Jackson Young Professionals (JYP), we have your chance to WIN TWO tickets to FLY TO DESTIN with Air Choice One and McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport. Post a picture of yourself at work (preferably on the JYP facebook page) and use #JYPJacksonTN. We would love to know what you do and where you work as well, but you do not have to post that information to win.
We will have a live drawing from these posts on August 16th at noon on the Jackson Young Professionals facebook page.
Here are the rules:
“Win 2 tickets to fly to Destin” Contest Rules
• No purchase is necessary to enter or win.
• To enter, contestants must:
1. Be between the ages of 21 to 45 to win, which is the Jackson Young Professionals age group.
2. Post a picture of yourself at work with #JYPJacksonTN between August 1, 2019 through August 15, 2019.
3. One winner of two airline tickets from Air Choice One will be picked in a random drawing on August 16, 2019 at noon.
• Eligible social media posts must include your picture with the #JYPJacksonTN at work.
• Contest begins August 1, 2019 at 12 a.m., CST and ends August 16, 2019 at 12 a.m., CST.
• Contestant agrees to rules, including the use of their name and image upon winning on social media channels that are used by The Jackson Chamber and sponsors.
• Facebook is not associated with this contest.
• Employees of the Jackson Chamber and their family members are not eligible to win.
• You do not have to be a Jackson Chamber member to win.
INSOUTH Bank, Tennessee’s oldest community bank celebrating 150 years of banking in 2019, has opened a loan production office at 1348 Union University Drive in Jackson, Tennessee.
INSOUTH states its greatest assets are its people and the company is proud to have longtime Jackson banker Billy Wilhite, regional president/senior lending executive leading the bank’s activities in Jackson. Alongside Wilhite - Alesha Brown, vice president/community executive and Brianna Morton, office manager/loan associate are available to help customers with their banking needs.
INSOUTH Bank President/CEO David Prince stated, “We are so excited to open this office in Jackson with such a great group of experienced bankers. We have many customers in Madison County and we look forward to growing our relationships in in the years to come.”
INSOUTH Bank has also purchased property in Thomsen Farms with plans to build a full service branch in the near future. Its original bank charter was issued to the Brownsville Savings Bank in February 1869 and today INSOUTH Bank has over $330 million in assets with full service branches in Brownsville, Covington, Atoka, Millington, and Memphis, Tennessee.
Historic, early recordings by rockabilly pioneer discovered after 70 years! Carl Perkins, one of the founding fathers of rock & roll, began his legendary recording career for Sun Records in 1954. After two fairly undistinguished hillbilly outings, he created Blue Suede Shoes, which changed the face of American popular music. It was the first song to top all three charts at once: pop, hillbilly and R&B.
We’ve just made a startling discovery that will rewrite rockabilly history. Carl Perkins recorded at least two years earlier in a small studio in rural Tennessee. Those records make it clear that he was far from the clueless hillbilly who had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the rockabilly revolution. In fact, one of the four songs he recorded was Good Rocking Tonight, perhaps two years earlier than Elvis Presley cut it at Sun!
In October 2019 Bear Family Records will release Discovering Carl Perkins. It contains for the first time anywhere, these historic recordings – complete and remastered for the best possible sound – along with several rare outtakes from Carl’s earliest Sun period. They will appear on a ten-inch LP that includes previously unseen vintage photographs and detailed liner notes about the music, and how the local culture gave rise to these historic, one-of-a-kind recordings. It’s quite a landmark event for those interested in early rock & roll history, Sun Records, Carl Perkins and the birth of rockabilly.
To learn more, visit Arts In McNairy. 
The Jackson Generals,the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks, will host the 2020 Southern League All-Star Game at The Ballpark at Jackson, according to an announcement made in consultation with the Southern League this week.
This will be the first Southern League All-Star Game hosted by the Generals since 2011, and Jackson’s first as an Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate. The Southern League’s 2020 All-Star Break events will occur June 22-23, 2020, with the game being played on the evening of Tuesday, June 23, 2020.
Marcus Sabata, assistant general manager of the Jackson Generals.
“The Jackson Generals are thrilled to host the 2020 Southern League All-Star Game,” said Jackson Generals Assistant General Manager Marcus Sabata. “The talent in the Southern League is second to none, and we couldn't be more excited to gather these future Major Leaguers in Jackson for a few days next June. Make plans now, because it will be a must-see event.”
