Life in LA Today

Steve Ford
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Everyone in Lower Arkansas has a story. What's yours? Meet some of the people who make our L.A. such an interesting place in which to live, with our host Steve Ford.

  1. 10/14/2025

    From pews to pastures, meet the other Jack Daniels

    His father either had a great sense of humor or a knack for coming up with names. He called the acreage he farmed along the Red River in Lafayette County Miracle Farms, inspired by one of his favorite sayings: "God grants the miracle — we do the work." But why did Mr. Daniels name his son Jack? "I have a lot of fun with the name," Jack Daniels told me. "Apparently my dad had a pretty good sense of humor." In the latest episode of my podcast, I sat down with Jack to talk about the story behind Miracle Farms — its roots, its name, and the faith that still shapes the work that happens out near the Bodcaw community in Nevada County. Along the way, we learn a few amazing facts about the man who keeps things rolling at the farm. Jack hopped on the lead bus from our school district as we arrived, guiding it through the gate and out into the parking pasture. His wife, Sunny, greeted our students as they filed out into acres and acres of agri-tourism fun. Minutes later, Jack was loading passengers onto the hay wagon, then taking his seat on the tractor that would pull them around the farm. Later in the morning, as I tried to corner him for this interview, he hopped on a four-wheeler promising to return shortly. "Jack-of-all-trades" might be a more fitting name than the eponym with the founder of a Tennessee whiskey distillery. Take his education, for example. A graduate of Hope High School, Jack studied both music education at Southern Arkansas University and diesel and heavy truck mechanics at Red River Vo-Tech. How many musicians do you know who also have an interest in heavy mechanics? The music part made sense for a man who grew up singing and playing and currently serves as worship leader at Garrett Memorial Baptist Church in Hope. But the mechanics part — that's where his story takes an unexpected turn. And what a story it is. Jack toured for 20 years with David Phelps, five years with the Gaither Vocal Band, and two years with The Martins. He figured knowing a bit about diesel mechanics might come in handy for someone who lived part of his life on a tour bus. "I've had the great opportunity to be involved in gospel music for 40 years now," Jack told me. "I've traveled with a lot of icons and people that I really, really look up to and think the world of." Jack got his start in gospel music at age 14, performing with his father's family group, The Ambassadors. "My dad and I started when I was 14 years old, back in '84," Jack said. "We traveled regionally for years and years, and I stayed with them all through high school." After graduating from Hope High School, Jack joined the well-known gospel group, The Martins, playing piano with them for nearly two years before deciding to pursue another interest.  "I'd always loved working with machinery," he said. "I was raised on a farm, always working on equipment, and I thought, if I ever join a gospel group, it'd be good to know how to fix a bus if we broke down on the road. So I decided to learn a little diesel mechanics to go along with playing the keyboard." That practical thinking led him to Red River Vocational-Technical School, where he studied diesel mechanics. But Jack's love of music never faded. Before long, he enrolled at Southern Arkansas University, earning a degree in music education — all while continuing to travel and perform with his family's group, The Ambassadors. It was music, too, that brought him together with the love of his life. While singing at a church one evening, he caught the attention of a young woman named Sunny.  "She just fell in love," Jack says with a smile, then admits, "I think it was the other way around." The two have now been married twenty-six years and have six children. To no one's surprise they are all musically inclined and frequently perform at local venues. About a year into their marriage, a family connection opened the door to a whole new chapter. Jack's cousin is married to David Phelps — the world-renowned tenor whose soaring voice helped define the Gaither Vocal Band. When Phelps called one day to ask if Jack might like to play piano for some of his solo shows, Jack said yes. That yes turned into twenty years of music, travel, and unforgettable moments. "Twenty years go by in a hurry," he says. "I traveled the world — played Carnegie Hall twice, performed in London at the O2, and just about everywhere in between. It was an amazing twenty years." During that time, Jack became close with Bill Gaither and the Homecoming family. He even drove Gaither's bus for several years and occasionally filled in on stage, playing auxiliary keyboards, mandolin, or dobro. "Really great opportunities," he reflects. "I got to be part of something special." Even with all the miles Jack Daniels has logged on the road, his heart has never strayed far from the land. Farming runs deep in his veins — three generations deep, to be exact. His family's story is rooted right here on the quiet backroads of Nevada County, where the Daniels family settled not long after the Civil War. The farm itself was purchased by Jack's grandfather, I.J. Daniels, in the 1940s, just after World War II. "He was born just around the curve in 1916," Jack says, pointing down the gravel road. I.J. built the original log house that still stands on the property today, and over the years the family added on to it. Jack and his family still live there, carrying on the legacy that began nearly a century ago. I.J. Daniels was something of a pioneer. In the 1950s, he became one of the first chicken farmers in Nevada County, building some of the earliest poultry houses in the area. Today, the chicken houses still dot the landscape, but the Daniels family has shifted its focus to cattle. "We raise beef cattle," Jack says. "That's our main crop here." Miracle Farms Market is where the family's work meets the community. Their beef is 100% grass-fed, raised right there on the farm from birth to finish — about 28 months of nothing but grass, minerals, sunshine, and, as Jack likes to say, "raised with love." The market also offers seasonal produce: sweet corn, purple hull peas, watermelons, pumpkins, and more. Market season runs May through July, but the beef is available year-round. October brings one of the farm's most anticipated traditions: Fall Family Fun Days. For three Saturdays each October, Miracle Farms turns into a festive gathering place. There's live music on the porch, burgers and pulled pork from the concession stand, and hayrides that weave around the fields. Families wander through an eight-acre maze, children pick pumpkins from the hillside, and the whole place hums with laughter and conversation. School groups come from all over L.A. (Lower Arkansas) — Magnolia, Smackover, Norphlet, Camden, Texarkana — to experience it. It's a joy to watch children enjoying everything the farm has to offer, especially as they set off into that sprawling maze.  As for what's next for Miracle Farms, Jack is always planning the next season. "We have a field day planned for the first of May," he said. "It'll be a lot like our Fall Family Fun Days. We'll take tours of the farm, show everything that's growing — the beef cattle, the crops — and have play areas for the kids, concessions, and live music." Jack Daniels' life has followed two steady rhythms — one set to music, the other to the seasons. Whether he's behind a piano on a world stage or behind the wheel of a tractor in Bodcaw, the same spirit runs through it all: gratitude, hard work, and a deep love for the life God has given him. The same hands that once played Carnegie Hall now mend fences and feed cattle. The same heart that poured out gospel songs now tends the soil that has sustained his family for generations. At Miracle Farms, the name fits. As Jack's father once said, "God grants the miracles — we do the work." It's a simple truth that still echoes across the fields each morning when the dew is fresh and the day begins. —- Steve Ford is a retired Baptist minister who drives a school bus, flies a drone and publishes a podcast called Life in LA Today. Find it wherever you get your podcasts or online at https://lifeinlatoday.blogspot.com

