This Conversation

Retired educator Jerry Hill grew up in Washington County, Va. and was inspired by Martin Luther King's commitment to nonviolence and to peace. Hear why he says people should attend special programs on Jan. 12 and join in the annual march and program in Abingdon on Jan. 14, 2022. in order to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King. Mentioned in this episode: WEHC 90.7 FM is...

You may have ignored those offers from the power company to sign up for a free energy audit. And.. you may be missing some free supplies and free service that could help. This conversation with Melvin Ross of Bee Green Solutions, an energy efficiency consulting business (info@beegreensolutions.com), that works with Appalachian Power Co tells you how to get free energy help through the power compan...

As 2022 comes to a close, Virginia Tech basketball Coach Mike Young is in the midst of another successful season. On Dec. 17, 2022 about 150 Emory & Henry alums watched the Hokies defeat Grambling State and then visited with the Coach who shares their Emory & Henry roots. Young played for legendary Emory & Henry Coach Bob Johnson and began his career as an assistant to Coach Johnson af...

You probably already have the idea. People from Appalachia are  illiterate, prejudiced, isolated, lazy, backward, non-creative, and talk funny. A display at the Jonesborough/Washington County, TN History Museum in the Jonesboro Visitors Center tackles -- and refutes-- common misconceptions about Appalachians. Dr. Megan Tewell, who researched the exhibit, talks about how some of these ideas de...

Recorded in the holiday season, this conversation highlights the story of a few people who have spent decades serving others -- for free. Crossroads Medical Mission began twenty years ago and continues to grow in providing free medical care for people in SW Virginia and East Tennessee who can't afford it. In fact, the organization has expanded from its traveling mobile clinic to a stationary build...

The intricacies of medical care for the elderly are overwhelming. There are experts who can help. In This Conversation, Carolyn Smith, President and Founder of Marketplace Agency & Eldercare of Harrisonburg, Virginia, walks listeners through the basics. The timeliness of this interview is the connection to end-of-year open enrollment and choosing appropriate plans. Mentioned in this episode: W...

32-year military veteran Lt. Col. Eric Stanton talks about his career, the commitment veterans have to each other, their post-service struggles, and who we all need to say, think, and do to honor the sacrifice of our veterans and their families. Mentioned in this episode: WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia. Stay tuned, connected, informed and entertained. This is listener supported ra...

Wise County resident Taysah DeVaughan is challenging incumbent Morgan Griffith for the Congressional seat in the 9th District of Virginia in the Nov. 8, 2022 General Election. DeVaughan graduated from University of Virginia's College at Wise in 2018. She also attended Cameron University and Comanche Nation College. Her career experience includes working as an organizer for the Appalachian Communit...

This episode of This Conversation with Congressman Griffith is guest hosted by David St. Clair. The reason is explained in the opening of the show. Previous interviews with Teresa Keller are linked below. Highlights of this October 2022 interview include his explanation of his Jan. 6, 2021 vote not to certify the results of the Pennsylvania election in the presidential election of 2020, which woul...

Sgt. Kannan Rasiah was born in Singapore with royal ancestry from Sri Lanka. His phenomenal journey brought him to Emory & Henry College where he graduated and joined the military. Unfortunately his positive experiences have been laced with racism and a painful focus on the color of his skin. He shares what it has been like in this open and raw conversation. Mentioned in this episode: WEHC 90....

The U.S. General election on Nov. 8, 2022 is going to be very close and control of Congress is up for grabs. Washington County, Virginia Director of Elections and Voter Registrar Derek Lyall talks about the election process and election safety. Mentioned in this episode: WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia. Stay tuned, connected, informed and entertained. This is listener supported rad...

When Wise County native and attorney Frank Kilgore read J.D.Vance's book and saw the film Hillbilly Elegy , he was blowing steam from his ears! His frustration and irritation became the motivation for his own book, J.D. Vance is a Fake Hillbilly and Think Twice Before Calling (All) Coalfield Appalachians Racists, Sexists, and Ignoramuses. Frank Kilgore is the guest in this episode of This Conversa...

