Hey Amarillo

A conversation with Katrena (Kat) Volden, head coach of the Bomb City Bombshells, Amarillo's local roller derby team. When she's not practicing or competing against skaters from all over the state, she works with kids with special needs. With host Jason Boyett, Kat talks about roller derby's history in Amarillo, dispels misconceptions about this full-contact sport, and shares how her childhood at...

A conversation with Salad Dualle, a former medical doctor in Somalia and now a medical translator and owner of a local trucking company based in Amarillo. Salad came to the United States several years ago to find opportunity and escape threats on his life from jihadist group Al-Shabaab. He speaks to host Jason Boyett about the immigrant experience in Amarillo, detailing how West Texas and Somalia...

A conversation with Danny Melius of Nuke City Veg , a multi-location commercial farm operating within the Amarillo city limits. A former programmer for Hastings Entertainment, Danny transitioned from IT to urban farming after the Amarillo-based retail chain shut down its stores in 2016. Danny tells host  Jason Boyett about his punk background, forced career reinvention, and unique ongoing partners...

A conversation with Deanna Hurt, the creative entrepreneur behind The Ruffled Cup . Deanna moved to this area to attend WTAMU, then launched the city's first cupcake-only bakery back in 2010.  With host Jason Boyett, she tells how she got started, explains how Amarillo customers are different from Lubbock customers, and introduces a new venture: Biscuits.  This episode is sponsored by Cara Hendric...

A conversation with Roman Leal, who is the owner and founder of  Evocation Coffee with his wife, Amy. The couple created their business when they were teenagers and have built it into a thriving, influential enterprise—and now they're stepping away. With host Jason Boyett, Roman tells the Evocation story and reveals what's next for him personally and what's next for the business. This episode is s...

A conversation with Jill Gibson , chair of the Matney Mass Media program at Amarillo College. After earning degrees from Stanford and Northwestern, Jill arrived in Amarillo as a TV broadcaster expecting to quickly move on to a larger market. That was 25 years ago. She and host Jason Boyett discuss why she's still here, what she discovered at Amarillo College, and why AC's media students are so suc...

A conversation with Brooks Boyett, the founder of Mission 2540 , a local ministry focused on low-income apartment complexes. Yes, Brooks is the brother of host Jason Boyett. But he's also a professional magician, a CrossFit instructor, and a fierce advocate for children in poverty. He and Jason discuss how his career began and why it's so important to know our neighborhoods and our neighbors. This...

A conversation with Carolyn Terrell , Head Director of the Amarillo High School Choral Department. Carolyn has taught music education to public school students of all ages, and shares about the lifelong value of teaching students to sing. With host Jason Boyett, she praises the local fine arts community and explains why learning to take risks is so vital for impressionable teenagers. This episode...

A conversation with Jacomo Bairos , music director for Amarillo Symphony . Since joining the Symphony in 2013, this Florida native has co-founded the acclaimed Nu Deco Ensemble and now guest conducts for orchestras all over the world. With host Jason Boyett, Jacomo describes Amarillo's strong arts culture and talent pool and shares how his career has grown since he first arrived. This episode is s...

A conversation with Mildred Darton, president of the North Heights Advisory Association. Mildred grew up in the North Heights and attended Carver High School in the 1960s, during segregation. With host Jason Boyett, she shares the history of this predominantly African-American neighborhood, the destructive impact desegregation had on the community, and what the North Heights still needs today. Thi...

A conversation with Patrick Burns, the founder and co-owner of Palace Coffee Company . After opening the first Palace location in Canyon in 2011, Patrick has seen his business expand into Amarillo and gain notoriety in the craft coffee world. With host Jason Boyett, he shares the Palace origin story, why he's more interested in people than coffee, and why he feels every coffee shop in the city (no...

A conversation with Karen Welch, the senior content producer for Panhandle PBS . Before that role, Karen spent 25+ years as a reporter for the Amarillo Globe-News . She now has nearly three decades of experience reporting about Amarillo's city government, business community and more. With host Jason Boyett, she shares her most memorable assignment, explains why community newspapers are so vital, a...

A conversation with Bruce Moseley, executive director of the Turn Center . Bruce didn't plan to end up in the nonprofit world—he's an attorney by trade—but found his calling at this organization that provides therapy for children with special needs. With host Jason Boyett, Bruce details his meandering career path and explains how the Turn Center's groundbreaking autism study has brought internatio...

