Within The Realm

David Crockett (he never signed his name Davy Crockett) cut quite a figure in history. He was known as a frontiersman, a bear hunter, an Indian fighter and a hero of the Texas revolution, all in his short 49 years of life. But, according to Micheal Wallis, author of the book "David Crockett, the Lion of the West," it was his tenure in Congress and his stand against fellow Tennessean, President And...

Recently America...and the world...celebrated the 50th Anniversary of men landing on the moon. In this episode we discuss the space program with a couple of friends of mine who can provide a unique perspective on the subject while keeping their feet firmly on the earth!

Punk Rock is more than music. It's a movement, "A thing you are," says one of our contributors to today's episode. Although it's seen as movement for young people, there are plenty that hang on to the philosophies and ethics, continuing to apply apply them to their changing lives.  We talk with several who were influenced early by Punk Rock and found it has stuck with them.

With no formal education and not speaking English, Sequoyah developed a writing system for the Cherokees that helped preserve their language and culture. Recently, two event, both involving the Cherokee language and both having a direct tie to Sequoyah although he died over 180 years ago.

Once a barrier to the westward expansion of the United States now just a reference on aged maps, the Great American Desert played a pivotal role in the development of many other parts of the country, all the while remaining virtually empty of white settlement, until...

Join us on this episode as friends from Within The Realm share Words of Wisdom that they have applied to their lives. A revealing look into the thoughts and personalities of these extraordinary folks!

There's a renewed interest in Judge Isaac Parker, Fort Smith's famed Hangin' Judge. Join us for an encore presentation of one of our earlier episodes about the fascinating life of Isaac Parker before he was the "Law West of Fort Smith."

We speak with Dr. Rick Farmer, a political Scientist who has done work in the area of legislative term limits. We discuss the pros and cons of this effort by voters to limit politicians.

"I believe we were put here to do hard things," says Nikki, a Mom of two little girls and an avid runner. Recently, she took took up a new challenge that tested both the Mom and the runner in her. Listen in to an inspiring talk with this determined soul!

Arthur was a mover and shaker. He was an innovator in the advertisement and insurance businesses, making a comfortable living for himself. He had a vision; connecting Kansas City to the Gulf of Mexico, a vision he saw through. Many towns including were built along his new rail line, two of which bore his name. He was a Captain of Industry - and he owed it all to the...voices.

Every Monday night, some of Kansas City's best songwriters gather at a little place called the RINO for an Open Mic Night called Song Lab. Now into it's second year, Song Lab has become a supportive community for the artists and a home on Monday Night. It was no accident. Organizer Ben Wendt tells us about making it happen and we hear from some of the artists themselves!

With Dewayne, It's a passion! He collects whiskeys of the world, not for the buzz, but for the camaraderie of liked minded souls that enjoy a good whiskey. Listen in as he teaches me a thing or two about the finer points of whiskey and the people who love it!

What Cheese Steak is to Philadelphia, so is Spaghetti Red to Joplin, Missouri. You really haven't experienced that neck of the Ozarks without partaking of this singular meal! Come have a plate of Joplin's culinary gift to the world with a bonafide expert on the dish and the lunch counter that started it all - Fred and Red's!

Our trailer, just a little sampling of what you're going to get when you enter the Realm!

Lorenzo Dow Fuller, Jr. was a pioneer in the early days of television, but his parents were Pioneers in their own right. His father was a traveling musician, taking his family on tours across the Midwest. He made quite a splash on Broadway, radio and the new medium of television. He soon had a spot as the host of his own network show, the first African American to do so. As the years went by, the...

When I was a kid growing up in the foothills of the Ozarks there wasn't a lot of excitement, but that changed the summer I turned nine. The filming of "Where The Red Fern Grows" had come to town with all the glitz and bustle making a movie can provide. One school friend had a special relationship to the REAL stars of the movie.

Nowadays a trip to the hardware store is a trip to a brightly colored big box. There was a time when such a trip was to a downtown shop full of everything you might need..and a cast of colorful characters. There is still such a place, Fletcher hardware and it has it resident colorful character, Bill. It is still very much what it was fifty years ago when I first set foot in the place. Take a step...

Earlier in this season we met Hannah Pithers, a young personal trainer with a big health issue , Crohn's Disease, in "Hannah's Story: The Big Comeback." In the course of the interview, I learned that I had two great inspirational stories on my hands. This episode focuses on Matt, Hannah's husband, and his side of this same story. 

It was the edge of the United States, closer to Spanish territory than the nearest military installation of the United States. William Lovely had been placed as agent to the Cherokees in the West, tasked with ending the bloody conflict between them and the Osages. With poor communication with the government back east and no real authority, he had to make it up as he went. His actions are apparent...

Will Rogers, Oklahoma's favorite son, worked his way from failed rancher to Wild West show performer to the highest paid performer in Hollywood. His homespun philosophy won him favor with Presidents and the common man. But this story centers on a gun, a Colt 32.20, that was shipped to Muskogee, Indian Territory in 1904. Could it be the gun in Will's holster pictured above? The Humber family story...

One of the most-heard comments at showings of his work by Indian artist Bobby C. Martin is "But you don't look Indian..." The theme of much of Bobby's work centers around the subject of Indian identity - in fact, his last show took it's title from that often repeated phrase. Listen in as Bobby discusses the process of defining his Native American identity.

Someone has to keep the family stories alive...Are you the Keeper of the Stories? Listen in as host Steve Garrett discusses the importance of maintaining the family stories and tells one from his own family that was almost lost to time!

Check out the adventures of Courtney Ann Hall as she goes from novice songwriter to recording artist in the span of one year.

Val Anderson claims to be a quiet person who just wants to take pictures. She's pretty good at it and finds herself lending her talent to various groups, like Honor Flight Kansas City, a non-profit that provides a one-day flight for veterans to Washington D.C. to visit the various armed services and war memorials. She not only gives us stellar photographs of these events but provides us with obser...

Just in time for Halloween! A story of a hunt for Bigfoot in the hills of Oklahoma with an excitable teenage boy and a reluctant local editor.