The 39/94

Jodie O'Brien
  • 5.0 (5)
  • News

Welcome to The 39/94. Every great story starts with a place, and this is our place. Named after the coordinates of our region (39°N, 94°W), Jodie O'Brien hosts a weekly dive-in with the people, stories, and conversations shaping life across Northwest Missouri. Big topics, small towns, and the people who make this place worth talking about. Your neighbor's story. Your town's news. Your community's voice. We pull up a chair, ask the tough questions, share the good laughs, and bring you the stories you didn't know you needed - the stuff that makes you proud, makes you think, makes you laugh, and reminds you why Northwest Missouri feels like home. 🎙️ New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss one.

  1. 12h ago

    After Cancer, a Coma, and Losing Her Husband, She’s Mailing Hope Across Northwest Missouri

    Kendra Pickering-Clements went to the doctor thinking she had a sinus infection. Seven months after losing her husband, Brad, to pancreatic cancer, she learned a tumor in her chest was the real cause of her swelling. It was non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and the treatment that saved her life also left her in a coma for a couple of weeks at just 36. This week on The 39/94, Jodie sits down with Kendra, the executive director of Leadership Northwest Missouri, to talk about grief, survival, an unexpected love story, and the idea that wouldn’t leave her alone. Kendra remembers how much little notes in the mailbox meant during the hardest years of her life. Now she’s paying that kindness forward with A Little Good, a new monthly mail subscription for anyone who could use some extra love. In this episode: Caring for Brad through his cancer battle while raising two boysThe surprising way she met her husband, Stuart, and how they blended their familiesHow CAR T-cell therapy taught her cells to be “ninjas”Relearning to walk after her comaHow A Little Good works and who people are sending it toWhat Leadership Northwest Missouri does for the 19-county regionHer advice for anyone in a hard season or sitting on a buried idea Links & Resources: A Little Good: Find Kendra on Facebook. Three months is $30, and a full year is $110.Leadership Northwest Missouri: leadershipnorthwestmissouri.org The 39/94 Podcast - New episodes every week! Watch this episode on YouTube: @the3994podcast Learn more about supporting The 39/94 Podcast: Patreon, or reach out to the3994podcast@gmail.com for sponsorship opportunities. THANK YOU to our sponsors: North Central Missouri College www.ncmissouri.edu | Scooter’s Coffee Savannah & St. Joseph (Facebook: ScootersCoffeeSavannah) | Wollenman Family’s Deluxe Truck Stop https://www.deluxetruckstop.com/ | Gina’s Cafe & Catering https://www.ginascafeandcatering.com/ | E.L. Crawford Construction http://www.elcrawford.com/ | Greater Than Financial https://www.greaterthanfinancial.com/

    After Cancer, a Coma, and Losing Her Husband, She’s Mailing Hope Across Northwest Missouri

  2. Oct 27

    Keeping Harry’s Promise: Anneliese Duncan

    Harry F. Duncan was born in Savannah, Missouri, in 1899. He left in the 1920s to build a hamburger empire called Little Tavern, and he never lived there again. But he never let go of his hometown either. His widow, Anneliese Duncan, has spent more than three decades making sure Savannah keeps feeling his love. In this episode, Anneliese shares: Leaving Germany by boat at 18 to work as a nanny in MiamiHow a Jewish family, the Goldbergs, became her safe place and taught her the truth about the HolocaustThe St. Patrick’s Day shamrock that stole her heart, and the dinner where she told Harry, “God sent you into my life”Why she says she married Harry for his character, never his moneyThe torn-up prenup, and the trust that still guides the Harry F. Duncan FoundationThe stories behind the Andrew County Museum, Duncan Hills, and NCMC’s new nursing centerHer advice for anyone asking philanthropists for support: build a real relationship first It’s a sweet, funny, honest conversation with an 88-year-old woman who still picks up every piece of trash she sees. Visit the Andrew County Museum on East Duncan Drive in Savannah. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and free for kids under 12, historical society members, and veterans. Special thanks to Jane Glenn for helping produce this episode. The 39/94 Podcast: new episodes every week! Watch this episode on YouTube: @the3994podcast Learn more about supporting The 39/94 Podcast: Patreon Our sponsors: North Central Missouri College www.ncmissouri.edu Scooter’s Coffee Savannah & St. Joseph (Facebook: ScootersCoffeeSavannah) Wollenman Family’s Deluxe Truck Stop https://www.deluxetruckstop.com/ Gina’s Cafe & Catering https://www.ginascafeandcatering.com/ E.L. Crawford Construction http://www.elcrawford.com/ Greater Than Financial https://www.greaterthanfinancial.com/

