This Conversation

Bob Sommers has live on the Island of Maui for 27 years and never dreamed of the kind of tragedy that came with the August 2023 fire in the beautiful town of Lahaina -- not too far from where he lives. Although his home in Kihei was not threatened, he was required to evacuate and has been forever changed. He shares his experience and stories of people who survived the Lahaina fire -- and those who did not.

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WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

What's it like to learn at the age of 26 that you and your family were not who you thought?

Kathy Shearer tells her story of the secret her family kept from her, its aftermath, and the lessons she learned.

It's quite a story.

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WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

Author, speaker, and wellness coach Andrea Kanelopoulos shares her journey to peace and her decision to live in the face of anorexia. Moreover, she offers Pieces of Peace in a recent book and shares some of the three-minute reflections from the book in this conversation. You can find more information about her new book and her other activities at AnamNostosHouse.com.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

Steve Smith followed in his father's footsteps in the grocery business and has grown into a multi-billion dollar operation. The company is widely recognized for its generous charitable donations. We talk with Food City President and CEO Steve Smith in this episode, featuring his most recent contribution to helping build a local workforce and provide child care for the area.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

Coach Jacqui Reynolds is a professional baseball bench coach, working this summer of 2023 with the Johnson City Doughboys.

When fall comes, she will return to her Assistant Coach position with the baseball team at the University of Massachusetts.

In this episode of This Conversation, she shares her story of finding and achieving her unusual goal along with the joys and challenges of the job.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

Many people think they want to save the world, but few do more than Pamela Irvine has done. She was inspired by a time in her life when money was scarce. Now, hungry people in a 21 county region in Southwest Virginia can get a free hot meal, pick up produce and supplies, meet the food delivery truck in their community, or even have food delivered to their doors when they don't have transportation. The multi-million dollar food operation operates on the generosity of corporations, individuals, and government programs and also depends on the labor of loving and giving community volunteers. This conversation may help restore your faith in our humanity.

For more information: www.feedingswva.org

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

Dr. John Lentz volunteers to clarify laws for those who hire members of the National Guard or Reserves. He is Ombudsman of the organization Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves. ESGR

In the Guard and Reserves, state and federal members of the military have specific time commitments for training and service, plus the possibility of being called to active duty.

What does an employer do when a worker has to leave for an indefinite time and then comes back to the job?

Lentz notes that "we all serve," including members of the military and their families, as well as those who employ them. His organization tries to help.

This conversation reveals details of a little-known issue of protecting members of the U.S. military, their employers, and overall U.S. defense.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

As a college student, Matt Shannon found an interest in the Middle East and gradually narrowed his attention to the connections between Iran and the U.S. Dr. Shannon is now a professor of history, preparing for the release of his second book, Mission Manifest , a look at the experience of U.S. evangelicals and missionaries in Iran. The country continues to play a significant role in U.S. international relations with the backdrop of the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the taking and holding of American hostages for 444 days. Occasional and ongoing uprisings in the Muslim state continue, most recently after the country's morality police arrested a woman for not wearing her hijab properly. She died in custody. The slogan that protesters chant in her memory: Women. Life. Freedom. The title of Shannon's first book captures the emotional essence of the relationship between the two countries: Losing Hearts & Minds: American-Iranian Relations, 2017. That book, examined earlier close educational ties between the two countries. In this interview, we see how the overall history and culture of Iran captured Dr. Shannon's own heart and mind and has led his research in a successful academic career.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

The United Methodist Church is splitting over how to deal with homosexuality.

Guest is Pastor Dale Gilbert of Pleasant View Methodist Church who describes the issue and explains why his church has disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

Pop quiz: Are members of the Castro family still running things in CUBA? Why does the U.S. refuse to trade with CUBA and how does that affect the Cuban people? Can U.S. citizens visit CUBA as tourists?

Sylvia Rozwadowska of Colibri Travel led a group from Emory & Henry College on a spring 2023 trip to Cuba answers these questions and discusses the origins of the powerful Cuban lobby in the U.S.

The Poland-born business woman shares her childhood vision of travel, along with the reasons Cuba is her favorite country in the world.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.