Local briefs - Dec. 5

Annual ‘A Union Christmas’ concert set for Dec. 6

Union University’s music department will present its annual “A Union Christmas” concert Dec. 6.

The evening will feature performances by the combined choirs and instrumental groups of the Department of Music, as well as congregational singing and Scripture reading.

The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in G.M. Savage Memorial Chapel. It is free and open to the public.

Youth Villages launches Holiday Heroes campaign

Youth Villages’ Holiday Heroes campaign is underway, and the nonprofit is looking for more heroes to help make the season special for more than 1,500 West Tennessee children and families in their care.  

The children and youth served by the organization have experienced trauma, abuse and neglect, and the campaign aims to help alleviate the strain that can be caused this time of year by providing gifts and holiday cheer. 

Holiday Heroes has been helping children and families in West Tennessee for nearly 20 years by connecting corporate and community volunteers to provide gifts and celebrations for West Tennessee children during the holidays. 

Individuals, companies and groups (church, civic, social) can help by making monetary donations. To give, visit the Holiday Heroes website. Youth Villages will receive donations starting now and throughout the month of December.  

For more information about Holiday Heroes and giving joy to a child or family this holiday season, contact Kaitlyn Kyle at Kaitlyn.Kyle@youthvillages.org. 

LIFELINE Blood Services

Here’s a look at LIFELINE Blood Services’ mobile donation sites and times in Madison County in December.

Dec. 10 - Jackson Energy Authority from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Dec. 10 - West TN Sportsplex from 1-4 p.m.

Dec. 31 - Jackson Madison Co. Gen. Hosp. from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The Jackson Clinic welcomes outpatient internal medicine provider 

The Jackson Clinic announces the addition of Khamoshi Patel D.O. to its outpatient internal medicine team at the JC North location. 

Dr. Patel earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury, NY, and completed her residency at Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, NJ. She is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American College of Physicians, American Osteopathic Association, and American Medical Association. 

"I am thrilled to be part of The Jackson Clinic and to contribute to the health and wellness of our community," said Dr. Patel. "I believe in a patient-centered approach, where understanding and collaboration are key to achieving the best health outcomes." 

OJH, City of Jackson to host inaugural mural design event

Our Jackson Home and the City of Jackson are partnering to host Jackson’s first mural design event, Design Dash on January 10-11 at theCO. The event will give West Tennessee artists an opportunity to collaborate with an artist teammate of their choice to collectively design Downtown Jackson’s newest mural.

West Tennessee-based artists are invited to participate in Design Dash at theCO on January 10 and 11, 2025. Each artist should pair up with another artist teammate and sign up to participate as a team of two by January 3. The artist teams will have no prior knowledge of the mural location or theme until they arrive at the event. Once arriving to participate in Design Dash, artist teams will receive the mural location and have two days to design the mural. The teams will receive free mentorship throughout the event from professional muralists Whitney Herrington and Kim Radford.

At the conclusion of the event, artist teams will each pitch their mural ideas to the public and a panel of judges on January 11 at 4:00 p.m. at the Design Dash Showcase event at theCO. The event is free and open to the public, and will give everyone a glimpse into the mural designing process. The winning team will receive $11,000 to install their new mural in Downtown Jackson.

All artist participants must be visual artists or graphic designers and must live in West Tennessee. There is no cost for artists to participate, and meals will be provided during the event.

A full description of Design Dash and the form to sign up to participate can be found on Our Jackson Home’s website at ourjacksonhome.com/designdash. 

Public meetings schedule

Here's a rundown of public meetings coming up:

Jackson-Madison County School Board meetings happen at the Central Office at 310 North Parkway unless otherwise noted.

• Dec. 9 - Work session at 5:30 p.m.
• Dec. 12 - Board meeting at 5:30 p.m.

The Community Economic Development Commission Board will have its next meeting on Dec. 18 at 4 p.m. at The Greater Jackson Chamber (197 Auditorium Street in Downtown Jackson).