This Conversation

Dr. Theresa Burriss has brought her expertise in Appalachia to Southwest Virginia, by way of 25 years' teaching at Radford University, a Fulbright in Romania, and a Governor's appointment to the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice. In this conversation, she talks about unique characteristics of the economy in Appalachia -- and specifically in Southwest Virginia. Mentioned in this episode: WE...

This week's interview is with Orchestra Conductor Cornelia Laemmli Orth of Song of the Mountains Orchestra-- from Switzerland via other major world cities to the TriCities, she brings passion, drama, and excitement to the professional orchestra performances. Soundtrack about movies is the theme for the Jan. 27, 7:30 Concert and Eastman Employee Center. On Feb. 10, a tribute to Martin Luther King p...

William Isom produces a series of programs focused on being Black in Appalachia. This interview precedes 2024 celebrations of Martin Luther King Day and airs in advance of Mr. Isom's presentation in Abingdon about some of the history and contraditions in views toward Blacks in the area. For example, support for abolition of slavery was often expressed by slave owners. The SW Virginia area has high...

David Miller will blow your mind with the story of how a bee hive gets a new queen. Her is a bee keeper and owner of Bee Woodwork. beewoodwork.com. where he sells supplies for bees. He's also President of Highlands Bee Keepers. highlandsbeekeepers.com. Bottom line. David Miller loves bees and wants others to know how important they are to us. Mentioned in this episode: WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of...

Rev. Boyd Evans of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Abingdon, Va. reflects on his own experience in Occupied Gaza in the light of the current Israel -Gaza war that began on October 7, 2023 with an attack on Israel by Hamas operatives. The conversation includes an intro to historical background to the establishment of Israel and the ongoing violence and tensions between Israel and the occupied West B...

We talked to Nurse Curt Phillips in the midst of the initial COVID crisis. Now, with an uptick in new COVID cases in the Bristol area, Curt reviews the changes in cases and treatments. Mentioned in this episode: WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia. Stay tuned, connected, informed and entertained. This is listener supported radio. www.wehcfm.com

David Alford founded Cross Purposes Production when he realized that a play by that name that he was writing should be a screen play. That short film led to three feature films, the most recent of which is Searching for the Elephant and its release is imminent. The film was shot in Southwest Virginia with a cast drawn from area professionals. Details of the release of Searching for the Elephant in...

Rural areas don't have the ease in recycling that metropolitan areas have, but depending on your location in or around Abingdon, VA, and Bristol, VA/TN, you might be able to get curbside recycling from REVOLUTIONS CURBSIDE RECYCLING. The small company could pick up your recycling, including glass, cans, Plastics #1 and #2, paper and cardboard. In this epidosde, company owner Tasha Foy will explain...

What a fun conversation with Aaron Brand. You'll learn the long-time nickname of this 2023 Football Inductee into the Emory & Henry Sports Hall of Fame -- and his fundamental purpose that led to the name. He was quarterback for four years and didn't lose a single home game. Also a pitcher on the baseball team. Hear his story about acting and why he did not major in mass communic...

In this episode of This Conversation , you'll hear the two candidates vying to become Washington County Commonwealth Attorney. What does the County Attorney do? How does each candidate envision that work? Incumbent Democrat Josh Cumbo and Republican Dove Goodpaster present their visions for the county courtrooms preceding the November 2023 election that is less than a week away at the time of this...

Candidates for Washington County, Virginia Treasurer Incumbent Fred Parker and opponent Derek Webb talk about their qualifications for the job. How much should age be a factor? Why does a pharmacist want to become a county treasurer? Mentioned in this episode: WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia. Stay tuned, connected, informed and entertained. This is listener supported radio. www.weh...

Rex Carter is running in the Nov. 7 election as an Independent candidate for Sheriff of Washington County, Virginia. In this interview, he describes examples he sees as lack of leadership under the current sheriff and his Republican opponent Sheriff, Republican Blake Andis. Sheriff Andis was offered half of the time for this interview but said that he was unable to participate. Because Sheriff And...

