IMAGINE LIFE is a car, and our goal is to make it from one side of the country to the other. The only way to do that is by having a full tank of gas. What is the gas in our lives, as humans, that...
From the heart
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Good News Shelbyville
Latest Good News
Local teacher works with the community to fund more than 40 scholarships
CHERI BLACKWELL was born to be a teacher— it’s in her genes. Retired teacher Brenda Ayers, Blackwell’s aunt, influenced a family of educators: her daughter, Robin Ayers Adcock; her granddaughter,...
The Bedford County Archives and Records Center expands its services
STEP INTO the office of the Bedford County Archives and Records Center (BCARC) with me. Now, close your eyes and take a deep breath. That’s more than the smell of old books and records; that’s a...
Shelbyville’s First United Methodist Church Has a historical birthday.
A CHURCH THAT has endured fire, natural disasters, the Civil War, cholera epidemics, and a global pandemic persevered and held its Bicentennial Plus Two celebration Sunday, September 18, 2022. The...
Because caregivers need care, too
SPENDING MOST, if not all, of your time with a loved one that can’t recognize their surroundings, forgets if they’ve eaten recently, or can’t remember your name can be more than overwhelming. It...
Science, Stars, and Students
TO SAY “the sky’s the limit” is to aim low in the world of Shelbyville native Billy Hix. While the concept of the internet did not exist when Hix was a fifth grader, he’d have had no problem...
A Beautiful Scar
WHEN YOU see Terry and Joanne Theis, you’ll likely see them holding hands. Even from a distance, you sense the depth of their love for each other. It’s the picture of their loving relationship that...
A Sweet Aroma
FOOD IS a universal love language… one that needs no words. Memories are made around the fellowship of the table where love, laughter, and a sense of belonging comingle with the sweet aroma of our...
A Foundation of Agriculture and Faith
THEY’VE ALWAYS been a part of Judy Gambill’s life—agriculture and faith. Her commitment to serving her community is rooted in them. Gambill grew up in Franklin County and spent her childhood on the...
Let’s Taco Bout it
WITH SO many options for Mexican restaurants, how do you stand out from the crowd? Birria pizza, quesadillas with Flaming Hot Cheetos, or elote in a cup sure will help to be unique. These are...
A special treat for someone sweet!
ROSES ARE red, violets are blue, treat your loved one to a treat that is made by you! Whether you’re celebrating the beginnings of a new relationship, or spending the day with your longtime...
Leave them better than you found them.
I DON’T KNOW a stranger. Call it a hazard of my job as a writer, but I genuinely enjoy meeting people, and it is even better if I can turn them into friends. There’s a great quote by Maya Angelou...
Canvas Community Shelbyville Relaunches
CALEB MCCALL walked into Canvas Community Church in Manchester as a young adult, not realizing how big an impact they would make in his journey to restoration. He served as the young adult pastor...
History over and over again
I AM IN the middle of my third decade of life, and within the last two years, I’ve discovered something I always ignored: music from the midcentury. Life does not seem to be slowing down. Our...
Filling prescriptions, not teeth
DAVID MCGEE always had a doctor’s kit in his toybox; medicine intrigued him. He applied to med school for a career in dentistry and pharmacy school as a backup. Pharmacy school answered first. Today...
Local schools prepare students to enter the education career field
MANY CHILDREN dream of being teachers when they grow up. They play teacher at home with siblings and stuffed animals, grade papers, teach lessons, and imagine themselves behind the desk and at the...
The Homecoming
THE SET is iconic, the family known to those who planned their evenings by the TV Guide in the 70s. “Goodnight, John Boy” became a household phrase. It began as the 1972 movie, “The Homecoming: A...
Heart, Hope, & Healing
COFFEE FROM a favorite mug, their children’s hugs, and that exhausted feeling from a hard day’s work—all these little things were traded for soul-numbing choices leading to their incarceration. A...
Driving Daddy
FOR OVER 35 years, Trena Tucker Cook stood behind the chair. Today, her appointment book is entirely cleared, making time for the most important things in her life—her family. Cook said, “Between...
If I can dream
OUR COMMUNITY has a rich history. Businesses, people, and locations have created the foundation of who we are today. Each decade is a building block to our identity, creating a beautiful masterpiece...
Reels of Memories
THE NEON invitation to entertainment and escape has stood for almost 75 years at the corner of Depot and North Brittain Streets. But on Wednesday, May 22, 1968, it shined brightest, announcing “The...
Celebrating a Masterpiece
LABOR DAY weekend 1974, Saturday, September 7. The city inhaled Celebration energy and exhaled excitement and anticipation. Nine days of hopefuls— present and future—had entered the ring, walked,...
