Shelbyville Times-Gazette: News : State government

State government

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...

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

Frist to chair education initiative (02/19/09)
Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said on Wednesday that Tennessee has a reputation as a "backwater" in terms of its education system, and yet there are individual schools and school systems that are doing a great job. Frist said the idea of the Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education, or Tennessee SCORE, is to promote dialogue about how to improve education in Tennessee, and to help school systems share "best practices" that might be applicable statewide.. ...

No local Household Hazardous Waste event this year (02/16/09)
Bedford County will not have a household hazardous waste collection event this year, the county's solid waste authority learned Thursday. Instead, residents will have to travel to Marshall or Coffee counties in April to dispose of household chemicals and products considered inappropriate for regular landfill disposal...

Press honors Bredesen for open administration (02/06/09)
NASHVILLE -- Gov. Phil Bredesen hoisted his Open Government Award over his head Thursday night after receiving it from Tennessee Press Association President Tom Griscom at the TPA Winter Convention. "I've taken great pride in overseeing open, honest and ethical administrations, both as mayor here in Nashville and as governor," Bredesen said. ...

Rep. Cobb moves to Health Committee (01/23/09)
Under assignments announced this week by new Tennessee House Speaker Kent Williams, State Rep. Curt Cobb of Shelbyville will move from the House Transportation Committee to the Health and Human Resources Committee. Cobb will continue as a member of the House Commerce Committee, although his subcommittee chairmanship will change slightly in scope. ...

Groundbreaking at Tennessee Fallen Firefighter Memorial (01/06/09)
Groundbreaking ceremonies were held Monday afternoon for the Tennessee Fallen Firefighter Memorial on the grounds of Clarence "Pete" Phillips Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy on Unionville-Deason Road....

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

Bedford giving out more food stamps than others (12/03/08)
NASHVILLE -- About one in six Tennesseans received food stamp assistance in the latest monthly reporting period, an increase of more than 75,000 people since the start of the year. In Bedford County, 8,596 individuals -- representing 19.8 percent of the population -- in 3,918 households received food stamps at a cost of more than $1 million during that time frame, according to figures from the Tennessee Department of Human Services and the U.S. Census Bureau...

Tracy, Cobb retain state legislative seats (11/05/08)
Both of Bedford County's incumbent state legislators were re-elected Tuesday night, receiving support both locally and district-wide. State Sen. Jim Tracy, a Republican from Shelbyville, defeated Democratic challenger Jean Anne Rogers of Murfreesboro by a margin of 48,064 to 31,727 to retain his 16th district seat representing Bedford and Moore counties and part of Rutherford County. Tracy carried all three of the counties...

More tests on tap for students (10/28/08)
Bedford County students took their first assessment tests this month under the Discovery Education Assessment test format, Schools Superintendent Ed Gray said Monday. "This is a formative assessment test that gives more specific feedback," Gray said. The system failed to make state performance goals last year under the federal No Child Left Behind law. Additionally, two schools -- Harris Middle and Central High -- were placed on the state's high priority list...

Six county bridges rated 'deficient' (08/05/08)
A total of six bridges in Bedford County, five that are locally maintained and one maintained by the state, have been classified as "structurally deficient" by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. But according to the county's Highway Superintendent, there is only one bridge that would cause any concern...

Wartrace receives $43K grant, Bredesen visit (07/27/08)
Gov. Phil Bredesen visited Wartrace on Friday to announce a $43,440 grant for revitalization of the town, including victorian street lights, benches, trash receptacles and sidewalk repair. "This is precisely the kind of place people think of when you say Tennessee," said Bredesen, during a ceremony held in the shadow of the town's iconic wellhouse. "People are always looking for ways to connect to the past."...

Governor signs voting record law (06/09/08)
Gov. Phil Bredesen has signed into law a measure to require a paper record for voters' ballots in Tennessee. It's not clear yet what financial effect the measure will have on Bedford County, said Bedford County Supervisor of Elections Summer Leverette...

Report: Poverty among issues for Bedford youth (05/31/08)
An annual report on Tennessee's youth reveals that poverty, with its impact on health and learning, is still a problem in Bedford County and across the Volunteer State. The report, Kids Count: State of the Child, was recently released by The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth...

Tracy pleased at school funding bill passage (05/27/08)
State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) said last week that he was pleased that money was included in the newly-passed lottery excess fund implementation plan to address capital improvement needs for K-12 schools. The bill sends $90 to $100 million in the excess funds for an Energy Efficient Schools Program that will allow for capital improvements that benefit energy efficiency...

Election administrator skeptical about bill (05/14/08)
A proposal that would require a paper record for voters' ballots in Tennessee has passed the state House, but Bedford County election administrator Summer Leverette is skeptical. The measure sponsored by Rep. Gary Moore, a Joelton Democrat, was approved 88-6 on Tuesday. The companion bill, sponsored by Sen. Joe Haynes, D-Goodlettsville, is scheduled for a full Senate vote on Thursday...

Cobb bill sets requirements on mortgage lenders (05/12/08)
A bill sponsored by State Rep. Curt Cobb that was signed into law last week will create new requirements for individuals engaged or seeking to operate in the mortgage industry in Tennessee, including background checks. Last week, Gov. Phil Bredesen signed SB 4160, which was designed to establish educational requirements and a method for criminal background checks on individuals working in the mortgage industry who must be licensed or registered with the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions.. ...

Drivers who ignore flood warning signs could be charged (05/07/08)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Drivers who ignore flood warning signs or barricades could be charged with reckless driving under a bill headed to the governor for his consideration. The House voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve the measure sponsored by Rep. Curt Cobb, a Shelbyville Democrat...

Ethics bill defeat perplexes Tracy (05/06/08)
If a state legislator, or the governor, is convicted of crimes involving their office, should they still be eligible for state health insurance? State Sen. Jim Tracy said Monday he is disappointed with action in the House of Representatives last week that killed a bill he sponsored that would have ended the health insurance benefits of a member of the General Assembly or governor upon conviction for felonies involving their office...

Fire Academy to hold graduation Friday (05/05/08)
Recruits from Shelbyville Fire Department will be standing tall Friday as they officially complete their training at the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy on Unionville-Deason Road. State Fire Marshal and Commerce and Insurance Commissioner Leslie A. Newman will deliver the commencement address to the recruit firefighter class at the Academy at 9 a.m....

A big bang at the Fire Academy (04/25/08)
If you think you hear explosions around Bedford County next week, there isn't anything to be worried about. "Post blast training" is to be conducted at the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy (TFACA) on Unionville-Deason Road by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) next week for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) in preparation for possible deployment...

Big trucks moved off the square (04/25/08)
The traffic situation on Shelbyville's public square will soon see some relief as 18-wheeled vehicles will be directed away from the crowded area. City manager Ed Craig said that Mayor Wallace Cartwright had requested that the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) reroute state highways off of the square. The city received word from TDOT Tuesday that the request was approved...

Blackburn rallies local GOP (04/21/08)
U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn stressed energy, the economy and national security during a speech Saturday night at the annual Bedford County Republican Party banquet. The banquet was held at the Blue Ribbon Circle on the Celebration grounds. Blackburn said the party's losses in 2006 were the result of a loss of focus on key messages...

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

A year later, Odom's license revoked (04/17/08)
Over a year after a Bedford County paramedic was sentenced to 35 years in prison after nearly 200 sex crimes charges, Tennessee's Board of Emergency Medical Services finally revoked his license. Edward Raven Odom, 31, accepted a negotiated sentence of 35 years in February after he was charged in April 2006 with child rape, rape and statutory rape over a period of several years...

Local woman convicted of TennCare fraud (04/17/08)
A Bedford County woman has been convicted on TennCare fraud charges, state officials reported Tuesday. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) said Deborah Ann Jewell, 51, of Shelbyville, pleaded guilty to one count of TennCare fraud and was ordered to repay TennCare $4,686...

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

Sales taxes take a holiday April 25-27 (04/15/08)
There may have been some pain today as your taxes came due, but Tennesseeans will have a holiday to celebrate their temporary absence soon. That special, one-time sales tax holiday begins Friday, April 25 at 12:01 a.m. and ends Sunday, April 27 at 11:59 p.m...

Water summit planned at Horton Park (04/02/08)
A brainstorming session is scheduled Thursday evening at Henry Horton State Park in Marshall County to reach consensus on how to deal with drought in the Duck River watershed, according to State Sen. Bill Ketron. Ketron (R-Murfreesboro) represents the 13th Senate District, including Maury and Marshall counties along the Duck River. He also represents Lincoln County and western Rutherford County...

Tracy bill promotes health insurance (03/31/08)
The Tennessee State Senate has given final approval to legislation to let more small business owners join together to negotiate lower health insurance rates. Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) is one of the sponsors of the bill, SB 4014, which is designed to encourage more small employers to purchase health insurance, and give them predictability and stability in health-insurance rates...

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

Bredesen pushes long-term care plan (03/28/08)
Gov. Phil Bredesen said that his own mother, last year, was in a position where she was too sick to be home alone and yet not disabled enough to be in a nursing home. Fortunately, she had "a son who knows a little bit about the system," in the governor's words, and he was able to arrange for her needs to be met...

VFSI receives enhancement grant (03/25/08)

MTSU satellite discussions continue (03/21/08)
During a meeting Thursday of county employees, County Mayor Eugene Ray said discussions are continuing with Middle Tennessee State University over the possibility of MTSU holding satellite classes in the old Central High School / Harris Middle School building on Elm Street...

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

Vets may get lottery-funded scholarships (03/21/08)
Tennessee General Assembly's lottery subcommittee looking at proposals for disbursing excess lottery funds, chaired by Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), has recommended several bills for passage to the full committee. According to Tracy, there is $460 million in the lottery reserve account, of which $50 million must be kept in savings under current law...

House, Senate hopefuls file for primaries (03/18/08)
Several petitions have been turned in to Bedford County Election Commission for the State Senate and House seats up for election this year. Party primaries will be held in August with the general election in November. Republican State Sen. Jim Tracy has turned in his petition to run for re-election, and Murfreesboro Democrat Dee Butler has also filed for the 16th District seat, according to Election Commission officials...

Dates of sales tax holiday changed (03/17/08)
The Tennessee Department of Revenue announced the change of the special spring Sales Tax Holiday dates to Friday, April 25 through Sunday, April 27. This one-time holiday will offer three full days of tax savings to shoppers on clothing, school and art supplies and computers...

State honors World Grand Champion (03/17/08)
State Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens recently honored 2007 Tennessee Walking Horse World Grand Champion owners Lee Wall and Mike McGartland and trainer Jimmy McConnell. Givens recognized Wall, McGarland and McConnell during a luncheon of industry leaders and supporters at the Ellington Agricultural Center. Givens represented Gov. Phil Bredesen at the event, which has become a tradition to recognize the contributions of the Walking Horse industry to the state...

Public meetings provisions unlikely to change this year (03/17/08)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Nearly three years after the Tennessee Waltz corruption scandal led to demands for stronger open government laws, the Legislature is poised to approve a measure to improve access to public records. But efforts to strengthen laws requiring local governments to conduct their business in open meetings have been jettisoned for at least another year...

Bell Buckle awaits sewer nod (03/14/08)
Bell Buckle is still waiting to hear from Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) about lifting a Director's Order against the town that prevents it from installing any new sewer taps. The topic came up after the town board turned down a request from Alderman Frank Reagor, who was not present for the meeting, for a sewer tap at 104 Hinkle Hill Road...

New Motlow library to be dedicated (03/12/08)

Tracy bill gives retired teachers more voice (03/12/08)
State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) gained the approval of the state Senate this week for legislation he sponsored to give retired teachers more power on the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) Board of Trustees. The bill designates the retired teacher member as a voting member of the board. Currently, there is a retired teacher who serves on the Board, but that position is not a voting member...

Tracy pushes MTSU building project (03/08/08)
The Senate Education Committee has unanimously adopted a motion by State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) that would set seven capital building projects listed by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission as a priority of that committee. Actually building the projects depends on state funds becoming available; the projects would be considered in the order of which is most in need of improvements. ...

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

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

DHS clarifies comments on food stamp program (03/04/08)
Tennessee Department of Human Services claims that figures given by a field supervisor concering food stamp distribution in Bedford County are inaccurate. DHS Field Supervisor Lisa Cowell stated during a town hall meeting Friday with State Sen. Jim Tracy that that 9,000 families in Bedford County were on food stamps at an annual cost of $8 million...

Tracy hears public concerns (03/03/08)
Constituents had a wide variety of questions and complaints for State Sen. Jim Tracy as he held a series of town hall meetings around the 16th District on Friday. A group of about 30 citizens and several local officials attended a meeting at the Shelbyville/Bedford County Chamber of Commerce where Tracy fielded questions for over an hour before traveling down the road for another meeting in Lynchburg...

Tracy: Water, budget occupy legislature (03/01/08)
Concerns about the state budget and local water issues are just some of the items that Tennessee legislators are to examine during this session of the General Assembly, State Sen. Jim Tracy said Friday. He spoke at a town meeting held in the Shelbyvlle Bedford County Chamber of Commerce auditorium, part of a series of meetings held throughout the 16th District...

Constitutional protections for hunting considered (02/29/08)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- A proposal to create constitutional protections for hunting in Tennessee is headed back to the House after the Senate passed a slightly changed version. The Senate voted unanimously Thursday for a version that added protections for so-called traditional hunting methods as long as they target non-threatened species...

