News

The only out-of-town candidate making it to the final four interviews for local school superintendent, Tammy Garrett of Murfreesboro, was clearly the underdog. On Tuesday, the Murfreesboro City principal pulled out the required majority votes. 7-to-2, needed for the appointment...

The death of former Bedford County Mayor Jimmy Woodson is a “huge loss” to the community, one of his successors said. James William “Jimmy” Woodson, Jr. died Tuesday at the age of 71. Wooodson served two terms as mayor from 1998-2006. Current County Mayor Chad Graham said he and Woodson went “way back.” Woodson served on the ambulance board when Graham was the ambulance service director. ...

Typically, when there’s a heavy freeze, then a thaw, like there’s been in Shelbyville in the past week, a pothole is born, according to Buck Vallad, Shelbyville public works director. When asked how many he estimates have opened up in Shelbyville since last week’s ice and snow storms, Vallad said, “A lot.” There’s a good chance, he added, that pavement issues are going to be wide-spread over the city...

Complaints were raised about the use of Bedford County Agricultural Center for COVID-19 vaccinations and tests during Tuesday night’s meeting of Bedford County Commission’s law enforcement and workhouse committee. Commissioner Tony Smith said the seven-day-a-week occupancy of the facility by Bedford County Health Department was interfering with use by 4-H students. ...

A suspect accused of slashing a Shelbyville man while visiting his home Saturday turned himself in to authorities Monday. Troy Ray Enfinger, 52, of North Main Street allegedly cut the 51-year-old victim with a knife during an argument at a Frank Martin Road home, Detective Lt. Scott Jones of the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office said...

ANNOUNCEMENT – The subscriber has opened a smith’s shop in Shelbyville. He has employed an extraordinary workman; the people therefore may expect good work on reasonable terms, for cash etc. A. Donaldson TEACHER WANTED – The citizens living in the neighborhood of Capt. Christopher Shaw in Bedford County wish to employ a good English and Latin teacher. A liberal price will be given to one who will be approved...

Dr. Tammy Garrett was chosen to be Bedford County’s next school superintendent Tuesday by the Bedford County School Board. Garrett, principal of Mitchell-Neilson School in Murfreesboro, was chosen over three local candidates - assistant superintendent Karen Scoggins, Community High School principal Dr. Robert Ralston and Shelbyville Central High School principal Tim Harwell...

Tim Harwell — the last of four candidates for school superintendent to be interviewed recently by Bedford County Board of Education — said that he learned his steadfast work ethic from his parents. His father was a factory worker and owner of an upholstery business. As well, he was inspired by his mother, who earned her GED at age 53...

During its regular business meeting recently, Shelbyville City Council approved to engage the services of Akerman LLP of Florida to represent the city in governmental relations services at the rate of $12,500 a month over the next year and a half. “That item was brought before the Council to hire Akerman firm to represent the City in lobbying services,” Shelbyville City Manager Joshua Ray said. ...

On this day five years ago — Feb. 23, 2016 — Lane Parkway reopened following repairs made necessary by the flume collapse. The message over the police scanner that afternoon was short and to the point: “Lane Parkway is back open.” The section of Lane Parkway in front from North Main Street to Cannon Boulevard was closed for about eight months while the underground storm flume was rebuilt...

A man charged with escape from custody and stealing a car in Rutherford County was captured early Saturday near Fairfield. Bobby Jonathan Brown, 37, of Woodbury allegedly knocked on the door of a home in the 3500 block of Fairfield Pike around midnight and said a friend had wrecked his car and left him on the roadside, according to a Bedford County Sheriff’s Office report...

A cardinal adds bright color to a snowy Bedford County landscape.

This Carolina wren appears to have an attitude.

Bedford County Schools will be closed on Monday due to hazardous road conditions. Portions of some rural roads remained partially ice-covered Sunday afternoon. SACP will be open at Southside School from 6 a.m.-6 p.m.

The widespread power outages from the winter storms last week made many residents seek alternate accommodations even as utility linemen worked double shifts to restore service. About 1,600 customers in the Shelbyville area were without power as of Friday afternoon, said Elisabeth Thompson, communications manager for Duck River Electric Membership Corp...

All the numbers connected with COVID-19 are headed in the right direction in Bedford County. The number of new cases was zero on Feb. 17. Enthusiasm might be damped some, however, on that date there were just seven tests conducted. The seven-day daily average number of active cases in Bedford County has taken a nosedive since the first of the year. ...

