Welcome to our Season 6 Finale of Lewis and Broad! We have had a blast this season learning more about our community and the legacy that it has built over the hundreds of years. What a season this has been!On today's episode, Connie and Chalton Askew joined us to shed light on the importance of education and their experiences growing up in this community. They have a passion for collaboration across racial barriers and differences, and this passion was shaped by their life experiences. They also share how our community can continue to grow and learn in the realms surrounding race and education. Go give it a listen!

S6E6 is live! Have you ever wondered what a mill village looked like? How they were run, and what a typical day was like? LaGrange's history was built on the foundation of textile mills and these mill villages. Ricky Wolfe was born and raised in the Dunson Mill Village, and on today's episode, he takes us back in time and shares what his childhood was like and what the Dunson Mill Village looked like. Ricky is the founder of DASH, Dependable, Affordable, Sustainable Housing. DASH is a non-profit that aims to bring back the essence and charms of these mill villages. He shares information about DASH in the episode, and for more information on DASH, you can find it here.

S6E5 is live! On today's episode, Kathy Tilley of Visit LaGrange joined us to share the importance tourism has on our community and how we have grown as a must-see small town. Visit LaGrange is a downtown tourist hub and shares stories of the local ammenities that we offer. For more information on Visit LaGrange, visit their website here. ATTN: Kathy also shares never-before-shared info on Visit LaGrange's latest project, Mulberry St. Cemetery. We don't want to give an spoilers away, so be sure to give a listen for some insider info! Talk about a big deal!

S6E4 is live! On today's episode, we invited special guest Dr. Willie Edmondson to share his perspective on the history of LaGrange and how it has changed over the years. Dr. Edmondson is the first black mayor of LaGrange, and he wears this honor with dignity and strength. Dr. Edmondson grew up in the community, and he shared stories from childhood of advocating for persons of color and the legacy he began building for himself at a young age. Dr. Edmondson is also a preacher of a Bethlehem Baptist Church in West Point, GA. Be sure to give this episode a listen!

Welcome back to Lewis and Broad! This epsiode makes up the third of Season 6, the history of LaGrange. Mrs. Felecia Moore is the Interim Director at the Frank and Lewis Library at LaGrange College. She is the Archives Specialist, and man, does she know her stuff! She takes great pride in preserving the history of this community and bringing stories of the past to life. She published a book last year entitled, "Time for a Haircut," that is about the Hamilton Road neighborhood here in LaGrange.  Give this week's episode a listen!

Welcome back to Lewis and Broad! This week we interviewed Anton Flores-Maisonet and learned about the Redline Alley and Mona Lane communities. Mona Lane was previously known as the Goose Holler Neighborhood. Both Mona Lane and Redline Alley have a long-standing history of housing marginalized communities. Redline Alley backs the Callway Mansion and property, and many of its residents worked at the Callaway Mansion many years ago. Anton lives in Decatur, GA, where he is the founder and director of Casa Alterna, a non-profit organization that offers hospitality to our asylum-seeking neighbors. ATTN: Anton mentions an interview with long-standing resident, Mattie Boddie. There is a snippet of this interview at the end of the episode. If you would like to watch the interview and learn more about Ms. Mattie, please visit this link: https://vimeo.com/279465182. We have acquired this video through Troup County Archives and Henry Jacobs. For more information on Casa Alterna, please visit their website.

We're back!! Lewis and Broad is back and we are ready for Season 6 and all that it has to offer. For this season, James and Laura will be going back in time and exploring the history behind LaGrange. We will be sharing stories from the past and how this town got to be where it is today. We are so excited for what's in store and can't wait to share it with you all!

Happy 50!! This episode is no. 50 for Lewis and Broad!This week our special guest is Tabitha Lewis-Coverson with Communities In Schools. Communities In Schools, "... is a national organization that ensures every student, regardless of race, gender, ability, zip code, or socioeconomic background, has what they need to realize their full potential in school and beyond. Communities In Schools works by bringing community resources directly into schools through embedding a trained local coordinator whose sole focus is helping connect students with additional supports to help them learn, advance in grade level and graduate." On this week's episode, Tabitha shares the hands-on work both she and her Site Coordinators do to help students succeed, challenges that students face every day, and statistics of current trends regarding students and graduation. For more information about Communities In Schools, visit their website.

Happy Wednesday! This week on Lewis and Broad, special guests Patty Solomon and Cammie Long of Solomon's Department Store joined us to share their family history and the history of Solomon's. Solomon's is a staple of LaGrange and has been in LaGrange for nearly 100 years! Patty and Cammie share the struggles that Solomon's has faced over the years and how it has stayed strong to its roots and prevailed. Head over to Bull Street and visit Solomon's! Tell Patty that Lewis and Broad sent you-she'll love it!

Join us on this week's episode to hear an interview with special guests Violet and Miriam Oropeza! Violet is our Production Director at FPC, and her mom Miriam owns the Royal Dance Academy in downtown LaGrange. Violet and her mom are both from Mexico and moved to LaGrange when Violet was only three years old. In addition to working as our Production Director, Violet works for the school system as an ESOL paraprofessional and teaches Hispanic children English. What an incredible full-circle moment for her! Tune in to the episode to hear more about Violet's and Miriam's experience living and growing up in LaGrange and what it is like for Miriam to own and operate a dance studio.

