Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q brings home 13th first place title after Memphis in May competition
It's been a well-loved Decatur staple for decades.
Decatur City Schools in need of additional bus drivers
'We are the fifth generation barbecue pitmasters,' Jacob Lilly said.
'We couldn't be more proud to be here and able to show our customers what we've learned, not only through our dad, but basically our grandfather, our great-grandfather, and our great-great-grandfather,' he said.
The restaurant just brought home the gold after being recognized on one of the biggest stages in barbecue history: The Memphis in May competition.
'This is our 13th time winning this competition in whole shoulder, but again, that comes with a long line of history for us,' said Jacob Lilly. 'This is our 100th year anniversary.'
Marshall County Schools breaks ground on multi-million-dollar elementary school
Andrew and Jacob Lilly are brothers and the current restaurant operators. They said entering a competition like this takes months of preparation.
'These cooks there are so talented, so good,' said Andrew Lilly. 'I mean you have to be on your game… any misstep you will not you will not make finals. You will not win.'
For a family full of tradition and lined with generations of pitmasters, a weekend like this is not only a way to put their talents to the test, but enjoy time with family as well.
'So Memphis in May competition for us is like a big family reunion,' said Jacob Lilly. 'We've got our aunts, our uncles, our cousins, our sons, who hopefully will become sixth generation, are there.'
Although competition highlights what's new and special, the Lillys said back at the restaurant, they'll always stick to their traditions.
They are also celebrating their 100th anniversary this year.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
4 hours ago
- Business Wire
Energy Vault, Turkey's Astor Enerji Launch Global Strategic Partnership with BESS Deployments Totalling 2 GWh and 1 GW Transformer Procurement from Astor Enerji
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. & ISTANBUL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Energy Vault Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: NRGV), a global leader in grid-scale energy storage solutions, and Astor Enerji (BIST: ASTOR), a leading global manufacturer of high-quality power transformers and high-voltage equipment, today announced the signing of a Global Strategic Agreement to strengthen global supply chains for battery energy storage systems (BESS) and accelerate the deployment of large-scale energy storage and grid infrastructure across multiple markets. This global alliance brings together two fast-growing innovators in the power sector, united by a mission to enable power abundance — delivering the cost-effective and reliable clean electricity needed to fuel industrial growth, digital transformation and long-term economic prosperity. The partnership marks the formation of a powerful industrial alliance, aligning complementary strengths to unlock commercial and technological synergies — including supply chain efficiency, advanced system integration and accelerated execution for utility-scale projects. At a time when U.S. transformer wait times have stretched from 50 weeks to as long as 127 weeks, this collaboration directly addresses supply shortages by leveraging Astor Enerji's manufacturing capacity and global supply chain to ensure access to high-quality equipment from sources outside areas of U.S. concern. Under the agreement: Energy Vault will supply B-VAULT™ BESS solutions for Astor Enerji's four grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) projects in Romania, delivering a combined storage capacity of up to 2 gigawatt-hours (GWh). These systems will be integrated with Energy Vault's VaultOS™ energy management system platform for optimal performance and grid stability. Astor Enerji will provide transformers and high-voltage equipment for more than 1 gigawatt (GW) of Energy Vault BESS projects planned in the United States, Australia, and Europe, creating significant supply chain efficiencies across Energy Vault's global portfolio. By combining Energy Vault's portfolio of advanced long- and short-duration energy storage hardware solutions and AI-driven software platform with Astor Enerji's manufacturing scale and global delivery track record, the partnership unlocks operational efficiency, speeds time-to-market and strengthens grid infrastructure in high-growth regions. Energy Vault will source over 1 GW of transformers and high-voltage equipment from Astor to support its BESS projects, which are being developed and operated through Asset Vault — a fully owned subsidiary dedicated to building, owning, and operating energy storage assets in high-growth global markets. Backed by a recently announced $300 million preferred equity investment, Asset Vault underpins Energy Vault's independent power producer (IPP) strategy, enabling long-term revenues through bankable off-take agreements and merchant market participation. 'This partnership is about more than equipment supply — it's about aligning two high-growth companies to solve the most pressing challenges in the energy transition,' said Marco Terruzzin, Chief Revenue Officer, Energy Vault. 