    11 min

  2. 10/14/2025

    Stories from the man behind the chair

    Today on Life in LA, I sat down with a man who's been part of Magnolia's story for nearly six decades. Don Higdon began barbering on the square back in 1966, when a shop might have just one pair of electric clippers that all three barbers shared. Since then, he's seen every hairstyle imaginable come and go — from the flat top and the GI cut to the mullet and beyond — and he's had a front-row seat to the conversations, laughter, and life stories that passed through his chair. But there's a lot more to Don than just a good haircut. In our conversation, I learned about the wedding he once kept secret from his father-in-law, the seasons he spent working in the oil field between barbering, and even his hidden talent for writing — short stories, a novel, and a little freelance journalism along the way. These days, Don and his wife, Carla, still keep busy helping their daughter and son-in-law, Sunny and Jack Daniels, at the Pumpkin Patch at Miracle Farms in Bodcaw. The old sign for Don's Barbershop still stands on North Vine Street, though the building now serves as a deer camp — a fitting reminder of a long and colorful career. I really enjoyed visiting with Don, swapping stories, and reminiscing about what it was like to get a haircut in the good old days — and I'll admit, I wish I still had as much hair today as I did back then. So, settle in and enjoy this conversation with Magnolia's longtime barber and storyteller, Don Higdon.

