Podcasts about Haywood County

Discovery Park CEO Discusses Memphis - Jeremy C. Park interviews R. Scott Williams, author of "Town Mania: Marcus Winchester and the Making of Memphis," and President and CEO of Discovery Park of America. Scott discusses his background as a Memphian and his role at Discovery Park of America, which inspires visitors through exhibits on history, science, and technology. He mentions the park's upcoming focus on America 250 and Tennessee's celebration in 2026, which ties into the themes of his book.Marcus Winchester's Early Life and Legacy - Scott discusses his research and writing process for his book about Marcus Winchester, a key figure in the early development of Memphis. He explains how Winchester's connection with David Crockett, whom he funded in congressional campaigns after a financial setback, piqued his interest. The book begins with Winchester as a 17-year-old prisoner of war, detailing his early life and the challenges he faced. Scott highlights Winchester's role in establishing Memphis and his journey from a prisoner of war to a prominent figure in the city's development.Interracial Marriage and Social Struggles - Scott and Jeremy discuss the complexities of Marcus Winchester's life, focusing on his marriage to a woman of mixed racial heritage and the challenges they faced due to societal racism. Winchester, despite his contributions to building the city, was forced to move outside the city limits after laws prohibiting interracial marriage became stricter. The couple had eight biracial children, and their relationship was later portrayed negatively, with evidence of their marriage being erased or misconstrued over time.Marcus Winchester's Legacy in Memphis - Scott discusses his ancestors' lives in Haywood County and the impact of slavery on their community. He emphasizes the importance of understanding how slavery affected individuals like Marcus Winchester, highlighting the legal restrictions on freeing slaves and the dangers faced by free African Americans. Scott also describes Marcus as a visionary in logistics, business, and commerce, particularly in the development of Memphis. He notes Marcus's contributions to transportation, entertainment, hotels, and tourism, as well as his role as the first mayor and the founder of the city's first charged ferry service.Marcus Winchester Historical Research Challenges - Scott discusses the challenges of researching and writing about Marcus Winchester, noting the difficulty of piecing together an accurate story from limited historical records and making necessary assumptions. He highlights Winchester's community-focused actions, such as requesting vaccines during an outbreak and seeking permission to use wood during a harsh winter, to illustrate Winchester's character. Scott emphasizes the importance of including relevant historical context to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of early Memphis and its settlers.Preserving Memphis's Historical Legacy - Scott discusses his hopes for readers of his book about Memphis, emphasizing a deeper appreciation for the city's history and the importance of preserving historical sites. He highlights the story of the Winchester Cemetery, which was neglected and desecrated, to illustrate why historical preservation matters. Scott expresses hope that readers would understand the significance of preserving Memphis's historical buildings and the contributions of previous historians and researchers.Marcus Winchester's Historical Legacy - Scott discusses the historical significance of Marcus Winchester and the role of transportation in shaping Memphis. He highlights the upcoming anniversary events in 2026, including the bicentennial of Memphis's incorporation and the 230th anniversary of Marcus Winchester's birth, which he hopes will spark public interest in history.Visit https://rscottwilliams.info/ to learn more about Scott Williams and visit https://discoveryparkofamerica.com to learn more about Discovery Park of America.

We are blessed to be working with Haywood Premium Beef!  Order healthy delicious local happy beef to your state today! We discuss Haywood County history as well as the story of a 5th generational farm family.Don't buy the fake stuff and support our podcast family and veteran's outreach by buying premium beef from Haywood Premium Beef!292 North Haywood StreetWaynesville, NC 28786haywoodpremiumbeef@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580777664889FAITHBUCKS.COM

We are blessed to be working with Haywood Premium Beef! Order healthy delicious local happy beef to your state today! We discuss Haywood County history as well as the story of a 5th generational farm family. Don't buy the fake stuff and support our podcast family and veteran's outreach by buying premium beef from Haywood Premium Beef!292 North Haywood Street , Waynesville, NC, United States, 28786haywoodpremiumbeef@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580777664889

Send us a textAs outdoor tourism continues to grow, how can mountain communities plan with intention—not just for visitors, but for the residents, businesses, and natural spaces that make them unique?In this episode, I sit down with Corrina Ruffieux, Executive Director of Visit Haywood, to talk about Haywood County's innovative approach to tourism. Their comprehensive 10-year destination master plan is designed not just to attract visitors, but to do so in a way that aligns with the values of the community and protects what makes the area special.We explore how Haywood County's plan is rooted in stewardship, inclusivity, and a commitment to attracting visitors who share the local values of environmental respect, community care, and responsible tourism. The plan's focus is on sustainable growth that ensures long-term benefits for residents, local businesses, and the area's exceptional natural assets.Through community-driven engagement and a clear brand identity, Haywood County is proving that it's possible to grow tourism while protecting the very things that make the place worth visiting in the first place.https://visithaywood.com/https://haywoodtda.com/Mike AndressHost, Exploration Local828-551-9065mike@explorationlocal.comPodcast WebsiteFacebookInstagram: explorationlocal

The Hanging of Dave Mason (Eps. 12-4) Dave Mason, born in 1813, was a farmer from Haywood County, North Carolina. Married to Mary Stephenson in 1835. the couple had four children. In 1850, Mary was discovered murdered in their farm cabin. Did Dave do it? Who watched the final outcome? Listen and learn the facts.

Matt Crawford speaks with journalist and author Mike Colias about his book, Inevitable: Inside the Messy, Unstoppable Transition to Electric Vehicles.  The question is no longer if electric vehicles will happen, or even when they'll happen, but how. Veteran automotive reporter Mike Colias takes you inside the transformation in this thoroughly reported profile of the hard pivot in the car business, a $2 trillion industry undergoing the biggest change in its 120-year history—a change that is already sending ripples across the entire global economy. Colias documents the inevitable shift from pistons to electrons from every angle, taking you inside the boardrooms where executives battle over their EV strategies to take on Tesla and, more recently, emerging Chinese powerhouses such as BYD. He brings you to family-run car dealerships deciding if they'll sell EVs—or sell their businesses. He follows entrepreneurs along lonely stretches of road that will soon need charging stations. He talks to power-train engineers whose skills were once the beating heart of the automotive industry but who now find themselves being replaced by coders. This is an epic exploration that stretches from Detroit to Japan to Germany to China, and from factories in Normal, Illinois, and Haywood County, Tennessee, to a burgeoning mining operation along the shores of California's briny, lithium-rich Salton Sea. Inevitable is a deeply enjoyable and smart book that uses masterful storytelling to capture the expanse and dynamism of the transition to electric vehicles in profound detail, bringing to life its seismic effects on everything and everyone.

Marc Pruett is known for his spectacular three-fingered style of banjo playing and his winning smile! He's also one of the founding members of the bluegrass band, Balsam Range. Marc sat down to share some stories, discussing his life in Haywood County and his musical career that has led to different areas of the world. 

Marc Pruett is known for his spectacular three-fingered style of banjo playing and his winning smile! He's also one of the founding members of the bluegrass band, Balsam Range. Marc sat down to share some stories, discussing his life in Haywood County and his musical career that has led to different areas of the world. 

Ross Houghton is the marketing manager for Visit Brownsville, the destination marketing organization that promotes Haywood County, Tennessee. It's the home of Billy Tripp's Mindfield, award-winning barbecue, the Hatchie River, the blues of Sleepy John Estes, and the birthplace of Tina Turner. In this episode, Houghton shares how a little boy from Bulgaria grew up in West Tennessee, then traveled to more than 25 countries as an ambassador with Up with People, an organization with the mission of preparing youth to succeed as global citizens, employees, entrepreneurs, and changemakers. He also shares how travel and tourism inspired him to take on his current role, letting people know all the amazing things to see and do in his hometown. More about Visit Brownsville. This episode is sponsored by Excel Boats.

