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
1,507 Episodes
320 – 340

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

Sam Brooks & Upperman Girls' Track Coach Bruce Heady & Junior Meiah Moss

Sam Brooks sits down with member of the Upperman Girls' Track & Volleyball teams Meiah Moss and Girls' Track Coach Bruce Heady. Meiah discusses the turning point in Upperman's volleyball season, leading up to a pentathlon meet the week before competing in a state championship, & how she handles both…
7 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Tiffany Anton & Meet Kerri Painton, Owner of Sweetzies Freeze Dried Candy

Tiffany Anton talks with Kerri Painton, the owner of Sparta's Sweetzies Freeze Dried Candy. They discuss if Kerri was looking to ever own a business when she bought her freeze dryer, he products they offer from freeze dried skittles to gummy worms, and locations that people can find Sweetzies from…
6 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Buddy Pearson & Eric Brown, Tennessee Tech CyberSecurity

Buddy Pearson is joined by Eric Brown, Associate Director for Workforce Development CEROC & senior lecturer at Tennessee Tech. They talk about what Eric specifically concentrates on in his role,  some of the issues he is getting into schools starting with the kids in elementary school, and different opportunities he…
5 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Ben Rodgers & Mayor of Cookeville & Mayor of Putnam County

Ben Rodgers is joined by Mayor of Cookeville Laurin Wheaton & Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter.  They talk about the four Christmas parades that take place in Putnam County, the trees on display for the city and county along with other decorations, and a a city and county update from…
1 Dec 2023 10AM 34 min

Tiffany Anton & Meet Nikki Gray, Gray's Pest Services

Tiffany Anton sits down with Nikki Gray, co-owner of Gray's Pest Services in Cookeville.  They talk about how Nikki and her husband decided to go in together on their own pest control business, some of the services they offer for the coverage area, and what is different about the small…
29 Nov 2023 10AM 34 min

Buddy Pearson & Meet Cookeville High School Math Teacher Chelsey Forgey

Buddy Pearson meets with CHS Math Teacher Chelsey Forgey. Chelsey talks about if you ever need algebra when you become an adult, how she prevents burnout from overworking and other pressures within the job, and what the phrase "teaching with desire" means to her. Listen to the latest Local Matters…
28 Nov 2023 10AM 34 min

George Halford & Michael Detwiler, Weather, Politics, & More

George Halford sits down with Michael Detwiler, more commonly known as "The Cookeville Weather Guy".  They touch on how Michael and his family found their way to Cookeville in 1976, the interesting story of how his family and his wife's family are intertwined and meeting his wife, and the opportunity…
27 Nov 2023 10AM 29 min
320 – 340