
Marc Betzelberger: Game changer
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...

Lynda and Alfred Johnson: From empty arms to full hearts
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...

Unmasking human trafficking: Fourth annual Hope Masquerade Ball
YOU ARE loved. You are valued. Imagine hearing these words from a stranger, or receiving a gift bag and discovering these words have been lovingly penned inside a card. Whispers of Hope Founder...

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...

JW Boutique: Fashion with a local flair
STEP INSIDE the newly remodeled JW Boutique at 203 N. Cannon Blvd., Suite C, and discover a wide array of trendy yet budget-friendly clothes, jewelry, and accessories. Though Jennifer “Jen” Whitson...

J Jordan Boutique: Childhood dreams become reality
BACK WHEN she was a student, Jennifer Jordan Thompson examined every detail of the photo in her marketing book. The overhead spotlights illuminated a stage where rows of picture-perfect models were...

Two Sisters Travel: Take a vacation from planning your next vacation
WHAT IS your vacation budget? When do you want to go? Do you have a preferred destination or region? What type of activities do you enjoy? Imagine answering similar questions and then having a...

H A Beasley & Company: The right fit
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...

Shelbyville-Bedford Co-op: From farming to fashion
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...

Letter From the Editor
A STUDENT IN our community today will walk the halls of Congress with a pinned American flag on their chest. A student in our community today will pray their knees still hold when their nerves get...

Shawna Barrier: Soaring from inmate to inspiration
"I SAW MYSELF as a teacher, in a bank, as a doctor — never prisoner number 00660725 at the Bedford County Correctional Complex,” wrote Shawna Barrier. “My pathway to becoming a habitual offender...

Kasey Kesselring: Kindling curiosity
DURING HIS formative years in Maryland, Kasey Kesselring’s mother and three siblings gathered around the dinner table each evening, taking turns reading from the devotional “Our Daily Bread.”...

Mary Sadler: Still going strong at 90
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...

Polly Woodard: Nourishing hunger and lives
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...

Billie Jo Juarez: The wheels of kindness
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...

Cam Farrell: A childhood dream come true
AS A single parent raising three boys on her own, Cam Farrell’s mother had no choice but to work long hours. Farrell and his brothers often lacked supervision, but sometimes, it takes a village to...

Rita Delvin: From Lamplight to the Limelight
OPEN THE door of Yesterday’s Treasures on the corner by the Bedford County Courthouse at 105 Public Square W., and more than just your senses will come alive. The spicy aroma of apple and cinnamon...

Jamie Dickerson: Turning Pain into Purpose
JAMIE DICKERSON lifted her palm from the steering wheel and waved goodbye to her 9-year-old grandson. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she assured him. “If we’re going to open the grief center, I...

Linda Nichols: A Journey of Hope & Healing
“I NEED YOU to pray that I have a brain tumor!” Linda Nichols clasped hands with her friends as they bowed their heads inside her home. After everyone left that evening, her husband, Howie, asked,...

CJ and Courtnie Dunn: Emerging from Emergency
SOMEONE IS unresponsive and has quit breathing. A loved one is struggling to breathe or appears to be experiencing a heart attack. A child is choking on a grape. Any one of us could find ourselves...

Jasper Wilson: Building character through Faith
THE SKY blushed with shades of peach and coral above the metal bleachers of Shelbyville Central High School (SCHS). Wild honeysuckles sweetened the slight summer breeze. One by one, the stadium...

Ezralee Swing: Built to Endure
AFTER DAYS of nonstop chemo infusions, Ezralee Swing was much too weak to open his eyes. Above the metal headboard of his hospital bed, a machine beeped. Had he finally completed his seventh day of...

Letter From the Editor
THE SOUNDS of the self-checkout registers beep through the entire store. The short lines of people with baskets and carts move across the reflective tile like a conveyor belt and out the door. Uh,...

Letter From the Editor
You know that first breath of spring? The way the warmer air gives you goosebumps — the air is soft, full of promise, carrying hints of something new. After months of cold, we step outside, and for...

Courtney Clardy: Balancing act
Courtney Clardy awoke before her alarm clock. All five of her children were still sleeping, but there was another child who needed her. She quietly settled into the dining room chair and reviewed...
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