West Tennessee Healthcare’s Senior Services held its third annual Senior Women’s Conference, “Blossoming Into a Better You” at Union University’s Carl Grant Events Center. This fun-filled event was for women age 50 years and older.
Read MoreLoni Harris has lived in Jackson, Tennessee 28 years. Her family is originally from Henderson County, Tennessee, but she regards Covington, Tennessee as home. Her father moved his young family there to continue his career as an engineer when she was 4 years old. Having spent her childhood in the community of Garland surrounded by cotton fields, Loni agrees with her friend, Roberta Price, in classifying cotton as a flower. “I will never forget the smell of freshly tilled cotton fields,” said Loni. The fashion designer Sheryl Putnam created a cotton corsage for her to wear on special occasions.
Read MoreJackson Area Chamber of Commerce held a graduation ceremony for its 2017 Leadership University graduates on Thursday, April 27 at Union University’s Carl Grant Events Center. Leadership University is a youth leadership development program for high school juniors from Jackson/Madison County.
Read MoreThe grand antebellum home of Caroline and Jeb Campbell was the ideal setting for this first Seriously Seersucker fundraiser. Held under the stars amongst the manicured gardens and meandering pathways, 270 of Jackson’s finest gathered to listen to the amazing New St. Luke’s Missionary Baptist Church choir and enjoy great food from the Old Country Store. The Casey Jones Barbershop Quartet and Scott Myatt and friends provided additional music throughout the evening.
Read MoreFor years I have driven past a beautiful old downtown Memphis building on Madison. I could envision living there in an apartment with my baby grand piano in one of the arched windows. This building once housed Memphis Power and Light, predecessor of Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division. Then it was an office building with real estate and law firm offices when Snay Patel and Jay Kumar bought it. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a blend of Beaux-Arts and Romanesque Revival architecture.
Read MoreSt. Mary’s Catholic Church has sponsored a “Haiti Relief” fundraiser for the past several years. Recently the founder of this project passed away and the board has picked up the pieces and continued the process. The orphanage houses a group of girls who are the poorest of the poor. They live in safety from crime, prostitution, drugs and gang violence.
Read MoreArt on the Porch benefiting the Dream Center was held on Tuesday, May 9 at the Providence House at Casey Jones Village.
Art from local artists, including art and jewelry made by some of the ladies at the Dream Center, was displayed in front of and on the porch of the beautiful historic Providence House for event attendees to view and purchase.
Read MoreThe Wo/Men’s Resource and Rape Assistance Program (WRAP) is an organization whose focused goal is “embracing and empowering victims of domestic and sexual violence.” Nineteen counties surrounding Madison County are part of the service organization’s scope for assistance. A 24-hour hotline, transportation to safe houses, free counseling with continued support groups, court case education, financial assistance and advocate representatives are the fundamentals of their services. If you or someone you know is in one of these situations, then find your closest agency and get the free help that is needed!
Read MoreJan Irigoyen was born in Jackson, but she also grew up in the Chicago suburbs. When she was in her early thirties she lived in the former home of Joe Rogers on West Deaderick. (Joe Rogers was the founder of the Waffle House.) Jan and Joe communicated with each other prior to his recent death. He sent Jan his book and he remained interested in his former home on West Deaderick. He had a great memory of the homes in his neighborhood and he even mailed Jan layouts of some of the homes as they were when he lived in that neighborhood years ago.
Read MoreJackson State Foundation Banquet was the host to NFL Hall of Fame Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys. During Emmitt Smith’s 15 years in the NFL, he leads in rushing yards of 18,355 and 164 TDs. During that career he held three Super Bowl rings and was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame. After football he won the Dancing with the Stars mirror ball trophy.
Read MoreElaine West was born in Jackson and has never lived in any other city. She is the owner of the popular Bakers Rack in downtown Jackson. She has two children—Rachel, who lives in Jackson, and her son, Andy, who works with her at the Bakers Rack. Her husband, Larry, also runs business errands for her.
