December 2024

A Bedford County Christmas thrills crowd

"A Bedford County Christmas," a festival which included the lighting of the historic` Bedford County Courthouse and the Christmas tree on the courthouse lawn, drew a huge crowd to the Shelbyville square and downtown district on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

The festival was organized by Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce with the support of Bedford County government, Shelbyville city government, the Nearest Green Distillery, and a host of community sponsors. Activities included live music, photos with Santa, visits by princesses and superheroes, and even live reindeer.

The lighting of the courthouse and tree was followed by a dramatic fireworks show.

Live music included Madison Street Worship, Craig Campbell, Justin Williams & Friends and the Bright Temple Church of God in Christ choir. Carolers from First United Methodist Church strolled around the square as well. Many downtown merchants and restaurants had special activities and promotions.

Bedford County Mayor chad Graham and Shelbyville Mayor Randy Carroll celebrate the season and the cooperation that made the festival possible.

Employee spotlight: Anne Marie Morton

This month, we begin a new series spotlighting county employees, the hard-working men and women who serve the people of Bedford County through various offices and departments.

--

Anne Marie Morton is a familiar face in the Bedford County Clerk’s office, having served there for the past 28½ years, first under Kathy Prater and for the past 10 years under County Clerk Donna Thomas. Morton holds the title of administrative assistant.

“I’ve had good role models,” she said.

"Ann Marie is a vital member of the County Clerk team,” said Thomas. “Her attitude and experience were a great help to me when I first took office and she is still an asset to me in our daily operations. She is a jewel!"

Morton is not the only county employee in her household; her husband, Larry Morton, is a field appraiser working for the office of Assessor of Property Ronda Clanton.

Anne Marie spent 18 years working for the former Kmart store in Shelbyville, where she was office manager and kept the books. When the store closed, she took a job at Renegar Drugs. Jean Beachboard, another former Kmart employee, went to work for Prater in the clerk’s office, and when Prater mentioned that she was looking for a bookkeeper, Beachboard recommended Morton. Morton took the job and loves it.

“People are my passion,” she said.

Anne Marie and Larry Morton have been married for 40 years and have two children, Curtis and Bethany, and three grandchildren. They enjoy riding e-bikes and are trying to visit every Tennessee State Park.

“We’re always chasing sunsets,” she said. They also enjoy kayaking and white-water rafting.

“Our children always worry about us,” she said.

Morton said she’d like to make it to 30 years in the clerk’s office, but she’s also looking ahead to the prospect of having more time for the outdoors and her family.

The county clerk's office handles automotive registrations and license tags, business licenses, marriage licenses, passport applications, notary public licenses, and the minutes for county commission meetings. For more information, go to https://www.bedfordcountytn.gov/government/county_clerk/index.php

Employees honored for military service

On the day after Veterans Day, Bedford County Government employees who are veterans of the Armed Forces were honored. The recognition took place during the Nov. 12 meeting of Bedford County Board of Commissioners. Each receives a certificate of appreciation from the county.

County Mayor Chad Graham cited a quote that veterans are "reliable, responsible and accountable" and thanked the group for their military service and for their ongoing service to the county.

The honorees, not all of whom were present for this photograph, are listed here by name, county department, and the branch of the military in which they served:

David Edwards, Corrections, Army

Duke Lynn, Corrections, Navy

Charles Rickett, Corrections, Marine Corps

George Marsh, Courts, Marines

Steven Simmons, Courts, Air Force

Clarence Santini, EMS, Army National Guard

Michele Poole Upton, EMS / Fire Dept., Army

James Whorley, EMS / Fire Dept., Army National Guard

Jim Eakin, Fire Dept., Air Force

James Redd, Fire Dept., Army

Brad Rogers, Fire Dept., Navy/Army National Guard

AJ Vanderpool, IT, Air Force

Angel Gutierrez, Juvenile Detention, Army

Darryl Birdsong, Sheriff’s Dept., Marine Corps

Chris Brown, Sheriff’s Dept., Air Force

Brian Farris, Sheriff’s Dept., Air Force

Billy Halsey, Sheriff’s Dept., Army

Rick Gentry, Sheriff’s Dept., Marine Corps

Joe Martinez, Sheriff’s Dept., Marine Corps

Monte Moore, Sheriff’s Dept., Army National Guard

Josh Nave, Sheriff’s Dept., Navy

Jason Nobles, Sheriff’s Dept., Army

Donald Perdue, Sheriff’s Dept., Marine Corps

Alethia Rawn, Sheriff’s Dept., Army National Guard

Cameron Stacey, Sheriff’s Dept., Marines

Ray Templeton, Sheriff’s Dept., Air Force

David Trisdale, Sheriff’s Dept., Army

James Burks, Solid Waste, National Guard

Jackie Burks, Veterans Service, Army National Guard

Karah Cox, Veterans Service, Army

David Easter, Veterans Service, Army Reserves

Benjamin Eley, Veterans Service, Army

Jerry Jesch, Veterans Service, Marines

Bill Tucker, Veterans Service, Army

Scott Johnson, County Commissioner, Air Force

Tony Smith, County Commissioner, Army

P.T. “Biff” Farrar, County Commissioner

County receives clean audit report

County government's annual audit, conducted by the state Comptroller of the Treasury's Division of Local Audit, has been posted to the county website. This audit covers the fiscal year which ended on June 30, 2024. This was a "clean" audit, meaning that there were no findings or recommendations related to deficiencies in financial reporting or management.

