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Reelfoot Forward

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Podcast by Reelfoot Forward
156 Episodes
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Filmmaker Derek Purvis is the producer-director of the just released action pic “The Ballad of Davy Crockett.” In this episode, Purvis shares a little about the early inspiration that led him to a career in filmmaking along with a few stories that take listeners behind the scenes of his production. Filmed in Tennessee, “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” is an action-packed Western featuring William Moseley who is known for his portrayal of the fictional character Peter Pevensie in the “The Chronicles of Narnia” trilogy. Set in 1815, the film focuses on Crockett’s fictional adventures while fighting his way through the wild frontier to save his children from the clutches of an evil land baron (Colm Meaney of Hell on Wheels). “We wanted to explore the larger-than-life mythology that enshrouds the Crockett name and use his ardent opposition to Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act as a throughline for what turned out to be a beautiful action-adventure tale,” said Purvis. This episode is sponsored by Leaders Credit Union. Leaders Credit Union is insured by NCUA.
Documentary filmmaker Randall Kendrick grew up in Brownsville, Tennessee in the shadow of The Mindfield, a “you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it” outdoor art installation created by Tennessee outsider artist Billy Tripp. The artist has been constructing a massive steel sculpture for the past 33 years, and is finally setting his sights on retirement. In his documentary, “The Steel Garden: A Documentary” Kendrick examines Tripp’s life and work as he builds one of the final pieces of his ever expanding sculpture. In this episode, Kendrick shares more about the inspiration for his documentary, the process he went through to get the story on film and the early response from the documentary film festival circuit, Brownsville residents and Billy Tripp himself. This episode is sponsored by Leaders Credit Union. Leaders Credit Union is insured by NCUA.
Sean Gasaway is an entertainer who wears many hats. His titles include songwriter, producer, music mogul, record producer, actor and entrepreneur. On this episode, the two-time Native American Music Awards Song of the Year winner shares more about using music to change young lives as education coordinator with the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance and some of the exciting things happening with arts and entertainment down in the historic Mississippi Delta. You can find out more about Sean at seangasaway.com. This episode is sponsored by Leaders Credit Union.
Ann Martin is a leader of one of the most unique attractions in the nation, Patti’s 1880’s Settlement in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. A cancer survivor, businesswomen, entrepreneur, and recent TikTok star, she led the organization through a devastating fire, the many negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and now, unprecedented growth. In this episode, she shares the inspirational story of how their attraction’s restaurant— now serving over one million dollars in pork chops every year—began when one courageous woman, the late Patti Tullar, transformed her love for cooking and family into an award-winning business in a tiny town of 350 located between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. Today, with its beautifully landscaped gardens, wedding chapel, water wheels, gift shops and boutique stores, Patti’s 1880’s Settlement, just an hour from Discovery Park, draws more than 300,000 visitors each year. You can discover more about Patti’s 1880’s Settlement on their website and follow Ann Martin on TikTok. This episode is sponsored by Leaders Credit Union.
Jeremy Powell, a pastor and teacher in Union City, Tennessee, was born with an autoimmune deficiency that rendered his body incapable of defeating bacterial and fungal infections. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world, Powell contracted fungal meningitis. Given only an 18% chance of surviving the infection, his doctors at the National Institutes of Health recommended a bone marrow transplant as a last-ditch effort to clear the meningitis and save his life. Powell survived the transplant, and his rehabbed immune system even fought back the infection in his spine and brain. He was healed of his autoimmune deficiency and the fungal meningitis it caused. However, it left him completely paralyzed from the neck down, an he found himself dangerously close to having his breathing permanently compromised. After a stint at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Spain Rehabilitation Hospital, another operation and an inpatient rehab stay at Vanderbilt’s Stallworth Hospital, Powell slowly began feeling again. As he has grown stronger, his mobility has dramatically improved, and Powell continues to amaze medical doctors, nurses and physical therapists nationwide with his miraculous recovery. In this episode, Powell shares his inspirational story and that in the midst of some of the darkest days he has ever experienced, it became clear that God could use his suffering to cultivate hope in his life and in the lives of others. Today, he has returned to the pulpit of Crosswind Church where his message of hope touches hundreds each week. You can discover more about Powell at JeremyPowell.com and find episodes of his messages on Crosswind Church’s Youtube channel. This episode is sponsored by Leader Credit Union. Leaders is insured by NCUA.
In this second two-part episode about road and mountain biking in Tennessee, we welcome Rodney McConnell, founder of the popular Ride the Fault Line bike ride. Participants on this ride explore attractions and experiences along the New Madrid Fault Line in Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee in just seven days. This episode is sponsored by Obion County Tourism.
