A request to name a bridge on U.S. 231 North for a veteran was turned down Tuesday night by Bedford County Commission's Rules and Legislative Committee.

The state no longer allows bridges on national and state highways to be named for individuals, committee chair P.T. "Biff" Farrar said.

The family of Forrest Wells had requested the bridge naming.

Farrar suggested the family purchase a paver on the courthouse lawn to honor Wells. Hundreds of veterans and others are named on the pavers, which are still available despite not being heavily publicized in recent years.

**IN OTHER ACTIONS BY THE COMMITTEE

-Farrar was re-elected committee chair and Commissioner Ed Castleman vice-chair.

-County and city officials continue talks on the Shelbyville-Bedford County Inter-local Agreement, Commissioner Greg Vick said.

Nothing is "concrete" yet, Vick said, but issues should be coming up for the board to discuss later this year.

-The committee backed by voice vote support for the proposed purchase of Martin Methodist College in Pulaski by the University of Tennessee system.

UT officials have told Farrar the university desires a stronger presence in southern Middle Tennessee, where an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 students per year are being lost to the University of Alabama-Huntsville and the University of North Alabama in Florence. Added nursing and engineering courses are planned, Farrar said.

-Commissioner Linda Yockey, Russ Uselton, Janet Boyce and Barbara Troxler were appointed to the University of Tennessee-Tennessee State University Extension Committee.

**LAW ENFORCEMENT

The commission's Law Enforcement Committee met and heard routine reports from several officeholders.

Only two of five Courthouse and Property Committee members - chair Julie Wells Sanders and Chasity Gunn - were present. No official business could be conducted due to lack of a quorum. Members Brian Farris, Brent Smith and Jeff Sweeney were absent.

Sanders and Gunn did hear a report from county IT director Josh Carney praising the work of those involved with Bedford County's E-911 system following the Christmas morning explosion in downtown Nashville.

The explosion damaged AT&T equipment, knocking out 911 and other emergency services over a large part of the Southeast. Bedford County had backup telephone and Internet systems up within an hour, led by Bedford County Emergency Communications District Director Phillip Noel and Bedford County Emergency Management Agency Director Scott Johnson, Carney said.

**NEW WEB PAGE

Bedford County government's new website, bedfordcountytn.gov, is online following much preliminary tweaking by County GIS/Media Coordinator John I. Carney, Josh Carney said. Users are reminded the site's domain has changed from .org to .gov.

Members were told most of the Bedford County judicial system building complex will officially be turned over to county government on. Jan. 27. Final turnover of the heating and air conditioning systems, which have required additional work and changes, is scheduled for Aug. 15.