Motlow reports record spring enrollment (02/18/08)
Enrollment at Motlow College, which was named one of the fastest-growing colleges in the U.S. by Community College Week, continues its upward path and this spring surpassed 4,000 students for the first time in the college's history, according to Dr. MaryLou Apple, president of the college...

Bell Buckle seeks lift of state sewer sanction (02/15/08)
Bell Buckle will be contacting the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) soon about lifting a director's order against the town in regards to their sewer system. Water manager Ronnie Lokey reported to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen Tuesday that work was basically completed on the town's new equalization basin, which was required for the city to comply with a Director's Order issued by TDEC...

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

Academy is site for fire loss seminar (02/11/08)
Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy (TFACA) on Unionville-Deason Road will host a national web based seminar regarding fire loss and prevention issues on Wednesday. Titled "Vision 20/20", the web based seminar is actually a forum discussion where participants will receive a presentation on the nation's fire problem -- and what is expected in the future. ...

Tracy nursing home bill draws fire from consumer group (02/06/08)
A consumer watchdog organization is slamming State Sen. Jim Tracy of Shelbyville for his introduction of a bill that that critics claim would restrict the rights of nursing home victims and their families. However, Tracy and proponents of the bill say that a large number of nursing home lawsuits and their verdicts have driven the liability cost per bed here in the Volunteer State to second highest in the nation...

Tracy bill would ban health care for convicted lawmakers (02/05/08)
A bill sponsored by State Sen. Jim Tracy that would keep former members of the General Assembly from receiving healthcare benefits if they are convicted of a felony for misuse of their office has been approved by the Senate State and Local Government Committee...

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

Grant announced during sponsors' party (01/29/08)
State Sen. Jim Tracy put smiles on the faces of 14 very appreciative ladies Saturday evening when he surprised them with $5,000 in grant funds to Habitat For Humanity. The Habitat For Humanity Ball Committee had no idea Tracy planned to present the check to them at Saturday evening's sponsors' and patrons' party, which was held at the Shelbyville home of Mary Ann and John Davis...

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

Open Government bills go to legislature (01/28/08)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- The chairman of a study committee that proposed changes to state laws on open government has introduced two bills in the Legislature. One has the panel's official recommendations and one removes provisions he disagrees with. Sen. Randy McNally, a Republican from Oak Ridge, said he favors a "scaled-down version" of the changes recommended by the Open Government Study Committee...

Motlow is fast-growing, says magazine (01/25/08)
Motlow College is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the nation for its size, according to a recent report by Community College Week. Motlow ranks 13th among the publication's list of the top 50 colleges with enrollments from 2,500 to 4,999 students...

Bypass construction could begin in October (01/21/08)
Construction on the long-discussed, long-awaited northeast bypass around Shelbyville could begin as soon as October, State Rep. Curt Cobb said on Saturday. "We're pretty excited," Cobb told the Times-Gazette. Cobb also said bids on the first phase of widening North Main Street will be opened Feb. 15; a request for bids was issued on Friday...

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

Committee turns down audit of mansion project (01/15/08)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Tennessee lawmakers on Monday rejected an audit of an $18 million project to renovate the governor's mansion that includes construction of a controversial underground hall. Finance Commissioner Dave Goetz and state Architect Mike Fitts briefed the state Legislature's Fiscal Review Committee on the restoration initiative and invited an audit of the project...

Tracy likes governor's new stance on lottery funds (01/14/08)
State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) said in a news release Friday that he is pleased that Gov. Phil Bredesen is moving toward a more direct method of distributing lottery excess funds for K-12 school construction and capital outlay. Tracy was the prime sponsor of legislation in the Senate last year creating a system of grants for schools for K-12 construction from excess lottery funds. ...

Local woman charged with TennCare fraud (01/14/08)
A Bedford County woman is accused of TennCare fraud for trying to use benefits to pay for an altered prescription for the addictive painkiller Hydrocodone, a state spokeswoman said Friday. Christine A. Sullenger, 28, of Shelbyville is being prosecuted by Coffee County District Attorney Mickey Layne, according to the state Office of Inspector General. Sullenger's arrest was a result of joint efforts by the Bedford and Coffee counties' sheriff's departments...

Legislature prepares for new session (01/07/08)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- The General Assembly returns to session Tuesday with a few fresh issues and several leftovers from last year on lawmakers' plates. They can count on it being warmed up by the heat of election year politics. Political maneuvering and hot-button issues are almost certain, not least because tight budget projections mean lawmakers likely won't be distracted by spending any windfalls...

State schools touted as "bargain" (01/05/08)
METRO MOORE COUNTY -- Tennessee's colleges, universities and technology centers are "still the best bargain" in higher education, said Fran Marcum of the Tennessee Board of Regents, and yet Tennessee is still "one of the most under-educated states."...

CFD loses 10 percent of funding (01/04/08)
Cuts in federal funding have resulted in the Center for Family Development losing 10 percent of its operating funds for the next year. As a result, the Center, which already has a fundraiser slated for next Saturday, is in dire need of financial help...

Most counties haven't adopted tax break (01/04/08)
Only seven of Tennessee's 95 counties have enacted a property tax freeze for elderly homeowners that was authorized by voters last year -- and Bedford is not one of them. A constitutional amendment to allow the freeze was easily approved at the polls last year and the Legislature crafted guidelines for the tax break last session. But only Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Hamblen, Knox, Roane and Wilson counties have approved the freeze...

New laws now in effect (01/03/08)
Jan. 1 not only brought us a new year, but new laws as well for the citizens of Tennessee. A new law cracks down on the hiring of illegal immigrants in Tennessee. House Bill 729 prohibits persons from knowingly employing an illegal alien, recruiting or referring one for employment for a fee. It is punishable by business license suspension for one year after a second violation...

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

Sales tax on food drops -- barely -- in 2008 (12/31/07)
At midnight tonight, it will get a little bit cheaper to buy food, as the state sales tax rate on food drops by half of a percent. Currently, the state sales tax rate is 6 percent for grocery food items and 7 percent on other items. The local sales tax in Bedford County, city plus county, is 2.75 percent, making the total tax 8.75 percent for grocery food items and 9.75 percent for non-food items. ...

Bill to change Sunshine Law may lack sponsor (12/20/07)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- State Sen. Randy McNally has not decided whether he will sponsor legislation proposing changes to Tennessee's open government laws. The Oak Ridge Republican chaired the study committee that recommended the changes, but said he has some concerns about a proposal that would allow government officials to meet privately...

Bredesen: BEP funding may be slowed by economy (12/10/07)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Gov. Phil Bredesen says full implementation of the state's retooled education funding formula may take longer than expected because of a tightening economy, but he still plans to put new funds into it. The governor said he initially intended for improvements to the Basic Education Program to be in place within three years. A key provision of the overhaul changes how the state calculates local governments' ability to fund their share of the formula...

County awarded water grant (12/07/07)
Gov. Phil Bredesen and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matthew Kisber have announced the approved a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant to assist a water line extension project that will serve 56 homes in three target areas in Bedford County...

Local resident charged with TennCare fraud (11/29/07)
A resident of Bedford County has been charged with a felony count of TennCare fraud. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) Monday announced the arrest of Deborah Ann Jewell, 51, of Bedford County. Jewell is accused of fraudulently obtaining benefits she was not entitled to and theft of TennCare services less than $10,000. ...

Governor proclaims 'Bedford County Day' Dec. 3 (11/27/07)
Gov. Phil Bredesen has signed a proclamation declaring Dec. 3, the county's 200th birthday, as "Bedford County Day" in Tennessee. State Sen. Jim Tracy and officials of Bedford County Historical Society presented a copy of the proclamation to County Mayor Eugene Ray on Monday, so that it can be read and referred to during the official bicentennial celebration Dec. 3 at the Blue Ribbon Circle on the Celebration grounds...

Grant will keep area clean (11/26/07)
Bedford County has been awarded with a $34,221 litter grant as part of the effort to StopLitter� in Tenlnessee. Litter grant funds totaling $3 million are distributed annually by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to all 95 counties. According to TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely, the funds for the grants are obtained through the collection of a specialty tax on the malt beverage and soft drink industry through the Litter Grant Bill enacted by the General Assembly in 1981...

City gets $24M loan for sewer plant (11/21/07)
Shelbyville has received a $24.8 million loan through the State Revolving Fund Loan Program to upgrade and expand the city's wastewater treatment plant. Shelbyville Power, Water and Sewerage system manager David Crowell said he is very pleased with the announcement and is looking forward to progressing with the project...

Cable / phone fight heats up again (11/16/07)
The cable television industry is gearing up for another fight in the Tennessee State Legislature against AT&T, which is planning to promote a bill next year that the cable industry claims would hurt consumers by dismantling the local franchise law. However, AT&T claims that a handful of cable companies continue to enjoy a monopoly on video service and that the current method of obtaining local cable franchises is "a lengthy, expensive process that just doesn't make sense."�...

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

Veterans' education bill backed by Cobb (11/09/07)
Citing the inability of the G.I. Bill to meet the rising costs of a college education, the Tennessee House and Senate Democratic Caucus on Monday introduced the "Helping Heroes Act of 2008," a scholarship funded by lottery proceeds that will provide a maximum of $8,000 in higher education assistance to Tennessee veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan...

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

Grants address courthouse security concerns (11/06/07)
Courthouse security grants announced Monday by Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts renew the debate in Bedford County over whether the judicial system should be relocated away from the county courthouse. Marshall County is to receive up to $26,000, and Bedford County is to get up to $6,000 as their parts of a $2 million appropriation from the Tennessee General Assembly to the state court system's budget for this fiscal year, according to Elizabeth Sykes, administrative director of the courts.. ...

Tracy records 4:47 in Marine Corps Marathon (11/05/07)
State Sen. Jim Tracy recorded a time of 4:47 in the Marine Corps Marathon Oct. 28 in Washington. "I definitely wanted to go under five [hours], and I did that," Tracy said this morning. This was the third marathon for the 51-year-old insurance agent from Shelbyville, but his first time to compete in the Marine Corps Marathon...

Some want later start for schools (11/05/07)
MEMPHIS (AP) -- Some parents are building support for legislation that would ban Tennessee public schools from opening earlier than the week before Labor Day after a summer of sweltering classrooms and heat-exhausted athletes. But they face opposition from most of the statewide education organizations, which want to retain flexibility for local school boards to set their own school calendars...

Utilities baffled by state info (11/03/07)
Transportation, water and wastewater are two of the top infrastructure needs of Bedford County, according to a report released by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR). But while TACIR corrected figures for Bedford County schools, other amounts remain unchanged. Local officials are still scratching their heads, wondering where TACIR got its data...

CORRECTED: State school report cards released (11/02/07)
The State of Tennessee released its annual report cards on every school and school system in the state at 8 a.m. today; the cards can be accessed at www.state.tn.us/education/reportcard. The state had already reported back in August the names of some schools in need of improvement. ...

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

TACIR revises school needs figure (11/02/07)
Revised figures from a state agency regarding infrastructure state that Bedford County schools have a need of $78.9 million, nearly half the amount reported earlier this week. The Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) corrected the numbers Thursday after inquiries from the T-G revealed that the state agency had released data that was in error...

Lotto jackpot claimed by Fayetteville man (11/02/07)
Delbert Jones of Fayetteville has been identified as the winner of the $90,419 Lotto 5 jackpot from a ticket sold last month in Shelbyville. Jones claimed his prize on Monday, 10 days after the original drawing, according to lottery spokeswoman Rachel Petrie. ...

Local officials puzzled by inaccurate state figures (11/01/07)
Bedford County officials say they were mystified by figures released this week by a state agency regarding local infrastructure. That's because the numbers, released Monday by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR), were found to be in error when the T-G began asking local officials about them...

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

Tracy, TDOT praised for quick work on road (10/29/07)
Traffic and safety problems in front of Cascade School should be drastically reduced due to the addition of a new lane leading onto the grounds. And Bedford County School Superintendent Ed Gray says it's all thanks to the efforts of State Sen. Jim Tracy and officials with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), who rushed the project through...

Lottery money still unclaimed (10/26/07)
The $90,419 Lotto 5 ticket sold in Shelbyville last week had still not been redeemed as of Thursday morning, according to Tennessee Lottery spokeswoman Rachel Petrie. Lotto 5 requires a player to select any five numbers between 1 and 39. Drawings are broadcast Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights at 10:34 p.m. on WKRN-TV (Channel 2)...

Tracy honored by Heart Association (10/26/07)
State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) was recently named "Tennessee Advocate of the Year" by the American Heart Association for his efforts to help limit the harmful effects of second hand smoke in Tennessee. "Because of Senator Tracy's leadership, Tennessee had a new dawn on Oct. 1," said Nathan James, Advocacy Director for the American Heart Association. Tennessee became the first ‘tobacco state' to put the health of its citizens first."...

$90K Lotto ticket sold in Shelbyville (10/22/07)
A winning Lotto 5 ticket worth $90,419 in Friday night’s drawing was sold in Shelbyville; the winner had not claimed his or her prize by press time, and so no name or further information was available, according to Tennessee Lottery officials. The numbers were 8, 9, 16, 25 and 39. ...

Sidewalks at Harris to be funded by state grant (10/19/07)
Harris Middle School has been awarded $150,500 in Safe Routes to School funds. The funds will be used to construct approximately 4,000 linear feet of sidewalk in the vicinity of the school. Funds will also be used to provide an educational program focused on bicycle and pedestrian safety and promotional activities to encourage walking and biking as a safe and healthy initiative...

