Standing in front of one of AT&T's service towers is AT&T Tennessee Regional Director of External and Legislative Affairs Kathy Sager, State Representative Johnny Shaw holding a fixed antenna service box and Jackson Chamber President/CEO Kyle Spurgeon.

On October 30, AT&T* Fixed Wireless Internet(1) for rural and underserved locations is now available to residents and small businesses in parts of Madison County, including parts of Denmark, Jackson, Medon, Mercer and Pinson.

This rollout, now in 18 states, began in 2017. The company now offers Fixed Wireless Internet to over 440,000 locations across 18 states with plans to provide access to over 1.1 million locations by the end of 2020.

“My colleagues and I in the legislature have worked hard to create an environment that encourages the deployment of high-speed connectivity, particularly in rural Tennessee, so I am pleased to see this innovative service coming to Madison County,” said State Senator Ed Jackson.

“This expansion of internet access to rural residents is such good news,” said State Representative Johnny Shaw. “Technology infrastructure is an integral part of our community being economically competitive and this last mile solution ensures our families and businesses have the connections they need.”

Shaw, and advocate for internet expansion to rural and underserved areas, talks with local media.

Fixed Wireless Internet service delivers an internet connection with download speeds of at least 10Mbps and upload speeds of at least 1Mbps. The connection comes from a wireless tower to a fixed antenna on a customer’s home or business. This is an efficient way to deliver high-quality, high-speed internet to customers living in underserved rural areas.

The towers used to provide this service are connected to AT&T’s network using AT&T fiber optics. AT&T has more than 2.7 million strand miles of AT&T fiber optics covering Tennessee, which enables the company to offer a wide variety of products and services delivering the high-speed connectivity Tennessee businesses and residents need.

“I have no doubt that the constant support and hard work of our state and local leaders has kept the need for access to high-speed internet as a priority for rural Tennessee,” said Mandy White, Senior Vice President for Economic Development, Jackson Chamber. “Today’s announcement is a product of their commitment to this community, and this expanded connectivity will benefit residents and businesses throughout Madison County.”

“AT&T is proud to work with our local, state and federal leadership to provide the connectivity Tennessee’s residents and businesses demand,” said AT&T Tennessee Regional Director of External and Legislative Affairs Kathy Sager. “Through this new AT&T service, we are helping close the remaining connectivity gap in our state.”

In addition to Tennessee, AT&T Fixed Wireless Internet is available to residents and businesses in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.

Learn more here about Fixed Wireless Internet from AT&T.

(1)Includes 170GB data allowance per month. Req’s installation of AT&T outdoor antenna & indoor Residential Gateway. $10/50GB of additional data up to a max of $200/mo.

Cautionary Language Regarding Forward Looking Statements: Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T Inc's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

*About AT&T Communications

We help family, friends and neighbors connect in meaningful ways every day. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to mobile video streaming, we innovate to improve lives. We have the best network according to America’s biggest test.** We’re building FirstNet just for first responders and creating next-generation mobile 5G. With DIRECTV and DIRECTV NOW, we deliver entertainment people love to talk about. Our smart, highly secure solutions serve over 3 million global businesses – nearly all of the Fortune 1000. And worldwide, our spirit of service drives employees to give back to their communities.

AT&T Communications is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T). Learn more at att.com/CommunicationsNews.

AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at facebook.com/att and on YouTube at youtube.com/att.

© 2018 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

**Based on GWS OneScore Sept. 2018. Excludes crowd sourced studies.

Looking for the perfect holiday gift for your employees? Find out about corporate gifts this holiday season from HoneyBaked Ham Co. and Cafe with Emma Eggenberger, corporate gift manager.

Sasha Ketron, director of nursing at West Tennessee Transitional Care (WTTC) in Jackson, Tennessee was awarded the Directors of Nursing Association (DONA) Member of the Year award at the August 2018 convention of the Tennessee Health Care Association (THCA). The recognition was one of 10 annual Awards of Excellence given to pay tribute to employees in long-term care facilities across the state.

“We were thrilled that Sasha has been recognized for her excellent leadership qualities, clinical knowledge and professionalism,” said Justin Broadway, facility administrator at WTTC. “She is an exceptional role model and always adheres to the highest standards.”

