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OPINION: What’s in and out in Jackson going into 2025

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We’re officially a quarter of the way through the 21st century, and, like myself, many of you reading this right now probably won’t be around to usher in the next one. So, let’s take a moment to celebrate the 25th year of a century that, if we’re honest, has been pretty damn brutal - 9/11, COVID, the collapse of the housing market, an insurrection at the Capitol, the highest rate of inflation seen since 1980, and more mis/disinformation swirling in the virtual ether than ever before. At a time when our societal and political divides couldn’t be wider, we can all agree that the 2000s haven’t been that kind to any of us.

With that being said, let’s wave goodbye to a quarter of a century of chaos and look forward to what 2025 can bring to West Tennessee with a dreaded and cliched “In/Out” list…Jackson style.

IN: VENTURE VIBES

Although I’ve never owned my own business, I’m under the impression that turning a profit is a top priority. But what happens when a small business owner wants a little something more than that? We’re seeing that in spades right now in Jackson - business owners who want to create a healthy bottom line but also share their vibe with the community. These creators and entrepreneurs are bringing a cultural coolness to a town that’s been accused, at times, of being a little behind. 

From South Royal through Downtown Jackson and all the way across Highland, Jackson is coming alive with a diverse group of culture-makers who want to help create spaces in the community that feel original.

From the Soul Collective, Crystal’s Zen and Juice, and Skillet Junction on the east side to Havner’s, Turntable, The 906, The Tavern, and The Mother Thrifter downtown, the culture of Jackson south of I-40 is taking shape.

Franklin’s Little Bar on Shannon Street won’t be the best-kept secret for much longer, and The Lost Reserve's new location just north of downtown will add a vintage vibe to a neighborhood that is already diverse and unique. 

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the recently closed Littlebird Restaurant. Despite only being open close to a year, opening a space that seemed counter-culture to the average West Tennessesan’s diet was necessary and vital. To evolve or change, chances have to be taken. Something may not take the first or second time, but conversations have to be started somewhere. 

Economic progress is important, but we can’t forget the value of cultural currency in our city.






OUT: CHOOSING ECONOMIC PROGRESS OVER PEOPLE

For three years, the City of Jackson met, planned, and executed the beginning stages of a long-promised Men’s Homeless Facility that would provide wrap-around services designed to help homeless men get back on their feet. Unfortunately, some local business leaders expressed concern about how economic progress would be affected should the shelter be built in the original proposed location on McCorry Street. 

 

Just when the dust had settled and the plans were moving forward, Mayor Conger and the City Council shifted the shelter from the resource-heavy downtown area to the Airways Motel - a location over a mile from RIFA and on the other side of the US-45 By-Pass.

While saving money on the new location was understandable, the optics of a few business leaders pushing against a homeless shelter three years in the making were pretty bad. Add in the recent 50-dollar fine for “camping in a public space,” and local policy wasn’t too favorable to a vulnerable population in 2024.

IN: WEEKEND JAUNTS TO THE WINDY CITY

A few weeks ago, Denver Air launched non-stop flights from McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport to Chicago and Atlanta. 

While Jackson residents have been able to fly to cities like Atlanta, St. Louis, and even Destin, Fla. (for a short time), Denver Air offers jet service rather than the eight-passenger van with wings experience that Southern Airways provided to Atlanta in the past. 

Let’s be real: we’ve all been to Atlanta and St. Louis. Chicago is different.

Imagine taking a personal day off work on a Friday in early May, boarding a plane in Jackson around 11 a.m., and landing in Chicago for a 2:05 afternoon game at Wrigley Field, followed by dinner and drinks in Wicker Park. 

Well, save those personal days because that dream is a reality now.

OUT: PARTISAN POLITICS ON THE LOCAL LEVEL

Partisan politics is a fandom analogous to any intense sports fan base in the country. The problem with that, however, is that policy and legislation are created by politicians elected to political positions. And when local candidates become caricatures of actual humans and simply repeat hollow mantras from their chosen national party, people in the community suffer.

Local issues - and the candidates running to tackle those issues - rarely, if ever, need an R or D next to a name for those issues to be solved in the best interests of the whole community. Unfortunately, the presence of partisan loyalty is growing larger every year. 

Our school board, city council, and county commission don’t need conservatives or liberals; our local branches of government need people who want to work for the people of Madison County and not the party of their personal allegiance. Full stop.

IN: NO STRINGS ATTACHED FAITH-BASED INITIATIVES

I haven’t been to church in a long time, but I’ve gained a greater appreciation for the needs a church can meet within a community…as long as there aren’t any strings attached.

Without getting too far out of my element, the Jesus I remember met many physical needs of people in and around Judea and Galilee, and he rarely expected anything in return other than a conversation and an invitation to follow his teachings. He didn’t place any conditions on healing. 

There are faith-based organizations in and around Jackson that are meeting needs every day and asking nothing in return.

All Saints Anglican Church provides free diapers to new parents in need. During the winter, multiple churches host Room at the Inn to help homeless men stay warm while their permanent shelter is being readied. First United Methodist recently opened its doors to unhoused community members when temperatures were below freezing.

Organized religion can be a double-edged sword, but there’s good that can be done through and with those organizations. Let’s lean into that a little more this year.

OUT: GUN VIOLENCE IN JACKSON

Since 2013, there have been 112 murders committed within the city limits of Jackson. The vast majority of those murders were committed with firearms. The highest number of murders in a given year was 16 committed in 2019. Since 2019, homicides in Jackson have dropped each year, with a low of nine in 2023.

Recently, there has been talk in the community about a rise in crime. In my neighborhood, it’s not uncommon for me to hear gunshots once or twice a week. I’ve often wondered if my personal experience is simply anecdotal or if there’s genuinely a deeper issue at play within the city. The most recent data we have available seems to show violent crime is (and has been) dropping over the last five years. But when a 2-year-old is tragically killed by a person shooting a gun, everyone’s antennas go up a little higher. 

I have long said that we have a gun problem in our country, and I will stand by that until something changes. That being said, access to guns is only part of a deadly equation. 

Teens and young adults are experiencing larger amounts of stress than previous generations. They are inundated with vitriolic rhetoric from social media at a head-spinning rate. They have anxiety about financial security, housing, and work options. None of those are excuses for taking someone’s life, but the problem of gun violence is so layered that one simple answer won’t solve the problem. There has to be incremental change from the federal and state levels before anything substantial can be done locally. And we have to do a better job of caring for our fellow community members. 

Mayor Conger and the City Council deserve praise for increasing officer salaries. The officers themselves deserve support for doing a difficult and dangerous job. A safe community is a common ground on which every Jacksonian can stand regardless of political affiliation. 

Let's start with our commonalities rather than ideological differences and see where that takes us in 2025. Maybe that’s the most “IN” thing we can do this year.

Gabe Hart is an educator in Jackson and has written columns that have run in a number of news outlets at the local and statewide level.