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

Cobb participates in educational program (10/15/07)
State Rep. Curt Cobb recently participated in the America's Legislators Back to School Program, which is designed to educate students about the legislative process and build links between the schools and the legislatures. "Last year the Tennessee Legislature passed a budget which included nearly $185 million in funding for school systems in Bedford, Lincoln, and Rutherford Counties. ...

Motlow names new library (10/06/07)
The new library at Motlow State Community College will be named after university supporter Jim Clayton and former president Dr. A. Frank Glass, according to current Motlow president Dr. MaryLou Apple. Tennessee Board of Regents, which oversees Motlow, approved the name at its September meeting, and a ceremony to christen the library is in the planning stages...

Judge rules against Knox County in Sunshine Law case (10/02/07)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A Knox County jury has ruled unanimously that the county commission violated the state's open meetings law by privately discussing appointments for vacant positions. The jury began deliberating Tuesday morning and took about 4 1/2 hours to reach verdicts on 29 separate questions they were required to answer...

Tracy will compete in Marine Corps Marathon (10/02/07)
State Sen. Jim Tracy is running again, and he's heading to Washington. But neither of those things has to do with politics. Yes, Tracy is a Republican from Shelbyville representing Bedford, Moore and parts of Rutherford counties in the State Senate. But the running he's planning on doing in Washington isn't running for office: it's running in the literal sense of the word, as a competitor in the annual Marine Corps Marathon on Oct. 28...

TDOT studying turn lanes (10/01/07)
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has begun a feasibility study to see if turn lanes can be constructed at Cascade Elementary. Parents and area residents expressed concern last week to the Times-Gazette about the traffic situation in front of the school, which they say becomes dangerous with vehicles parked on both sides of State Highway 269, also known as Wartrace / Bell Buckle Road...

School traffic causes problems at Cascade (09/26/07)
"It's chaotic!" That's how one parent describes the traffic situation at Cascade Elementary, where cars are parked on both sides of the narrow two-lane state highway every afternoon. But until the Bedford County School System gets help from the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), there isn't much they can do about it...

State hopes smoking ban is a motivator (09/26/07)
Tennessee Commissioner of Health Susan R. Cooper said the statewide ban on smoking in public places which takes effect Monday may be just the impetus some people need to kick the tobacco habit. Cooper spoke by telephone with the Times-Gazette on Tuesday afternoon from her office in Nashville...

Imagination Library recognized this week (09/17/07)
Reading opens windows of opportunity for children and this week, Tennesseans celebrate that chance to travel around the world through books as the second Imagination Library Week begins. Gov. Phil Bredesen dedicated this week as Imagination Library Week, kicking off a celebration of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.The week will be packed with events aimed at bolstering enrollment of the program as well as fund-raising activities in nearly all 95 counties including reading events at the Argie Cooper Library where guest readers will share stories with children of all ages.. ...

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

Holton executed (09/12/07)
NASHVILLE -- The execution of Daryl Holton ended with the pronouncement of his death at 1:25 this morning at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, where the Shelbyville man's last words were a play on words. After a microphone check, Warden Ricky Bell asked, "Do you have any last words?" And the man who's all along accepted execution as the consequence for shooting his three sons and their half sister to death replied, "Yes. Two words. I do."...

Holton scheduled to die Wednesday (09/10/07)
A Shelbyville man who's been incarcerated for nearly 10 years since he killed his three sons and their half-sister is scheduled to die Wednesday morning in the electric chair at Riverbend Maximum Security Prison in Nashville. Daryl Holton, 45, has selected electrocution for his death...

Emergency response volunteer meeting planned (09/08/07)
Tennessee Department of Health's South Central Regional Office is conducting emergency response volunteer meetings throughout the region during September. The purpose is to train or retrain persons who have volunteered to assist in the seven Points of Dispensing (mass clinics or PODs) that will be put into operation if an emergency situation occurs to make that action necessary...

Smith to aid Books From Birth Foundation (09/08/07)
Tamra Smith of Shelbyville knows first-hand the importance of reading and the art's influence on impressive young lives. Now, through the Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS), Smith, an attorney and Disability Claims Director with DHS, will have an opportunity to put that experience to work as she teams with the Governor's Books from Birth Foundation (GBBF) to expand the libraries of more than 2,400 child care agencies serving low income infants, toddlers and preschoolers across the state.. ...

It's TUFF challenge time again (09/08/07)
The dangerous task of fighting fires isn't just about making sure the water gets to the right place -- there's a lot of back-breaking work that goes into it as well. There are tasks such as climbing, busting through doors and walls, ventilation and the rescue of victims, which puts great physical demands on a firefighter...

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

Motlow enrollment leads TBR system in growth (09/05/07)
Fall enrollment at Motlow State Community College is up 7.10 percent on the fifth day of classes and represents the highest enrollment increase among Tennessee Board of Regents colleges and universities, according to Dr. MaryLou Apple, president of the college. Final fall enrollment numbers will be released by TBR next week...

Kimbro honored for service to Motlow (08/29/07)
Kay Kimbro of Normandy, who was hired as Motlow State Community College's second employee, marked 35 years with the college this year and was recognized during an award ceremony on the Moore County campus. Kimbro was hired in 1969 second only to Motlow's first president, Dr. ...

No water restrictions here ... yet (08/28/07)
While Gov. Phil Bredesen is asking everyone in the state to conserve water, local utilities say that Bedford County has enough of the wet stuff ... at least for the present. Bob Finney of Shelbyville Power, Water and Sewerage System said Monday that water restrictions may be coming in the future, but not now. It all depends on the rain...

Burning restrictions in place (08/28/07)
Due to extremely high wildfire danger caused by the drought, record high temperatures and low humidity, state Forestry officials announced the implementation of burning restrictions usually reserved for official wildfire season. Effective Monday, citizens are required to obtain a burning permit from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry before conducting any outdoor, open burning of debris within 500 feet of woodlands, grasslands or forest lands...

Know symptoms of heat stress (08/27/07)
As the heat wave continues, state Health Commissioner Susan R. Cooper encourages Tennesseans to stay cautious; meanwhile, Bedford County Emergency Medical Services reported only one heat-related complaint during the first night of the Celebration on Thursday...

State health officials urge caution (08/24/07)
As the heat wave continues, state Health Commissioner Susan R. Cooper encourages Tennesseans to stay cautious; meanwhile, Bedford County Emergency Medical Services reported only one heat-related complaint during the first night of the Celebration on Thursday...

Assistance available for heat wave (08/24/07)
County Mayor Eugene Ray said Thursday that assistance is available for those who need, but cannot afford, fans or air conditioners to cope with the ongoing heat wave. Ray said the assistance is available through Tennessee Department of Health and Environment and that persons who need help can call his office, 684-7944, or Melissa Staley at the Health Department office in Columbia, (931) 490-8348, for more information...

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

THP does not solicit funds (08/20/07)
The Tennessee Highway Patrol does not ask for charitable donations and is warning residents about reports of recent phone solicitations, according to a news release. This month, several residents in East Tennessee have reported receiving phone calls from a person allegedly representing himself as a state trooper. In at least one report, the caller claimed to be raising money to buy bullet resistant vests for members of the Highway Patrol...

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

Board hears HMS, SCHS issues (08/14/07)
It was announced last week that Harris Middle School is on the state's school improvement list after failing to meet its adequate yearly progress (AYP) goals for two years. But Bedford County School Superintendent Ed Gray, reporting to the Board of Education Monday night, also said that Central High School is on the state's target list after failing to meet its goals for one year, and that Thomas Intermediate School missed the target list by one student...

Proposed sewer plant gets favorable environmental report (08/08/07)
Shelbyville's new wastewater treatment plant has been given an environmental assessment and a "Finding of No Significant Impact" by the state Department of Environment and Conservation [TDEC]. Funding for the new plant, designed to handle 6.5 million gallons a day, was approved last month by the Shelbyville City Council. The project is estimated to cost around $25 million...

Harris is on school improvement list (08/07/07)
Harris Middle School has made the state's list of schools needing improvement, announced Monday, after failing to meet its adequate yearly progress (AYP) goals for two years. Harris Middle includes grades 6, 7 and 8. The school moved into a new facility on Learning Way in 2005. It was given a status of "School Improvement 1," which means it has failed to meet its AYP goals for two years. It must meet the goals for two years in order to come off School Improvement 1 status...

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

Warren fined over environmental violations (08/03/07)
A local developer has been fined $41,000 by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) over violations of the Water Quality Control Act. James R. Warren was issued a Director's Order and Assessment from Paul Davis, the Director of the Tennessee Division of Water Pollution Control, on July 9. The order concerns material that was discharged into a tributary of Little Hurricane Creek...

Agricultural disaster area declared in Tennessee (08/02/07)
All 95 counties in Tennessee have been declared an agricultural disaster, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA), it was announced Wednesday. The disaster designation makes Tennessee farmers affected by drought conditions eligible for low-interest emergency loans through the Farm Service Agency (FSA), helping farmers offset crop losses suffered this growing season...

Sales tax holiday this weekend (08/01/07)
With school opening soon, parents are going to be headed to the stores for this year's clothes and supplies. But the best time to do your shopping will be this weekend, when Tennesseans will have their second annual Sales Tax Holiday. It begins Friday at 12:01 a.m. and ends Sunday at 11:59 p.m...

House approves funding for MTSU programs (07/31/07)
The U.S. House of Representatives approved federal funding to help Middle Tennessee State University boost its science education and aerospace efforts by completing its new observatory and conducting research to better train air traffic controllers and pilots, announced U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon...

Not all local residents have broadband access (07/30/07)
Bedford County lags behind some of its neighbors to the north and east in access to broadband Internet, according to a map published by the Nashville-based non-profit Connected Tennessee. Broadband refers to high-speed Internet service, usually meaning either cable internet (provided by cable TV companies like Charter Communications) or DSL (provided by telephone companies like BellSouth / AT&T). ...

County schools will continue drug testing (07/27/07)
Bedford County Board of Education voted Thursday night to continue random drug testing for students engaged in extracurricular activities, only with minor changes to the permission form which parents and students sign at the beginning of the school year...

State sales tax holiday Aug. 3-5 (07/19/07)
With school days fast approaching, shoppers budgeting for the expense will rejoice over the expanded sales tax holiday approved by the General Assembly. The tax-free weekend will take place Aug. 3-5 for back-to-school shopping. The General Assembly expanded the sales tax holiday this past session to include art supplies such as clay and glazes; acrylic, tempera and oil paints; paintbrushes for artwork; sketch and drawing pads; and watercolors...

Bacteria too high in some county streams (07/17/07)
A recent water quality assessment by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) reveals that several Bedford County streams have unsafe levels of E. coli bacteria. Two sections of the Duck River reportedly is contaminated with Escherichia coli [E. coli] due to discharges from storm sewer systems and "collection system failure" according to the report...

State worker explains anti-discrimination fight (06/29/07)
Civil rights is not just justice for some, but for all, and there's a state agency whose job is to make sure it stays that way. Discrimination was the topic of discussion at Thursday's meeting of the Bedford/Moore County Workforce Outreach Committee, held by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development at Charleston On Main...

Teacher salaries could require tax hike (06/27/07)
Unless money were saved elsewhere in the county's budget, it would take an increase of four cents per $100 assessed value on the county property tax rate to fund the proposed school system budget, which includes money for higher teacher salaries. A proposed draft budget was handed out to school board members during a called meeting Tuesday at the school system central offices on Madison Street. ...

Now, everyone must be carded (06/27/07)
No, you aren't looking younger these days and that clerk isn't paying you a compliment by suddenly asking for your ID. As of July 1, the Tennessee Responsible Vendor Act goes into effect, which makes our state the first in the nation to require the carding of anyone, without exception, who purchases beer for off-premises consumption...

Polluters to receive online infamy (06/26/07)
If someone in the area has been polluting Tennessee waters, by next week, you'll be seeing their names on the Internet. That's because the State Department of Environment and Conservation [TDEC] will begin listing companies and individuals violating the Clean Water Act starting Sunday ....

Hatchery helps supply streams and lakes (06/23/07)
With summer now in full bloom, for many Tennesseans the first thing they think of is time on the lake for some fishing. Some may not realize that wherever they dip a pole in the water around the state, there's a chance that the fish were raised here in Bedford County...

Tracy is pleased with restoration of gas funds (06/22/07)
State Sen. Jim Tracy told Rotary Club of Shelbyville members on Thursday that the new state budget restores gas tax funding to the state highway program, noting the importance of highways to economic development. Over the past several years, when Tennessee and many other states were in an economic pinch, some of the gas tax revenues which had always been dedicated to road programs were diverted and used for other state expenses. ...

Local woman among TennCare fraud suspects (06/21/07)
A Shelbyville woman is facing TennCare drug fraud charges along with five others following a Coffee County investigation. Sharane Vandergriff, 35, of Shelbyville has been charged with three counts of TennCare fraud and three counts of attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud...

Guard response procedures tested (06/21/07)
The Tennessee National Guard is trained, ready and well equipped to assist in the event of a state emergency, Maj. Gen. Gus Hargett, the state's Adjutant General, said today. "Although the Tennessee Guard has deployed more than 11,200 Soldiers and Airmen since 9/11, and left more than 250 million dollars worth of equipment in Iraq, the Department of Defense has a plan to replace that equipment and they are following through with that plan," he said. ...