“Having the Southern League All-Star Game back in Jackson will be an exciting event for Jackson and all of West Tennessee,” said Jackson Chamber President and CEO Kyle Spurgeon. “We look forward to welcoming players and fans to what promises to be a memorable mid-summer celebration.”
Kyle Spurgeon, president and CEO, Jackson Chamber addresses attendees.
The Generals most recently hosted the Southern League All-Star Game in 2011 as a Seattle Mariners affiliate, when current Jackson Generals Manager Blake Lalli earned Midseason All-Star honors as a Tennessee Smokie. Generals players Jake Shaffer, Kyle Seager, Jarrett Grube, Erasmo Ramirez, Bobby LaFromboise, and Andrew Carraway all played roles in a 6-3 North Division win that year, as Chattanooga’s Scott Van Slyke won the All-Star Game MVP award. Shaffer also competed in the 2011 Home
Run Derby at Pringles Park, an event won by Jacksonville’s Luke Montz after holding off fellow future big leaguers Paul Goldschmidt, Stephen Vogt, and Ryan Flaherty.
This year’s 2019 All-Star Game was hosted by Biloxi, with the North Division claiming a 7-3 win. Luis Robert of Birmingham was named Most Valuable Player, and Generals Riley Smith, Bo Takahashi, Daulton Varsho, Drew Ellis, Jamie Westbrook and Jeffrey Baez all contributed to the victory. Baez and Westbrook also starred in the 2019 Home Run Derby, which Baez won.
"The Southern League is so pleased to have the 48th annual All-Star Game return to The Ballpark at Jackson next year,” said Southern League President Lori Webb. “We look forward to featuring a lot of talent at 4 Fun Place, and we will see if the North Division can prevail again! We hope the Jackson community will support their team and watch some of the best prospects the Southern League has to offer playing in their home town stadium.”
The league’s top performers will descend upon Jackson at the midway point in the season on Monday, June 22, 2020, along with scouts, team executives, media, and fans from around the country. Specific details regarding the 2020 Southern League Home Run Derby, additional All-Star Game shoulder programming, and a first-pitch time for the Southern League All-Star Game on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, will all be finalized at a later date.
“We plan on pulling out all the stops to make this a memorable event for players and fans alike,” Sabata said. “West Tennessee has been so good to the Generals and the Southern League. We look forward to showcasing all the elements that make this city and area special.”
Information on tickets for the 2020 Southern League All-Star Game, as well as season tickets for the Jackson Generals’ 2020 campaign, will be made available in a subsequent release. Twenty regular-season home dates remain for the Generals in 2019, and single-game tickets can be purchased either in person at The Ballpark at Jackson’s box office or online at JacksonGeneralsBaseball.com. Group outings - including picnics, birthday parties, Field of Dreams celebrations for youth teams, and luxury suite and party deck rentals can also be made by phone at 731-988-5299.
The Jackson Generals, a West Tennessee franchise since 1998, are the Double-A minor league affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks. The Generals play at The Ballpark at Jackson, Tennessee's 2017 & 2018 Pro Sports Field of the Year. Purchase your tickets to see the 2018 Southern League champions today by calling 731-988-5299 or visiting JacksonGeneralsBaseball.com!
Who's ready for Back to School? Find out how your business can partner with the Jackson-Madison County School System (JMCSS) as Ray Washington, superintendent, JMCSS, and A. J. Massey, vice president, Bank of Jackson, give you information. We are proud to have Bank of Jackson as the Jackson Chamber's education sponsor.
Check out the ribbon cuttings, new members and find out what new things Delta Faucet Company is doing for our schools. Amy Ross people operations manager at Delta, tells more with our Member Connection. A new Tennessee State Historical Marker will be unveiled at a ceremony at 10 a.m. on Wed., July 24 to commemorate the life and music of Rhythm & Blues singer and Jackson native Mabel Louise “Big Maybelle” Smith.
The ceremony will be held at the site of the marker that is located along the west side of South Highland Ave. near the intersection with Martin Luther King Drive. Following the ceremony, attendees are invited to a reception at the Tennessee Legends of Music Museum located in The Carnegie at 305 E. College St. to hear a brief presentation by Michael Baker, Audio-Visual Librarian at the Jackson-Madison County Library, outlining Big Maybelle’s life and music. Guests will also be treated to a first-person musical tribute of Big Maybelle by Rosie Robinson.