Connected for life
ON CHRISTMAS Day, in the early 70s, a truck driver drops coins into a truck stop pay phone while piling the rest of his change on the ledge below it. He’s anxious to hear his wife’s and children’s...
Everyone deserves a little Coffee Break
I CANNOT START my day without a cup of delicious coffee. The Coffee Break consistently delivers outstanding specialty drinks, a filling breakfast, amazing lunch options, and a plethora of pastries....
We do recover
“ I AM A child of the King that is recovered from drug addiction. This February, I’ll have 19 years of being free from methamphetamine and other drugs. God used this program to transform my entire...
‘Just as you are’
FOR OVER 30 years, children’s television host Mister Rogers came into the homes of millions via our television sets and told each of us one of the most important things a person could say to us. “I...
Care Comes Home
TWO WORDS strike fear and dread in our hearts. Cancer is number two. While number one is associated with it, it is no longer exclusive to it. Any number of conditions can lead to a call for it; the...
More than books and Bibles
FOR 14 years, he smiled back at customers from behind the meat coolers at Dial’s Supermarket, happy in his work there until the day he believes the Lord dropped the dream of a Christian bookstore...
Tis the season
ALL I want for Christmas iiiiiiis…yoooooOOooooOOoouuuUUUuuu.” Can you hear it already? It’s that time of year once again. A time of year when a heated blanket feels like a hug. Every inch of the...
Local teacher and playwright shares the art of storytelling
STORIES ARE some of our first teachers. They teach us about the world and each other, transporting us to places our bodies may never travel. They shape our minds and sharpen our perceptions. Brenden...
Maybe not bells on bobtails ringing…
… but Shelbyville’s police and Santa make spirits bright by delivering Christmas joy. SANTA HAS a local connection, but don’t tell everyone. In December, the atmosphere at the Shelbyville Police...
Passing on the gift of music
AT AGE 35, Jim Wood left his native Williamson County. He resettled in Flat Creek, a bucolic village in the Southernmost part of Bedford County, to escape the gravitational pull of Music City. Jim...
Never-ending stories
Like our lives, stories travel. Walk with Kyle Thomas on the worn path of a writer, but don’t dilly dally around, or he’ll run off and leave you. Envision the classic scene of a writer at an old...
It’s what I do.
OPEN THE door of the Habitat Thrift Store just off Shelbyville’s square and expect to leave with a lighter heart and a smile on your face. Drop whatever is wearing on you outside their door; it’ll...
Feed them, and they will come
ONE LOOK at bewildered faces in the grocery store as we shop reflects the struggle to afford groceries and life’s necessities. The roller coaster of unprecedented events of the past few years...
Transported
Staring into the storefront windows; you’re a child again. Whether transported to your earliest Christmas mornings or into make-believe stories of days gone by, Phillips General Store in Bell Buckle...
More than toys, school supplies, and hygiene products
As you put on your next new pair of shoes, hold that empty box a few minutes longer. Look inside at what it holds. What do you see? Packing paper? Cardboard? Look again. That empty box has the...
All American all the time
THROUGH THE years, I’ve seen this location under many identities, but my all-time favorite is Penalties Sports Bar and Grill. This isn’t your average sports bar, so don’t let the name fool you. I...
Wine tasting on the square
SHELBYVILLE'S DOWNTOWN Wine Walk has become a fan-favorite event in Bedford County during the winter holiday season. At the event, attendees can sample and taste wines from local wineries and...
Celebrating a Sweet Recovery
“THE SWEETS baking wasn’t my passion to start,” local baker Cole Krieg said. He was passionate about livestock and farming – a family trait he acquired from his great-grandmother. He had gone to...
Pretty old places
AMY EDMISTON, creator of the digital scrapbook “Pretty Old Places”, invites you to pull up a rocking chair on the wraparound porch of the old homeplace where stories line the shiplap walls like...
Loving our neighbors. Loving our teachers.
LYNFIELD GARDENS in Bell Buckle and Craig and Wheeler Realty in Shelbyville reminded me of two important principles: loving my neighbor, and the old saying, “Do unto others as you would have them do...
High Calling Ministries
GANDHI SAID, “Be the change you want to see in this world.” Jasper Wilson, director of High Calling Ministries (HCM), his wife, Israel along with a team of staff and volunteers are living this...
Warren Gill’s Compelling Story
THE FORMER University of Tennessee (UT) professor, writer, and author Warren Gill grew up on the historic Greer-Gill farm in a small town outside of Petersburg. His grandfather bought the land in...
It’s a Wonderful Life
DR. EDWARD Perryman is a nature lover and devout Christian with a humble spirit, and his story inspires many to pursue their dreams and live their lives to the fullest. Good News story writer Tina...
For the Young and Young at Heart
NO SOONER than the door closes behind you, you know you’re somewhere special. A deep breath sweetens your lungs and your spirit. The stress and cares of the world are locked outside, the door...