Discussions proceed on MTSU project (06/19/07)
The first preliminary meeting about the possibility of Middle Tennessee State University opening an extension campus in the old Harris Middle School building on Elm Street was a positive one, according to County Mayor Eugene Ray. Ray said he is pleased with the response of MTSU officials to the project so far...

Legislators pleased with session (06/14/07)
Bedford County's state legislators both say they are pleased with the results of the 105th General Assembly, which wrapped up on Tuesday, especially the increases in funding for education. "Overall, I thought we had an excellent year," said State Sen. Jim Tracy, a Republican in the Republican-controlled Senate...

Health care providers get Safety Net grants (06/07/07)
Four Bedford County health care providers have been awarded a total of more than $346,000 in Safety Net funding to provide services for uninsured Tennesseans. State officials say the funding is part of Gov. Phil Bredesen's efforts to strengthen the state's health care Safety Net and make primary care services more accessible to uninsured and underinsured Tennesseans...

DCS creates advisory board (06/07/07)
The Tennessee Department of Children Services [DCS] is developing a new system for dealing with the horrid crime of child abuse that includes involvement from the local community. About 50 people involved with Bedford County's children participated in a community forum Wednesday at the Duck River Electric Membership Corporation auditorium. The effort is part of a system reform of DCS, which has faced criticism in recent years over children who slipped through the cracks...

New execution date set for Holton (05/24/07)
A September execution date has been set for Daryl Keith Holton, the Shelbyville man accused of killing his four children in 1997. Holton is now scheduled to die Sept. 12, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. The court initially set Holton's execution for Feb. 28 in a January ruling. Gov. Phil Bredesen delayed the execution Feb. 1, ordering a review of the state's execution methods and the development of new protocols and written procedures...

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

EMS seeks agreement with TennCare MCOs (05/15/07)
Bedford County Emergency Medical Service (BCEMS) officials believe new county standards for non-emergency ambulance service passed earlier this month will force the insurance companies that manage TennCare to negotiate a contract with BCEMS and help eliminate long waits for non-emergency ambulance transfers...

Million dollar prizes due tonight (05/14/07)
The Tennessee Lottery will decide four million-dollar winners tonight as part of a special "Million Dollar Madness" raffle-type game. The winner will be announced during the regular lottery drawing aired at 6:28 p.m. on WKRN-TV (channel 2). All winning ticket numbers will be available at www.tnlottery.com...

Bredesen outlines school proposals (05/04/07)
Calling on the need to find accountability and sustainability in education standards, Gov. Phil Bredesen outlined his new funding program for schools Thursday. The proposal, which the governor called Basic Education Plan (BEP) 2.0, will, if approved by the General Assembly, funnel into county coffers substantially large amounts of money to aid education programs for the proposed 40-cent tax increase on tobacco products...

TDOT grant will benefit local airport (05/03/07)
The Shelbyville Municipal Airport has been awarded an Aeronautics Grant in the amount of $40,500 to assist with improvements to that facility. Gov. Phil Bredesen made the announcement earlier this week. "General aviation airports are critical to the economic development of communities across the state," said Bredesen. ...

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

Tennessee reacts to VT tragedy (04/30/07)
NASHVILLE -- Responding to President Bush's request for analysis of what U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper calls America's worst mass murder, Gov. Phil Bredesen on Saturday hosted workshops on issues raised by the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech. "Mental illness has not received ... ...

Ray suggests old school building for MTSU branch (04/25/07)
County Mayor Eugene Ray has suggested to Middle Tennessee State University that the former Harris Middle School building on Elm Street be used as an extension campus, and MTSU President Sidney McPhee is interested enough to discuss the proposal further, according to Ray...

Senator defends PAC transfers (04/18/07)
A State Senate committee voted on Tuesday to kill a bill which would keep one political action committee (PAC) from transferring money to another. State Sen. Jim Tracy says the practice hasn't been abused and that the Democrats who are protesting the system now didn't do so when their party was in power...

Lottery winner works here in Shelbyville (04/17/07)
Merwin Scruggs of Murfreesboro, a manager at Graves Metal Company in Shelbyville, and his wife Nita went to bed Saturday night thinking that they had four numbers right on the Powerball ticket they bought on Friday the 13th, their anniversary. Then, on Sunday morning, they looked it over one more time...

AT&T wants to bypass local franchising (04/16/07)
LEWISBURG -- Competition for cable TV customers lowered rates elsewhere and a state senator is sponsoring legislation to create statewide franchising for companies delivering TV channels through wires, he said Friday night. "This bill just passed in Georgia, and in other states we've seen, on average, a reduction of $25 a month" in cable bills, Sen. ...

Lieutenant governor supports Tracy plan (04/16/07)
Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey told the Times-Gazette during a visit to Shelbyville on Saturday that he supports state Sen. Jim Tracy's bill which would designate $100 million in excess lottery funds to help local school systems with their capital projects...

Governor asks for disaster declaration (04/13/07)
Gov. Phil Bredesen has requested a federal designation of agricultural disaster for all 95 counties in Tennessee to help farmers who have suffered crop damages as a result of last week's deep freeze and record low temperatures. A designation from USDA would allow farmers to apply for low-interest emergency loans that could help them manage crop losses and plan for next year. Bredesen made the request Thursday in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns...

Sales tax holiday returns this month (04/12/07)
Tennessee will have a sales tax holiday beginning at 12:01 a.m. April 27 and continuing through 11:59 p.m. April 29. The holiday will be similar to the back-to-school holiday held last August; the items which will be tax-exempt were chosen to benefit families with school-age children, but even those families or individuals without children can realize some savings...

EMS income cut feared (04/10/07)
A change in the Managed Care Organization which handles TennCare claims threatens to cut the amount that county-owned Bedford County Emergency Medical Services is paid for transporting TennCare patients. Under the state's old MCO, TennCare Select, BCEMS was paid about $140 for a basic life support ambulance run, plus $4 per mile. ...

Ramsey to headline GOP banquet (04/10/07)
Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey will be the guest speaker for Saturday's "Celebrate America Dinner," hosted by Bedford County Republican Party. The event, which in the past was called the Lincoln Day Dinner, will be Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Blue Ribbon Circle. Ramsey will also appear at a separately-ticketed reception from 5:30 until 6:30 p.m. at Charleston On Main restaurant...

Cable TV bill takes legislative spotlight (04/09/07)
State Rep. Curt Cobb is holding a hearing today in Nashville on what's been dubbed the AT&T bill to create statewide franchises for cable TV companies instead of having them licensed by cities and counties. Shelbyville city council members, like those representing them through the Tennessee Municipal League, oppose statewide franchising of cable TV because there was no requirement to provide service to government buildings like schools. ...

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

Hearing will study title loan restrictions (04/02/07)
A state legislative hearing is to be held Tuesday on whether title loan companies should have a lower limit on what they can charge, according to state Rep. Curt Cobb. Not unexpectedly, those who accept car titles as collateral for short-term, high-interest loans are against a common goal in nine bills for which Cobb will hold a hearing at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Nashville...

Tracy sponsors campus safety bill (03/30/07)
A bill sponsored by State Sen. Jim Tracy of Shelbyville that would help campus police officers keep Tennessee colleges and universities safe is moving through the Senate.� Senate Bill 276 unanimously cleared the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Current law provides that certain law enforcement entities are permitted to seize property under certain circumstances. This bill would add campus police officers to the list of authorized officials that are allowed to make these seizures...

Couple avoids jail time for TennCare fraud (03/26/07)
A Shelbyville couple charged with TennCare fraud pleaded guilty on Friday when a jail sentence was converted to probation and restitution ordered. Barbara Jean and David Michael Westmoreland of Robinson Lane were sentenced on two counts of fraud each and placed on probation for two years and six months...

Tracy's bill opens state records (03/23/07)
Senate Bill 1066, the "Taxpayer Transparency Act of 2007" sponsored by state Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), was approved Tuesday by the Senate State and Local Government Committee. "The intent of this legislation is to bring openness to state government," said Tracy. "The taxpayers want to know how and where their money is being utilized."...

Arriaga's attorney counters violation claim (03/20/07)
Religious freedom and drug avoidance are issues mentioned by a Shelbyville woman and her lawyer while explaining their side of allegations that she violated the terms of her probation from a TennCare fraud conviction. Even the prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney General Mike Randles, has acknowledged that the probation violation hearing to be conducted for Nellie Arriaga, 29, won't include incontrovertible evidence -- typically another crime or a failed drug test...

Settlement reached in TennCare fraud case (03/10/07)
A settlement has been reached in a TennCare fraud case brought against a Shelbyville couple by the state inspector general's office, according to court records and attorneys in the case. Barbara J. and David Michael Westmoreland of Robinson Lane were indicted Jan. 22 on two counts of TennCare fraud and one count of theft for allegedly receiving medical assistance benefits they weren't entitled to since as early as Jan. 6, 2000...

Open records aren't always seen by public (03/10/07)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- If a local or state official in Tennessee refuses to release a public document, the only recourse is to file an expensive civil lawsuit. But there are some efforts to change that this year. Gov. Phil Bredesen has said he will put money in the budget to create an open records ombudsman, someone to help people who are refused access to public records...

Governor touts insurance plan for small business (03/09/07)
Saying that it was "a long time coming," Gov. Phil Bredesen helped kick off a new, state-subsidized health insurance plan for low-income working adults Thursday. CoverTN calls for the state, employees and participating businesses to each pay one-third of the average monthly premium of $150...

Motlow rises fastest in TBR system (03/08/07)
Motlow State Community College had the highest percentage increase for its enrollment this spring of any college in the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) system, said Greer Alsup, director of admissions and records. Motlow's 13.74 percent increase also set a record for the college...

Tracy honored by TSBA (03/05/07)
State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) received the Tennessee School Board Association's (TSBA) 2007 Legislative Award last week at the annual TSBA legislative breakfast. "Sen. Tracy has established himself as a key leader on education issues," said Amy Martin, president-elect of TSBA and a member of Bedford County Board of Education. Tracy was formerly one of Martin's colleagues on the school board, but resigned in order to devote his full attention to his state Senate seat...

State sued over fatal accident (02/27/07)
A $300,000 complaint has been filed against the Tennessee Department of Transportation over a Bedford County traffic fatality in which, according to the complaint, a car struck a tree growing in the right of way of Highway 82 East. The tree has since been removed, says Shelbyville-based attorney John Norton who represents Steve and Dianne Arnold of Bell Buckle, parents of Clinton Scott Arnold who died Feb. 26, 2006, in the crash on the road between Bell Buckle and U.S. Highway 231...

Legislative proposal concerns trainers (02/27/07)
Opening the door for a varied list of violations, citations and litigations, the proposed Tennessee Equine Protection Act, introduced by Sen. Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville) and Rep. Janis Baird Sontany (D-Nashville) in February's General Assembly activities, is being closely scrutinized by members of the walking horse community...

Lack of quorum delays DRA decisions (02/20/07)
The Duck River Agency, which has more than $10 million collected from water utilities in this and four other counties, has three openings on its board of directors that hasn't been able to hold its quarterly meeting because there was no quorum. A Columbia banker sought advice on what to do about a discrepancy between documents on how the $10 million can be invested to generate more money for water projects. ...

What to do with $10.5 million (02/15/07)
Directors of the Duck River Agency headquartered here are to consider a conflict tonight on how they can invest $10.5 million. The agency created to protect water quality and supplies in the Duck River's five-county watershed receives money from water utilities in the area and is to spend it for the improvement of those supplies...

Holton execution delayed (02/02/07)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Gov. Phil Bredesen on Thursday postponed four pending executions, saying the state needs to rework its outdated and unspecific procedures for lethal injection. Bredesen reiterated his support for the death penalty but said he was issuing temporary reprieves for four condemned killers because of holes in the state's written execution protocols that could be challenged in courts...

Holton execution set for Feb. 28 (01/31/07)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- A new execution date has been set for death row inmate Daryl Holton after he was spared from the electric chair last September. In an opinion filed Tuesday, the Tennessee Supreme Court approved the state's motion to reset the execution to Feb. 28...

Fire Academy flags at half-staff (01/29/07)
Flags are being flown at half-staff at the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy on Unionville-Deason Road in honor of a Tennessee firefighter who died in a Chattanooga blaze early Friday morning. Firefighter Shane Daughetee, 24, of the Highway 58 Fire Department in Hamilton County was trying to rescue a family when he fell through the roof of the home. Two additional firefighters were injured trying to rescue him...

Couple accused of defrauding TennCare (01/23/07)
A Bedford County couple indicted Monday on TennCare fraud charges as a result of allegations that they used the government health insurance when they could have bought a commercial policy. Kelly Wilson, a Shelbyville-based attorney who's served Barbara J. and David Michael "Mike" Westmoreland, explained this morning, "I believe the allegations involve whether they were eligible for TennCare when they could have had private insurance had they simply applied for it...

Holton won't object to new execution date (01/23/07)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Death row inmate Daryl Keith Holton said in a letter he is not opposed to the state setting a new execution date for him after he was spared from the electric chair last September. Holton, who confessed to killing his three young sons and their half-sister with an assault rifle in 1997, was granted a stay from a federal appeals court the night before he was to be electrocuted at Riverbend Maximum Security Prison...

Tracy to chair Transportation committee (01/20/07)
State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) has been appointed chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee by Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey (R-Blountville). "This is a great honor and a great opportunity for the citizens of Bedford, Moore and Rutherford Counties," said Tracy in a news release. "I appreciate the confidence that Lt. Gov. Ramsey has shown me by appointing me to serve as a committee chairman."...

