City councils, county commissions and school boards post their agendas and minutes. Almost nobody reads them. We do — and we put them next to everything else happening in your town.
Moore County's Metro Utility Department board voted 4-0 to refund about $1,000 in sewer charges to a Lynchburg homeowner whose property was never actually connected to the sewer system despite years of billing. Board members also waived his sewer tap fee and acknowledged other customers could be paying for service they are not receiving.
Moore County homeowners may qualify for state property-tax reimbursements under Tennessee's relief program, which raised its 2026 income limit to $38,470 for seniors and residents with disabilities. A new state law also eases renewal paperwork for recipients age 80 and older; applications are due April 5, 2027.
Fayetteville Public Utilities completed the tie-in of a new 12-inch waterline along Highway 110, but customers in the area may see cloudy or milky water for several days as crews flush trapped air from the system. The utility says the appearance comes from air in the pipes and asks customers with bigger problems to call FPU.
The Bedford County Chamber of Commerce rolled out a unified tourism marketing push built around the WalkingHorseCountry.com brand, using signs, billboards, videos and QR codes to draw visitors to county attractions. Visitor spending in the county totaled nearly $28 million in 2025, down about 3 percent from the prior year.
A Bedford County grand jury returned a four-count indictment against former Shelbyville municipal court clerk Lillia Torres, covering theft of property, official misconduct and tampering with government records and evidence. Police say financial discrepancies surfaced during an internal review in September 2025, and the state comptroller also investigated.
The agenda lines up Halloween and holiday event permits — Monster Mash Bash on 10/24, two trunk-or-treats on 10/31, Host of Christmas Past on 11/13-14, and the Christmas parade on 12/5 — plus a commendation for Officer Jesse Smithey and a water-awareness proclamation. Business items include calling a public hearing for a C-3 zoning district update, a city contribution into the employee health savings account, renewal of a certificate of deposit, two Fayetteville City Schools budget amendments, and reappointing William Hurd to the Fayetteville Public Utilities board.
Resolution 26-20 would raise the monthly probation supervision fee from $45 to $60. Also on the table: a broadcast contract with Shelbyville Central High School, EMS surplus property and receivable write-offs, first-quarter reports from county offices, November notary elections, and appointments to the agricultural board.
FPU water customers south of Ardmore Highway, including areas around Dunroamin Lane, Wells Hill Road and Wallace Drive, faced outages or low pressure after contractors hit a water line. Crews worked to restore service as quickly as possible.
The board held hearings and votes on two annexations (a 53-acre tract on Ovoca Lake Road and 2.7 acres on E. Lincoln Street) plus a Riley Creek Road rezoning from R-1 low-density to R-2 medium-density residential. Second readings covered a new city organizational chart clarifying the recorder's and police chief's reporting lines, repeal of the equal general-fund appropriations ordinance, and a repeal of the local slum-clearance board procedure. New business also included a replacement citywide fee schedule, up to $20,000 for inspections tied to a property at 315 Northwest Atlantic Street, and a $407,425.56 automated garbage truck purchase.
Tullahoma terminated senior planner Samuel Luthi following a disciplinary review tied to alleged on-duty sleeping and disregarded supervisory instructions, according to city records reviewed by the newspaper. Luthi, hired in early 2025, had been demoted from planning director in March over inaccurate statements about his role in the city's 2045 plan discussions.
Wawa celebrated the Oct. 14 opening of its Manchester store at 24 Campground Road, its fifth Tennessee location, with free coffee, a ribbon cutting and a sandwich-building competition between local police and fire departments. The company says each new store represents a roughly $7.5 million investment employing about 35 people.
Bridge Bedford will bring 'Walking in a Winter Wonderland' to the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration grounds from Nov. 21 through Jan. 2, with real ice skating, light displays, train rides, miniature golf and live entertainment. The event grew out of the Shelbyville 2075 community plan and aims to become an annual tradition.
Coffee County voters can cast ballots early from Oct. 14 through Oct. 29 ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Elections administrator Andy Farrar urged voters to review the three proposed constitutional amendments before heading to the polls to keep lines moving.
Commissioners faced a rezoning hearing on Greenhaw Road (agricultural to special industrial, for Tinsley Properties), a slate of school and county budget amendments, and grant applications covering a convenience center, correctional training equipment, and a DOJ immigration-related grant. They also considered opting out of the statewide residential building code and reappointments to the planning commission and beer board.
On first readings, the board advanced the org-chart ordinance unanimously, repealed the equal general-fund appropriations ordinance on a 4-3 vote (Berry, Bradford, McGee opposed), and repealed the local slum-clearance board procedure unanimously. It approved motel-tax aid to nine nonprofits — the library unanimously, the other eight 6-1 with Alderman Thoma dissenting — and signed off on Arts Crawl event signage for October 20. Citizens raised 'Shreddergate' documents and nonprofit funding questions. Vote tallies cross-checked against the city's official 2026 voting log.
Manchester's Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted down a motion to bring in the state comptroller's open-records office to mediate a long-running dispute with a resident over public records requests. The city had earlier threatened the resident with a lawsuit over what officials called voluminous requests; the mediation motion failed 2-3.
The Lincoln County Fair crowned its 2026 pageant royalty, with Adrienne Bradford named Fairest of the Fair and winners also chosen in the teen, junior and young miss divisions. The announcements followed a brief weather delay on opening night.
Commissioners elected Mayor Curt Cobb as chair 18-0 and John Boutwell as chair pro tem over Biff Farrar (12-5-1). They rejected the Rules Committee's proposed committee slate 6-12, then voted on the seats individually (12-6), approved the notary slate by voice vote, and made agricultural-board appointments.
Summary in progress. The original document is linked below.
Summary in progress. The original document is linked below.
Summary in progress. The original document is linked below.
Summary in progress. The original document is linked below.
Summary in progress. The original document is linked below.
Summary in progress. The original document is linked below.
Updated October 18, 2026.