by Amanda West | Jul 10, 2025 | Feature
“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...
by Amanda West | Jul 10, 2025 | Feature
“Mrs. Heather, please don’t cry Because toys you didn’t have to buy Sometimes the shelves get kind of bare But because of love for Mandy and children, people did share Stuffed animals, blankets, cars, and Play-Doh With such good choices, children’s eyes will surely...
by Amanda West | Jun 12, 2025 | Feature
THE SUN dips behind the Shelbyville Recreation Center, casting shadows across the baseball field, dotted with soccer players at H.V. Griffin Park. Marc Betzelberger leans forward, elbows on his knees, as his youngest son, Jonathan, kicks the ball with relentless...
by Amanda West | Jun 12, 2025 | Feature
LYNDA JOHNSON settled into the wheelchair as the nurse swaddled 4-month-old Natasha before placing her in Lynda’s outstretched arms. Although Lynda and her husband, Alfred, already had four children, Natasha was the first — and last — they brought home from the...
by Amanda West | May 8, 2025 | Feature
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 West | May 8, 2025 | Feature
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...