This week’s one-two punch of winter storms left many stranded without power, businesses, schools and government offices closed but also provided opportunity for kids to play and photographers like Tracey Smith, who caught this image of the Bedford County Courthouse. found plenty of scenes to capture.

The past week has featured some of the snowiest and coldest weather in years here in Bedford County but now we go into a warming trend with sunshine and temperatures in the 40s for Saturday and Sunday and high temperatures in the 50s next week. We may even see the low 60s on Wednesday!...

The rising sun on Wednesday lit up the crystal landscape of the weekend ice storm.

The ongoing winter storm that has frozen Bedford County has made its presence felt more in the rural areas than in Shelbyville as thousands in the county have gone without electricity at times and falling trees have blocked roads. As of Wednesday morning, roughly 2,000 households in the Shelbyville area were without electricity, Duck River Electric Membership Corp. said in a statement to the Times-Gazette...

Bedford County road and fire crews were slowly winning the battle against slick roads and fallen trees Wednesday after Monday’s ice and snow storm — as the possibility of additional icy conditions loomed for Thursday. “We had 21 service calls Monday,” Bedford County Fire Chief Mark Thomas said. He hadn’t yet seen Tuesday’s numbers for runs involving fires, tree removal and stranded drivers...

Former Times-Gazette Staff Writer Jason Reynolds has returned to the newspaper to serve as editor. Terence Corrigan, who has served as interim editor for the past year, is retiring. “I’ve worked with Jason in the past, and am confident he will do an excellent job at the Times-Gazette,” Corrigan said...

Tennessee will begin registering Tennesseans aged 65 and older and those in Phase 1b of the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan for vaccinations on Feb. 22. Phase 1b includes staff members of kindergarten through 12th grade schools and child care facilities...

A Columbia man faces multiple charges after an alleged incident early Friday at a Green Lane home. Kendall Leon Sherrill, 28, of Columbia is accused of hitting the mother of his children in the head with his fist during an argument after entering without permission...

The Tennessee Department of Transportation earlier this week was preparing for another round of winter weather in middle Tennessee and advised drivers to remain aware of the changing weather conditions. From the evening of Sunday through noon on Wednesday, TDOT had used approximately 20,000 tons of salt and logged over 117,000 miles clearing and treating roadways across 26 counties in Middle Tennessee...

Newton Chevrolet Buick GMC has been awarded a 2021 DealerRater Dealer of the Year Award, which recognizes auto dealerships across the U.S. and Canada who deliver outstanding customer service, based on consumer reviews written on DealerRater.com. “Car buyers have spoken and have identified Newton Chevrolet Buick GMC as the best Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC dealer to do business with in Tennessee,” said DealerRater General Manager Jamie Oldershaw. ...

A round of freezing rain beginning at mid-morning Monday added to Bedford County's weather woes after an early onslaught slickened roads late Sunday afternoon. A Tennessee Department of Transportation driver escaped injury when his salt truck overturned between Normandy and Wartrace on Monday morning when the driver encountered an icy patch...

Criminal Justice-III student Lindsey Parker presents a criminal case before a student-centered Grand Jury with Vice-Principal Mike McCoin serving as the Attorney general.  The Criminal Justice program is taught and directed by Chris Hobbs at Central High School in Shelbyville.

As the third candidate interviewed for the position of Bedford County school superintendent, Karen Scoggins told board of education members Monday, “I don’t think you can throw dollars at everything and make it better. But [with] some things, you’ve got to have money to make it work.”...

Bedford County commissioners voted 17-0 with one abstention Tuesday night to deny a rezoning request to SFC Properties LLC, owners of Sunchaser Market in Flat Creek. But the store owners’ request to be included in a zoning overlay district – which may or may not include an exemption to current laws banning beer sales near churches – is far from over...

A reader, who asked to not be identified, came to the newspaper with a problem. She had two prescription drugs she had no need for which contained narcotics — a codeine cough syrup and hydrocodone pills. She knew it was not right to throw them in the garbage or flush them down the drain. “People try to do the right thing, to keep it out of the wrong people’s hands or contaminate the water supply.”...

