Six years ago, on Oct. 21, 2017, Mandy Frye ran her first race. Since then she has run 350 races and will be hosting the Mandy Runs Michigan 5K in Marshall on Saturday, Oct. 21. In this episode, Mandy talks about why she started running and how it has changed, and saved, her life.

As we mark the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, guest Alice Mulconry talks about her experience in Manhatten on September 11, 2001 and how she found herself just blocks from Ground Zero when the Twin Towers collapsed.

It was a reunion and birthday celebration wrapped up into one May 7 as longtime Suzuki Method violin instructor Jim Butler was celebrated during a special recital at Church of the Resurrection in Battle Creek. Joining Butler were more than 30 current and past students who played nearly two dozen pieces from the Suzuki music books. Butler, who turned 85 on May 5, and has been playing the violin for approximately 80 years, has been a Suzuki instructor in the area for close to 45 years and by his estimate, has taught close to a thousand students.

Longtime journalist and magician John Sherwood talks about his love of magic, including how he got started and of the magicians who influenced him along the way.

Newly retired MLB Umpire Bill Welke talks about his new role as a consultant with MLB as well as the new changes to the game and his lengthy umpiring career.

J. Gabriel Gates is the author of fantasy, horror, and sci-fi books, including the  Luck Gods Series (Girl of Hearts and Mother of Spades), The Lamplighters, The Sleepwalkers, and Blood Zero Sky. He is also co-author of The Tracks Series, a YA contemporary fantasy trilogy. Gates is a graduate of Marshall High School and Florida State University and is also the executive director for The Franke Center for The Arts and is a member of the Marshall City Council.  In thsi episode, Gates talks about his career and his writing process.

Marshall High School teacher Kalani Burghard shares the harrowing story of her newborn son Ryder's battle with RSV last month which had him hospitalized for more than a week.

An exclusive one-on-one interview with Jolly Old St. Nick from the North Pole! (Recorded Dec. 6)

Jeff Olson is a dad on a mission to share his son Daniel’s story and in the process, help prevent teenagers from committing suicide. Jeff will speak at Olivet High School on Thursday, Dec. 8 and will also show the documentary, Do It For Daniel, which highlights the struggles Daniel went through for several years before taking his life in July 2012.

The hope of the program is to educate people and get rid of the stigma of mental illness. The program runs from 6-8 p.m. and is open to the public. Fifteen vendors will also be on hand to give out mental health information before and after the presentation.

In 2010 Daniel led his Ishpeming High School football team to the state title game and Jeff was the team’s head coach. Four months after Daniel’s death, Ishpeming won the state title game, dedicating the season to Daniel.

Shortly thereafter, Jeff took it upon himself to speak to students throughout the state and region about Daniel and to remind them that they are not alone if they are struggling with mental illness.

I caught up with Robin Kingsbury, who was diagnosed in December 2017 with End Stage 4b Ovarian Cancer, two days before Thanksgiving (while she was preparing a feast for 40 people) to talk with her about her cancer and her decision to choose happiness in the face of overwhelming odds – doctors originally gave her an 11 % chance of survival after 5 years – and last summer doctors told Robin that the cancer had spread to her stomach and up by her heart, saying she probably had no more than one year to live. But, if you know Robin, and if you don’t, you will soon learn, percentages and odds don’t phase her as she strives to live her life to the fullest each and every day.