The Legacy Lowdown

Garrett Barnes is the Assistant Director at the NEA Career and Technical Center here in Jonesboro and also happens to be the Justice of the Peace in District 2 here in Craighead County. We get into the weeds with Garrett on exactly who the NEA Career and Technical Center serves, the importance of training and exposure to different trades for high school students and how the NEA Career and Technical Center is helping to bridge that gap and get kids in our area workforce ready. We also hear a little about what it's like to serve as a Justice of the Peace and what the heck they do besides, of course, marrying people. He is passionate about his role as an elected official and also his role at the NEA Career and Technical Center. Garrett is hosting an upcoming Town Hall at Native Brew Works on June 29th at 5:30pm that is open to the public. To learn more about Garrett, you can visit his website at https://www.backbarnes.com/.

What's the Big Dill?Pickleball is a sport that combines elements of Tennis, Badminton, and ping pong. On this week's episode of the Legacy Lowdown Producer Andrew fills the co-host seat as we discuss what makes Pickleball fun for all ages and we also find out what it means to get “Pickled”

Dr. Lauren Hannah joins us in the studio and talks all things mental health. Dr. Lauren is a therapist and also the co-owner of Foundation, a Wellness Practice and their soon to open neighbor next door - Sana Vita Wellness. She breaks down some of the basics of going to therapy, teaches us a little bit about trauma and what that may look like for different people and talks about some of the more modern treatment options (backed by research) and how they are bringing those into their holistic approach to mental wellness. She also shares a traumatic story from her past that put her mental health skills to the test when she was attacked by a former patient with a butcher knife.To learn more about Dr. Lauren and her practice, you can visit them online at https://www.yourfoundation.net/.

Operation BBQ Relief is a little bit exactly what it sounds like. OBR was founded after the Joplin tornado disaster in 2011 when a couple guys who liked to BBQ together came up with the idea to help volunteer their time to help feed displaced families and first responders who were working around the clock. Listen in as Dewayne tells the story of Operation BBQ Relief and its inception and how it's grown into a nationwide effort that's now provided over 10 million meals, even taking some deployments internationally.  They are now a 501(c)(3) disaster relief organization and they are always looking for volunteers - even folks that don't know the first thing about cooking or smoking meat. To learn more about Operation BBQ Relief, visit them online at https://operationbbqrelief.org/. 

Garrett Tyler is a drummer, producer and music director - and perhaps the most famous guest we've ever had on! He is originally from Pocahontas, AR but now calls Nashville home. Garrett connects the dots for us on how a small town guy from Pocahontas grew to travel the world doing what he loves: playing and directing music for groups like For King and Country, Judah and the Lion  and his own band Local Sound. We get him to name drop a few of the most famous people he's shared the stage with and even opened for. We are so glad he stopped by while he was home for a local show and we think you'll love getting to know him as much as we did.Find him on Instagram @garrettptyler.

Jessica Odom joins us on the podcast this week and sheds a little light on the internet situation in Northeast Arkansas and how the company she works for, RightFiber by Ritter Communications, has built an infrastructure ready to support the inevitable growth that's headed our way. RightFiber is doing things differently - starting with something as simple as answering the phone in one of their locally staffed call centers in Arkansas and Tennessee. Jessica tells the story of how Ritter got started and has grown into the business it is today, and shares her personal story of how she worked her way into telecommunications and eventually transitioned from training to marketing. Get connected, and give this one a listen! She also explains - in layman's terms - the benefits when it comes to the speed and security of a fiber network. Something that wasn't mentioned on the show that Jessica explained off-air was that they really encourage people to visit them online to check the availability of their services at your address. She said if they're not currently located in your area, you can request it - and they really rely on that data to help them decide where to build next. To check availability or request their services, you can visit https://www.rightfiber.com/ and click "Get RightFiber".