View budgets and audits at https://www.bedfordcountytn.gov/departments/audits_and_budgets.php

State grants fund needed fire equipment

Both Bedford County Fire Department and Bell Buckle Volunteer Fire Department received grants from Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance in 2024 as part of its Volunteer Firefighter Equipment and Training Grant program.

Although the grants were actually received during the 2023-24 fiscal year that ended June 30, the state recognized the grants during an event held this fall.

BCFD received $76,363, which was used to purchase air pack bottles. BBVFD received $56,000 for an air compressor that is used to fill air pack bottles.

Created in 2019, the state program earmarks monies for the purchase of firefighting equipment (other than fire trucks or vehicles) used to extinguish fires and protect the lives of firefighters, or the grants may be used to help fire departments pay or reimburse the cost share for federal grants that have already been awarded.

Since the program’s launch in 2020, grants totaling $16.5 million have been provided to Tennessee fire departments to help purchase lifesaving equipment.

Donations to emergency, animal agencies

For a number of years, a Shelbyville couple – who choose not to be publicly recognized – has made annual donations during the Christmas season to Shelbyville and Bedford County law enforcement, fire protection and animal welfare agencies.

This year’s checks were distributed on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at the historic Bedford County Courthouse. From left are Brian Cantrell of Bedford County Fire Department; Director Josie Lowery of Bedford County Animal Control; Jane De Atley of Shelbyville-Bedford County Humane Association; Diane Forbes of Middle Tennessee Spay & Neuter Clinic; Bedford County Sheriff Austin Swing; Eric Smith of Shelbyville Fire Department; and Shelbyville Police Chief Jan Phillips. (Bedford County Government photo)

Holiday luncheon held

County Mayor Chad Graham hosted the annual holiday luncheon for elected officials Friday at the historic Bedford County CourthouseCounty Mayor Chad Graham hosted the annual holiday luncheon for elected officials Friday at the historic Bedford County Courthouse

Winter snow routes announced

Bedford County Highway Department has hundreds of miles of rural roads to maintain; during a winter storm, there's not enough manpower or equipment to try to clear every single road, and so the department must focus on collector roads -- the roads which help funnel traffic onto state highways. (Tennessee Department of Transportation is responsible for state highways, and city or town governments maintain their own city streets.)

In the case of a snow event, the following roads will be the focus of salting (and, eventually, plowing) operations. New snow plows ordered by the department earlier this year are scheduled to be delivered in January 2025, but until then salting will be the primary means of addressing snow and ice.

Hawthorne Rd

New Center Church Rd.

Snell Rd.

Knight Campground/ Dixon Rd.

New Herman Rd.

Hilltop/Elijah Parker Rd.

Pickle Rd.

Whitaker Rd.

Warner’s Bridge/ Sims Spring Rd.

Simms Rd.

Halls Mill Rd.

Unionville Deason Rd.

Longview Rd.

Nashville Dirt Rd.

Midland Rd.

Ebb Joyce Rd.

Fairfield Pike Rd.

Horse Mountain Rd.

Knob Creek Rd.

Normandy Rd.

Unionville Chapel Hill Rd.

In extremely cold temperatures, salting will not melt ice. And if extremely cold temperatures are in the immediate forecast, it's sometimes dangerous to melt snow -- which provides more traction than a sheet of ice -- knowing that it might refreeze overnight. 

Please use extreme caution when driving in snowy and icy weather. Be aware of weather conditions as well as the latest announcements from the Highway Department and emergency agencies.

Connected Community 5K Run/Walk

The inaugural Connected Community 5K Run/Walk, presented by the Shelbyville-Bedford Community Foundation, will be held Saturday, May 10, 2025, beginning and ending on the historic Shelbyville public square. The run will support local initiatives benefitting Shelbyville and Bedford County, in the areas of education and quality of life.

To sign up for the run, go to https://runsignup.com/Race/Info/TN/Shelbyville/CommunityConnection5K.

Check out our jobs page!

New graduate? 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)

Calendar

Here are some upcoming dates of interest:

• Dec. 10: Bedford County Board of Commissioners regular monthly meeting, 7 p.m., historic Bedford County Courthouse
• Dec. 13: Live nativity on historic Bedford County Courthouse lawn, presented by First United Methodist Church
• Dec. 17: Financial Management Committee, 4:15 p.m., followed by the Rules and Legislative Committee, Law Enforcement Committee, and Courthouse and County Property Committee, historic Bedford County Courthouse. (The Financial Management Committee meeting is a week early and at a different location due to the holiday.)
• Dec. 23-26: Highway Department offices closed for Christmas
• Dec. 24-26: County government offices closed for Christmas
• Dec. 24-26: County convenience centers closed for Christmas
• Dec. 30-Jan. 1: Highway Department offices closed for New Year's
• Dec. 31-Jan. 1: County government offices closed for New Year's
• Dec. 31-Jan. 1: County convenience centers closed for New Year's

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

Welcome to our newsletter. Please share!

Bedford County Update is published once a month and includes information and features about county government. It's intended to serve the citizens of Bedford County. We will also use this platform for special timely announcements. We promise not to overload you with too many messages. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of this e-mail.

We need your help! Please share this newsletter with your friends so that they can subscribe.You can start by clicking the buttons below!

If this newsletter has been forwarded to you by a friend, you can subscribe here.

Connect with us!