Latest Good News
Letter From The Editor
AUTUMN SETTLES into our town like a puppy in a warm bed. There’s a magic in the air that only this season can bring. Golden leaves drift gently from the trees, painting the sidewalks in shades of...
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
PAYING IT forward describes the beneficiary of a good deed repaying the kindness to others rather than paying it back to the original benefactor. It has also been referred to as serial reciprocity....
Help Is a Click Away
WILSONHELPS.ORG IS a large-scale, comprehensive, and user-friendly guide to Wilson County’s broad array of available aid. This is the most general way to describe what is an enormous,...
A Story of Faith & Peace
IN 2020, less than 6,000 people across the United States became living organ donors, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Lebanon is proud to be home to one of those brave donors:...
Generations of Grit: George McDonald, Tennessee’s Farmer of the Year
SITTING ON his great-grandfather’s land, George McDonald surveyed the fields he’s tended since he graduated high school in 1978. The roots of his farming legacy run deep, stretching back to 1927...
Los Compadres: A Lebanon Favorite
WHEN I’M in the mood for an authentic Mexican dinner, one of my go-to restaurants in Lebanon is Los Compadres. It always hits the spot, and my most recent visit was no exception. Our server, Manny,...
Founded on Relationships
Whether it’s through the Court Appointed Special Advocates board, the United Way board, or as chairman of the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce in 2023, Wes Dugan is always serving his...
A Give-Back Boutique
THE WOOD floor and brick walls of Iddy & Oscar’s hold a wide variety of items, from clothing to jewelry to bags and decor, but that is only the surface of Joy Pine’s give-back boutique....
Paws, Claws, and Healing Hands: The Vet Who Cares for Them All
WALKING ALONG West Main Street in Lebanon, where the sound of paws pattering on sidewalks is as common as the hum of passing cars, Dr. Matthew “Matte” Haley’s veterinary practice stands as a welcome...
Letter From The Editor
SHE FLASHES her lights and pushes the gas pedal a little harder. The walkie-talkie is too quiet, so she spins the dial and makes her bulletproof vest a little more comfortable. She worked hard to...
A Safe Haven
HEROES COME in many shapes and sizes, but at the end of the day, each has the same important quality: they are willing to do difficult things to help people in need. A hero might rescue someone from...
Officer Abigail Jones: A Hero In Blue
THE NIGHT began like any other for Lorah McCarter and her husband as they fed their precious baby girl, Rhylee — one of their newborn twins. Having just returned from the NICU days earlier, life was...
David Ashley: Pick Up Your Cross
WITH EVERY heavy step down the road, Pastor David Ashley’s rugged hands grip the weight of a wooden cross — a symbol of strength and sacrifice — carried not for himself but for the countless victims...
Lucy Nelson: Fighting Fires and Opening Doors
FEW PEOPLE have the chance to become pioneers in their field, and even fewer take that risk and blaze new paths. Lucy Nelson — wife, mother, and lieutenant at the Lebanon Fire Department — is one of...
Matthew McPeak: Guardian on Campus
YOU’LL SEE him roaming the halls during class time. You can find him in the cafeteria at lunch, sitting with a group of students, getting the news of the day. He lends a hand whenever an instructor...
Jan Parker: The Most Honorable Thing in the World
JOE’S (REAL name withheld for privacy) brain did not work. The man was unconscious. He had been that way for a while now in the trauma unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center after suffering a...
The Meyers Family: Sowing the Seeds of Generosity
KRISTEN AND Shane Meyers have made a life out of giving for well over a decade by being a vital part of the farming community in both Lebanon and Watertown. From Shane’s managing a 1,000-acre...
Kansha Japanese Express
KANSHA JAPANESE Express was an excellent choice for a quick lunch date. It’s a charming restaurant with a nice variety of Japanese cuisine. The atmosphere was laid-back, with a few subtle touches to...
Neal Farms Beef Co: Nothing Like Having Beef with Family
THE MOST important agricultural industry in the United States is cattle production, which persistently “accounts for the largest share of total cash receipts for agricultural commodities,” according...
A Cast Iron Community
SIZZLING STEW, sweet cobblers, and crumbling cornbread are all staple dishes for the Wilson County Cast Iron Community, and their commitment to teaching and serving means that anyone in Lebanon and...
