Shows / Reelfoot Forward
Episodes
Reelfoot ForwardEp. 122 Ginger Hadley: The Fascinating Story of Memphis’ First Mayor, Marcus B. Winchester
As the son of James Winchester, a wealthy Tennessee pioneer, entrepreneur and business partner of Andrew Jackson, Marcus B. Winchester had a front row seat to…
Reelfoot ForwardEp. 121 Lt. Mark Cancia: The Salvation Army
Lt. Mark Cancia, Corps Officer for The Salvation Army of Jackson, Tenn. is passionate about serving others. Cancia's parents migrated from Haiti looking for…
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Ep. 120 Connor Rinker: Full Stop Aviation
From a young age, Connor Rinker spent countless hours among the clouds. His love for aviation was passed down from his father, Mike Rinker, a commercial pilot…
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Ep. 119 Preston Powell: Yukon Outfitters
Preston Powell, co-owner of Yukon Outfitters, has been in the sport and outdoor industry for over 20 years. After his gear failed him on a fly fishing trip to…
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Ep. 118 Taylor Wilson: Climbing Mount Everest
Taylor Wilson’s 18-year-old son, Landon, was hit by a truck while out training for his senior year of baseball. He lost an arm and his leg was severely injured…
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Ep. 117 Kevin Rumley: A Veteran's Road to Recovery
This special episode featuring Kevin Rumley was recorded live at Discovery Park’s recent Military History and Armed Forces Symposium. Rumley has a master’s…
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Ep. 116 Bill Allen: Eyewitness to D-Day
Bill Allen was just 18 years old when he began serving in the Navy as a medic during World War II. He was there on D-Day, June 6, 1944, where his ship joined…
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Ep. 115 Tanya and Scott Melton: Miso Hongry
Tanya and Scott Melton, owners of Miso Hongry, have been serving southern comfort food in West Tennessee for almost a decade. In this episode, Tanya shares how…
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Ep. 114 Merry Brown: Open Your Door
Merry Brown is a writer, speaker, mediator, philosopher and small business owner. After teaching philosophy for over two decades, Brown felt led to focus on…
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Ep. 113 Dr. Shawn Pitts: Arts in McNairy
Dr. Shawn Pitts, founder of Arts in McNairy, is a chiropractor, cultural planner and community arts advocate. Arts in McNairy was founded in 2001 on the…
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Ep. 112 Roger Sorkin: "Farm Free or Die"
Roger Sorkin, founder of the American Resilience Project, is an award-winning producer, writer, editor and director. In this episode, Sorkin shares how he uses…
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Ep. 111 Terrence Martin: Impeccable Knots
Terrence Martin, a University of Tennessee at Martin graduate, is no stranger to the importance of both style and substance. As a part of his personal image…
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Ep. 110 Dr. Frank McMeen: Let Me Tell You a Story
Storytelling has always been a big part of Dr. Frank McMeen’s life. As a child, he paid special attention to the stories his grandparents shared. Today…
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Ep. 109 Martha Lyle Ford: Caring for God’s Creation
Environmental justice and creation care are passion points for Martha Lyle Ford, the director of the Center of Faith and Imagination at Memphis Theological…
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Ep. 108 Gary Foreman: Sharing History Through Storytelling
Gary Foreman is the owner of Native Sun Productions and an EMMY-nominated producer of around 40 historical documentaries and cultural programming. The story of…
Reelfoot ForwardEp. 107 Memoirs of Elvis’ First Girlfriend
Dixie Locke Emmons enjoyed the unique experience of being the first girlfriend of Elvis Presley. The two met in the youth group of First Assembly of God…
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Ep. 106 Bob Keast: Tennessee Freshwater Pearl Museum
Did you know that the Tennessee River Pearl is Tennessee's state gem and Camden, Tenn. is home to the only freshwater pearl culturing farm in North America?…
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Ep. 105 Obion County High School Podcasters Austin and Alex
High school juniors Austin Alexander and Alex Carpenter pull the curtain back and share behind-the-scenes details about their successful podcast, “RebelCast,”…
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Ep. 104 Dr. Ahmad Tootoonchi: Leading the Way
In this episode, Dr. Ahmad Tootoonchi shares his inspirational journey from his childhood in the northern region of Iran on the coast of the Caspian Sea to his…
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Ep. 103 Jeff Campbell: The Meadows Hotel
After a successful career rising through the ranks of the FedEx Corporation in Memphis and then Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway in Fort Worth, Texas, Jeff…