    Keeping Harry’s Promise: Anneliese Duncan

  3. Oct 22

    Storms, Spam & Staying Put with KQ2’s Mike Bracciano

    For 38 years, Mike Bracciano has been the voice Northwest Missouri trusts when the sky turns green. Some folks in St. Joseph can’t remember a time he wasn’t on their TV. On this episode of The 39/94 Podcast, Jodie sits down with her former KQ2 colleague and good friend to hear the stories behind the forecast. Mike tells us how he went from watching storms roll in as a kid in Lawrence, Kansas, to a first day on air in July 1987 that ended in the GM’s office. He explains why he kept turning down bigger markets: he never wanted to uproot his four kids, and he only ever wanted to be happy doing what he loves. Along the way, Mike looks back on helping launch Live at Five, doing the weather from his basement during COVID and the Flood of ‘93. He also shares how close he came to not being here at all, and how he still checked on the morning show from his hospital bed. And of course, there are plenty of laughs. There’s the great Spam jelly debate, viewers delivering Cherry Cokes, a bride asking for her wedding-day forecast seven months out, the bell choir his wife directs, and an overseas flight story involving no shirt and no pants that Mike STILL won’t finish. (Mike, we need answers.) Mike also takes us back to the days of AP and UPI wire printers, dial-up weather maps, and a radar from World War II. Then he tells Jodie what he hopes people remember about him 50 years from now. In this episode: How Mike landed in St. Joe in 1987, and the rough first day that almost ended itWhy he chose community and family over bigger marketsHelping launch KQ2’s Live at FiveThe Flood of ‘93 and the storms he’ll never forgetWhy the bicycle helmet advice is no jokeHow weather technology changed from dial-up maps to today’s satellitesThe appendix scare that nearly cost him his lifeGrandbabies, bell choir, Spam jelly, and a pants-less mysteryThe legacy Mike hopes to leave Have an opinion on Spam jelly? Let us know in the comments! 🥫 The 39/94 Podcast - New episodes every week! Watch this episode on YouTube: @the3994podcast Learn more about supporting The 39/94 Podcast: Patreon Our sponsors: North Central Missouri College www.ncmissouri.edu | Scooter’s Coffee Savannah & St. Joseph (Facebook: ScootersCoffeeSavannah) | Wollenman Family’s Deluxe Truck Stop https://www.deluxetruckstop.com/ | Gina’s Cafe & Catering https://www.ginascafeandcatering.com/ | E.L. Crawford Construction http://www.elcrawford.com/ | Greater Than Financial https://www.greaterthanfinancial.com/ And for this episode: Hair by Morgan (Facebook: Hair by Morgan Hontz)

    Storms, Spam & Staying Put with KQ2’s Mike Bracciano

  4. Oct 8

    Standing in the Gap: Jen Gentry-Tonn on Mental Health, Crisis Response & Breaking the Small-Town Silence

