The Buchanan Realty Group CLICK HERE is a boutique commercial real estate firm that specializes in all aspects of commercial leasing to clients across the Southeast.

With attention to detail, and client oriented goals, the team, under the direction of principal agent, Brandon Buchanan, successfully represents owners & tenants who want to see growth in their prospective investments or businesses.

BRG agents are leaders in the investment sales and acquisition department, and pride themselves in their abilities to successfully negotiate the best deals for their clients. The team has represented clients focused on retail, hospitality, C-store, medical, industrial, and multi-family sectors.

Chick-fil-A reopens at new location on Emporium Drive

Newly built restaurant includes expanded parking, new indoor playground plus enhancements to improve Guest and Team Member experience 

WHAT – Chick-fil-A Vann Drive, reopened at a new location – 2200 Emporium Drive Friday, May 1, 2026 – following the closure of its original location on Friday, April 24, 2026. Grant Edwards will continue serving as the local Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Vann Drive, which has proudly served the Jackson community for nine years. 

Features of the new restaurant include – 

• Indoor Playground The restaurant features a spacious indoor playground to serve guests with children. 

• Dual-Lane Drive-Thru increased number of lanes in the drive-thru to accommodate additional vehicles and improve speed of service.  

• Includes Mobile Thru, a fully dedicated lane in the drive-thru where guests can pick up orders placed ahead of time on the Chick-fil-A App.  

• 50 New Jobs Chick-fil-A Vann Drive is adding 50 new Team Members for a total staff of 160. Team Member benefits include competitive pay, healthcare benefits, personal and professional growth opportunities, access to the Chick-fil-A Remarkable Futures Scholarships and more. 

“We’ve loved being part of the Jackson community for the past nine years,” Grant Edwards said. “This new restaurant just gives us more ways to take care of our Guests and Team Members, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone into the new space.”  

Operating hours – 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday 

WHERE – 2200 Emporium Drive, Jackson, Tennessee

‘We’re really getting things going’ – Allied Hose & Belting rebuilding on Conalco Drive

JACKSON, Tenn. — The afternoon of February 5, 2026, David Oesch was taking out the trash. He was on the left side of his plant – Allied Hose & Belting Company, Inc., at 40 N. Conalco Drive – when he saw his purchasing agent, Michelle, outside on the phone with 911.

Smoke was already curling out of the roof. Twenty seconds later, an employee burst out of the roll-up door yelling “fire, fire, fire,” followed by a wall of black smoke.

Within a few hours, the building where Oesch had run Allied Hose & Belting for 33 years was a total loss.

“Thirty-three years I’ve been here,” Oesch said. “And that’s what happened that day.”

The company inside the facility was a fabricator and light manufacturer serving West Tennessee, Western Kentucky, parts of Missouri, Alabama, and Mississippi within a 75-to-100-mile service radius.

Allied is part of RAGCO (Rubber and Gasket Companies), a buying group that has grown from 53 to 73 locations during Oesch’s 33-year tenure and is now expanding westward to Oregon. The company stocks a broad range of industrial maintenance items — felt, leather, cork, non-asbestos materials, red rubber, conveyor belting and hydraulic hose and fittings — with hydraulic hose and fittings alone accounting for roughly 35% of business locally.

Three months later, the owner of Allied Hose & Belting is operating out of a 7,500-square-foot temporary space about 250 yards north on the same street at 145 N. Conalco Drive — down from 11,000 square feet at the original location — and steering a rebuild that will be finished – at the earliest – in February, 2027. FOR COMPLETE STORY CLICK HERE

Over $59,000 awarded to graduating seniors & West TN education initiatives at Leaders Education Foundation’s annual meeting

JACKSON, Tennessee – Leaders Education Foundation, a non-profit 501c (3) organization, hosted their seventh Annual Meeting on Monday, April 27, 2026, and awarded $28,500 for collegiate scholarships, $25,000 for United Way of West Tennessee, and $5,520 for Imagination Library chapters in West Tennessee.

“We’re proud to recognize 20 graduating high school seniors and our community partners across West Tennessee as we work to empower lives through education,” said Leigh Anne Bentley, President of Leaders Education Foundation. “Each year, our goal is to make lives better, together, and that impact is possible because of local donors, partners, and volunteers.

“Whether it’s a teacher inspiring a classroom or a student pursuing a dream career, we’re honored to help them thrive.

“Due to community partners and the kindness of generous donors, the Foundation was able to give away $28,500 in collegiate scholarships. These scholarships are for graduating high school seniors who will be attending college or university. The top scholarships included video submissions to give their advice on “How to Be Financially Fit.” FOR COMPLETE STORY & LIST OF SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS CLICK HERE

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