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Ep. 102: An Old Building Gets a New Life
In the early 1900s, the Nailling building in Union City, Tenn. was one of the most modern office buildings in the region. While the outside was brick and…
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Ep. 101 Karen Bowyer: Inspiring Students to See Beyond
Dr. Karen Bowyer has been inspiring students at Dyersburg State Community College for 37 years. Bowyer's passion for STEM and teaching was ignited at a young…
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Ep. 100: In the Beginning
For the 100th episode of “Reelfoot Forward,” host Scott Williams welcomes two special guests who were part of the creation of Discovery Park from the…
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Ep. 99 Jonathan Lodge: Discovering the Great Outdoors
Jonathan Lodge is a hunter, conservationist, amateur mycologist and brewer whose love of the great outdoors began as a young boy when he discovered the magic…
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Ep. 98 Cindy Kent, Better Men: Alpha Upsilon in Vietnam
This special episode features a panel hosted by author Cindy Kent during Discovery Park’s recent Military History and Armed Forces Symposium. Kent is the…
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Ep. 97 Patterson Freeman: Making Ned Ray McWherter’s Dream Come True
As manager of McWherter Farms, Patterson Freeman is passionate about the growth and development of a large Angus cattle operation first envisioned by the late…
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Ep. 96 - The Accidental Fame of David Crockett
This special episode was recorded during the celebration of David Crockett's 235th birthday at Discovery Park of America in Union City, Tenn. Podcast host…
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Ep. 95 Sherry Freeman: Lifelong Learner
In this episode, Sherry Freeman shares her lifelong passion for education and her journey from the rural community of Bradford, Tenn. to her current position…
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Ep. 94 Jeff Sellers: Finding Tennessee’s John Haywood
In addition to his work as director of education and community engagement at the new Tennessee State Museum, Jeff Sellers is one of a group of Tennesseans who…
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Ep. 93 LeEllen Smith: OUTsideIN
LeEllen Smith created OUTsideIN after she saw a need in her community in 2013 when Obion County, Tenn.'s largest employer left town. Smith worked to create a…
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Ep. 92 Bart Shatto: The Life and Times of Davy Crockett
Broadway performer Bart Shatto is currently at work with a team in New York on a new play about Tennessean David Crockett. The folk hero, frontiersman…
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Ep. 91 John Perez: Dogwood Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
John Perez's passion for healthy living and anti-bullying lead him to the fascinating world of jiu jitsu, a self defense based martial arts. Perez and his wife…
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Ep. 90 Roy Herron: Faith in Politics
Roy Herron is a public servant, attorney, minister and author with a deep-rooted history in West Tennessee. In this episode, he shares some of the stories from…
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Ep. 88 Gwendolyn Hopkins: Big Laughs in a Small Town
Dresden, Tenn. native Gwendolyn Hopkins has been making people laugh for as long as she can remember. In this episode, Hopkins shares her journey on becoming a…
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Ep. 87 Dan Knowles: Renaissance Man
Spend a little time with Dan Knowles, and you’ll quickly find yourself inspired by this award-winning writer, artist and musician. In this episode, he shares…
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Ep. 86 Samuel Goldberg and 'Silo' the Film
Film, television, theatre and live events producer Samuel Goldberg recently contributed to the work of the Discovery Park of America team on the safety portion…
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Ep. 85 Dr. Timothy Smith and The History Channel's 'Grant'
This special episode with Dr. Timothy Smith was recorded during Discovery Park’s Military History and Armed Forces Symposium. Dr. Smith was one of the featured…
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RFP Ep 84 Kirstan Blanchard, Social Media Influencer
Kirstan Blanchard took advantage of her time in quarantine to launch a successful lifestyle blog. Today, she shares her passion for beauty, affordable fashion…
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Ep. 83 Dr. Debbie Reynolds, Small Town Veterinarian with a Big Heart
From legal assistant to veterinarian, Dr. Debbie Reynolds shares her story of chasing her dream in this episode of "Reefoot Forward." After graduating high…
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Ep. 82 Ed Sargent, Grammy-Nominated Producer
From an early age, Ed Sargent was surrounded by music. Whether he was playing in the high school band in Bolivar, Tennessee, or studying with music instructors…