We kick off a new year of podcast episodes from Discovery Park with a special two-part look at road and mountain biking in Tennessee. Jenny Veal, rural destination development manager with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, shares more about Bike Tennessee. The initiative will feature four to six curated routes in each of the nine regions of the state. Each route will be named, rated for difficulty, and will include mileage, climb, scenic information and points of interests. All Bike Tennessee cycling routes will be mapped and downloadable in the Ride with GPS app. This episode is sponsored by Reelfoot Lake.
As chairperson of the Arts Council of Crockett County, Tennessee Sarah Conley champions fine arts in the rural community named in honor of David Crockett. In this episode, she shares details from her journey so far including a childhood in Bells, Tennessee and early theatrical training with nationally acclaimed teacher of high school speech and drama, Freda Kenner. Today, Conley enthusiastically works to make certain people of all ages have access to arts of all kinds. This episode is sponsored by Parker’s Outfitting.
Tosha and Chris Gurley’s love story began with their “first child” Jack, a pet black-capped capuchin monkey. After Chris sold his cattle and goats, he decided to buy five buffalo. Next came the zebra, kangaroos and giraffes. It quickly grew from there into what is now Southland Safari in Clarksburg, Tennessee. Along for the ride with Tosha and Chris from the beginning, was their friend and legendary tour guide, Michael Avery. In this episode, Tosha and Michael share more about their story and the big commitment they made to leave their full-time jobs to run a zoo and luxury destination. Get a sneak peek of Michael at work with the animals from their Instagram or TikTok accounts, @southlandsafaritn. Better yet, plan your visit on their website for an up close and personal tour or luxury lodging experience.
Originally from Memphis, Dr. Yancy Freeman is the new chancellor at the University of Tennessee at Martin. In this episode, we discuss his path back to West Tennessee and the guidance he provides for today’s students. After completing his undergraduate, masters and doctorate from UT Chattanooga, Dr. Freeman served at the university for the past 25 years in various admissions, recruitment and enrollment roles. “West Tennessee has always been near and dear to my heart,” Dr. Freeman expresses as he reflects on being back in the part of the state that feels like home. This episode is sponsored by Leaders Credit Union. Leaders is insured by the NCUA.
“You do not have to be defined by your circumstances, but you’re defined by the choices that you make every single day.” These are words that Miss Volunteer America 2024, Hannah Perrigin, lives by. In this episode, we go back to her beginning where Ms. Perrigin decided she was not going to be another statistic of at-risk youth. You may be surprised to learn that time competing in pageants didn’t start until she was in college. In 2019, she was crowned Ole Miss Most Beautiful. This is when she was encouraged to continue. We also discuss the good and bad of social media and why she chooses to share both as a way to inspire her followers. Learn more about how pageants have changed over the years and the platform it’s given her.
Obion County resident Kimberly Green Bugg is an award-winning artist and member of the Oneida Nation on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada. She began dancing and competing in Powwows in 1994 as a Southern Traditional Buckskin dancer, a traditional dance among the southern nations, and in 1997, she was selected as the Memphis Powwow Princess. In this episode, Bugg shares more about exploring her Native American culture, the importance of powwow celebrations and her work keeping Native American traditions alive today. Kim and her husband, David, lead the planning team responsible for the inaugural Northwest Tennessee Native American Educational Powwow at Discovery Park of America on October 27-29, 2023, so she also provides behind-the-scenes details about the unique event. This episode is sponsored by Parker’s Outfitting.
The Denver Nuggets won the NBA Championship on June 12, 2023. The cameras caught Assistant Coach Popeye Jones hugging Finals MVP Nikola Jokic afterward and saying, “Hey! Thank you! Thank you!” In this episode, we sit down with Popeye to not only discuss what he was thinking at that moment but also take a trip down memory lane to where it all started in Dresden, Tennessee. He discusses fatherhood, what it’s like to raise sons with a passion for a different sport, and how he sat them up for success as professional athletes. In 2007, Ronald “Popeye” Jones was inducted into the Murray State University Hall of Fame. His jersey No. 54 is retired at MSU and hangs in the CFSB Center's rafters.
Stacie and Larry Overton visited Tennessee and discovered what Stacie calls “heaven on earth.” After purchasing a farm in Hollow Rock, they embarked on an inspiring journey that resulted in Lavender Kisses Farm. Located between Memphis and Nashville, visitors to the farm can experience fields of lavender, shopping, hayrides and a small herd of shaggy Highland Coos, a Scottish breed of rustic cattle. In this episode, Stacy shares details about her life as a widow, career as a talent agent, years on reality television, traveling around the country in an RV and how it all led to a field in Tennessee where she planted 4,000 lavender plugs. After this episode, you’ll want to plan a Lavender Kisses Farm experience for you and your family, so visit lavenderkissesfarm.com. This episode is sponsored by The Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge.
