Paragould Podcast

On this episode of The Paragould Podcast, we are visited by owner of Paragould restaurant staple Taco Rio, Brad Smith! You'll want to hear the path Brad took to become the owner of Taco Rio, how he learned through resilience and suffering to appreciate the most important things in life and trust God throughout the ups and downs. 

Brad Hyde got his start in the mental health field 29 years ago with Greenleaf, which was later St Bernard's Behavioral Health. Through his career, Brad has learned not to try to be rational with irrational people, that "No" is a complete sentence, and that health is about the whole person.

Lindsay Roberts is the Executive Director for Together We Foster. After launching the organization in 2019, they have since opened three visit centers across NEA where children in foster care can visit with their biological parents in a warm environment. They also operate clothing closets for foster parents to access the resources they need free of charge. Lindsay and her husband, Quincy, began fo...

Brock and Loranne launched Flower Shop Network in the spring of 2000. It was a humble little startup in the loft of Adams’ Florist. Today, FSN has over 100 employees and serves 4,000 florists nationwide. Brock attributes much of their success to "catching a wave," but you will quickly discover just how sharp these two are in this episode. Started Atwill Media in 2014, which has developed and maint...

On this episode of the Paragould Podcast: Derek & Taylor House. Derek is with Specialized Bicycle Components and was Jared's high school tennis doubles partner. Taylor is a pediatric nephrologist, which is a fancy way of saying she is a kids' kidney doctor. Dr. House has received specialized training in palliative care, and she now trains doctors around the world on how to break bad news to patien...

JD Stevenson got his start as a patrol officer for the Paragould Police Department in 1982. Two and a half years later, he joined the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) where he served for 18 years. He was appointed Chief of Police by Mayor Mike Gaskill in 2001, and he continued in that role until his retirement in 2009. JD has some wild stories from his 3 decades of public service. In this epi...

Ivey Herren, Jr. is the 3rd generation owner of Herren Tire in Paragould, which was founded in 1968. Ivey grew up in a Christian home and went to school at CRA, but when his best friend died in a car accident in 2006, Ivey's life took a turn that led him to addiction. His story of redemption is truly miraculous and will leave you believing that, "If your heart is still beating, you have a purpose....

Dr. Zeke Shotts is a Paragould graduate and a Radiologist with St Bernards and Associated Radiologists. After earning his bachelor's degree at Arkansas State, Zeke attended med school at UAMS in Little Rock. From there, he finished his internship and residency at Emory University. He was also accepted to a program at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN where he spent 5 years before moving back to Nor...

Roland Irwin has a PhD in clinical psychology and serves as the Associate Chief of Operations for Arisa Health. But despite his impressive resume, he was not immune to the horrors that addiction can unleash on a family. In this week's episode of the Paragould Podcast, Roland joins his daughter, Brooke, who has been in recovery for over 10 years now. Brooke works with the Paragould Podcast and The...

Mayor Josh Agee returns for an annual update on the city of Paragould. In 2022, we saw the ribbon cutting for the new 8-Mile Creek Trail, the downtown Community Pavilion, the installation of Sky Cops, airport improvements and more. As we look to 2023, there are even more ambitious projects to look forward to. Mayor Agee opens up about the partisan elections issue, which passed in November, and he...

Rhonda Thomas joins us this week on the Paragould Podcast! Rhonda is the Lieutenant of the Paragould Police Department's Criminal Division, and (according to many sources) is a superhero! Rhonda has served with the PPD for 28 years and in the Criminal Division for the past 18, which means that she and her team work every felony case in the city of Paragould. In this interview, Rhonda talks about h...

Alexander Laffoon, along with his friend Trevor, recently hiked the Pacific Crest Trail--a 2,653 mile trail from the border of Mexico to the border of Canada. You'll hear about his encounters with bears and mountain lions, almost drowning in freezing water, and being surrounded by forest fires. "Someday never happens. We love the adventure and seeing new places."

Miranda Reynolds is the Executive Director of Main Street Paragould. Miranda is passionate about Downtown Paragould and excited about the direction we are headed. She was formerly a reporter with KAIT8 News in Jonesboro where she was regularly tracking positive news from Paragould and Greene County. Download and share this now!

Nathan Knight is the owner of Knight Productions, and he is the youngest guest to date on the Paragould Podcast. With his team, Nathan is completing over 60 wedding films this year alone. You will be inspired by Nathan's story of quick success through hard work and focused passion. 

Barry Davis is the CEO of Arkansas Methodist Medical Center. With over 600 employees, AMMC is a vital part of our community and overall quality of life in Paragould.  Barry has been with the hospital for over 42 years, and in that time, he has seen his fair share of obstacles. However, his biggest challenge came in 2016 when he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer and told he had 6 months to li...

Haley Deck joins us for a second time to talk about the power of gratitude. In her book, Stay Awake With Me, Haley talks about an overwhelming sense of gratitude that has helped to keep her centered in the midst of immeasurable grief. "Gratitude is such a transformational tool," she says. "It’s simply acknowledging the good in every moment." This is the 100th episode of the Paragould Podcast! We h...

Jennifer Tarwater is the founder and Executive Director of In His Wings Ministry--a faith-based women's rehabilitation ministry. Jennifer battled Hodgkins Lymphoma at age 28. Throughout her teens and twenties, she drinking heavily and smoking marijuana, and her first experience with meth was at 29. This downward spiral ultimately landed her in prison. On January 9, 2013, Jennifer landed in the Aga...

In 2003, while a sophomore at the University of Arkansas, Brad Pollard was diagnosed with stage 4 testicular cancer. Soon after the initial diagnosis, he learned that the cancer had spread to his liver, lungs and brain. That was nearly 20 years ago, and today Brad is cancer-free! But that wouldn't be the end of Brad's health battles. In addition to the after effects of an intense chemo and radiati...

Matthew Miller is the President and COO of United Home Insurance. A 2003 graduate of Greene County Tech, Matthew attended Arkansas Tech University on a baseball scholarship. That's where he earned a degree in Finance and Economics before heading off to Miami to complete an international MBA. Matt moved back to Paragould in 2009 and has helped to spearhead United Home's incredible growth. 

Sonia Fonticiella left Communist Cuba in 1980 to join her father in the United States. She was 17 years old when she stepped on the bus in Havana that led to a 9 hour boat ride to Florida. She eventually made it to Paragould in 1992. Her story is sure to bring you hope. The Paragould Podcast exists to bring you incredible stories just like this. Subscribe now and give a five-star rating to help ot...

After playing with bands like Cottonmouth, opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd and Stix, and playing with BB King in Memphis, Andy and Scott share their passion for music and their band, Nightwing. Nightwing's Reunion Show is a benefit concert to be held at the Collins Theater on October 22. Tickets are only $10, and all proceeds go to Collins Foundation.

Jessie Huffine Blevens says she wants to give back to her community. Listen to her take on where we are as a city and where she would like to help lead us. 

Pam Diggs brings a unique perspective--having been on both sides of the hardship and loss of a nursing home. Today, Pam serves as the Administrator at the Green House Cottages of Belle Meade, which gives her regular opportunities to care for individuals and families. The Green House Cottages of Belle Meade were only the 3rd nursing home in Arkansas to adopt the Green House model, which is revoluti...

Tim Wooldridge is a former Arkansas State Senator and now serves as the Outreach Director for the Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA). 

The Old Greene County Courthouse stands as the symbol of our great city, and Judge Randy Philhours is one of the primary reasons it is still standing. Judge Philhours joins us on this episode to talk about the preservation of the courthouse, the Dr Jones double murder and what it's like living in a haunted house.