On Saturday, March 26th, Mount Westmore a new legendary West coast rap group made up of rappers: Snoop Dogg, Too $hort, Ice Cube, and E-40 made history in Nashville with their first sold-out show at Bridgestone Arena.
Concert promoter John Smith said, “It was a sold-out crowd of 17,000. West coast rappers don’t tour Nashville.” He continued, “it was exciting seeing Snoop and Ice Cube in Nashville performing. It was a great crowd and performances.”
When you walked into the building it was an immediate feeling of California Love. There were showgirls walking around with signs advertising a Snoop afterparty, and plenty of nostalgic 90s looks ( Death Row shirts, a Tupac look alike, and those who had on their favorite rapper’s graphic tee.)
The opening act of the night was Regulator rapper Warren G, he set the tone for the night performing all his greatest classic hits Regulators, Nobody Does It Better, and a special portion of the show dedicated in memory of the late Nate Dogg.
Mount Westmore ( Snoop, Icecube, Too $hort, E-40) performing Big Subwoofer in Nashville, TN at a sold-out Bridgestone Arena.
After Warren G’s performance, one thing was for certain and two things were for sure the packed arena was ready to experience Mount Westmore. The excitement and anticipation were felt as the group had a video playing their new video Bad MF. Next, it was lights camera action time as the 4 kings rose from the ground centerstage sitting on their thrones. The crowd was roaring as they opened up performing the West coast party anthem, Big Sub Woofer produced by Kate on The Track.
From there it was like we were all a part of a magical rap tournament going round for round. Each rapper took the stage offering their classic hits individually. As the show progressed it was like we were mesmerized by the showmanship of these rap legends and they delivered a full experience. There were professional dancers with poles on the stage, a bar, DJ Pooh and DJ Slowpoke keeping things flowing, and the best part was they all would be singing each other’s songs in support.
At one point, Snoop named himself a translator as he would stand and recite the words and dance when the other members performed.
Some crowd favorites performed were:
Snoop Dogg: Next Episode, Gin and Juice, Nothing But a G Thang, Beautiful,
Ice Cube: It Was a Good Day, We Be Clubbin’
E-40: Sprinkle Me and Choices
Too $hort: Bossy, Freaky Tales, Shake That Monkey
Concert-goer Lori Loveless said, “It was so much fun! It was the best rap concert I have ever attended and it took me back to my high school memories.“
There was even a 2pac look-alike who Mount Westmore recognized during their show by stopping in the middle of the show and telling him how much they appreciated him being there as 2pac and honoring him.
Overall, the show was so action-packed and delivered so many hits and good feelings! We know it was a win when they did an Encore performance of Big Subwoofer and Too $hort talked about how much he loved Nashville.
NASHVILLE – Mayor John Cooper has announced another round of grants has opened to support organizations serving residents within Nashville’s Napier Place and Sudekum communities. Eligible nonprofits can fill out the initial form and apply for $5,000 or more as Metro Nashville disburses to $200,000 from the federal American Rescue Plan.
“Public safety requires strong partnerships,” said Mayor Cooper. “This is a chance to work with residents, nonprofits, and MDHA to expand services and help neighborhood residents. I’m grateful to the Napier Place and Sudekum working group, the resident association leaders, and all the groups working in the area.”
The mayor’s Community Safety Partnership Advisory Board will make grant award recommendations and work alongside Nashville’s first Community Safety Coordinator, Ron Johnson.
Vroom, vroom! There’s no doubt about it. Toy vehicles are fun to play with. They’re colorful, interactive and let kids imagine exciting worlds beyond the playroom. They can also be a great way for little ones to learn new things. Here are five ways to rev up the learning fun at home with toy vehicles:
Fire up the “STEAM” engine: Using ramps and other homemade racecourse props, kids can learn some elementary principles of engineering and physics. Observe how steeper inclines allow toy cars to accelerate faster and how smoother surfaces prevent friction from slowing them down. There’s a lot to discover while having fun.
“Drive” foundational skills: Some toys have built-in learning features, such as the Drop & Go Dump Truck from VTech. This interactive toy truck not only counts each colorful rock it drops into the bucket, helping kids master their 1-2-3s, it also engages budding motor skills, plays melodies and phrases, and teaches tools and colors.
Sharing is caring: As with many open-ended toys and games, toy vehicles provide fun opportunities for kids to practice sharing, taking turns and cooperating.