Charles “Tommy” Lowe: A Legacy Built on Faith and Family
STEPPING INTO a Cracker Barrel kitchen feels like walking into the heart of a Southern home. The air is warm and fragrant, filled with the rich aroma of biscuits baking in the oven and the savory...
Letter From the Editor
OUR FOOD nourishes us, from the soil beneath our feet to the table where we gather with family and friends. The hot sun beams from the sky into the field of sprouting seeds. Farmers rise early,...
Demeter’s Common: Celebrating The Seasons of The Earth
APEACH SO juicy it drips down to your elbows, fresh and creamy pimento cheese, crisp yellow squash — all of this can be found at Demeter’s Common, lovingly gathered from growers and artisans across...
Kelly Orlowski: Planting Imperishable Seeds
WOMEN WHO have experienced trauma — suffering from the aftermath of human trafficking, addictions, assault, domestic violence, and more — are the people to whom Kelly Orlowski is dedicating her life...
Mary Lee Burkett: Celebrate the Spirit of the Special Olympics
THE FIRST Special Olympics took place in Chicago’s Soldier Field in July 1968 and hosted 1,000 athletes from across the U.S. and Canada. In its second year, the event grew internationally and...
Zion Logue: Driven to Make a Difference
SITTING ON a cozy couch in a living room in Lebanon, excitement and nerves filled the room for a local athletic hero and his family. Zion Logue, a young man with an infectious smile and a humble...
Brice Njezic: Going against the Grain
THE SECOND oldest of six children, Brice Njezic grew up in Lebanon. Following in his parents’ footsteps, he loved sports. Baseball swooshed into his life at 5 years old. Basketball and football came...
Vintage Vibes & Delicious Eats at Town Square Social
ON A nice day, it’s always a treat to walk around Lebanon’s square and check out the stores and restaurants. If you are looking for a great place to eat, Town Square Social is a must. My husband and...
Christy Mock Opens the Prom Doors
THE PROM is an American rite of passage that has, through cultural ups and downs, become an enshrined part of adolescence for almost a century. Yet the costs associated with the prom — costs that...
Sherry’s Run
FOR NEARLY 20 years now, in August and September, green bows have been found all around Wilson County, Tennessee. Some people pass by the vibrant bows not knowing what they represent, while others...
Ryan and Kristi Scott: Meeting a Need
SPORTS ARE vitally important to any community, especially those geared toward youth, teaching responsibility, teamwork, commitment, personal drive, and any number of other values. Sports provide a...
Mark Sandoval: Uniting the Community Through Basketball
EVERY SATURDAY in the spring, the gym of First Baptist Lebanon is filled with the sound of sneakers squeaking on glossy floors, balls swishing through hoops, and rousing cheers as members of...
Letter From the Editor; Where Champions are Made
THE CROWD fills the stands, row after row, of people in our high school’s colors. The family in front of you sits down with a fresh hot dog from the concession stand. It’s still steaming with a...
A Perfect Blend of Taste and Service
A FRIEND AND I recently visited a local favorite in Lebanon, Sake Japanese Grill, for the first time. The menu features hibachi, teriyaki, sushi, and various Japanese dishes. It has a cozy...
Leslie Copeland: Rooted in Values, Reaching for Progress
GROWING UP on a farm teaches you a lot about life — hard work, commitment, respect, and the resilience to get back up when you fall. For Leslie Copeland, these lessons have profoundly shaped her...
Macieo Gaines: Going with the Flow
MACIEO GAINES has had a sports-filled life. At the age of 4, Gaines began playing softball with 6-year-olds. At 7, he added football and basketball to his repertoire, eventually narrowing his focus...
Marc Aquila: Put the Pedal to the Metal
MARC AQUILA owns and operates FXPedals in Lebanon. Almost its entire stock is devoted to guitar and bass effect pedals, making it a very unusual endeavor. Pedals are generally considered...
Ronnie Kelley: Dreaming to Serve
HELPING THE young and lost is what one man in Lebanon was inspired to do all his life. Ronnie D. Kelley moved to Lebanon from Hartsville in the fourth grade. He grew up in the Wilson County...