This episode is presented by Create A Video – Spruce Pine, NC resident (and former Mecklenburg County Commissioner) Jim Puckett talks about the devastation and recovery efforts underway in his town. Plus, Cory Vaillancourt from the Smoky Mountain News gives an update from Haywood County. WBT's relief & recovery links: How to Help: Donate to Support Recovery Efforts in Western North Carolina After Tropical Storm Helene A Western NC disaster relief agency: Hearts With Hands Help Pete's team in the Walk to End Alzheimer's by going here. Subscribe to the podcast at: https://ThePeteKalinerShow.com/  All the links to Pete's Prep are free: https://patreon.com/petekalinershow  Advertising inquiries: Pete@ThePeteKalinerShow.com  Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  “Turn that garbage off…get off Facebook and get out there and put on a pair of boots and pair of gloves and get to work.” Those were the eloquent words last week of Bill Wilke — the Republican sheriff of hard hit Haywood County — in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Wilke was responding […]

Vince Everett Ellison is a political commentator, author, and documentarian focusing on the intersection of American politics, race, and religion. Born on a cotton plantation in Haywood County, Tennessee, Ellison admired how his parents lifted him and his seven siblings out of poverty through hard work and their Christian faith. In today's episode, we discuss the Democrats' most depraved policies, Trump's appeal to black voters, and Ellison's reaction to the Chicago DNC. We also explore why progressive politics thrive on arrogance, and how humility can be found in religious faith. As we navigate one of the most contentious election seasons of our lifetime, you won't want to miss Vince Everett Ellison's analysis of Democratic party politics. - - -  Today's Sponsors: Churchill Mortgage - Connect With A Home Loan Specialist you can trust today at: https://churchillmortgage.com/shapiro Disclaimer: This Is A Paid Advertisement. Home Buyer Edge And Seller Guarantee Are Available For Qualifying Borrowers And Select Loan Types Only And Not Available In All States Or Locations. NMLS ID 591; https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org Equal Housing Lender; 1749 Mallory Lane, Brentwood, Tennessee 37027 Boll & Branch - Get my exclusive offer at https://www.bollandbranch.com/ben International Fellowship of Christians and Jews - To give to IFCJ, visit https://benforthefellowship.org/

Welcome to Fantasy Football RPG! In today's livestream, we're diving deep into *5 weird NFL stats* that could change your fantasy football strategy for the 2024 season. Discover how these unusual stats can impact your player selections, draft strategy, and lineup decisions.

The killing of Sheriff Noland in Haywood County in 1862. A notable event. Historically, county sheriffs had numerous duties and responsibilities. During the Civil War in North Carolina, one such duty was to locate outliers and deserters. It was in the course of such an investigation that Sheriff John Noland tragically lost his life on a mountain pass, an incident involving a hymn and a young woman. Felonfile.com

Today's newscast includes stories about a Buncombe County education resolution, a new public park along Riverside Drive, increased NCDMV fees, Haywood County's first Pride Parade and a piece of space debris landing in Asheville.

A true mountain murder! This case inspired a local murder ballad in our county. This week we're discussing Oma Hicks Naillon Brown, a woman who grew up in an isolated area of Haywood County known as Big Bend. Oma's first husband Benjamin Naillon mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Years later, Oma's second husband and friend vanish. A Chicago detective who happened to be vacationing finally cracked the case. A double murder, clannish mountain folk, moonshine and mystery surround the Big Bend killing!Hosts Heather and Dylan PackerIntro Music by Joe Buck Yourselfwww.patreon.com/mountainmurderspodcastWe're proud to be part of the Darkcast Network!Big Bend Killing is performed by Alice Gerrard

What do you get when an MD and Professor Emeritus of Pathology and Surgery takes up the banjo? An expertly conducted survey of 32 WNC banjo players! Dr. William Allsbrook, Jr. turned his skills and attention to such a project when he noticed just how many great banjo players lived in Haywood County. His study resulted in a book, Making Music: The Banjo in a Southern Appalachian County. In this episode, we dig into some of what Allbrook's book has to offer.

What do you get when an MD and Professor Emeritus of Pathology and Surgery takes up the banjo? An expertly conducted survey of 32 WNC banjo players! Dr. William Allsbrook, Jr. turned his skills and attention to such a project when he noticed just how many great banjo players lived in Haywood County. His study resulted in a book, Making Music: The Banjo in a Southern Appalachian County. In this episode, we dig into some of what Allbrook's book has to offer.

This week on Legends & Spirits we're kicking off Season 3 with a trip to the Tar Heel State where we'll cover legends filled with enough fur, fire and phantasms, to make your Annie hoot!  We'll also be kicking off the new season of Macabre Mixology by batching up a classic winter elixir to comfort, soothe, and cure. For our Spooky Saloon, we'll be in Haywood County, NC at a brewery and speakeasy named after a local gem-hoarding cryptid. Welcome to Legends and Spirits, Season 3!This week's Spooky Saloon: Boojum Brewing Company Visit us: legendsandspiritspodcast.comInstagram: legends_and_spirits_podcastTwitter: Legends and Spirits PodcastFacebook: Legends & Spirits PodcastPatreon: patreon.com/legendsandspiritspodcast Email us: cheers@legendsandspiritspodcast.com Artwork by: zombienose.comMusic by: Burton Bumgarner, Ken Peters music@legendsandspiritspodcast.comFull credit list and references at: legendsandspiritspodcast.comTips (via PayPal) are always appreciated:  TIP JAR

On this week's episode of Bear Grease, your host, Clay Newcomb, is bringing you the saga of the American Plott Hound - a story not without drama. Plotts are a breed of big game hound specializing in bear hunting. They were originally bred deep in the mountains of Southern Appalachia, specifically Haywood County, North Carolina. The breed, which carries the family name of Plott, was kept in isolation for nearly 150 years while being refined by the frontier mountaineers of Appalachia. The Plott Hound is anything but mainstream, but in his extensive travels to meet Plott Hound men and women, Clay has met some of the finest, salt-of-the-earth people in America. This is a fascinating story of true Americana and we really doubt you're going to want to miss this one… Connect with Clay and MeatEater Clay on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Shop Bear Grease MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GUEST OVERVIEW: Vince Everett Ellison, author of Crime Inc.: How Democrats Employ Mafia and Gangster Tactics to Gain and Hold Power, was born on a cotton plantation in Haywood County, Tennessee. His parents at that time were sharecroppers. Through hard work and a belief in Jesus Christ, his parents pulled him and his seven siblings out of poverty. His family started the Ellison Family Gospel singing group, where Vince sang and played multiple instruments as a child and young adult. Vince worked for five years as a Correctional Officer at the Medium/Maximum Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia, SC. Afterward, Vince worked in the nonprofit arena.

Get ready for SEASON TWO of the Podcast! We've been recalibrating, recentering, and we're back with a helluva episode to kick off the latest round of rabblerowsing redneck comraderie.In this episode, I sit down with friends & neighbors Max and Hil to talk about the community organizing that was catalyzed in Haywood County, NC following a hate-filled attack campaign against our trans neighbors. We describe in detail how effectively and quickly community can come together to show solidarity and create the version of reality that we want to live in. Community Organizing Is For Everyone. May you take in the content of today's episode and start your own journey of holy conspiracy with the folks in your own hollers.*TRIGGER WARNING - this episode contains dialogue related to transphobia, hate and violence, and trauma*Show some love to Hil's cosplay at @sewingsenpai.You can support this podcast at www.ko-fi.com/rednecksrising.If you want to share your story on the show, get in touch with us at rednecksrising@gmail.comRESOURCES & FURTHER READING:More info on NC's HB2 legislation - https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article68401147.html#storylink=cpyMore info on the recent Town Hall/Rec Center scenario in Haywood County - https://smokymountainnews.com/news/item/36091-waynesville-unites-against-hate-and-bigotry-after-false-trans-allegations

Plott-Tober fest is a new festival set to take place in Canton in 2023. This festival celebrates North Carolina's State Dog, the Plott Hound, as well as the German heritage of Haywood County. We spoke with festival organizer Bob Plott to learn more about the Plott Hound, German influence in Haywood County, and the festival itself, which will feature plenty of WNC traditional music. 

Plott-Tober fest is a new festival set to take place in Canton in 2023. This festival celebrates North Carolina's State Dog, the Plott Hound, as well as the German heritage of Haywood County. We spoke with festival organizer Bob Plott to learn more about the Plott Hound, German influence in Haywood County, and the festival itself, which will feature plenty of WNC traditional music. 