Ketron has been the director of nursing at WTTC since 2014. In that role, she is known for wholeheartedly taking on any challenge that comes her way, Broadway said. Ketron’s success can be traced to her commitment to patient care, safety, satisfaction, and spiritual well-being, he added.

“Working with people like Sasha is a great privilege,” said Erik Hatten, COO of American Health Companies (AHC), which operates Westwood and 28 other skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities in Tennessee. “We are proud to join THCA in recognizing her outstanding performance and commitment to caring for others.”

About West Tennessee Transitional Care

West Tennessee Transitional Care is a comprehensive short-stay rehabilitation center in Jackson, Tennessee. The 68-bed facility has a 5-star quality rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the highest rating possible. In addition to residential care, the center has a state-of-the-art therapy gym where therapists can provide outpatient services to those needing physical, occupational or speech therapy.

LEADS Grant Recipient Winners

Leaders Credit Union, member-owned financial cooperative based in Jackson, Tenn., is pleased to award ten West Tennessee educators with the L.E.A.D.S. Educator Grant. This program awards ten $1,000 grants to area educators whose initiatives empower students to Learn, Experience, Advocate, Dream, and Serve.

“The L.E.A.D.S. Educator Grant embodies who we are as an organization because we are here to serve, advocate and educate our members and allow them to dream of a new future,” said Todd Swims, President and CEO of Leaders Credit Union. “We were started by Jackson educators, so we are honored to be able to give back to those educators in a meaningful, intentional way.”

Grant proposals range from funds for an outdoor classroom, improvements to a special education classroom, lab equipment, a volunteer basketball program, to funds to visit the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Grant submissions included a short video explaining the need and use of the grant money. Twenty-three proposals were submitted, and the top ten winners were chosen by the community via social media voting. L.E.A.D.S. Grant submissions videos were viewed over 82,000 times during the voting period. Winners include:

In addition to the ten, $1,000 grants awarded, Leaders is also honored to award $1,000 towards graphing calculators for the classroom of Mr. Jeffrey Lewis, who passed away in August of this year. Lewis submitted his L.E.A.D.S. grant proposal for graphing calculators for his Chester County High School students before he passed away.

“We’ve been amazed with each grant submission we received,” Swims said. “Success is in the power of people helping people, and we plan to continue to lead the way.”

About Leaders Credit Union

Leaders Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative headquartered in Jackson, Tenn. Leaders was established in 1957 by five Jackson educators and has grown to over 49,000 members and eight branches across West Tenn. As one of the largest and most stable credit unions in the nation, Leaders exists to serve the needs of its members and lead the way on their behalf. Leaders was awarded the 2015 - 2017 Best Place to Bank by Jackson Sun’s Readers’ Choice and was placed in the top 1% of credit unions nationwide by depositaccounts.com. Leaders is an Equal Housing Lender and is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration. For more information about Leaders Credit Union, visit its website.

• Jackson Area Plectral Society, Old Country Store, 6:00pm
• TBD, Redbones, 6:00pm
• Herz, Lexington Dairy Queen, 6:00pm
• Tyler Goodson, The Downtown Tavern, 7:00pm
• 8 Ball Aitken, Elks Lodge 192, 7:00pm
• Karaoke, West Alley BBQ, 7:00pm
• Open Mic w/ The Skeleton Krew, Cody’s, 8:00pm
• Open Mic w/ Dave Thomas, The Tap, 9:00pm
• Backroad Therapy, Slide & Ride 2, 9:00pm

Friday October 12^th

• Tyler Goodson, The Blacksmith, 6:00pm
• Southern Fire Band, International Rockabilly Hall-of-Fame, 7:00pm
• Ben Jessie & The Mechanix, Mulligans, 7:00pm
• The Best of Deer Lake Acoustic, Samuel T. Bryant Distillery, 7:00pm
• Scott Myatt & Steve Short, Crown Winery, 7:00pm
• Southern Reverie Band & The Amber McCain Band, Bolivar Music on the Square, 7:00pm
• Lady Sundown, Flatiron Bistro, 7:30pm
• Pamela Ward, Redbones, 8:00pm
• Karaoke w/ Amethyst, The Office Lounge, 9:00pm
• Tatum Shappley, The Downtown Tavern, 10:00pm

