until 7 p.m. today at normal precinct locations for the special election to fill the 62nd District state House seat. The seat became vacant when Democratic incumbent Curt Cobb resigned June 30 to accept a position as Bedford County Clerk and Master. The district includes all of Bedford County, half of Lincoln County and the Eagleville area of Rutherford County...

House candidates can't agree on debate (10/09/09)
With less than a week to go before electing a new representative for the 62nd District, the three candidates have yet to meet in debate at the same time. Despite efforts from several sources, from Webb School to the Times-Gazette, no date was ever approved and agreed upon together by Chris Brown, running as an independent but with the Constitution Party's endorsement, Democrat Ty Cobb or Republican Pat Marsh. ...

Pledge becomes issue at Webb candidate forum (10/08/09)
Webb School's Town Hall meeting, a debate featuring two of the three candidates for the 62nd district seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives, almost became a debate featuring one of the candidates. Democratic candidate Ty Cobb was already a no-show, and when moderator Hannah Little introduced the candidates, Republican Pat Marsh first, then Chris Brown, Brown addressed the crowd...

WEB EXTRA: Early voting ends tomorrow (10/07/09)
Early voting in the 62nd District State House race ends on Thursday. Election day is Oct. 13. As of 10:30 this morning, 2,190 voters had cast early or absentee ballots, according to deputy administrator of elections Andrew Robertson. Two of the three candidates -- Republican nominee Pat Marsh and Chris Brown, endorsed by the Constitution Party -- participated in a candidate forum Tuesday night at The Webb School in Bell Buckle. ...

Bredesen makes second visit on behalf of Cobb (10/06/09)
Gov. Phil Bredesen made his second Shelbyville appearance on behalf of 62nd District state representative candidate Ty Cobb on Saturday, at a fish fry on Cobb's behalf. The apron-clad governor personally served fish to many of those in line, stepping away for a while in order to participate in public remarks...

State officials involved in 62nd District House race (10/02/09)
The special election race to fill the vacancy in the 62nd District State House of Representatives seat has attracted the attention and involvement of party officials at the state level. Democratic nominee Ty Cobb, Republican nominee Pat Marsh and Chris Brown, endorsed by the Constitution Party but listed on the ballot as an independent, are seeking the seat, which was made vacant when Ty Cobb's brother, Curt Cobb, resigned in late June. ...

Early voting running ahead of primary total (09/30/09)
Early voting in the Oct. 13 special election to fill the vacant 62nd District State House of Representatives seat got off to a strong start, according to deputy administrator of elections Andrew Robertson. As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, 1,123 voters had already voted by early vote or by paper absentee ballot. ...

At long last, bypass work begins (09/29/09)
The blue "stimulus" signs are up on U.S. 41-A South, signaling that work is now ongoing on the long-awaited construction of State Route 437 (Shelbyville bypass). Completion is estimated by July 31, 2011, according to B.J. Doughty, community relations officer for the Tennessee Department of Transportation...

Early voting begins in special House election (09/23/09)
Early voting began today in the Oct. 13 special election to fill the vacant 62nd District State House of Representatives seat. Democratic nominee Ty Cobb II, Republican nominee Pat Marsh and Chris Brown, endorsed by the Constitution Party but listed on the ballot as an independent, are seeking the seat, which was made vacant when Ty Cobb II's brother Curt Cobb resigned in late June...

Bell Buckle artist sculpts statue for governor's mansion (09/20/09)
Sherri Warner Hunter of Bell Buckle has recently completed a large statue for the Tennessee governor's mansion titled "In the Presence of Presents." "The piece features the slate from the roof of the governor's mansion," she said. "The first lady wouldn't allow them to throw it away. She knew it could be used for something else."...

Bredesen visits to bolster Cobb campaign (09/18/09)
More than a hundred people -- including Gov. Phil Bredesen -- showed up at the Fly Cultural Arts Center Thursday night to meet and hear from Ty Cobb, a candidate for state representative, Cobb is the brother of Curt Cobb, who held the seat until July when he resigned to take a court clerk position in Bedford County...

