Gary Bills, Thomas Media was able to achieve his college degree with Jackson State through the Tennessee Reconnect program.


Gary Bills – known to many as G Billa on Hot 96.1 and 96 KIX – wanted to be flexible and keep his career options open with a college degree.


He entered Jackson State Community College through the Tennessee Reconnect program – an initiative to help adults return to higher education to gain new skills, earn a technical certificate or associate degree and advance in the workplace. It pays the remaining balance of tuition and mandatory fees after other state and federal financial aid have been applied.


Despite being a popular DJ and radio personality, Bills decided to earn an associate degree in mass communication, which he completed this past spring.


He said he loved the experience and would recommend Jackson State to anybody.


“It’s more family oriented than any other school I’ve gone to,” Bills said. “They make you feel like family. They make you feel wanted.”


After working for several years in the restaurant industry, Bills joined Thomas Media in 2011. He wasn’t on air until 2016 because he wasn’t looking to work in radio. He is a hip-hop artist who visited the station often in an effort to get his music played.


His persistence paid off when longtime DJ Radio Rasheed invited him to be an intern with some other students. He stuck around, became a part-time board operator, and worked his way up while he worked other jobs to make ends meet. One day another DJ quit, and G Billa got his shot.


Today, Bills is on Hot 96.1 weekdays from noon to 6 p.m. and 96 KIX from 7 to 10 p.m. He’s also available for events and promotions. He is a significant influencer for hip hop fans in Jackson, and his time is dominated by his job.


He said he got discouraged trying to determine how to return to school while working. However, the Tennessee Reconnect program and Recruitment Coordinator Paula Fuller took the burden off and helped the process run smoothly. And, he spoke highly of teachers like Elaine Walker, Kim Warren-Cox and Abby Lackey, who taught him important career skills he knew he would use.


“You couldn’t have put a better core of teachers together,” he said. “If anybody took those teachers, they would love them.”

City of Jackson logo

Sealed proposals, subject to the conditions specified on all sheets provided Here by PDF, will be received until 10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, July 21,2021 in the Purchasing Department at City Hall, will be opened and read before a committee who will make the recommendation for furnishing the following supplies and/or services to be delivered in accordance with the following instructions:Deliver Product or Service to: As Directed Mail or Deliver the Proposal Clearly Marked: Operator for City of Jackson’s Men’s Homeless Shelter to: City Hall, 115 E. Main, Suite 202, Jackson, TN 38301 Attn: Purchasing


DELIVERY CHARGES OF PRODUCTS/SERVICES/SAMPLES ARE TO BE PREPAID AT PROPOSERS EXPENSE TO POINT OF DESTINATION F.O.B. JACKSON, TENNESSEE AND BACK.

West Tennessee Healthcare and Le Bonheur Children's Hospital hope to develop a pediatric hospital-within-a-hospital inside Jackson-Madison County General Hospital.

West Tennessee Healthcare and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital have announced a new collaboration to provide specialized pediatric care to the children of West Tennessee. A resolution approving the collaboration was approved by the West Tennessee Healthcare board at their meeting on June 29, 2021.


In July, the two organizations will ask the State of Tennessee for approval to develop a pediatric hospital-within-a-hospital licensed to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital inside Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. The pediatric unit will be the first of its kind in West Tennessee and is proposed to be staffed by pediatric experts from Le Bonheur and West Tennessee Healthcare.


The two organizations will work together in their shared mission of improving the health status of West Tennessee children by enhancing access to expert pediatric care and developing more comprehensive pediatric specialty programs. This will allow West Tennessee children from an 18-county radius to stay closer to home, while receiving the highest level of care.


“We are so proud of the work we’ve done at West Tennessee Healthcare for many years taking care of children. We look forward to receiving approval to work with Le Bonheur Children’s to continue this worthy mission,” said James (JR) Ross, president and CEO of West Tennessee Healthcare. “Children in our region deserve all of us working together to ensure they grow up healthy, safe and strong.”


More details regarding the scope of the venture, including services provided, are expected later this year. For more information and to stay up-to-date as details evolve, visit Lebonheur.org/WestTennessee or WTHPediatrics.org.


