Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

On this week's episode, Randy Zook, the president and chief executive officer of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Arkansas, joins Rex to discuss the status of the state's economy, just as the state's revenue surplus was announced and reported in the Democrat-Gazette. 
The pair begin by discussing recent developments and the growth of industries in Northwest Arkansas, including excitement surrounding new research and development at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, the new Walmart campus in Bentonville, and the expansion of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
The strength of the economy and industry in Central Arkansas is the next topic of discussion, as Randy and Rex highlight the significance of the new Tractor Supply Company Distribution Center in Maumelle and the Amazon fulfillment center in Little Rock. 
Follow Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners. 

Skip Rutherford, former Dean of the University of Arkansas' Clinton School of Public Service and friend of the program, stops by this week to remember beloved Arkansas politician David Pryor, who passed away on April 20, 2024. 
Skip and Rex discuss the importance of Pryor's career and the significance of his ability to transcend political party lines in an effort to best serve the residents of The Natural State. The two also chat about the ways in which state and national politics has changed since Pryor's heyday, recent developments in the Arkansas state legislature, and why higher education matters at both the local and state levels. 
Follow Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners. 

Restauranteur and area civic leader Capi Peck joins Rex on this week’s episode to discuss, most notably, the litter, trash and graffiti problems that plague the Little Rock metro. 
Peck, a Ward 4 resident who serves as Executive Chef and owner of Trio’s restaurant in Little Rock, speaks with Rex about her deep and longstanding concern for efforts to keep the city growing and beautiful, namely by removing littler, waste and debris from downtown streets as well as area parks and wetlands. 
The longtime Little Rock resident and member of the city’s Board of Directors also talks with Rex about specific conservation efforts residents can take part in and how local environmental concerns are directly connected to economic growth and revival. 
Follow Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast on Apple, Spotify or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners. 

Former professional whitewater raft guide in Colorado and native Arkansan Samuel Ellis joins Rex on this week’s podcast to discuss a variety of outdoor recreational activities available in Central Arkansas and the Little Rock metro. Ellis, the owner and founder of Rock Town River Outfitters, talks with Rex about the importance of the Arkansas River and the potential the river has for outdoors enthusiasts and increasing tourism. 
Ellis and Rex also discuss how outdoor activities in the state – including kayaking, fishing, mountain biking and hiking – help promote quality of life for Arkansas residents and how these types of activities assist in bringing newcomers into The Natural State. 
Follow Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast on Apple, Spotify or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners. 

Leland Couch, the Director of Little Rock Parks and Recreation, and architect Mason Ellis, board member and past president of Preserve Arkansas, join Rex this week to discuss the current state of the more than 60 parks and related facilities located in the Little Rock metro. 
Couch, who was appointed parks director two years ago, talks with Rex about the growth of Little Rock's park system over the years as well as his vision for the integration and continued development of the city's parks, including one of the area's most noteworthy urban parks, War Memorial Park. During the conversation, Couch and Ellis also speak about the importance of park preservation, trail development and pedestrian use, which are vital to the growth and maintenance of the metro area's park system. 
Follow Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast on Apple, Spotify or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners. 

This week, Rex sits down with one of The Natural State's leading authorities on the timber industry, Ray Dillon, who formerly served as President and CEO of the Deltic Timber Corporation. 
A Mississippi native who worked in Chicago where he also obtained a master's degree, Ray talks with Rex about his decades-long career in paper mills, paper industries, and related aspects of the timber industry. The two discuss the size and scope of the timber industry in South Arkansas, which Ray calls "the best place for timber growth in the U.S."
Rex and Ray also chat about recent events in the housing market that have shaped the timber industry, as well as new avenues for economic growth and development in timber, such as the cross-laminated timber process. 
Follow Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast on Apple, Spotify or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners.