Letter From the Editor
IF YOU’VE ever seen a fighter jet cut across the sky, you know what powerful looks like. You know what freedom sounds like. That roar overhead reminds us that we live in a country where people put...
James Briggs: Leadership in action
LIGHTS FLASH across the stage, lighting up three guitarists as they bring to life the energy of ’90s rock. Behind them, at the drum set, sits James Briggs, providing the rhythm and drive that helps...
Sheriff Terry Ashe: A lifetime of grit, justice, and service
THE FLOWERS weren’t just dead — they were a message. Wilting in a hospital vase after his third lightning strike, Sheriff Terry Ashe stared at the bouquet, sent anonymously by enemies who knew he...
ZaBrina Seay: On both sides of the desk
ON ONE side of the desk, there could be a veteran, their spouse, their widow, or their children. ZaBrina Seay cares for them all. As director of the Wilson County Veterans Service Office, Seay works...
Bob Jantz: Healing hearts across continents
SOMETIMES, KEEPING one promise plants the seed for another to bloom. In a small Romanian village around 1999, a young boy didn’t expect much from the visiting missionaries. He had cut his arm on a...
Dr. Paul Nawiesniak: A mission renewed
THERE ARE no limits to what you can achieve, especially when your purpose is bigger than yourself. For Paul Nawiesniak, that purpose — his “why” — has always been veterans. The people who raised...
Letter From the Editor
A FAMILY LOADS up their navy blue Jeep in Tennessee and takes a cross-country road trip. It’ll take several days to get to the Sequoia National Park in California. There may be hours when the Jeep...
Vicie and Tim Edwards: Feeding generations
IN 1935, with a dream and $1,200, which she used to purchase her first two incubators, Vicie Mae Brown Edwards started the Edwards Hatchery. Vicie and her husband started out grinding grain and...
Michelle Swart: Helping children find their village with Wilson County CASA
MOST OF us know the saying, “It takes a village.” A well-known African proverb, it’s often used when discussing the care of children. The concept of the phrase is that no individual succeeds or...
Krys Midgett: Santa’s year-round helper
SINCE 2012, Krys Midgett has made it her mission to ensure that no child goes without the magic of Christmas. Through her nonprofit, Give A Little Christmas, she and her community of volunteers help...
Jordan and Tyler Wilson: Heartfelt harvests on Lovers Lane
ON LOVERS Lane in Lebanon, sits a farmstand that’s more than just a place to pick up produce — it’s a labor of love, deeply rooted in family, tradition, and a passion for wholesome living. The...
Jeff and Terry Hallums: Keeping families off the floor
SARAH GREEN hung by a thread on a daily basis. As a young mother of four children below the age of 11, she bore a lot on her shoulders. On a whim, Green moved about 90 miles from Dickson, Tennessee,...
Letter From the Editor
WHEN YOU choose a locally owned business over a national chain, you’re not just spending your money, you’re planting it. And the roots of that investment reach deep. Every dollar counts, and it...
J.D. and Lindsie Henry: Serving with Both Hands
GOLF TOURNAMENTS, 5Ks, and auctions are all excellent ways to fundraise for a good cause, but J.D. and Lindsie Henry found another way to raise money by serving with Both Hands. Both Hands is an...
Kay Maynard: Offering fun, food, and fellowship for free
AN ANNUAL summer event in Lebanon brings the community together for music, fun, food, and dancing. It’s a place designed to create harmony — for free. Lebanon Sunday Soul, a completely free festival...
Chance Baker: Armstrong Construction builds a better community
MUSIC BLASTS on a warm summer day, blending with the sounds of hammers against nails, saws scraping wooden planks, and joking among a construction crew. They smile because it’s everyone’s favorite...
Vickie & Toby Vaughn: Signs of lasting legacy
WITT SIGN Company Inc. has created quality signage since 1922. Vickie and Toby Vaughn, the current owners, purchased the historical company in 2022. They chose to keep the Witt family name on the...
Letter From the Editor
A STUDENT IN our community today will walk the halls of Congress with a pinned American flag on their chest. A student in our community today will pray their knees still hold when their nerves get...
Jenna Jones: Made to dance
JOY AND laughter fill the hallways of Belamour Ballet Dance Academy, bright colors swirling gracefully as dancers of all ages practice their craft. The academy is a beloved location for many...
Dale Buford: A teacher who goes the extra mile
WHEN DALE Buford walks into a classroom at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) in Lebanon, it’s clear that this isn’t just another day at work. For Buford, teaching isn’t simply about...
Joshua Brown: Making legacies possible
LIFE THREW a wrench into Joshua Brown’s plans — ideas of numbers, data, and creation all woven into the career of an electrical engineer fell apart. Instead, the Florida native turned into what he...
Katrina Smith: Teaching with heart through adversity
THE BELL rings, and suddenly, the classroom is filled with youthful, excited voices as students shuffle into their desks, backpacks thumping against the floor, and pencil cases opening as the school...
Judy Cummings: A lifetime of teaching, a legacy of love
FOR 57 years, Judy Cummings has done more than teach — she has shaped generations of young minds with passion, creativity, and commitment to her students. Now, she’s a second grade teacher at Coles...
Jennifer Elliot: The game changer
SPECIAL EDUCATION is vital in schools, and the best special education teachers offer children patience and advocacy in the classroom. They see the best in each child and value students for their...
John Grant: Leading a compassionate mission
JOHN GRANT was one of the founders of Compassionate Hands, a homeless ministry that began in 2013. While no longer executive director, he is still a vital force behind this outreach. Since the...
GET GOOD NEWS
We want to shine a light on people, businesses, and local events. Click the button below to make sure you are getting Good News in your mailbox.
Good News Photography
We wish we could publish all the photos we have, but we have too many! Browse our online gallery for free or purchase photos to be mailed to your home.
All proceeds from photos go to local nonprofits.