City of Jackson Officially Sponsoring Jackson Pride Event that Includes All Ages Drag Show

The City of Jackson is listed as an official sponsor of Jackson Pride’s weekend LGBT pride celebration, which features an all-ages drag show. 

“Jackson Pride is an annual event celebrating the LGBTQIA community and its allies. Hosted every fall right here in Jackson, TN, it celebrates inclusivity in a fun, family-friendly environment,” says the city’s official website.

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Georgia-Pacific Announces $425 Million Investment in Jackson, Tennessee

Georgia-Pacific announced Monday that it would invest at least $425 million to construct a Dixie manufacturing facility in Jackson, Tennessee.

Fernando Gonzalez, Georgia-Pacific’s president of consumer business, said, “Although we have invested to expand existing sites, this is the first new Dixie plant the company has built since 1991. This added capacity will help us meet the needs of our customers as consumer demand for high-quality, durable paper plates and bowls continues to grow.”

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Three Tennessee Cities Ranked Among 25 Cheapest to Live in America

Three cities in Tennessee are among the cheapest to live in the United States, according to a recently-published Kiplinger report. 

To measure the cheapest cities in the United States, Kiplinger calculated the cost of living in 267 cities using a standard Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). It then narrowed its results to cities with populations of more than 50,000 people. 

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Madison County Republican Mayoral Nominee Sought Votes from Democrats, Independents in Republican Party Primary

Evidence points to the Madison County Republican mayoral nominee pursuing and receiving votes from Democrats and independents in the Republican Party primary held on May 3.

A.J. Massey in a three-way race won the Republican primary for Madison County mayor with just over 50 percent of the nearly 10,000 votes cast in the primary that saw 19 percent turnout, according to Madison County’s election results.

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Anti-Gun Group to Host Protests in Six Tennessee Cities

An anti-gun group will host protests in five cities later this month, as part of a nationwide effort to push gun control in the wake of a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

“What we are demanding from our state’s legislators should not be controversial, and will help to prevent preventable deaths in our communities,” said Carson Ferrara, a rising senior at Vanderbilt University and representative of March For Our Lives. “Last year, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a law that allows anyone to carry a loaded gun in public without a permit. He signed it at a weapons manufacturing plant.”

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Jackson, Tennessee Ranked as One of the Top U.S. Cities for Retirement

two people sitting next to a lake

AARP, the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for Americans 50 and older, has ranked Jackson, Tennessee as one of the best places to live and retire in the country.

Jackson, located in Madison County, has a population of 68,205. According to AARP, Jackson made the list of best places to live and retire due to it’s “affordable and accepting” vibe. The organization also cites median home costs of $1,071 per month and the median home cost burden of 29.5% of income spent on housing. The city is also great for those who enjoy an outdoor lifestyle, with 74% of the population living near parks and recreational facilities.

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Jackson-Madison County School System Superintendent Jones to Resign, Citing ‘Fundamental Divide’ with Board of Education

Dr. Eric T. Jones, superintendent of Jackson-Madison County School System, is parting ways with the Board of Education, citing a “fundamental divide” with most of his bosses. Jones informed the board Friday of his decision by writing a letter of resignation. Jones, a Mississippi native, joined JMCSS as superintendent in 2017, according to a web archive of his school district biography. Community news blog Our Jackson Home said in August 2017, when Jones was hired, that he was the fourth superintendent in a decade. [pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Eric-Jones-resignation-letter.pdf”]   In his letter to the School Board, Jones said: “We have made great progress, but I know there is still much work to be done. However, I no longer believe I am the best person to lead JMCSS. There is a fundamental divide between what I see as my role as superintendent and what a majority of the board believes it to be. Without the freedom to lead, a leader’s purpose is lost. For this reason and others, I am stepping aside. My last day as superintendent will be June 30, 2019.” Jones’ supporters took to Twitter to show their appreciation for his work and to blast his detractors. One of those supporters,…

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School Choice Provides Flexible Options That Fit Students’ Unique Needs, Beacon Center Says at Jackson Event

The Beacon Center on Monday hosted a meeting on school choice issues in the upcoming legislative session for 2019. Taylor Dawson, outreach coordinator for the Beacon Center, spoke about the organization’s legislative goals regarding school choice and the ways in which volunteers can help. The meeting was held at Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store in Jackson. Beacon’s Justin Owen, president and CEO, also wrote in the Jackson Sun, “Parents should decide the best educational environment for their child. This National School Choice Week, we should remember how educational choice works to empower parents to customize their child’s education that fits his or her unique needs.” In the op-ed, Owens touts the benefits of Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs), which the General Assembly authorized in 2015 for parents of children with special needs. According to a Beacon special report, summarized here, ESAs “provide families a more flexible option than traditional voucher programs. ESA funds can be used to create a truly customized education experience including tutoring, speech and other education therapy, private school tuition, homeschool curriculum and supplies, education technology, and even help save for college.” Beacon’s two-part series is titled, “Counting Dollars and Cents: The Economic Impact of a Statewide Education Savings…

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Audit: Jackson School Official Stole Nearly $16,000

The former bookkeeper at West Bemis Middle School in Jackson stole at least $15,908 from the school last year, according to an audit the Tennessee Comptrollers’ Office released this week. That woman, Judy Hale, failed to deposit cash from candy, T-shirt, cookie dough, and discount card fundraisers, Comptrollers said. Instead, Hale kept the money for her personal benefit, the report said. The Tennessee Star was unable to reach Hale for comment Wednesday. She appeared to have no social media accounts. No one at a phone number listed for a Judy Hale out of Jackson answered our phone calls. “Investigators were unable to account for an additional $6,475 that was collected from fundraising activities but not deposited. Hale did not prepare and keep detailed records of these collections, and investigators were not able to definitively determine who was responsible for this shortfall,” according to the audit. “Additionally, Hale used a school credit card to make unauthorized personal purchases including pet supplies, fuel, tires, hair dye, and grocery items. She also improperly utilized the school’s tax-exempt status to avoid sales taxes on purchases. She failed to pay the balance of the card on time, which resulted in a large unpaid balance, interest,…

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