The Local Insider

We sat down with Edgar Baker to discuss his newly announced mayoral campaign. We talked about some of the struggles the mayor will face in the coming years. Edgar described his involvement in revitalizing downtown Booneville and how he would like to carry that momentum into the mayor's office. He also gave us some updates on when we might see the completion of the downtown park project and some ideas on the types of businesses the park may attract to Booneville. We think you will enjoy this conversation as much as we did and hope you will listen.

Music:Who We Are by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

My next guests are performing musicians and recording artists who met in 2014. They later went on to form an Arkansas-based band whose sound can be described as the combination of gritty, Texas red dirt with anthemic Tennessee-style choruses. 
They will be performing in the first-ever downtown music event held in Booneville on April 16th. Hayefield, along with another Arkansas-based band, Kinch, will be performing in a benefit concert for the Lucinda Franklin Garrett Community Stage Project, organized by the Booneville Rotary Club.
Please welcome Trey Lamberth and Taylor Hyatt of the band Hayefield.

Kevin and I sat down to discuss his latest book, The Hill part 2.
We talked about the enormous support he received from that book's predecessor, The Hill. Kevin gave us some insights as to how he had left the door open for this sequel in the first book. Music: Who We Are by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Trent and I sat down to discuss his career in education. We also discuss the recent success of the sports programs as well as the role tradition plays at Booneville School District.
Music: Who We Are by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons

This week we sat down with Karen Smith and Annette Summers of C.A.S.A of The Tri-Peaks to discuss what C.A.S.A is and what we in Logan County can do to help. We also discussed how child advocates can help families in trouble of losing custody get back on the right track.

Music: Who We Are by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Chuck Hayes is a sportswriter, statistician, and part-time cajun. Until recently he wrote a sports column in the Booneville Democrat. Chuck and I sat down to discuss Bearcat sports past, present, and future, as well as his future plans to continue his coverage of Bearcat sports using alternative media platforms.
Music: Who We Are by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

I sat down with Dustin to discuss Liberty Informatics, a technology company he started with his partner Crockett Hopper. At Liberty Informatics they provide a rare blend of hardware and software co-design experience to take on hard problems for clients.
We discussed how he got his start in the tech field at an early age and now mentors youth through the robotics program on team 5437 Rocky Balboabots. We also discussed his community development projects which include giving free programming classes to area youth. Music: Who We Are by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Jarrod and I sat down to discuss American Legion Post 109 and its mission to help veterans in Logan County. We talked about his involvement in organizing an event that involved volunteers walking 22 miles from Booneville courthouse to Paris courthouse. Music: Who We Are by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

My next guests are a husband and wife living in Booneville, AR. These US veterans turned business owners opened their first business in 2013.
We sat down to discuss how they manage two businesses full time, raise a family of three boys and stay active in community organizations all while continuing to expand and develop their commercial real estate and future business ventures.

Music: Who We Are by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Kevin and I sat down to discuss how his experiences with an abandoned tuberculosis hospital near Booneville, Arkansas helped inspire him to write his first book, The Hill. We touch on his second book, Bridging The Gap, and discuss the release of his upcoming sequel to The Hill. We then get Kevin's advice for aspiring authors on some best practices and common pitfalls to avoid.

Music: Who We Are by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

We sat down with Bob Harper the Staff Chair at the University of Arkansas Department of Agriculture Extension Office in Logan county. In this episode, we discuss the many programs available to the people of Logan County through the extension office. We also got his insights on how he sees the agricultural landscape changing as a result of the pandemic.

Music: Who We Are by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Stacy and I had a conversation about some of the advantages of owning a business in Logan county. We also spoke about her new role in the Booneville city council. She gave us the inside scoop on how she creates masterful photographs and scenes at Stacy Holbert Photoart.
Music by Who We Are by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

We sat down with Sarah Enoch to discuss many of the benefits of the University of Arkansas co-operative extension service of Logan county. We discussed co-operative programs including, 4-H and beekeeping, as well as some lesser-known programs such as STEM-themed programs that include robotics and computer science. Sarah described the extension service as one of Arkansas' best-kept secrets and expressed her intention to make it more widely known.
Music by Who We Are by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

We sat down with Jim Sher to discuss what community activism means to him. His description doesn't involve protest or civil disobedience. Jim tells us how we could all live a blessed life through a life of service and giving.

In this first episode of The Local Insider Podcast, I sat down with Christian Cooper of Atlas Custom Home Improvements to talk about how growing up in Booneville, Arkansas in Logan County gave him an advantage in navigating through life in general. Music - Who We Are by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/55486 Ft: MissJudged and Fireproof Babies