After the introduction of a new bill servers are feeling optimistic about the amount of money they may be able to take home. Senate bill 1851 was introduced and proposed Friday by Senator Raumesh Akbari to increase the minimum hourly wage for an employee who receives tips from $2.13 plus tips to $7.25 plus tips. Waitress at Asia Garden, Sydney Sisk, says, “I’m a people person, I thrive in a job like this, but life could be a little bit better outside if there was a little bit more pay." Sydney Sisk has been serving for almost a year and was happy to hear about the bill But she was more excited to think about being able to give her child proper care. “We depend on tips to basically pay majori

Dyersburg State Community College is making history this year, thanks to the men's and women's basketball teams. For the first time in its 50 years, DSCC basketball is being recognized nationally. “First time we've ever been ranked and all the credit goes to the guys they’ve done a really good job so far,” says head coach David Anderson. The men's basketball team started off the year with a new coach and without knowing how far they were going to get. Now, they are standing at 18 to 2 this season. They are also putting Dyersburg on the map. Being ranked 24th in the NJCAA and ranked number one in the TCCAA. “For the town to be so small and really not be heard of, and the college its been a lo

A couple of business owners are sharing their concept of shopping and they’re bringing local businesses together while doing it. “We provide the space, they provide the product and we market it sale it", says LD2 Market Shoppes owner, Leah Daniel. Leah and Lesley Daniel opened LD2 Market Shoppes late last year. With the goal to help other businesses get their brand to more customers. Daniel says, “But this just provides them with more people you know, just reaching more people and it’s just an outlet to get there name out there.” They sell booths to different business owners and then the owners can sale and showcase their items. Right now the store has two floors of vendors and they are work

Birth Choice is welcoming Evangeline. No its not a person, its this mobile unit right here. They just welcomed it, just brought it in and now they're ready to serve more counties in West Tennessee. “Now we're going to be able to go into counties, serve under-served women who cant get to us because they live too far.” says clinic director Chris Veteto. After nearly 31 years, Birth Choice is expanding their services and putting a clinic on wheels. Right now Birth Choice serves about 850 women a year, and with this new addition they hope to increase that number to more than a thousand. The bus will offer free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and direct women to other services that may help them. “

After years of performing in front of family, friends, and the Milan community one local man decided to take his talents to the music city. Jacob Landers began his career in music as a little boy. His entire family has roots in playing instruments and singing. “My family on my dad’s side they all play an instrument. My grandfather had 13 brothers and sisters so they all play and guitar so I picked it up from there", says musician Jacob Landers. Landers listened to all types of music growing up. “R and B, soul, jazz, rock, country, so when I was young that’s what I heard in the car.” And each genre gave him a piece of inspiration to his music today. Landers plays the guitar, piana, trumpet, a

A nervous dad... And an unaware birthday girl… Met face to face after 10 months of being apart. “My daughter didn’t want to have her birthday party until I got home, but luckily she planned this party for just my wife and sisters and the kids", says Specialist Michael Santiago. Specialist Michael Santiago has been in Poland serving in the military and this year he thought he was going to miss his daughter, Marilynn's birthday for the first time. He was scheduled to come home in mid February almost a month after Marilynn's birthday. Santiago says, “So, I’ve been able to be home and when she found out I wasn’t going to be home this time she was really devastated.” But when he found out things

As the use of opioids rise, employers are seeing the effects. Now with the launch of a new tool kit businesses hope they can help their employees on the road to recovery. The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce launched their new toolkit to help business owners deal with opioid issues in their workforce. The tool kits gives resources on how to identify a problem and how to help in finding a solution. “Number one, it starts the conversation. Like what do we do?" Jason Pritchard dealt with opioid issues throughout his life. But now he is helping others who are in the position he was in. “I can also relate to person that’s been hooked, been using and so to be able to be involved with them, kinda give

The University of Memphis at Lambuth introduced continues to add new technology to give nursing students real world experience. Today the nursing program at the University of Memphis Lambuth campus introduced a birthing simulator to nursing students. Once the students put on the glasses, the simulator will give them the tools to participate in a delivery process. They will see the effects of their decisions, and what is going on while a mother is having a baby. This opportunity gives the students hands on experience before they go into the workforce. "Our aim with this simulator is to give students the experience of how to manage a normal delivery but also how to manage those things like a s

Now although the lockers are empty and there are no players or equipment in the locker room the lane college dragons are already gearing up for this upcoming season. And they are starting with a familiar face. Next level. "Um the vision for the program is next level." That’s what the new head coach for lane college football, Vyron Brown, says he sees in his team. Brown is entering his third season with the Dragons and now his first as head coach. The solid foundation was built now he plans to take it up notch. “So, we’re taking that foundation that was already put in place and we’re building on it", says Brown. Brown has over 15 years of coaching experience and he says one thing he always re

Community members in East Jackson came together to speak with Mayor Conger on issues they see as soon as they walk out of their front door. The Chester Area Neighborhood Association met with Mayor Conger to talk about issues in their neighborhood. Blithe homes, smelly fumes, and piles of plastic and cardboard were all on the agenda. “That causes health problems environmentally", says Pastor of Greater New Bethel AME Church, Sabrina DeBerry Transou. People spoke about how all of the issues could lead to environmental problems in their neighborhoods and one woman at the meeting said one issue hit close to home. Resident in the neighborhood, Elizabeth Northern says,“Terrible, it’s like somebody

