In this episode, Rex Nelson sits down with Wildwood Parks' Executive Director, Bevan Keating. Bevan talks with Rex about his journey from London, Ontario in Canada to Little Rock.

Rex also discusses Bevan’s struggles with moving to the United States amid the turmoil following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Bevan explains how he came to be the director of Wildwood Parks and his long-term goals for the park, before shifting the conversation to an interesting discussion about opera and hockey.

Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners

In this episode, Rex Nelson sits down with Skip Rutherford to discuss the new year and the changes it may bring to Arkansas.

Rex discusses Arkansas politics with Skip, noting the changing landscape amid turmoil between the legislature and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. 

Skip also talks with Rex about economic growth in West Memphis, Mena, and other places throughout Arkansas. They highlight the outdoor recreation spurred by such developments and how they could impact the state's economy in 2026.

Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners

In this episode, Rex Nelson and Skip Rutherford review events and happenings in Arkansas in 2025. Rex also talks with Skip about revitalization in downtown Little Rock and the amount of work to be done in central Arkansas.
Rex and Skip also discuss topics such as the closure of the Amazon facility at the Little Rock port, the University of Arkansas vs. Arkansas State University football game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, the economic impact of such events on central Arkansas and more.

Follow Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners.

Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners

On this week’s episode, Rex Nelson sits down with Arkansas State University Chancellor Todd Shields to talk about the economic upswing of Northeast Arkansas. Todd cites his desire to build as a factor in his decision to move from the University of Arkansas to become ASU's chancellor.

Todd also talks to Rex about the need for healthy competition, which fuels academic excellence at large higher education institutions like UA and ASU.

Rex also talks with Todd about the rapidly changing technological landscape and the need for students to learn more about advancements in AI, cybersecurity and other areas of technological expertise that various industries sorely need.

Follow Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners.

Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners

In this week's episode, Rex sits down with Porter Briggs to talk about his new book "South, Towards Home: An Unexpected Love Story."

Porter, a Little Rock native, says he considers his adult life to have started when he arrived at his Army unit in Germany, citing a 4km trek using a map and compass in the extreme cold.

Porter also talks about his life growing up in Little Rock, his 1958 high school graduation and his time at Vanderbilt before joining the Army.

cast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners

In this week’s episode, Rex Nelson sits down with former Master Chef contestant, Jennifer Maune, to talk about her new restaurant, Restaurant Fleur, set to open in downtown Little Rock next year.

Jennifer tells Rex about her journey, how she became interested in cooking and her time studying abroad to learn different techniques for baking pastries and other world class foods.

Jennifer also expresses her goal of bringing the Michelin Guide to the state and truly standing out as the premier fine dining experience in Arkansas.

Follow Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners

On this week’s episode, Rex Nelson sits down with the president and CEO of the Ozark Foundation, Michael Spivey, to talk about the non-profit’s mission of ‘positioning our state as a premier outdoor recreation destination’

Rex discusses with Michael the challenges the organization faced at its inception during the covid-19 pandemic and how it has grown beyond them.

Michael also shares with Rex the events the organization has planned in the near future and beyond, both competitive and recreational.

Follow Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners

In this week’s episode, Rex talks with Little Rock City Director Capi Peck and Friends of Fourche Creek board member Norm Berner about Little Rock’s litter problem.

Rex talks with Capi about the Keep Little Rock Beautiful nonprofit and its mission to empower residents and businesses to prevent litter and beautify the central Arkansas area.

Rex also talks with Norm about Fourche Creek and the natural beauty it offers the Little Rock metro area, as well as the need to clean up litter in the area to preserve that beauty.

Rex, Capi, and Norm drive home the importance of first impressions and how they pertain to potential economic partners for the central Arkansas area, highlighting the amount of trash visible between the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport and downtown Little Rock.

Follow Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners

In this week’s episode, Rex talks with Sam Dean, Executive Director and CEO of the Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville, about the hands-on approach that Amazeum and other science museums take in getting young people interested and engaged in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Sam discusses how science museums can not only engage kids in hands-on STEM activities but also spark a lifelong interest in STEM fields that are accelerating rapidly as technology develops.

Follow Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners

In this week's episode, Rex talks with Peter MacKeith, Dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas' Fayetteville campus, about the development of Arkansas' forest economy in building material sustainability and the programs the university is implementing to increase that sustainability.

The episode also addresses the benefit that the school of architecture can provide to the state through outreach, research and collaboration with other schools within the scope of architectural development.

Rex also talks with Peter about the role that architecture plays in the affordable housing arena and how students are encouraged to think in terms of viability through low-cost products such as wood laminate and other economic solutions to traditional building materials.

By implementing these products in thoughtful ways, Peter says, architecture can benefit not only the economic interests of the state but also impact the lives of Arkansans by using the state's readily available natural resources to accelerate the rate of new construction, which helps rural communities by providing low-cost and sustainable housing.

Follow Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners