On Memorial Day, we remember the Gold Star Families of military members who have died in the line of duty. James Edward Brown, the father of John Eli Brown, who died while serving as a member of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom, talks with In Focus host Carolyn Hutcheson about his son and his service. Bicentennial Park in Troy has a monument honoring John Eli Brown.

As we think about Memorial Day, we remember the Gold Star Families of military members who have died in the line of duty. Today we’ll talk by Skype with James Edward Brown of Troy. His beloved son John Eli Brown died while serving as a member of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Barbecue is America in a mouthful, according to veteran journalist Jim Auchmutey, who comes from a long line of Georgia pit-masters. Jim Auchmutey served The Atlanta Journal Constitution for almost three decades as a reporter and editor, winning the Writer of the Year award from the Cox Newspaper Chain. He’s also been honored by the James Beard Foundation. The book, Smoke Lore: A Short History of Barbecue in America Is Jim’s tribute to a favorite food.

In part two of the In Focus interview with Chace Barber, CEO and co-founder with Eric Little of Edison Trucks in British Columbia, Canada, host Carolyn Hutcheson asks about the viability of the power grid as North America moves to electric-powered vehicles.  Edison Motors is building hybrid and all-electric trucks.  Chace Barber also relates how a rural First Nations community has met its energy needs.

In part one of an interview with Chace Barber, CEO and co-founder with Eric Little of Edison Motors in British Columbia, Canada, Carolyn Hutcheson, In Focus host, asks how the trucking company got started and how it uses clean energy to power its engines.  Chace Barber discusses using hybrid, electric, and solar energy, and postings on YouTube illustrate the company's innovations.  Part two of the interview airs May 25.

The Alabama Shakespeare Festival is presenting on its Octagon Stage "Clyde's," a comedy of redemption and second chances, through May 28.  Actresses Phyllis Yvonne Stickney and Alinca Hamilton talk with In Focus host Carolyn Hutcheson about the story and their roles in the play about Clyde's Truck Stop Cafe'.

Don Wambles is Director of Ag Promotions for the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries and has been in Washington, D.C., talking with members of Congress about the Farm Bill.  He discusses aspects of the proposed bill with In Focus host Carolyn Hutcheson.

Maestro Jamie Reeves, Music Director and Conductor of the Montgomery Symphony, talks with Carolyn Hutcheson, In Focus host, about the growth of the orchestra, as well as  plans for several concerts, including the Jubilee Pops Concert May 26 on the lawn of the Alabama Dept. of Archives and History.  Everyone is invited to this "gift to the community."

Author and TV host Mary Johns Wilson talks with In Focus host Carolyn Hutcheson about the hidden gems she's discovered in a decade of traveling through Alabama.  Her book, "100 Things to Do in Alabama Before You Die" is in its second edition.

The South has struggled with kudzu for generations, so Lee County Historical Society President Charles Mitchell, Auburn University Professor Emeritus of Crops, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, talks with In Focus host Carolyn Hutcheson, at Loachapoka Pioneer Park in east Alabama about kudzu, privet, and other invasive plants.

In Part Two of a conversation on The Exchange about airline travel with Monde Donaldson, Vice-President of the Better Business Bureau Educational Foundation Serving Central and South Alabama, she talks with Carolyn Hutcheson, In Focus host, about flight cancellations, vouchers, and travel insurance.