Here’s a look back at the top local news of 2023
EAST JACKSON, Tenn.—Whether it brought concern, made you cry or even gave you a little giggle, 2023 has been unique.
Here at WBBJ-7, we appreciate the opportunity to deliver the news to you everyday. So now, take a moment with us and look back at the year 2023.
January 20, 2023, the search for Kevin Watson ended in an arrest. Watson was charged with First Degree Murder of his ex-wife Britney Anderson Watson. The pair were missing for more than a week. Britney’s body was allegedly discovered after Watson drew a map to the gravesite where her remains were discovered in a barrel, buried six feet underground at Watson’s residence on Hillville Loop.
On March 31, Jeff Young, formerly known as “The Roc Doc” was found guilty on all 15 counts by the jury. This included Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and distribution to multiple patients on various dates. This also included a pregnant woman and women with whom he was having inappropriate physical relationships with.
But there are some things that are just worth celebrating!
April 20, the City of Jackson held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new senior center at Westwood Gardens. Mrs. Virginia Conger, the grandmother of Scott Conger, is the responsible for obtaining the land in West TN. The center will be conveniently located in the center of the city. It will be walkable and close to bus routes. This will be the very first Senior Citizen Center in the area in nearly 30 years.
In May, crowds of people came with high expectations for the annual Grand Floats Parade at the Strawberry Festival. Even with the threat of rain that day, attendees did not let it stop their excitement. The participating floats and contestants were full of creative designs, costumes and big smiles. Performances from bands, dancers and the Budweiser Clydesdales.
On June 13, the results were in concerning a run off between Mayor Scott Conger and Ray Condray. This preceded the initial election run where neither reached the required percentage to secure the win. As a result, Conger was announced the winner of the runoff with 58.2 percent of the votes while Condray scored 41.8 percent.
On December 1st, the spin of a lifetime happened to a lucky contestant. Jackson resident, Kristen McKenney, had the opportunity to be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune. McKenney was able to get to the final bonus round, with her best friend, Kristi Oliver cheering her on in the audience. Although she did not successfully get all of the words correct in the bonus round, she still walked away with cash. Congratulations Kristen!
And last but certainly not least, residents of Gibson county came together to clean up after severe weather swept through the city. Over 1,000 residents were without power because of power lines being torn down by the storm. This damage did not top the effects of the storm in 2006 which took lives. During this storm, only one person was injured.
You can find a list of these top stories of 2023 and more on our website here.