New execution date sought for Holton (01/18/07)
Tennessee's Attorney General has asked the state Supreme Court to set a new execution date for the Shelbyville man who was sentenced to death 7 1/2 years ago for killing his three young sons and their sister. Attorney General Robert Cooper's request was released Wednesday by the state and stems from a federal Appeals Court decision on Jan. 9 clearing Daryl Keith Holton's path to the electric chair, his choice of execution for the 1997 shooting deaths...

State GOP money reaches candidates despite limits (01/18/07)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey's political action committee avoided campaign contribution limits by giving money to another PAC, which then directed money to key Republican candidates, an Associated Press analysis of campaign finance records has found...

No animal emergency workers here yet (01/17/07)
Tennessee now has more than 1,000 persons trained and registered to give aid to animals during times of emergencies, but local Emergency Management Agency director Scott Johnson said he's not aware of any yet in Bedford County. Animal health officials with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) announced that the state reached the 1,000 milestone in November. ...

State supplies documents to T-G -- but not SWA (01/13/07)
The county's solid waste coordinator now has documents pertaining to a 2003 leak at the Quail Hollow landfill, but still does not have a tape or minutes of a hearing held in 2004. However the documents in question were not sent to coordinator Linda Gay Ervin, who has been attempting to get a response from the state for the past two months, but were instead e-mailed to this reporter...

Forestry academy teaches firefighting techniques (01/12/07)
For the fifth year, the U.S. Forest Service and the State of Kentucky are holding their Tennessee / Kentucky Forestry Academy at the Clarence "Pete" Phillips Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy (TFACA) on Unionville-Deason Road. The training program, which trains firefighters in techniques for battling forest fires, has been taking place this week, involving more than 300 students from Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina and throughout the Southeast. ...

Political figures address Flat Creek club (01/10/07)
With a potluck dinner fit for a king, and top notch music provided by Jim and Inge Wood, the Flat Creek Community Club held its monthly meeting Saturday night. The night's agenda included comments from four elected officials who were the club's special guests...

Tracy says Ramsey will be pro-business (01/10/07)
State Sen. Jim Tracy of Shelbyville spoke with his GOP colleague Ron Ramsey 15 minutes before Tuesday's vote, and Ramsey seemed confident that he would be successful in his attempt to challenge John Wilder for the lieutenant governor's post that Wilder had held since 1971...

Fire school wants EMS on standby (01/09/07)
Bedford County Emergency Medical Services' growth plan calls for closing down its Academy Station, on the campus of Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy, in order to move its personnel closer to highly-populated areas and reduce response time...

Lottery grant funds after-school programs (01/08/07)
Unclaimed lottery prize money is helping fund after-school programs in Bedford County and across the state, as Gov. Phil Bredesen announced $21.2 million in grants this week under the Lottery Education After-School Program, or LEAP. Bedford County will receive $86,500 in LEAP funds during this fiscal year. School board members passed an amendment last month to incorporate the LEAP funding into the budget...

Schools getting Microsoft money (12/20/06)
Bedford County Schools will be getting $119,364.68 in software vouchers as a result of a settlement in a lawsuit against Microsoft Corporation. In all, the Tennessee Department of Education will distribute $15,315,586.25 to local school systems. The recently settled class action suit alleged Microsoft used unlawful trade practices to maintain a monopoly and overcharge Tennessee consumers...

BREAKING NEWS: John Ford indicted again (12/18/06)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Former state Sen. John Ford, already awaiting trial in a public corruption case, has been indicted on new charges over consulting deals he had with state contractors while serving in the Legislature, federal prosecutors announced Monday...

SWA member wants missing state minutes (12/15/06)
A member of the county's Solid Waste Authority says he believes that a recording of a 2004 state hearing has been erased that concerned a leak at the Quail Hollow Landfill. Last month, Bill Lewis, the newest member of the authority, asked what happened to the minutes of a hearing held by the state over a leak at the landfill nearly three years ago...

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

Bedford ranks 53rd in health (12/13/06)
The health of Bedford County's citizens ranks 53rd out of 95 counties in Tennessee, according to a report released Tuesday by a new state agency -- but since the Volunteer State ranks 47th in the U.S. in overall health, it's debatable whether any county in the state has much to crow about...

DRA hires bank to manage account (11/30/06)
The Duck River Agency's Finance Committee has voted to hire a bank in Columbia to manage nearly $10.5 million so the account will grow faster than where it's been, securities held by the state treasury. First Farmers & Merchants Bank was one of eight banks asked to respond to a request for proposals on how they would manage the money that's largely from a fee paid by water utilities in the Duck River watershed...

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

Taxpayers foot the bill for lobbying contacts (11/25/06)
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee taxpayers have spent more than $8.6 million in the past three years for local governments to lobby state and federal officials, according to a report by the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Public bodies and groups representing them, such as the Tennessee County Services Association, spent between $2.7 million and $3.1 million to lobby state officials from 2003 to 2005...

E-911 gets new state funding (11/20/06)
Bedford County Emergency Communications District (E-911) will receive $104,081 annually from the state under a new operational funding program approved Oct. 31. The new allocation was discussed Wednesday night by the E-911 board, which manages Bedford County Communications Center...

Landfill minutes sought by SWA member (11/13/06)
A member of the Bedford County Solid Waste Authority wants to know what happened to the minutes of a hearing held by the state over a leak at the Quail Hollow Landfill nearly three years ago. Bill Lewis, the newest member of the Authority and who lives near the landfill, has requested information about what was done by the state regarding the case...

School system pleased with new state report cards (11/10/06)
Bedford County school system officials are crowing about the new School System Report Cards released today by the state, noting virtually across-the-board improvement, both in academic achievement and "value added" performance, by local schools over the past two years. Central High School and Thomas Intermediate School, which were on the state's "target list" several years ago, learned in August that they had met their adequate yearly progress (AYP) goals for two years straight, taking them off the list....

Woman convicted of TennCare fraud (11/06/06)
A woman changed the number 2 into the number 6 on a prescription for 21 pain pills so she could get 40 more, but pharmacists noticed the difference and called police. As a result, Margie Grace Drennan, 20, of Anthony Lane was charged with TennCare fraud in late June. She pleaded guilty in Bedford County Circuit Court last Thursday...

The other amendment on Tuesday's ballot (11/04/06)
It's proposed constitutional amendment #1 -- the definition of marriage -- that's getting all the attention, but the other amendment on Tuesday's general election ballot could have an impact on senior citizens, and on local governments. Amendment #2 would allow counties and cities to grant property tax relief to senior citizens by, in effect, freezing the property tax bill on their primary residence at the time they turn 65. ...

State-chartered banks can get DRA investment contract (10/30/06)
CHAPEL HILL -- Banks chartered by the State of Tennessee have been found to be eligible to land a $10.4 million investment contract with the Duck River Agency which has offices in Shelbyville. DRA Finance Director Jill Garrett was credited Thursday night during the agency's quarterly board meeting with discovering a discrepancy in the pending investment contract that could be misinterpreted as limiting the agency's investment to federally-chartered banks...

DRA may hear investment advice (10/20/06)
A recommendation on where to invest $10.4 million might be heard next week by the directors of a state-chartered agency created to maintain and develop water quality and supply in a five-county area. That's according to Duck River Agency Executive Director Doug Murphy and DRA Finance Director Jill Garrett, whose offices are on East Depot Street where they explain that for the recommendation to occur a couple of things must happen...

Motorcyclist misses Shelbyville appearance (10/14/06)
A group of concerned citizens was left waiting Friday when activist Mark "Big Norm" Norman, who was suffering from mechanical problems, failed to arrive at the Celebration grounds for a planned appearance as part of a statewide motorcyle ride in support of "Jessica's Law."...

Bedford may be named disaster area (10/13/06)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Gov. Phil Bredesen announced Thursday he has requested declarations of federal agricultural disaster for Bedford and 17 more Tennessee counties. Bredesen in August made two requests for a disaster declaration in 14 other counties. The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved six of those counties last month. The USDA is expected to make a determination about the other eight counties soon, according to a news release...

Grant renewal funds DUI prosecutor (10/10/06)
The state has renewed a grant to the District Attorney's office here to continue funding an assistant prosecutor who specializes in cases against people accused of drunken driving. Somewhat more than $129,000 for the position held by Assistant District Attorney Richard Cawley and supporting costs were recently announced by the Governor's Highway Safety Office directed by Kendell Poole for Gov. Phil Bredesen...

County gets delayed disaster funding (10/05/06)
Gov. Phil Bredesen has announced that the state is providing $3.6 million in disaster assistance funding to many Tennessee communities, including Bedford County, that suffered damages due to thunderstorms, flooding, and high winds and tornadoes in 2003...

Duck River Agency weighs financial options (10/05/06)
More information is being gathered by the Duck River Agency before its finance committee will recommend where more than $10 million should be invested, the agency's executive director said Wednesday. Finance committee members met Tuesday night at the agency's offices on East Depot Street as they continued to review the proposals on investment from eight banks and similar financial institutions, DRA Executive Director Doug Murphy said...

Woman accused of false report seeks DCS files (10/02/06)
A Bedford County woman indicted on a charge of filing a false report about a child in state custody wants to see internal investigation files of the state Department of Children's Services in connection with her arrest. Deborah Adele Westbrook, 46, of Pass Road, is represented by defense attorney Ted Daniel of Bedford County, who has offices in Murfreesboro. ...

Bell Buckle turned down for sewer grant (09/30/06)
Once again, the town of Bell Buckle will not be getting a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to fund a state-mandated upgrade to their sewer system. The town learned of the rejection Wednesday in a letter from Philip Trauernicht, director of the Department of Economic and Community Development...

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

TUFF Challenge tests firefighters (09/25/06)
More than 150 firefighters from Knoxville, Memphis and a host of cities in between will gather Saturday at the Clarence "Pete" Phillips Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy on Unionville-Deason Road to test their skills in the third annual Tennessee Ultimate Fire Fighter (TUFF) Challenge...

Election commission won't act against Walden (09/21/06)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- The State Election Commission took no action against Hamilton County Election Commissioner Mike Walden over his offer of money to get competitors to withdraw from the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. Walden was suspended from participating in the show for two years after he offered other trainers $10,000 to withdraw from the grand champion competition on Sept. 2 in Shelbyville...

Tracy says Supreme Court selection method will change (09/21/06)
State Sen. Jim Tracy told a men's prayer breakfast this morning that the method of picking state Supreme Court justices "will be changed this year" after recent controversies. Gov. Phil Bredesen sued the state's Judicial Selection Commission on Monday, claiming the panel's repeated nomination of a rejected Supreme Court candidate diminishes his ability to choose the best person for the job...

Tortured emotions lead to murder (09/18/06)
At the crux of Daryl Holton's life is one of the most basic story lines. After boy meets girl, it's either how they live happily ever after, or leave each other. He loved his children, but hated his ex-wife so much that he took revenge on her by killing them. How and why have been leading toward Holton's death for nearly nine years...

Holton execution postponed (09/19/06)
Questions about the effectiveness of legal counsel have been raised by Daryl Holton and on Monday, within nine hours of his scheduled execution, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed that answers should be provided before his death. Therefore, Holton, the divorced Shelbyville man who shot four children to death while on visitation to go Christmas shopping, was not electrocuted at 1 this morning....

State set to execute Holton (09/16/06)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- If self-confessed murderer Daryl Keith Holton gets his way, on Tuesday he will become the first prisoner to die in Tennessee's electric chair in 46 years and only the second person in the U.S. to be executed by that method in more than two years...

Lawyers try to stop Holton execution (09/14/06)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Lawyers for Tennessee death row inmate Daryl Keith Holton have filed a motion with the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to stay his execution scheduled for Tuesday. Stephen Ferrell, a federal public defender for Holton, said on Wednesday that he also appealed a ruling last week from U.S. District Judge Thomas Phillips that Holton's case didn't merit a full evidentiary hearing on his competency...

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

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

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

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

Wreck-prone road widened (08/28/06)
UNIONVILLE -- The road reconstruction project, including the replacement of storm water drainage pipes, is poetic justice for the president of Wright Paving Co. "There have been several wrecks here," Tommy Wright said Friday while his crew, men from B&W Excavating and employees of the Tennessee Department of Transportation worked on U.S. 41-A...

County's state funding totals $63.2M (08/03/06)
State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) has received the annual budget data containing state funding broken down by county and has announced that during the new state fiscal year that began July 1, Bedford County is now projected to receive approximately $63.2 million of state appropriations. Also, Bedford County will receive a portion of the $9.3 billion of federal funds included in Tennessee's $26.4 billion budget as adopted by the 104th General Assembly...

Lyons challenges state election authorities (07/27/06)
Arguments that congressmen can't succeed themselves have been set to be heard Friday in Bedford County Chancery Court as presented by a Bell Buckle man who is on Tuesday's ballot to be the Democratic nominee for Tennessee's 6th District representative...

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

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

Sales tax holiday will help back-to-school shoppers (07/14/06)
As parents look ahead to the school year, a new state sales tax holiday may help make it slightly less expensive to buy clothing, school supplies and even some computers. From 12:01 a.m. Aug. 4 through 11:59 p.m. Aug. 6, there will be no sales tax charged for qualifying clothing, school supplies and computers sold in Tennessee. The holiday is intended to help families during their back-to-school preparations, according to Gov. Phil Bredesen...