Josh Mancuso is an actor, filmmaker, and comedian. He'll tell you just how famous he is in this episode of This Conversation. Part of the conversation refers to Mancuso's new documentary on African American contributions in the SW Virginia/East Tennessee region called "Appalachian Soul" that is nearing completion. In this podcast, you'll hear reference to Harlan, Kentucky and a book called "The Ha...

Head Curator of the Bristol Country Music Museum Renee Rodgers reviews the highlights of the museum that recognized the Big Bang birth of Country Music in Bristol, Virginia in 1927. In this interview, she highlights the temporary exhibit about Johnny Cash. Special note: During Bristol Rhythm & Roots music festival, Sept. 16 - 18, 2022, Johnny Cash's daughter Roseanne Cash visited her dad's tri...

Meghann Cotter is director of Micah Ministries in Fredericksburg, VA and she is a key figure in fighting homelessness there. In This Conversation she talks about causes and cures with the numbers to prove that her city and the leaders there are making big progress. Mentioned in this episode: WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia. Stay tuned, connected, informed and entertained. This is l...

Abortion is the topic in this episode of This Conversation, originally aired on 90.7 WEHC . As of Aug. 26, abortion is banned in Tennessee, with the possible exception of the life of the mother. The Bristol, Tennessee clinic where women had been going will obviously not be offering abortions anymore, but a new clinic has opened on the Virginia side of the state line. Our guest talks about the chan...

This episode updates advice from Mt. Rogers Health District re monkey pox and COVID. Guest is Breanne Forbes Hubbard, population health manager of the SW Virginia district. Mentioned in this episode: WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia. Stay tuned, connected, informed and entertained. This is listener supported radio. www.wehcfm.com

When artist Ellen Elmes learned about the massacre of 23 people at a Wal Mart in El Paso in 2019, her questions were-"Why are their names not included in the memorial?" and "What can I do?" The answer came from her artistic talent and her caring heart in portraits of the victims that she presented as gifts to their families. In this interview, she describes the process she went through, the relati...

The Virginia ACLU philosophy holds that women have a right to abortion and freedom from government-forced birth. Breanna Diaz explains the new legal landscape in the wake of the Dobbs decision that leaves decisions about abortion to state legislatures. Mentioned in this episode: WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia. Stay tuned, connected, informed and entertained. This is listener suppo...

Dr. Mark Matney is Commissioner of Revenue in Washington County, Virginia, but his April 12, 2022 appearance before the Washington County Board of Supervisors was not related to his official duties. Matney and several others told the Supervisors that Lawn Boy by Jonathan Envison should not be included on the shelves of the Washington County Public Library. This appearance followed the rejection of...

Ben Beakes is President of the Metallurgical Coal Producers Association and he wants people to understand the difference between hot-burning Met Coal and the thermal coal that is used for making electricity. Met coal is used to make steel -- and represents 90% of coal production these days. He talks about mining potential, regulations, safety, technology, and addresses concerns about climate chang...

Taysha DeVaughan has announced her candidacy for the Virginia 9th District Congressional seat. She will be challenging 11-year incumbent Congressman Morgan Griffith. How did this member of the Comanche nation, born in Oklahoma, find her way to Southwest Virginia, where settled in Wise, Virginia, and wound up as a Governor Northam appointee to the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice? Intervie...

Dr. Linda Dobkins, Professor of Economics, uses a dog as a metaphor for current inflation and efforts by the Federal Reserve to control it. You are sure to come away with a better understanding of economic issues by listening to Dr. Dobkins in this interview. Aired June 29, 2022. Mentioned in this episode: WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia. Stay tuned, connected, informed and enterta...

WCYB-TV reporter Andrew McClung is responding to the common complaint that there's never any good news. In a new series called "The Good Stuff" on the NBC affiliate in Bristol, Virginia, he will introduce viewers to people who are making the world around them better -- whether it's an almost 90 year old who still makes his popular fried chicken every week for students in a nearby college cafeteria...

Adam Bolt is a well-known singer-songwriter, based in Abingdon Virginia, with a large following for his "heart-hewn melodies." And, these melodies have garnered several significant awards: 2018 1st Winner "Over All" Gathering in the Gap 2018 1st Place winner in the Richard Leigh Songwriters Competition 2016 2nd place winner in the Richard Leigh Songwriters Competition 2015 2nd place winner in the...