
Letter From the Editor
A nurse walked down the hallway his mother walked decades before he did. Beep … beep … he could hear the sounds from patients’ rooms. He kept a small keepsake pinned to his scrubs, a pin his mother...

Lauren Smith: Compassion in Action
Imagine this: You wake up feeling a sharp pain in your chest, a gnawing worry growing with every breath. You know something is wrong, but the thought of seeking medical care fills you with dread —...

Sara Cooper: Fighting Pet Overpopulation, One Surgery at a Time
As a young girl living in the country near the local dump, Sara Cooper encountered many abandoned pets. Her family took many of them in, and Cooper quickly bonded with those animals. She loved...

Kelsey Mires: Tooth or Consequences
Kelsey Mires is the lead registered dental assistant (RDA) at Serenity Dental, helmed by Dr. Teresa K. Larkins, who also happens to be Wilson County’s first female dentist. Mires joined Serenity...

Tej Mudigonda: Making a Difference on the Inside & Outside
Some people feel it — an unceasing itch, swollen surfaces, or skin cancer. Others see it — the drooping jaw, the invasion of acne, or the ever–coming wrinkles. These symptoms and more often rush...

Tyson McLanahan: A Study in Motivation and Determination
Since the age of 4, Tyson McLanahan’s life was geared toward a love of sports. As opposed to listing the many sports he played, it would probably be more accurate to list the sports he didn’t play....

Rondy Smith: Restoring Survivors, Stopping Oppression
Bees flit through bright flowers as women walk by, quietly contemplating the beauty around them. This beauty is reflected in their souls, shining brightly despite all they have been through. The...

Benny and Lisa Nolen: Putting Love Into Action
Love is more than just a word — it’s an action. When expressed as such, it can manifest through helping others. This form of love transcends from just mere words to embodying a commitment to the...

Lisa Wilcox: Faith, Love, and Cookies
Lisa Wilcox walks through her welcoming kitchen and opens her stainless steel refrigerator to shelves packed with bricks of butter, gleaming in their golden wrappers, stacked four and five high....

Steven George: Farm to Store to Table
Steven George's parents ran a butcher shop in Alabama. At a young age, he began helping out and — when not attending school or sports events — worked there full time. He also started farming. This...

Speedy Burrito Exceeds Expectations
For a quick lunch, my family and I stopped at Speedy Burrito. The restaurant is a neighborhood favorite. Its worn brick walls and mural add to the charm of the place. The decor was simple, with an...

Gaye Lynn Wilson: Preserving Community, Enhancing Life
A community is often judged by how it treats its older adults, and the staff and volunteers of Wilson Rides Inc. work hard to make sure Lebanon and Wilson County rise above all expectations. Founded...

Making Lebanon Shine: The Story of Terry Wright
Every morning, as the sun begins to peak through the clouds across the quiet streets of downtown Lebanon, the rhythmic swish of a broom and the creak of a well-worn cart signal the start of Terry...

Chris Crowell: Rooted in Service
It might be at a city council meeting, at a Rotary Club fish fry, or at Liberty State Bank’s veteran’s breakfast, but you will always see Chris Crowell involved with the community. Crowell’s roots...

Letter From the Editor
The people of the year 1000 faced division, uncertainty, and fear for the future. They didn’t know it then, but they stood at the edge of change, transitioning from the Dark Ages to the Middle Ages....

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....

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...

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....

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...

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,...

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...

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:...

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,...

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...

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...
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