In this week’s episode, Rex Nelson talks with Saracen Casino’s Chief Marketing Officer Carlton Saffa about his journey and how the casino came to be.

Saffa discusses the casino's inception and reminisces about the initial efforts to bring the idea to fruition following the approval of the Arkansas Casino Gaming Amendment of 2018.

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 Nelson talks with a psychiatrist at the UAMS women’s mental health clinic, Dr. Jessica Coker and the UAMS outpatient director of the women’s mental health program, Dr. Shona Ray-Griffith, about women’s mental health in Arkansas.

Coker and Ray-Griffith talk about pregnancy planning, maternal mental health and postpartum mental health and how it impacts women in Arkansas.

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

• (00:00:13) - Southern Fried Podcast
• (00:01:01) - The Women's Mental Health Program at UAMS
• (00:04:55) - Postpartum depression: Outpatient and inpatient care
• (00:07:58) - Mental health care: Between psychiatry and therapy
• (00:11:44) - Are Our Medications Safe During Pregnancy?
• (00:14:07) - How to manage mental health during pregnancy and postpartum?
• (00:15:49) - How to cope with pregnancy blues
• (00:18:07) - Should You Seek Mental Health Help after Having a Baby?
• (00:22:37) - UAMS Health System: A Big Picture
• (00:23:35) - UAMS doctor on access to care in Arkansas

On this week’s episode, Rex Nelson talks with Co-Executive Director of Stage 13 Alyson Courtney. Stage 13 is a nonprofit in Little Rock that emphasizes the value of performing arts education.

Courtney talks about theater, arts and entertainment education in Little Rock and how it enriches Arkansas artists.

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 Nelson talks with the Little Rock Convention and Visitor Bureau President and CEO, Gina Gemberling and Finance Committee Chair Nick Roye to talk about the development of the venues in downtown Little Rock that host events and visitor experiences.

Gemberling and Roye discuss the planning of priorities, goals, and objectives for the visitor experience in Little Rock and especially downtown.

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 Nelson talks with Little Rock Attorney Bryan Hosto about commercial real estate development in Central Arkansas.

Hosto talks about how he got into real estate and what motivates his continued investments in properties in the Little Rock area.

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 Nelson sits down with Christina Munoz and Holly Judd to talk about the development of Wildwood Park in Little Rock.

They discuss upcoming shows and developments in Wildwood, and what patrons can expect this year.

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

• (00:00:20) - Southern Fried Podcast: Wildwood Arts Center
• (00:01:19) - Christina on Her Journey from KTV 7 to Wildwood
• (00:05:31) - Janice Jones on 9/11 Coverage
• (00:09:12) - Holly Keating on her Journey to Wildwood
• (00:14:05) - Christina Jones on Bringing Dance Back to Arkansas
• (00:18:27) - Wildwood Community Center's
• (00:21:18) - Wildwood Theater's fight for its future
• (00:25:29) - Arkansas Opera presents 'Wildwood'
• (00:27:46) - Wildwood Park: Vision and Growth

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

• (00:00:12) - Southern Fried Podcast
• (00:00:53) - Prediction: 2017 will be a record year for tourism in Arkansas
• (00:08:03) - Exploring West Memphis's outdoor recreation boom
• (00:10:35) - Predictions for 2026: Oil, Lithium
• (00:16:46) - Arkansas Senator on Higher Ed
• (00:22:46) - Northwest Arkansas continues to grow as a healthcare hub
• (00:28:20) - Arkansas' third largest city, Fort Smith
• (00:32:00) - Arkansas political campaigns in 2026
• (00:34:23) - Southern Fried Podcast