After cancelling last year’s ceremony due to COVID, one of the longest running Memorial Day events returns to the national military park. On Monday, May 31, at 11:00 am, Shiloh National Military Park will host its annual Memorial Day observance ceremony in the Shiloh National Cemetery. This time-honored service will include music, patriotic salutes, and the laying of a wreath on the grave of an unknown soldier.
“Memorial Day is a day for remembering all the people who have died while serving in our country's armed forces,” said Superintendent Allen Etheridge. Originally known as Decoration Day, it began after the Civil War to commemorate the soldiers who died in the war. “We are pleased to once again be able to invite everyone to commemorate our fallen heroes,” said Etheridge.
The keynote speaker this year is retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Parker Hills. Parker Hills served almost 32 years in the U.S. Army uniform in active and reserve components. He owns Battle Focus, a leadership training company that trains soldiers, Marines, airmen, tourists, and corporate leaders. He holds an undergraduate degree in commercial art from the University of Southern Mississippi; a Master’s degree in educational psychology from Sul Ross State University; and is a 1995 graduate of the U.S. Army War College. He is the author of A Study in Warfighting: Nathan Bedford Forrest and the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads; co-author of the Vicksburg Campaign Driving Tour Guide; and co-author with Edwin C. Bearss of Receding Tide: Vicksburg and Gettysburg. General Hills has been married to his wife Carol, a native of Hattiesburg, for 43 years. The Hills reside in Clinton, Mississippi.
Following the cemetery service, ranger led programs will be offered on the battlefield. A complete schedule will be available at the front desk of the park’s visitor center beginning that morning. The service and ranger programs are free and open to the public. Mask are still required for un-vaccinated persons in the interior of buildings, or spaces where social distancing cannot be achieved.
For more information on Shiloh National Military Park’s events, visit us on the web at www.nps.gov/shil, or call the visitor center at (731) 689-5696. You can also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ShilohNMP, on Twitter at twitter.com/ShilohNPS, and on Instagram @ShilohNPS. 
JSCC nursing student practices with a mannequin in the skills lab.
The nursing graduates at Jackson State Community College have done it again.
Every student who graduated from Jackson State’s nursing program in 2020 passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) on his or her first attempt.
The 100 percent pass rate on the first attempt is an accomplishment the nursing graduates have achieved many times in the nursing program’s 30-year history. The NCLEX-RN is the national exam all nursing school graduates must pass to obtain a license to practice as a registered nurse. It is administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
The Jackson State graduates, who earn a two-year associate degree in nursing, take the same licensing exam as students who attend a four-year university and consistently exceed the national norm on the exam, said Dr. Leslie West Sands, Dean and Program Director of Nursing.
“Jackson State’s nursing program is one of the most respected programs in the state,” she said.
West Sands said that registered nurses who earn their degree in two years at Jackson State save both time and money. “The associate degree route is the fastest and least expensive avenue to become an RN.”
Jackson State graduates a new group of potential registered nurses each May and December; new students are admitted every semester. All graduates who decide to go to work have jobs waiting for them, she said. “We need more nurses. There are unfilled positions for registered nurses in our community.”
The college generally graduates 70 to 80 nurses a year.
“Nursing is a challenging career that is also incredibly rewarding,” West Sands said. “Nurses have an impact in people’s lives in times of crisis and also in times of great joy. When you are in the hospital, it is a nurse who monitors your health around the clock.”
West Sands, who started Jackson State’s nursing program in 1990, said that students in the program have smaller classes and more individual attention to help them master the challenging work. Clinicals, where the students observe and help treat patients, start three weeks into the first semester.
On campus, students learn in the Jim Moss Center for Nursing, which opened in 2015. It features state-of-the-art labs and equipment that use the same technologies as hospitals. Equipment in the facility includes human obstetric, pediatric, and adult simulators that enable faculty to simulate real-life scenarios.
Jackson State is taking applications for the nursing class that starts in January 2022. The August class has been accepted, West Sands said.
“I am proud of our program,” she said. “We want to encourage people to become nurses. We would love to talk to anyone who is considering a career in nursing.”
The 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Championship field is now set. The event will be held May 27-29 at The Ballpark at Jackson in Jackson, Tennessee.
This year marks the 42nd OVC Baseball Tournament (the first elimination style event was held in 1979) and first since May 2019 as last year's event was canceled due to the pandemic. It also marks the return to the venue that previously hosted the OVC Championship from 2010-16.
The event was reduced from eight to four teams in a one-year only cost savings measure across OVC bracketed team sports.
