This Conversation

Wildlife biologist Ethan Chapmon of the Virginia Dept of Wildlife resources addresses problems and solutions for the overabundance of deer in our neighborhoods. From car crashes and destroyed gardens to disease from deer ticks, Chapmon offers his advice. If you have a problem with a wounded deer or other issues, you can call the Wildlife Conflict Helpline: 855-571-9003. Or visit the Virginia Depar...

Mia Seligman found herself covering anti-Semitic speech as a first year student at Appalachian State University. Now in her junior year, she is the editor of the student paper. She continues to follow the story, despite the fear of having her picture posted on an anti-Semitic group's website and the scare of having her car windshield broken out. She is scheduled to have an article published in thi...

This interview is Part II in a four part series on Freedom of hte Press. In Part I, David Huff described his arrest for insisting that he's a member of the press -- and that he should have a seat at the Press table at a Saltville Town Hall meeting. In this episode, we hear from his lawyer Christopher Johnson who agrees with Mr. Huff and describes the resolution of the legal case. Is this...

This interview begins a four-part series on free speech and a free press. Our first conversation is with Saltville resident David Huff who claimed to be a member of the press and refused to leave a press table at a Town Council meeting. He was arrested for disorderly conduct. Is he really a member of the press and how can we know? Hear the result of his disorderly conduct...

It's Black History Month and Marva Wheeler shares her history in Washington County Virginia as a child of segregation, but also a person with outstanding musical talent. That didn't mean she avoided racial discrimination. She shares her story in hopes that the lessons of inequality can prevent future racism. Mentioned in this episode: WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia. Stay...

Valentyn Boychuck is a foreign exchange student who left Ukraine to be a student at Abingdon High School. The program that brought him here is the FLEX program through the U.S. Department of State. This 15-year-old share stories about the struggles of life in war-torn Ukraine including friends and family members who have served in the military and also how he loves his country and wants to share t...

Ben Davis, an Emory & Henry graduate, who lives in Santa Monica, California, shares his experience living through the wildfires that burned tens of thousands of acres in January 2025. With evacuation notices for his neighbors four blocks away, Ben and others in his apartment building evacuated as well. When they looked outside, the view was a wall of inferno nearby in the Palisades a...

David King converted from Old-Order Amish beliefs to Pentecostal Apostolic beliefs. His journey began with his birth in an Amish community in Lancaster Pennsylvania. As an adult, he began questioning the religious commitment in his community and eventually moved to Abingdon, Virginia where he is now known as a prominent farmer who sells his goods at the Abingdon Farmers Market.  He describes...

She's the Chief of Police for Emory & Henry University.  Yancey Wilmoth.   In This Conversation, she talks about intense Police Academy Training that helped her prevail in an incident where a man attempted to evade arrest. In contrast, she talks about the skills involved in communicating with children, and she tells the story helping a family in distress that became one of...

A new national research project into collard greens is underway and is based on work done for a book by Emory & Henry Professor Ed Davis and his co-author Professor Emeritus John Morgan. Ed's book is called Collards: A Southern Tradition from Seed to Table. In this episode of This Conversation, he reviews the culture of collards and recounts his pilgrimage over thousands of miles to find heirl...

An area company is leading the world in saving us from plastic waste. Eastman Chemical in nearby Kingsport, TN is now operating the world's largest chemical recycling facility. Eastman has reduced its carbon footprint by 80% with a goal of zero carbon input into the environment. The company is partnering with other major corporations, such as Pepsi and Proctor and Gamble to reduce plastic was...

Monroe Preston attended the Glade Spring Elementary School during segregation. The school was commonly referred to as the "colored school." Preston has led a campaign that resulted in the posting of a state highway marker to commemorate the school and its teachers. In this interview, Preston describes the school and its dedicated teachers, along with the many successes of those...

Yogev Von Kundra had thought of himself as half-Jewish -- until he made a trip to Israel with the Birthright Program in 2018. The trip transformed him. He describes powerful experiences, especially visiting the wailing wall in Jerusalem and shares his views on the Israeli-Hamas war. He now operates a farm in Washington County Virginia, influenced by Jewish history, practices, and spirituality. At...