Madison Street repaving to begin soon (07/14/06)
Nearly $950,000 worth of repaving is to be completed in September on Madison Street, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Wright Construction Inc. has the contract for the work that's to start soon between North Main Street and Wartrace Pike, TDOT spokeswoman Kim Keelor announced...

New hospital receives state approval (06/30/06)
Bedford County Medical Center has received authorization from a state regulatory agency to proceed toward construction of a new hospital. The unanimous vote by the Health Services and Development Agency on Wednesday came within three days of the first anniversary of Bedford County's sale of its hospital to Community Health Systems...

UT president says Space Institute poised for growth (06/14/06)
ARNOLD AFB -- University of Tennessee President John Petersen, introducing new University of Tennessee Space Institute Chief Operating Officer Don Daniel, said UTSI is poised for greatness after a transformational change which is refocusing the facility on two key areas of research...

Duck River Agency seeks to invest $10 million (06/13/06)
Approximately $10 million will be available for investment next month at a rate of return that's greater than what the State of Tennessee can earn for the Duck River Agency, according to officials with that organization with headquarters here. It's because of legislation enacted by the state Legislature after an omission was discovered in the law that created what's officially known as the Tennessee Duck River Development Agency that's led by a five-county, 17-member panel created in conjunction with the construction of Normandy Dam.. ...

Bonnaroo traffic about to begin (06/13/06)
If you travel around the area regularly, get ready for some heavier traffic as music fans pour into the region this week for Bonnaroo. The fifth year of the giant music and arts festival, held Friday, Saturday and Sunday outside of Manchester, has the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) getting ready for all the extra vehicles. TDOT strategies for handling the increased volume were planned well in advance and will be implemented before the festival begins...

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

Tracy bill gives grants to teachers (06/12/06)
State Sen. Jim Tracy was the lead sponsor of an education bill this year which is designed to encourage teachers to obtain advanced degrees or certification in math and science and then to teach in schools. The bill broke through the bottleneck of bills and passed both houses unanimously the next to last day of the legislative session...

New public defender hired (06/05/06)
An experienced state attorney has been hired as the newest assistant public defender to serve county and state courts in the 17th Judicial District. She's Dorothy Buck, 43, of Monteagle, who's worked as an assistant attorney general assigned to the Department of Children's Services office in Columbia...

Bredesen, Tracy address Girls State (06/01/06)
MURFREESBORO -- A disadvantage to the federal No Child Left Behind Act, enforcement of the state's Sex Offender Registry Law, and so-called "sin taxes" to fund schools were some of the topics Bedford County girls discussed with their state senator during a Girls State event Wednesday...

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

Seminar teaches candidates about campaign finance (05/31/06)
Political candidates and their campaign treasurers in Bedford County are being offered a seminar on how to file documents required by Tennessee when someone wants to run for political office. "We're going to conduct the seminar on all the candidates' responsibilities and our responsibilities to the candidates," Bedford County Elections Administrator Anna Clanton announced late last week...

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

Motlow breaks ground on new library (05/23/06)
MOORE COUNTY -- Motlow State Community College broke ground Monday morning for a new 31,000-square-foot library which university officials said will combine the best in traditional library services with the latest in new technology. Dr. Art Walker, who will retire at the end of June as Motlow's president, said the library is "the cornerstone of student learning" at any college and that the new Motlow facility will serve that function well...

Death chamber prepared for use (05/10/06)
NASHVILLE -- Tennessee could be executing one of its 103 death row inmates a week from today, its first in six years. Monday, the warden of Riverbend Maximum Security Institution conducted a tour of the death chamber and other rooms related to what may be the condemned man's last days...

Taxing authority proposal still in dispute (05/09/06)
Bedford County commissioners' request for more taxing authority from the state Legislature is facing a double-edged sword used in political warfare on Capitol Hill and across the state. Commissioners here and in other counties want to be able to tax each new square foot of heated and cooled living space built in their jurisdiction and, separately, their panels have voted to request a private act by the General Assembly to let them do it, largely so they'll have money for school budgets...

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

EMA cuts ribbon on new facility (05/01/06)
State and local dignitaries cut the ribbon Friday on the new Bedford County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) / Tennessee Department of Safety building on Railroad Avenue. The building houses EMA headquarters and an emergency command post; a driver's license testing station; a Tennessee Highway Patrol station; and a branch office for the Heart of Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross...

Public Defenders office loses two attorneys (05/01/06)
Two of the five public defenders here and three adjoining counties will be newly-hired attorneys this spring as an experienced lawyer has retired and the newest at that office got married and is making a new home in Nashville. Faced with the prospect of losing 40 percent of the lawyers in her office, Public Defender Donna Hargrove suddenly became a one-woman human resources director looking for attorneys to fill open positions at an overworked office...

Handicap-accessible voting machines purchased (04/27/06)
Bedford County officials signed documents Wednesday for the purchase of handicap-accessible voting machines that will cost $108,800. Meanwhile, today is the last day to vote early in the May 2 primaries to nominate candidates in contested races for sheriff, county mayor and trustee. The election office in the county courthouse will be open until 5 p.m...

Local regulation of tobacco use requested (04/20/06)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners' rules and legislative committee has endorsed a resolution asking the state to give local governments the right to make tobacco use regulations. Harriett Stewart of the American Cancer Society, speaking on behalf of Bedford County Health Council, appeared before the committee Tuesday night. ...

Governor, U.S. health secretary urge preparation without panic (04/11/06)
NASHVILLE -- U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt and Gov. Phil Bredesen said on Monday that it's important for the state to get ready for a bird flu pandemic, but at the same time to avoid misinformation. "We will be prepared," said Bredesen, "but we will not incite unnecessary alarm."....

Judge, state rep candidates haven't given up (04/10/06)
Two Shelbyville men haven't given up in their quest to run for public office, even though they missed a Thursday deadline to file papers at election offices so they could be named on prepared ballots. "We're exploring the options that are open to us in this type of situation," Shelbyville insurance agent Wayne Hitchcock said Friday afternoon as he continued to gather information from people he declined to identify...

Creeks, river segment called 'impaired' (04/07/06)
A number of creeks in Bedford County and several miles of the Duck River are on a list of impaired waters released this week by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation [TDEC]. TDEC released two water quality assessment reports; the 2006 305(b) Report: The Status of Water Quality in Tennessee, which assesses the quality of the state's lakes, streams and wetlands, and the 2006 303(d) List, a compilation of the impaired waters in Tennessee...

Artificial insemination rules near approval (04/06/06)
Artificial insemination of horses in Tennessee won't require a veterinarian's supervision after an act of the state Legislature is signed by Gov. Phil Bredesen later this month, according to Bedford County's delegation to the General Assembly. Identical bills have been approved by the House and Senate, according to state Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) who on Wednesday said the act "should be ready" for Gov. Phil Bredesen's signature at "any time," so it could become law next week...

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

Community paddling wasn't child abuse, says state (04/04/06)
No child abuse was found by a state investigation into the paddling of a Community High School boy late last year, according to a recent statement from the Department of Children's Services. Freddy and Tracy Manus of Virgil Crowell Road, Unionville, complained in late October, alleging that their 14-year-old son, Samuel, was paddled and suffered a bruise. A doctor in Smyrna said it was a result of child abuse...

Tracy proposes tightening BUI rules (04/03/06)
A bill proposed by State Sen. Jim Tracy to make the blood alcohol content for drunk boating offenses the same as that for drunk driving offenses was passed unanimously by the Senate last week. Tracy (R-Shelbyville) is the lead Senate sponsor of legislation to lower the blood-alcohol content (BAC) to 0.08 percent from 0.10 percent for Boating Under the Influence (BUI) violations. ...

Death penalty delay sought by lawmakers (04/03/06)
NASHVILLE -- State lawmakers are being asked to create a death penalty study committee and stop executions for three years. Bedford County's delegation has no objection to studying the subject, but both lawmakers from Shelbyville oppose legislation stalling executions...

Proposed upgrades would streamline organ donation (04/03/06)
Improvements proposed for Tennessee's organ donor registry were revealed Thursday when Shelbyville Noon Rotary Club members were told the program is subject to votes by the state Legislature this spring. Perhaps best known for the line to sign on the back of a driver's license, the current organ donation program "doesn't work very well," said Boyd Fulton of Brentwood, the Rotary luncheon speaker...

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

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

Bill would require drivers to be American citizens (03/29/06)
Drivers will have to be American citizens to get a Tennessee driver's license, according to a proposed law recommended by the state House Transportation Committee, state Rep. Curt Cobb reported Tuesday night. "The certificate program has not been working," Cobb said of an alternate method of documenting drivers who aren't citizens. "So, the committee decided we should do something before we know what the federal government will do."...

Tracy supports Bredesen's insurance fix (03/28/06)
Gov. Phil Bredesen's public health insurance proposal, emphasizing personal responsibility in a system for working people and small businesses, has found some support at Bedford County's delegation to the Legislature. "I think the overall reaction is positive because we all know the health care insurance system is broken," said state Sen. Jim Tracy, whose insurance agency office is on North Main Street. "I like the point of personal responsibility.....

Tracy sponsors cable-related bill (03/21/06)
State Sen. Jim Tracy has introduced a bill in the state legislature that he says will protect consumers by promoting greater competition for cable television services -- but there are still issues to be worked out, and the bill may not get to a vote in the current legislative session...

State won't appeal election case (03/16/06)
Tennessee won't ask the state Supreme Court to review Bedford County Sheriff Clay Parker's victory at the Court of Appeals this week so he may run for re-election despite missing a state deadline when qualifying as a candidate. That announcement came late Wednesday from Sharon Curtis-Flair, spokeswoman for State Attorney General Paul Summers' office with the explanation that the case here is different from three others across the state as other would-be candidates missed the same deadline...

Commission opposes strengthened Sunshine Law (03/15/06)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to pass a resolution opposing the Sunshine in Government Improvement Act of 2006, claiming it would place "an unworkable and untenable burden" on local governments. "This bill creates tremendous potential for harassment of public officials and nuisance suits," said Commissioner Joe Tillett...

State grant promotes recycling (03/13/06)
Promotional materials for an upcoming household hazardous waste event and transportation for an environmental awareness program for students are the items that a state recycling grant will help pay for, the Bedford County Solid Waste Authority decided Thursday...

Sunshine Law changes proposed (03/13/06)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- A new automobile assembly plant was on the agenda. Hundreds, if not thousands, of new jobs were involved, along with millions of dollars in private investment, along with an unknown amount of tax dollars. Three county commissioners were there in the room at the Fayette County employment-training center. So were two county mayors and the lieutenant governor of Tennessee...

Appeals court to hear sheriff's case (03/03/06)
The Tennessee Court of Appeals has agreed to hear arguments from Bedford County Sheriff Clay Parker that his name should not be kept from the May 2 Democratic Party primary even though he missed a deadline to file information with the state Safety Department so it could conduct a background check to be sure he could take office...

Local clinics complimented for taking on patients (03/02/06)
Four medical clinics in Bedford County have been complimented by the state for increasing their patient load since receiving grants to treat uninsured adult patients because TennCare disenrolled thousands of people. Because the clinics appear to be meeting a goal they set with the state last year, they may become role-models for other clinics this spring as the state tries to help other clinics meet their agreements to treat more uninsured adults, a state spokeswoman said...

City hopes census brings more state funding (03/02/06)
Keep an eye out for a red envelope in your mailbox very soon because it could help Shelbyville get more money from the state. It's a special census to be conducted by the city which officials say could result in a lower local tax burden for Shelbyville residents. The letters containing the census should be mailed out by the end of this week...

Committee opposes strengthening Sunshine Law (03/01/06)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners' budget and finance committee voted Tuesday night to place on the full commission's agenda a resolution opposing the Sunshine in Government Improvement Act of 2006. "I think that's the biggest bunch of hogwash that ever was," said Commissioner Roger Brothers of the act. He claimed it would prevent two commissioners from attending church together lest they be accused of discussing public business...

Governors eye box lunches for students (02/28/06)
WASHINGTON -- School lunches were criticized at the National Governors Association winter meetings ending Tuesday and Gov. Phil Bredesen said he noticed that and may have more to say about them. Speaking of the governors' conference, President Bush lauded Medicare Part D prescription drug insurance enrollment, which confused so many seniors in Shelbyville that some called the police about offers at their doorsteps, complaining about "salesmen" when they were being asked about changing to a different government-funded insurance plan.. ...

BREAKING NEWS: Parker, Stacy kept off ballot (02/24/06)
Judge J.S. "Steve" Daniel, sitting in Bedford County Chancery Court, ruled Friday that incumbent Sheriff Clay Parker and independent candidate Rod Stacy cannot be included on their respective election ballots because they missed a deadline for filing papers with the Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Commission...

Stacy wants to be added to Parker's lawsuit (02/18/06)
If Chancellor J.B. Cox won't direct state and county officials to put Rod Stacy on this year's election ballot in his bid for sheriff, then the city police officer will run in the 2010 election, he said Saturday. And since Stacy on Thursday filed papers to become a party to Sheriff Clay Parker's request to Cox for placement on the ballot, the sheriff has repeated an earlier point: Everybody has a right to use the system...

Presidents Day closings announced (02/17/06)
A variety of offices and agencies will close Monday for the federal Presidents' Day holiday. Here are some schedules of broad interest: Bedford County Courthouse and courthouse annex offices will close Monday and (where applicable) Saturday....