Born Mabel Louise Smith to Frank W. Smith and Alice Easley circa 1924 in Jackson, Tenn., Big Maybelle because a powerful Rhythm & Blues singer. Known for her emotive delivery and as one of the premier R&B chanteuses of the 1950s, she served as an essential link between raucous 1950s R&B and the soul sounds that emerged in the next decade. Her recordings include “Candy,” which received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999 and the original version of “Whole Lot of Shakin Going On.” Her career led her to sing at the famous Apollo Theatre in New York City. She died Jan. 23, 1972 in Cleveland, Ohio and later buried there in Evergreen Cemetery. In 2001, Smith was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
“Big Maybelle had an important influence on American music, as did other notable Jacksonians like Carl Perkins and John Lee ‘Sonny Boy’ Williamson,” said Jack Wood, Tennessee Room Librarian. “For this reason, we believed that it was important to similarly recognize her with this historical marker. Jackson has such a rich and varied music history that should be both celebrated and preserved for future generations.”
The project was spearheaded by Baker and Wood and funded by private donations.
The Jackson-Madison County Library is located at 433 E. Lafayette St. in downtown Jackson. For more information, contact the Library at 731-425-8600, visit the Library’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/JMCLibrary or its website at www.jmclibrary.org. 
Employees from a local industry receive training on FANUC robotics at JSCC. To date, 42 local technicians have received training at the local F.A.S.T. Center.
Jackson State Community College has been designated as a FANUC Authorized Satellite Training (F.A.S.T.) Center. This designation brings high-level training to West Tennessee on FANUC robotics systems. FANUC America states that they have over 24 million products installed worldwide and are the most familiar brand of manufacturing automation.
JSCC received a $175,000 grant in 2017 that allowed the college to purchase additional cutting-edge equipment and to create a unique robotics training center for college’s Engineering Systems Technology students and current workers at companies in West Tennessee. Additionally, the college became a certified trainer for FANUC Handling Tool Operation and Programming. FANUC is the primary robotics brand used by manufacturers throughout the region.
As a F.A.S.T. Center, JSCC is one of only 12 authorized training centers in the U.S. This location is 1 of 3 located in the South. Other centers in the area are located in Alabama and Georgia. Local businesses can now take advantage of nationally-approved FANUC training without incurring the costs normally associated with employee travel.
JSCC dean of business and industry, Terri Messer, states that the college added 3 FANUC robotics training stations with the grant funding. With a total of 5 FANUC robotics training stations, the college has already trained 42 local technicians from the surrounding 14-county workforce region.
“Jackson State has long been a trusted industry-training partner in West Tennessee,” said Messer. “We work closely with local business and industry to ensure that we provide them with quality training that is tailored specifically to their needs.”
Employees from a local industry receive training on FANUC robotics at JSCC. To date, 42 local technicians have received training at the local F.A.S.T. Center.
Jackson State Community College has been designated as a FANUC Authorized Satellite Training (F.A.S.T.) Center. This designation brings high-level training to West Tennessee on FANUC robotics systems. FANUC America states that they have over 24 million products installed worldwide and are the most familiar brand of manufacturing automation.
JSCC received a $175,000 grant in 2017 that allowed the college to purchase additional cutting-edge equipment and to create a unique robotics training center for college’s Engineering Systems Technology students and current workers at companies in West Tennessee. Additionally, the college became a certified trainer for FANUC Handling Tool Operation and Programming. FANUC is the primary robotics brand used by manufacturers throughout the region.
As a F.A.S.T. Center, JSCC is one of only 12 authorized training centers in the U.S. This location is 1 of 3 located in the South. Other centers in the area are located in Alabama and Georgia. Local businesses can now take advantage of nationally-approved FANUC training without incurring the costs normally associated with employee travel.
JSCC dean of business and industry, Terri Messer, states that the college added 3 FANUC robotics training stations with the grant funding. With a total of 5 FANUC robotics training stations, the college has already trained 42 local technicians from the surrounding 14-county workforce region.