Endurance athlete Jeff Chastain joins us this week to discuss his journey fromthe couch to not just 5k - but 50 Mile treks on foot through the Ouachita Mountains and 300 mile bike rides across the state of Arkansas and beyond. He tells us his journey of losing some 80+ pounds many years ago and how his lifestyle changes have led him down many different paths. In this episode, we also get into the inaugural NEA 1k. If you're interested in learning more about this event, you can visit their Facebook event at https://fb.me/e/KhQlyxvo or register now through April 27th online at https://nea1k.com/.

This week we got to sit down with Former Mayor Harold Perrin, who is now the Senior Vice President of Business Development for First Security Bank of Jonesboro. When it comes to leaving a legacy, we can't think of anyone more impactful than Mr. Perrin has been in his service to our city - both during his term as mayor and in the time since then. As any good leader would, he credits many of his successes to his team and told us off the record that the key ingredient to being successful was being willing to do what other folks won't do. Perrin ran for mayor of Jonesboro in 2008 and began his 12-year stint in 2009. Before becoming mayor, Mr. Perrin had a long career in banking and also served on the Jonesboro City Council for 14 years. It was in his time on City Council that he credits to learning so much about the inner-workings of the city and that led to him to his successful mayoral campaign.

What does a county judge even do? Many think that they preside over courts or that they have a background in law. While they do still preside over some courts, we learned from Marvin that there's no law degree required, but there's a LOT of other jobs that fall onto the County Judge's plate. We dive into a handful of those tasks (hello county roads), how the county's responsibilities differ from the city's and exactly what it takes to become a county judge. 

Slade Mitchell is the Energy Marketing Administrator for City Water and Light in Jonesboro, where he has been for the last 11 years. We get into some of the details on their new solar projects that are in the works, and even spend some time chatting about why utilities here in Northeast Arkansas are so cheap compared to the rest of the country. Slade gives a little insight in the role that plays in our day to day world here in Jonesboro, and also the effect cheap utilities can have on our local economy when it comes to recruiting employers and talent to the area. Power up and tune in! To learn more about CWL, you can visit their website at https://jonesborocwl.org/ or find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CWLofJonesboro.

Rhonda Qualls and Lisa Trevathan are two of the most animal-loving ladies in Northeast Arkansas. They are both long-time supporters and volunteers of the Northeast Arkansas Humane Society, and are also certified Animal Cruelty Investigators. Listen along as they walk us through a few real life animal welfare stories, talk about the difference between their organization and Animal Control and also help educate folks on the adoption process, and the many services they provide to pet owners who have nothing to do with the humane society.To learn more, visit them online at https://www.neahs.org/ or find them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HumaneSocietyNEA/. Save the date for their upcoming Bake Sale starting at 7am on April 7th at the Faith Free Will Baptist Church Family Life Center!

Listen in as we interview Dr. Hunter Smith to hear about how he worked his way from a practicing dentist and owner of one clinic, to now owning more than 35 clinics across the country. Hunter and his partner, Dr. Will Little, have made it their mission to build a unique DSO experience for dental practices. They partner with existing practices with one idea in mind - change as little as possible while providing support to help the doctors reach their goals.To learn more, visit https://gps.dental/ or find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/gpsdds.

George Jared wears many hats, but this episode is all about the lowdown on the upcoming ballot issues. As a writer for NEA's Talk Business and Politics, George is well-educated on each of the issues and breaks them down for us in layman's terms. Together, we go through through each of the four issues on the ballot, we delve a little into the library and then wrap with a few thoughts on the Arkansas Governor's race. In addition to being a journalist for Talk Business & Politics, George Jared is also an author with five published books and he hosts true crime podcast Diamond State Murder Board.Check your voter registration status and voting location here. View a sample ballot here. Novels written by George Jared: https://www.amazon.com/George-Jared/e/B073QKQR68%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_shareDiamond State Murder Board Podcast site: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/diamond-state-murder-board/id1542905924Talk Business & Politics Columns by George Jared: https://talkbusiness.net/author/george-jared/ 

Amanda Herget is the co-owner of Gearhead Outfitters. She tells us the story of Gearhead, starting with her husband Ted's first store on Flint Street in Jonesboro. Amanda takes us through the journey that took them from one store in Arkansas to now 18 stores across the country. Gearhead's mission is to help customers live active, fulfilling lives by providing quality outdoor-inspired products, backed by deep expertise and remarkable service.To learn more about Gearhead and the areas they serve, you can visit them online at https://gearheadoutfitters.com/.

