Free Arkansas

Andy McNeill sits down with Bill Jones, CEO of Sissy’s Log Cabin, to talk about the remarkable rise of one of Arkansas’ most beloved family businesses. Bill shares how the company grew from a drafty 900-sq-ft log cabin in Pine Bluff — with antifreeze in the toilet and jewelry stored under his bed — into a premier Southern jewelry brand known for craftsmanship, trust, and exceptional customer service.Bill opens up about learning bench work, staying up until 2 a.m. doing custom repairs, winning a national design contest, and the moment he told Sissy it was time to ditch furniture sales and go “all-in” on jewelry. He also walks through customer relationships, their “jewelry emergency” hotline (yes, that’s his actual number), and how Sissy’s University trains employees using thousands of videos and AI role-play.If you love Arkansas business stories, family legacies, diamonds, Rolexes, or what it takes to build a trusted brand over 40 years — this section is packed with gems.Highlights- The humble Pine Bluff origin story — including antifreeze in the bathroom and washing hands in a cold-water hydrant- How Bill trained as a jeweler, built custom pieces at night, and won a national design award- Inside Sissy’s University and how they now train jewelers nationwide- The story of the Guardian Angel pin and the Heart of Arkansas diamond brooch- Why trust is the foundation of everything they do

In this episode of Y’all Hear About This, Andy and Misty talk about some of the natural wonders lighting up the Natural State this week — from the state bird to the Northern Lights!They swap stories about birdwatching with the Merlin app, rare sightings across Arkansas (including a flamingo?!), and Misty’s owl prowl at Petit Jean State Park. Then they turn to the big show in the sky — the incredible Northern Lights that could be seen all across Arkansas last night.If you love Arkansas nature — or just want to know why the sunset looked so strange — this one’s for you.🎧 Listen for:The surprising number of bird species in Arkansas (over 400!)Misty’s night hunt for owls at Petit JeanAndy’s photo of the Northern Lights from Mount NeboA fun debate about whether flamingos ever make it to ArkansasSubscribe for more episodes of Free Arkansas and Y’all Hear About This, where we talk about everything from politics and policy to fishing and folklore.#Arkansas #FreeArkansas #NorthernLights #Birdwatching #PetitJean #MountNebo #YallHearAboutThis

It’s Misty’s favorite time of year — political season — and Andy’s thinking about breakfast and tee times. From expensive state races to new primary rules that could surprise voters, this week’s Y’all Hear About This? is all Arkansas: politics, hunting, and a little bit of humor.🎙️ In this episode:• Who’s running for what — and who’s raising the most money• How the GOP’s new primary rule could impact voters in March• Give us your takes on breakfast - eat or skip?• Deer season opens with nearly 300,000 hunters heading to the woods#Arkansas #FreeArkansas #YallHearAboutThis #ArkansasPolitics #DeerSeason

Today, we hand the mic to Andy’s daughters, Annabelle Wright and Kate McNeill, for a special conversation with someone redefining Arkansas culture and community: Andrea Allen, co-founder of Onyx Coffee Lab and the 2020 U.S. Barista Champion.

This episode is all about building something meaningful — in business, in community, and at home — right here in Arkansas. Andrea shares her story of growing up in Springdale, launching Onyx, and turning a love of coffee and hospitality into one of the most admired brands in the country.

☕️ In this episode:• Growing up in Springdale and never wanting to leave• The early days of Onyx and buying their first cafes• Why hospitality matters more than ever• Balancing motherhood, business, marriage, and ambition• Grit vs. talent and what makes entrepreneurs succeed• Northwest Arkansas’ growth and why it’s exciting, not scary• Community, connection, and real-world human interaction in a digital world• Rapid-fire coffee questions (including how many cups she drinks a day 👀)

💡 If you love:
Craft culture, creative entrepreneurship, NWA stories, coffee, parenting with purpose, or just cheering on Arkansas makers — you’ll love this one.

📍 Featuring:
Hosts — Annabelle Wright & Kate McNeillGuest — Andrea Allen, Onyx Coffee Co-Founder & U.S. Barista Champion

👇 Subscribe for more conversations that celebrate Arkansas people and ideas.

