Small Towns: Unscripted

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’ve got Will Poppie. Will’s story starts in Montana and Pullman, Washington. His dad was a civil engineer, his mom a veterinarian and cattle rancher—so from the beginning, he was raised around both precision and grit. After his parents divorced, he split time between Pullman and Arizona before eventually landing in East Wenatchee. And this is where things really...

On this episode of Small Towns: Unscripted - Russ and Nicole are sitting down today with someone whose story really captures what it means to grow up in a small town, live through real life, and turn those experiences into something that helps other people. For those of you tuning in on Small Towns Unscripted, hosted by Russ McClellan and Nicole Turner with KW Frontline Real Estate, where we conne...

Welcome back to Small Towns Unscripted. Today’s episode is one of those conversations that really captures what this show is all about… community, connection, and the people who quietly shape the soul of a small town. Today, Nicole and I are sitting down with Sarah Noelle Hart, co owner of VonHart Goods in downtown Manson. A place that has become so much more than a bakery or a deli. It is a gathe...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’re sitting down with Mark Olsen—a guy whose story is about discipline, self-awareness, and pushing limits. Mark grew up in Kirkland, graduating from Lake Washington High School back when the area still had farms, horses, and a little more space to roam. From early on, he was wired to compete—becoming a KingCo Champion wrestler and co-captain of both the football...

Kathleen Elizabeth Woods Hawley was born on February 9, 1945, in Deaconess Hospital, but her story—really—belongs to Entiat. She was raised in a time when North Central Washington was still closely connected to its pioneer roots—and for Kathleen, that history wasn’t something distant… it was her family’s lived experience. Her lineage traces back to some of the earliest settlers in the Entiat Valle...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we sit down with David “Hot Rod” Rodriguez. David’s story starts at just three years old, when he rode with his mom in a Volkswagen Bug from Los Angeles to Chelan… eventually landing in a small log cabin in Winthrop with no running water. What might’ve felt like hardship to some turned into adventure for David—but it also speaks to the grit and sacrifice of a singl...

Al Brooks brings a powerful story of grit, service, and deep-rooted connection to the Chelan Valley. Born in Rapid City, South Dakota, and raised in Lake Stevens, Al comes from a hardworking family with ties to early infrastructure and industry in Washington—including helping establish transportation routes from Quincy to Wenatchee and over Stevens Pass, as well as logging operations near Mount Ve...

Welcome back to Small Towns Unscripted, where we sit down with the people whose lives and stories help shape the communities we call home. Today’s guest is someone whose story is woven deeply into the history of Manson and the Lake Chelan Valley. Arnold Baker comes from a family whose roots in this valley go back nearly a century. His grandparents arrived in Manson in 1929, just after the lake had...

Kelly Mullins’ story is one of resilience, reinvention, and the enduring power of love for family. Born in 1957, Kelly spent her earliest years in Manson before her family moved to Boron, California, where her dad worked at the Borax plant and her mom worked for a dentist. Life there was adventurous — motorcycles, dune buggies, and even a household that once included thirteen turtles. When Kelly w...

Welcome back to Small Towns Unscripted. Today I’m joined by someone many of you know and trust — a steady, wise, and deeply resilient voice in North Central Washington — Sharon Crockett with PrimeLending. Sharon lives in Entiat, has an office in Wenatchee, works on the west side of the mountains, and serves clients across the country. She’s licensed in all fifty states and backed by an incredible...

Our guest today is someone many of you in the Lake Chelan Valley know — not because he demands attention, but because he earns respect. Kevin Medved is steady. He’s dependable. He’s consistent. He’s disciplined. He sees the world through common sense and a strong value system. He lives his life and treats others the way he would want to be treated. Kevin grew up in Republic, Washington, and right...

Welcome back to Small Towns Unscripted. One of the things I love most about this show is uncovering the stories behind the people we see every day — at church, on job sites, at the gym, at a winery, or just walking through town. We often know what people do… but we don’t always know what shaped them. Today’s guests are Stephen and Megan Johnson — and their story stretches far beyond the Chelan Val...

