On Sunday, May 28, the Jackson-Madison County NAACP held the 54th Annual Freedom Fund Banquet at the Carl Perkins Civic Center. As event attendees entered the double doors of the Civic Center they were greeted and escorted by the organization’s youth members. They walked through a beautiful archway onto an aisle lined with photos of key members of the NAACP recognized as “NAACP Legends.”
Read MoreEmily St. John Mandel is the author of the critically acclaimed novel “Station Eleven,” a finalist for the 2014 National Book Award. Mandel is the author of three previous novels—“Last Night in Montreal,” “The Singer’s Gun,” and “The Lola Quartet”—all of which were Indie Next picks.
Read MoreOn Friday, May 12, local residents joined together at the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Madison County at the Farmers’ Market to raise funds and awareness in an effort to free the world from the pain and suffering of cancer. Many teams acted as food vendors at the event and provided a delicious variety of items for the other attendees to purchase and enjoy.
Read MoreAfter a week of rain people were ready to get out and have some fun. The fifth annual Aeneas Block Party fit the bill for a large group of attendees. Entertainment was provided by Madison and Blair, the Kimberlie Helton Band and Beyond Blame. The Glory Extreme All-Stars performed a steady stream of gymnastic flips and spins to the delight of the crowd. BancorpSouth had its outdoor grill running full steam to keep up with the large hungry crowd. People were interacting with friends they hadn’t seen recently, making it seem like an old-fashioned family reunion. Our thanks to Mitch Carter of Moore Studios, founder of the block party, prior to Jonathan Harlan, CEO of Aeneas Internet & Telephone, picking it up several years ago.
Read MoreWest 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 MoreVIP Jackson Magazine
Socializing Throughout West Tennessee!
