Despite a deepened season of COVID-19, City officials are continuing to make good on some long-term promises to taxpayers before the close of 2020. The City most recently offered a Texas government official the office of manager and welcomed a new economic director, jointly with the county... more

COVID-19, among other things, has delayed a lot of construction around Shelbyville this year. The Wilson-Haynes law office on the public square is undergoing reconstruction, due to February’s wind storm, which toppled part of the top portion of the building. more

According to the Tennessee Health Department, the deaths of 638 Tennesseans were attributed to COVID-19 during the first 10 days of December. That’s up 98.75 precent from the first 10 days of November when it was 321. Eleven deaths in Bedford County in the last six days have been attributed to the coronavirus... more

Two suspects were charged with possession of methamphetamine after neither admitted ownership of .10 grams found by a detective in their vehicle Thursday, Shelbyville police said Thursday. Courtney Michelle Fears, 25, of Mount Herman Road, and Cody Allen Campbell, 29, of Ray Street are each charged with possession of a schedule II drug and paraphernalia, SPD Detective Nathan Evernart said... more

Shelbyville Parks and Recreation Department has received a highly competitive BlueCross Foundation’s Healthy Place grant. New playground equipment, valued at over a half million dollars, should be installed at H.V. Griffin Park in 2021. City parks director Mike Alsup sent in the application earlier this year to BCBS Tennessee’s Foundation for the Healthy Places grant, which at 100 percent funding, requires no local matching tax dollars from the City of Shelbyville... more

Occasional rain and gusty wind kicking off your weekend with temperatures in the low 60s. Another system will be coming in Sunday night with some rain and light snow possible and turning colder. And yet another chance of precipitation and cold weather will come around the middle of next week. Anytime you need weather information during the week you can reach me at weather1@charter.net. After Saturday there is no more warm weather in sight through Christmas Eve... more

Shane Hooper of Tupelo, Miss., was officially hired Tuesday night as the new local economic director, according to joint economic development committee chair Henry Feldhaus. “Hooper brings a wealth of knowledge and ability with a track record for economic development in Tupelo,” said Feldhaus... more

Santa is making appearances in shop windows up and down Bell Buckle’s shopping district. more

A Quilt of Valor was presented to former U.S. Marine Capt. Patrick Brown of The 2nd Force Recon and served from 1992-1997.  The quilt was made by Patrick's mother, Shirley Brown, a member of Happy Hands Quilt Guild of Shelbyville.  Mrs. Brown traveled to Boise, Idaho to give the quilt to her son. more

Drugs were confiscated from the vehicle of a driver stopped for alleged reckless driving Thursday, Dec. 3, according to a Shelbyville police report released Tuesday. Olaysha Raquelle Tate, 24, of Manchester had bags containing 95 grams of marijuana and $437 cash in her vehicle and Xanax bars and Percocet tablets in a shoe, which were confiscated along with her cell phone, Officer Ronnie Blankenship’s report said... more

Due to COVID-19, Bedford County schools will not have any students in classrooms as of Thursday. Classes will be conducted online only until Dec. 18, when the winter break starts. The district plans to reopen schools on Jan. 5. In the last seven days 30 Bedford County school age children tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Tennessee Health Department. ... more

Bedford County commissioners selected Jason Sanders to the District 3 seat in a three-round vote during Tuesday night’s December meeting. Commissioners chose the late Jimmy Patterson’s replacement from among his son-in-law Terry Davenport, Rick Gann, Brent Stacy and Sanders. The first candidate to reach 10 votes won the seat, with the lowest-polling hopeful being dropped after each round... more

Shelbyville City Council voted Tuesday night, during a special called business meeting, to offer the position of City Manager to applicant Joshua W. Ray, who has served since 2017 as Lago Vista, Texas city manager and previously served 7 years as City of Aztec, N.M. manager... more

While it is inevitable that 2020 will be remembered for its many challenges, isn’t there still plenty of good? In challenging times, we must look for the helpers. As Fred Rogers, so eloquently stated, “If you look for the helpers, you’ll know that there is hope.”... more

There are two very important opportunities for farm operators to consider. I’ve mentioned these in the past weeks, and I am again one last time. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is taking applications through December 11 for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program version 2. ... more

Dressed in his tan Boy Scouts of America uniform — one crowded with an assortment of merit badges — Elk River District Executive Derek Maness said recently despite everything, the 101-year-old program remains kid-safe. “Boy Scouts is still one of the largest youth organizations . . . one of the safest, because of all the protections put into place,” Maness said. “It’s unbelievable. I’m not doubting that it didn’t happen, because I know there are evil people out there.”... more

Confusion reigned last Tuesday night as Bedford County Planning Commission initially voted 8-1 to defer a “rural village neighborhood” zoning overlay for four areas of rural communities, then voted to rescind their earlier vote and approve the overlays after removing a portion permitting beer sales... more

From Nov. 30 through Dec. 6, the deaths of seven residents of Bedford County were attributed to COVID-19. Five of those deaths were reported on Saturday, Dec. 5. The first death of a Bedford County resident, attributed to the coronavirus, was on April 10. The previous daily high number was four on Nov. 18. The total number of deaths in Bedford County, attributed to COVID-19 was 40 as of Dec. 6... more

Shelbyville police found a man wanted for allegedly creating fake documents hiding in a hidden compartment in his motor home on Warners Bridge Road Friday, according to a report by Detective Nathan Everhart. Nathaniel Merrell Harrington, 37, emerged without incident and surrendered to Everhart and 17th Judicial District Drug Task Force officer John Lasiter. ... more

A participant in Shelbyville’s annual Christmas Parade smiles as a float rolls through downtown Shelbyville on Saturday. Crowds lined the street to enjoy the event on a relatively warm December day. more