    24 min

  3. 09/23/2025

    Cruisin' for a worthy cause

    Today's episode takes us to a special community event in Magnolia, Arkansas — the annual Cruisin' Against Bruisin' car show, hosted at Immanuel Baptist Church. More than just a gathering of classic cars and enthusiasts, this event raises funds for Compassion's Foundation, an organization dedicated to offering empowering services, including emergency shelter and support for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. It's an important cause, and the car show brings together people who care deeply about both the cars and the community.   The show is organized by a local group known as the Rodfathers, and I was intrigued to discover that they even have a chaplain. At first, I was surprised — but then again, why wouldn't car enthusiasts need spiritual support just like anyone else? That realization made me all the more eager to sit down for a conversation.   My guest is Steve Atkinson, who moved from the Atlanta, Georgia, area to Lower Arkansas to work at Alcoa. Now retired, he and his wife Sondra Morgan Atkinson have made Magnolia home. I found it refreshing to meet someone who moved to L.A. rather than away from it!  Our visit was set against the backdrop of over 26 cars and vehicles, more than 15 trophies being awarded, food trucks and vendors serving families, and a great day of fellowship and fun.

    10 min

  4. 08/27/2024

    This country store lives on!

    Philip Story grew up his formative years in the small community of Macedonia, some seven miles south of Magnolia at the intersection of Arkansas Hwys. 19 and 160. He grew up walking up the road to one of the two Franks' grocery stores that served the community. Nearly everything was sold there, including ice cold Coca Colas and those lemon flavored Jackson cookies that were sold out of the big glass jar.   Today, Philip is the co-owner not only of his own country store but the one remaining Franks store  building as well. In December of 2022, the ribbon was cut on Keith's Grocery Store a mile or so north of the old Franks store. Along with his wife Terri, son and daughter-in-law Andrew and Sarah Story and daughter Gretchen Wooley, it's a family effort running the store that has been serving the Macedonia community for decades. It was opened by William Keith  Sr., and carried on by his son, William "Butch" Keith, Jr. Butch passed away in August of 2021 inside the store he loved and served most of his life.   The store remained closed until Philip, recently retired from Albemarle, developed a hankering to return to a profession he had enjoyed in his younger years--grocer! In December of 2022 the Story family held a ribbon cutting at Keith's Grocery was open again serving the Macedonia community.   History repeats itself! Macedonia once was home to not one but two country stores, both just a stone's throw away from each other. How two stores managed to thrive and survive so close to each other in a small community has always been a mystery to me. Macedonia once again has not one but two stores serving its population.   "It was a surprise but we've just tried to put our best foot forward doing what we do as good as we can and find a way to it better and treat our customers as we want to be treated ourselves," Philip told me when I asked about the opening of another store adjoining Keith's Grocery. They've not seen a decrease in sales since the new store opened and they still offer a down-home meat counter with a selection you want find fresher or personally cut to order elsewhere.   I enjoyed my interview with Philip as much as any I've done here in Lower Arkansas. The fact that my dad and his mom were first cousins and we both had family roots in Macedonia made it that much more enjoyable. Take a moment to listen to today's podcast and you may soon find yourself shopping at Keith's Grocery,

    20 min

  5. 05/08/2024

    Meet the mayor of West Lamartine!

