This Conversation

David King converted from Old-Order Amish beliefs to Pentecostal Apostolic beliefs.

His journey began with his birth in an Amish community in Lancaster Pennsylvania. As an adult, he began questioning the religious commitment in his community and eventually moved to Abingdon, Virginia where he is now known as a prominent farmer who sells his goods at the Abingdon Farmers Market. 

He describes the joys he found in early farm life without the help of motorized vehicles or other modern conveniences, and describes how his spiritual search led him to become Pentecostal at the expense of being shunned by his family and friends.

Since age 39, David has been driving motorized vehicles and embracing more worldly endeavors, including becoming a consultant for installation of residential solar energy systems.

David provides a fascinating journey of seeking spirituality that is also detailed in a book about his life, entitled Amish to Apostolic by Audrey Feigl.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

She's the Chief of Police for Emory & Henry University.  Yancey Wilmoth.  

In This Conversation, she talks about intense Police Academy Training that helped her prevail in an incident where a man attempted to evade arrest. In contrast, she talks about the skills involved in communicating with children, and she tells the story helping a family in distress that became one of the most rewarding experiences of her career.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

A new national research project into collard greens is underway and is based on work done for a book by Emory & Henry Professor Ed Davis and his co-author Professor Emeritus John Morgan.

Ed's book is called Collards: A Southern Tradition from Seed to Table.

In this episode of This Conversation, he reviews the culture of collards and recounts his pilgrimage over thousands of miles to find heirloom collard greens.

His book -- and heirloom collard seeds -- can be found through the website Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

An area company is leading the world in saving us from plastic waste.

Eastman Chemical in nearby Kingsport, TN is now operating the world's largest chemical recycling facility.

Eastman has reduced its carbon footprint by 80% with a goal of zero carbon input into the environment. The company is partnering with other major corporations, such as Pepsi and Proctor and Gamble to reduce plastic waste. In this episode, Eastman Executive VP Brad Lich describes the planning and the process for an endless loop of reusing plastic.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

Monroe Preston attended the Glade Spring Elementary School during segregation. The school was commonly referred to as the "colored school." Preston has led a campaign that resulted in the posting of a state highway marker to commemorate the school and its teachers. In this interview, Preston describes the school and its dedicated teachers, along with the many successes of those who attended there.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

Yogev Von Kundra had thought of himself as half-Jewish -- until he made a trip to Israel with the Birthright Program in 2018.

The trip transformed him. He describes powerful experiences, especially visiting the wailing wall in Jerusalem and shares his views on the Israeli-Hamas war. He now operates a farm in Washington County Virginia, influenced by Jewish history, practices, and spirituality.

At the close of the interview, he talks about the Israel-Hamas war and shares the central Jewish message of peace.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

The Digital Marketing and Advertising Manager of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Bristol says she loves her job. Lindsay Powers is also a graduate of Emory & Henry's Mass Communications Department and explains how all the skills from her undergraduate education plus her career experience came together for the opportunity to market the large gaming and entertainment facility in Bristol.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

Retired criminal defense attorney Jay Steele reflects on his 44 years of practice in Southwest Virginia, representing those facing both federal and state charges.

The big question people always want to know: how can you defend people who may be guilty of serious crimes? And why, in Steele's case, is it more challenging to defend someone you believe to be innocent?

What cases stand out? What concerns does he have for the court system?

Join us for This Conversation with Jay Steele.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

Los Angeles Pro Wrestler CEREAL MAN graduated from Emory & Henry College in 2008. Hear the story of Derek Smith's journey from College to the Pro Wrestling Circuit.

You can find his costume and prop creations on Etsy at the Sweat Monster Shop.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SweatMonsterShop

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.

Marika Katanuma is a Japanese journalist, working on both the English and Japanese branches of Bloomberg news in Tokyo.

She quickly rose through the ranks at Bloomberg to hold responsibility for news stories, websites, and making major news judgments. One of her investigative projects explored the gender gap in pay between women and men in Japan.

Hear how she chose Emory & Henry College for her college degree and the single requirement she had in choosing her school. Listen for the one comment that changed her path and led to her career as a journalist. Her story of finding her voice and her power is an amazing one.

Mentioned in this episode:

WEHC 90.7 FM is the Voice of Southwest Virginia.