Letter From the Editor: Dreams Come True
WHEN I was 8, I wanted to be a teacher. I remember my third grade teacher clicking the chalk on the green board on the wall. And when I was 9, I wanted to be a director. My parents bought me a...
Joeleen Davis: Cultivating Community Through Generosity
ON SIX acres tucked into the countryside of Lebanon, Joeleen Davis’ garden is a lush oasis. With her hands covered in rich soil and a spirit as generous as the summer sun, she cultivates an...
From Humble Beginnings to a Roaring Success
DOWNTOWN LEBANON is a vibrant place full of food, entertainment, and various locally-owned shops. Among those on the public square is Poppie’s Boutique, which recently celebrated 10 years of serving...
The Sherry’s Run Event Benefits Sherry’s Hope
The Sherry’s Run 5K Run/Walk event is one of the largest community events in Lebanon, TN! The 5K run/walk is a fundraiser that benefits Sherry’s Hope, a local nonprofit. Sherry’s Hope assists...
Scotty Hasting: The Stories That He Tells
SCOTTY HASTING was an Army infantryman who was eventually deployed to Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province, where he was severely wounded and saw his best friend killed. The mental wounds, though, took...
Sam Pfister: Rise and Shine
SAM PFISTER helms Rise Strength & Performance, a multi-faceted endeavor that serves as a gym, fitness center, coaching venue, and educational outlet. Originally from Illinois, Pfister was no...
Jennifer Steves: The Town Doctor
IMAGINE A place where a visit with your doctor costs nothing — a place where your care navigator guides you seamlessly through the complexities of your individualized health needs and where the...
President Stumb
AS THE president of Cumberland University for the last nine years, Dr. Paul Stumb has become an important figure both on campus and within the broader Lebanon community. President Stumb recently...
Teresa Lackey: Daily Doses of Courage
IN A world where endless worries can sometimes press in from every side, it’s comforting to lean into the encouragement of a dear friend — or even a stranger on Facebook. To dozens of people across...
Sherry Whitaker: Running Toward Hope
In September of 2004, many in the Lebanon community gathered together for an event called Sherry’s Run 5K to honor the life of Sherry Whitaker — a 44-year-old wife and mother who passed away from...
Jody Aulds: ‘Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained’
THE FAMILY is one of the most important foundations of any community, especially when it comes to caring for the next generation. Not every child begins life with a family, but many people in...
Unexpected Delight
LET ME start by saying that I’m not a fan of bar food, so I wouldn’t choose a sports bar for lunch. However, I recently met a business associate for lunch at Coach’s Eastgate Grille off Highway 109...
Letter From the Editor: The colors between the oceans
IF YOU took a snapshot of any moment in our country’s history, there is a hurt we were trying to heal. The same is true today. It’s our independence that lets us correct our wrongs, to heal, and to...
Letter From the Editor: Vacation in Lebanon
SUMMER IS coming. And surely your home will sit empty for a week in this heat. The playful cheers of the kids on summer break go missing for a week that was planned for a year. The dishes sit in the...
Emerging From a Decade of Silence to Victory Laps
FROM 2011 to 2021, the Nashville Superspeedway stood silent but not forgotten. For a solid decade, the gates remained locked, its track untouched by the thrill of race day, and the roar of cheering...
Ben Graham: Preacher Producer Podcast Host
BEN GRAHAM is a man who wears many hats. He’s a husband, father of four, grandfather, actor, film producer, podcast creator, speaker, radio program host — the list goes on. As a fifth-generation...
Reclaimed Relics: Digging up the Past
EXCEPT FOR four years spent at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT-K) and two and a half years living in Murfreesboro, veteran relic hunter Quindy Robertson has always lived in Trousdale...
Vanilla Moose Coffee: Fresh Brew and Tailored Bites
VANILLA MOOSE Coffee is a brand-new coffee cafe in Lebanon. It began as a coffee truck and added a physical location in the Hamilton Station area. I had the pleasure of eating lunch. The shop serves...
Step Back in Time Today at Fiddlers Grove
PRESS THE pause button this summer and spend the day rambling through the historic buildings at Fiddlers Grove Historic Village, nestled in the heart of the Wilson County Fair Grounds. Explore a...