'Together, we are building the technology and supply chain capacity to meet surging power demand from AI data centers and the rapid adoption of renewable energy. This is how we deliver power abundance and economic growth on a global scale.' 'Energy Vault's innovative approach to energy storage, combined with their extensive global project pipeline, makes them an ideal partner as we expand our footprint in the rapidly growing battery storage sector,' said Olcay Doğan, Chief Financial Officer, Astor Enerji. 'This agreement builds on our mission to deliver the grid infrastructure needed for a sustainable energy future, and we are excited to create lasting commercial and technological value together.' About Energy Vault Energy Vault ® develops and deploys utility-scale energy storage solutions designed to transform the world's approach to sustainable energy storage. The Company's comprehensive offerings include proprietary gravity-based storage, battery storage, and green hydrogen energy storage technologies. Each storage solution is supported by the Company's hardware technology-agnostic energy management system software and integration platform. Unique to the industry, Energy Vault's innovative technology portfolio delivers customized short-and-long-duration energy storage solutions to help utilities, independent power producers, and large industrial energy users significantly reduce levelized energy costs while maintaining power reliability. Utilizing eco-friendly materials with the ability to integrate waste materials for beneficial reuse, Energy Vault's gravity-based energy storage technology is facilitating the shift to a circular economy while accelerating the global clean energy transition for its customers. Please visit for more information. About Astor Enerji Astor Enerji (BIST: ASTOR) is a global manufacturer of power transformers, distribution transformers, and high-voltage/medium-voltage switchgear, providing robust and efficient grid solutions across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the U.S. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's current views with respect to, among other things, the Company's operations and financial performance. Forward-looking statements include information concerning possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of our business plan and strategies. These statements often include words such as 'anticipate,' 'expect,' 'suggest,' 'plan,' 'believe,' 'intend,' 'project,' 'forecast,' 'estimates,' 'targets,' 'projections,' 'should,' 'could,' 'would,' 'may,' 'might,' 'will' and other similar expressions. We base these forward-looking statements or projections on our current expectations, plans, and assumptions, which we have made in light of our experience in our industry, as well as our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances at the time. These forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions, and expectations of future performance, taking into account the information currently available to us. These forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including the failure to execute definitive agreements, changes in our strategy, expansion plans, customer opportunities, future operations, future financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects and plans; the uncertainly of our awards, bookings and backlogs and developed pipeline equating to future revenue; the lack of assurance that non-binding letters of intent and other indication of interest can result in binding orders or sales; the timing of permits; the possibility of our products to be or alleged to be defective or experience other failures; the implementation, market acceptance and success of our business model and growth strategy; our ability to develop and maintain our brand and reputation; developments and projections relating to our business, our competitors, and industry; the ability of our suppliers to deliver necessary components or raw materials for construction of our energy storage systems in a timely manner; the impact of health epidemics, on our business and the actions we may take in response thereto; our expectations regarding our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection and not infringe on the rights of others; expectations regarding the time during which we will be an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act; our future capital requirements and sources and uses of cash; the international nature of our operations and the impact of war or other hostilities on our business and global markets; our ability to obtain funding for our operations and future growth; our business, expansion plans and opportunities and other important factors discussed under the caption 'Risk Factors' in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on March 31, 2025, as such factors may be updated from time to time in its other filings with the SEC, accessible on the SEC's website at New risks emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release speaks only as of the date of this press release and is expressly qualified in its entirety by the cautionary statements included in this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable laws. You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements.
