The Rant

Jimmy Randolph is CEO of the Sanford Area Growth Alliance, but he joins us today wearing another hat — organizer for the Sanford Pottery Exhibition & Marketplace, a reboot of sorts of the old Sanford Pottery Festival which took place here for several years and is set to return on April 30 and May 1 at the Dennis Wicker Civic Center.

Lee County Sheriff Tracy Carter will end 30-plus years in law enforcement when he officially retires on Jan. 1. He took some time to talk about his career and not only his future, but the future of the sheriff's office, on our Friends of The Rant podcast. 

Government reporter and political science authority Richard Sullins joins the podcast to talk about his experience writing for The Rant and his first impressions of local government in Lee County. 

Dr. David Watson, a humanities instructor at Central Carolina Community College, is author of “ Truth to Post-Truth in American Detective Fiction .” The book, Sanford native Watson’s first, is described by its publisher as examining “questions of truth and relativism, turning to detectives, both real and imagined, from Poe’s C. Auguste Dupin to Robert Mueller, to establish an oblique history of th...

The Friends of the Rant podcast returns with hosts Gordon Anderson and Billy Liggett talking about Squid Games, Many Saints of Newark, last month's Carolina Indie Fest and other local news stories of interest to your listening ears. 

Carolina Indie Fest headliner Paleface talks with The Rant about his upcoming performance — his first live performance since the beginning of the pandemic — and the musicians who have influenced him in his storied career. 

Full podcast this week as we interview Carolina Indie Fest band HaHa Charade and talk to Beth List about this Saturday's POP!-Con at the Lee County Library. 

A self-styled “astral-pop” and “soul rock” artist from Delaware who has been singing her whole life, Nitro Nitra began a career in music in 2019 after having a “mystical, spiritual awakening” she says freed her from “repetitive loops of mental bondage.” Nitra’s goal as a musician is to create a shared experience by lifting her fans up to a place where they can open their minds to new levels of exi...

Continuing our series of interviews with artists performing at the upcoming Carolina Indie Fest, this week we're joined by Denver rock duo Addie Tonic. We also talk local news, because this is a local news podcast, friends.    Addie Tonic: Founding members Meghann5k and Matt Youngblood spent the last 4 years touring small venues under various names and with several lineup changes before deciding o...

"Among the most emotionally compelling songwriters of our time." ~ NPR "Defiant, young - powerful, and undaunted.” ~ Texas Lifestyle Magazine This week, we interview The Accidentals, the Michigan trio who will bring their eclectic blend of indie folk, pop, bluegrass, rock and more to downtown Sanford’s Carolina Indie Fest in September. Listen to our interview and a couple of awesome Accidentals ja...

Georgetown, Texas-based Tough on Fridays talks about their music, the music scene in Austin, the origin of their name and what Carolina Indie Fest-goers can expect from their set. Carolina Indie Fest is scheduled for Sept. 18-19 in downtown Sanford, North Carolina. 

Cliff Wheeler is the leader of the Lemon Springs-based Cliff Wheeler Band, who have performed all over the country and released music on Indie On Air records. He will be performing two sets at the Carolina Indie Fest in downtown Sanford on Sept. 18 and 19.   The first in our series of Indie Fest podcasts.   

John Cawley, co-owner of Sugarneck — one of Sanford's premiere events venues — talks about the local wedding industry, the history of his venue and his career in music management working with some of music's biggest names. 

CCCC President Dr. Lisa Chapman and Board Chairman Julian Philpott join The Rant to discuss its mission, its growing number of programs and its role as an employment pipeline for the city's and region's workforce.  Our hosts also talk about the lifting of mask mandates, gas shortages and becoming neighbors. 

Sandra Torres and Angel Mills talk about El Refugio, a Christian organization based in Lee County working to build bridges between immigrants and established residents through cultural sharing. El Refugio is currently sponsoring the Sanford Sings Karaoke competition , a fundraising effort to support area nonprofit organizations. 

Sanford's own Bret Schaller talks about his experience (and his win) on Episode 9 of History Channel's "Assembly Required," hosted by former "Home Improvement" duo Tim Allen and Richard Karn.

Old North State League organizers talk about the Sanford Spinners' return to the diamond. Guests this week are Spinners head coach Jeremy Palme, league owner Alec Allred, league marketing director Lexie Allred.

Central Carolina Hospital CEO Spencer Thomas joined The Rant podcast to talk about where the hospital is at with the recent COVID-19 surge, the status of CCH’s vaccination operation and what things look like going forward. Your hosts also talk about the 10th anniversary of the April 16, 2011, tornado; the housing market and Gordon's messed up dream.

Friend and fan of The Rant Britton Buchanan has released three singles so far in 2021, with more coming soon. His long-awaited first album is also set to drop this year. Buchanan joins us this month to talk these things and more. 

Friend of the Rant Margaret Murchison returns to talk about CCCC's Black Lives Matter scholarship, and the Rant talks about Gordon's appearance on the Oxygen "murder show," Killer Motive. 

Joni Martin of Progressive Development and Downtown Sanford Inc. Executive Director Kelli Laudate join the podcast to talk about the future agriculture marketplace coming to downtown Sanford, funded by a $500,000-plus grant from Pilgrim's. 

Joseph Keel, Parks and Recreation director, talks about the return of youth and adult sports this spring and what the future sports complex will mean to youth athletics in Lee County. 

The Rant talks to longtime friend Lee County Sheriff Tracy Carter, who talks about his decision to step down in 2022, his 15-year career as sheriff and who he's supporting in next year's election.

Indie On Air CEO Jeff Popka and Hugger Mugger Brewing owner Tim Emmert talk about the upcoming Carolina Indie Fest (September 2021) in Sanford and some of the bands and musicians slated to perform (Paleface, The Accidentals, Willow Hill and the Cliff Wheeler Band, to name a few). 

Lee County Parks & Recreation outdoor specialist Jaime Osborne joins The Rant to talk about outdoor education programs offered by the county and the likelihood of whether they'll let us handle some snakes and turtles in the near future.