Episode Notes My guests include SunAh Laybourn. Author, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Memphis, the host of “Let's Grab Coffee on WYXR and the person who singlehandedly put a spotlight on the Asian American impact in our city. How? By creating the first formal celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Memphis last month. She tells me why it was so important and how she pulled it off. The Ford plant in the town of Stanton in Haywood County called BlueOval City is the largest manufacturer in TN history. Thomas Burrell is the President of the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, Inc. Their job is to make sure that Black farmers and landowners get fair and equitable financial representation and the real possibility of generational wealth and partnership. He tells me what they hope to achieve. Lastly, this is Black Music Month and the history of Memphis is at the forefront. Memphis Music Initiative Executive Director Amber Hamilton joins me to celebrate their mission and to share a very special partnership that adds a flavorful note with a catchy theme. ‘Break me off a piece of that”.. So join me both on air and online Monday 6-7pm, WYXR 91.7 FM, the WYXR app, Tunein, Facebook Live, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. It's time to talk!

Haywood County, Tennessee Sheriff Billy Garrett shares his knowledge and experience gained from a lengthy career with the Memphis Police Department and as the Haywood County Sheriff.Enjoy this entertaining and enlightening interview!

Our guest today is Undrae Johnson who is currently serving as President of the Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association (TRPA).  Undrae is the current Parks and Recreation Director for the consolidated Brownsville/Haywood County Parks and Recreation Department.  He has served in that role since May 2018. Haywood County is presently the focal point of one … Continue reading "Interview With Undrae Johnson, TRPA President, Parks and Recreation Director Brownsville/ Haywood County Tennessee (Episode 99)" The post Interview With Undrae Johnson, TRPA President, Parks and Recreation Director Brownsville/ Haywood County Tennessee (Episode 99) appeared first on Mark Fraley Podcast.

Canopy Housing Foundation recognizes and celebrates Fair Housing month every April, with the Realtors® Care Day event! From the mountains of Haywood County, to the Charlotte region, Realtors® come together to volunteer and help homeowners in need with external home repairs.  Inside the Canopy Files, follows guest host, Kim McMillan, Canopy's Vice President of Marketing & Communications, as she goes behind the scenes of the 2023 Realtors® Care Day project.