Eco-friendly fun: Kids are never too young to learn the importance of taking care of the environment. And when they play with the Sort & Recycle Ride-On Truck, they’re already doing their part. This recycling truck is made from plastic that’s 90% reclaimed, which means less waste goes into landfills. Beginner recyclers can hop on this lean, green recycling machine and drive around while learning about the “Three Rs” –- reducing, reusing and recycling. The red heart, yellow hexagon and blue circle play pieces represent plastic, metal and paper, which kids can sort into the correct bin.
New words, new ideas: Playing with cars, trucks and other toy vehicles can introduce kids to a huge list of vocabulary words and new ideas, from car parts and types of construction equipment to words like “beep,” “honk” and “go.” Help bring these concepts to life by playing along with your kids. Learning about the wide world of vehicles might even get the gears turning for some children. Today’s playtime could be tomorrow’s hobby or career.
With interactive toys and creative playtime ideas, kids will be on the fast track to learning fun.
Supply chain issues top the list of concerns for small business owners over the last six months, but they see those pressures easing by mid-year, according to new research. In the meantime, inflation is expected to continue impacting business owners, with a majority planning to further raise their own prices.
The latest PNC semi-annual Economic Outlook survey of small and mid-size business owners and executives is a good gauge of the overall economy, however analysts point out that the situation in Eastern Europe that’s unfolded since has likely intensified some of the sentiments expressed by respondents.
“The events in Ukraine were not on the minds of business owners when the survey was conducted in January,” says PNC chief economist, Gus Faucher, “There was concern at that time about rising prices, and that worry has likely intensified, given the rapid increase in energy prices, among other factors.”
In January, 34% of owners who rely on a supply chain said timeliness had worsened in the previous six months and 28% of businesses that rely on inventory are faced with the challenge of not having enough supply to meet expected demand. However, 57% expect these issues to improve in the next six months.
“Supply chain problems have been a big contributor to the highest inflation the U.S. has seen in almost 40 years. But it’s encouraging that most small businesses see this easing soon,” Faucher said. ”The wild card now is how long inflationary factors due to the Ukraine crisis last.”
Rising prices also are on the minds of business owners – 51% expect to increase their prices in the next six months and 34% percent say their prices have already gone up in the past six months.
“Six months ago, businesses were raising prices because demand was strong enough that they could. Now it appears higher costs are forcing them to,” Faucher said.
Turnover and Hiring Impacts
Forty-three percent of business owners report losing staff since the start of the pandemic, which they agree is bad for business. The top reasons for employee departures are illness or death (50%), worker concerns over health or safety (46%), and changes in lifestyle or priorities (36%).
Among businesses with employees, 26% say it’s become harder to hire qualified personnel. Businesses are responding to recruiting challenges, most notably through improved work conditions, like health and safety improvements, allowing more flexible work arrangements, and increasing compensation. In the meantime, businesses are coping with worker shortages by increasing existing employees’ workloads, having owners or managers cover shifts, and by increasingly relying on technology or automation.
Other key survey findings include:
• Vaccine boosterism: Fifty-six percent of business owners say a majority of their workforce has a COVID-19 booster vaccination. Sixty-five percent have taken some action to encourage boosters through a requirement (31%), assistance and/or education (29%), incentives (22%) or restrictions for those who choose not to receive the booster (19%).
• Tempered optimism: Business leaders’ expectations about their own companies remain strong with 47% feeling highly optimistic and only 2% feeling pessimistic. However, their outlook for the national and local economies has shifted to cautious.
• Business adaptation: Small and mid-sized businesses have made dramatic, lasting changes to adapt to the pandemic environment. Ninety-two percent have made at least one change to policies, processes, operations, or use of technology, and almost all of those owners expect one or more of the changes to become permanent.
Labor and supply shortages continue to plague small and mid-sized businesses. Despite these challenges, there’s prevalent optimism, which experts say is an encouraging sign of what’s to come.
If it’s time to jumpstart the resolutions you made at the beginning of the year, consider these five tools to make them more attainable:
Mix it up. Finding it hard to consume the daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables? You’re not alone. Only one in 10 Americans do, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A high-quality blender can make getting your fill of these fundamental food groups easy and delicious. For example, the Ninja, one of the more notoriously powerful machines on the market, allows you to whip up smoothies and juices using whole fruits and vegetables to ensure you extract the most nutritional benefit from each of your ingredients.
Touch and go. Learning to play music is easy and fun when you opt for an instrument designed to help you master skills, fast. Offering touch responsive keys that light up as well as a compatible app that can assist you in your learning journey, Casiotone keyboards feature tools that can keep you motivated to continue expanding your knowledge.