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Forbes
The Real Power Behind Great Teams? Creativity And Culture
Paul Getter of The Internet Marketing Nerds helps people rapidly accelerate their digital presence and build successful online businesses. Skills can be trained. Systems can be taught, and many tasks today can be automated or outsourced. But culture? That's the heartbeat of a brand. It's the one thing you can't fake, and I've found it's exactly what sets the great companies apart from the ones just going through the motions every day. Too often, I see businesses pouring all their energy into marketing, hiring and product—only to overlook what's happening behind the scenes: how people feel when they show up to work. And here's the thing: When your people are lit up, connected and aligned, it shows. Clients feel it. Partners notice. Growth follows naturally. Now, I'm not talking about free snacks or team-building exercises. I'm talking about building a space where people are seen, supported, encouraged to grow and empowered to bring their best selves to the table. One example that caught my attention recently is Caleb Staffing Network, a company in the event staffing space. I came across this quote, and it stuck with me: 'Here, the walls don't echo with the impersonal efficiency of a corporate office. Instead, they hum with a quiet hum of shared dreams and artistic camaraderie. The staff, a vibrant tapestry of actors, musicians, and models, understand the unspoken language of the creative spirit. They aren't just colleagues; they are mentors ...' When you bring together creative minds in a supportive space, often what you get isn't just better performance—you get real loyalty, energy and innovation that's hard to replicate. Here's what more companies need to lean into: 1. Hire for heart, not just the résumé. I've worked with seven-figure businesses, influencers and high-performing teams across the board. And if there's one lesson that keeps showing up, it's this: Skills can be taught; heart can't. Yes, I want people who know what they're doing. But more than that, I want people who care about the mission, the people they work with and the impact they're making. I've seen average talent with a great attitude outshine experts who are just clocking in. So, how do you find those people? • Ask about the 'why,' not just the 'what.' In interviews, I'll ask: 'Why do you do what you do?' or 'Tell me about a time you went above and beyond without being asked.' The answers reveal whether they're just looking for a paycheck or if they actually care about purpose. • Watch how candidates treat your team. Pay attention to how they interact with your assistant, your scheduler or the barista during the interview. Character shows up in the small moments. • Look for patterns in their past. I've noticed people who volunteer, mentor or have a track record of helping others usually bring that same energy to the workplace. Hire people who care about people. Everything else can be built from there. 2. Mentorship builds momentum. As I've written about previously, people grow faster when they're learning from people who've been in their shoes. Peer-to-peer mentorship creates trust and community. I think it's one of the most underrated growth tools in any business today. 3. Make space for creativity. Here's the truth: Creativity dies in micromanagement. If your team has to ask permission every five minutes or is terrified to make a mistake, you're probably never going to see their full brilliance. At my company, we've built a culture where ideas are currency. That means we celebrate initiative. Someone has a new idea for a client launch? We test it. If it flops, cool, we learn. If it works, we scale. But either way, people feel safe to contribute. Additionally, we don't punish failure. I'd rather my team try something bold and miss than sit on the sidelines. Failure isn't the opposite of success; it's how you get there. We also use 'creative sprints.' Sometimes we'll block off an hour or two where people can brainstorm, pitch or prototype ideas—no filters, no judgment. That freedom breeds magic. If you want to see creativity thrive, create room to breathe, explore and take risks. 4. Culture drives reputation. Let me say this loud: Your internal culture is your external brand. You can have the best logo, website or offer, but if your team feels burned out, undervalued or disconnected, it leaks into everything you do. If you're serious about leveling up your culture, here's where to start: • Listen more than you talk. Sit down with your team and ask, 'What's working? What's not? How can I support you better?' Then actually do something with that feedback. • Lead with transparency. People respect what they understand. Let them in on the vision. Show them how their work fits into the bigger picture. That clarity builds ownership. • Recognize the human behind the role. Celebrate wins. Show appreciation. Understand when someone's going through a tough time. That's how trust is built. And if you're trying to fix a broken culture? Start small. One team meeting. One real conversation. One act of leadership that puts people before profit. Do that consistently, and you can shift the energy—and ultimately the trajectory—of your entire company. So, here's the bottom line: When you build a culture that supports creative people and treats team members like humans—not cogs—you build more than just a company. You build something people want to be a part of. That's where the real value is, and that's what smart leadership looks like. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Business Wire
4 hours ago
- Business Wire
PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc. Announces Closing of $7 Million Financing
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq:PMCB) ('PharmaCyte' or the 'Company'), today announced the closing of its previously announced $7 million financing. As of April 30, 2025, PharmaCyte had approximately $15.5 million in cash and also holds over $30 million of securities as reflected in the Company's most recent 10K. With the addition of the $7 million in proceeds from this financing, the Company's balance sheet has been further strengthened, providing significant financial flexibility to support its ongoing business initiatives and strategic growth opportunities. 'The successful completion of this financing is a welcome milestone as we continue on our growth trajectory,' said Josh Silverman, Interim Chief Executive Officer of PharmaCyte. 'We expect this additional capital, combined with our substantially reduced operational burn rate and our existing cash position and investments, to bring substantial value to our shareholders as we advance our initiatives and continue to evaluate opportunities that align with our long-term strategy.' As of the date of this release, PharmaCyte has approximately 6.8 million shares of common stock outstanding. Safe Harbor This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that express the current beliefs and expectations of PharmaCyte's management and Board of Directors. Any statements contained in this press release which do not describe historical facts are forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, and achievements to differ materially from those discussed in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect our actual results include our ability to satisfactorily address the issues raised by the FDA in order to have the clinical hold on our IND removed, whether our exploration of additional opportunities to create new paths toward shareholder value is successful, as well as such other factors that are included in the periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q that we file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, except as otherwise required by law, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More information about PharmaCyte Biotech can be found at