Debate fuss continues to churn (09/17/09)
The debate over the debate continues. Candidates in the special election to fill the vacant 62nd District state House of Representative seat continue to fling accusations over who is and isn't interested in a debate. The campaign of Republican candidate Pat Marsh issued a news release criticizing Democratic candidate Ty Cobb II for his campaign's initial response to the Times-Gazette that he didn't have time for a debate...

Brown schedules forum, wants place at debate (09/15/09)
Constitution Party candidate Chris Brown refuses to be ignored in the 62nd District state house race. Saying he has received no response from the Republican and Democratic candidates in the special election about being included in debates, Brown has announced that he will hold a question and answer forum Monday night from 6 to 7 p.m. at Bedford County Agriculture and Education Center...

Firefighter memorial opened, dedicated (09/13/09)
Two events took place Friday on the grounds of the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy on Unionville-Deason Road. The first, a ribbon-cutting, was an upbeat story of goals achieved. The second was more somber. A crowd of 600 firefighters and family members from across the state gathered to open Phase I of the Tennessee Fallen Firefighter Memorial. ...

Marsh to Cobb: Let's talk issues (09/10/09)
Republican nominee Pat Marsh has challenged his Democratic opponent Ty Cobb II to a series of town hall debates prior to the Oct. 13 special election to fill the 62nd District state House seat. "I believe that the people of Bedford, Lincoln and Rutherford counties have a right to know where the candidates stand on the issues. ...

Firefighter memorial to be dedicated Friday (09/10/09)
Firefighters and dignitaries from across Tennessee will attend the long ribbon cutting ceremony and dedication Friday afternoon for the Tennessee Fallen Firefighter Memorial on the grounds at the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy on Unionville-Deason Road. The memorial will honor the many men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their communities and neighbors...

State appeals court rules for Horse Hub (09/02/09)
NASHVILLE -- The Tennessee Court of Appeals last week upheld a trial court's decision for the woman who runs The Horse Hub in Wheel just east of the Marshall County line. Horse Hub proprietor Bonnie Cady was fined $17,000 in March 2005 by the state Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners for practicing veterinary medicine, including artificial insemination and ultrasound exams...

Guns in parks law affects Wartrace, but not Shelbyville or Bell Buckle (09/01/09)
A new state law which takes effect today allows handguns to be carried in public parks, unless a municipality prohibits it. Shelbyville and Bell Buckle chose to ban guns in parks, while Wartrace has allowed the new law to take effect. The only park operated by Bedford County outside city limits is a small river access point, and the county has not considered the gun ban issue at its public meetings. ...

Cobb loses out on campaign "buckets of cash" (09/01/09)
NASHVILLE -- Buckets of cash collected for Ty Cobb's campaign for vacated House District 62 during a major fundraising dinner put the Tennessee Democratic Party on the wrong side of state campaign finance regulations. Party officials decided to donate all the cash to charity after The Associated Press raised questions about their failure to gather the names of the people who put the money in the buckets...

Marsh wins GOP primary in state House race (08/28/09)
Pat Marsh of Shelbyville won Thursday's Republican primary for the vacant 62nd District Tennessee House of Representatives seat. Unofficial vote totals have him drawing more votes than his three opponents combined. District-wide, Marsh drew 1,826 votes to Bobby Scott's 397, Casey Walters' 348 and Joseph Byrd's 48....

Polls open until 7 p.m. (08/27/09)

Judge Rich reprimanded for delay in child custody case (08/26/09)
Bedford County General Sessions Judge Charles Rich was reprimanded this week by Tennessee Court of the Judiciary over an eight month-delay in a child custody case. But Rich says that the serious nature of the case and the interests of the child were the reasons behind the delay...

891 early votes cast in House primary (08/25/09)
A total of 891 early votes were cast for Thursday's special called primary election, leading to an October general election which will fill the vacant 62nd District seat in Tennessee House of Representatives. According to Bedford County Administrator of Elections Summer Leverette, there were 718 early votes in the Republican primary, in which candidates Joseph Byrd, Pat Marsh, Bobby Scott and Casey Walters are competing, and 173 early votes in the Democratic primary, which has only one candidate, Ty Cobb II. ...

Debate over primary voting continues (08/20/09)
Tennessee 62nd District House candidate Casey Walters has continued to criticize opponent Pat Marsh for having voted in the Democratic primary 10 times over the years, saying that Marsh's explanation for having done so does not fit all of the occasions...

