Free Range Conversations

Charles Esten is the star of many of your favorite movies and TV shows, but after his upcoming visit to Rison, he may just be the singer of one of your favorite songs too. The acclaimed actor, singer and songwriter sits down for the latest episode of the Free Range Conversations podcast, joining Festival Director Douglas Boultinghouse, Festival Co-Founder Roy Phillips and Cleveland County Herald P...

During this week’s episode of the Free Range Conversations podcast, GRAMMY-nominated country music star Rissi Palmer recalls her first performance in Arkansas as she prepares to head to Rison as one of the featured performers at the Rison in the Fall Festival, Saturday, Oct. 12. Palmer chats with Festival Director Douglas Boultinghouse and Cleveland County Herald Publisher Britt Talent and remembe...

The guest on this week’s episode of the Free Range Conversations podcast may be making a name for himself on television and in Music City, but he grew up just a “hop and a skip” from Rison. Grant Bias, known professionally as BIAS, is a White Hall native who competed on the 2023 cycle of NBC’s The Voice making the Top 9 under the coaching of mentor Gwen Stefani. Bias joins podcast co-hosts Douglas...

RISON - As the Rison in the Fall Festival draws near (Oct. 12), rising star Marybeth Byrd joined in on the latest episode of the Free Range Conversations podcast to share some of her musical origins, and what she is looking forward to at this year’s festival. Byrd chats with Festival Director Douglas Boultinghouse, one of the festival’s founders, Roy Phillips, and podcast host and Cleveland County...

One of the newcomers at this year’s Rison in the Fall Festival, Matt Wilkerson of the band Last Call, joined in on the latest episode of the Free Range Conversations podcast. Wilkerson, a White Hall resident, joins host Douglas Boultinghouse, who is the director of the festival, and festival founder and podcast co-host Roy Phillips. Rison Shine President Celeste Beatty fills in for host Britt Tale...

Rison Mayor Charles Roberts sits in to discuss all things Rison - past, present and future. Podcast host Britt Talent is joined by co-hosts Roy Phillips and Douglas Boultinghouse. Reflecting on growing up in Rison, Roberts and Phillips recall a time when there were five restaurants on Main Street, and just as many grocery stores. There were multiple service stations downtown and along the highway....

Marty Bowlin, president of the Pioneer Village, joins in on an episode of the Free Range Conversations podcast focusing on the historic property in Rison. Bowlin, affectionately dubbed the “Leader of the Village People,” by some of her volunteers has been on a mission to revive the property and get awareness out about the buildings and events featured at the Pioneer Village that date back to the 1...

Cleveland County Cares Coordinator and cancer survivor Melinda McKnight is urging current and former smokers to get a Low-Dose CT scan (LDCT) to screen for lung cancer in this week’s episode of the Free Range Conversations podcast. McKnight credits the preventative screening for saving her life as she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023 and is now in remission. She has since become an advocate...

In this episode of the Free Range Conversations podcast, Rison native Herschel S. Garner shares stories from his time as a U.S. Marshal during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Garner sits down with podcast hosts Britt Talent, Roy Phillips and Douglas Boultinghouse to tell how he ended up in history books as part of the school integration at McDonough #19 School in New Orleans, plus protecting Mart...

It’s not uncommon to come across people visiting Rison compare it to Mayberry, the fictional town that was the setting for the Andy Griffith Show. But there was a time, especially right after Prohibition ended in 1933 and the sale of alcoholic beverages was allowed nationwide, that Rison was anything but Mayberry. Stan Sadler, the former publisher of the Cleveland County Herald and the county’s un...

Les Walz, the former Cleveland County Cooperative Extension Service agent shares why he ran head first into competing in obstacle course and endurance events across the country. What started as a way to get in shape and bond with his son caused him to “catch the fever” and he has now completed events in Texas, at Notre Dame and more. He 'll head to Nashville this fall for another race, then hit th...

Not many people have floated the entire length of the Saline River from its origins north of Benton to its confluence with the Ouachita River, but Pat Jo Keegan of Cleveland County's Mt. Carmel community is among them. In this episode of Free Range Conversations, Keegan, who is the District 4 Justice of the Peace on the Quorum Court, explains how she developed a passion for the outdoors at an earl...

An in-depth conversation with one of the fall festival's founders, Roy, and current director, Douglas. Learn how Roy and others launched the event in 1990 for the town's 100th birthday, and how Douglas has transformed it into the premier event in Cleveland County as a music festival bringing names like Twitty & Lynn, Julie Roberts, Erin Enderlin, David Nail to Rison! Plus get all the details on th...

Meet your hosts, Britt, Roy and Douglas.