The event has been held at four neutral site locations after moving from the campus of the regular season champions in 2001. The event has been held in Paducah, Kentucky (2001-09), Jackson, Tennessee (2010-16), Oxford, Alabama (2017-18) and Marion, Illinois (2019) before returning to Jackson.
Tickets will be $10 per adult per day and $5 per day for children (12 and under) and college students with valid ID and can be purchased in-person at The Ballpark at Jackson. Parking is $5 per day. All seats are general admission for the OVC Championship.
Southeast Missouri (27-19, 17-10 OVC) saw its streak of 24-straight OVC Tournament appearances come to an end in 2019, but bounced back this year to qualify for its 26th overall tournament. The Redhawks claimed its fifth regular season championship, joining crowns won in 2002, 2014, 2015 and 2016. The team is in pursuit of its fourth OVC Tournament crown (1998, 2002, 2016), the most recent coming in the last OVC Tournament held in Jackson. SEMO won eight of its nine Conference series this year (its series with Morehead State was canceled due to COVID protocols). The team has won 15 of its last 21 games overall and has not lost back-to-back games since late March. SEMO opens the tournament on Thursday against No. 4 seed Austin Peay at 2 p.m.
Murray State (30-23, 18-12 OVC) is in search of its first OVC Tournament Championship since 2003. The Racers are in the field for the fourth-straight tournament. Although they just missed out on the regular season title, the program earned its highest tournament seed since also being the No. 2 seed in 2009. The Racers have won 8 of its last 11 games entering the postseason. MSU reached the 30-win plateau for the first time since 2009, which was also the last time the team had a winning record in a full season. The Racers will open play on Thursday against No. 3 seed Morehead State at 6 p.m.
After winning the final game of the regular season to snap a five-game losing streak, Morehead State (24-21, 13-11 OVC) qualified for its seventh-straight tournament, the longest stretch in program history. The Eagles have won two of the past five OVC Tournaments (2015, 2018) and four crowns overall. The team did miss six Conference games this year due to COVID protocols. The Eagles open play on Thursday at 6 p.m. against No. 2 seed Murray State.
Austin Peay (22-31, 16-14 OVC) qualified for its fifth-straight OVC Tournament under sixth-year head coach Travis Janssen. Overall it marks the 28th appearance in the OVC Tournament for the Governors, the second-most in League history. The program won three-straight OVC Tournament titles from 2011-13 and its six overall tournament titles are the second-most in league history. APSU went 4-2 over the last two weekends to make this year's tournament field. As the No. 4 seed, the Govs will play No. 1 seed Southeast Missouri on Thursday.
Fans can watch the entire 2021 OVC Baseball Tournament live on ESPN+. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for $5.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) or as part of a bundle with Disney+ and ad-supported Hulu ($12.99/month). ESPN+, the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment, is an integrated part of the ESPN App and (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. More information can be found at www.OVCSports.com/ESPN.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 27
Game 1 - #1 Southeast Missouri vs. #4 Austin Peay, 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
Game 2 - #2 Murray State vs. #3 Morehead State, 6 p.m. (ESPN+)
Friday, May 28
Game 3 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 11 a.m. (ESPN+)
Game 4 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 3 p.m. (ESPN+)
Game 5 - Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday, May 29
Game 6 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 12 p.m. (ESPN+)
Game 7 - Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6, 4 p.m. (if necessary) (ESPN+)
All Times Central
Whether it’s an annual event or one of our great live music venues, experience the music which could only be “Made in Tennessee” found halfway between Memphis and Nashville in the heart of the Americana Music Triangle! Visit JacksonTN to connect with what is happening in Jackson and West Tennessee. Connect socially on Facebook and Twitter or call 731.425.8333. 
Engineering Systems Technology student programs a robot in the robotics skills lab at JSCC.
Jackson State Community College and Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) at Jackson signed an articulation agreement on May 14, 2021. The agreement will allow TCAT students in the Industrial Maintenance Integrated Automation program to have a more seamless transfer of credits to JSCC’s Engineering Systems Technology (EST) program.
According to TCAT-Jackson president Dr. Jeff Sisk, students will be able to pursue an Associate of Applied Science from JSCC without duplicating coursework from their TCAT program. “Perhaps the most important aspect for a manufacturing operation to be successful is the availability of a well-trained maintenance staff who are continuing to upgrade their skills with continuing education,” said Sisk. “This agreement creates a pathway to do just that.”