Welcome back to Small Towns Unscripted. Today’s guest is Dwight Keegan. Dwight spent more than 43 years as a Washington State Park Ranger, much of that time right here at Lake Chelan, and his story gives a rare, real look into how our State Parks — and the people who ran them — have evolved over time. One of the things that really stood out to us in this conversation is the history of the Parks De...

This weeks episode of Small Towns Unscripted we are honored to have Mark Lippincott be our guest.  Some people live in a place… and some people are woven into it. Today’s guest is one of those people. Mark Lippincott was raised right here in the Lake Chelan Valley, back when childhood meant crawling across the underside of the old bridge on a single wood plank, paying fifty cents to watch a movie...

Today’s episode is about coming home—the pull of small towns, the values they instill, and the people who shape us long before we realize it. Our guest is Ryan Sargent, originally from Bothell, Washington, and a Chelan High School graduate, Class of 2010. Like many people raised in a small town, Ryan left after high school to figure life out, only to discover that the place he came from was always...

Bill Swayne was raised on Bainbridge Island at a time when it truly felt like a small town—close-knit, grounded, and deeply connected. That upbringing sparked a curiosity for the world beyond the island, leading Bill down an unconventional early path. He became a cook in Hawaii, then took a job aboard a yacht bound for Tahiti, embracing adventure long before it became a buzzword. While in Tahiti,...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’re honored to welcome Jeff Conwell—a longtime broadcaster, advertising professional, and community leader whose career began in the Seattle radio market under the on-air name Jeff “Chase.” Like many radio personalities of that era, the name fit the format, and Jeff quickly became part of the region’s broadcast and advertising scene, building deep experience in p...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’re sharing a conversation that is both historical and practical, focused on how the Lake Chelan Valley has evolved—and the people and community effort that helped shape that change. This episode is broken into two segments. In the first segment, I sit down with Richard Uhlhorn, a longtime Manson resident and trusted voice in local media. Richard has spent decade...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’re honored to welcome Angela Collins, the Unit Director of the Lake Chelan Valley Boys & Girls Club—and someone whose heart, experience, and sense of calling are already making a meaningful impact across our community. Angela was born in Columbus, Ohio, and raised in Western Washington on the south end of Whidbey Island. Her journey into education and leader...

In this episode of Small Towns Unscripted, we sit down with Pat Kelly, a lifelong steward of one of Chelan’s most enduring hometown businesses—Kelly’s Hardware—and a living link between generations of community, service, and small‑town resilience. Pat represents the second generation of the Kelly family to lead the store, carrying forward a legacy that began when his father, Wayne Kelly, purchased...

In this episode of Small Towns Unscripted, we sit down with Brett La Mar, a man whose life story is deeply rooted in the Chelan Valley and shaped by family, resilience, and service.  Brett was born in Everett, Washington, and raised in Manson, growing up and attending Manson School from K-12. Like many small-town kids, those early years helped form a lifelong connection to community, work ethic, a...

Brooke Isaak’s roots run deep in the Lake Chelan Valley. Born and raised in this tight-knit community, Brooke set ambitious goals early—earning a finance degree from Pacific Lutheran University before taking a bold leap across the country to work as a financial analyst on Wall Street. Her career path reflects both courage and creativity. After New York, she launched her own candle manufacturing co...

Mary and Dave Weldy’s story begins long before The Culinary Apple became a landmark in downtown Chelan. Originally from Western Washington, they spent years building careers in the gift and trucking industries before deciding they wanted a different pace of life — something rooted in community, creativity, and the values they grew up with. That desire led them to Chelan in the early 1990s, where t...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’re honored to sit down with someone who embodies exactly what this show is about—people who show up, lean in, and make a lasting impact on the Lake Chelan Valley. Rod Brooks was born and raised in Lake Stevens, Washington, back when it was still a one-stoplight small town—long before the growth that reshaped it into what it is today. His family's story is r...

Today on Small Towns Unscripted, we’re honored to share the story of a woman whose life reflects resilience, gratitude, deep roots, and the heart of the American Dream. Maribel Cruz — the Executive Director of the Community Center in Chelan — was born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in the Puget Sound area, where she graduated from Kamiak High School in Mukilteo. Later, she earned her degree in Busi...