Walk it off. Stay in shape using wearable tech that will encourage you to keep setting bigger and bolder goals. The G-Shock, a smartwatch with a step tracker, uses a three-axis acceleration sensor that begins counting steps the moment you start to walk. This data can help motivate you to increase your daily step count and meet the recommended 10,000 steps per day. With some models offering heart rate monitoring and training analysis, you’ll soon be well on your way to keeping your promise to make the most of your resolutions.
Sleep tight. If getting more sleep was on your 2022 to-do list but you’re finding it difficult to actually put this goal into action, use an app such as Sleep Cycle to improve your nocturnal habits. Its sound library will ease you into sleep. It also tracks you over night and presents a deep-dive analysis into the quality of your shut-eye, along with guidance for changing your routine where needed.
Rainy-day prep. Make this the year you finally create a budget that allows you to save for the future. With a reliable printing calculator, you can print out and attach financial planning documents to show the progress of your savings and keep an organized log of monthly income and expenses. For this purpose, consider the HR-170RC from Casio, a mini desktop printing calculator with a big easy-to-read display, two-color printing and the ability to check and correct up to 150 steps.
Creating new habits is never easy. To help you stick the landing on all your goals, turn to tools that are designed to help.
NASHVILLE – Mayor John Cooper and city leaders invite Nashvillians and businesses to celebrate Earth Hour 2022 on Saturday, March 26, 2022, from 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. by turning off all non-essential lighting for one hour. Earth Hour is held annually on the last Saturday in March where individuals, communities, and businesses make a commitment to turn their lights off in acknowledgment of climate change.
On March 26, the Historic Metro Courthouse, Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge, Two Rivers Mansion, Nissan Stadium, Adventure Science Center, and other buildings will participate.
“Our participation in Earth Hour 2022 demonstrates the City’s commitment to taking climate action today and every day,” said Mayor Cooper. “My administration has pledged to cut Metro government’s and the community’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 2014 levels by 2050. I’m grateful to Council Member Russ Bradford for sponsoring a resolution and recognizing Earth Hour 2022.”
District 13 Metro Council Member Russ Bradford said he’s thrilled that Metro Nashville, community partners, businesses, and residents are participating in Earth Hour this year.
“Now, more than ever, we have a responsibility to raise awareness and show support for climate action as a City. We’ve seen how climate change has affected us, from more powerful tornados to increased flooding caused by heavy rains. By turning off our lights for an hour we’re showing our resolve and commitment to being more environmentally friendly,” Bradford said.
Earth Hour encourages Nashville residents to go beyond the hour by making a commitment to the environment and to sustainability all year long. To learn how you can reduce your environmental impact each day, visit:
NEW YORK, NY – On the occasion of the sixty-sixth session of the United Nations Commission on the status of women which is being held in New York, the African Renaissance And Diaspora Network (ARDN) has appointed South African music star Nomcebo Zikode and media executive Timothy Kublenu Akeju as goodwill ambassadors for the campaign to give a red card to all forms of discrimination and Violence against women and girls.
The ARDN red card campaign uses the convening powers of sports and cultures to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women.
It also aims to obtain over 1 million commitments throughout the globe during the upcoming FIFA World Cup in November 2022 in Qatar. The Campaign is within the framework of Pathway to Solutions, a special project spearheaded by ARDN for the United Nations to popularize the sustainable development goals by 2030.
“Pathway to Solutions is an international, multilateral initiative implemented in close collaboration with governments, international organizations, civil society, academia, and the private sector”, said Dr. Djibril Diallo, President, and CEO of ARDN.
“We are honored to welcome Nomcebo and Akeju to ARDN, to further strengthen our efforts in this regard, especially since they both so dramatically epitomize the notion of African Renaissance while, at the same time, inspiring those of the Diaspora”.
Adding “ We’ve got to fight the Apartheid of Gender as forcefully as we fought Apartheid in South Africa. We aim to see a world where everyone is cherished, regardless of gender, culture, color, language, social origin, birth, property or religion”.
Busie Matsiko-Andan, special advisor on private sector development and celebrity outreach to ARDN also expressed enthusiasm for the direction of the red card campaign and its new goodwill ambassadors, Nomcebo Zikode and Akeju who she described as great additions to the campaign.
“Akeju and Nomcebo are in the business of creating impact and transforming lives, I am hopeful that their addition will continue to raise awareness to this campaign. I am truly happy”, she said.
Nomcebo is the personification of the artistic and cultural richness of Africa so much that her enormous hit track with Master KG titled ” Jerusalema” is being heralded as the “Anthem” for Africa.
