by Amanda E. West | May 8, 2025 | Feature, Shelbyville
WHEN SHE was a little girl, Katybeth Beasley Bobo wiggled her toes inside her father’s dress shoes and admiringly gazed up at him. Though H A Beasley’s shoes would always be much too large for her to wear, following in his footsteps would prove to be just the right...
by Amanda E. West | May 8, 2025 | Feature, Shelbyville
WHETHER YOU dream of owning your own micro-farm or raising cattle on hundreds of acres, the Shelbyville-Bedford Co-op near the Duck River on South Cannon Boulevard has exactly what you’re looking for. Since it first opened in 1956, it has been the one-stop shop for...
by Amanda E. West | Apr 17, 2025 | Shelbyville, Stories
NINETY-YEAR-OLD MARY Sadler’s eyes twinkle as she studies the eager faces around the kindergarten classroom at Cascade Elementary School. Every morning, she lovingly delivers the bags of hot breakfast items to the students, and it’s the highlight of her day. With each...
by Amanda E. West | Apr 17, 2025 | Cover, Shelbyville
POLLY WOODARD drank in the scent of sliced oranges. She scooped them into her gloved hand and filled the row of lunch trays. She smiled in quiet anticipation. Soon, the first group of hungry students would begin lining up, and the opportunity for her to be a bright...
by Amanda E. West | Apr 17, 2025 | Feature, Shelbyville
COMMUNITIES ACROSS the nation are grappling with a severe shortage of school bus drivers — a crisis that has deepened in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here in Tennessee, the situation is no different, and Gov. Bill Lee and state officials are working to find...
