by Amanda E. West | Aug 7, 2025 | Feature, Shelbyville
AFTER DRU McCormick graduated from Louisiana State University with a psychology degree, she traded tantalizing French beignets, Cajun and Creole cuisine, and the cypress-lined bayous of “Fisherman’s Paradise” for Middle Tennessee. But her love for Shelbyville — the...
by Amanda E. West | Aug 7, 2025 | Shelbyville, Stories
SADDLE UP your Tennessee walking horses, slip on your favorite pair of boots, and bring your excitement and appetite to the largest event facility in Tennessee for the 87th annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. This year, over 2,000 horses will compete...
by Amanda E. West | Aug 7, 2025 | Shelbyville, Stories
EVERY EYE was on the center ring. The floodlights overhead, which had previously illuminated the arena for dozens of Tennessee walking horses (TWH) and their riders, switched off. A subtle hush fell over the crowd as a single spotlight zeroed in on Cavender and his...
by Amanda E. West | Jul 10, 2025 | Cover, Shelbyville
Medina Stackpole fluffed her pillow, then jammed it between her aching back and the headboard. She patted the empty spot on the mattress and whispered, “We miss you, Rick.” The words of her eldest son, Ricky, echoed in her mind: “When I grow up, I’m going to serve my...
by Amanda E. West | Jul 10, 2025 | Feature, Shelbyville
“Cooking With a Veteran” began with hunger — an ache that Dave Rogers knew too well. Before he enlisted in the U.S. Army and for a short time after his honorable discharge, Rogers faced homelessness. This permanent mark, left by Rogers’ temporary situation, stirred...