The Collectors: Lebanon’s Only Pop Culture Store Brings Fun and Inspiration to Everyone.
WHILE THE superheroes of our childhood may not be real, their effect cannot be denied. Whether you love them for the lessons they taught, the stories they told, or simply the memories you made, you...
Starstruck Farm: Jay Wilfong’s Journey of Passion and Purpose
IN THE rolling hills of Lebanon, right off state Route 109 amidst the serenity of the countryside, lies a hidden gem: Starstruck Farm. Owned and nurtured by the visionary Jay Wilfong, this...
Letter From the Editor: The Impact of ‘Shop Local’
THE ECONOMIC Policy Institute reports that for every dollar spent at a locally owned business, 68 cents of it stays in the local economy. Compare this to 32 cents staying in a local community when...
Exploring Lebanon’s Vibrant Wine Scene
LEBANON BOASTS many attractions, including Working Man Winery, which is run by the husband-and-wife team of Will and Connie Johnston. Like many proprietors of small businesses, the Johnstons came to...
From Katrina to Compassion
THOSE WHO lived along the Gulf Coast braced for impact or fled further inland despite gasoline shortages and lanes of traffic that steadily crept north. As a nation, we held our collective breaths,...
The Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce Continues to Serve the Community.
TO TRULY understand what an organization does, you have to look at its impact. What does it do for the community? What does it do for entrepreneurs, educators, and families? How has the world...
Savoring Nostalgia at RSVP at the Club
ARE YOU familiar with the saying, “The best memories are made around the table?” In the South, you will find that most of our memories include food. Some of my best memories were made around the...
Pop’s Coffee: Follow Your Dreams
THE GREATEST legacy a parent leaves behind is sometimes the dreams they help their children achieve long after they’ve taken their last breath. Since she was a little girl, Beth Price dreamed of...
The Wedding Barn & Event Venue @Likazoo: From Animal Addiction to Wedding Wonderland
LYNDON LAFEVERS has had a lifelong addiction — an animal addiction. Every birthday and Christmas, he had to have an animal of some kind. His parents said that he never asked for anything else. For...
Cedar City CrossFit Brings Together Fitness and Community
COMMUNITIES ARE wonderful things. They are comprised of people with various backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, and beliefs. They offer support, celebrate achievements, and lend a helping hand during...
Letter From the Editor: The Learning Curve
THE METAL beams tick, tick, tick with every inch the cart climbs to the top of the hill. The experienced thrill-seekers in the front cart raise their hands as the coaster inches toward the climax of...
Vine Branch Fellowship Brings Fresh Produce to the Classroom and the Community.
IF YOU’VE driven by one of the community gardens on Coles Ferry Pike or East Market Street, or if your child has brought fresh produce home from their elementary school classroom, you’ve seen the...
Cornerstone Christian Academy: Orchestrating an Oasis of Opportunity
MARY BESSE craved opportunities for her four home-schooled children to delve deeper into a wider variety of subjects that interested them. Ten years ago, she founded the home-school tutorial...
Diagnosing and Nurturing Young Minds for a Brighter Future
CHERRYE ROBERTSON is the principal of Byars Dowdy Elementary School in Lebanon, a school that ranges from pre-K to fifth grade. Her background in education is extensive and varied. Her career began...
Recipes: Fuel for Focus
RISE AND shine to breakfasts that fuel minds and bodies alike! Celebrate the power of wholesome, delicious meals to kickstart learning and energize young students. We’ll dish up recipes packed with...
Everyone’s Wilson Champions Mental Health and Education
WHILE THE political climate at the national level was rife with racial violence and division in 2016, the situation in Wilson County was relatively calm and even prosperous. Yet pastors Daryl Crouch...
Wilson County’s Civilian Firearms Training Academy Prepares Citizens for Personal and Homeland Defense
LEARNING NEVER truly stops, and that is doubly true in the arena of self-defense. For Clay Howell, founder and owner of Patriot Training, firearms are an integral part of that. Since 2016, Howell...
Coach and Biology Teacher Makes the World a Better Place
PLENTY OF us take clean water for granted, yet about 1 billion people across the world have zero access to it. Most Americans never give it a second thought, as it flows abundantly from our lakes,...