Brandon Mathis is the manager of Hemp Solutions, LLC and Kildee Hemp Company. Hemp Solutions is home to the largest hemp farm in Arkansas, located right here in Bay. They are a farm-to-product facility which means they plant, cultivate, harvest and manufacture CBD products here in their lab before sending the products off to be third party tested in Colorado. Brandon talks about the tedious process of farming hemp, the different types of products they sell and create and gets into some details with us about the difference in CBD and THC. It's a fun one you won't want to miss!To view Kildee products and learn more, visit https://www.kildeehemp.com/.

Mitchell Nail is the Director of Media Relations at St. Bernards Healthcare. In that role, he is often the face or the voice of St. Bernards as it relates to the media, but an added bonus is that he gets to spends a little time each week interviewing different physicians on the St. Bernards team. We learn more about Mitchell's background - from starting an FM sports station some years ago, to later working with Congressman Rick Crawford, Mitchell takes us through the sometimes bumpy path that led him to where he is today.  Link to download Health Wav podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/health-wav/id1507685755More info about HEALTH.wav: https://www.stbernards.info/podcast

Our guest this week is Lacey Vance, Head Human at Hounds Hideaway! Lacey walks us through what starting her business was like, what motivated her and her husband to create this business and why she decided to open two more locations. Hounds Hideaway is not your average doggie daycare, they also offer boarding and daycare but on top of that they have a PPA (iykyk), they do themed photo booths and doggie crafts to for parents to hang on the fridge. These pet parents are on another level of “dog people”, and it's easy to see that Lacey is the the biggest dog person of them all!

Courtney Watkins joins us this week to talk about how she went from working at an insurance agency to owning one. She sheds some light on what it's like to be a woman business owner in what some consider a “man's world” and tells us how she feels about working alongside her husband everyday. Courtney and Tyler (who is also the host of our show) own and operate Legacy Insurance, formerly Bill Jackson Nationwide Insurance. 

We have Craig Rickert in the studio this week! Many may remember the #wherescraig movement back in 2017. Craig speaks about his time as an anchor on our local news station and opens up about why he really left. He is now the Director of Communications for Jonesboro Unlimited - an organization dedicated to the economic prosperity of Jonesboro. He tells us a little more about that organization and gives us a sneak peek inside the steps they are taking now as a result of the recent community survey they conducted.

Dr. Ben Adkins, aka the Serial Progress SeekerBen Adkins started his professional career as a chiropractor in Poplar Bluff, MO. He basically did all the cool things on the internet before the rest of the world was doing them! Anyone remember the days of Internet forums?? Listen in as he tells us how his chiropractic business turned into a digital software / marketing company and how he now helps many different types of business owners realize their marketing potential. 

Leading up to this Fourth of July Holiday weekend we talk to Army Veteran Levi Crawford  about his tours of duty In Iraq and Afghanistan. In vivid detail he describes how he was wounded serving in Afghanistan, the long road to recovery, and what he is doing now to serve other veterans who not only  have visible scars from battle, but also  ones that cannot be seen.www.riversofrecovery.orgwww.Facebook.com/riversofrecovery 

The future is looking fizzy with Fizz Facial Bar owner, Crystal Booth. Crystal was born and raised in Kentucky but found her way to Jonesboro and deemed it the perfect place to start up her dream business, and now the home of Fizz's National headquarters. Listen in as she tells us her story, teaches Tyler a thing or two about skincare and shares details about the ins and outs of being a franchisor.

