A new lifestyles magazine serving White County will debut this week.
Cookeville Lifestyles Magazine Owner and Publisher Chelsea Dartez said the biannual magazine will explore the people and sense of community in White County. Dartez said she chose Sparta because it has a good local business economy.
“And they’re really passionate about building the small-business community, and things of that nature,” Dartez said. “So that’s really what it takes to get something like this off of the ground.”
Dartez said promoting businesses, non-profits and the people of the tight-knit White County community will serve as the mission. She said wants to showcase positive and uplifting stories. Dartez said she has wanted to expand the publication’s reach for several years.
Dartez said she thought calling it Sparta Lifestyles Magazine would offer the community an entity residents could identify with.
“It really was only going to work if we made a specific magazine with that town’s name on it,” Dartez said. “Because people have a lot of pride in their respective towns.”
The Cookeville edition prints four times each year. The new Sparta edition will print less often, with more of an emphasis on the cover story. Dartez said she wants that story to be lengthy.
Dartez said Sparta has a more intimate community with fewer residents than Cookeville.
“It’s just not quite as big, and it feels like everybody knows each other.” Dartez said.
Dartez said the publication is not looking to compete with local newspaper and news outlets. Dartez said the magazines will cover strictly entertainment and leisure media.
Dartez said she is busy getting to know local government and business leaders.
The free publication will officially debut Thursday with a special event. It will be available free at local businesses. Dartez said the company will launch a new Livingston version of the magazine in late October.
