Brentwood
Speaker Harwell speaks to Brentwood Women’s Club: The first female Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives, Beth Harwell, addressed members of the Brentwood Women’s Club about her first term in office during the group’s annual December luncheon at the Brentwood Country Club.

Business
Final Cool Springs Connect of the year Dec. 11: Cool Springs Connect’s final 1-on-1 networking event of 2013 is at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, at Buca di Beppo, 1722 Galleria Blvd. Franklin. How does it work?

Events
Cheekwood announces holiday festival schedule : Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art released its schedule of events for Holiday at Cheekwood, the organization’s signature four-week celebration of holiday traditions and festive, family-friendly activities.

Franklin
FIS student organizes “Town Small Meeting”: Katie Milazo, a lifelong Franklin resident, says she believes its time for kids to join the debate on pressing public issues.

Health
Don’t let stress creep into your bed and rob you of vital sleep time: The month of December can be extra stressful with holiday preparations, added family commitments and general end-of-the-year mayhem, but the good news is you can still get a good night’s sleep. Everything from insomnia to snoring and stress can invade our precious time of rest that our bodies desperately need. Some problems are easier to fix than others, but it’s important to realize how necessary a good night’s sleep really is and to be aware of all the ways inadequate sleep can affect us during the day.

Obituaries
Obituary: Colonel Alfred Asch: Colonel Alfred Asch, Retired USAF, age 93 of Brentwood, Tenn., died Dec. 8, 2013. Funeral services will be conducted 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013 at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home, Danny Morris officiating with visitation two hours prior to the service.

Obituaries
Obituary: Marilyn Weaver Paulk: Marilyn Weaver Paulk, age 76 of Franklin, Tenn., formerly of West Frankfort, Ill., passed away Dec. 5, 2013. She is retired Professor Emeritus of Southern Illinois University and has spent 37 years in the teaching profession. She taught and mentored over a thousand dental hygienists located all over the country and overseas.

opinion
Commentary: There are memories...and then there are Memories: The grass crunches beneath my feet because its fourteen degrees out and its four in the morning, but Bear-Dog’s urges wait for no-one. He stands beside me—supported by his sling—sniffing the wind and peering into the darkness. I peer, too, my breath pluming out before me, and look for things I cannot see and listen for things I cannot hear. My hands are numb from the cold and I want to go in but can’t because at that moment, Whomever’s in charge of such things takes me away to 43 years before to a much colder morning.

preservation
State grant funding available for Civil War sites: The Tennessee Wars Commission and the Tennessee Historical Commission announced that applications for a new grant program, totaling about $483,000 that will provide funding to protect Civil War and Underground Railroad sites in Tennessee, it will be available Dec. 1.

Sports
Brentwood boys beat Indy in 57-37 game, Lawns three’s a “luxury”: Normally a 57-37 win in December against a district opponent would have a high school basketball coach all smiles after the game. Not so for Dennis King after his Brentwood Bruins (11-1) beat the Independence Eagles (1-6) Tuesday night.

Williamson Christmas
Doctors warn of holiday hazards: The holidays won’t be merry and bright for the many local folks who will get hurt this season. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says holiday injuries are increasing with more than 13,000 people treated during the 2010 holiday season, up from 12,000 in 2009 (latest research available). Our local American Family Care urgent care centers expect to be as busy as Santa over the holidays, packed with patients harmed by holiday health hazards. That’s why our local doctors have created a Holiday Safety Checklist – advising families to make a list and check it twice.