A suspect has been charged in one of two home invasions involving robberies in Shelbyville. Logan Isaiah Simmons, 21, of Hickory Drive was arrested Wednesday, according to Bedford County Jail’s intake report. Simmons is suspected to be one of two men who forced their way into an East Cedar Street home last Friday and demanded money and cell phones from a woman, Detective Cody Swift of the Shelbyville Police Department said...

The 2020 Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration world grand champion, Master’s Razzle and Jazz, has passed away. The bay stallion, better known as “Lurch,” was owned by the Alan Riddley family of Shelby, N.C., and was ridden in the Celebration by partner John Allan Callaway of Shelbyville.

Shane Hooper, right, the new economic development director for Shelbyville and Bedford County, provided Rotarians recently with an overview of the economic situation in the county and plans for future development. Barry Cooper was program facilitator.

Raffe Roberts said recently that he naturally has a lot of respect for his late mother, Melanie Roberts, but there’s also a deep-abiding-love for what she represented in this community. He’s organized in her memory the first Mellie’s Mile 5K walk/ run for Saturday, March 6...

In his state of the state address, Monday night, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee offered extensive praise for his administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have consistently been in the top 10 for vaccine distribution nationally and we expect that to continue in the weeks and months ahead,” Lee said...

In a world filled with chaos and uncertainty for almost a year spring training for Major League baseball teams will begin on time this month. As the actor James Earl Jones says in the movie “Field of Dreams” “there will always be baseball”. But this year baseball begins without Henry “Hank” Aaron whose chase to surpass Babe Ruth’s home run record became national news...

Let me make it official. After some confusion, the farm equipment sale scheduled for February 27 will be held at the Bedford County Ag Center as planned. Equipment will be received Tuesday through Friday, February 23-26. For more information, contact Bob Morton at 931-842-1234...

Bluebirds, killdeer and robins, the birds of spring are fluttering around Bedford County but old man winter leveled a blast of winter over the weekend. The snowstorm, Saturday night, provided local photographers with lots of opportunity. Anita Epperson (above photo) and Sherry Nowlin shared some of their work with the Times-Gazette.

This is the second article in a series covering Bedford County Board of Education interviews for the new school district superintendent. School board members recently drew for the order in which the four candidates would have their public interviews, with Tammy Garrett of Murfreesboro being selected for the second round...

Motlow State Community College will welcome Dr. Fredrick Douglass Dixon on Tuesday, Feb. 23, when he presents The Death of Black Wall Street and the Myth of the American Dream from 12-1:30 p.m. via Zoom at https://mscc.zoom.us/j/93950141333. The presentation is part of Motlow’s celebration of African American History Month, embracing and modeling diversity, equity, and inclusion. ...

The number of active COVID-19 cases daily in the last 21 days is falling rapidly in Tennessee — down 42 percent. Three weeks ago (Jan. 18-Jan. 24) the average daily number of active cases was 51,688. Last week (Feb. 1-Feb. 7) the daily average was 30,039...

The victim of a home invasion handed over $1,000 and two cell phones to her attackers late Friday night, Shelbyville police said. Two “white males” kicked in the front door of an East Cedar Street home, grabbed a woman by her hair and demanded money and phones, she told officers...

A man got into an unlocked vehicle with key in the ignition and drove away as the owner visited a gravesite at Willow Mount Cemetery early Friday afternoon, according to Shelbyville police. The vehicle was later involved in an accident at the intersection of Courtland Avenue and Regent Drive, police said. The suspect is described as white and wearing a multi-colored cap, a brown jacket and blue jeans...

Of all the plants we enjoy today in our gardens and in the wild, ferns are some of the most ancient. They are one of the oldest groups of plants on Earth, with a fossil record dating back more than 350 million years. About 10,500 fern species are cataloged, with others still being studied. More may yet be discovered...

The Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association (TCA) and Tennessee Cattlemen’s Youth Association (TCYA) recognized over 30 youth members for their success in the third year of the Tennessee’s Top Tier sponsored by Merck Animal Health points program. The winners were recognized during the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association’s virtual youth awards presentation on Jan. 23...

Lynchburg Nursing Center started the process of vaccinating their residents and associates with FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines on Sunday, Jan. 3, and the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccines was administered on Sunday, Jan. 31.   Distribution of the vaccines continues in Tennessee. ...

The first of three copper roofs for the cupolas that will grace the top of the visitors center at Uncle Nearest Distillery in Shelbyville is in place.