Public transit is hearing topic (02/16/06)
Approximately $1.6 million are at stake for the public transit system in Bedford and a dozen other counties in South Central Tennessee. That's the amount provided for this fiscal year ending June 30 and a similar amount is to be sought again from the Tennessee Department of Transportation...

Lawmakers consider walking horse issues (02/15/06)
Threats to the walking horse industry from Tennessee regulation and other states' incentives were revealed Tuesday during an information gathering session of the state House Agriculture Committee. For years, horse breeders have been artificially inseminating mares with the advice of a veterinarian, but some of those farm management practices have been seen by regulators as procedures to be performed only by veterinarians...

Solid waste grant accepted -- at lower amount (02/14/06)
The Bedford County Solid Waste Authority approved accepting a state recycling grant and the county's solid waste coordinator explained why the figure is much lower than reported last month. Coordinator Linda Gay Ervin told the authority about the miscommunication surrounding the nature of the rebate and that an amount of $600,000, not $500,000, was actually to be split between the 11 counties, leaving Bedford County with $19,824...

Walker honored by State Senate (02/14/06)
NASHVILLE -- The Tennessee Senate passed a resolution Monday honoring Dr. Art Walker on the occasion of his retirement as president of Motlow State Community College. "I am deeply honored," said Walker as he stood in the well of the Senate chambers. "This is truly a great honor for me." He joked that when he was called to the "well," it brought back memories of his childhood, when going to the well had quite a different meaning...

State, county try to reduce dropout rates (02/13/06)
State-mandated changes to high school curriculum in Tennessee are intended to reach out to all types of students -- giving advanced students more chances to excel and trying to keep at-risk students from dropping out. Bedford County Board of Education held its annual planning retreat Feb. 3-4 at Bottle Hollow Lodge, discussing state-mandated five year plans for making progress in education. Gov. Phil Bredesen's plan for redesigning the high school program was one of the key items on the agenda...

Bredesen discusses health care for children (02/10/06)
NASHVILLE -- Gov. Phil Bredesen discussed his proposed children's health care initiative during a speech to the state's newspaper executives Thursday night. Bredesen spoke at the Tennessee Press Association / University of Tennessee Press Institute and Winter Convention, which is taking place this week at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel. ...

Bredesen outlines plans for the year (02/09/06)
Questions about personal responsibility and issues involving Hispanics in Tennessee dominated a teleconference with Gov. Phil Bredesen Wednesday following his State of the State address Tuesday night. In the annual address, Bredesen said he wants to increase state employees' salaries, boost high school and college graduation rates and provide more health care for uninsured Tennesseans -- without raising taxes and on a smaller state budget...

Census to help city get its fair share (02/03/06)
Starting in March, Shelbyville residents need to start looking for a red envelope in their mailbox. That's because answering the simple questions within could mean the city will get more tax money from the state. The city will be conducting a special census starting Feb. 28 which officials say could result in a lower local tax burden for Shelbyville residents...

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

Supreme Court considers Holton case (02/03/06)
NASHVILLE -- Questions were raised Thursday about the authority of a legal service created by state lawmakers to represent all death row inmates so the state can be sure that those condemned to die have not suffered inadequate legal representation or other violations of their rights...

Proposed bill puts teeth in 'Sunshine Law' (01/28/06)
A new bill being put before the state legislature would strengthen and clarify the Tennessee Open Meetings Act, nicknamed the "Sunshine Law," which requires government bodies to do their business in public. The bill as it now exists would for the first time impose fines on public officials who meet to discuss public business in secret...

EMA seeks parking for DL testing station (01/25/06)
Bedford County Emergency Management Agency expects that the new driver's license testing station opening next month will draw a crowd to the EMA headquarters on Eagle Boulevard, so EMA wants to buy a small lot next door in order to expand its parking capacity...

Driver's license testing station to open Feb. 1 (01/18/06)
Bedford County's new driver's license testing station will open Feb. 1, State Sen. Jim Tracy reported on Tuesday. Tracy, who said he'd been receiving numerous questions from constituents about the center, contacted Tennessee Department of Safety about the matter and was told that the center will open that day. A formal grand opening will be held later, probably in March...

Clinic could lose some state funding (01/18/06)
The Community Clinic of Shelbyville might lose some of its state grant money awarded to help pay for medical services available to people who've been bumped from TennCare, according clinic officials. Clinic Director Julie Moore, who doubles as a nurse when needed at the clinic on Union Street, explained that the $37,500 grant was awarded on a condition that at least 500 more patients were served during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006...

Regents chief will speak to Chamber (01/18/06)
Dr. Charles Manning, chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents, will be guest speaker at this year's Shelbyville/Bedford County Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet. The banquet will be held 6 p.m. Feb. 6 at Blue Ribbon Circle on the Celebration grounds. Tickets are $30 each or $240 for a table for eight...

Fast Track program helps people choose teaching (01/17/06)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- New educators coming out of Tennessee's "fast track" teacher-certification program are having no trouble finding jobs. Teach Tennessee, a pilot program created by Gov. Phil Bredesen, allows mid-career professionals to bypass traditional training and get into the classroom much quicker...

Gilliland House receives state grant (01/16/06)
State Sen. Jim Tracy and State Rep. Curt Cobb presented a $1,951 check from the Tennessee Secretary of State's office on Friday to the Gilliland Historical Resource Center. The money is from the state's museum grant program. It was accepted by Mai D. Hendricks, one of the center's officials, as various well-wishers look on...

Local merchants pass tobacco test (01/16/06)
No Bedford County merchant sold tobacco to minors when monitored last year by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, according to its most recent survey as presented to the Bedford County Health Council. That 100 percent compliance rate is an improvement over the department's survey a year earlier when 27 percent of the store clerks checked were seen as willing to sell tobacco to juveniles, according to numbers released last week...

County gets $500,000 matching grant for waste (01/13/06)
Bedford County has been awarded a $500,000 recycling rebate and has been ranked one of the top 11 generators of solid waste in the state, the Solid Waste Authority was told Thursday. The rebate is a dollar-for-dollar matching grant that can be used for establishing new programs and collection sites, preparing recyclable materials for transport, marketing, and developing educational programs to promote and advertise recycling...

Cobb named to panel investigating Safety Department (01/11/06)
State Rep. Curt Cobb, D-Shelbyville, has been appointed to an ad hoc subcommittee of House Transportation Committee members charged with investigating the Department of Safety. Cobb and eight other House members will review an ongoing inquiry by the Senate Transportation Committee into alleged ethical abuses by Tennessee Highway Patrol administrators and troopers...

Cobb: Give ethics panel power to remove lawmakers (01/11/06)
Bedford County's delegation to the state legislature agrees with the governor's call for bold ethics reform and the state representative from Shelbyville said a proposed ethics commission should be able to remove a lawmaker from office. "They ought to have the power to terminate them," Rep. Curt Cobb (D-Shelbyville) said Tuesday evening, citing offenses such as bribery and influence peddling. "If they're selling their vote, they're gone, but they ought to have a fair hearing."...

New law aims to embarrass DUI offenders (01/07/06)
Having to wear an orange vest emblazoned with the phrase "I am a drunk driver" is predictably unpopular among folks in the audience of Bedford County General Sessions Court. That new state requirement for people convicted of DUI is like Hester Prynne having to wear a red letter "A" on her chest as Puritans punished her for adultery in Nathanial Hawthorne's novel "The Scarlet Letter," according to one man in the courtroom...

Tracy sponsors bill against abuse of eminent domain (01/06/06)
State Sen. Jim Tracy, R-Shelbyville, is the co-sponsor of a bill that would clarify the state's position and prevent the use of government's eminent domain power to benefit privately-owned projects. Eminent domain is the power a government has to force a landowner to sell property which is needed for a public purpose. ...

Advocate says old closed meeting case is problematic (12/31/05)
The executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government (TCOG) says that that he's never heard of a Sunshine Law violation lasting as long as the one regarding a 31-year-old sales tax agreement between Shelbyville and Bedford County. Director Frank Gibson, a veteran Nashville journalist and part-time editor for The Tennessean, said there are complicated legal questions involved with the case...

DAs roll out meth awareness campaign (12/30/05)
The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference is preparing to roll out new TV public service announcements featuring recovering methamphetamine addicts from Tennessee as part of the year-long "Meth Destroys" campaign. The statewide education campaign, which is being funded by a grant from Gov. Phil Bredesen's office, will also include the placement of billboards across the state aimed at encouraging more people to visit the campaign's Web site, www.MethFreeTN.org...

Montgomery retires after 33 years (12/30/05)
Family, friends and co-workers surprised manager Nina Montgomery Thursday with a party to celebrate her retirement from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development after over 33 years of service for the state. The shindig was held at the employment office just of the square in Shelbyville...

Official suggests state fund all local schools (12/29/05)
State Comptroller John Morgan wants the state to take on all funding of public schools in an effort to improve Tennessee's low graduation rates. Morgan is proposing that public school funding be raised from $5,108 per student to $7,218 with only school construction costs left to local governments. School districts would still operate schools and be accountable for their performance...

Database lists meth offenders (12/29/05)
According to a new online service provided by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, no one in Bedford County has been convicted of methamphetamine related offenses. The searchable "Meth Offender Registry" is online at www.tennesseeanytime.org/methor, which lists by name and by county anyone convicted in the state of charges related to manufacturing the extremely addictive drug...

New Year's closings announced (12/29/05)
A variety of local agencies and offices will close this weekend for the New Year's holiday. Here are some schedules of broad interest: Bedford County Courthouse and courthouse annex offices will close Saturday (where applicable) and Monday....

Senate candidates prepare for dogfight in '06 (12/27/05)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Tennesseans will vote for a governor and a new U.S. senator in 2006, but the past year proved it's almost never too early to start campaigning. Sen. Bill Frist will not seek a third term next year and a crowd of candidates is already fighting over his seat...

Safety net committee cuts it close (12/27/05)
CHATTANOOGA (AP) -- A committee that was created to analyze the so-called "safety net" for those cut from TennCare meets for the first time in January less than a week before its report is due to the General Assembly. Sen. David Fowler, R-Signal Mountain, introduced the amendment establishing the committee but has resigned in frustration over the slow start...

Governor says TennCare has 'turned the corner' (12/21/05)
"This has certainly been a challenging year for me, and the state," said Gov. Phil Bredesen Tuesday in a conference call with Tennessee reporters. But Bredesen said the state has "turned the corner" on its TennCare problems. The controversial cost-cutting measures applied to the program are producing the needed savings, and in fact the state has been able to extend some safety net coverage beyond the originally-announced cutoffs. ...

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

McBee retires from rehab center post (12/15/05)
With officials from all over the state present to see him off, Joe McBee retired from decades of work with the Tennessee Rehabilitation Center, a task begun in Shelbyville that ended with him overseeing all centers in the state. A luncheon and reception was held at the Shelbyville center Friday, where co-workers and friends recalled stories about his work in the field...

Holiday fire safety urged (12/12/05)
NASHVILLE -- Tennessee State Fire Marshal Paula Flowers wants to remind Tennesseans to keep fire safety on their minds as they decorate their homes for the holidays. "Home decorations make a home cheerful and festive, but decorations such as string lights and Christmas trees introduce fire risks," said Flowers. "All too often, we hear of a family that has lost its home, or worse, suffered an injury or death due to a fire caused by these decorations."...

THP commander forced to resign (12/06/05)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The commander of the Tennessee Highway Patrol was forced to resign Tuesday amid escalating allegations of political favoritism and corruption in his agency. The resignation of Col. Lynn Pitts was announced by Safety Commissioner Fred Phillips, who said in a statement that the commander had violated state law by trying to purchase a boat seized by troopers and put up for sale as surplus state property...

State says Thompson's rights weren't violated (12/06/05)
A man on death row has argued mental sickness is why he shouldn't be executed, and because of that, the state says he can't complain his privacy rights were violated. Meanwhile, attorneys for Gregory Thompson, 43, have argued for him that when the state obtained his medical records, there was a violation of the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)...

Canon sentenced, still denies guilt (11/29/05)
CHATTANOOGA -- Still denying that he devised a scheme to over bill TennCare and other health care programs, a Shelbyville man faces three years and five months in a federal prison as a result of a hearing in federal court Monday. "I never took a dime I didn't earn honestly," Robert Canon said yesterday evening after U.S. District Court Judge Allan Edgar resentenced him for his autumn 2003 conviction on 95 counts of health care fraud and ordered restitution of $3,183,710...

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

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

Veterans Day closings announced (11/09/05)
A number of agencies will close Friday in observance of the Veterans' Day holiday. Here are some schedules of broad interest: ***Closed Friday Bedford County Courthouse and Courthouse Annex offices will close Friday and (where applicable) Saturday....

White appointed to health emergency panel (11/07/05)
NASHVILLE -- A Chapel Hill man has been appointed by Gov. Phil Bredesen to serve on the Public Health Emergency Advisory Committee. Richard T. White, who recalls hunting rabbits on his grandfather's farm near U.S. 31-A, is among four men recently appointed to the state panel...

Grant to improve Wartrace walkways (10/25/05)
"Hallelujah!" That was the word from Wartrace Mayor Don Gallagher about news that the state of Tennessee will provide the town with an $66,264 enhancement grant to assist with providing better pedestrian traffic flow in the downtown area, namely sidewalks...

