Hometown Heroes & Harmony: Healing through harmony
THE HOMETOWN Heroes & Harmony event, sponsored by the United Veterans Council of Bedford County, began as an invitation-only event before welcoming our community to a free concert on the...
Victory Baptist Academy: Growing lifelong learners
Starting a new school year is a major milestone for children and their families. Finding the right environment can set the tone for a student's entire educational journey. Victory Baptist Academy is...
Letter From the Editor
THE MORNING air in Tennessee can be thick with damp earth and woodsmoke. It is the sound of a heavy porch swing creaking against a quiet house, and the way the mist clings to the ridges of the Great...
Tommie Boleyn: There’s no place like home
OKINAWA, JAPAN; Korea; the Philippines; Thailand; Australia; Singapore; Hong Kong; Saudi Arabia; the United Arab Emirates; Qatar; Kuwait; Iraq; Kosovo; Cuba; Greece; Italy; Spain; France; Germany;...
MRT Crochet Group: Volunteers go to jail
I PLUNKED MY keys and cellphone into the plastic tray. Two windowless metal doors separated us from the outside world. A third interior door was unbolted, and Lt. Chris Cook, the director of the...
Dave Plumley: Honoring our Vietnam War veterans
1967 WAS BOTH a tumultuous and transformative time in the history of our nation. January began with a national tragedy when three astronauts were killed during the prelaunch mission of Apollo 1....
Jennifer Clever: Her steady voice has never quavered
HER MOTHER had reluctantly signed the papers. Twenty-four days after Jennifer Clever turned 18, she was on her way to Fort Dix in Burlington County, New Jersey. As a native of Dunkirk on the...
Dustin Mason: ‘Semper Fi’ is more than a motto
DUSTIN MASON looked up from his Game Boy. Bolts of lightning flashed across the square television screen, followed by rumbles of thunder. The timer was counting down on his Pokémon game, but he...
All Seasons Pet Crematory: Dignity first
There is a distinct, quiet sharpness to the grief of losing a pet, a heavy silence where a wagging tail or a soft purr used to be. For Shelbyville families navigating this difficult loss, All...
Jones Heating & Cooling: A family tradition
In an era of corporate mergers and automated phone menus, Jones Heating & Cooling is a family-owned and operated business. For the community of Shelbyville and the surrounding area, the company...
Letter From the Editor
THE SCREEN door clicks shut with a familiar rattle. The backpack makes a heavy thud when it hits the floor. It’s the smell of a roast that’s been simmering all afternoon, garlic and slow-cooked...
Peyton Allison: Continuing to light the way for future educators
WHEN PEYTON Allison was a little girl, she lined up her Bratz dolls and imagined she was their teacher. Other times, she talked her little brother, Alex, into pretending he was one of her students....
The White Family: ‘Work hard, play hard, pray hard.’
"WORK HARD, play hard, pray hard” is the motto of the White family, who own White Associates LLC, which opened at 100 L. Fisher Rd. in 2000. What began as two separate businesses opened the door for...
Eric Barlow: Local provider returns to his roots
VANDERBILT BEDFORD Hospital recently welcomed its newest orthopaedic provider, Eric Barlow, DO, who is no stranger to Middle Tennessee. Barlow is a Murfreesboro native who decided to return home...
The Rittenberry family: A Fast 40 Years
“DO YOU want fries with that?” was a question Mike and Holly Rittenberry frequently asked customers while working at the McDonald’s on Madison Street during the early 1980s. What began as a...
The Sanders and Davis families: When moonshine met mercy
“When your pawpaw, Willie B. Davis, was younger, he used to make moonshine.” Michelle leaned closer, looking puzzled. “Are you serious, Nanny?” “Back in them days, ‘fore he worked at the highway...
The Eakin family: Passing down the love of learning
TOWERING TREES hugged both sides of the narrow driveway as gravel crunched beneath the tires of my minivan. Each time I traveled Old Nashville Dirt Road, I had admired this two-story farmhouse with...
First Choice Fish Fry: ‘Fishing means so much more than fish’
ON MAY 9, the aroma of fish fillets and hushpuppies sizzled and crackled inside deep fryers. Children played tag on the freshly manicured lawn. Others smiled joyfully as they gathered new friends at...
Talk of the Town Boutique: 50% inventory blowout sale
Talk of the Town Boutique on the Square is launching an extensive summer transformation inside Merle Norman Studio at 105 South Side Square. Planned interior and exterior renovations in July will...
Chris & Lacey Cartwright: Setting their sights
IT’S ONE of the busiest days of the year — the Saturday before Thanksgiving. In kitchens all across Shelbyville, steam will rise from the fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies cooling on the counter....
HSC Pools: Built for life at home
IN 1997, Susan Haynes had spent a decade working for Union Planters Bank, and though her husband, Andy, had a dependable job, one question kept circling inside his brain — “What if I started my own...
Spring Fling: A weekend of community and celebration
THE FIFTH annual Spring Fling, hosted by the Bedford County Fair Board at 2119 Midland Rd., included a free countywide Easter egg hunt, a guest appearance by the Easter Bunny himself, 60 vendors...
Letter From the Editor
WHEN YOU choose a locally owned business over a national chain, you’re not just spending your money, you’re planting it. And the roots of that investment reach deep. Every dollar counts, and it...
Emily Woodruff: The other side of the doorknob
EMILY WOODRUFF turned the brass knob and pushed the door open. “This two-bedroom townhome is move-in ready. I think you’ll love this retirement community,” she said. Her client wearily scanned the...
Eddie and Connie Murray: From axes to zebra skins
AT THE corner of East Depot Street and Thompson Street, a few blocks from the historic Bedford County Courthouse, treasures await at Shelbyville’s oldest antique store. Every counter, curio cabinet,...
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