A conversation with Dean Boyd, one of the highest-profile personal injury lawyers in Amarillo. Most locals know Dean from his advertising, but who's the attorney behind the ads? With host Jason Boyett, Dean discusses his difficult upbringing, how he got into law in the first place, and why he takes his job so seriously even if his "Strong Arm" commercials are pretty lighthearted.  This episode is...

A conversation with Mercy Murguia , Potter County Commissioner representing Precinct Two, which includes much of northeast and east Amarillo. Recently elected to her second term in office, Mercy is also a healthcare software consultant who holds an MBA from West Texas A&M University. She and host Jason Boyett discuss how she got into local politics, her passion for community engagement, and how sh...

A conversation with Jack Mustard, the chiropractor behind Mustard Wellness Center . Jack is also the founder and director of Mustard Street Charities, which serves up to 500 hamburgers to homeless men and women every week, along with offering a jobs program and other outreach. With host Jason Boyett, Jack shares how he ended up in Amarillo after abandoning plans to live in Mexico, and how an encou...

A conversation with Kasey Tam , owner of Nest Interiors & Construction and The Nat Antiques on Route 66 , which is one of the most iconic buildings in Amarillo's history and currently home to more than a hundred small shops. With host Jason Boyett, Kasey talks about her business career, the ins and outs of working on 6th Street, and how she's planning to increase the visibility of shop owners in t...

A conversation with Derek Weathersbee , a graphic design instructor at Amarillo College and a font creator whose typefaces are used all over the world—from Taco Bell advertising to the NFL Network. With host Jason Boyett, Derek talks about his decision to return to Amarillo from Dallas and details just how much the millennials he teaches (plus younger generations) have to offer the city.  This epi...

A conversation with Reverend Nell Newton, the pastor of Amarillo Unitarian Universality Fellowship . Nell is originally from Detroit, spent most of her adult years in Austin, and moved to Amarillo in 2017. With host Jason Boyett, she talks about the Michigan-to-Texas culture shock, the history of her religious movement, and why she has grown to love the Texas Panhandle's "terrible beauty."  This e...

A conversation with architect Mason Rogers of Playa Design Studio, the firm behind the award-winning Six Car/Crush building on Polk Street and other new, high-profile construction projects in Amarillo. With host Jason Boyett, Mason talks about the city's architectural history, whether or not Amarillo has a unique "style," and what he thinks the future holds for development and redevelopment. This...

A conversation with Shauna Thornhill of Amarillo Vision Specialists —an optometry practice based in the Walmart Supercenter on Grand. Shauna was named Walmart's optometrist of the year for 2018. With host Jason Boyett, she explains the connection between Walmart and eye care, how education became her escape from poverty, and why she's one of the few healthcare providers her patients ever see. This...

A conversation with Eveline Rivers-McCoy, the philanthropic powerhouse behind the Eveline Rivers Christmas Project and Eveline's Sunshine Cottage . She and host Jason Boyett discuss how she ended up in Amarillo, her professional childcare career, and the sad circumstances that helped kick off her now 40-year-old Christmas project. This episode is sponsored by Betenbough Homes , with an assist from...

A conversation with Jacob Aaron Morin , an Amarillo-born artist who shuffled around the foster-care system before ending up here full-time. Jacob abused drugs during his teenage years, and at the age of 17, nearly died after being shot through the neck. Jacob believes he survived for a reason, and has spent the years since working on his art and giving back to his community. This episode is sponso...

A conversation with Suzanne Wheeler, a relative newcomer to Amarillo. Less than a year ago, Suzanne left Tulsa, Oklahoma—where she had raised a family—to open a branch of Mariner Wealth Advisors here in Amarillo. The decision was intentional. She first saw Amarillo and Palo Duro Canyon as a weekend vacation spot. Then she saw the business opportunity here. Suzanne and host Jason Boyett talk about...

A conversation with Matt Darby, who saw the clothes jockeys were wearing ten years ago and thought, "We can do better than that." This year, his Speed Silks® were seen riding Triple Crown winner Justify and are being used by some of the biggest names in horse racing. A former sportscaster and radio guy, he and host Jason Boyett talk about Matt's dramatic career shift—and Amarillo's entrepreneurial...