    When it rains in these parts, I often open the Facebook page of a guy that I know is going to post the amount of rainfall he received in West Lamartine. When I heard him called the Mayor of West Lamartine, I was intrigued. But when he repaired my mother's favorite clock, I knew I had to get a microphone on him and learn more about Larry Polk. Larry and his wife Jean live just about a mile off U.S. 371 in Lamartine.  As befitting a "public servant" in the role of mayor, Larry's Facebook profile and background picture both feature a highway sign bearing the name of his community. Larry and Jean are active members of First Baptist Church in Magnolia, where Larry serves as a deacon. A stack of New Testaments on his workbench attests to his service through the Gideons organization. Larry has done just about every kind of engineering there is to be done. He cut logs to put himself through college--two years at Southern Arkansas University and two at Louisiana Tech, where he earned his degree in engineering.  Having retired from Albemarle, Larry reflected that he had done everything he had wanted to do in engineering. He had worked with pumping in the brine field, on transformers providing power to the wells and even in drilling operations.  Larry at the rain gauge   So it was no wonder that when a friend handed Larry an old clock years ago and asked if he could get it running, he added another skill to his resume. Larry became a clockmaker, a term that is used to describe someone who repairs clocks. There's much that can go wrong with one of the old clocks. They can get "out of beat", causing them to stop running altogether. He has diagnosed a case of this issue by asking his client to hold his phone up to the clock so he can hear the beat. Another problem may be the wear and tear that comes from the gears continually spinning, sometimes causing the hole in which they sit to become elongated and restricting movement. In the case of my mom's clock, it had been in storage for eight months and some of the gears became rusty. A cleaning put it back in working order and it keeps good time today. Obviously the title of Mayor of West Lamartine does not indicate an elected position. He earned the moniker when a neighbor on the other side of U.S. 371, Greg Rich, referred to Larry as Mayor of Lamartine. Larry replied that he was only mayor of the western half while Greg was the mayor of the eastern half. Lamartine is one of the oldest communities in our county. As I spent some time there talking to Larry, I became intrigued with what is labeled by some as the oldest community in our county. It's on its way to becoming a ghost town, save for the modern houses that remain. Once upon a time, a two-story brick plantation house was home to John Dockery and his son Thomas, who rose to the rank of Brigadier General during the Civil War.   Dockery named the community after a French poet and politician, Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine, whom he admired. Dockery had big plans for the new community, which in 1851 boasted a post office, a few stores and a number of churches. Most of their remains are long gone today.   Two events occurred which kept Lamartine from becoming the economic center of Columbia County.  Dockery and local investors began work on a railroad that would connect the Mississippi River with the Red River.  Dockery became president of the first railroad company to be chartered in Arkansas, the Mississippi, Ouachita and Red River Line. But the Panic of 1857, along with the approach of the Civil War, brought the project to a premature end.  Dockery died in 1860 and many of the young men from Lamartine were scattered by the War. When the St. Louis, Arkansas and Texas Railroad was built through Waldo three miles to the south, any hopes for developing Lamartine were dashed. Today it is little more than a ghost town. A memorial marker on the highway tells the abbreviated history of the community. It incorrectly lists Lamartine as the birthplace of T.P.  Dockery.  He was actually born in Montgomery County, North Carolina, where his father had participated in the Indian removals there. The family moved to Tennessee and on to Columbia County, where land was plentiful and cheap.   Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church The plaque sits at the intersection of U.S. 371 and County Road East 60, which leads to Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church and Shiloh Cemetery, one of the oldest and largest in the county. Shiloh church was built in 1853 and organized in 1855. According to an article in the Banner-News of October 1936, Shiloh's first building was of split logs; the second of dressed lumber from the Grance Courtney sawmill nearby. The second building was partially destroyed by a storm so a third building was constructed in 1892 and remodeled in 1924. The fourth and present building was constructed in 1958, a modern brick structure with an auditorium capable of seating 250 people.  