The Digital Marketing and Advertising Manager of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Bristol says she loves her job. Lindsay Powers is also a graduate of Emory & Henry's Mass Communications Department and explains how all the skills from her undergraduate education plus her career experience came together for the opportunity to market the large gaming and entertainment facility in Bristol. Men...

Retired criminal defense attorney Jay Steele reflects on his 44 years of practice in Southwest Virginia, representing those facing both federal and state charges. The big question people always want to know: how can you defend people who may be guilty of serious crimes? And why, in Steele's case, is it more challenging to defend someone you believe to be innocent? What cases stand out? What concer...

Los Angeles Pro Wrestler CEREAL MAN graduated from Emory & Henry College in 2008. Hear the story of Derek Smith's journey from College to the Pro Wrestling Circuit. You can find his costume and prop creations on Etsy at the Sweat Monster Shop. https://www.etsy.com/shop/SweatMonsterShop Mentioned in this episode: WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia. Stay tuned, connected, informed a...

Marika Katanuma is a Japanese journalist, working on both the English and Japanese branches of Bloomberg news in Tokyo. She quickly rose through the ranks at Bloomberg to hold responsibility for news stories, websites, and making major news judgments. One of her investigative projects explored the gender gap in pay between women and men in Japan. Hear how she chose Emory & Henry College for he...

This week's interview delves into the pros and cons of the proposed Virginia Constitutional Amendment that will appear on ballots for the November 2024 Election Ballot. The Amendment intends to expand a current tax exemption on homes owned by spouses of members of the military who die "in the line of duty." Previously, the exemption was only extended to spouses of those who were "killed in ac...

Democratic Congressional Candidate for the 9th District in Virginia addresses her positions and answers questions about major issues in the Tuesday, November 5, 2024 election. Incumbent Congressman Republican Morgan Griffith declined to be interviewed for This Conversation unless another host would conduct the interview, believing that I cannot conduct an impartial interview. His staff reports tha...

Washington County Virginia Democrat Party Chair Susan Stancil talks about the party platform that makes her feel connected: An economy that lifts up the middle class and doesn't cater to the wealthy; the right for a woman to determine her own reproductive health and not leave abortion decisions to the government; support for the 2nd Amendment; support for public education; a mission to protect Dem...

In the first of a two-part series, we hear from Republican Mark Matney about why he finds Republican values align with his personal beliefs. He cites small government and low taxes as a top priority and credits former President Donald Trump with improvement in jobs. He sees support for his religious beliefs of anti-abortion and sinfulness of homosexuality and people who seek transgender care. Matn...

Washington County Virginia Voter Registrar Derek Lyall addresses accusations that voting results cannot be trusted. You will find much additional info about your candidates and information about where you vote at Vote411. https://www.vote411.org/ Here is a link to Cardinal News' coverage of the 2024 election with information about Virginia candidates and the intent of the proposed Constitutional A...

Dr. Ed Davis, Professor of Geography and Environmental Science, is an optimist. He is one of 97% of those in the scientific community who believe that dangerous climate change is caused by human behaviors. He will talk about increasing and more dangerous floods, storms, droughts, hot temperatures, and rising water levels. But, he believes that humans have a notable record of doing the right thing...

We are dedicating this episode of This Conversation to another show on WEHC: Keys to the Game with Gary Lester. Keys to the Game is celebrating ten years on the air with its focus on the inside view of Emory & Henry football where Gary talks to the coach. With the trust the coaches have for him, he gets the explanations of what happened in the previous game -- and what to expect in the next ga...

Sally's story of alcoholism began with a wine cooler at the age of 13 -- the drinks provided by a mother of her teenage friend! Her story is quite different from "Eric's" who told us in Part 1 of this four -part series about being a high-functioning alcoholic. He operated mostly under the radar until a serious health issue ultimately led him to Alcoholics Anonymous and sobriety. https://player.cap...