About this Episode:In this podcast episode, I interview Jennifer Cole, a successful chef who has won the competition show “Chopped” and has been cooking professionally for over 25 years. We discuss her career path, including working in Atlanta, New Orleans, Paris, and Spain before returning to her family farm in Haywood County. Cole emphasizes her interest in working with local farmers and using locally sourced ingredients in her cooking. The conversation also touches on topics such as the importance of creativity and understanding recipe rules as a chef, favorite ingredients like olive oil and heirloom beans, and the growing trend of farm weddings.Connect with Jennifer Cole:FacebookInstagramConnect with our host Joseph Franklyn McElroy:LinkedInBusiness Facebook PageWebsiteCheck out our Social Media:FacebookInstagramYoutubeTranscript:00:00: 27–00:01: 01 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Hello. This is Joseph Franklyn McElroy here with the Gateway to the Smokies podcast. I have with me today my guest Jennifer Cole, who is a native of western North Carolina. And her family has actually been in Haywood County for generations. And she's had a successful career as a chef for over 20 years, including winning chopped on in season 8. Hello, Jennifer, how are you doing? 00:01:01–00:01: 02 Jennifer Cole:  Good, how are you? 00:01:02–00:01: 03 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Yeah, cool. 00:01:04–00:01: 05 Jennifer Cole: Good to be here. 00:01:05–00:01: 11 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: How was that how was that? Was that exciting to win the season? Was it a difficult challenge? 00:01:11–00:01: 20 Jennifer Cole: Well, you know, it was a lot of fun. I think a lot of people didn't really expect an old gal to be able to win it. 00:01:20–00:01: 21 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Yeah. 00:01:21–00:01: 23 Jennifer Cole: Yeah, So it was a lot of fun. 00:01:24–00:01: 25 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: And what did you cook?00:01:25–00:01: 28 Jennifer Cole: Oh, God, it was a lot of stuff. Three different courses.00:01:29–00:01: 31 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:   Really? They give you the ingredients, say, make it.00:01:31–00:01: 40 Jennifer Cole: In a basket. It's actually one of the few TV shows. It's real. They actually give you a basket, and you don't know until you open it.  00:01:41–00:01: 44 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Really? Wow. And then you have to figure out so can create and be able to fly. So creativity is very big.00:01:44–00:01: 45 Jennifer Cole: Very important.00:01:47–00:02: 13 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Well, when you reach out to us after moving here, I sort of gave you the challenge in a spot to come up with a guest chef menu here at the Homecraft at the Meadowlark Motel. And you did a really fantastic job. We had a lot of people show up. What were the three dishes were a moose. 00:02:13–00:02: 40 Jennifer Cole: I did a Mexican chocolate mousse is the dessert. For the appetizer, I did roasted beefs with field greens that I picked on my farm. That was with local trap that I cured overnight. And then for the entree, I did a red one braised local beef cheeks with goat cheese Ballinta. I mean, goat cheese risotto. 00:02:41–00:02: 53 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Wow. Yeah. That was really fantastic. That was good. Well, you said you've been cooking as a professional for 30 years. For 20. What was your first cooking job? 00:02:53–00:03: 18 Jennifer Cole:  Well, I put myself through college waiting tables and cooking. I was waiting tables, and they were short of line cooks, and they're like they asked for a volunteer among the wait staff. And so I was like, I'll go home. So started doing that. Also worked for a catering company in Chapel Hill. The Chapel Hill Catering Company, which still exists. And that's how I got started. 00:03:18–00:03: 27 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Yeah. And then did you experiment with other careers for a little while or anything, or did you just go straight into cooking as a career?00:03:28–00:03: 45 Jennifer Cole:  Well, studying political science at Chapel Hill to go into law, and then decided the decided, there's a lot of lawyers out there. I want to do this. I like the instant gratification of seeing people's face light up when you let them try something new. 00:03:45–00:03: 46 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Right. Yeah. 00:03:46–00:03: 57 Jennifer Cole:  So went to Atlanta and did an 18 month apprenticeship with a very well known at the time chef in Atlanta and started there. 00:03:57–00:04: 12 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:   Cool. And what do you think is more important in being a chef? Is it understanding the science and the rules of recipes or creativity?00:04:12–00:04: 20 Jennifer Cole:  Well, science and rules usually go more toward pastry or baking. You have to understand the rules so you can bend them. 00:04:20–00:04:21 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:   Right. 00:04:21–00:04: 26 Jennifer Cole:  And you have to be able to be creative to bend them. So a little bit of both. 00:04:26–00:04:45 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Cool. All right. I took one class, I think, in New York City. Was it Culinary Institute? And I think there was a question at one point said, what's your favorite ingredient? What's the best ingredient? Baking or butter? 00:04:47–00:04: 48 Jennifer Cole:  Well, I think olive oil. 00:04:48–00:04:52 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Olive oil, okay. There you go. Good. Olive oil.00:04:52–00:05:02 Jennifer Cole: I mean, I was in Spain for twelve years and that was beaten into my head. Butter is France, olive oil is Spain and southern Italy. 00:05:02- -00:05:05 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Okay. And it's better for you. 00:05:05–00:05:07 Jennifer Cole: Yeah, I mean, butter's a lot of fun. 00:05:07- -00:05:17 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Yeah, butters is a lot of fun. Yeah. Especially on biscuits. So you've lived in, you were here, you were in Atlanta, right? 00:05:18–00:05:40 Jennifer Cole:  I cooked in Atlanta for five years, and then I moved to New Orleans for a couple of years, and then I moved to Spain for twelve. I was in Paris for two, and then moved to New York when the economy tanked in 2008. And then moved back to New Orleans in 2015 and have just moved home to my family farm. 00:05:40- -00:05:44 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: That's fabulous. Of all those places, where did you have the most fun cooking? 00:05:44–00:05:49 Jennifer Cole:  I have fun cooking wherever I go. I mean, you got to have fun. 00:05:50 -00:05:56 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Yeah. Well, it sounds like Madrid was the biggest experience, so that must have been very formative. 00:05:57–00:06:07 Jennifer Cole: Spain was very formative, and Spanish cuisine is amazing and diverse and regional. And you can find something new every day. But you can do that up here too. 00:06:08 -00:06:15 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Of course. Both New Orleans and New York City are food towns. Right. 00:06:15–00:06:19 Jennifer Cole:  Frankly, in my opinion, new Orleans beats New York. 00:06:19 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Really? 00:06:19–00:06:27 Jennifer Cole: Yeah. You got four full growing seasons. You got fresh produce all the time. 00:06:28 -00:06:30 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: That's good. You got great seafood, 00:06:30 -00:06:41 Jennifer Cole:  you got great seafood, you got great charcutory, you've got great local farms, which is very near and dear to my heart. So, all that.00:06:42 -00:06:49 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Well, we're filming here at the Meadowlark so we'll get a little bit of background noise. I hope everybody doesn't mind. Hope you don't mind. 00:06:50 Jennifer Cole: I don't mind. 00:06:50 -00:06:54 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  So what inspires you to move back to Haywood County? 00:06:55 -00:07:16 Jennifer Cole:  Well, my family is from here. I own a farm with my two brothers, and we're not doing anything with it, so I wanted to move home. And while I am working as a chef, I also want to do some stuff on my farm. We got a lot of lands to play with. 00:07:17 -00:07:18 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Yeah. How many acres you got there?00:07:18 Jennifer Cole: 90,00:07:18 -00:07:24 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:   90 acres. Wow, that's a nice big farm. Was it farmed in the past? 00:07:25 -00:08:00 Jennifer Cole: When I was a kid, it was a tobacco farm. My grandfather always had cattle on it. We had pigs when I was a very small kid. And then when my dad took it over, turned it in more into a gentleman's farm and grew gardens and had goats and had a couple of Sicilian donkeys and turkeys and guineafall. And right now we are just playing with it, renting it out to a couple of different local farmers. 00:08:00 -00:08:34 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:    All right, so that's great, right? Yeah. There's a number of farms, I guess you would call them becoming gentleman farms at Haywood County. There's actually one that's out over in Crab Tree that is a bison farm. But they've also put in train cars as like, cabins that you can rent and they have a whole train thing. Is that something you'd be looking to do? Is that make yours into the destination as well? 00:08:35 -00:08:36 Jennifer Cole:  No, definitely not. 00:08:36 -00:08:38 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Purely just a farm. Farm, farm. That's cool. 00:08:39 -00:08:55 Jennifer Cole: Although we do have somebody that's coming tomorrow to take pictures with, I think, like a bridal party on the farm. She has an agreement with my brother that as long as she gives us a heads up, she's welcome to do that also.00:08:58 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:Farm weddings? 00:08:59 Jennifer Cole: Yeah. 00:09:00 -00:09:01 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  You got some pictures? I guess. 00:09:01 -00:09:10 Jennifer Cole: I just want to know if they're on the property so I don't call the police. 00:09:10 -00:09:15 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  You mentioned pig farms. I don't remember a lot of those around here growing up. 00:09:15 -00:09:28 Jennifer Cole: It's usually for self-use. I mean, we would have pigs for us a year. Okay, I'm not talking a huge pig farm. 00:09:30 -00:09:46 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Well, it was strange. I was walking around with my kids in Asheville, in North Asheville, not too far from downtown. All of a sudden we passed around the corner and they were in the backyard. There was somebody that had a huge hog right in the backyard in Ashville. I was like, how are they doing that? They smell pretty bad, don't they? 00:09:46 -00:09:49 Jennifer Cole:  Actually, they don't. They don't smell as bad as chickens do. 00:09:49 -00:10:03 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Really? Chickens are pretty tasty smelling. I mean, how tasty is it? Like only when they don't smell too good. When they're not cooked organic odor. Cool. 00:10:03 -00:10:10 Jennifer Cole:  But in New Orleans, you have feral chickens running around all over. Yeah, it's very interesting. 00:10:10 -00:10:15 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  So you mentioned how you really want to work with local farmers. What's your vision there? 00:10:15 -00:10:45 Jennifer Cole:  Well, I'm as a chef, and I love working with local produce. I'm an avid forager and still a beginner, but still very interested in that. I can't wait until the farmers market in Waynesville opens in April. Looking forward to doing business with them personally and hopefully as a chef. 00:10:45 -00:11:03 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Cool. There's a couple of people that have been on this podcast before. I'll introduce you to Ila Hatter, who's a well-renowned forager right? And you might find some interesting. And then there's Will Ritter, who is up in Madison County is doing heritage seeds. 00:11:03 -Jennifer Cole:  Oh, interesting.00:11:04 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Right? 00:11:06 -00:11:12 Jennifer Cole:  We have a couple of heirloom seeds that have been we had some beans that have been in my family for at least four or five generations. 00:11:12 -00:11:25 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Right. Wow, cool. He'd probably lived to collect those and having the opportunity to share with you. Yeah, I love bold beans. The big long ones like that. Yeah. All right.00:11:26-00:11:27 Jennifer Cole: You grow them in your cornfield? 00:11:27 -00:11:48 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Yeah, that's what I'm planning to have a little bit of corn and beans this year. Maybe you'll give me some of your beans. We'll see you here. Now, you're looking for besides building your farm, you're also looking to work with various restaurants or whatever that might want. 00:11:50- 00:11:58 Jennifer Cole: Some good for a good fit. Not only teach a good staff, and build a good staff, but learn from people. 00:11: -00:11:48 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  That's interesting. I mean, the reason we exist is to focus a little bit on the heritage of mountain culture foods. Mostly smokeys, but also other mountain cultures. And that seems to be your interest now. 00:11:50- 00:12:38 Jennifer Cole: Absolutely. I mean, I've been very lucky dealing with I mean, outside of Madrid, right behind Madrid, you have a huge mountain range, and there's a lot of classic dishes that are from up there that I had the pleasure learning from people not only as a chef but through friends and their mothers and their grandmothers. 00:12:38 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  And you were in Mexico, too? 00:12:38- 00:12:46 Jennifer Cole: I've been to Mexico, but oahuka, I haven't been to Wahaka yet. I'm supposed to go to Wahaka this summer. 00:12:46 -00:12:48 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  All right, cool. Because those are mountain cultures. 00:12:48- 00:12:49 Jennifer Cole: Yeah, for sure. 00:12:49 -00:12:59 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  We were talking about the Mexican foods that you were doing. Cool. Well, how can people find out more about you? 00:12:59- 00:13:03 Jennifer Cole : They can go on my Facebook or they can go on my Instagram. 00:13:03 -00:13:04 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  And what's your Facebook? 00:13:04- 00:13:17 Jennifer Cole : My Facebook is Jennifer Louise Cole. And my Instagram is what is my Instagram? I think it's Chef Jennifer Cole. 00:13:18– 00:13:23 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Okay, cool. Was there anything else you would like to mention about shout out about things. 00:13:23- 00:13:30 Jennifer Cole: Meadowlark. You all should come in and go out and good music. I'm definitely coming tomorrow night. 00:13:30– 00:13:52 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Oh, yeah. We got some Ananna Kay who's going to be doing some up-and-coming big-time artist in Nashville. And then we got your menu again tomorrow night with the beef cheeks and the mousse and the salad, and that's going to be great. It's been a good week, and people love the food. A lot of got great reviews. Good shoutouts from that. 00:13:52- 00:13:58 Jennifer Cole: We had a bunch of people in from Waynesville on Tuesday night and all loved everything, which is a lot of fun. 00:13:58– 00:14:08 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  It's a big table. Well, thank you for being on the podcast. All right. And we look forward to working with you some more. 00:14:08- 00:14:09 Jennifer Cole: Thank you. 00:14:10– 00:14:11 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  All right, bye, everybody. Bye. 00:14:11 00:14:12 Jennifer Cole: Bye y'all