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

State helps Hispanics start businesses (10/15/05)
e Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC). The mayors of Shelbyville and Wartrace met recently with local Hispanic business people and the state executive director of TSBDC, Gregory Sedrick. The focus of the meeting was to inform the Hispanic community about small business development and training that is available free of charge...

Bredesen hears firefighters' pension pleas (10/08/05)
MURFREESBORO -- Gov. Phil Bredesen has agreed to examine the state retirement system's benefits following a request from the Tennessee Professional Firefighters Association during their annual convention here. "I'll take a look at it," the governor replied to a question at the Double Tree Hotel from a firefighter who claimed that some retired firefighters' pensions are just above an income that qualifies a household to receive food stamps...

County to get $59 million in state spending (10/06/05)
State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) and State Rep. Curt Cobb (D-Shelbyville) have announced that during fiscal year 2005-06, Bedford County is set to receive approximately $59 million of state appropriations. Also, Bedford County will receive a portion of the $9.8 billion of federal funds included in Tennessee's $25.8 billion budget as adopted by the 104th General Assembly...

Duck River quality is meeting's focus (10/06/05)
The general public is being invited to The Fly Arts Center Friday evening to discuss a water quality management plan for the Duck River and the drainage basin around its headwaters. During the 5-7 p.m. public meeting conducted by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation presentations are planned by local groups interested in water quality. There will also be demonstrations, exhibits and interactive displays...

Local health agencies get $325,000 in safety net grants (10/03/05)
State Rep. Curt Cobb praised the announcement Friday of $5.7 million in "safety net" grants to health agencies serving the uninsured, including $325,000 to four agencies in Bedford County. Gov. Phil Bredesen and state Health Commissioner Kenneth S. Robinson announced the grants on Friday. They went to 60 faith-based, community-based, rural and federally-funded health centers across the state...

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

Steroid dangers studied by Senate (09/21/05)
NASHVILLE -- "Wannabe athletes" and those who use steroids to enhance their appearance are among problems arising from artificial testosterone, according to the Tennessee Titans' strength coach testifying Tuesday at a state Senate subcommittee hearing...

State requests execution date for Thompson (09/20/05)
Tennessee's newest Supreme Court justice, sworn in Monday, will be among those setting an execution date for a man who killed a Shelbyville woman. That's because a federal court has cleared the path toward execution of the man who murdered a former Shelbyville Times-Gazette reporter. At the time of her death, she was the niece of the police chief here...

State Senate studies steroids (09/19/05)
The Tennessee Titans' strength coach and a Supreme Court justice's son are to testify Tuesday at a state Senate subcommittee hearing on how to keep student athletes from using steroids. State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) says he doesn't know if local students use the illegal strength enhancing drugs, but was interested in leading the committee because of his coaching career and he anticipates more attendance tomorrow than the dozen people who showed up for his first hearing...

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

Governor praises state's disaster response (09/09/05)
MANCHESTER -- Gov. Phil Bredesen told a crowd of Democratic supporters on Thursday that he is pleased with his constituents' response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. "I am so proud of Tennessee and the way it has responded to this," said Bredesen during a rally hosted by Coffee County Democratic Party at Coffee County High School. ...

Local leaders look at evacuee housing options (09/07/05)
Shelbyville and Bedford County leaders are trying to determine what can be done here for people evacuating Louisiana and Mississippi in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Strained budgets, the old Harris Middle School building and system capacities are concerns facing the group that Mayor Geneva Smith dubbed the Emergency Response Action Group...

Health commissioner urges clinic expansion (09/06/05)
Tennessee Health Commissioner Kenneth Robinson on Thursday encouraged leaders of the Community Clinic of Shelbyville and Bedford County to apply for a grant of state money to expand the capacity of that health clinic. Speaking at Motlow State Community College, Dr. Robinson said providing health care to people with modest incomes and minorities such as Hispanics will provide the general population with a natural health insurance by keeping the general population healthy...

Labor day closings announced (09/02/05)
A variety of local agencies and organizations will close Monday for the Labor Day holiday. Here are some closings of broad interest: Bedford County Courthouse and courthouse annex offices will close Monday and, where applicable, Saturday....

State asks counties for fuel update (09/02/05)
Damage to the infrastructure that supplies gasoline to this part of the country caused by Hurricane Katrina has already resulted in high prices at the pump and shortages, but now the state is asking counties to give them an update on their fuel supplies...

Governor will attend TWHNC on Monday (08/27/05)
Gov. Phil Bredesen is scheduled to attend the 67th Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration on Monday evening when he will present awards for several classes of winners. "Most of the time, the governor is here on the final night," TWHNC spokesman Chip Walters said Saturday morning. "We work around his schedule. He was out of the state last year, but the governor is a big supporter of the Celebration and we like to have him here."...

Bredesen pushes in-home care (08/02/05)
NASHVILLE -- With a federal court order on the way to let him manage TennCare, Gov. Phil Bredesen on Monday turned his attention to family caregivers. "If everything works out as I hope ..." Bredesen said at the Tennessee White House Conference on Aging, "in a couple of days I can stand before you and say we have succeeded in our efforts to keep 97,000 of the sickest and neediest enrollees on TennCare."...

Sales tax holiday -- a year from now (07/22/05)
There's good news and bad news. The good news is that Tennessee will be getting a sales tax holiday in early August. The bad news is that it won't happen until next year. Earlier this year, the Tennessee General Assembly passed Public Chapter 398 which established an annual sales tax holiday beginning in August 2006...

City asks for North Main widening (07/21/05)
Local officials, including two representatives at the state level, met with the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) in Nashville Tuesday to discuss the proposed widening of North Main Street (U.S. 231) in Shelbyville. TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely met with Shelbyville City Manager Ed Craig, Mayor Geneva Smith, Bill Moore with Gresham Smith and Associates, who does consulting work for the city, State Senator Jim Tracy and State Rep. Curt Cobb...

Grant helps local tire disposal (07/11/05)
Gov. Phil Bredesen and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke announced last week that 89 waste tire grants will provide $4.4 million dollars to Tennessee counties in the 2005-2006 fiscal year. Bedford County will receive $31,519 of those funds...

Tracy calls for special ethics session (07/07/05)
State Sen. Jim Tracy has come out in favor of a special legislative session next year to consider ethics issues. Tracy, a Republican from Shelbyville who represents Bedford, Moore and parts of Rutherford counties, sent a letter to Gov. Phil Bredesen agreeing with Bredesen's appointment of an independent ethics advisory panel. The letter to Bredesen also calls for a special session to consider ethics issues...

DHS staff helps with TennCare forms (07/07/05)
Nineteen TennCare enrollees completed and submitted questionnaires at the Department of Human Services in Shelbyville on Wednesday when the office stayed open two hours later than usual to help enrollees provide the state with information so it may determine whether they should continue to receive benefits...

Governor defends TennCare cuts (06/29/05)
Tennessee is going back to court today in hopes of improving its ability to contain TennCare costs. The hearing comes as a deadline looms for enrollees to respond to the state's request for information on whether they should be dropped from TennCare rolls...

Learn before you burn (06/28/05)
Many people know that the Tennessee Division of Forestry regulates burning, and that you have to obtain a permit from the local forestry office when burning between Oct. 15 and May 15. But most people don't realize that the forestry office isn't the only part of state government which regulates such burning. ...

Senator looks back on 'eventful year' (06/19/05)
On May 26, State Sen. Jim Tracy was sitting in a committee meeting when he was approached by State Sen. Bill Ketron. Ketron and Tracy share Rutherford County between their districts. "Did you hear what happened to Ward Crutchfield?" Ketron asked. Tracy hadn't...

State braces for Bonnaroo traffic (06/09/05)
MANCHESTER (AP) -- State and local law enforcement have prepared for today's onslaught of traffic from the Bonnaroo music festival. Past Bonnaroo festivals have drawn about 90,000 people and a load of traffic headaches. Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves said that he expected traffic to lighten by Friday, the first day of the event...

Drowota retiring from state Supreme Court (06/07/05)
NASHVILLE -- Tennessee Chief Justice Frank Drowota, the second longest serving member in the history of the state's Supreme Court, announced Monday he is retiring Sept. 2. "I'm not going to be a senior judge," Drowota said after a luncheon with more than 100 journalists attending at the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University. "I want to spend time with my five grandchildren... [and] spend time with non-profits."...

Driver's license testing will re-open here (06/02/05)
Money has been added to the state's 2005-2006 budget to re-open a state driver's license testing station in Shelbyville. Bedford County had a local driver's license testing station until 2001. The station was located in the National Guard Armory on Fayetteville Highway. After 9/11, heightened security forced the station to close...

Tracy calls arrests 'surprising' (05/27/05)
State Sen. Jim Tracy called Thursday's arrests of his colleagues as part of the Tennessee Waltz sting operation "surprising" but said he would withhold judgment for the time being. "It's a difficult situation," said Tracy, "but people are innocent until proven guilty."...

Four state legislators arrested (05/26/05)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Four Tennessee lawmakers, a former lawmaker and two others were indicted Thursday amid a federal bribery investigation into the business dealings of a state senator from a powerful Memphis political family, officials said. That senator, John Ford, also is charged with witness intimidation, which included telling an undercover agent that "if he caught someone trying to set him up he would shoot that person, kill them, so there would be no witnesses," the indictment says.

State traffic count guides construction funds (05/22/05)
It's traffic counting time again in Bedford County; state transportation workers are placing and relocating traffic roll counters to see where streets are congested and where vehicles roll freely. Tennessee Department of Transportation prefers to look at long-term trends, not year-to-year fluctuations, but area residents could be tempted to draw conclusions about feeling stuck in traffic...

Two accused of TennCare fraud (05/12/05)
Two Marshall County residents have been charged with TennCare fraud after officials say they used a TennCare card to get forged prescriptions filled at a Lewisburg pharmacy. The suspects are Amanda Marie Harris, 29, and Timothy Craig Spain, 34, both of Lewisburg, according to the TennCare Inspector General's office, which announced the arrests Wednesday...

41-A widening in proposed TDOT budget (05/04/05)
Gov. Phil Bredesen's proposed road program includes money to continue widening U.S. 41-A between Shelbyville and Tullahoma -- but an announcement today from the transportation department doesn't mention the proposed Shelbyville bypass. However, State Sen. ...

Cobb, Tracy back state ethics bill (04/26/05)
Ethical standards, naming a bridge for Pfc. Daniel McClenney, rights for adoptive parents, and a tax on new home construction are laws Bedford County's state legislators have been working on as committee work is ending and the General Assembly comes closer to adjourning...

2,700 county residents could lose TennCare (04/15/05)
Until large numbers of TennCare beneficiaries are cut from the state's health insurance rolls, hospitals probably won't know the exact impact on their bottom line, local officials said yesterday. However, "It's going to cost me $300 to $400 a month," according to Avery "Bud" Carroll," a 69-year-old Shelbyville man who retired from the "rubber mill" [Uniroyal] and went on his wife's policy from her job because it cost less than what he'd pay through the factory where he made rubber cloth for tires.. ...

Scandal, Blog causing uproar on Capital Hill (04/03/05)
A character on the canceled science fiction TV series "Firefly" once said, "A government is a body of people -- usually notably ungoverned." It's strange that a Fox Television sci-fi western could impart such wisdom since the recent news stories coming out of Tennessee's capital appear to confirm this theory...

Cobb honored by development district (03/21/05)
South Central Tennessee Development District has presented State Rep. Curt Cobb of Shelbyville with its Legislator of the Year Award. The award was presented at the annual meeting of the Tennessee Development District Association in Nashville. "Representative Cobb is being recognized for his outstanding leadership and active involvement," SCTDD Executive Director Joe Max Williams said. ...

Voting centers could replace precincts (03/16/05)
Under current law, Tennessee counties hold an approximately two-week "early voting" period starting about three weeks before each election. Early voting takes place at one central location. Then, on election day, voting takes place at a variety of precinct locations in each county...

Hearings to be held on public transportation (03/14/05)
A public hearing has been set next month on approximately $1.6 million of state and federal funding for a 13-county public transportation system available to the general public. The annual grant application to the Tennessee Department of Transportation was completed Thursday, according to Sanford Potts, transportation director for the South Central Tennessee Development District...

State grant denied for library project (03/06/05)
Lynn Hulan of Argie Cooper Public Library board of directors informed Bedford County Board of Commissioners' budget and finance committee Tuesday night that the library has been turned down for a grant from Tennessee Department of Transportation. Library officials are trying to find ways of funding a new facility even while county and city governments are struggling with tight budgets. ...

Center didn't report quickly enough (03/02/05)
The proprietor of a day care center closed in Shelbyville on Friday was making arrangements Tuesday with state officials for training on detecting and reporting child abuse, according to a spokeswoman for the Department of Human Services. Jane Stubblefield, owner/operator of Hugs & Kisses Day Care Center, Tyne Road, disputes the wording of a voluntary suspension agreement she signed Feb. 25 but acknowledged the process she must follow to reopen the business in her home serving seven children...

Push continues for voters without SSNs (03/02/05)
As Bedford County election officials have received nearly two fifths of the responses they sought from county residents who are registered to vote without their Social Security number, a Shelbyville man has asked whether the office can make voters disclose their number...

Wheel tax bill all but dead (02/25/05)
A new bill which has been introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly would have allowed county commissions to impose a wheel tax much more easily -- but the bill didn't represent what the sponsor intended and is now all but dead, State Sen. Jim Tracy said this morning...

State Senate race continues (09/03/04)