“We are honored to join West Tennessee Healthcare to enhance the care we offer to children in West Tennessee,” said Le Bonheur President Michael Wiggins. “Our organizations have a shared mission of improving the health of West Tennessee families, and we’re excited to work together to ensure that care is close to home for children.”


Le Bonheur Children’s has a long-standing presence in Jackson and West Tennessee. Families are already familiar with a 20-exam room outpatient center on Vann Drive off Interstate 40 in Jackson, where 17 pediatric subspecialties are offered. Le Bonheur on the Move, a mobile medical unit in West Tennessee, helps children connect with a pediatric medical home. Le Bonheur also offers school-based nursing, behavioral health navigation, health education and school-mandated screenings to various West Tennessee communities.


Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, part of West Tennessee Healthcare, has been serving the region since 1950, and is the largest hospital between Memphis and Nashville. The health system provides a full range of healthcare services including hospitals and clinics throughout the region, and employs more than 7,000 people.


About Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital

Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital treats children through community programs, regional clinics and a 255-bed state-of-the-art hospital. Le Bonheur serves as a primary teaching affiliate for the University Tennessee Health Science Center and trains more than 350 pediatricians and specialists each year. Nationally recognized, Le Bonheur is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a Best Children’s Hospital. For more information, please call (901) 287-6030 or visit lebonheur.org. Connect with us at facebook.com/lebonheurchildrens, twitter.com/lebonheurchild or on Instagram at lebonheurchildrens.


About West Tennessee Healthcare

West Tennessee Healthcare is a public, not-for-profit healthcare system with locations serving 18 counties in West Tennessee. The mission of West Tennessee Healthcare is to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve while providing exceptional and compassionate care. For more information, visit WTH.org.

Jackson, Tennessee has a new airline at McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport! Find out more about what Boutique Air offers including flight information with Tom Warren and Captain Maria Whitten. See our new members and find out what's going on with the Chamber's Ryan Porter and Jackson-Madison County Airport Authority's Cindy Melton! Check out McKellar-Sipes' new website at FlyJackson.com.

Pictured left to right: Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Tennessee President Wes Woods, Senator Ed Jackson, Representative Johnny Shaw and Representative Chris Todd.


Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Tennessee recently received a special joint resolution from the House of Representatives to recognize it as one of the “exceptional companies” that is “committed to the economic success of the State of Tennessee.”


The resolution celebrates the name change from Bodine Aluminum to Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Tennessee in January 2020 and honors its contributions to Tennessee. A few of those contributions include creating an exceptional impact on Tennessee’s economy; creating around 13,000 jobs in Tennessee between direct employees, suppliers and spinoff jobs; and philanthropic donations of more than $1.7 million across Tennessee since 2003.


Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Tennessee President Wes Woods addressed the crowd and thanked local representatives, Senator Ed Jackson, Representative Johnny Shaw and Representative Chris Todd for supporting the company and taking the time to draft and approve the resolution.


“We make the heart of the engine - the engine block - and Tennessee is the starting place for every Toyota and Lexus assembled in North America,” says Woods. “With all of us working together, we have a bright future ahead of us at Toyota Tennessee.”


Read the full resolution here.


Woods addressing the attendees.