To see the video of the progress, check out our YouTube page.   On September 27th, 2021 Ford officially announced BlueOval City to the world...a 5.6 Billion Dollar MegaCampus that will sit on 3,600 acres and will create around 6,000 jobs. The MegaCampus will also house a battery manufacturing facility, thanks to Ford's joint venture with SK On, a South Korean company. Ford envisions the site to be a sustainable automotive manufacturing ecosystem.   The site is located in Haywood County, Tn, near the town of Stanton, about 50 miles east of Memphis. Ford broke ground at the site in September of 2022 and plans to start vehicle production in the first quarter of 2025.   So just five months after Ford broke ground at BlueOval City, I decided to check out the progress.   In another example of the progress happening at BlueOval City, Ford recently announced the road names in and out of the site.   The first road is named American Way, which is a hat-tip to the address of Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan located at 1 American Road.   Next on the list is Battery Park Drive, which is indicative of Ford's partnership with SK On   Then we have BlueOval City Drive. The name speaks for itself.   Fairlane Street is a nod to Fair Lane, the estate of the Fords in Dearborn as well as the namesake of a popular Ford vehicle that was in production from 1955 to 1970.   Piquette Drive is named for the Piquette Plant that produced the first Model T. It was built in 1904 and now serves as a museum.   And lastly, there is Willow Run Street named after Ford's Willow Run Bomber Plant that produced B-24 Liberators during World War II.   Hat Tip: The Commercial Appeal-Memphis   Want to add strategic pricing to your marketing tool box? Go to InteliChek  or call 877-827-7273 and ask about our InteliShare Series!   InteliShare contains all of our promotional tools that you can use to promote your favorable prices, including our InteliAds, the printable flyers that you can show off in easel displays, InteliMedia, for your Digital Media Boards AND InteliWidgets, so you can show off price comparisons on your website and even let your customers schedule from the widget.     InteliChek   BlueOval City Progress Update-Super Bowl Sunday