The adjacent cemetery had over 1,000 graves situated there in 1936, according to the newspaper article. Sarah and Don Ray have devoted time and energy to the preservation of the cemetery, which is a separate entity from the church. Sarah told me last year that there were over 2,000 graves as of 2023. Many of the cemetery records were lost in a house fire, so the Rays were working on a new count to replace the one lost. A cousin, LaJoyce Doran, told me that Shiloh was the church where her aunt Katie Hyde had died and was buried. Katie passed away dramatically one Sunday morning while sharing her testimony at church. She succumbed while speaking at a revival service, shouting that she could see Jesus before she passed on the spot. What a revival service that must have been!  The plaque stands in front of the site of several stores that were built prior to the railroad coming through Waldo. Most of the store owners packed up shop and relocated to the south. One of those who did so was Joe Washington Dorman, a farmer who transitioned to blacksmith. His grandfather, Green Washington Dorman, had moved to the area first from Spring Hill, then Emerson and finally settling between Lamartine and Falcon. The senior Dorman had come to the area with his wife, lured by free land. He and his wife had 18 children, 16 who lived to adulthood. His son, Wylie Richard Dorman, was one of those survivors. His son, Joe Washington Dorman transitioned from farmer to blacksmith and operated a smithy, or blacksmith shop, across the road from where the plaque now stands. His wife's father, J.W. Whitehead, had been a blacksmith and perhaps it was from him that Joe learned the trade. When the railroad came through Waldo, he was one of the merchants to relocate.  Joe Dorman's sons learned to weld and drive welding trucks and were working in the oil fields at the tender age of 14.  Joe had taught them to weld in the 1920s, converting Model T Fords into wagons when people could no longer afford gas during the Great Depression. They called the converted Model Ts "Hoover Wagons".  Dr. Tony Dorman shared the information about his family line. He observed that his grandfather had lived near Dr. Grimmett in Waldo and married the twin sister of Grimmett's mother. She died in a freak accident from injuries she sustained by backing up to the fire place. Tony's grandfather, as he tells it, went to Rosston, found an old maid and married her since he had been left with an infant child following his wife's demise. To the west of the plaque, County Road 60 is known as Beech Creek Road. The Mayor of West Lamartine lives down this road, not far from U.S. 371.  His brick house, neat as a pin, sits back from the road behind his pond. Out back he maintains a garden and his weather observation site. Beech Creek Missionary Baptist Church  Go far enough out the Beech Creek Road, as I did recently and you'll come to Beech Creek Missionary Baptist Church, founded in 1850.  It attests to the importance of religion in the founding of Columbia County. Tony's great-great grandfather, Green Washington Dorman, is buried in that church's cemetery. He was born in 1920 and died in 1907. But it's time to get back to the mayor and his ability at clock repair. He had always wanted a clock and today owns several. His favorite is a weight-driven model from the Gustav Becker Clock Company. Becker is one of the better known and higher quality clockmakers from the mid to  late 19th century. Some of his clocks are so well made of such quality material that they were still precise after over 100 years of service.  Fun fact: many clocks with pendulums have the letters R and A, separated by a down arrow. My mom's clock has these letters. This has led some folks to make the observation, "I have an RA clock." But the R/A is not the name of the clock, but rather instructions on adjusting the pendulum. R stands for Retard, A is for Advance. By turning the adjusting knob below, the pendulum will swing faster or slower.  Larry's workshop held three or four clocks he was working on at the time of my interview, and they were all unique and interesting models.  Given enough time and parts, which can sometimes be difficult to come by, he will soon have them all operating correctly again. This has been a longer introduction to my podcast than usual. Much of it came from the entry on Lamartine from the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, but other of it came from Facebook correspondence. I'm always intrigued by vibrant communities that once existed but today are a mere shadow of the past, remembered in piles of bricks or church cemeteries. It's doubtful that Lamartine will ever be restored to its former glory, but that's probably ok with its current residents. Larry is a soft-spoken man of deep faith. I enjoyed visiting with him and hearing his story. If you'd like to take a listen, I encourage you to click the link below or tune in wherever you get y