CORRECTED: House hopefuls square off at forum (08/20/09)
Five of the six candidates for the vacant 62nd District State House of Representatives seat faced each other in a candidate forum Tuesday night at Central High School, sponsored by the Bedford County Republican Women. Republican primary candidates Joseph Byrd, Pat Marsh, Bobby Scott and Casey Walters, and independent candidate Chris Brown, who identifies himself as a member of the Constitution Party, participated in the debate, while unopposed Democratic primary candidate Ty Cobb did not, citing a schedule conflict.. ...

Reminder: House debate is tonight (08/18/09)
Bedford County Republican Women will sponsor a debate among the candidates for the empty seat in the 62nd District state House of Representatives race tonight at 6 in the Shelbyville Central High School auditorium. All four Republican candidates and the lone independent candidate are scheduled to attend; the lone Democratic candidate declined, citing a schedule conflict...

Brown enters House race as independent (08/18/09)
Chris Brown has announced his candidacy for the 62nd District State House of Representatives in the Oct. 13 general election. Brown will be listed on the ballot as an independent but identifies himself as a member of the Constitution Party. "We have to run as an Independent because in Tennessee, ballot access for all political candidates who do not fall into the category of 'Republican' or 'Democrat' is difficult," stated Brown in a news release. ...

Energy grants will light Cascade, Central (08/13/09)
Cascade High School will receive an $86,900 grant and Central High School an $83,625 grant from the Energy Efficient Schools Council Fund, announced State Rep. Les Winningham (D-Huntsville), who chairs the council. The $170,525 received by the two Bedford County schools is part of $1,376,625 awarded statewide. ...

Faxon gets commission to create McWherter sculpture (08/09/09)
Anyone who has driven by Russ Faxon's studio in Bell Buckle can tell an artist lives there. The twin bronze Tree People towering over the doorway kind of gives that away. But when you walk into his real studio -- not the gallery where the finished pieces are displayed -- you realize Faxon takes that leap from artist to genius. ...

Candidate debate set (08/06/09)
Voters will have a chance to get to know the candidates for the empty seat in the 62nd District state House of Representatives race on Aug. 18, when a debate is scheduled. Bedford County Republican Women are sponsoring the debate to be held in the auditorium at Shelbyville Central High School starting at 6 p.m...

Walters joins race for state House seat (07/19/09)
Casey Walters of Fayetteville has announced his candidacy for the 62nd District Tennessee House of Representatives seat in the Aug. 27 Republican primary. Walters, a resident of Lincoln County since 1999, was raised in Memphis, where he worked as a deputy court clerk for the Criminal Court clerk's office in Shelby County...

No last-minute candidates in state House race (07/17/09)
Thursday was the deadline for candidates to file qualifying papers for the special called Aug. 27 primary and Oct. 13 general election to fill a vacancy in the 62nd District state House of Representatives seat representing all of Bedford, parts of Lincoln and Rutherford counties...

CORRECTED: GOP primary field expands for House seat; Brown to run as independent (07/14/09)
Casey Walters of Fayetteville and Joseph Byrd of Unionville have filed papers to run in the Republican primary for the 62nd District Tennessee House of Representatives seat. Chris Brown of Shelbyville, after picking up qualifying papers for both party primaries and for the general election as an independent, has decided on the latter option, and will run as an independent...

Marsh announces candidacy (07/10/09)
Pat Marsh has announced his candidacy for the 62nd District Tennessee House of Representatives seat in the Aug. 27 Republican primary. Marsh, a Lincoln County native and Bedford County resident, is founder and chairman of Big G Express, a family-owned trucking company...

Local schools to benefit from fresh veggie grant (07/10/09)
Four Bedford County schools have received funds from a federal grant to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to students throughout the school year, said Amanda Maynord Anderson, deputy director of communications for the Tennessee Department of Education...

Bedford, three other counties declared farm disaster areas (07/10/09)
Gov. Phil Bredesen on Thursday announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved his request for federal farm assistance for Bedford and three other Middle Tennessee counties due to heavy rains and extensive flooding that occurred in May. Counties designated a natural disaster for agriculture include Bedford, Hickman, Moore and Perry...