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Ep. 81 Paige Espey, Discovering Art in Tragedy
In this episode, local artist Paige Espey shares how through the tragedy of her brother's death she was inspired to pick up a paint brush and "turn something…
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Ep. 80 Jim Emison, The Story of Elbert Williams
In this episode, retired West Tennessee lawyer Jim Emison discusses his quest for justice for the brutal murder of Elbert Williams, a founding member of the…
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Ep. 79 Henri Giles, Telling Stories through Film
As an Emmy award-winning writer and producer, Henri Giles has many fascinating stories she now shares with her students at the University of Tennessee at…
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Ep. 78 April Lieberman, Service Above Self
April Lieberman, West and Middle Tennessee Rotary district governor, returned home to Gleason, Tennessee after successful careers that included time as a…
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Ep. 77 Dr. Bill Dickinson, Hunting and Hearing
As a doctor of audiology with a passion for hunting, Dr. Bill Dickinson is an entrepreneur who merged his professional calling with one of his hobbies. He…
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Ep. 76 Charles Brubaker, Bringing Comics to Life
Charles Brubaker’s path has taken him from a childhood on the busy streets of Isahaya, Nagasaki in Japan to life with his six cats and two dogs living in the…
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Ep. 75 Krista Roser, From Tennessee to New York City and Back Again
From the hustle of New York Fashion Week to overseeing the visionary process of music videos, editorials and merchandise design, Nashville stylist Krista Roser…
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Ep. 74 Scott Graves, Special Ops Xcursions
Through his nonprofit, Special Ops Xcursions, founder Scott Graves is devoted to providing unique adventures to Special Operations Forces service members and…
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Ep. 73 Caroline Meinert, Ballet Arts
In this episode, host Scott Williams talks with Caroline Meinert, artistic director for Ballet Arts in Jackson, Tenn. She shares her story of auditioning for…
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Ep. 72 Ben Parker, Parker's Outfitting
As a fourth generation hunter from Samburg, Tennessee, Ben Parker created Parker's Outfitting to provide hunting and fishing adventures in the region…
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Ep. 71 Casey Allen, From the Classroom to the Rodeo Arena
It's not every day you get to hear firsthand what it's like to ride into a rodeo arena. In this episode, Casey Allen, a graduate student and member of the…
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Ep. 70 Charles Choate, 30 Minutes
Charles Choate, the host of “30 Minutes,” a community affairs program from the Thunderbolt Broadcasting Company, turns the tables on “Reelfoot Forward” host…
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Ep. 69 Jake Bynum, Weakley County Mayor
Jake Bynum describes his job as Weakly County mayor as being a salesman for the county. In this episode, you’ll hear how he transitioned from serving on the…
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Ep. 68 Blake Stoker, Northwest Tennessee's BBQ Expert
By the end of this episode, you will want to hop in your car and head to Martin for some of the tastiest BBQ in Northwest Tennessee. Blake Stoker, the young…
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Ep. 67 Blake Brown, Educating West Tennessee and Beyond About Agriculture
As the director of the University of Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center at Milan, Blake Brown experiences firsthand the innovation that comes as a…
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Ep. 66 The Weakley County Reconciliation Project
In this episode, three members of the Weakley County Reconciliation Project share the organization’s goal of creating a diverse, nonpartisan group of community…
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Ep. 65 Achana Jarrett, A Passion for the Arts
From singing in her church choir to playing piano in school recitals, Achana Jarrett’s passion for the arts has played a significant role in her life. That…
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Ep. 64 Jeff Kollath, Stax Museum
As the executive director of Stax Museum in Memphis, Tenn., Jeff Kollath is surrounded by the history of American soul music every day. He shares the story of…
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Ep. 63 Matt Marshall, The Way Forward is Together
Matt Marshall is a passionate advocate for racial reconciliation in West Tennessee. In addition to getting to know this fascinating West Tennessean a little…
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Ep. 62 Lauren Smothers, Light Trap Books
She now calls West Tennessee home, but Lauren Smothers spent much of her childhood in Krasnodar, Russia and the United Kingdom with her missionary parents, and…