Our special guest in this episode is Darren Nicholson.Darren Nicholson ended his relationship with Balsam Range and has launched out in new directions with his music.Darren shares all about his new music, what he's been up to, and how the major life-changing events in his life have shaped him into who he is today.------------------------------------------------------------------------------Transcript:00:00: 27--00:00: 55 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Hi, this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy with the Gateway to the Smokies podcast, talking about the people and culture of the Smoky Mountains where my family has been around for a couple of hundred years. And I own a business here called the Meadowlark Motel as well as a restaurant called Homecraft. And I'm pretty proud to be back in the area and meeting and greeting, and talking to some wonderful people, like my guest today, Darren Nicholson. How are you doing, Darren? 00:00: 56--00:00: 58 Darren Nicholson:  Doing great, Joseph. Thank you so much for having me on. 00:00: 58--00:01: 12 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Sure. Last time I had you on the previous podcast series and I did a whole intro. But why don't you do three sentences of what you think is your highlights of your bio? 00:01:14--00:01:20 Darren Nicholson:  I'm the world's foremost turkey hypnotist. 00:01: 20--00:01:21  Joseph Franklyn McElroy: There you go. 00:01:21--00:01:31 Darren Nicholson: I wear frilly leg warmers, and I have quite an impressive Beanie Baby collection. 00:01: 31--00:01:49  Joseph Franklyn McElroy: There you go. Let me tell you, I have to look at you quite a bit because you gave me a shirt with I think it was a picture of your album of you with a rose in your teeth doing a deep sort of lunge in your underwear, right? 00:01:50 --00:01:53 Darren Nicholson: Yes. It's a provocative pose for an early morning. 00:01: 53--00:02:14  Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  The problem is you put that on a T-shirt that's soft that my wife grabbed it and she wears it to bed about once a week. So I got to look at your face in a bone about once a week. 00:02:14 --00:02:58 Darren Nicholson: It's actually the evening before pill. It's not the morning-after pill. It's the evening before you put that on and make sure nothing happens in the bedroom. That was actually a graphic. A guy in Kentucky did that graphic. His name is Jonathan Carroll. He's a great graphic artist. He was nominated for an IBMA award this year for his graphic art. But he took me and it was the if you remember, the Seinfeld episode with George Costanza on the couch that pose in his underwear. It was basically kind of a spoof on that version of this. I still have a few of those left, believe it or not. I did not sell all of those. 00:02: 58--00:03:47  Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Well, for the folks out there who might not know, which I doubt, I think everybody's going to know. But Darren is one of the foremost musicians in American and bluegrass today, and he has a solo career, and he also has been a member of several bands. Most recently, he left Balsam Range, which is one of the top bluegrass bands in the world right now. I'm assuming that you were looking to pursue new opportunities and new opera things. So what is new with your career in that regard? And I guess you have a new bluegrass booze, right? 00:03:47 --00:06:26 Darren Nicholson: Yeah, got a brand new bluegrass record that I finished last year, actually. But the first single just came out on January 29. It's called Arkansas without you. And it's a host of hot young pickers and I'm really excited about the new bluegrass project. And so far the thing, it's got raised reviews. It's been a long time since Balsam Range. I've been in the studio, and my departure from Balsam Range is definitely not an end for me. It's a new beginning. I did 15 years. I was an original member, and I'm very grateful for those 15 years, but definitely got to a place professionally and personally where I wanted to do something different. Balsam Range, a lot of people don't realize, has always been well, not always, but for the last at least ten years has been a part-time band and so with every year, the dates have seemed to be doing less and less. And I think that's by choice. I think that's what they want to do. But they only did 30 dates last year. That was what was on the calendar, around 30 dates. And I did about 250 dates on my own, so I couldn't by the time it was the smoke cleared, I did about 290 performance dates last year. And so it got to it just got to a place in my career where instead of doing a couple of part-time things, the opportunity presented itself for me to play music full-time and focus on my full-time solo career. And to be honest with you, it was a no-brainer. I had to do it for my business, and then I had to do it for my mental health, too. It's hard juggling a schedule and setting a calendar because people would try to book me for the fall of next year. And I was constantly in limbo with their schedule and what they may or may not do. It was a difference in direction of my career. And it's nothing personal, it's nothing against them. They're going to continue doing what they do, and I wish them well. But I've got a singular focus. I'm a lot happier and it's a lot less stressful trying to juggle a bunch of things, so I'm in a much better place. 00:06: 26--00:07:07  Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  I remember last time we talked, I listened to quite a bit of your solo stuff, right?  There were some of the American, almost country music things that I really liked a lot. And you had a little bit of sort of bluesy parts to it and some real almost southern rock rifts and things like that. I thought, wow, you should be out there doing a lot on your own, which of course you were, but I think you keep rising higher, just mean yourself, right? 00:07:10 --00:09:58 Darren Nicholson:  That's it.  Well, that seems to be knock-on-wood, the direction things are going. And part of it is if you're always comfortable, that means you're not growing. And so I don't want to get into a place with my music where I'm doing the same sets all the time, or I'm just doing the same thing. I wanted to get outside the box, and get outside of my comfort zone. I'm writing songs. So the record you're talking about is called the man on a Mission. And that album, I had another guy produce it, Jeff Collins. And I had a whole cast of musicians that I don't normally use, and it forced me in a different direction. And that's what I wanted.  I wanted something new and organic to get me out of my comfort zone and push my own creativity and my own growth, to push my boundaries a little bit. And it was a great experience. And so with this new bluegrass record, I did the same thing, but in a different direction. I've produced several records on my own, and so I know what that sounds like. So I got a young guy, a guy I play a lot of music with named Colby Laney. He's from Marion, North Carolina, and he's probably the best acoustic guitar player on the planet. Or if he's not, he's one of the leading three. He's incredible. But I had him coproduce it with me and he brought this new energy and new life to my bluegrass recordings, and that's what I wanted. I picked all musicians I'm only 39, but all musicians who were younger than me and who were all more progressive players.  I did. And it just put me I'm still doing what I do. I play like I play, I sing like I sing. But with this other cast, with different musicians, it's going to have a different sound, and I want to keep doing that. There are musicians that I look up to, like Marty Stewart and Darryl Scott who marty Stewart will do a black gospel record, then he'll do a rock record, then he'll do a country record. But it's always good. But it's got a different feel. And in the last record he did, he had Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. He had him produce it. And I like the even for seasoned musicians who have a style and an idea of music, it's good to get out of your comfort zone. And so that's what I do. 00:9: 59--00:10:47  Joseph Franklyn McElroy:   I agree. One of the things that surprised me in talking to you is that you really have an artistic mind. Right. There are a lot of artists that are really focused on the craft, and you are great at your craft. There's nothing to short you there. But you also get into the whole conceptual, artistic thinking as well, about the concept of what you're doing, the concept of what you're playing, like partnering with the younger players, I think it makes your work have a depth that is unique a lot of times. So I'm pretty excited about what you're doing. How do you think it'll change your live performances? 00:10:48 --00:013:37 Darren Nicholson:   It already has. Playing with Colby and just the last few years, it's reinvigorated my interest in music. And so for years and years, I would do shows and I would just show up and play, and I would go home or go do whatever. But during the pandemic, when I had some personal changes and some lifestyle changes, I've almost had this rebirth and this fire reignited in me for music. And so I find myself every day writing songs or getting my instruments out of the case and practicing at home. Plus, I play shows five or six days a week somewhere. I'm doing a lot of traveling, a lot of playing, but I'm really inspired to get better and being with young musicians with different ideas and new ideas to kind of get me out of my thing, I think it's important.  I love that saying, if you do what you've always done, you'll have what you've always had. And so I want to get out of my comfort zone a little bit. I want to grow my business. I want to grow my music. And the biggest thing for me is not about when I say grow my music, I don't necessarily mean I want my name in the Marquee Lights, playing in front of 10,000 people or playing arenas. I want to do more shows, and I don't care if the shows are for less people. I like the intimate listening rooms, and I like smaller crowds. I've been doing a lot of solo and due at shows, and a lot of this came out of the pandemic where I was doing house concerts and these smaller things, and it just clicked with me.  I'm like, man, this is how this music was intended. When I look at your background, what I see is I see people in these mountains, on their porches and in their living rooms playing music. That's how I grew up. And then when we started doing that during the pandemic, there's a connection that happens with the music that does not happen at a big theater show or a big arena. There's a connection that happens when you can almost reach out and touch the artist with the music that's so organic. And I'm like, that is what I want to grow into. I want to be the guy who takes music everywhere.  I want to share the joy and share music and share culture, and I want to be an ambassador for Western North Carolina music and for the culture that I love and make people happy in the process. 00:13: 38--00:14:09  Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  That's pretty fantastic. You mentioned songwriting. I saw on your Facebook the other day you had just written a song with Charles Humphrey III, who's also been on this show and is a friend of the gateway that smoked his podcast, and you sang it. It was really nice. So you're doing a lot of songwriting, and you talk about it quite a bit, but did you start playing first or songwriting first, and what inspired your interest in spotting songwriting? 00:14:10 --00:014:18   Darren Nicholson:  Well, are you talking about, would I get interested in just performing music first or songwriting? 00:14: 18--00:14:58  Joseph Franklyn McElroy:   Well, it's interesting the question is, I think some people in my craft, which is doing painting and things like that, some people become just interested, really drawing well, or really painting a rose and doing it really well, or other people have a purpose that they're doing it for. They want to communicate something, they want to say something and have meaning behind the craft. So what is your approach? 00:14:59 --00:017:15   Darren Nicholson:  Well, that is my approach to songwriting is I love songs that tell stories and songs that have a deeper meaning. I don't like songs that paint pictures. Like my grandpa's cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountain hills. We played there when I was a kid, like nostalgia songs and things like that. To me, anybody can write those. But when you start getting into deeper meaning, like talking about love or hope or inspiration or a message in a song or telling a story, basically turning a three and a half minute musical piece, it's basically like a three and a half minute sitcom. I think those kind of songs connect on a deeper level, and that's usually what I'm going for. We don't always do it. Sometimes we write silly songs, sometimes you're not going to change the world with every song. But those are the songs that I like, and that's what I'm trying to do with my songwriting, is write something that's meaningful to somebody. But for the song we wrote the other day, I put a really rough video out on Facebook, and it was not the greatest singing or playing, it was just really rough and raw. And to do that, it takes vulnerability. There are some artists who really hide behind going into the recording studio, you know what I mean? Once Pro Tools and everything's run through, they sound like a million bucks. But you don't ever see them sing live. You don't ever see them. You get on there with just them and their instrument and perform. And I think there's a vulnerability about that. If you can translate it well enough to convey the emotion.  I think people are connected to the wrongness of that on a certain level. And I be dang. I put that video out and I got a call from a national touring act. That's one of the biggest acts in bluegrass. And before the day was out, they're going in next week and recording that song. 00:17: 16--00:17:18  Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Oh, my gosh, 00:17:18 --00:017:20   Darren Nicholson:  We wrote that song two days ago. 00:17: 20--00:17:22  Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  That's fabulous. That's the way to do it. 00:17:24 --00:017:38  Darren Nicholson: They said, do you have a work tape of it? And I said, well, we just wrote it like 30 minutes ago, and I had a rough work tape of it on my phone. I sent it, that and the lyrics, and they called me right back and said, we're going to cut it next week. 00:17: 38--00:18:38 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Wow, fabulous. There you go. My conversations with you. We're planning a performance, and this is my little pitch for the Meadowlark I'm weaving it in here, but the Meadowlark Motel has a speakeasy called the Skylark SpeakEasy. And we've been talking to you about it. We've been doing some great musical acts there and talking to you. You really had the idea of saying, I'll do some set of music, but then I want to have conversations with the audience and then I may even jam with some people that might show up. It seems to be that this sense of community and intimacy is central to what you do and why you left Balsam Range and why you're performing and you said small clubs and things like that.  I think one of the essences of what you're trying to be is a community and having intimacy with your community. 00:18:38 --00:020:42  Darren Nicholson:  It's an organic approach, but I think that's how you build long-term fans. And when I was talking about that vulnerability, like in that video, when you connect with people on a personal level, people would see me with Balsam range, and they only saw probably really about 5% of what I can do. If you want to get to know me and my personality and my ability, my talent, you would come to see me at a solo show or one of my other performances. And that's not for everybody. Some people don't like my music or my personality, and that's fine. They don't have to come. But for the people who do and come see me in that capacity, that's the way to build relationships. And I'm not really interested in making fans. I want to make friends and I want to perpetuate the kind of culture that I was brought up in. That very much is a sense of community. The technological world has created a place where people are missing a sense of belonging, and that's why they join these little groups, and that's why there's a division in politics and there's a division in social issues. Because anytime people are so disconnected in a way, it's way that they can feel a part of any kind of group, it's almost like, this is my family online, this is my tribe. And so I want to kind of do that with music. I want to make a place where people can come together with music.  And you don't have to worry about politics, you don't have to worry about social issues, you don't have to worry about enjoying music and just having fun. A night of entertainment. 00:20: 42--00:22:20 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:   I grew up in the smoking mountains here, and I get it really well. Recently, my family first got the Meadowlark Motel, my grandmother, first of my parents, and they hired maid who was with us for a long time, and us kids would actually work with her and clean and became good friends. She actually sort of babysitters and things like that. And then her sister was much younger than her, came and did some things here. Well, recently her sister showed back up here to come to the restaurant, and she saw pictures on the wall community. She came to talk to me, and her sister had died.  And the fact that we're celebrating the culture that was here and is still here, she started crying, and she started talking and being part of it, and other people communicate, but even with the people that you worked with, there was a sense of community and intimacy and understanding that existed here. And I really appreciate that. You are perpetuating. I can remember the old timers would get together in a basement and have a little party, right, and bring out their instruments and sing, and then people would start clogging and dancing. That sort of is a way of life and a way of being that you felt connected. And I understand what you're talking about. Right. Do you think the way you design this program that you're going to do with Meadowlark is stemming from directly from that culture? I think it does. 00:22:21 --00:023:45  Darren Nicholson:   It does. Yeah. And that's what I want people to get to know me especially. There are fans of Balsam Range who are like, why in the world would you leave why would you leave that band when they seem to be doing all these things? And it's like, well, this is a good opportunity. If people have questions about my career, like what I want to do, why I want to play music, why I want to do more shows, or why I want to do the things that I want to do, I can explain it to them, and then they don't have to keep guessing. I don't expect questions about Balsam Range, but they can ask me questions about my childhood, how I got into music, the music business, instruments, whatever.  I think when you have an evening like that with people, it's different than just buying a ticket, sitting in a seat, watching somebody play for an hour, and then going home and be like, hey, that was good. There's a connectivity that I think goes along with the music that is just as important. 00:23: 46--00:24:17 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:   Well, we've been having some weekly jams here on Sundays, five to seven people listening, and I'm hoping some of them old-time players we had this last Sunday old time, like 70 something, 75 something people show up and just started clogging, and they're, you know, singing and playing. I hope some of them come and take you up on the offer to jam with them at the end. That would be a major, I think, cultural moment. 00:24: 18 --00:024:45  Darren Nicholson:  So that's what it's all about. And I remember, like, players that I looked up to and players that I wanted to play. I remember when people like Steve Sutton or Mark Pruitt or Arvill Freeman were like, hey, man, get your manly. And Ralph Lewis would always take his Manlyn off and hand it to me, and that was a big deal. He's like, get up and play one with the band that meant so much to me, to a young budding musician. And it's like, man, that was a self-esteem builder. That was a motivator. And I also remember the musicians that were kind of like, who made me feel less than, too, you know what I mean? Who made me feel like, hey, you're not good enough to play with me or don't talk to me. And I do not want to perpetuate and I don't want to come across with that kind of attitude because I have zero tolerance for that. And I'm sure I've probably people the wrong way if I've been in a bad mood after a show or something. I've not lived my life perfectly, but I've never intentionally ever wanted to make someone feel bad or not make someone feel welcome. People remember how you make them feel. I love that. I love that about my musical heroes, Steve and Ralph. Those are the kind of things that I don't want to die. These old times. 00:25: 46--00:26:18 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: That's right. The reason I'm here, too, is because I don't want that culture to die. I'm trying to do my part also, my little tiny part, to try to perpetuate and progress it. It doesn't have to be these mummified things. It can be a thing that grows right. And I'm glad that you are helping grow that now. I was trying to keep this to about 30 minutes, so we're about at that time, what do you want to tell people? Shout out to people to find out more or look you up or what do you want to tell them? 00:26: 18 --00:027:29  Darren Nicholson:  Well, a couple of things going on. I've been working really hard on doing a benefit. It's going to do a lot to help the community. The Steve Sutton Fest is going to happen June 3rd at Silverado in Black Mountain, and proceeds are going to go to Haywood County schools, Buckham county schools, and the IBMA trust fund. That's going to be on June 3 at Silverado with Perpetual Groove being the headliner. But then also I have a brand new single out. It's called Arkansas without you. You can stream it anywhere. Spotify pandora apple Music Arkansas Without You I've got a brand new bluegrass record out with songs that I've written. And if you go to my website dear Nicholson Net, I've got about 120 dates on the books for next year and going to be going all across the country and probably we're going to do over 200 when the smoke clears the road dates, and going to be traveling out further, doing a tour out west. Going to Canada. It's a really exciting time, so I encourage people to come out and see some live music. 00:27: 30--00:29:00 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Well, thank you very much for being on the show. I might mention that Darren also plays a lot here in the Smoky, especially in Hayward County. So if you can't find a place in the country, just come here and visit and stay at the Meadowlark Motel he might be here or he'll be some other great place here in town. There are a lot of wonderful music venues and things in Hayward County that are worthwhile and have a lot of authenticity. Right. Haywood County has not become a dramatically corporate tourist county. It's still pretty authentic in terms of the way of life and how people live here and how people enjoy music. So come on down to hear them out, either on the road or here. I'll just shout out if you can find out more about the Meadowlark Motel@ meadowlarkmotel.com and if you go slash homecraft, you'll find out about a restaurant, which is almost it's a mountain heritage food with a twist. My wife is from Trinidad, and we do a lot of Caribbean Trinidad spices and things like tomato gravy or cream corn. We just twisted a little bit. But you still taste the authenticity of these mountains in there. People are just raving about it. And we're getting great reviews online and some newspapers are great. And when you come here, you're going to get some Darren. All right. I hope I'll get a testimonial out of that. 00:29:00 --00:029:01  Darren Nicholson: I like your haircut.00:29: 02--00:29:57 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  It's the perfect haircut. The Gateway to Smokies podcast exists on Smokiesadventure.com. It has its own Facebook page, but all the episodes, the previous ones had a couple of different series, longer episodes, but these are going to be shorter but more fun episodes. And you can go there and find more about everything in the Smokies because it's also a great site for directories of things like places to stay, lodging all over the Smokies, not just Haywood County, and what to do, and attractions and things like that. So thank you all for listening. This has been the gateway to the Smokies podcast. You can go to Facebook.com, Gatewaytothesmokiespodcast, or you can go to Smokiesadventure.com to find out more about this. And I'll see you all next week. 00:29:59 --00:030:00 Hey, thanks for having me. Bye. 

