The Marshall County Sheriff's Department is investigating a home burglary last month when a guitar and amethyst jewelry were taken and lock boxes broken open, the chief detective said Friday. The home of Rodney and Sonya Boles was entered between 10:30 a.m. and 12:04 p.m. on Friday, May 2, said Detective Capt. Norman Dalton, who noted how close Sonya Boles came to interrupting the crime in progress... more

A $1.4 million "spec-building" received site plan approval from Lewisburg's Planning Commission last week when the city's industrial developer described the project. Lewisburg is paying for the building being developed on a speculative basis that a new business will need the structure in the city's Business Park just off Mooresville highway, Industrial Developer Terry Wallace said... more

Lewisburg family-owned Walker Die Casting plans to install a new furnace to increase efficiency, company leaders said after the city's Planning Commission granted site plan approval last week. "It's not to increase business," company President John Walker said Monday of his building expansion project to accommodate a new furnace estimated at some $600,000 to $700,000. "It's to increase energy efficiency."... more

COLUMBIA -- During the 2007-'08 academic year, Columbia State Community College's reach and influence went far beyond traditional lectures, notes and tests. The faculty and staff at the Lewisburg campus taught the students how to "pay it forward" and contributed as Columbia State participated in numerous charitable activities across its entire service area. ... more

The public comment period that precedes regular business during monthly meetings of the Lewisburg City Council has been suspended by general consensus of the elected officials. Mayor Bob Phillips announced the decision during the regular meeting this month, explaining that it's a result of the exchange he had one month earlier with Jerry Freeman, a former executive director of the Lewisburg Housing Authority and frequent attendee at Council meetings... more

Relay for Life teams surpass $70,000 goal "It was beyond my imagination good!" exclaimed Kathi Calahan, this year's Relay for Life chair. "I am just astonished at what our teams accomplished," Calahan said. "Last September when I announced the goal for this year ($70,000) I was very skeptical about it. But, working with goals everyday, I knew it would give us something to work toward. And the teams did work for it. We still have some contributions left to collect. Who knows, we may reach $80,000." more

Opening arguments in the local teachers' association lawsuit against the Marshall County Board of Education in Chancery Court touched on whether the association had a majority and if school system leaders violated labor law. Professional educators' vote supporting representation by the Marshall County Education Association for work contract negotiations "carried by 12," the school board's attorney, Mike Jennings, told Chancellor J.B. Cox on Tuesday morning... more

Autom, the Phoenix-based religious supply company that's constructing a new operations building in Lewisburg's business park, has bought one of America's best known religious candle makers and is moving production here from Syracuse, N.Y. Marshall Ciccone, chief operating officer of Will & Baumer Inc., is part of a group of investors who bought the candle-making business since previous owners only wanted the real estate. ... more

Rotary Club lauded for literacy efforts Lewisburg's Rotary Club is at the forefront of groups supporting the Imagination Library and the Books From Birth program started, respectively, by country music star Dolly Parton and Gov. Phil Bredesen. more

Tonight the track where the horses strut their stuff at the show ground on Robin Hood Road will be a walking track for people participating in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. The all-night event starts with a Survivors' Lap. Everyone walking in that lap tonight has their own story to tell, and here's one of them... more

Marshall County's School Board has sent county commissioners a proposed budget that's $858,000 in the red. The reasons for the deficit, as explained this week during a joint session of the board and commissioners Education Committee, include uncertainties from civil litigation brought by the Marshall County Education Association against the School Board last spring when teachers alleged bad faith by the school board during contract talks. A four-day trial is to start Tuesday in Chancery Court... more

NASHVILLE ---- The Internal Revenue Service today announced a new summer campaign to reach those retirees and disabled veterans who qualify for the economic stimulus payment but have not filed to claim it. New statistics released today for Tennessee indicate about 79 percent in this group are accounted for in the stimulus payments currently being sent, leaving about 123,000 potential recipients remaining... more

Chapel Hill is spending the Fourth of July celebrating its 200th anniversary and raising money for a new veterans memorial in Larry Lewter Park. Highlight of the festivities is the evening appearance of BackBeat A Tribute, four men who take on the characters of John, Paul, George and Ringo and perform as The Beatles... more

June is dairy month and to honor our dairy farmers, the Marshall County Young Farmers and Ranchers have made a contribution to the dairy program. The contribution will help fund the showmanship class at the annual 4-H dairy show in August. Marshall County is consistently ranked in the top ten Tennessee counties for dairy production according to Tennessee Department of Agriculture statistics. ... more

Sam Smith, the subject of one of the complaints brought before the Marshall County Ethics Committee Monday afternoon, was not in attendance, nor was his attorney. Chairwoman Mary Ann Neill expressed surprised she had not been notified the lawyer would not be there, especially since the date and time had been agreed with him. Smith's wife Beth was in the audience and she spoke up to say, "I have no idea what's going on, but I request an adjournment until we have representation."... more

The congregation at Mooresville Baptist Church has a beautiful new building. The first service was held on Easter Sunday. While the church was being built, the church family met in a farm house belonging to Bliss Foster of Atlanta. While there, the pastor, Bob Rush, stated that when we had 100 people in a service, he would preach from the roof of the house. This came true when we had 105 in attendance, so he climbed to the roof and spoke in a very impressive manner... more

CHAPEL HILL -- Josh Watkins is a percussionist. "There's a percussion instrument for every society in the world," he points out. "Other than voice, it's the instrument you can find in every society." Almost as an after thought, he adds, "Anything you hit, I'll play."... more

Early test runs with a Lewisburg Police cruiser using E85 fuel indicate savings from a lower price won't be consumed by lower miles per gallon, according to the city manager. E85 fuel, available in Lewisburg at a convenience store at the north intersection of Ellington Parkway and Nashville Highway, is 85 percent corn-based ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, a blend that's nearly the opposite of regular gas blended with ethanol... more

As the new countywide single stream and curbside recycling programs are nearing their second month, one can't help but wonder what it all means. The recycling is picked up and carted away and/or taken to the convenience centers and added to the single stream bins. We put less in the landfill. New things are made from old things. But how does this equate to "saving the environment?"... more