Paragould Podcast

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. 

Stan Jones is the creator and owner of the Stan Jones Mallard Lodge, which was recently dubbed on the top 7 hunting lodges in the United States. Stan reveals how the lodge got started and the secret sauce that draws in engineers from Mercedes Benz in Germany, multiple governors and other politicians, musicians, celebrities, and even Seal Team 6 to duck hunt at his lodge here in Arkansas. Stan also...

Judge Dan Stidham serves as a Circuit Judge in Arkansas, but he is best known for representing Jessie Misskelley during the West Memphis 3 case. Judge Stidham opens up on this episode about his involvement in the case as well as the sudden loss of his own son just last year.

As we wrap up our month-long emphasis on education in our city, we are excited to have Scott Gerrish on the podcast. Mr. Gerrish is the Superintendent of Greene County Tech Schools and a lifelong resident of Paragould. Scott attended elementary school at GCT and middle school at Oak Grove. The stories of the educators who poured into his life at a young age are truly inspirational. This is an epis...

Bob Branch returns to discuss the history of education in Paragould and Greene County. 

Dr. Nick Jankoviak joins us on the Paragould Podcast. Dr. J's story begins with a humble upbringing in Michigan before providence moved him and his wife to Paragould. He now is at the helm of the Paragould School District with a servant's heart and a passion for the welfare of the kids in our city.

Terry Austin is a life-long resident of Paragould and a graduate of Crowley's Ridge Academy. He now serves as CRA's Administrator and chief cheerleader.  This is part 1 of our 4-part series focusing on education in Paragould. 

Founder of the Greene County Rescue Squad and owner of Heath Funeral Home, Butch Heath, joins us on this week’s episode of the Paragould Podcast!

Joining us on the Paragould Podcast is Paragould native and professional basketball player, Skyler Bowlin. Skyler has been playing pro basketball in Europe since 2011. He's back stateside for a visit, and we are excited to welcome him on the podcast. You won't want to miss it!

Kevin Lang is our guest on today's episode of the Paragould Podcast. Kevin spent the earliest years of his life living in the old No1 Fire Station, which is now the Post Office parking lot. He would eventually serve as a firefighter and later be appointed as the chief where he would serve for 15 years. He is now the Director of Planning and Development for the city of Paragould.

Jerry Ballew joins us to talk about his fascinating journey that ultimately landed him in Paragould. After hanging out in the barber shops of Brooklyn, NY, moving to Houston, TX, spending time on an oil rig in the Gulf, and working as a private security contractor in Afghanistan, it was MMA that eventually brought him to our city. Jerry's incredible journey is guaranteed to inspire you to make the...

On Wednesday, December 29, 1909, James Henry Trammell walked into the Elk Cafe in downtown Paragould. After getting into an argument with  Charles Gragg, Trammell pulled a gun, shot, and killed Gragg. He immediately headed west to evade police, and from there the story gets really interesting. You will not want to miss one minute of award-winning historian Erik Wright as he uncovers a mystery that...