Read MoreOn Thursday, March 30 the Regional Inter-Faith Association (RIFA) held its second annual Empty Bowls Donor Appreciation. It was an evening to honor the organization’s major donors by inviting them to visit and take a tour of their offices, warehouse, thrift store and soup kitchen.
Read MoreDo you hear it? Only the music of Jackson and West Tennessee could connect Memphis’ Beale Street and Nashville’s Music Row. Join us as we celebrate the rich musical legacy of our region with the 2017 season of Jackson’s award-winning music venue—Jackson’s Amphitheater at the Market.
Read MoreThe tenth annual March of Dimes Breakfast for Babies, hosted by Commercial Bank and Trust, was held at the Bakers Rack in downtown Jackson on April 7. Celebrity guest servers included local officials and politicians, university and bank presidents, television hosts, photographers and many others — all there to give of their time for the benefit of babies.
Read MoreThe American Heart Association Go Red Dinner was held at the Carl Perkins Civic Center to a standing-room-only crowd. Beverly Absher was the moderator, who guided the audience through the evening. The program highlighted a video from Alicia Williams. She had two young children when she learned a serious heart problem could take her life. The wakeup call came from her doctor who asked if she had her will up to date. Following that conversation she underwent surgery.
Read MoreThe moment I arrived at Chancellor’s House in Oxford, Mississippi I knew the hotel would be special.
On an April visit to this luxury boutique hotel I was warmly greeted by the concierge, my butler, the Front Desk staff, and the congenial Hotel Manager, Weston Arntsen.
Read MoreThe Barn at Snider Farms was full of fun and energy at Boots, Bands & Bingo, an annual fundraiser hosted by the Jackson Service League (JSL). The event, held on March 31, brought out a barn full of party-goers entertained by the always crowd-pleasing Kimberlie Helton Band. Guests enjoyed a fabulous dinner hosted by Coyote Blues.
Read MoreThe 2017 Jackson Chamber’s Annual Celebration was held at the Carl Grant Center at Union University to a sold-out crowd of over 400. The event honored businesses, industries and non-profit organizations and had one of the largest turnouts to date. President Kyle Spurgeon and his staff decided to change the format and feature Jackson’s musical heritage by referencing the change to music by Jackson’s own Carl Perkins and his song “Blue Swade Shoes.” (Swade is the way it was spelled on the original document.)
Read MoreAs kids, most of us dreamed of having a tree house as a safe haven—a secret place where we could establish a top-secret club house away from our parents. Some of us still do. Interestingly, people in some countries don’t see tree houses as exotic, but as everyday parts of their lives. In New Guinea, for example, the Korowai people live in tree houses permanently. The raised homes help protect their food and belongings from animals and floods by keeping everything above ground level.
Read MoreThe 19th Annual Fur Ball supporting the Jackson-Madison County Humane Society was held at the Jackson Country Club to a full house of supporters. Sponsors were Bruce & Dottie Dorris, Antonia’s Paw Spa, City of Jackson & Outback. Upon arrival was Mitch Carter providing photo opportunities and Rhino Limo offering rides home if necessary.
Read MoreNo matter where life or my career has taken me, this has always been home. My family’s roots here run deep, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to live, work, and give back to the community that has meant so much to us.
It is where I am from, it has provided a great life, and it’s my family’s history and its future!
I strive and work every day to make Jackson and rural West Tennessee a better place to live.
I remember PoFolks Restaurant and want to start a petition to bring it back! And if that’s not Jackson enough, then it’s because I’m proud to build homes in a community that values hard work, relationships, and doing things the right way.
Jackson is engrained in me. One can seek out a place to live where they are comfortable, but it is special when you live in a place that fulfills you. Yes, family heritage, family friends, business success, and one’s faith can be fulfilling, but the Jackson community is special. Jackson provides all the elements for me that make life good.
