News Talk 94.1 Local Matters

Local Matters

Education, Sports, Faith & Everything In Between

Originating from News Talk 94.1 the show deals with community issues and interests that affect listeners closer to home. With topics from major events across the nation and how they impact our area to interesting people and figures from across the Upper Cumberland. Local Matters is where local, matters.

Covering the issues that matter to you. Every weekday.
Daily English United States Society & Culture · Education
1,259 Episodes
64 – 84

Buddy Pearson & Putnam County Director of Schools

On today's Local Matters...Buddy Pearson is joined by Director of Schools for Putnam County Corby King. They talk about Corby talks about the anticipation and excitement the beginning of a new school year as summer break closes, recognizing some different students for their accomplishments during the fall semester, and Tennessee…
9 Jan 10AM 34 min

George Halford & Michael Aikens, Director of Center for Rural Innovation

George Halford talks with Michael Aikens, Director of Center for Rural Innovation at Tennessee Tech. Michael talks about getting his since of entrepreneurship in high school, applying for an ad in a local paper and it leading to his current role in economic development, and helping the more rural counties…
8 Jan 10AM 34 min

Ben Rodgers & Livingston Mayor Curtis Hayes

On today's Local Matters...Ben Rodgers meets with Curtis Hayes, the Mayor of Livingston for 2024's first show. They discuss Curtis gives an update on Livingston one week in to 2024, current projects that are taking place like new pickleball courts, and identifying the sales tax leakage problem that Livingston has…
5 Jan 10AM 34 min

Sam Brooks & Meet Cookeville High School's Mason Taylor

Sam Brooks meets with Mason Taylor, a senior on the Cookeville Cavaliers football team. They discuss what about football interested him when he was growing up, how important the personal growth for him and growth of the program was in 2022, breaking down the 2023 season and a second round…
4 Jan 10AM 34 min

Tiffany Anton & Meet Sassy Stables' Tiera Wester & Russ Moss

Tiffany Anton is sits down with the owners of Sassy Stables Tiera Wester & Russ Moss. They touch on what the vision Tiera had in her mind of what she wanted it to look like, the most exciting thing that they have created or best event they've worked, & if…
3 Jan 10AM 34 min

Ben Rodgers & Putnam Co. School Board Winter Updates

Ben Rodgers meets with members of the Putnam County School Board Lynn McHenry & Kim Cravens.  They touch on what the criteria is for the grades the area schools received from the state Department of Education, an update of the building projects in Putnam County, what enrollment looks like after…
29 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Sam Brooks & Meet Former Upperman Basketball Player Dustin Baxter

On today's Local Matters...Sam Brooks is joined by Dustin Baxter, a former basketball player at Upperman High School. Dustin talks about what he would say to upcoming athletes on playing multiple sports, how important AAU was to him in with getting to play against different players outside of the Upper…
28 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Tiffany Anton & Connor Giddens, The Foxhole Wellness Group

Tiffany Anton visits with Connor Giddens, owner of The Foxhole Wellness Group in Cookeville. Connor discusses the decision to start a business over being a lactation consultant, if there are any surprises with doing the classes versus one-on-one care at home, and one of the newer services that Fox Hole…
27 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Buddy Pearson & Meet Elisha Cade, Algood Elementary 4th Grade Teacher

Buddy Pearson is joined by Elisha Cade, a 4th Grade teacher from Algood Elementary School. They touch on experiencing the big change going from Jacob's Ladder Preschool to teaching 4th grade, how she deals with discipline issues among her students, and being involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Algood…
26 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Ben Rodgers: Taylar Plush, Cookeville-Putnam County Visitor's Bureau

Ben Rodgers meets with Taylar Plush, the Visitor's Services Manager for the Cookeville-Putnam County Visitor's Bureau. They talk about if there is a drastic difference in buying for Harley Davidson then going and buying for the Visitor's Bureau, when she began purchasing product for the Christmas season, and three things…
22 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Sam Brooks & Meet Matt Bragga, Tennessee Tech Head Baseball Coach

Sam Brooks sits down with Matt Bragga, the Head Baseball Coach at Tennessee Tech University. Matt talks about growing up in northeast Ohio, how he executes his faith without pushing it upon current and future players, and the process of being recruited and finding his path to playing college baseball…
21 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Tiffany Anton & Cookeville Window Tint's Suzy Petty

Tiffany Anton talks with Suzy Petty, co-owner of Cookeville Window Tint. Suzy discusses what led to the rebranding at the beginning of this year, how important it is to work with distributor that has a good company culture, and thought process behind sponsoring the Heroes' Ball held last month.  Listen…
20 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Buddy Pearson & Meet Beau DeBord, 8th Grade VITAL Teacher

Buddy Pearson is joined by Beau DeBord, an 8th grade Teacher for Putnam County Schools with VITAL. Beau discusses his start in education teaching summer school, if school as a whole was something that he liked when he was growing up, and his involvement with the CyberSecurity with middle school,…
19 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

George Halford & Meet Rick Larsen, Founder of Flexial

George Halford sits down with Rick Larsen, the founder of Flexial Corporation in Cookeville. They begin with Rick's path from Connecticut to Ocala, Florida and eventually Cookeville, the beginnings of Flexial and working on different grants throughout the years, and opportunities and other passions he has like photography since retiring…
18 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Ben Rodgers & Highlands Residential Services CFO Chris Cassetty

Ben Rodgers is joined by CFO Chris Cassetty of Highlands Residential Services & Jeff Jones, the attorney for Highlands  Residential Services. They talk about what was the deciding factor to make a career move from working as a state auditor to the Housing Authority at the time, the different questions…
15 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Sam Brooks & Upperman Girls' Track and Field Coach Bruce Heady

Sam Brooks is joined by Girls' Track and Field Coach at Upperman High School Bruce Heady. They talk about a story about one of Coach Heady's former players from his time at Hillsboro, who made the difference in Bruce's life that led him down the path of coaching, and how…
14 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Tiffany Anton & Meet Owner of Wink Cydney Langford

Tiffany Anton is joined by Cydney Langford, the owner of Wink in McMinnville. They touch on what was behind expanding Wink out of its initial location, how she manages to run a spa in the thick of the Christmas season, the ways Wink has changed the small business, downtown landscape…
13 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Buddy Pearson & Principal of Jere Whitson Elementary, Tina Francis-Hodge

Buddy Pearson meets with Tina Francis-Hodge, the principal of Jere Whitson Elementary and the 2022-23 Principal of the Year for the state of Tennessee. They talk about the process it took beginning a year ago with her winning Principal of the Year for Putnam County, where her 36 year teaching…
12 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

George Halford & Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce's Amy New

George Halford sits down with Amy New, the current President & CEO for the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce. Amy discusses her journey from growing up in Monterey to working in state government in Nashville then coming back to Cookeville, getting her interests in city & county government from her…
11 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Ben Rodgers & Putnam Co Register of Deeds John Sanders

Ben Rodgers meets with John Sanders, the Putnam County Register of Deeds and Rhiannon Allison, his Chief Deputy. John talks about his first year in office working with an experienced staff, some of the changes that have been made to the office, and how busy the Register of Deeds office…
8 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min
64 – 84