Tag: Bedford County

The Mexican rodeo in Bedford County where several illegal activities are alleged to take place supposedly dissolved as a business more than a year ago, according to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website. Yet that establishment, Rancho La Herradura in Bell Buckle, continues to operate, according to its Facebook page, and has another event planned for Dec. 22. As reported, a few county commissioners suspect its management allows drug deals, prostitution, gambling, and human trafficking, among other things. Also, as reported, Edgar Torres-Rangel, an alleged illegal immigrant, was drinking there before he allegedly drove drunk and killed Bedford County resident Keri King in an Oct. 21 automobile wreck. According to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website, Rancho La Herradura dissolved in August of last year. Secretary of State spokesman Keith Boring said Wednesday by phone that if his department’s website list a certain business as dissolved then that means the business owner or owners filed paperwork to make that happen. In a follow-up Thursday, he said Secretary of State officials don’t determine whether such entities violate state law based on registration status with that office. “Our function is more ministerial in nature – business entities file formation documents and subsequent…

The Mexican rodeo in Bedford County where an alleged illegal immigrant was said to have gotten intoxicated before he killed someone in a car crash still has a license to sell beer. Authorities, however, have gotten certain complaints about that establishment, Rancho La Herradura, said Troy Thompson, chair of the county’s five-member Beer Board, which grants permits to businesses to sell beer. Thompson said he and his colleagues on the board haven’t gotten any phone complaints about Rancho La Herradura — but they heard a few last week, at a county Rules and Legislative Committee meeting. “We had a full courtroom of concerned citizens. We have heard complaints since that time,” Thompson told The Tennessee Star Tuesday, when asked if board members plan to suspend the Mexican rodeo’s permit to sell beer. “We don’t have anything factual to take action on, but the people in our Circuit Clerk Office are supposed to be working on something.” County commissioners, whom Thompson did not identify, have also contacted him to complain about Rancho La Herradura, he said. Thompson also said he and his fellow board members are awaiting the results of a Tennessee Highway Patrol report on the establishment and Edgar Torres-Rangel.…

A Shelbyville Times-Gazette article that ran this week was technically correct when it said a Bedford County-based Mexican rodeo suspected of illegal activity has received a county cease-and-desist order. But one might infer from reading the article that county officials delivered the cease-and-desist order this week. They did not. County officials, in fact, wrote that order two years ago, in November of 2016, said the county’s Planning and Zoning Director Chris White. “It was obviously a surprise to me when I saw that in the article,” White told The Tennessee Star, referring to the Bell Buckle-based Rancho La Herradura and the local newspaper’s story about it. As reported, Bedford County commissioners suspect the venue of permitting drug deals, prostitution, gambling, and human trafficking, among other things. One commissioner has complained to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. “Of course, the article never actually reports the date of the cease and desist. It is accurate that I did issue a cease and desist, but the way that they framed the story told it differently that one might want it told. I’m not going to say the story is inaccurate. I did issue a cease-and-desist, but I wrote it in 2016.” White…

A Bedford County-based Mexican rodeo suspected of illegal activity has received a county cease-and-desist order, according to The Shelbyville Times-Gazette. As The Tennessee Star reported last week, a few county commissioners suspect the Rancho La Herradura in Bell Buckle allows drug deals, prostitution, gambling, and human trafficking, among other things. The county’s Office of Planning and Zoning issued the cease-and-desist order. County officials said the venue does not qualify for an agricultural exemption from zoning rules, according to The Times-Gazette. “The facility was a topic of discussion at last week’s meeting of Bedford County Board of Commissioners, with commissioner Greg Vick saying that it has created traffic problems and safety problems as well, and that there are problems with excessive alcohol use at the site,” the paper reported. Rancho La Herradura Inc. officials said they engage in agricultural activity, specifically agri-tourism, and state laws protect them from zoning restrictions, the paper reported. “But Planning and Zoning Director Chris White, in his cease-and-desist letter, says that Rancho La Herradura did not board, train or care for any animals on its property, and never built any sort of barn or agricultural facility,” the paper said. White said “there has been NO activity…

Officials with a Bedford County arena for Mexican rodeos said they have cancelled a horse racing event this weekend because of a recent Tennessee Star article about them. The article ran Thursday. As reported, a few county commissioners suspect the Rancho La Herradura in Bell Buckle of allowing drug deals, prostitution, gambling, and human trafficking, among other things. Rancho La Herradura made the announcement, in Spanish, on one of the group’s two Facebook pages. Facebook, however, translated the announcement into English. “They are informed that the event of this Sunday November 18 is cancelled until further notice. for causes of a note published in the tn star newspaper of Bedford County. Who is accused of rancho la herradura lane. that we mexican sell drugs, consume drugs. Weapons and prostitution with minors. And to finish putting more on the subject that makes fights of roosters.. and human trafficking,” the English translation read. “That well everyone knows that the lane rancho la herradura only makes horse racing. That’s why it took the decision to cancel the event for the good and safety of all our race.” Organizers then said they “are working to put a stop to all these people! Well if…