Reelfoot Forward

Roy Herron is a public servant, attorney, minister and author with a deep-rooted history in West Tennessee. In this episode, he shares some of the stories from his new book, “Faith in Politics: Southern Political Battles Past and Present.” Herron has a lot to draw from after a career that includes 16 years as a Tennessee State Senator and 10 years as a Tennessee State Representative. He is also a...

Dresden, Tenn. native Gwendolyn Hopkins has been making people laugh for as long as she can remember. In this episode, Hopkins shares her journey on becoming a professional comedian, while maintaining a career in human resources. Hopkins tells the story of how her friends, family and faith have shaped her comedy and who she is today. Learn more information about her comedy and upcoming shows on he...

Spend a little time with Dan Knowles, and you’ll quickly find yourself inspired by this award-winning writer, artist and musician. In this episode, he shares the arts journey that took him from his childhood in California to the stage of the Grand Old Opry to riverboats on the Mississippi to his current home in Paris, Tenn. Today, Knowles both plays and creates banjos, mandolins and dulcimers in h...

Film, television, theatre and live events producer Samuel Goldberg recently contributed to the work of the Discovery Park of America team on the safety portion of the new exhibit on innovation in agriculture. His latest movie, “Silo,” has now been released in theaters around the country. It’s an incredible story based on real-life events about how a community came together to save a boy trapped in...

This special episode with Dr. Timothy Smith was recorded during Discovery Park’s Military History and Armed Forces Symposium. Dr. Smith was one of the featured historians on “Grant,” a three-night mini-series from The History Channel. The live audience learned more about the life and career of Ulysses S. Grant and the Civil War and discovered how history-related documentaries are made. Dr. Smith a...

Kirstan Blanchard took advantage of her time in quarantine to launch a successful lifestyle blog. Today, she shares her passion for beauty, affordable fashion and mental health for mothers with thousands of followers from around the world. In this episode, she shares her journey and provides tips and tricks to creating a personal brand, gaining followers and creating engaging content. You can view...

From legal assistant to veterinarian, Dr. Debbie Reynolds shares her story of chasing her dream in this episode of "Reefoot Forward." After graduating high school in Sharon, Tennessee, Debbie went to work as a legal assistant in Weakley County, but she soon discovered her true passion was caring for animals. Listen along as she gives uplifting advice on facing your biggest challenges and overcomin...

From an early age, Ed Sargent was surrounded by music. Whether he was playing in the high school band in Bolivar, Tennessee, or studying with music instructors at the University of Tennessee at Martin, Ed always knew his love and appreciation for music would be a big part of his life. In this episode, he shares how he became the tour manager for Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Joan Jett and gives the...

In this episode, local artist Paige Espey shares how through the tragedy of her brother's death she was inspired to pick up a paint brush and "turn something negative into a positive." Tune in to hear the story behind her popular rainbow paintings that have brought healing and support to many over the past few years.

In this episode, retired West Tennessee lawyer Jim Emison discusses his quest for justice for the brutal murder of Elbert Williams, a founding member of the NAACP in Haywood County. In June 1940, two officers from the Brownsville, Tennessee Police Department took Elbert Williams to jail for questioning. His body was later found floating in the Hatchie River making him one of the earliest members o...

As an Emmy award-winning writer and producer, Henri Giles has many fascinating stories she now shares with her students at the University of Tennessee at Martin. After earning her bachelor’s degree in communications, she worked in a variety of positions in broadcast and cable television. In this episode, she shares details about her unique life experiences that include working as a field producer...

April Lieberman, West and Middle Tennessee Rotary district governor, returned home to Gleason, Tennessee after successful careers that included time as a model, federal judicial law clerk and appellate attorney. A graduate of Yale Law School and Vanderbilt University, she now dedicates herself to serving throughout West Tennessee and encouraging those she encounters to “be the change they want to...

As a doctor of audiology with a passion for hunting, Dr. Bill Dickinson is an entrepreneur who merged his professional calling with one of his hobbies. He co-founded TETRA Hearing to provide perfected hearing protection and targeted enhancement that was awarded the 2020 Guns and Ammo Best New Technology of the Year. In this episode, listeners go behind the scenes and learn how he took this new pro...