Come in and Sit a Spell
COFFEE SHOPS are a growing industry worldwide. Sitting down at a coffee shop is the most efficient way to catch up with friends and family, enjoy a nice cup of tea or coffee, get some work done...
The Dessert you Deserve
LOCATED IN the beautiful North Main Marketplace shopping center is the sweetest spot in Shelbyville filled with sugar, spice, and everything nice. Mouth of The South Bakery is the brainchild of...
What’s Better than a Good Murder Mystery?
IN 2019, The Fly Arts Center was having a moment. Audiences and patrons were getting more and more involved in events and productions. They were starting to reach their goals. Then, COVID-19 hit....
Go straight to the best
TAKE A deep breath and smell the aroma of lunch cooking in the kitchen. It was a very important meal. Jesus and the 12 stopped in to visit the home of Martha and Mary, in Bethany. Through the...
Life’s short; eat dessert.
WE DUST off the artificial pumpkin decorations and pull orange and purple wreaths from storage. We pull out rakes and sweaters as the weather drops like the leaves do. The weather feels therapeutic...
Manufacturer invests $95 million in Shelbyville
WITH TODAY'S economic changes, we must ensure that our community members have the resources to provide for their families. Duksan Electera is doing just that for the city of Shelbyville. Duksan...
Shelbyville takes a stand against human trafficking
HUMAN TRAFFICKING has been an issue worldwide for a very long time. With the recent uprising of social media and trafficking awareness campaigns, it is easier to raise awareness of an issue that has...
Wartrace’s Annual Horse Show
CASCADE HIGH School’s annual Wartrace Horse Show fundraiser, hosted on August 6, 2022, was a success. The show is special every year, but one thing that makes it incredibly unique this year is that...
History in the making
YOU’RE RUNNING down the court as fans cheer in the stands, your teammate makes a pass as you enter inside the paint, and swish, the team’s leading scorer makes a layup, and that’s game. Siblings,...
You did what? A baby and a business are born.
“IT WAS the best of times; it was the worst of times. Nothing is more simultaneously joyful and stressful than the birth of your first child unless it’s starting your own business on the same day....
Remind me one day. Lorie Keene has found long – term care for her memories
NURSE LORIE KEENE has seen a few things. She sees the present, the past, and the future with humor and heart, and all three have inspired her podcast, “Along Norrell Road - snippets from a Southern...
Time Travel – no charge
A FRESH-BREWED POT of coffee waits for you as you take butter from the fridge and add three thick pats to your favorite saucer. You slowly pour sorghum syrup over the butter, swirling them together,...
A Sweet treat to Beat the Heat
GET ON Facebook and scroll for a while, and you’re likely to see a delicious post about the newest coffee, ice cream, and sweet shop in Shelbyville, JOS Fifteen Coffee. These instagram-worthy...
There For Us and Each Other
IN A SEA of students, a beacon light anchors an ever-changing tide of teenage lives. Help is on the streets too. At night and in the early morning hours, another light is prepared to lend itself...
Better Than He Found It
911 IT’S A CALL we hope and pray we never have to make, yet we’re confident someone will come when we do. Answering those calls is the responsibility of our first responders, and we envision an army...
Who’s watching you?
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE your ability to influence the world around you for the better. Volunteer firefighter Richard Crick and his 16-year-old friend and Walmart co-worker often lunched together, eating...
Someone Has Your Back
WHEN THE SMELL of warm caramel coffee lingers in the air of your vehicle on the way to work, you don’t have to think about watching your back. While not every driver on the road is aware of their...
Commissioner Brown: Service to the community
SHELBYVILLE IS full of entrepreneurs, pioneers, trendsetters, athletes, engineers, politicians, and everything in between. In this city, one can't help but feel a sense of community with each...
Shelbyville undergoes renovation changes
COUNTY MAYOR Chad Graham said he had a broad vision of what he wanted to accomplish before he took office. One of the many things on that list was what he called the "downtown revitalization model."...
Closing out the 2021-2022 school year
BEDFORD COUNTY’S 2021-22 school year was a success, as each school took the time to ensure the highest quality of education for its students. One of the many exciting things about being a part of...
Celebration enhancements are underway
WARREN WELLS reports that the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration facility upgrades are set to begin before the 84th Annual Celebration event. Wells said the upgrades are "more of a capital...
Always with her, no matter what.
FAITH AND art have filled Marie Lane Madeiros’ heart for as long as she can remember, inseparable like muscle and marrow. Not one season of her life is without them. Her earliest art memories trace...
Hope captured
IMAGINE A life with no hope for your child – no hope for education, to learn to read or write; no hope for growing into their dreams; no hope for what we would call a normal life. Imagine that...
It’s Good To Be Back!