A search is underway for Britney Watson, a missing mother of two from Tennessee. Her ex-husband Kevin Watson is also missing and is a suspect in her disappearance. The 34-year-old mother of two was last seen on January 7 at a motel along Interstate 40 in Jackson, Tennessee, she was reported missing by the Haywood County Sheriff's Office  on Sunday. Sheriff Billy Garrett Jr. announced later on Sunday that they had found Kevin's car abandoned near Big Eddy Lake, north of Brownsville, and were "checking the local area around it." Authorities became concerned over Kevin Watson's mental state after talking to a witness and finding a note in Watson's truck – he is considered a person of interest and may be armed and suicidal. "It's a tragic situation here, a domestic situation. We need to keep in mind that there are two small children in this situation and pray for them and their family," Garrett said. The pair went through a divorce around four years ago and attempted to reconcile but ran into "domestic troubles," the sheriff claimed. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Britney's mother with travel expenses to Memphis states that her daughter was “allegedly killed” by her husband. Why Britney checked into a Jackson, Mississippi, motel on January 7 is a mystery. The sheriff's office sent cadaver dogs to her home on Hillville Loop in Haywood County on Sunday. The dogs did not pick up anything.     If you like TRUE CRIME TODAY - and want AD FREE episodes, Be sure to sub to our premium channel on APPLE PODCASTS! http://shorturl.at/uLTWX  Get access to: -Ad Free EXCLUSIVE BONUS Series from True Crime Today. -Advance Episodes -Ad Free Episodes

This week we are taking a trip back in time to a historic case from Haywood County NC.  This case is the first hanging in Haywood County for murder.  The twist... did he really do it? Support the show

The incoming president and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber said most of the economic development projects the chamber is pursuing are advanced manufacturing plants. On “Behind The Headlines,” Ted Townsend called it a “vast change” from being a magnet for logistics and distribution that could bode well as Blue Oval City makes plans in Haywood County.

Two suburban economic development pros said on “Behind The Headlines” that infrastructure and real estate are Shelby County's two critical areas as it sees growth from Ford's BlueOval City in Haywood County.

This case hits close to home for us. Mountain Murders will be discussing the 1999 quintuple homicide of the Phillips family in Haywood County, North Carolina. Intro music by Joe Buck YourselfHosts Heather and Dylan PackerEmail mountainmurderspodcast@gmail.comFor bonus content and ad free episodes, support the show at www.patreon.com/mountainmurderspodcast

In today's episode, I met up with my buddy and neighbor Dean Gibson and we sat down at one of our local parks where Dean did me the honor of sharing a glimpse into his story. He touches on what it was like to grow up as a black man in Appalachia, and tell us about Operation Grassy Knoll -- the retaliatory police ambush of one of Haywood County's historically black communities that targeted and criminalized Dean along with about 20 other folks -- before he talks about the corruption of the so-called "justice" system that sentenced him to life in prison before he successfully had his sentence overturned. Hopefully Dean will have some books coming out soon in more depth about his experiences, but in the meantime, you can check out some of these news articles:1) A Community Cracks (2019): https://www.themountaineer.com/news/a-community-cracks/article_12706a24-497e-11e9-a387-4bcb39e9df5f.html?2) Hold Until Deceased (2019): https://www.themountaineer.com/news/hold-until-deceased/article_27b0ac5c-4981-11e9-a0f4-c3410914a098.html?3) An Appeal to Justice (2019): https://www.themountaineer.com/news/an-appeal-to-justice/article_3e38b744-4990-11e9-9cbf-93ea9109ff30.html?4) Drug Trials Under Way in Bryson City (1998): http://haywoodlibrary.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?fn=the_enterprise_mountaineer_usa_north_carolina_waynesville_19980311_english_1&df=1&dt=10&cid=28505) A Community on the Brink (1998): http://haywoodlibrary.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?fn=the_enterprise_mountaineer_usa_north_carolina_waynesville_19980325_english_1&df=1&dt=10&cid=2850---Follow, support, share the podcast at: https://linktr.ee/rednecksrising

The Spann Twins of Memphis, Tennessee tell us their favorites of different categories and specialities of black owned businesses in Memphis, Tennessee.  Check out to see if the Twins have the same choices or not!!! 