Charles Brubaker’s path has taken him from a childhood on the busy streets of Isahaya, Nagasaki in Japan to life with his six cats and two dogs living in the rural community of Martin in Northwest Tennessee. In this episode, he shares how he turned his early passion for art and illustration into a successful career as a storyboard artist, cartoonist and animator. After graduating from the Universi...

From the hustle of New York Fashion Week to overseeing the visionary process of music videos, editorials and merchandise design, Nashville stylist Krista Roser has an exciting career in the fashion industry. Originally, from Dyersburg, Tenn., Krista’s passion for design was sparked by a college trip with University of Tennessee at Martin to New Orleans where she visited Saks Fifth Avenue for the f...

Through his nonprofit, Special Ops Xcursions, founder Scott Graves is devoted to providing unique adventures to Special Operations Forces service members and their families at no cost. The list of adventures includes hunting, fishing, skeet shooting, archery range days, family retreats, safaris and even music-writing getaways with Nashville recording artists. In this episode, Scott shares the stor...

In this episode, host Scott Williams talks with Caroline Meinert, artistic director for Ballet Arts in Jackson, Tenn. She shares her story of auditioning for the Radio City Rockettes in New York City, her decision to become a dance instructor and why she decided to come back and run the studio that sparked her passion for dance. Caroline also discusses the importance of having a strong arts progra...

As a fourth generation hunter from Samburg, Tennessee, Ben Parker created Parker's Outfitting to provide hunting and fishing adventures in the region. Recording from his lodge at Reelfoot Lake, Ben talks about his time on the professional fishing circuit and how he developed the idea to provide outdoor excursions in his hometown.

It's not every day you get to hear firsthand what it's like to ride into a rodeo arena. In this episode, Casey Allen, a graduate student and member of the rodeo team at the University of Tennessee at Martin, shares about the thrill of barrel racing and break-away roping. When she is not in class, she is practicing and competing in rodeos across the country. Raised just outside of Pittsburg, Pennsy...

Charles Choate, the host of “30 Minutes,” a community affairs program from the Thunderbolt Broadcasting Company, turns the tables on “Reelfoot Forward” host, Scott Williams, to find out more about Discovery Park of America’s new exhibit on innovation in agriculture. By 2050, agricultural production must increase dramatically to support an estimated global population of 10 billion. In this episode,...

Jake Bynum describes his job as Weakly County mayor as being a salesman for the county. In this episode, you’ll hear how he transitioned from serving on the city board to running and winning the position of county mayor.  Whether he’s looking for ways to increase economic development or make high-speed internet access available in rural communities, Jake uses his leadership role to help improve th...

By the end of this episode, you will want to hop in your car and head to Martin for some of the tastiest BBQ in Northwest Tennessee. Blake Stoker, the young, enthusiastic owner of Blake’s BBQ, shares how he discovered his love for grilling and how he is turning his food trailer business into a brick and mortar restaurant. For those listeners who enjoy grilling, Blake also shares some insider tips...

As the director of the University of Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center at Milan, Blake Brown experiences firsthand the innovation that comes as a result of agriculture research. Since opening in 1962, thousands of projects have taken place on crops including corn, cotton, soybeans, grain-sorghum, wheat and more. In this episode, Brown shares a little of what is happening at the center toda...

In this episode, three members of the Weakley County Reconciliation Project share the organization’s goal of creating a diverse, nonpartisan group of community members seeking to engage others in an open dialogue on matters of race, racism and social injustice in the region. Guests include Robert Nunley, youth programs worker; Bro. Randy Cooper, minister at First United Methodist Church of Martin;...

From singing in her church choir to playing piano in school recitals, Achana Jarrett’s passion for the arts has played a significant role in her life. That passion is even more evident in her career. As the executive director of the Brownsville-Haywood County Arts Council, Achana continues to cultivate art programs in the community where she was raised. Listeners will enjoy hearing from this chari...