    On the worst day of your life, who shows up at your door? Usually someone wearing a badge. But between that first knock and actually getting help, there's a gap. Jen Gentry-Ton has spent 13 years as one of many who stand in it. Jen is the Director of the Behavioral Health Liaison team at Family Guidance Center. Her team works alongside law enforcement, the courts and hospitals to connect people in a mental health crisis with the help they need. When the state created the role, Jen was the only liaison covering nine counties. Today she leads a team of ten, and they meet people wherever they are: at home, at the hospital, in jail or on the street. In this episode, Jen talks about why rural communities struggle to talk openly about mental health and why so many officers and jail staff are "social workers with badges." She explains why it can take three to six months to see a therapist in our region, and how her team keeps people connected so they don't fall through the cracks while they wait. Jen also gets personal. Mental health runs in her family, and after the 2020 loss of two members of our local first responder community, she found herself in a depression of her own. She talks about finally practicing what she preached. For Jodie, this conversation is a full-circle moment, because Jen was the person who answered her call when she needed help. In this episode: What a behavioral health liaison does and how the program grew from one person to tenHow law enforcement, courts and mental health professionals are working togetherWhy small towns stay quiet about mental health, and why "it's okay to not be okay"The therapist shortage and why insurance companies call our area "saturated"Telehealth and other ways to reach people in rural counties like Worth and GentryMental health support for kids and young people in our schoolsJen's own story of grief, burnout and asking for help If you or someone you love is struggling: Call or text 988. You don't have to be in crisis to call. It's there even if you just need someone to talk to.Behavioral Health Urgent Care is on Frederick Ave. in St. Joseph, across from Meierhoffer, and is open Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Walk in, no appointment needed.Family Guidance Center: https://fgcnow.org/ If this episode helped you, or made you think of someone who needs help, share it with them. It might be the easiest way to start a hard conversation. 💛 The 39/94 Podcast - New episodes every week! Watch this episode on YouTube: @the3994podcast Learn more about supporting The 39/94 Podcast: Patreon Our sponsors: North Central Missouri College www.ncmissouri.edu Scooter's Coffee Savannah & St. Joseph: https://www.facebook.com/ScootersCoffeeSavannah Wollenman Family's Deluxe Truck Stop https://www.deluxetruckstop.com/ Gina's Cafe & Catering https://www.ginascafeandcatering.com/ E.L. Crawford Construction http://www.elcrawford.com/ Greater Than Financial https://www.greaterthanfinancial.com/ Hair by Morgan: https://www.facebook.com/hairbymorganhontz

    Standing in the Gap: Jen Gentry-Tonn on Mental Health, Crisis Response & Breaking the Small-Town Silence

  5. Oct 1

    For The Long Haul: 50+ Years of Business, Family, & Leadership with Bob Wollenman

    Bob Wollenman has been doing business in St. Joseph since 1967, and Deluxe Truck Stop has served the trucking and agriculture industries since 1979. Today it's much more than a fuel stop. It offers truck washing, a tire shop, and food-grade, kosher-certified tank washing that handles well over 100 trucks a day. In this season two episode, Bob talks with Jodie about more than trucks. He describes leaving his father's business and later mending that relationship while caring for his dad. He explains how a 30-year-old's "young and dumb" confidence in 1979 led to a lease, a locked-in purchase price, and the property Deluxe sits on today. He also shares how 55 years of marriage to Connie gave him the courage to lead. Bob reflects on how St. Joseph has changed, from the stockyards and local leadership to the value of getting to know candidates as people. He also talks about his work nationally against human trafficking and distracted driving, and why he keeps giving back through United Way, the St. Joseph Chamber, and Progressive Community Services. Growing up in his father's business and graduating with Missouri Western's Class of '7255 years with Connie, and how she gave a "too timid" young man the confidence to leadWalking away from the family business and finding healing with his dadThe "young and dumb" 1979 deal that became Deluxe Truck StopAdapting to change as agriculture and the Stockyards evolvedJames, the employee who has shown up since 1980From national Corvette club president to national truck stop leadershipHow truck stops are fighting human trafficking and protecting highway workersWhy giving back matters, and what St. Joseph has lost in local leadershipGetting to know candidates as people, not partiesHow a neighborly request from Nestlé Purina launched a kosher-certified tank washBringing son Nick into the business and doing it differently the second time aroundAnd, of course, the King Hill flag "weather forecast" for washing trucks 😂 The 39/94 Podcast - New episodes every week! Watch this episode on YouTube: @the3994podcast Learn more about supporting The 39/94 Podcast: Patreon Our sponsors: North Central Missouri College www.ncmissouri.edu Scooter's Coffee Savannah & St. Joseph (Facebook: ScootersCoffeeSavannah) Wollenman Family's Deluxe Truck Stop https://www.deluxetruckstop.com/ Gina's Cafe & Catering https://www.ginascafeandcatering.com/ E.L. Crawford Construction http://www.elcrawford.com/ Greater Than Financial https://www.greaterthanfinancial.com/