Megan Brown, founder of Hope Found Northeast Arkansas, sits down with us to talk about human trafficking and how it's happening right under our noses here in our community. She gives tips on what types of things to watch for, and how to talk to your own children about the different types of trafficking like labor trafficking, sex trafficking, grooming,  the importance of internet safety, red flags to look for, and even understanding the needs of a victim. Megan is doing so much in our community with the help of volunteers. If you are interested in helping a local cause making a local difference, visit the Hope Found website at http://www.hopefoundnea.org/. 

Meet Cody Powell. Lumberjack by day (a long-time employee of EC Barton and Company), Entrepreneur, father of two and owner of Cryo 2.0 the rest of the time. Listen in as Cody tells us about how he got interested in cryotherapy, why he's excited to bring this business to Jonesboro and how cryotherapy can help treat symptoms of a wide range of sickness - from mental and emotional wellness to muscle recovery and more. Cody opens up about how the significant loss of his father impacted him at an early age, and why mental health is so important to him. To learn more about Cryo 2.0 visit https://cryoarkansas.com/. To purchase Cody's book Defeating 19 Years of Grief, visit  https://cfpowell.gumroad.com/l/19-years-of-grief.

Cory Jackson is a Jonesboro native who has made his way to the big screen appearing on season 17 of the NBC hit tv show, The Voice. He's a country music star, but he didn't begin his life with a guitar in his hand like many. Listen on as Cory talks about how he got interested in music later in life, and hear about his behind the scenes experience on #TeamBlake.To learn more about Cory and to see his entire list of scheduled performances, visit  coryjacksonmusic.com

Lindsey Bowman joins us to discuss how she grew her accidental consulting business into a full service marketing agency, and what business owners here in NEA can do to polish up their online presence. 

Author, journalist, and Podcast host George Jared stops by the studio to discuss his career and how it revolves around the realm of true crime. George goes into detail of his early days as a journalist covering amateur stories to investigating some of the most famous cold case murders that have happened in our state. He connects the dots from his days at the Jonesboro Sun to now writing three true crime books, hosting a podcast, and speaking at Crime Con 2021. Download and Review at Apple Podcast and Spotify.

This week, we sit down with the Director of Jonesboro's branch of the NAACP. We get to hear how that organization assists people in our community and get tips on what Jonesboro can do to keep moving forward in that area.

This week on the Legacy Lowdown, we sit down with actor turned business owner Paulie Litt. Listen as Paulie talks about what's it like growing up as a child actor and working on projects such as Hope and Faith, Wizards of Waverly Place, Speed Racer, and Doubt. He then connects the dots for us on how he ends up in Jonesboro, Arkansas and creates a new business to use our locally grown cotton to be used in the world of designer shirts. Download, Listen, Review, and Subscribe on Apple and Spotify.

This week we sit down with Karl and Paula Lowe, the owners and chefs of Roots in Downtown Jonesboro. They explain the thought behind the cuisine and how their Ecuadorian and Southern Roots combined with community and their artistic approach has been the perfect recipe to win the hearts and stomachs of people across NEA. How do they create the ultimate culinary experience? Listen along to find out. 

 Listen up as we sit down with Jonesboro City Councilman LJ Bryant to discuss his early and successful start in politics, running for land commissioner of Arkansas to discussing his job now and explaining how city government works. We've had a couple of tough political years and it seems as though we are more divided than ever before as a country. Your voice seems loud on social media, but the place where you can make the most waves is local government.  

Listen this week as we sit down with real estate developer Jerry Halsey Jr., part owner of Halsey Thrasher Harpole Real Estate Group. Jerry discusses how he went from being a watermelon farmer to owning and running a top real estate company and how the values he learned growing up on a farm contribute to his success today.

This week we sit down with emotion code practitioner, Lindsey Little of Root Awakening Wellness. What is emotion code you may ask. Our bodies are talking to us every day and sometimes the answers they hold can have life changing affects if we can just understand the language made up of frequencies, emotions, and suppressed memories. Listen in as we discuss Lindsey's world travels, interesting jobs and her spiritual journey to practicing this unique take on healing. She even gets to practice on host, Tyler Watkins.