• LIVE MUSIC, Milan Fall Festival, 11am-4pm
• LIVE MUSIC, Beech Lake Bike Fest, 1:30pm-7:00pm
• Lil” Johnny Williams, Hillbillys Wing Shack (Adamsville), 4:00pm
• Colt Hall, The Blacksmith, 6:00pm
• Emma Webb, Main Street Grill (Medina), 6:00pm
• Double Edge, Main Street Country (Humboldt), 7:00pm
• Randall French, Breakers Marina (Buchanan), 7:00pm
• The Skeleton Krew, Main Street Grill (Medina), 7:00pm
• Tumbleweed Band, Reagan Dance, 7:00pm
• TBD, Flatiron Bistro, 7:30pm
• Bryan Moffitt, Redbones, 8:00pm
• JC & The Juke Rockers, West Alley BBQ, 8:00pm
• Hand Grenades & Where.Moth+Rust.Destroy, Ricochet Bar, 8:00pm
• Memphis Yahoos, Fisherdale Marina (Decatur), 8:00pm
• 24Seven, Breakers Marina (Buchanan), 8:00pm
• Will Burton, Trenton Elks Lodge, 8:00pm
• Josh Smith, Mulligans, 9:00pm
• Derrick Brantley, MT Bottles (Bradford), 9:00pm
• Ben Jessie & The Mechanix, The Tap, 10:00pm
• Jupiter Stone, The Downtown Tavern, 10:00pm

• Johnny Mac, Breakers Marina (Buchanan), 3:00pm

Community programs that began as Leadership Jackson service projects.

Leadership Jackson (LJ), Jackson Chamber’s leadership development program, celebrated its 40th class on October 4, 2018 at West Tennessee Farmers’ Market in Downtown Jackson, Tennessee. Leadership Jackson has been building a core leadership within the community, training young professionals to get involved and identifying exceptional people to fast track into leadership since 1979. This has helped develop a network of progressive leaders throughout our community.

Community leaders Harbert Alexander and Larry Welch helped to create the leadership program for the Jackson Chamber that has evolved over the years with the help of its committee to incorporate key elements for participants to better understand the community and the opportunities and challenges it faces. Class members visit community landmarks, meet with area leaders and participate in weekly sessions about topics impacting Jackson-Madison County, including education, healthcare and government.

The program remains a huge success in Jackson-Madison County, receiving recognition in 2013 by the Tennessee Association of Community Leadership with the Outstanding Leadership Program award. It has also provided leadership for the logistics for the Olympic Torch as it came through Jackson in 2001, and for the Interstate Battery Great North American Car Race through Jackson in 1995. This helped Jackson, Tenn., win second favorite city by racers of all the stops across the U.S. on their 14-day, 4,000 mile race.

Leadership Jackson 2018 Chair Pierre DuVentre, owner, D’Top Roofing and Repair and Vice Chair Lauren Saliba, branch manager, Apria Healthcare.

Many local programs that originated with Leadership Jackson participants as service projects have become a mainstay in Jackson, such as Crimestoppers; Comfort Critters which are stuffed animals provided for emergency vehicle personnel to give to children in trauma situations; a Mothers Against Drunk Drivers chapter was established and there is an entire list of more on its website.

Leadership Jackson Alumni still stay active in the community by volunteering and serving. On average they volunteer a total of 21,000 hours per year. This means that after graduation, LJ alumni have completed a quarter of a million hours of volunteer service. Many graduates retain service on boards, with involvement of 3 boards per alumnus.

Leadership Jackson Executive Directors, Judy Renshaw, 1979-2015 and Brandy Stutsman, 2015-present.

“We are very excited to celebrate the past 40 years of Leadership Jackson and the immense impact it has had on our community through servant leadership,” says Jinny Culpepper, 2018 president, LJAA. “Reflecting on the program, there is a diverse group of business professionals who have come together for one common goal - the betterment and strengthening of our city in all areas. It is important we honor this mission and sustain the work that has already been done, carrying that into future projects, service and opportunities to give back.”

For more information about Leadership Jackson, contact Brandy Stutsman, director of leadership development, at 731-423-2200 or bstutsman@jacksontn.com. To learn more about Leadership Jackson or the Leadership Jackson Alumni Association, visit LeadershipJackson.com.