Scott enters race; Brown picks up petitions (07/07/09)
At least one other Republican candidate has entered the special election for the 62nd District State House race created by the sudden resignation last week of Rep. Curt Cobb to take a position in the Bedford County court system. Bobby Scott informed the Times-Gazette in an e-mail Sunday that he intends to seek the seat as well. ...

Hopefuls mull run for state House seat (07/05/09)
Gov. Phil Bredesen issued a writ of election Thursday to fill the vacancy in the 62nd District State House of Representatives seat created by the resignation this week of State Rep. Curt Cobb of Shelbyville. Party primaries for the seat will be held on Aug. 27, with the general election to be Oct. 13. Three potential candidates said Thursday they were considering this weekend whether to run, and one of them made that a definite "yes" by Saturday morning...

City may opt out of guns-in-parks law (07/02/09)
Shelbyville's city council will vote next week on whether to opt out of a new state law that allows those with carry permits to lawfully possess handguns in city parks. The newly passed Public Chapter No. 428 would authorize citizens in Tennessee with handgun carry permits to be able to lawfully possess a firearm in federal, state or local parks...

UPDATED: Cobb resigns to take Chancery Court post (07/01/09)
State Rep. Curt Cobb has been named Bedford County Clerk and Master by 17th Judicial District Chancellor J.B. Cox and has resigned from his House seat. Cobb began his new position today; he said this morning that he submitted his letter of resignation from the General Assembly on Tuesday...

Habitat receives THDA grant (06/23/09)
Bedford Builds Habitat for Humanity received almost $17,000 from the state to go toward the building of a Habitat home this year. The Tennessee Housing Development Agency awarded 20 affiliates with the grant funds. "This is the first time we've received the THDA grant in Bedford County," said Pam Birtcil, director of Bedford Builds Habitat for Humanity. Birtcil said the $16,725 will go directly toward the completion of a local Habitat home...

Measure to close gun records fails in Senate (06/19/09)
Opponents of a measure to close access to the names of people who hold state-issued permits to carry loaded handguns say its failure Wednesday night is a victory for those who support open government. The proposal sponsored by Republican Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville was defeated 14-13 in the Senate when it failed to get a majority vote. Norris didn't say whether he would try to revive the proposal, which passed the House 83-12 last month...

Bypass bid awarded; work to begin this summer (06/19/09)
Wright Paving Contractors Inc. has been awarded the bid for construction of the Shelbyville bypass, State Route 437, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) announced. The Fayetteville firm had a low bid of $14,283,873, according to information released by TDOT. The estimate TDOT gave for the project was $16,164,696...

Tracy bill would prohibit 'sanctuary cities' (06/10/09)
The state legislature has passed a bill, sponsored by State Sen. Jim Tracy of Shelbyville, preventing any city in Tennessee from becoming a "sanctuary city" for illegal aliens. Specifically, the bill requires local law enforcement officials to report to federal immigration authorities when someone they have probable cause to believe someone they arrest is not a legal resident...

Proposal targeting underage drinkers passes Senate (06/05/09)
State Sen. Jim Tracy says legislation he sponsored will close a loophole by making it a misdemeanor for adults to allow 18-to-20-year-olds to drink in their presence. The bill was approved 27-0 by the Senate on Wednesday. Tracy said he was asked to sponsor the bill in the Senate by State Rep. ...

Middle Tennessee Education Center moves towards fall classes (05/28/09)
Middle Tennessee Education Center, the new Middle Tennessee State University/Motlow State Community College joint venture in Shelbyville, is continuing to move toward offering classes this fall. The facility is located in the Medical Arts Building on Dover Street, behind the old Bedford County Medical Center. Offices are already open, and the plan is to have classrooms set up and ready for use by September...

Four Shelbyville firefighters graduate (05/26/09)
Friday's graduation ceremonies at the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy had several Shelbyville connections. Not only did four Shelbyville Fire Department firefighters graduate from the 10-week Recruit/Firefighter I program, but the ceremony was opened with presentation of colors by a SFD color guard, and Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce presented the fire academy's first ever "challenge coins" to the entire graduating class...

Tracy texting bill becomes law (05/15/09)
Gov. Phil Bredesen has signed a bill into law that will ban reading or sending cellular phone text messages while driving. The measure sponsored by Republicans Rep. Jon Lundberg of Bristol and Sen. Jim Tracy of Shelbyville imposes a $50 fine for reading or writing text messages while driving...