Owner of LaMont's Kitchen, Briyona Batchelor, takes us on the journey of food truck to building with her jar concept for holding her delicious meals.  You will learn about her open kitchen concept and how you become apart of the experience as you purchase meals and treats.  This Jackson, Tennessee restaurant provides meal prep, catering, cooking classes, food truck services, and fresh meals Tuesday-Saturday.  Business Website: https://www.lamontseats.com/menusInstagram: 

Coach Dale "Diesel" Collins, Bobby "The Bearded Wonder" Bennett, and Shannon "Big Mess" Messer talk with Juston Pilot.Justin is a native of Haywood County, Waynesville North Carolina, and manager of our Waynesville shop location.  Justin grew up chasing wild trout in the mountains and continues sharing that with the customers of Tuckaseegee Fly Shop.. Justin also has a photography business and he shares some tips on using your phone camera.  This weeks fishing report is loaded with good information that should help you be more successful in the water.Watch our YouTube video review by clicking the link below.Listen for a fly fishing report and a the guide tip of the week.Send us your questions about this subject at https://www.info@tuckflyshop.com or call us at 1-828-488-3333. Subscribe https://www.youtube.com/tuckaseegeeflyshophttps://www.instagram.com/tuckflyshophttps://www.facebook.com/tuckflyshopFishing Report Sponsor:  https://www.nor-vise.comGuide Tip Sponsor:  https://www.bradyshandmadenets.comEmail the guys:Bobby@tuckflyshoop.comDale@tuckflyshop.comShannon@tuckflyshop.comSwamp Shack by James Paul MitchellSmall Stream of River Water by SoundholderMech - Fishing Reel, Hard by Marcello Del MonacoSounds Licensed to Shannon Messer License Number 304530

On this season opener of Business That's Black we have a conversation with Christan Byars of Brownsville, Tennessee. She is the owner of more than one business including Posture Boutique and Dapper Cleaning Solutions.  Byars explains how she got her start and her want for every single customer to have a supernatural experience that walks through her boutique doors.  In the conversation host Delvakio Brown and Byars talk about the importance of young people coming back to be the difference they want to see in their small town communities.  You can keep up with Christan Byars on facebook and find her on instagram @christanj_styles Check out her boutique at www.postureboutique.com 

The 51st Smoky Mountain Folk Festival.  returns to the shores of Lake Junaluska in Haywood County this August. Now in its 6th decade, the festival coincides with a time when communities would gather at harvest time to share music and dance. The festival welcomes an outstanding array of the region's finest tradition performers including fiddlers, banjo players, string bands, ballad singers, buck dancers, and fabulous square teams as well as the unique sounds of dulcimer, harmonica, mouth harp, bagpipes, and even spoons.

The 51st Smoky Mountain Folk Festival.  returns to the shores of Lake Junaluska in Haywood County this August. Now in its 6th decade, the festival coincides with a time when communities would gather at harvest time to share music and dance. The festival welcomes an outstanding array of the region's finest tradition performers including fiddlers, banjo players, string bands, ballad singers, buck dancers, and fabulous square teams as well as the unique sounds of dulcimer, harmonica, mouth harp, bagpipes, and even spoons.

This week Dawson and Clint talked with the 'Day Fire Podcast MKV' record holder (Most Known Visits) - Nancy East! This time they talked with Nancy about her Backpacking 101 workshops she is leading through the Blue Ridge Hiking Company! Answering questions that a lot of beginners may have about hiking and camping. What to take - where to go - when to go - safety - animal encounters - expectations - gear considerations - and much more! PLUS - they shared a few stories and laughs along the way. Who is Nancy East? She is the author of; 'Chasing the Smokies Moon' - she is a member of the Haywood County's Search and Rescue Team, a founding board member of the WNC Wilderness Safety Fund, a Gossamer Gear Ambassador, and a Southern Appalachian Naturalist. In 2019, she and her good friend, Chris Ford, set the fastest known time (FKT) for a mixed-gender team on the Tour de LeConte Challenge. In 2020, they set the overall FKT for the Smokies 900 Challenge. Nancy has hiked all the trails in the Smoky Mountains National Park four times, and she continues to go back for more. Find out more about the Backpacking 101 Workshops (virtual and in person): Workshops | Blue Ridge Hiking Co. Buy a copy of 'Chasing the Smokies Moon': Chasing the Smokies Moon by Nancy East Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Zeb Ross is an internet sensation and a member of the J Creek Cloggers from Haywood County, North Carolina.   Sunday Supper with Chef Maneet Chauhan and Chef Edward Lee is coming up July 10 in Franklin, Tennessee. Tickets are available at MADESOUTH.COM.   Southern Whiskey Society is coming up August 6 in Franklin, Tennessee. Tickets are available at MADESOUTH.COM.   Looking for a fun getaway this summer? Check out the brand new MADE SOUTH Cottages in Tracy City, Tennessee. Details at MADESOUTHCOTTAGES.COM.

In this podcast we discuss initial response to search incidents. We are joined by responders from Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina.  Jeff Randall resides in Alabama and is involved in Search and Rescue with Randalls Adventure and Training Search and Rescue (RAT SAR) responding to incidents across Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. https://ratsar.org/ Jeff Wadley resides in Tennessee and is a member of the Backcountry Unit Search and Rescue (BUSAR) which is based in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Jeff actively teaches lost person behavior courses throughout the region. https://teambusar.org/ Mike Street resides in Haywood County, NC and is a member of Haywood SAR and a Paramedic with Haywood Country EMS. https://www.facebook.com/HaywoodSAR David Walker resides in Haywood County, NC and is a member of Center Pigeon Fire Department and Haywood County SAR. Please reach out to us on your social media platforms by using the #pockettoolstraining or email us at pockettoolstraining@gmail.com

We're talking with the one and only Vince Everett Ellison! A bit about Vince:Vince Everett Ellison was born on a cotton plantation in Haywood County, Tennessee. His parents at that time were sharecroppers. Through hard work and a belief in Jesus Christ, his parents pulled him and his seven siblings out of poverty. His family started the Ellison Family Gospel singing group, where Vince sang and played multiple instruments as a child and young adult. Vince worked for five years as a Correctional Officer at the Medium/Maximum Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia, SC. Afterward, Vince worked in the nonprofit arena.In 2000, Vince received the Republican Party nomination for the South Carolina 6th Congressional District. In 2019, Vince wrote The Iron Triangle: Inside the Liberal Democrat Plan to Use Race to Divide Christians and America in their Quest for Power and How We Can Defeat Them, which became an Amazon #1 bestseller. He has appeared numerous times on Hannity, The Laura Ingraham Show, Newsmax, OAN, The Joe Pags Show, The Brian Kilmeade Show, The Howie Carr Show, and many other radio and television programs.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9CARYBYT8F7JL)

Welcome back to Episode 2 of charcuterie & crime! We hope you are enjoying it so far! This episode features a brunch charcuterie board paired with the Phillips Family Murder out of the Jonathan Creek area of Haywood County, NC Guess what? We have an Instagram account now! Please go give us a follow over at @charcuterieandcrime - you won't regret it! Or at least we hope not... we aren't always exciting but if you love a good charcuterie board you'll love us! Sources: caselaw.com and clarkprosecutor.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/charcuterieandcrime/support

Our hosts David Kennedy, president Canopy Realtor® Association/Canopy MLS and Lee Allen, president-elect take an in depth look at Canopy Housing Foundation's long running, highly collaborative signature community event, Realtors® Care Day. The community-wide home repair project that assists homeowners with exterior repairs and safety modifications for those in need, is an all-hands on deck event that brings together Realtors®, city/county leadership, housing partners, contractors, home inspectors and touches the lives of homeowners as far away as Haywood County in the mountains of NC to Iredell and Mecklenburg Counties here in the southern piedmont. 

Joshua and Caleb live in Haywood County, NC. Tuesday, August 17th, their hometown of Canton and surrounding communities were struck with horrible flooding. In this episode, Joshua and Caleb discuss how they handle the disaster and share insight that might help you whenever disaster strikes. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dadsonthefly/support