The other ambassador, Akeju is the CEO and President of Aflik TV, one of the largest producers and distributors of Nollywood films and African-inspired content. As a Board Member for New York City Times Square Billboards, Akeju has been instrumental in providing placement on the Billboard for Afrobeats artists.
The two new ambassadors will join many distinguished performers, athletes, and globally recognized leaders who, as goodwill ambassadors for ARDN and the United Nations, are lending their influence, talents, and ideas to popularize the sustainable development goals in communities across the globe.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville Fire Department will resume “Show and Tell” programs, school visits and in-person sessions for BLAZE Mentoring Program as COVID-19 numbers in Davidson County continue to trend down and Metro Nashville Public Schools’ universal mask requirements ended and are optional.
NFD personnel will be required to wear a mask when inside a school building or child-care center out of an abundance of caution, as personnel are still on the frontline responding to emergency calls.
NFD personnel often visit schools and child-care centers to educate children on fire safety. These “Show and Tell” visits are free and allow NFD personnel to interact with children in a fun way. Information on scheduling those events can be requested by email at nfdweb@nashville.gov
The BLAZE Mentoring Program works with students across the MNPS 12 Core High Schools. Mentors work with students on life skills including financial education, college preparation and other topics meant to help high school students transition from high school into their next phase of life.
BLAZE’s scholarship program is operational and will award eight (8) $1,000 scholarships to graduating Seniors in April 2022 in partnership with the Nashville Predators Foundation empowered by Smile Direct Club. The scholarship application can be found on http://www.blazenashville.org and the deadline for submission is April 4, 2022.
Members of the public are allowed to continue to visit the bay area of the Nashville Fire Department fire stations, where the fire equipment is kept, however the inside of the fire stations are still restricted.
“Pausing community engagement activities was a tough call, but the right call,” Director Chief William Swann said. “We always prioritize serving and protecting the community and now I’m happy that we can resume our engagement with the community because it’s such a vital part of what we do.”
If you’re trying to learn how to develop a website maintenance plan in 2022, this is the article you’re after. You’ll find out what a maintenance plan is, why you need it, and how to create it. So let’s get right into it.
Tell us if this scenario sounds familiar:
You’re searching the web for a product or service you need.
You click on a site.
You get frustrated as soon as you do.
It takes too long to load, there are broken links everywhere you look, and you can’t find what you’re searching for. Even worse, you’re browsing from your phone, and the site isn’t optimized, so you need to zoom in or out to see what the page is all about. We’ve all been there, and it’s everything but a pleasant experience.
Don’t let your website become this place on the internet.
If you don’t plan for regular maintenance and updates, it will affect your company. Your sales will drop, and you’ll start experiencing cash flow challenges. And if you don’t know how to cope with them, there’s a risk of you going under.
No one wants that to happen, and a good website maintenance plan can ensure it doesn’t. So, let’s learn more about it.
What Is a Website Maintenance Plan?
A website maintenance plan is an extensive internal document that experts use to ensure your site is fast, up to date, and secure. In essence, it’s your company’s guide to keeping your website working as it should.
The plan should reflect your whole website, as it affects both your sales and marketing goals. So get your IT team together and get onto making this document with them. Go over what you think is vital for the site, and let them do their part of the job. You should agree on when all the checks are happening, and in most cases, a quarterly review of the website should do the trick.
Of course, if you’re adding something new to your site or brand or have any security issues, you should take care of that right away. The more you wait, the bigger the problem it will become.
When you learn how to develop a website maintenance plan in 2022, keeping your site in top-notch condition will be a breeze.
Why Do You Need to Update Your Website?
If you’re new in the game, or you just haven’t dealt with the websites before, you might wonder why it’s so important to update your website regularly. Luckily, the answer to this question is relatively simple.
When you keep your site up to date, you’re mitigating the risks and making sure it performs as well as it can. You want to use the latest updates as they’re the insurance there are no potential security risks you should worry about. It’s a way to go if you want to keep your business, your customers, and your data safe.
Now that you’re familiar with all the basics, it’s time to learn how to develop a website maintenance plan in 2022.
What Does a Website Maintenance Plan Need?
Your website is like a piece of big, well-oiled machinery. It has many moving parts, and they all need to work correctly for the whole machine to work in the right way. So even if one thing falls out of order, the performance won’t be healthy, and it will show through the number of visitors and conversions.
We’ll get into the specifics soon, but first, let’s go over the points the document must address.