    For The Long Haul: 50+ Years of Business, Family, & Leadership with Bob Wollenman

  6. Sep 24

    Passport to Purpose: Miu Sutton's Road to Northwest Missouri

    Season two of The 39/94 kicks off with one of the most fearless young entrepreneurs in Northwest Missouri: Miu Sutton, founder of Miuze Marketing. Born and raised in Bangkok, Miu grew up in Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Laos, and Australia, learning English after moving abroad and making friends from around the world at international schools. A college fair in Bangkok led her to Missouri Western State University, where she arrived alone at 18 in 2013. Only after she was accepted did she realize she'd spent childhood Christmases in Savannah, Missouri, where her aunt lives. Miu shares how her mentor Annette Weeks helped shaped her path, and how she built Miuze Marketing into an all-women boutique agency serving St. Joseph and Kansas City. She talks about helping to launch Palmer's Ice Cream and Desserts from the ground up, her advice for camera-shy business owners, life as a proud single mom to five-year-old Leon, and her newest venture: Pour Before, a coffee and beverage shop she's opening with business partner Alexis in Kansas City's Parade Park development near 18th & Vine. In this episode: • Growing up across four countries and landing in St. Joseph • A "God-coordinated" connection to Savannah, Missouri • How mentorship and programs like Leadership Savannah shaped her journey • Building Miuze Marketing: social media, websites, SEO, and ads • Advice for business owners who'd rather stay behind the camera • Going into business with a best friend, and how to protect the partnership • Why Northwest Missouri is home Connect with Miu: miuzemarketing.com | @miuzemarketing on Facebook and Instagram The 39/94 Podcast - New episodes every week! Watch this episode on YouTube: @the3994podcast Learn more about supporting The 39/94 Podcast: Patreon Our sponsors: North Central Missouri College www.ncmissouri.edu | Scooter's Coffee Savannah & St. Joseph (Facebook: ScootersCoffeeSavannah) | Wollenman Family's Deluxe Truck Stop https://www.deluxetruckstop.com/ | Gina's Cafe & Catering https://www.ginascafeandcatering.com/ | E.L. Crawford Construction http://www.elcrawford.com/ | Greater Than Financial https://www.greaterthanfinancial.com/