It’s finally here! Although the outside temperature argues for summer, your school spirit knows it’s fall. Tonight you’ve chosen shorts and flip-flops, but soon it will be flannel shirts, pants, and...
Commitment, Competition, and Community
DURING THE FALL seasons of 1945-47, Shelbyville Central High School’s football field was the place to be for Elmer “Coke” Crowell and Billie Hayes. He was on the field as Central’s star running...
Life on the Offensive Line
RAPID GROWTH in any environment creates challenges. Adolescent rapid growth brings with it complications in healing from injuries, and repetitive sports-related injuries are a particular concern....
Pigskin and Passion
LITTLE GUYS dressed out in pads and grass-stained uniforms dot the field. They pass, catch, run, and tackle with the fervor of professional football players, although clumsily at times. With sweat...
Bocelli’s. Great Renovation Comes With Outstanding New Food.
IF YOU’VE never heard of or eaten at Bocelli’s, you must be new to town. Nestled in our beautiful historic square is a restaurant guaranteed to satisfy your Italian cravings. With an updated...
The inside scoop on Dave-A-Palooza
THERE IS strength in numbers. Ask any member of Wartrace’s largest family, the Cataldo family, and they would confirm the saying as true. The family of 15 (13 children born to Don and Janet Cataldo)...
Classrooms made of steel
THE CLASSROOM is like railroad tracks. Hard workers spent years, decades—centuries even—laying the groundwork for the trains to run smoothly from coast to coast. They’re strong. And they last for...
Former educator Marilyn Massengale’s story
AS WE commemorate teachers and their dedication to educating our future leaders, we also recognize the teachers who are no longer formally teaching; their legacies continue to mold the community for...
Nash Family Creamery Commemorates Dairy Month
JUNE HAS been recognized as Dairy Month since 1939, but on June 1, Bedford County Mayor Chad Graham signed the proclamation to further commemorate dairy farmers all over Middle Tennessee. For some...
Local Teachers plan ‘special day’ for students, to remind them of their importance
ALL STUDENTS deserve equal academic success opportunities, but every student learns differently. Over 14,000 students in the state of Tennessee are given a second chance at academic success that...
Cascade Middle School baseball team wins conference championship
AFTER A challenging past few seasons, Cascade Middle School’s baseball team recently earned the title of conference champions. Cascade High School alumnus and boys head baseball coach, Justin Reese,...
Needing Room from the Boom
THE SKY’S the limit for future pilots, and Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and the Shelbyville Municipal Airport will play a vital role in the takeoff of their careers. Statista.com...
So much more than teaching
DEFINING THE meaning of teacher requires more than Merriam-Webster; it takes a deeper look and a second glance. More than a job with a summer-long vacation, teachers are motivated by their love for...
Cleaning up the duck
Did you know that right in our backyard is one of the most biologically diverse rivers in North America? Over 50 species of freshwater mussels, and 151 fish species reside in this precious water...
Prepping for Back to School
IT MIGHT be one of the most exciting yet stressful times of the year, rivaling that of Christmas. It requires preparation, planning, logistics, time, and money. I’m almost sure there are military...
Like a rock tossed into the water
SURROUNDED BY a sea of classmates, a student filled with potential may feel invisible or wish he could disappear. Another student’s highest aim might be to coast through school until graduation. One...
A teacher and a builder
RACHEL PORTER’S Learning Way Elementary School classroom doesn’t look like a construction site, but don’t trust your eyes. At first glance, it resembles the average preschool classroom. Cubbies...
Creating success in the classroom
While walls define the space occupied by a class, the environment within empowers the learning inside. At Shelbyville Central High School (SCHS), teacher Tiffany Church makes sure her room’s...
Where everybody knows your name
JENNIFER COOK’S family began investing early in her teaching career. It wasn’t the type of investment overseen by financial advisors, but it added up over the years and paid off for Cook and her...
Purveyors of fine Burgers and “Dawgs.”
The newest food truck to grace Shelbyville offers a fresh take on traditional smash burgers and hotdogs, with some amazing side dishes. When I heard about M•A•C Daddies Food Truck, with burgers...
But, God
WITH THE first cup of steaming coffee in my hand and the stiffness still in my joints, I gently ease into my spot on the couch. A fresh, new day offers a blank page, although the to-do list in my...
The 84th Annual Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration
CROWDS OF horse enthusiasts fill the arena, row after row and seat after seat. The silence of the former moments is gone. Slowly, as each new group settles into their box for opening night, the...
Preserving 200 years of local African American history
AT SHELBYVILLE Mayor Eugene Ray’s funeral, Fredia Lusk saw evidence of a well-lived life. As Shelbyville’s first and only African American mayor to date, Ray’s legacy was more than a statistic. Lusk...
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All proceeds from photos go to local nonprofits.