In anticipation of the David Crockett Birthday Celebration at Discovery Park on Sat. August 12, 2023, this special episode features Wade Dillon, a professional illustrator, historian and David Crockett tribute artist. Included in the books he has illustrated is “Davy Crockett from A to Z.” Wade is currently working on a graphic novel based on Crockett’s life. In this episode, he shares how, as a young boy living in Florida, he discovered the “King of the Wild Frontier,” and how his lifelong passion for art, film and history led him to a career at The Alamo in Texas and to his current role as museum manager at the Freeport Historical Museum. You can follow him and check out his illustrations at wadedillonart.com and facebook.com/wdillonillustrator.
Rev. Brad Barton is the author of the popular young-adult Enchanted Bell Tower series. After spending time in full-time ministry, Brad and his wife Susan, also a minister, traveled the United States in a tiny trailer producing a travel blog and podcast. In this episode, he shares more about his favorite camping spots, the importance of travel to his family and tips and tricks on writing, publishing and marketing a book series. Fun fact: Brad’s father was a packaging engineer who invented the metallic balloon. You can download and order Brad’s book series on Amazon.com.
Marsh Naidoo of Dyersburg, Tennessee is an author, physical therapist, blogger and host of the “Raising Kellan” podcast. Her son, Kellan, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in 2013. In Marsh’s blog and podcast she shares her journey negotiating the uncharted territory of raising a child with developmental delay. In this episode, Marsh talks about some of the challenges and many rewards of raising Kellan, the importance of travel in her life, how she thrives in a rural community after a lifetime in big cities and more. Currently, Marsh is planning a conference for parents, grandparents, educators and others who are working with children with developmental delays to be held August 26, 2023 at Fyrne Lake Farms in Dyersburg. For more information and links to her blog, podcast and books, visit www.raisingkellan.org. This podcast episode is available online on Soundcloud, Castbox, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify and other popular podcast platforms and apps. This episode is sponsored by White Squirrel Winery.
Steve Watkins has spent time as a journalist, capitol hill press secretary, rancher, publisher, marketer, author of two award-winning books and is an excellent chef of “down-home cooking.” His work has garnered him a reputation as a champion of authentic Southern culture. Steve and his wife Dana have recently moved into the Discovery Park neighborhood, making their home on Reelfoot Lake in Samburg, Tenn. There, he’s building a hunter’s lodge and planning a weekend retreat for writers Sept. 21-24, 2023. In this episode, Steve shares how a letter from Jimmy Carter he received as a child started him down the path as a writer, his philosophy for handling life when times get hard and where he finds the inspiration to continue to try new things that make a difference in the lives of those he encounters. For more about Steve and his upcoming writer’s conference, visit www.steve-watkins.com.
Obion County, Tennessee native Philip Jett has released his third book, “Stranded in the Sky: The Untold Story of Pan Am Luxury Airliners Trapped on the Day of Infamy.” It tells the fascinating true story of four Pan Am flying clippers with wealthy and affluent passengers on board on December 7, 1941. After the assault on Pearl Harbor, they were stranded within the vast boundaries of the Pacific Ocean. Pan Am crews and their frightened passengers were left with no choice but to make their own way across the volatile Pacific Ocean and do their best to survive—if they could. In this episode, Jett shares details about some of those on board, insights into his writing process and why he believes this is a story that needs to be told. You can purchase “Stranded in the Sky: The Untold Story of Pan Am Luxury Airliners Trapped on the Day of Infamy” on Amazon and many other places books are sold. This podcast episode is available online on Soundcloud, Castbox, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify and other popular podcast platforms and apps. This episode is sponsored by the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center.
Lisa Smartt of Dresden, Tennessee loves to make people laugh. A motivational humorist and writer, she travels nationally speaking to groups on a variety of fun and interesting topics. In her own words, “I'm always open to designing new talks to meet a group's needs as long as they don’t need insight into algebra, organizational skills, map reading or pet counseling.” She’s also a writer who has published a number of books and a popular newspaper column. In this episode, Lisa shares stories from her childhood, how she discovered her talent for public speaking and tips to use when listeners find themselves in front of an audience. Tip number one: be your authentic self. You can follow Lisa at lisasmartt.com. This episode is sponsored by the Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge. This podcast episode is available online on Soundcloud, Castbox, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify and other popular podcast platforms and apps.
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