  Have you ever flown private? I haven’t, but now I kind of feel like I have. Flying with Boutique Air is the closest I’ve ever gotten to that, and I loved it! Boutique Air is our new airline at McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport in Jackson, TN. They joined our community at the beginning of June 2021. Since I have already taken advantage of their service, let me tell you all about it!    I chose to use Boutique Air because I was going to a conference for work, so I needed to get to Atlanta, GA. Now there are two flights every day from Jackson to Atlanta, but the one that worked for my schedule happened to be at 6:00AM. Of course I groaned as I purchased my tickets because thinking about getting to the airport for a 6AM flight seemed terrible. This is when I realized one of the benefits of our airport being smaller... I didn't have to arrive 2 hours before my flight to get checked in and rush through a huge, busy airport. Not only did I arrive barely an hour before time for my flight, I didn't have to make the drive to an out of town airport like I normally would. I quickly decided that the convenience of having an airport in Jackson, where you don't have to drive all the way to Memphis or Nashville to catch a flight, is one of the biggest benefits. Boutique Air being in Jackson significantly cuts down on overall travel time.     Parking is always free in the airport lots, which is a major plus. When planning for travel, luggage is an important factor, so some great news is that bags are free with Boutique Air. Then once I arrived at McKellar-Sipes and got checked in, the plane was waiting for us literally right outside the doors (see photo below). The whole experience was so quick and seamless. I was able to fly from Jackson, TN to Atlanta, GA in just over an hour - for reference, it would take 5.5 hours to drive from Jackson to Atlanta. It is such an easy way to travel.      From Jackson, daily flights are available to St. Louis, MO, Muscle Shoals, AL, and twice daily to Atlanta, GA. While there are only 3 destinations, from these locations, you can connect to literally anywhere in the world. Think of all the travel options this opens up for you. This is huge! Plus, it’s so affordable and the service is great. I can’t say enough good things about my experience with Boutique Air. I will definitely fly with them again.  Are you going to give it a try? If you do, post it on social media and tag us so we can hear about your experience!      If you’re ready to book your flight with Boutique Air, click here.  If you want to check out all that our airport has to offer, click here. 

Mark Brooks, Juanita Jones, and Todd Swims pose for a photo after her selection as the 2021 Jefferson Awards finalist.


Leaders Credit Union and WBBJ-TV hosted the Annual Multiplying Good press conference for the 2020-2021 West Tenn. recipients on Thurs., June 24, at the Carl Perkins Civic Center. Juanita Jones of “Keep My Hood Good” was selected as the West Tennessee national nominee for the 2021 Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Outstanding Service Benefiting Local Communities.


For the fourth year, Leaders Credit Union has partnered with WBBJ-TV to bring Multiplying Good’s Jefferson Award to the West Tennessee community. The Jefferson Awards honors community champions who are “ordinary people doing extraordinary things without expectation of recognition.” The awards are given at both national and local levels. Since May 2018, a new honoree has been selected each month locally. Recipients are nominated by their peers and selected by the Jefferson Awards/Multiplying Good committee members of West Tennessee. Our 2020-2021 West Tennessee winners include:


  • Steve & Donna Smith: Milan, Tenn.
  • Ella Watkins: Jackson, Tenn.
  • Shelley Hayes: Jackson, Tenn.
  • Terry Tatum: Medina, Tenn.
  • Edward Mitchell: Jackson, Tenn.
  • Jackie Utley: Jackson, Tenn.
  • Juanita Jones: Jackson, Tenn.
  • Angela Spann: Lexington, Tenn.<
  • Kennedy Pearson-Rodgers: Jackson, Tenn.
  • Curtis Reichhold: Jackson, Tenn.
  • Jason Moore: Jackson, Tenn.

    • Award recipients are volunteers and champions for numerous charities and causes across West Tennessee, including youth mentorships, community events, veteran service, homeless service, disaster recovery, and beyond. A video package for each recipient can be viewed by visiting the WBBJ-TV website at https://www.wbbjtv.com/multiplyinggood/.


    “We are honored to be a small part of bringing our community’s champions into the light for others, and we along with WBBJ have been blessed to hear each genuine story and witness their passion of how they advocate for positive change,” said Todd Swims, President and CEO of Leaders Credit Union. “Their passion in action has and will continue to create lasting change in the lives of those whom they serve and throughout West Tennessee.”


    Jaunita Jones of Jackson, Tenn., was selected as the West Tenn. national nominee for the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award representing the greatest possible service to a local community by a private citizen. The national Jefferson Awards event will occur in September, presented as a one-hour live stream online.


    Jones began “Keep My Hood Good” in 2010 in east Jackson to help break generational poverty cycles in under-served communities. With little resources, Jones began meeting and mentoring teens any place she could. Over time, Jones continued to meet with teens weekly and even created “safe words” for teens to use when they needed assistance in their home environments.


    “Multiplying Good is very honored to partner with Leaders Credit Union and WBBJ-TV to bring the awards to the West Tennessee community and to celebrate the accomplishments and service of local neighbors,” said Brady Tanner, Senior Director, Recognition Programs at Multiplying Good. “We are excited for this year’s national nominee and look forward to celebrating Jaunita through our national event.”