Since the start of early voting in Tennessee Gibson county voters have been walking through this hall to cast their ballot, but it’s 2020 and the Gibson county election commission wants to start a new tradition. With nearly half of the voters in Gibson county early voting, the Gibson county election commission says the space they are in now is not enough. Gibson County Administrator of Elections, Julieanne Hart says, “Now it's getting to be more like 50 percent that’s another reason we need to move it out because it's such a big crowd here and really busy.” The election office in Trenton is the hub for the entire county. They opened an early voting location in Medina but it did not cut down

Local restaurants like Mama Baudo’s spent the morning getting educated on how to keep their kitchens a little cleaner and their customers a little safer. “I learned a lot here today,” says Theron Cox. The Jackson Madison County Regional Health Department held a food safety training class for the community. The class is not mandatory for restaurants but some like Mama Baudo’s do require all their employees to get certified. “I learned how to store everything on the shelves, what temperatures to keep the food things like that. It’s a really good class to go to and I learned a lot,” says Cox. The class consisted of everything that takes place inside and outside of the kitchen. “Good hand washin

Many people turn their hobbies into their careers. And that’s what one Jackson woman has done right here in her sunroom. Buzzing from the sewing machine fills the sun room in Londa Rohfling's home. “I decided to do sewing that’s something I want to experiment with and something that has become apart of my life a little", says sewing student, Sophie Fuller. Rohfling learned sewing at a young age, but only because she wanted to have a lot of clothes to pick from as a teenager. Rohfling says, “When I started to learn to sew it was because my mother put me on a clothing allowance and only by sewing could I have as many clothes as I thought I needed at the time.” After moving to Jackson, she knew

Spring is in the air and that means baseball is right around the corner one local baseball coach is opening up his season with something a little new. A couple of baseball players at Dyersburg State Community College take their first steps on their new field. “You know, I’m excited to see how the guys react to it", says head coach, Robert White. The team has a new turf field just in time for the beginning of the season. This new field not only looks nice but, it will help keep the players on the field longer. Sophomore player, Chris Modesi, says, “Hopefully it prevents us from having delays with rain and stuff so it will keep us on the field more.” The turf field will absorb water when it ra

In late september Aaron Young left home to take his normal walk here in North Park, but after hours of being gone he never returned home. “We played sports recreational baseball and soccer together", says Anthony Young, Aaron's twin brother. Aaron Young lived in Jackson his entire life spending time learning about cars, working, and taking walks in the park. Anthony says, “he loved talking about cars. If he had a car he liked, he learned everything about that car and he could say them quicker that Serra Chevrolet could.” His twin brother Anthony Young says that being twins they had a lot in common, but one similarity that stood out was their walks in the park. Anthony explained how he knew h

High school students from across Tennessee met right here in the Hub City to put their skills to the test. Oh yea the nerves are always there. Very excited and very nervous because I haven’t really competed in this one before. Students lined the hallways of Jackson State Community College studying and preparing for their chance to show off their skills. The HOSA regional competition joins over twelve hundred high school students to compete in about thirty healthcare competitions. West Tennessee Vice President, Delaney Jones says, “there are different competitions, for example there is medical terminology, there is dental science, so if you want to be a dentist you can work on that.” Students

If you go into city hall today and ask for the Mayor, you won't get who you're expecting.Today, Taeshon Curry sat in the mayors desk. During shop with a cop last month, 10 year old Taeshon Curry took his 200 dollars and instead of buying things for himself he bought things to donate to the homeless community. Because of his kindness and public service, Jackson city Mayor Scott Conger invited Curry to be mayor for the day. “I did something for the homeless and god blessed me to be here,” says Curry. Curry got to eat breakfast with Mayor Conger, get a tour of city hall and learn what goes on in city government. When asked what his first action as mayor would be, this is what curry said, “To fe

One local business owner says that deciding not to open the store early saved her life. “It could have been a lot worse", says owner of Roberts Package Store and Party Shop, Barbara Graves. Sunday morning Barbara Graves decided to drink a second cup of coffee and not go to work early to do paperwork. During her second cup she received a call that someone broke in. ”And glass was everywhere. The police came and we watched video footage and it was very devastating, but nobody got hurt that was the main thing", says Graves. The person threw a rock in the front door before breaking in and stealing about a dozen high end tequilas. Graves says after looking at surveillance video she could tell the

Walking across Main Street in the city of Humboldt there's one place everyone stops to get their coffee and its right here at The Coffee Shop. The Coffee Shop hasn’t been here very long but it has made a big impact on the community. “We literally come here every day,” say JC and Jason Vasquez. Tammy and her husband Guy Causey felt like they were called to do this. 16 months after their grand opening, The Coffee Shop has become a staple in Humboldt. “We felt just very compelled by the lord for him on Main Street in Humboldt and the venue was supposed to be a coffee shop," says Tammy Causey. Many people even come from surrounding cities to share a cup of coffee, some conversation,