The say all politics is local, but national issues have become central to a Washington County, Virginia race to become Commissioner of Revenue in November. Two independents, a Republican, and a Democrat explain why they are running with a party designation -- or lack therof. And they have been asked to address both 1st and 2nd Amendment issues that would not appear to have anything to do with runn...

Sounds easy. One person. One vote. And yet, as we learn in this interview, voter suppression is not something of the past. Current efforts to stop people from voting even target college students. Amber Wilt, Virginia Coordinator of the national non-profit, non-partisan Campus Vote Project talks about her organization's work on Virginia Campuses to encourage voting and about a lawsuit against the g...

Dr. Jerry Jones' new book is called They Included Me and relates his journey from the "colored school" in Glade Spring, Va. to degrees in higher education and teaching in a number of locations. His final teaching stop was as a faculty member at Emory & Henry College, the institution he passed daily in the bus that took him on an hour-long trip to the black high school in Bristol, VA in the era...

International Opera Star Mike Austin graduated from Emory & Henry College and started work at an area aluminum factory where his supervisors wanted to promote him to management. But Emory & Henry choir director Chick Davis helped him find a different path that has led him to stages in major cities all over the world. Austin talks about his early music experience in his home church in Wythe...

In a chance encounter, This Conversation host Teresa Keller met charming and outgoing college student Tony Washington. He was sharing information about the ROTC with other students. Keller thought an interview with a college student in ROTC would be interesting and then learned that Tony had been through Army basic training and was a member of the National Guard. With that background, the intervie...

Bob Sommers has live on the Island of Maui for 27 years and never dreamed of the kind of tragedy that came with the August 2023 fire in the beautiful town of Lahaina -- not too far from where he lives. Although his home in Kihei was not threatened, he was required to evacuate and has been forever changed. He shares his experience and stories of people who survived the Lahaina fire -- and those who...

Author, speaker, and wellness coach Andrea Kanelopoulos shares her journey to peace and her decision to live in the face of anorexia. Moreover, she offers Pieces of Peace in a recent book and shares some of the three-minute reflections from the book in this conversation. You can find more information about her new book and her other activities at AnamNostosHouse.com. Mentioned in this episode: WEH...

What's it like to learn at the age of 26 that you and your family were not who you thought? Kathy Shearer tells her story of the secret her family kept from her, its aftermath, and the lessons she learned. It's quite a story. Mentioned in this episode: WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia. Stay tuned, connected, informed and entertained. This is listener supported radio. www.wehcfm...

Steve Smith followed in his father's footsteps in the grocery business and has grown into a multi-billion dollar operation. The company is widely recognized for its generous charitable donations. We talk with Food City President and CEO Steve Smith in this episode, featuring his most recent contribution to helping build a local workforce and provide child care for the area. Mentioned in this episo...

Coach Jacqui Reynolds is a professional baseball bench coach, working this summer of 2023 with the Johnson City Doughboys. When fall comes, she will return to her Assistant Coach position with the baseball team at the University of Massachusetts. In this episode of This Conversation , she shares her story of finding and achieving her unusual goal along with the joys and challenges of the job. Ment...

Many people think they want to save the world, but few do more than Pamela Irvine has done. She was inspired by a time in her life when money was scarce. Now, hungry people in a 21 county region in Southwest Virginia can get a free hot meal, pick up produce and supplies, meet the food delivery truck in their community, or even have food delivered to their doors when they don't have transportation....

Dr. John Lentz volunteers to clarify laws for those who hire members of the National Guard or Reserves. He is Ombudsman of the organization Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves. ESGR In the Guard and Reserves, state and federal members of the military have specific time commitments for training and service, plus the possibility of being called to active duty. What does an employer do when a...

As a college student, Matt Shannon found an interest in the Middle East and gradually narrowed his attention to the connections between Iran and the U.S. Dr. Shannon is now a professor of history, preparing for the release of his second book, Mission Manifest , a look at the experience of U.S. evangelicals and missionaries in Iran. The country continues to play a significant role in U.S. internati...