All Bedford County schools will be going virtual beginning Thursday through Friday, Dec. 18, the school system announced Tuesday afternoon. Students will report to school Wednesday to pick up their laptops, materials, and receive directions from their teachers... more

The cold weather brings the birds in for a morning meal. Dining are mourning doves, a cardinal and a ladder-backed woodpecker. more

Two local events are sure to please Bedford County shoppers this holiday season. One is the annual Wine Walk, sponsored by public square merchants, and the other is a “Holiday Shop Local” contest, sponsored by Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce, going on through Dec. 18, and set to reward one local shopper with a $200 cash prize. ... more

A Christian gentleman recently wrote the following: “I’m a believer in simple and not complicated Christian music. I prefer music that focuses on the message rather than the instruments used.” He went on to say: “I am not a fan of drowning the voice in the noise of the instruments. I want the people to hear the message of the songs. Christian music for me is not about entertainment but spreading the gospel.”... more

The Shelbyville Central High School Criminal Justice - III class recently completed cast lifting. These students learned how to correctly lift shoe imprints out of soil which could then be used as evidence within a criminal case. From left: Kaylee Ruth, Will Melson, Sophie Miller, Cole Banks, Alyssa Bowen, Angel Murillo, Vanesa Robles and Mary Chadwell. more

Two people were arrested on drug-related charges during a traffic stop Wednesday on North Cannon Boulevard. Sandra Deonna Brannan, 48, of Christiana was charged with simple possession of a schedule II drug and paraphernalia after Shelbyville officer Dylan Bliss allegedly found a pipe with methamphetamine residue under her seat in their car. Brannan told Bliss she had a bag of methamphetamine in a sock... more

With great sadness, Shelbyville Municipal Airport announced Wednesday that Santa’s plane has been grounded for the annual fly-in which was scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12. “We are saddened to say that due to the increase in COVID-19, and considering the large crowds that have attended in the past, the City of Shelbyville has canceled this year’s Santa Fly-In at Shelbyville Airport, said flight academy instructor Joe Roberts. ... more

The Truckload Carriers Association has named William and Becky Gregory, from Shelbyville, as Highway Angels for rescuing and caring for a boy following a two-vehicle crash that killed his father. The Gregorys are owner-operators who drive team for Titan Transfer, Inc. Around 9 p.m. one evening, they were westbound on I-40 near Holbrook, Arizona, driving a load to California. William was behind the wheel and Becky was in the sleeper with their dog... more

A Bedford County woman convicted of paying a friend of her daughter’s to kill her abusive husband has been denied a request for a new trial. A three-judge Tennessee Court of Appeals panel rejected Susan Jo Walls’ claim that attorney Christopher Westmoreland failed to adequately defend her case... more

Many Tennessee counties experienced changes in their unemployment rates during October 2020, according to newly released data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). Unemployment in 93 of Tennessee’s 95 counties increased in October. Davidson and Sevier counties saw their rates decrease during the month... more

(This story was created and first published on Dec. 2 by the Center for Public Integrity a nonprofit investigative news organization based in Washington, D.C) The White House Coronavirus Task Force warned governors in private reports this week that “the COVID risk to all Americans is at a historic high” and said virus-mitigation efforts in many states are still not strong enough... more

On a map of Tennessee that tracks daily the county-by-county hot spots for the spread of COVID-19, Bedford County was in the top 10, Thursday, for the severity of the situation in the last 14 days based on the number of cases per 100,000 population and the average daily new case count... more

Things are looking pretty good as we go into the weekend and begin a dry spell of weather that could last five to seven days. Afternoon highs will be in the upper 40s for the weekend and it will drop into the upper 20s at night. By next Wednesday and Thursday we could be looking at 55 degrees and sunny skies! I am expecting colder weather to return after the 14th with a chance of precipitation... more

I’m not going to talk about the cold weather, although I would prefer it not get into the 20’s. But there are some things we need to discuss. Outside animals that are developed outside can make it with ample food, water, and shelter. Let’s look at what ample is... more

•Six firearms and multiple rounds of ammunition were stolen from a home in the 2800 block of Highway 82 East during the day Monday, according to a Bedford County Sheriff’s Office report. •A four-wheeler’s battery was stolen between 6-7:45 a.m. Thursday outside a Brookhaven Circle home, police said. A suspect was named... more

Assistant Superintendent Karen Scoggins has been appointed interim superintendent over candidate Sharon Edwards, a former principal. The Bedford County Board of Education made the appointment in a 5-4 vote during a special called meeting Monday evening... more

COVID-19 continues to spread unchecked in Bedford County and throughout the State of Tennessee. In the last 14 days the number of new cases in Bedford County is up 20 percent from the prior two weeks. From Nov. 18 through Dec. 1 there were 579 new cases reported in Bedford County. The previous 14 days, Nov. 4 through Nov. 17 there were 482 new cases reported in Bedford County... more

Jimmy Reynolds was accustomed to paying around $60 a month for Wartrace water service until a year ago when the city finished installing new digital water meters. After the meter installation project, Reynolds water bills dropped to around $25. Jimmy said he assumed the drop in his bill was the result of the water system improvements... more

In 2017, Pearl King came down from her home in Smyrna to visit with Santa in Bell Buckle. Pearl, who was 3 and 1/2 years old at the time, asked Santa for a doll and doll house. Santa told the Times-Gazette that he was only able to make time for visits to Bell Buckle and other Bedford County towns because of the hard work his elves like Josie Smith put in. Santa has once again made time to visit Bell Buckle for three Saturdays in December. Rudolph and the other reindeer are resting up for Christmas Eve so J. Gregory Heinike fills in pulling Santa’s sleigh around Bell Buckle with his Ford dually pickup. Bell Buckle’s Old Fashioned Christmas is the first three Saturdays in December from noon to 4 p.m. more

Beginning Thursday, Community High School went to all virtual due to rising COVID cases with students and faculty. The school plans to return to in-person on Monday, Dec. 14, school superintendent Don Embry said Wednesday. Harris Middle will remain all virtual until Monday. This is due to the high number of COVID-related issues with faculty and staff that are still under quarantine... more