Join us as we sit down to talk to one of Jonesboro's most iconic artists, Beau Jones. You may recognize the name Beautox Art and can see his work around town and around the World. Beau opens up about challenges that he has faced throughout his journey to becoming the man and the artist he is today. Listen along to hear about his new studio on Church street in downtown Jonesboro. We can't wait to get your perspective on this episode!

When someone tells her “no,” Heather Walker-Clark hears “not yet.” Heather connects the dots from being a struggling single mom of two young boys to a serial entrepreneur in Jonesboro, building interesting businesses such as Intersect311, Glass Factory, Porch Thirty and more. They make us all excited to see what's next! 

In this week's episode, Dr. Ivie recounts an eerie experience he had as a child and how that incident mapped out his path to becoming Arkansas's top investigator at MUFON (Mutual UFO Network). If someone reports a UFO sighting in Arkansas, he's the guy that comes to get the story, and boy does he have some stories to tell. Listen along and make sure the lights are on for this episode. 

How does a corrupt county clerk impact a community? Rose Hankins of Twisted Foods takes us on an emotional rollercoaster as she recounts how she worked day and night to build her dream business; unfortunately,  with a parasite by her side. If she can do all that with the rug pulled out from under her, what is she capable of with the wind beneath her wings? She's back and ready to answer questions we've all been asking, but there's one answer she herself may never get. Listen now to find out what's next for Rose.

WARNING: This episode contains adult Language. Discretion is advised. A typical thru-hiker of the Appalachian trail takes 5 to 7 months to hike the entire A.T. if they decide to finish it at all. Jackson did it in 99 days. Whether it's walking 2,190 miles or opening a brew pub in a dry county, this man is on a mission. Listen along as we help him taste test the newest brew on tap while he paints a picture of what those two experiences have been like and gives us the lowdown on the Legacy he wants to leave behind.

We sit down with Joe Cook  to hear about the limitations of his past and a surprisingly not so easy childhood. He manages Sissy's Log Cabin by day and calls sissy hunters “gummy bears” by night in his viral private Facebook group called “Unguided” (If it hasn't been taken down again) Listen for some great stories and to find out if you're a gummy bear on this weeks episode of the legacy lowdown. 

We talk to Andy Shatley about sports, social media, and his run for Mayor on this episode of Legacy Lowdown. As we ask him questions, he connects the dots with"another funny story" that brings him where he is today and he gives us some insight into where he is going.

Meg Sebastian tells us how she moved up in the tech world to work in DC as a top secret government contractor for security software and what made her want to pick up and move back to her old stomping grounds to create 200 tech stem jobs right here in Jonesboro, Arkansas.Conversation flows as we discuss what it's like as a woman head honcho in the predominately male industry, the highs and lows of her journey to DC, and why she thinks this is the perfect place to recruit tech soldiers to stand on the from lines of the world's most dangerous rising threat, cyber attack. BONUS! She also publishes adult coloring books done by her artist cousin, Jane F. Hankins. Take a look here!

Dr. Don Howard's episode has highs and lows. We follow his journey to becoming an intensivist. He takes us through what it's like to be in the middle of Jonesboro's Covid storm while the rest of the town seemed blissfully unaware of the extent of the travesties happening within the walls of the Covid unit. He also explains how playing music gets him through the intense nature of being an intensive care unit doctor. From the front lines of the pandemic to playing tunes downtown this is an interesting convo you don't want to miss. 

In our debut episode we visit with James Bickham. Most people know James from either his diverse resume or his boisterous presence on social media. We had a blast as he connected the dots from his early days as a school teacher and his start in referring to his time now as one of the top videographers in NEA. We discussed topics of race and even had some fun talking about how social media has played a part in putting more tools on his toolbelt as he navigated through different careers.