Happy Halloween, Arkansas! Grab some candy and jump in.⚖️ Filibuster fightShould 51 votes be enough to pass laws or keep the 60 vote rule?We kick around differing options on the filibuster.💵 Childcare funding pullbackPandemic money is drying up and that's impact childcare subsidies.We talk expectations, budgets, and why “temporary” government programs never feel temporary.🏈 Dierks just won a million dollarsYep. A million. For their football field. Small town Arkansas shows up for each other.🚌 2A road game chaosSprinklers going off mid-play.Stadium lights older than our quarterbacks.We love this state.Trick or treat, go Wildcats, and hit subscribe so you don’t miss the next one.

🤖⚠️ AI is moving faster than any tech in history… and the future might be a little scarier than we think.

Andy breaks down where AI is heading, why the U.S. has to win this race, and what the world looks like when machines get smarter than the smartest humans.

This is not sci-fi… it is happening now.

Arkansas, we need to talk about your woods. 👀🌲

We asked for Black Panther stories and y’all absolutely delivered. From the Ozarks to the Delta, deer camps, farm roads, lake shores, hollers, porches, and midnight fishing trips… Arkansans have seen things.

🎙️ On this episode:
• Misty reads your wildest Black Panther encounters
• Hunters, farmers, night-fishermen, and old-timers speak up
• The scream in the woods stories return
• A Black Panther tried to come through a cat door (yes, really)
• Multi-generational sightings and maps to match them
• We pull up the Arkansas Panther Sightings Map and keep adding pins

This is Part 1. We could not fit them all in one show. 😅

📍 Have you seen one?
📸 Got trail cam proof?
🎣 Heard the scream that sounds like a woman calling for help?
Drop it in the comments and we might feature it in the next episode.

🗺️ Find the sightings map on our Facebook page.
🎧 Subscribe for Part 2 and more Arkansas stories.

Hit like. Leave your story. Share this with your cousin who swears he “knows what he saw.”

Arkansas is wild. We like it that way.

#Arkansas #BlackPanther #ArkansasStories #FreeArkansas #ArkansasOutdoors #Ozarks #Delta #BigCats #PantherSightings

Fall has finally hit Arkansas! Andy and Misty talk about fall weather, college football chaos, and what the new NIL world means for schools like Arkansas.

Then, it’s on to filing season — candidate filings open November 3 — plus a look back at the four Republicans running for the District 52 House seat. Andy shares what stood out from those interviews and how voters can actually get to know their candidates.

And… the black panther sightings just keep rolling in. Nearly 40 stories from all across Arkansas! Misty shares the map.

🎧 Watch the full episode for:
• Arkansas fall weather & football talk
• Candidate filing week preview
• Takeaways from the District 52 interviews
• Funny videos you HAVE to watch.

Subscribe for more Free Arkansas and Y’all Hear About This? — the place for Arkansas stories, state politics, and good conversation.

Four candidates. One open seat. The race to replace the retiring Rep. Marcus Richmond is gearing up in Arkansas House District 52 — and we’ve got them all right here.🎙️ In this episode, Andy McNeill sits down with Brent Montgomery, Crystal Malloy, Mike Jones, and Kristain Thompson for candid conversations on everything from privacy and education to healthcare and displaying the Ten Commandments in schools.🔒 Privacy and government overreach🎓 Education and local control❤️ Healthcare access in rural Arkansas🏛️ Ten Commandments displays in schoolsThis is your chance to hear directly from the people running to represent you — before the March 3rd Republican primary.🎧 Watch, listen, and decide who best represents your values.📅 Election Day: March 3, 2025📍 District 52 – Arkansas House of Representatives👉 Subscribe to Free Arkansas for more in-depth conversations, local politics, and unfiltered interviews that put Arkansas first.#FreeArkansas #ArkansasPolitics #District52 #MarcusRichmond #ARElections #GOPPrimary #ArkansasNews

Andy and Misty are back with another “Y’all Hear About That?” — a look at what’s happening across Arkansas this week.From bear attacks 🐻 to mountain lions, Misty’s got all the wild stories from around the state. Andy kicks things off with a look at what our Founding Fathers might think of modern America — and whether they’d be impressed or appalled.It’s Arkansas news, local life, and a few tall tales — the way only Free Arkansas can do it.👇 Tell us your story — have you ever seen a black panther 🐈‍⬛ in Arkansas?#FreeArkansas #ArkansasPodcast #YallHearAboutThat #ArkansasWildlife #FoundingFathers #ArkansasNews #Ozarks #BearAttack #MountainLion #BlackPanther