Tracy: Tax bill won't fly (05/01/09)
State Sen. Jim Tracy says that a bill moving through the House of Representatives that would cause gasoline taxes to increase automatically, based on the rate of inflation, will not come up this year in the Senate Transportation Committee, which he chairs...

Tracy bill would create automatic gas tax increases (04/30/09)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Legislation that would set up a new system to adjust Tennessee gasoline taxes annually based on the consumer price index is advancing in the House. The measure sponsored by Democratic House Transportation Chairman Bill Harmon of Dunlap was approved Tuesday on a voice vote in the House Rural Roads Subcommittee...

Preparing for swine flu (04/28/09)
State epidemiologist Tim Jones said Monday that the swine flu, for most sufferers, may be no more serious than the regular seasonal flu strains that are felt every year -- but the problem is that there's no vaccine for this new strain yet, and that means people who are already at a health risk -- the very old, for example -- can't be protected from the disease...

MTSU, Motlow announce Shelbyville project (04/28/09)
The long-anticipated Middle Tennessee State University satellite campus in Shelbyville announced on Monday that it is now scheduling appointments with potential students -- and it is now being presented as a joint venture of MTSU and Motlow State Community College. The facility, located in the Medical Arts Building on Dover Street, is called Middle Tennessee Education Center, not "MTSU South," the informal name (with matching web site address) which had been used during planning stages. It will include classrooms as well as administrative and advising offices for both MTSU and Motlow....

Local schools to gain $37,000 for technology (04/26/09)
Bedford County Schools is scheduled to receive $37,341 in Title II-D technology funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), an economic stimulus package. Gov. Phil Bredesen and Commissioner of Education Dr. Timothy Webb announced statewide grants this week, saying they represent funding that will be available for districts to effectively integrate technology into the classroom...

Pulmonologist speaks at TTCS meeting (04/24/09)
Tennessee Technology Center at Shelbyville held its General and Craft Advisory Council meetings Thursday night, with recognition of those involved in renovating the TTCS lobby, presentation of the distinguished alumnus award, and a guest speaker, Dr. Frederic Seifer, who discussed taking a proactive approach to health care...

Texting-while-driving bills passes State Senate (04/24/09)
The full state Senate voted 22-6 on Thursday to approve legislation that would ban texting while driving. The bill, SB 393, was sponsored by Republican State Sen. Jim Tracy, of Shelbyville. It prohibits sending or reading text messages on public roads and highways while the driver is operating a motor vehicle in motion...

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

Change to unemployment laws could mean long-term costs (03/27/09)
Tennessee and 13 other states are weighing whether to change their rules governing unemployment benefits in order to take advantage of additional funding offered under the federal stimulus plan. Changing the laws would enable workers to qualify for 13 to 20 weeks of extended benefits after they've exhausted their state and emergency federal benefits, according to the National Employment Law Project...

Bill would darken state vending machines (03/25/09)
In hard times, state government will take savings anywhere it can find them ... even from a vending machine. A bill sponsored by State Sen. Jim Tracy, R-Shelbyville, would force vendors to either use energy-efficient lights for the front panels of vending machines on state property, or else just leave the machines unlit...

Sides square off over nursing home bill (03/12/09)
State Sen. Jim Tracy says a bill he is co-sponsoring would help improve patient care by lowering liability insurance costs for nursing homes. Critics, however, say the bill would make it harder to hold nursing homes accountable for error and is backed by nursing home operators who made campaign contributions to its sponsors...

State funds help Wartrace park (03/12/09)
The Wartrace Parks and Recreation committee has plans in store for the town park and now, thanks to a grant from the state, those plans will be a little easier to fulfill. A public hearing was held prior to the Monday night meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to discuss potential uses for the money, $10,000 from the state that will be met by $10,000 that has been raised by the department with special events and fundraisers...

Cell phone texting bill passes committee (03/11/09)
State Sen. Jim Tracy says he's pleased that his bill to prohibit cell phone text messaging while driving was passed by the Senate Transportation Committee, which he chairs, and he predicted the bill will see strong support in the General Assembly. "It's all about safety," Tracy told the Times-Gazette on Tuesday afternoon...

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

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