Podcast Episodes Interviews, Show Notes, and Transcripts

Flag Day Special — The Untold Story of Flint’s Civil War Soldiers and the battle flags that led them through America’s defining conflict. In the American Civil War, 90,000 Michigan soldiers marched into battle. Among them were the men of the 10th Michigan Infantry Regiment , organized in Flint, Michigan and mustered into federal service in February 1862. Their service carried them across the war’s most brutal frontlines — Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, and North Carolina — ultimately marching ...

Troubadour Neil Woodward is an instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and folk historian who helps preserve Michigan musical traditions. He is often heard at historic Crossroads Village, Michigan, near Flint in the summer months. Neil holds the title -- State Troubadour. In 2003, the Michigan Legislature officially named Neil Woodward Michigan’s Troubadour in recognition of his lifelong commitment to preserving Great Lakes folk music and culture. Besides Woodward's performances at Genesee County's...

Safetyville, Flint, Michigan, has a special place in the hearts of a lot of Flint area baby boomers. STOP-LOOK-LISTEN. Remember that lesson? Most remember the miniature Corvettes, T-Birds, and kids' first driver's licenses. Many Flint baby boomers received their first driver's license at Safetyville-Flint. Safetyville could be found at Kearsley Park. The powered cars were vintage replicas of the Ford T-Bird, and just for good measure, there were a few Corvettes. I interviewed Len Exline, who is ...

Tawas Point State Park is located on Lake Huron in Northern Michigan near East Tawas, Michigan. The state park encompasses 183 acres at the end of a sand spit that forms Tawas Bay. It has been referred to as the "Cape Cod of the Midwest" and is a notable bird-watching site. Ossineke is a rustic State Forest campground on Lake Huron with crystal clear water and a sandy beach. The area, including Presque Isle, has quiet beaches. Cheboygan is near Michigan's Inland Waterway, a 38-mile (61-km) chann...

Anna Clark is an accomplished author and journalist. In The Poisoned City: Flint's Water and the American Urban Tragedy , Anna examines what happened to poison the water in Flint, Michigan. She digs into the public policies that need reform and drinking water policy decisions by the Flint and Michigan governments. Anna Clark lives in Detroit. She is a reporter for ProPublica , a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to investigative journalism with moral force. Ann Clark's book won the Hillman Prize for ...

At 90 years old Arlene Crane-Curns, who has lived almost a century, authored a book! In Homemade Noodles and Cars, Arlene tells the story of her family-from World War I and how it affected them. Her parents struggled to provide a home for their five children during the Great Depression. She grew up in Flint, Michigan. Arlene tells of her family's role in World War II and meeting her soon-to-be husband when he came home from the war. She and her husband, who was disabled in the war, started mar...

broadcaster David O. Norris shares memories of a career in public and country radio broadcasting. Norris shares how Flint came to proclaim itself as the "Country Music Capitol of the North". He shares highlights of his decades long association with Maybelle Carter and the Carter family. David shares a great story about Johnny Cash and the Carter Family performing at the IMA Auditorium in Flint during his final career tour. During the performance an irate fan jumped on stage and attempted to fi...

Wayne Kramer is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, author, producer, and film and television composer. He was co-founder of the Detroit rock group MC5, and Rolling Stone named him one of the top 100 guitarists of all time. Wayne was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Wayne Kramer has written a memoir, The Hard Stuff: Dope, Crime, the Mc5, and My Life of Impossibilities . The MC5 recorded and performed the song "Kick Out the Jams, which became an anthem for the protest movement of the...

Jack Lessenberry and Flint area Detroit Tiger fans share their special memories of Ernie Harwell in this tribute podcast. Award- winning journalist Jack Lessenberry, formerly of Michigan Public Radio, was a personal friend of Detroit Tiger broadcaster, Ernie Harwell was a Michigan cultural icon. He has a special place in the hearts and memories of Tiger fans. We invited Flint area fans to recount their favorite memories of Ernie. Included on our guest list are" Sue Meisner-Kelly a retired Flint...

Kate Garns is a national motivational & leadership speaker, Disney Performer and author. Kate works with student government leaders across the nation about self talk and leadership using motivational themes. Garns has Flint roots as her family is from the Flint area. She discusses the pursuit of her career in entertainment and public speaking. Kate's message to young people of America is inspiring and convincing. More importantly she speaks to values based lessons that are not just good medici...

Marty Embry is a legendary basketball player, whose teams at Flint Central High School won two Class A Michigan High School basketball titles. Marty Embry played at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. His teams played in three NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments, as well as an NIT college post-season tournament. Marty was an NBA 3rd-round draft pick of the Utah Jazz and went on to play 13 seasons of professional basketball. Notably, Marty has published 13 books. His works include...

Gregory Fournier, author of The Purple Gang: Detroit’s Kosher Nostra, joins the podcast to explore the rise and fall of one of America’s most notorious Prohibition-era crime syndicates. During the 1920s and 1930s, Detroit’s Purple Gang—led by the Bernstein brothers—sat atop Michigan’s criminal underworld, controlling bootlegging, rackets, and labor intimidation while doing business with figures like Al Capone. Though later eclipsed by the Mafia in Detroit, the Purple Gang left an outsized mark o...