Fatherless in Tennessee: Why This Crisis Demands Our Attention
By Mike Sparks June is a fitting time to talk about fatherhood. Father’s Day began in 1910 when Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, proposed a day to honor fathers […]
Faith
Leaving a Legacy
History
John Bridges Remembers: How Tennessee’s Bicentennial Mall Was Born
This story was first published in the WTVF.com Channel 5 news site. Celebrating Bicentennial Mall’s 30th Historians and Architects tell how the concept for Tennessee’s Bicentennial Mall was born, […]
History
207 Acres, One Forgotten Cemetery: The History Hiding at Ellington Ag Center
Hidden in Plain Sight: The Ewing Family Cemetery at Ellington Agricultural Center By Mike Sparks A friend of mine with the Department of Agriculture invited me to stop by Ellington […]
History
Homes
Tennessee Business
Macca Villa at Riverside ‘Italian Night’ Coming Soon?
Italian Sophistication Meets Southern Hospitality: Macca Villa at Riverside By Mike Sparks Home Worth Preserving: Riverside and a Movement to Preserve Walter Hill’s History Drive north out of Murfreesboro along […]
Faith
local government/civic engagement
Mike Sparks: Where Business Meets the Bible: The Statewide Movement Advancing God’s Kingdom Through Commerce
Advancing God’s Kingdom: The Tennessee Christian Chamber of Commerce Connects Faith and Business An 18–year legacy of integrating biblical principles into the Tennessee marketplace In a world where business and […]
1st Amendment/Free Expression
Faith
Fighter Pilot. Faith Leader. American Hero. General Teichert Speaks at Franklin Road’s Patriotic Sunday
There are places that shape you before you’re old enough to know they’re shaping you. Well… Franklin Road Baptist Church is one of those places for me. I grew up […]
Consumer Savings : How To Do More with Less
How To Do More with Less
local government/civic engagement
Politics
Teaching Dollars and Sense: How Family, Fatherhood, and Financial Literacy Build a Stronger Tennessee
Building a Financially Stronger Tennessee One Family at a Time I’ve carried a lesson from my childhood into every committee room in Nashville: the money lessons you learn around the […]
Automotive/Classic cars
Faith
The Garage Where Men Get Fixed Too: What Happens When the Hood Goes Up and the Bible Comes Out?
By Mike Sparks I grew up around cars. My dad was a World War II veteran who joined the Army Air Corps and flew missions over Nazi Germany aboard B-17 […]
1st Amendment/Free Expression
History
Did You Know? He Signed the Declaration of Independence — Then Died in a Duel 11 Months Later
On May 16, 1777, British-born Georgia Patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence Button Gwinnett receives a bullet wound in a duel with his political rival, Georgia city Whig […]
Finance Money
How To Do More with Less
Summer Bill-Busters: Energy Upgrades to Keep you Cool and Save Money
Originally published in the Tennessee Magazine By Brad Wagner June 1, 2026 Q: Do you have any DIY or low-cost recommendations for keeping my house more comfortable this summer? A: […]