Number Two -- January 2024

Old jail demolished

In November and December, the 1987 Bedford County Jail on Lane Parkway was demolished. The jail, which was in poor shape and had been deemed uninhabitable by state regulators, was replaced four years ago by Bedford County Justice Complex, an integrated jail, judicial facility and sheriff's office, and had been empty since that time.

Demolishing the jail improves the view of the historic Shelbyville square for visitors, including those traveling the whiskey corridor between Nearest Green Distillery north of Shelbyville and Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg. The land will be cleared; the exact usage of it has not been tied down, whether as open space, general parking, tour bus parking or event space, but it's expected to support the growth and development of the downtown area. The Shelbyville square is the busiest it's been in years, and planned developments such as Glass Hollow Table and Tavern and Grindstone Cowboy should make it even more of a destination.

The 1800s-era rock jail, considered a historic landmark, has been preserved and was not part of the demolition project.

(Bedford County Government photos)

County archives requests photos

Bedford County Archives is interested in historic photos of Bedford County. If you have old photos you think might be of interest, contact Carol Roberts or Kathryn Hopkins at the archives, 931-735-6916 or archives@bedfordcountytn.gov, or stop by and see them on the first floor of the historic Bedford County Courthouse on the Shelbyville square. They can help preserve the photos and can scan them in to make them available for research.

Recent research requests addressed by the archive staff include questions about the training maneuvers held in southern Middle Tennessee during World War II, and about various historic buildings.

A new election cycle begins

2024 is an election year, starting with primary elections on March 5. Here are some key dates you need to be aware of:

• Voter registration deadline is Feb. 5 to be able to participate in the March 5 election.
• Early Voting is Feb. 14-27.  Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday. Early voting takes place at the election office, in the basement of Bedford County Courthouse Annex on the Shelbyville square, regardless of your precinct.
• The deadline for submitting absentee by mail applications is Feb. 27. They must be received by the election office by that day.
• Election Day will be March 5. If you are voting on Election Day, you must vote at your assigned precinct.

Bedford County has new voting machines this year, with a verified audit paper trail. The voter will confirm their on-screen selections against a printout. Once the selections have been confirmed, the voter hits the "CAST VOTE" button.  

For more information, contact the county election office, in the basement of Bedford County Courthouse Annex on the Shelbyville square. The phone number is 931-684-0531 or you can e-mail Summer.Leverette@bedfordcountytn.gov. You can also check out the state election website at govotetn.com.

Tennessee has been ranked number one in the nation for election integrity by the Heritage Foundation.

New year, new job opportunities

Looking for new career choices? Maybe you belong in Bedford County government! At our jobs page, bedfordcountytn.mysmarthire.com/jobs/, you can see and apply for all open positions with county government. New positions are added frequently, so bookmark the site and check back often. (Photo by Rufino, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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Upcoming county government holidays

In general, Bedford County government offices follow the State of Tennessee's holiday schedule. Some departments, such as Bedford County Highway Department, may follow a slightly different schedule.



Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Monday, Jan. 15

Presidents Day: Monday, Feb. 19

You can get more information about upcoming dates on the calendar at our county website, https://www.bedfordcountytn.gov/calendar.php

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