Paragould Podcast

Tyler Russom, Owner/Operator of George Ray’s Dragstrip

Since he was a kid being raised by his grandparents George and Bonnie Ray at their famous Dragstrip, Tyler Russom has known he wanted to do this forever. He's been chasing his dreams for years now and operates one of the oldest drag strips in the United States. 

Founder of US Renal Care, Chris Brengard joins the show to talk about his pathway to success

From mowing yards and shining shoes in Downtown Paragould in the 1970s to leading multi-billion dollar companies, Chris Brengard is full of experience and wisdom about how to achieve the highest levels of success. In this episode, you can hear how Chris got to the position to start US Renal Care, which went on to have over 700 locations. Chris literally could (and at times maybe should have) live anywhere in the world, but he intentionally makes Paragould, Arkansas home. 

District Prosecuting Attorney, Sonia F. Hagood joins the show to talk about what it’s like being the prosecuting attorney for six counties of NEA

With a new official role and new official last name, Sonia F. Hagood joined the show to tell us what life is like as our district attorney. She discusses the issues we face in the legal system and shares stories about her experience of working as defense and prosecuting attorney on murder trials. 

Chief Meteorologist, Ryan Vaughn joins the podcast for the second time!

One of the most well known names in all of NEA, Ryan Vaughn joins the podcast again. He first joined us back in February 2021 when our podcast was brand new, so we have some new stories, new insights, and a whole lot of laughs. 

Owner of Paragould’s Unique Dairy Queen, Phillip Sutton joins the show

Having worked at DQ since 1992, Phillip Sutton has a lot of experience with the restaurant that has been in the same location for over 70 years. In this episode, you'll hear some of the leadership principles Phillip has learned along the way, interesting history on the restaurant that has seen seven decades of Paragould history, and probably get a bit hungry for a burger and Oreo Blizzard. 

Danny Ford, owner of Glen Sain dealerships and beloved storyteller joins the podcast this week!

Danny Ford grew up on the East side of Paragould, attending Greene County Tech. After marrying his wife, Gail, and graduating from Arkansas State, he began working for his father-in-law, Glen Sain. He started as a car washer, eventually moving up to sales until Mr. Sain asked him to buy the original Rector dealership from him in 1983. Since then, Danny has gone on purchase car lots in Kennet, MO and Paragould, AR. Growing from 8 employees in 1983 to 110 now, we learned a lot of lessons about leadership and the important balance of caring for your customers AND employees. 

Baseball card collector and card show promoter, Clifton Garmrath joins the show and brought a lot of great pieces!

In 1979, Clifton Garmrath's grandfather took a chance on his grandson when he loaned him $3,000 to buy a box of cardboard cards with pictures of baseball players on them. Within six weeks, Clifton had paid his grandfather back running Arkansas' first ever sports card shop in the Center Hill area of Paragould, AR. Decades later, Clifton has more stories to tell than we have time to record. He has had dinner with Joe Dimaggio, was friends with Mickey Mantle's son, had a private signing with Stan Musial, visited James "Cool Papa" Bell in his home, and hosted Bob Gibson for a card show. 

Upcoming Card Shows at the Paragould Community Center from 10a-4p on May 6, June 17, Aug 12, Oct 7, & Nov 11 in the conferences rooms behind the receptionist. 

Trevor Thomas shares about his lifelong battle against adversity led him to hike the Pacific Crest Trail

Being born with a rare birth defect called Klippel-Feil Syndrome has not deterred Trevor Thomas from proving to the world, and more importantly to himself, that he is capable of beating the odds. Though he could have been coddled to protect him from harm, his parents rarely treated Trevor differently than any other kid. This led him to being a star soccer player, but after college he felt his confidence waning. That's when he invited friends to go on an adventure of a lifetime on a four month hike up the west coast. Listen today to hear Trevor's vulnerability about what led him to be so adventurous. You can view a video he made of his journey on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-4dji4ZwbRQ 

Greene County Sheriff, Brad Snyder joins the podcast for the third time!

A 25+ year veteran in law enforcement, Brad Snyder joins the podcast for the third time. This visit he shares with us about his first few months as the new Greene County Sheriff and some of the lessons he is learning along the way. Brad shares with us a bit about what it looked like to run for office and what changes he's seen in his few several weeks on the job. Repeat guests are always great, but when you've made it on three times, you know you've hit the jackpot! 

Former Regional Educator for Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Chuck Long joins the show to talk about the importance of appreciating and experiencing the nature around us

For 31 years, Chuck Long worked in game and fish careers, most notably as the Regional Educator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Even though he retired last year, his passion for educating our community about hunting, fishing, and all of the nature around us has not wavered. To hear some amazing stories about how beneficial nature is to our personal growth, listen and share!