Free Range Conversations

Cleveland County Herald

Free Range Conversations is just that! Conversations with no limitations from Cleveland County and the southern region of the state of Arkansas. Hosted by the Cleveland County Herald.

  1. Episode 69: Pioneer Village Revamps Christmas Events, Looks Ahead to Future

    25 NOV

    Episode 69: Pioneer Village Revamps Christmas Events, Looks Ahead to Future

    The annual "Christmas in the Village" event in Rison is shifting from a Saturday to a nighttime weeknight celebration to boost participation, starting on Thursday, December 4th. This main night includes a $20 Leon’s Catfish Fish Fry Fundraiser, a free Holiday Vendor Market (donations appreciated), and Cleveland County Cares Christmas Bingo. The evening will also feature Christmas Concerts by the Rison United Methodist Church Choir and the Rison School Band and Literacy Program, where Santa is expected to appear. A $10 Gingerbread Workshop, sponsored by The CALL, will also take place. The festivities continue on Saturday, December 6th, with a $25 Reindeer Run 5K and holiday photo sessions with Santa. Finally, on Thursday, December 11th, the event hosts an After Parade Party with Santa, cookies/cocoa, and a performance by the Rison Starz Dance Academy. Funds raised support the Pioneer Village’s vital upkeep and future goals, like adding heating/cooling to buildings.

    35 min
  2. Episode 68: Cleveland County Cares Kicks Off Christmas Mission

    12 NOV

    Episode 68: Cleveland County Cares Kicks Off Christmas Mission

    The Cleveland County Cares fund is launching its annual campaign to support local children and families, extending its aid far beyond the holidays. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit, operating under the Pioneer Village umbrella, began as an initiative to buy Christmas gifts for foster children but has since expanded to serve the entire county, including the Woodlawn and Kingsland areas. Melinda McKnight, a key organizer, explained in a recent podcast episode that the program works "100% by referrals through a school, through a social worker. Someone who knows the true need." Primary referrals come from teachers, pastors, and the health department, ensuring discreet help reaches those most in need. McKnight recalled a referred grandmother who said, “you’re the first person who has ever offered to help me in any way with these kids,” an encounter that "breaks your heart and makes your day at the same time."

    50 min
  3. Episode 67: Community Rallies Behind Wesley Chapel Church Restoration Project

    5 NOV

    Episode 67: Community Rallies Behind Wesley Chapel Church Restoration Project

    The historic Wesley Chapel Church in Randall, Arkansas, is being saved from potential demolition by a dedicated community restoration effort, spearheaded by Morgan King, whose late grandfather was the last person buried there. Motivated by a love for preserving old things and the fact that the 1872 church remains on its original site, King "crashed" a reunion considering the demolition to rally support. Since starting in August, the project has seen rapid success, with the roof now complete and the foundation underway. Thanks to King's social media efforts, the community has already raised over $14,000 toward the estimated $25,000–$50,000 goal, including $4,700 from a recent singing event. Future work will focus on internal repairs, including flooring, electrical, and HVAC, while a long-term vision plans to use the restored church as a community venue for events like weddings, with revenue supporting the church's upkeep and the nearby cemetery. The project is even engaging the younger generation, with local students earning volunteer credit to help paint the exterior.

    34 min
  4. Episode 66: Rison Shine Kicks Off Shop Local Christmas Campaign, Scavenger Hunt with Holiday Open House

    29 OCT

    Episode 66: Rison Shine Kicks Off Shop Local Christmas Campaign, Scavenger Hunt with Holiday Open House

    Rison Shine Community Development, Inc., is kicking off a Shop Local Christmas Campaign beginning Tuesday, Nov. 4 with the Holiday Open House and Market on Main Street. The campaign also includes a continuation of the popular scavenger hunt from the Rison in the Fall Festival. Host and Rison Shine officer Douglas Boultinghouse navigates this special Christmas episode including guests Malinda Berry from My Berry Patch, Lynn Wilson from Rison Pharmacy and Britt Talent from the Cleveland County Herald. Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a segment from Boultinghouse and his fellow masterminds behind the scavenger hunt, Stacy Walz and Austin Compton.

    27 min
  5. Episode 65: CCSD Superintendent Davy King Talks Millage Request for New Gym

    22 OCT

    Episode 65: CCSD Superintendent Davy King Talks Millage Request for New Gym

    Superintendent Davy King and the Cleveland County School Board held its second community meeting on the proposed 6-mill tax increase to fund construction of a new gym Monday evening inside the Rison gymnasium. King was a special guest on the Herald’s Free Range Conversations podcast this week to provide details about the millage and how it would support the construction of a new gym at the Rison School campus and possibly help make improvements to Rison Elementary.

    41 min
  6. Episode 64: Sunny Sweeney Bringing Traditional Honky Tonk Country, Humor to Rison Saturday

    13 OCT

    Episode 64: Sunny Sweeney Bringing Traditional Honky Tonk Country, Humor to Rison Saturday

    Country music star will headline this Saturday’s Rison in the Fall Festival with a free concert to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the festival, and the release of her newest album, Rhinestone Requiem. The country music traditionalist will take the Rise Up Rison Stage at 7 p.m. to wrap up the festival. Sweeney recently joined Festival Director Douglas Boultinghouse and Festival Founder Roy Phillips, for an episode of the Free Range Conversations podcast to discuss her upcoming performance and country music.

    18 min
  7. Episode 63: Singer-Songwriter Ernie Halter Talks Genre-Bending, Collaborations, and Fan-Funded Art Ahead of Rison in the Fall Festival

    8 OCT

    Episode 63: Singer-Songwriter Ernie Halter Talks Genre-Bending, Collaborations, and Fan-Funded Art Ahead of Rison in the Fall Festival

    Musician Ernie Halter joined Douglas Boultinghouse, Director of the Rison in the Fall Festival, along with festival founder Roy Phillips and Rison Shine Community Development President Kristy Strother, for the latest episode of the Free Range Conversations podcast to discuss his upcoming performance on Saturday, Oct. 18, and his career. When asked about his musical style, Halter admits it's hard to pin down. Boultinghouse noted that people kept asking him about the genre, to which he would respond that Halter sings everything. Halter agreed, noting that the title "singer-songwriter" is a technical definition, but it's very vague. When pressed on genre, he prefers a simpler description: "I like to say good music."

    50 min
  8. Episode 62: Community Events on the Calendar, Launch of Cleveland County Connection Newsletter

    1 OCT

    Episode 62: Community Events on the Calendar, Launch of Cleveland County Connection Newsletter

    While the community meetings that began over the summer were initially hosted by Rison Shine, the final meeting held Monday evening expanded more into an overall Kickstart Cleveland County mission focusing on events and recreation countywide. Recapping the meeting for the latest episode of the Free Range Conversations podcast, Britt Talent is joined by Douglas Boultinghouse, an official with Rison Shine and director of the Rison in the Fall Festival; Malinda Berry, representing the Pioneer Village, and Roy Phillips, representing the Fair Association. All four hosts are active volunteers in the three organizations mentioned, and more. With the focus on events, the hosts explained the benefits of the Herald’s new free newsletter - the Cleveland County Connection, which sends out weekly emails of upcoming events across the county.

    54 min
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Free Range Conversations is just that! Conversations with no limitations from Cleveland County and the southern region of the state of Arkansas. Hosted by the Cleveland County Herald.

Información

  • Creador
    Cleveland County Herald
  • Años de actividad
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodios
    69
  • Clasificación
    Explícito
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    Free Range Conversations