For the Young and Young at Heart

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 forbidding their entrance as it jingles closed behind you. No, you can’t...
Who’s watching you?

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 takeout in the Bedford County Fire Department’s dining hall. Lunch...
Commitment, Competition, and Community

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 back, and she was in the grandstands with one eye on him. She knew he was...
A teacher and a builder

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 along one wall hold colorful backpacks and personal belongings. Toys and...
King James & Kodak

King James & Kodak

THE CARPENTER bees buzz a few feet from our heads. A truck with modified mufflers drowns out conversation. Birdsong fills the trees. The front door opens and smacks shut. The porch swing squeaks back and forth, back and forth. And the dry erase marker squeaks across...
She speaks their language

She speaks their language

ABANDONED ANIMALS may not understand human language, but the heart of their guardian, Diane Forbes, is no secret to them. Tireless in her efforts to protect them, Forbes’ life is one of service to area dogs, cats, horses, and a few unusual animals that have crossed...