    Passport to Purpose: Miu Sutton's Road to Northwest Missouri

  7. Sep 17

    Friends, Fried Chicken & Following Your Dreams With Gina Calderwood

    The 39/94 is officially one year old! 🎉 For this special anniversary episode, the microphone changes hands. Gina Calderwood of Gina’s Café & Catering turns the table and interviews Jodie (after Jodie asks a ton of questions). We hear about Gina's journey and they discuss female friendships, but we also get the story behind the podcast and everything that has happened during its first year. Jodie and Gina talk about: • How The 39/94 began and why local storytelling matters • The people who encouraged Jodie to believe the podcast could work • What Jodie has learned after more than 50 podcasts • The importance of friendship and having people who will tell you the truth • Gina’s passion for cooking and the story behind Gina’s Café & Catering • The challenges of staying authentic in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms and AI • Why local voices and local journalism still matter • The evolution of The 39/94 and what’s ahead for Season Two • And, of course, Gina's unforgettable San Francisco Waymo adventure 😂 This conversation is part anniversary reflection, part friendship conversation and part "look behind the scenes/peak behind the curtain" of The 39/94. Most of all, it’s a thank-you to the people who have shared their stories and to everyone who has listened, watched and supported the show during its first year. About Gina CalderwoodGina Calderwood is the owner and head chef of Gina’s Café & Catering in Cosby, Missouri. She returned to her hometown and followed her passion for cooking, building Gina’s into a destination for home cooking, catering, meal kits and more. Learn more: Gina’s Café & Catering The 39/94 Podcast – New episodes every week! ▶️ Watch more episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the3994podcast ❤️ Support The 39/94 Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/the3994 Our SponsorsScooter's Coffee – Savannah & St. Joseph https://www.facebook.com/scooterscoffeesavannah Wollenman Family's Deluxe Truck Stop https://www.deluxetruckstop.com/ Gina's Cafe & Catering https://www.ginascafeandcatering.com/ E.L. Crawford Construction http://www.elcrawford.com/ Greater Than Financial https://www.greaterthanfinancial.com/ Pankakes, Pups & Suds https://www.facebook.com/cpankake/ North Central Missouri College https://www.ncmissouri.edu/ Mentioned in this episode: Missouri Western State UniversityKQ2-Mike BraccianoLute AtiehPatterson FoundationAnnette Weeks

    Friends, Fried Chicken & Following Your Dreams With Gina Calderwood

  8. Sep 10

    Local Realtor, Army Veteran & New Dad: Louie Guardado on Finding Purpose & Giving Back

    Louie Guardado joins The 39/94 for a conversation about finding his path, building a career in real estate, becoming a husband and new dad, and learning what it means to give back. After struggling to figure out what came next, Louie joined the Army, a decision he says was one of the best he ever made. Today, he's a young realtor navigating a competitive industry while building relationships and establishing himself in Northwest Missouri. Louie and I also talk about the whirlwind of the past two years. He and his wife got married, moved to a new city, bought a house, got a dog and had a baby. We get into fatherhood, faith, family, the challenges of being an introvert in a relationship-driven business and the lessons Louie has learned along the way. Louie is also spearheading The One Invitational, a golf fundraiser supporting Sisters of Solace. We talk about why giving back is important to him, the challenges of organizing his first fundraiser and what he hopes the event will accomplish. And, of course, we have to talk about his 10-month-old son, who apparently doesn't believe in quietly waking Dad up. 😂 The One Invitational golf tournament (Oct 9, Fairview Golf Course) for Sisters of Solace Register to Play or Become A Sponsor: https://birdease.com/THEONEINVITATIONALSTJOE The 39/94 Podcast – New episodes every week! ▶️ Watch more episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the3994podcast ❤️ Support The 39/94 Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/the3994 Our SponsorsScooter's Coffee – Savannah & St. Joseph https://www.facebook.com/scooterscoffeesavannah Wollenman Family's Deluxe Truck Stop https://www.deluxetruckstop.com/ Gina's Cafe & Catering https://www.ginascafeandcatering.com/ E.L. Crawford Construction http://www.elcrawford.com/ Greater Than Financial https://www.greaterthanfinancial.com/ Pankakes, Pups & Suds https://www.facebook.com/cpankake/ North Central Missouri College https://www.ncmissouri.edu/ Companies mentioned in this episode: Realty One Group CornerstoneSisters of SolaceFairview Golf CourseWellspring Community Church

    Local Realtor, Army Veteran & New Dad: Louie Guardado on Finding Purpose & Giving Back
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Welcome to The 39/94. Every great story starts with a place, and this is our place. Named after the coordinates of our region (39°N, 94°W), Jodie O'Brien hosts a weekly dive-in with the people, stories, and conversations shaping life across Northwest Missouri. Big topics, small towns, and the people who make this place worth talking about. Your neighbor's story. Your town's news. Your community's voice. We pull up a chair, ask the tough questions, share the good laughs, and bring you the stories you didn't know you needed - the stuff that makes you proud, makes you think, makes you laugh, and reminds you why Northwest Missouri feels like home. 🎙️ New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss one.

Information

  • Creator
    Jodie O'Brien
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Jodie O'Brien
  • Show Website
    The 39/94

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