    If you would like to nominate a champion in your community, visit leaderscu.com or www.wbbjtv.com and follow the prompts.


    Mark Brooks, Teri Jelks, and Todd Swims pose for a photo with the 2021 Jefferson Award honorees. Award honorees pictured, left to right on the back row are Shelley Hayes, Jackie Utley, Jaunita Jones, Terry Tatum, Curtis Reichhold, Kennedy Pearson-Rodgers and Ella Watkins. Edward Mitchell is on the front row.


    About Leaders Credit Union

    Leaders Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative headquartered in Jackson, 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 Best Place to Bank by Jackson Sun’s Readers’ Choice and is 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 the website.

      Below is our running list of Fourth of July Firework events in Jackson and surrounding areas. For more information on each event, find them on our events calendar!   Photos from Jackson's Firefighters Freedom Festival *This list is constantly being updated. If a new event comes up or if we missed one, send us an email about it at mcoffman@jacksontn.com.* -- Updated 7/2/21 --
    During the third week of June, for the past 68 years, women from across the State of Tennessee have converged upon Jackson for a week of individual growth and empowerment by participating in our annual competition for scholarship awards and the chance to serve as the Governor’s Spokesperson for Character Education for the year. Contestants, parents, volunteers, and friends have joined sponsors, professional entertainers, orchestras, dancers and live internet streaming and television crews to create a winning combination of promise, achievement and aspiration.




    The Miss Tennessee Volunteer Scholarship Pageant, formerly the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant, continues the legacy of pageantry in Tennessee.  The tradition will continue into its 69th year in Jackson, Tennessee at the Carl Perkins Civic Center from June 16-19, 2021, in order to carry on the longstanding legacy of assisting young women in our state acquire higher education through scholarships. The custom also continues for the people and local businesses in Jackson and throughout West Tennessee, who have generously supported the program in our community for decades.



    This week, you will see many familiar faces both onstage and behind the scenes. Allison Alderson DeMarcus and husband Jay DeMarcus, of country supergroup Rascal Flatts, will continue to co-emcee the nightly competition.  In addition, though not always onstage, there will be more than 100 pageant volunteers present not only from Jackson, but across the entire state from as far away as Greenville, Tennessee. Our dedicated volunteers commit thousands of hours annually to the program and these young women.



    Over the past 11 years alone, over $1,000,000 in scholarships have been awarded to contestants who have competed in Jackson.  In 2021, The Miss Tennessee Volunteer Scholarship Pageant will continue that tradition by offering scholarships exceeding $100,000. Join the Miss Tennessee Volunteer Scholarship Pageant, June 16 to 19, 2021 as it remains at the Carl Perkins Civic Center, Jackson, Tennessee.  For more information visit our Facebook page Miss Tennessee Volunteer Scholarship Pageant.

    Adrian Montague


    Adrian Montague, Jackson State Community College admissions officer and recruiter, is among thirteen faculty and staff members from the College System of Tennessee’s 21 colleges and universities statewide selected to participate in the 2021-22 Class of the Maxine Smith Fellows Program. This is the program’s 15th cohort.


    Adrian has been with JSCC for one and a half years as an admissions officer. During that time, he has demonstrated a passion and dedication for helping students. As a former captain of the U.S. Army who successfully completed three combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, Adrian sees himself eventually serving the college in higher leadership roles.


    The Maxine Smith Fellows Program provides professional development, training and advancement opportunities for participants from traditionally underrepresented groups at the College System of Tennessee, governed by the by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), and the state’s locally governed public universities. Members meet monthly for a year, starting this month.


    In addition to the professional development of the class members, the program stimulates increased collaboration among institutions, development of a statewide network for program participants, and an overall increase in the diversity of ideas, thoughts and experiences within senior leadership ranks at Tennessee public higher education institutions.


    “Maxine Smith Fellows alumni have advanced to senior leadership positions, including seven Fellows who have gone on to serve as presidents at colleges and universities in Tennessee and in other states. Many of them have said that the Maxine Smith Fellows experience contributed to their success,” said Dr. Wendy J. Thompson, TBR vice chancellor for organizational effectiveness and Maxine Smith Fellows program administrator.