Join us on this week's episode with special guests CJ and Lacy Tumambing! CJ and Lacy work in the medical/healthcare field as a pediatrician and a family medicine doctor. Lacy works at the Wellstar Children's Clinic, and CJ works at Hometown Family Medicine. Both natives of LaGrange, CJ and Lacy attended the University of Georgia for undergrad and then the Medical College of Georgia. Knowing they wanted to practice medicine in the town they grew up, they moved back to LaGrange post-medical school and started the journey of giving back to the community that raised them. Tune in to the episode to hear their take on current health trends, what it's like for a married couple working in the medical field, and suggestions for how to live a healthier life. See ya next week!

Join us for Season 5, Episode 2 of the Lewis and Broad podcast! This week's episode is about Vernon Woods, a local retirement community. We invited Patricia Rogers, Sales Director of Vernon Woods, to share the history of Vernon Woods and how it has become a family for its residents. It truly is a community built of neighbors and friends alike. We wanted to touch on all aspects of family for Season 5, and Vernon Woods hits the nail on the head for a family built on community.

Join us on today's episode with special guest Joey Karvelas! Joey and his family own an incredibly successful local pizza joint, "Karvelas Pizza Company." Starting in Hogansville, Karvelas has expanded into LaGrange, West Point, Newnan, and soon Opelika! Karvelas offers delicious wings with a wide range of sauces, fresh salads, and authentic pizzas with names that tie back to the family and community. Tune in to today's episode as Joey shares his story, the history of the restaurant, and what it is like working with food and family. I promise it won't take long before you hear about his passion for pizza-making and family!

The Lewis and Broad Podcast is back!! Hold onto your socks because they are about to get knocked off with this season. Season 5 is all about families, family-owned businesses, and family connections. Tune in to today's episode to hear more info.

Happy Wednesday from Lewis and Broad. Happy Season 4 Finale episode!Listen to today's Finale episode to hear Kim Myers, Director of Get Troup Reading, Gail Gordon, Success By Six Coordinator, and Nicole Kennedy, Troup County's Community Coordinator, share the literacy initiatives Troup County is implementing. Literacy and "reading on grade level" are crucial needs for children, and the work Troup County educators do is outstanding. For more information, check out their website : Get Troup Reading.

This week on Lewis and Broad, we have special guest, Jordan Child, with Kids Zone Behavioral Health. Jordan is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Kids Zone is a local treatment facility that provides mental health services for both children and families. On today's episode, Jordan shares the work Kids Zone does for advocating for children's mental health and what she witnesses in our community as a mental health advocate and therapist. She also gives her opinion on the intersection of faith and therapy. For more information about Kids Zone, please visit their website.

Welcome back to Lewis and Broad! On this week's episode, we have the Chapter President, Greg Watts, from Sleep in Heavenly Peace join us to share the mission behind Sleep in Heavenly Peace and how the organization advocates for children in our community. Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a non-profit organization that builds and delivers beds to children. FPC Students had the pleasure of hosting a build day this past Sunday, and man, it was a fantastic and humbling experience! The work this organization does for our community does not go unnoticed and matches a need that is often overlooked. For more information on Sleep in Heavenly Peace, check out their Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/SHPLaGrange. You can find links to the episode below.

Welcome back to Lewis and Broad! On this week's episode, we have Safe Families' Program Director, Brooke Bryant, with us to share the work Safe Families does for children in our community. This episode kicks off the advocacy portion of Season 4, where we invite organizations in our community that advocate for children's welfare and their needs. Safe Families does this by assisting families in crisis: "Safe Families provide a safe home for children and a supportive community for parents while they get back on their feet. Parents are provided with the space and support they need to address the issues impacting their ability to provide the best environment for their children." To learn more about Safe Families, check out their website at https://www.twincedars.org/program/sffc/.

Join us for today's episode as special guest Laura Jennings, Executive Director of the LaGrange Art Museum, shares the art museum's role in our community. It is not only an outlet for artists to showcase their art but also an educational haven for children to learn and practice art. The art museum offers numerous classes focusing on all types of art, such as painting, cooking, and printmaking. These classes teach the practice of each craft, as well as critiquing skills and the history behind the art. Laura explains the importance art has for children and how crucial it is for children to express their creativity. For more information about the LaGrange Art Museum, please visit https://lagrangeartmuseum.org/.

Join us today with special guest Kerry Whaley from the Troup County Parks and Recreation Center to hear what they offer for children in the community. Kerry is the Superintendent of Athletics at the rec center. As part of his job, Kerry manages all athletic programs and heads up all game officials. In today's episode, Kerry shares the important role the rec center plays in our community for children and both future and current plans the rec center has for expansion. The rec center is currently in the middle of its Fall Season, but registration for the Winter Season opens soon. For more information on the Troup County Parks and Recreation Center, go to http://www.trouprec.org.