Database maintenance
Site file maintenance
Server maintenance
Encryption
Domain name registry
Web vulnerability scanning
Plugins updates
SEO, copy, and design
Link building
Your copy and the visual aspects of your site are what users see when they land on your website. Hence, you want to make sure there are no typos, that your images are optimized, and that there are no other problems with the website design. Furthermore, slow loading speed and broken links will certainly ruin the user experience, so you want to check on them as well.
And when we take what the users see out of the equation, we’re left with the behind-the-scenes items, which are as important. Thus, let’s dive further into what you can do about those.
Make a list of things you need to do, and don’t skip any steps.
Security Updates
If you care about your site and private information, you mustn’t overlook web security. Since the start of the pandemic, workforces transitioned to remote working, and we’ve seen a rise in cybersecurity threats. And if a hacker breaches your site, you’ll end up with a hefty bill to get it back.
You should be especially careful about these if you’re running an eCommerce website. You’re holding plenty of user data, and the last thing you want is for them to leak. It would mean the end of your business, so keeping your software updated is essential.
Server Updates
Hackers love targeting servers, so you have to keep them in check as well. It’s where all your data is stored, and if they go down even for a day, it might cost you a lot of money.
That said, you’ll need to take your servers offline from time to time for maintenance. It’s a preventive step to ensure it doesn’t happen when it shouldn’t. On top of that, it won’t last more than a couple of minutes, and these losses you can deal with. Ideally, you’ll perform these updates when there isn’t much activity, so you minimize the impact on your revenue.
Speed Updates
It’s not rare that you see an old website that feels sluggish. If the owner didn’t update it for some time, it’d feel pretty lazy, and that’s what we want to avoid.
Speed updates are all about removing the unnecessary weight. So, you want to reduce or remove processes that take too much time to complete, compress your images, and make sure you’re using the best plugins on the market. Reduce the loading times, and you’ll see more organic traffic on your site. Both Google and users will like your site more, and you’ll make more sales than you hoped for.
Keep your site snappy, and you’ll get more visitors and conversions.
UX Updates
Close to 60% of all online traffic in 2022 comes from mobile devices, so you must make your website responsive. It must perform well on any screen size, or customers will start avoiding you. People love shopping and browsing from their phones, and it’s your job to make that possible for them.
Conclusion
Now you know the best practices and how to develop a website maintenance plan in 2022, so use your knowledge. Work on your site, and don’t let it feel old or outdated even for a minute. Your customers and your business will thank you.
Tony Britton is a WordPress expert and freelance writer. Currently, he’s working with wpfullcare.com on improving business websites across niches. In his free time, he likes watching movies and reading Sci-Fi novels.
SMYRNA, Tenn. – Sellebrity Co-working Cafe located at 100 N Lowry Street in Smyrna TN opened its doors in March 2021. The American Dream of business ownership for a local entrepreneurial couple, Calvin and Lovely Gatlin, began during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the fear of unknown circumstances before them, the Gatlin’s decided to take the leap of faith to open two businesses, Sellebrity Coworking Cafe and Southern Flare Cigar Lounge which opened in June 2021.
“Our dream was to open a Co-working space that excited people’s curiosity about the possibilities of starting a business,” said Co-Founder Lovely Gatlin.
Sellebrity Co-working Cafe is Smyrna’s first-of-its-kind location that offers local business owners a safe and COVID-19 compliant place to work and meet with clients. They offer independent workspaces as well as a meeting space available to the public with a paid membership and day passes. They provide an environment that shares resources and expertise to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Their memberships with amenities, benefits, tools, and resources provide an instant return on members’ investments.
“Our goal now is to change lives through the pursuit of the entrepreneurial spirit together,” explained Co-Founder Calvin Gatlin.
The co-working space also offers a beautiful in-house café with an amazing selection of premium coffee from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and South America. They provide fresh-made daily salads, smoothies, snacks, and healthy lunch options that not only satisfy hunger and thirst but fuels your brain to optimize productivity.
March 18-19 Sellebrity Co-working Cafe is celebrating its first year in business commending its accomplishments, members’ achievements, and sharing its vision for the future. The public is invited to this amazing celebration:
March 18, 5:00 p.m.: Ribbon Cutting and Mardi Gras Business Meet & Greet hosted by Smyrna Independent Merchant Association (SIMA) with Keynote Speaker Sellebrity Co-Founder Calvin Gatlin.
March 19, 12:00 pm-3:00 p.m.: Lead By Example: Sellebrity Business Conference open to the public Free of charge. Participants will attend mini-sessions facilitated by local successful business owners with Keynote Speakers Lovely Gatlin Founder of Sellebrity and Dre Bessone Director of SIMA touch on The Power of Prospecting, Communitive Equity and the building blocks of business success.
