There was a great celebration at the Oman Arena, where the Jackson-Madison County African American Chamber of Commerce held the 17th Annual Jewel Awards. Lively soul music was playing as guests arrived for the evening’s festivities. The caterer was Carolyn Reed of Brownsville, and she provided very organized and expedient service for the dining guests.
Read MoreWest Tennessee’s Go Red for Women was held at the Carl Perkins Civic Center to a standing-room-only crowd. Female heart disease survivors were recognized including Savannah Conley, a very young mother and wife whose maternal side of the family had severe heart disease. On the evening of the dinner, Savannah was present with her new heart and her young daughter to walk the survivor runway with joy and pride. Approximately $197,000 was raised for the Heart Association.
Read MoreMarty Clements has been Director of the Jackson-Madison County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) since 2005 starting with EMA as Deputy Director after the tornado of May 2003. He is a Certified Emergency Management Professional. He was one of twenty-five recipients of the Governor’s First Responder Awards for 2011 in honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
Read MoreThe Exchange Club Carl Perkins Center 24th Blue Suede Dinner & Auction was held to benefit the Prevention of Child Abuse Center. Multiple tables were filled with silent auction items and with several live auction items by Randy England, Auctioneer. Neal McCoy provided the entertainment after the auction.
Read MoreCompiled by Lyda Kay Ferree, The Southern Lifestyles Lady
Read MoreLights, Camera, Fashion has entered its 7th year from its humble beginning at Jackson State College as a prom runway event to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It is now held at the Carl Perkins Civic Center with models from area high schools. Jenna Hamilton King is the owner of My Best Friend Jenna boutique, and she is the producer of Lights, Camera, Fashion. Family and friends also assist in this endeavor.
Read MoreAs the third most populous town in Kentucky (after Louisville and Lexington), Bowling Green has roots dating back to its incorporation in 1798. Although Kentucky was considered neutral at the start of the Civil War, Confederate loyalists declared the city to be the state capital in 1861. That distinction didn’t last long as Bowling Green was taken over by the Union army in 1862.
Read MoreWest Tennessee Women’s Center and West Tennessee Heart and Vascular Center held their annual “Boots and Bling: It’s a Heart Thing” at the Jackson Fairgrounds on Friday evening, February 9. Women from all over West Tennessee broke out their cowboy boots and danced the night away at the well attended event.
Read MorePatrick and Michelle Just, who moved to Jackson from Louisville, Kentucky in 2014, sought to find a house with character and all the bones to allow them to make it their own. Patrick, CFO of Rough Country, and Michelle, instructor at Pure Barre, found the golden ticket with their 1800s-inspired house.
Read MoreThe Carl Perkins Civic Center was host to the 5th annual Night of the Caribbean, the Dream Center’s largest fundraiser of the year. About 400 people attended the event, enjoying music from Scott Myatt and Steve Short and delicious food from Coyote Blues. They also had a silent auction and an art display managed by Frank Poppelaars from C-MACC.
Read MoreAs our thoughts turn to spring, it seems appropriate to spotlight the agricultural and culinary arts programs offered at Liberty Technology Magnet School.
According to Keli McAlister, Communications Coordinator, Jackson-Madison County School System, “Both North Side and South Side High Schools have greenhouses on campus. However, none have a program as large as the one at Liberty Technology School. There are no similar Culinary Arts programs in any of the other Jackson-Madison County schools.”
Read MoreThe Jackson Symphony League held their 2018 Crystal Ball at the Carl Perkins Civic Center. As guests arrived they entered the silent auction area to view and bid on their favorite items. Steve Bowers could have a future career as an auctioneer. He was excited about auctioning a Labradoodle with the winning bid being $1,000. The Downtown Band from Nashville rocked the night away with a mix of old and new upbeat music.
Read MoreDr. Pepper Pratt has been involved in ministry to students, couples and families since 1984. He has served as a youth pastor, pastor, psychotherapist in private practice and is currently the Executive Director at Youth Town of Tennessee. Pratt is a graduate of Union University (BS in Sociology), The University of Memphis (MS Counseling and Community Agency), The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MA in Christian Education/Family Ministry) and Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary (Ph.D. Biblical Counseling). Pratt has also worked with athletes in performance training locally and mission work around the world including several Olympians and the Dominican National Team in soccer.
Read MoreThere was a rumble in Jackson on January 6 at the Carl Perkins Civic Center with the 2nd Annual Black Tie & Boxing event. Ronnie and Susan Morris of Express Employment Professionals attended an event in Fort Worth, Texas and brought the idea home and asked friends to assist them in organizing a similar event in Jackson. This is a benefit for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The emphasis is on Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Charles Savaggio is the president of the West Tennessee Board of Directors for JDRF. Daily requirements for diabetics include checking blood sugar, taking insulin shots, making daily logs and counting carbs.
Read MoreThe Henderson Park Inn is the perfect destination for a couple’s retreat in Destin, Florida. Voted the most romantic hotel in America by both the users of About.com and TripAdvisor.com, this luxury boutique hotel provides an idyllic beachside atmosphere for a honeymoon, anniversary, or any special vacation with your sweetheart. According to Conde Nast Johnansens on its website, the Inn overlooks more than a mile of the most pristine and secluded white sandy beaches and has the most gorgeous views in all of Destin. “This is definitely the most romantic luxury boutique hotel on the Emerald Coast,” said Jennifer Wilson, Marketing and Events for the Henderson Park Inn.
Read MoreAs guests arrived at the 28th annual West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation Charity Gala, they were greeted with glittering streamers and a Broadway-themed event. The Civic Center was decorated with extravagant white silky drapes, masses of balloons and streamers and tables beautifully decorated to the nines as guests partook of a fabulous meal before the silent auction and music began.
Read MoreGail Gustafson was raised in Milan and she graduated from Milan High School. After graduating, she moved to San Diego, California, where her older brother was stationed in the Navy. Her grandmother always wanted Gail to be a nurse, so she pursued that career and worked as a nurse for 13 years.
Read MoreThe 2018 Law Enforcement Ball, presented by Crime Stoppers, was held at Jackson Fairgrounds Park. This was an area-wide ball with attendance from multiple local law enforcement agencies and supporters.
Awards were presented to five recipients, one of which was presented to Mike Johnson by his daughter, Brittney Mehr, for his years of service to law enforcement. Johnson is the Director of Crime Stoppers, which may be contacted at 731-423-TIPS.
Read MorePatricia Hart McMillan has a 20-year career as an author, interior designer, and editor in New York City. She has a degree in art history and English literature, and she graduated from the New York School of Interior Design.
Read MoreThe champagne glasses were chilled on the outdoor table as guests entered the grounds of Oakmont estate. Students in tuxedos were there to assist the ladies. Matt was playing the grand piano in the atrium as guests entered the elegant home. And Christos Garkinos returned this year with his popular California clothing to the delight of the female guests.
Read MoreIt 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!
The First Ladies Luncheon was held Thursday, April 18, at the Jackson Fairgrounds. The event, presented by United Way of West Tennessee, has become a favorite tradition in Jackson and West Tennessee. Table sponsors had the opportunity to create unique tablescapes.
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Socializing Throughout West Tennessee!
I AM JACKSON because…
No 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.