The EST program at JSCC has a 30-member consortium of area manufacturers that works to provide technical or technical-management-oriented professionals for employment in many business sectors. JSCC dean of business and industry Terri Messer notes the extreme shortage of skilled labor not only locally but nationally and even globally. “We are looking for ways to help meet this demand,” said Messer, “and facilitating this pathway from TCAT to JSCC is one of several ways we are rising to meet this challenge.”
Graduates from the EST program typically find employment in areas such as industrial technician, robotics technician, mechanical drafter, multi-craft maintenance technician, control systems technician, and PLC programmer. To learn more about the opportunities in Engineering Systems Technology at JSCC, visit JSCC.edu/EST.
Family Medical Clinic of Jackson welcomes Makiya Rinks and Desiree Holland to its team.
“We are thrilled to add Makiya and Desiree to our team. They are both talented and motivated professionals who I know will serve our patients with care and compassion,” says Deborah Leggett, MSN-FNP and owner of Family Medical Clinic.
Desiree Holland began her career as a Licensed Practical Nurse from the Tennessee Technology Center in Jackson. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee Martin and her Master's Degree from Chamberlain College of Nursing. She has approximately 15 years of nursing experience in various settings to include progressive cardiac surgery, Army public health, WIC overseas in South Korea, school nursing, emergency room, and ICU. She is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners as a Family Nurse Practitioner and holds certifications in Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support.
Makiya Rinks is a nationally certified Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She earned her Bachelor's and Master's of Science in Nursing at the University of Memphis and worked as a Registered Nurse at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital for 4 years.
Both will provide high-quality, evidence-based, patient-centered care to every member of your family!
Family Medical Clinic is a health clinic with locations in both Jackson and Trezevant. It is owned and operated by Deborah Leggett, MSN-FNP. Family Medical Clinic provides compassionate, quality care for the entire family.
For more information contact 731-300-2001 or visit the website.
Sealed bids, subject to the conditions specified on all sheets of this PDF, will be received until 10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 in the Purchasing Department at City Hall. Proposals will be opened and read before a committee who will make the recommendation for furnishing the following services to be delivered in accordance with the following instructions:
Deliver Product or Service to: West Tennessee Baseball Stadium, 4 Funplace Jackson, TN 38301
Mail or Deliver the Proposal Clearly Marked: Reuse/Repurpose/Operate the West Tennessee Baseball Stadium to: City Hall, 115 E. Main, Suite 202, Jackson, TN 38301 Attn: Purchasing
Jackson, TN – National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), the annual celebration of the contributions of the U.S. travel industry, will spotlight the critical role that travel will play in driving economic recovery efforts and building the path forward through the theme Power of Travel.
Celebrated annually the first full week in May, NTTW was created by Congress in 1983 to elevate the economic power of travel in the U.S. The 38th annual NTTW arrives at an opportune moment to recognize the importance to the U.S. economy of initiating a post-pandemic travel recovery.
“NTTW takes on a special significance this year as the travel industry looks to rebound quickly from the pandemic and accelerate recovery efforts,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. “The past year was incredibly challenging, but we saw the full power of the travel industry on display in the way we united and supported one another through this crisis.”
“Before the pandemic, travel generated $2.6 trillion in economic output, supported 17 million American jobs and delivered a $51 billion trade surplus to the U.S.—evidence of the outsized role the industry will play in America’s broader economic recovery,” said Dow.
Said Lori Nunnery: “Despite the hardships of the last year, Visit Jackson, TN continues and is eager to welcome visitors to help drive Jackson and West Tennessee’s recovery efforts. National Travel and Tourism Week is an opportunity to remind visitors and residents of the incredible contributions of the travel industry not just to our local economy and workforce, but to our community’s identity and culture.”
Please visit ustravel.org/NTTW to learn more about National Travel and Tourism Week.
Specialists from Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt have cared for Jackson-area children for more than 20 years. Now it has a new more spacious facility right off the bypass, which means easier and quicker access as well as more services for you and your child.
Vanderbilt Children’s Specialty Clinics in Jackson means world-renowned Vanderbilt doctors who love caring for children are joined by local and experienced staff every weekday. This is true community-focused care, but the care your child receives in Jackson is also the same excellent care they would receive at the Nashville hospital, without the 120-mile drive and parking hassles.
The clinic coordinates with your pediatrician to be sure your child gets the best possible care, close to home. Vanderbilt Children’s Specialty Clinics in Jackson is the only children’s hospital in Tennessee ranked by U.S. News and World Report in 10 specialties, all of them taking new patients:
Cardiology
Developmental Medicine
Diabetes care
Endocrinology
Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Nephrology
Neurology
Pulmonary care
Rheumatology
Urology