VIProfile: Dustin Summers

VIProfile: Dustin Summers

Dustin Summers serves as the Executive Director of the West Tennessee Physicians Alliance (WTPA) and West Tennessee Primary Care—independent physicians’ associations collectively representing over 200 health care providers throughout the region. Summers also serves as the CEO of West Tennessee Clinical Partners, a CMS designated Medicare Shared Savings Program.

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NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet

NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet

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.”

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Madison County Relay for Life

Madison County Relay for Life

On 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.

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Aeneas Block Party

Aeneas Block Party

After 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.

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VIProfile: Loni Harris

VIProfile: Loni Harris

Loni 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.

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Seriously Seersucker

Seriously Seersucker

The 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.

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The Good Life: Hotel Napoleon

The Good Life: Hotel Napoleon

For 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.

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Denim & Pearls Dance & Auction

Denim & Pearls Dance & Auction

The 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!

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Craftsman Style Bungalow Restored on West Deaderick St.

Craftsman Style Bungalow Restored on West Deaderick St.

Jan 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.

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Jackson State Foundation Banquet with Emmitt Smith

Jackson State Foundation Banquet with Emmitt Smith

Jackson 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.

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