“Jackson State has long been a trusted industry-training partner in West Tennessee,” said Messer. “We work closely with local business and industry to ensure that we provide them with quality training that is tailored specifically to their needs.”
The Jackson Chamber wants to congratulate all of the new hires for the month of July, including:
Robert Eatman
Town & Country REALTORS® welcomes Robert Eatman. A native of Humboldt, Robert, a newly licensed REALTOR, is excited to build his business in Jackson.
“Becoming a real estate agent gives me the opportunity to expand my social circle and to take advantage of all that Jackson has to offer,” Eatman said. “I can’t wait to help the citizens of our city find their dream homes!”
“Robert will be a valuable member of our team,” Town & Country REALTORS® owner Joey Hale said. “He has such a warm, easygoing personality that will connect well with our clients, and I am excited to help him develop his business with us.”
Robert blends his education from Jackson State Community College and Union University with his fondness for Jackson in Town & Country’s family-style environment.
When he’s not jumping feet-first into real estate, he is a part-time landscaper and proud puppy dad to Gerber, a German Pointer. Having lived in Jackson for many years, Robert is proud to call the city home. Email Robert Eatman or call 731-414-7341.
Blake Davis
In its efforts to provide the best real estate services to Jackson and beyond, veteran-owned Town & Country REALTORSⓇ recently welcomed its newest agent, Jackson native Blake Davis. Blake will be joining the Jay Grant Team as he develops his real estate career.
“It’s so great to be a part of a local business hiring local REALTORSⓇ to serve local clients,” Blake said. “Jackson, as well as the wider West Tennessee area, is home to us. It’s easy to serve clients when you love where you are.”
“We are especially proud that Blake is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps,” Town & Country REALTORSⓇ owner Joey Hale said. “We are grateful for his service to our country and are so excited that he will bring that same level of excellence to our team. It is our goal to make Town & Country a company that actively supports and appreciates our service members.”
Blake is a graduate of Liberty Tech Magnet High School, and, in addition to his military service, he is a career fireman, having graduated from the Tennessee Fire Academy in 2013. He chose to make a career switch to real estate thanks to his natural love for marketing, customer service, and the housing market itself.
“I find joy in helping others,” he said. “Since the buyer or seller is the core of our business, it’s important to me that they are treated well and know that the home buying or selling process is a partnership.”
Blake also noted that the growth of the Jackson area and the family atmosphere of Town & Country contributed to his decision to join the firm.
“The opportunity with Town & Country seems to be limitless,” he said, “and the firm is a family of REALTORSⓇ and not a company where we compete against one another. That sort of camaraderie is exactly why the whole company will succeed.”
To contact Blake Davis, please call 731-267-1425 or email blakedavis@tcrjackson.com.
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For over 50 years, Town & Country REALTORSⓇ has been serving the West Tennessee community with excellence and integrity. For more information about Town & Country and the services they provide, please call 731-668-7000, visit their website at TownAndCountryRealtors.com, or drop by their office at 1944 Hwy 45 Bypass.
Ashley Barnes was recently promoted at Community Bank.
Andrew Long, regional president of Community Bank, on behalf of the CEO and Board of Directors, is pleased to announce the promotion of Ashley Barnes to vice president – senior commercial loan officer. Barnes is located in the Bank’s Jackson, Tennessee office.
Long states “Ashley is an integral part of the Community Bank team, and her expertise and dedication will continue to benefit the bank in her role as senior lender. We are excited about Ashley’s transition as well as the positive impact she will continue to have on the bank.”
In addition to her banking experience in the Jackson market, Barnes is a 2010 graduate of Leadership Henderson County and 2012 graduate of the Southeastern School of Banking. She holds a BSBA in marketing from Union University (2006) and was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority. Ashley is a 2002 honors graduate of Chester County High School in Henderson, TN.
Barnes resides in Jackson with her husband, Joel, and 21-month old son, Weston. She is an active member of Lighthouse Church in Jackson.
Community Bank has been serving the citizens of West Tennessee since 1961 and offers a variety of financial products and services. The bank’s Jackson office is located at 3200 North Highland Avenue. The Bank operates through its main office headquartered in Lexington. At March 31, 2019, the Company’s total assets were $157 million.
Ashley can be reached in her Jackson office at 3200 North Highland Avenue by phone at 731-664-1198.