I want Jackson to be visionary and strategic. I have always, and will be, FOR Jackson in all ways possible to make Jackson better. It is going to take a team effort to accomplish all of the opportunities before us, and no doubt it will take vision and change. Our community is ready to take Jackson to the next level, and I look forward to seeing it happen!
I believe in building better — homes, businesses, and relationships — right here in the community that built me.
Because I don’t just live here, I have a passion for seeing Jackson become the very best it can be.
Since I moved to Jackson 47 years ago this town has offered our family life-long friendships, career opportunities, and the desire to continue to grow with our community as a wonderful place to call HOME.
I believe in where we’re headed. Whether it’s helping our airport grow, supporting small businesses, or just being a good neighbor, I’m proud to be part of Jackson’s story. This city is taking off, and I’m glad to be on board. (Couldn’t resist the airport puns.)
I absolutely love this community. My family, my friends, my education, and my career are all rooted in this great community, and I only foresee it just getting better and better with time. We have so much to be grateful for to be able to call this place our home!
This is where I can make the greatest difference, where collaboration thrives, and where a brighter future for our children is not just a hope, but a shared reality we are actively building together. #winning
...this city has shaped me, inspired me, and given me the opportunity to serve and grow alongside an amazing community.
I am Jackson because I have aimed to improve both myself and the West Tennessee community.
Jackson is my home and always has been. I was born here. My parents and all of my grandparents are buried here. I spent my formative years here, my professional career here, and now my retirement years here. Jackson has changed so much and it has changed for the better. Many people choose to relocate to Jackson because of everything it has to offer. I consider myself fortunate to have been born here, and I firmly believe that Jackson’s best days are still ahead.
After living for the last 21 years and being in business for the last 20 years I’m proud to run Jackson’s version of “Cheers,” where everyone knows your name and genuinely cares. I firmly believe in the trajectory of our town, and the opportunity that Jackson offers is rare -- to be on the cusp of extraordinary growth and opportunity. I’m proud to be a Jacksonian and rabid Rams fan.
Jackson is a representation of who I want to be. It is a city that opens its doors to people from other places and embraces them as one of their own. I hope that is how I have lived my life. No matter where I am, the people and the experience make or break the deal. I am a product of my family, and I hope to maintain the small-town feel that I experienced all those years ago when I stepped onto the campus of Lambuth University.
I am a product of the genuinely kind people who live here. Jackson has given me the opportunity to practice medicine that I never imagined possible. Hopefully I am making a positive impact on a community that I love.
In this one unique location, mountains meet music…art meets adventure...culture meets cuisine…and no one meets a stranger. The walkability of downtown allows people to explore and discover vibrant murals, local music, historic sites, art museums, parks, greenways and more. With its sophisticated mix of culture and cuisine, experience a destination served up with genuine hospitality.
On Sunday night, May 19 The Jackson Symphony continued the popular Symphony on the Move concerts in the lovely Vann Gardens neighborhood. Many gathered on the lawn to listen to the beautiful music by members of the Jackson Symphony.
Other Jacksonians in my generation and I are a bridge: remembering what we loved about growing up in this town and helping transform it into a place our kids and grandkids will be proud of. I am part of the Jackson that was, the Jackson that is now, and the Jackson we will create together.
On June 6 hundreds of participants gathered at the Farmers’ Market in downtown Jackson for the Heaven’s Cradle Twilight Run and Downtown Rendezvous. The Twilight Run is a special occasion to honor and remember the children of bereaved families and is Heaven’s Cradle’s largest fundraiser.
I AM JACKSON because… I believe in Jackson and the surrounding area, and I am excited to see continued growth in our community. I am blessed to be in a professional role that allows me to not only enjoy living in this community, but also to serve in ways to help improve it. To see Jackson and the surrounding areas thrive throughout the years, and to help make sure this growth and development continues is a beautiful thing!
VIP Jackson Magazine
Socializing Throughout West Tennessee!
I AM JACKSON because…
Our team sells Jackson every day, and I believe in what we are selling. I believe in this community, our people, and where we are headed.