    18 min

  6. 04/16/2024

    Archeologist explores lives of early LA residents

    Long before those of us who speak our particular version of English inhabited what is now Lower Arkansas, early man inhabited the countryside. Dr. Carl Drexler is research archeologist for the Arkansas Archeological Survey stationed at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. He is intimately familiar with all periods of cultural development in this region and recently expanded upon them at a talk at the Columbia County Library.   Dr. Drexler was born three years before the release of the first movie featuring the exploits of Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr. and admits he did not see the series until his teen years. And while he may actually own a fedora, he prefers a different style of hat when he's working in the field. Unlike Indiana Jones, he does not use a bullwhip in his work, but he does have a nickname. You'll just have to listen to the podcast to hear what it is as we wouldn't want to make it to accessible by putting it into print.   And like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, there are stolen artifacts that need to be recovered. In 2006--before Dr. Drexler's assignment at SAU began--26 bowls and pottery objects valued at over $100,000 were stolen from the Survey headquarters on the SAU campus. The objects have been listed on the FBI's National Stolen Arts registry and may be viewed on the FBI's website at this link.  And while there have been reported sightings of some of the objects through the intervening years, the reports have not panned out. The mystery continues!   If you're interested in learning more about archeology in South Arkansas, check out the website of the Red River chapter of the Arkansas Archeological Society at this link.   To learn more about the first peoples to call Lower Arkansas home and find out Dr. Drexler's nom de guerre, take a listen to my interview.

    32 min

  7. 03/30/2024

    Eyewitness encourages all to see eclipse

    Take it from John Harden: the solar eclipse coming up April 8 is an awe-inspiring event with spiritual impact that you don't want to miss. As a father who took his family to see the last, John has first-hand experience. Back in 2017 they drove from Magnolia to Lebanon, Tennessee to witness the eclipse. "You've got to get into the region of 100 per cent totality," John told me. "I drove eight hours to see it the last time, that's probably the extent I would have done it in 2017 but knowing what I know now, I would have driven two days for it. It is that much of a must see. It's incredible." John recommended watching the weather forecast carefully.  Depending on what the regional forecast holds, you might want to get up early to go north or south to be on the line of totality. "It's a deeply spiritual experience," John told me. "Some Bible passages will never read the same again after you experience this: Psalm 19:1, 'The heavens declare the glory of God and the expanse proclaims the works of his hands." And Genesis 1:3, 'Then God said let there be light and there was light.' These passages will never read the same." John noted that many people are moved to tears by the experience of seeing the eclipse. He compared it to making a trip to the Holy Land.  "The Holy Land will take you back to the time of Jesus, this (the eclipse) will take you back to the time of Creation," John explained.  John also recommended getting to your location early, expect traffic delays and be prepared with food and water in the event you are stuck in traffic. As you prepare to view the 2024 Solar Eclipse, take a moment to listen to my interview with John Harden recorded on March 29.

    20 min

  8. 01/28/2024

    Hearing from 'The Voice' of LA

    It's hard to believe a full decade has passed since the quintessential voice of Lower Arkansas announced not only his retirement but also his departure from Magnolia for eastern Tennessee. After more than 60 years with Magnolia Radio—KVMA and KFMV as they were known—Ken Sibley turned off the mic, hung up the headphones and left the studio. He and Carol moved to Collierville, TN, where three of their five grandchildren lived, of course with their parents.  Ken had held nearly every leadership position imaginable in church, city and county, in addition to his work in radio. He's a great bus driver and excellent story teller to boot, which landed him a short tenure as a charter bus driver in the Memphis area. He drove me on my first children's church camp trip to Siloam Springs and loves to describe the forlorn look on my face when he dropped me and 20 rowdy kids off for the week. I caught up with Ken through the miracle of modern technology and enjoyed the virtual stroll down memory lane. We reminisced about people we worked with and some of the programs that aired back in the day. Today's generation can't appreciate The Friendly Show, The Mary K Show, I Remember When, Hospital Calling. A few folks remember some of the commercials that aired through the years: Bill Bigley's "Throw away your plumber's friend and call your friendly plumber Broadway" was a fixture in the '50s and '60s; the Magnolia Insurance spot that began with "The Fire Alarm has sounded in Magnolia!" If you've never heard Ken's radio voice, here's your chance to be introduced. If you've been missing that friendly patter, then here's a shot of nostalgia for you.

    32 min
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About

Everyone in Lower Arkansas has a story. What's yours? Meet some of the people who make our L.A. such an interesting place in which to live, with our host Steve Ford.

Information

  • Creator
    Steve Ford
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    Life in LA Today