Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev

Join Kosta and his guest: Johnnie Wheeler, First Vice Chair of Cookeville NAACP.

In this episode: Over the past 50 years you’ve seen our county from every angle. From your professional work at UCHRA, to your political service in the County Commission, to the countless boards, committees and commissions you’ve seen it all. When you look at your work so far, what’s the through-line that ties it all together? Cookeville and Pu...

Join Kosta and his guest: Dr. Alissa Hudson, Ophthalmologist and Owner of Middle Tennessee Eye. 

In this episode: I think we can all agree, there’s only one place we can start this episode - and it’s inside an eyeball. We all have eyes, but most of us have no idea how they work or why they don’t work correctly. So, I hope it’s not too much to ask: how do our eyes work? You’re an Ophthalmologist specialising in refractiv...

Join Kosta and his guest: AJ Donadio, Community Leader, Veteran, Activist and Professor in the Whitson-Hester School of Nursing at TTU.

In this episode: You serve the community through a variety of non-profits from Cookeville Independence Again to Highland AMVETS Post 44. Will you tell us about all the organizations you’re working with and how they contribute to our community? In 2021 you helped charter the TN Tech chapter...

Hey, ya’ll! This is Kosta and today I’m here with my guest: Samantha Raper, President and Founder of Cookeville Inclusive.

In this episode: Cookeville Inclusive started with a Facebook post and has evolved into a movement. Will you tell us about who the community is for and how it has reenergized the inclusive spirit of the Upper Cumberland? Inclusivity can mean different things to different people. How do you translate yo...

Join Kosta and his guest: Ali Bagci, Cookeville City Council Member, veteran and community organizer.

In this episode: You can’t teach experience. That was one of my favorite quotes from your website, because it’s true. No matter how we try, we can’t teach experience. Professionally, you’ve worked in manufacturing, project management, healthcare, and as an Officer in the United States Navy. Cumulatively, how do you think t...

Join Kosta and his guest: James Mills, City Manager for the City of Cookeville.

In this episode: The City of Cookeville recently launched a new segment on social media called Cookeville Q&A: where residents can write in with their questions to city representatives. Most of the questions understandably are about roads and traffic. Do you think the general public doesn’t fully understand the scope of projects like these ...

Join Kosta and his guest: Rick McDonald, Retired Tennessee Department of Transportation Operations Supervisor. 

In this episode: If you drive in Tennessee, you’re enjoying the hard work of TDOT. Like many state and government entities, we might be familiar with the department, but not know exactly what it is. What is TDOT? What does TDOT do? You’ve worked with TDOT for over 36 years, since 1988. Needless to say, we live...

Join Kosta and his guest: Wren Goedken, STEM Teacher at Algood Middle School and organizer for the Restoring Childhood Initiative. 

Restoring Childhood is a grassroots movement of parents, educators, and community leaders who want to help kids reclaim play, creativity, connection, and freedom by intentionally reducing screen time and sparking meaningful change in how we think about childhood.

Restoring Childhood is a...

Join Kosta and his guest: GraceAnn Witt, founder of Mom Real Local, Your guide to young mom life in the Upper Cumberland area of TN! Connecting Moms. Sharing moments. Discovering places.

In this episode: What’s the hardest part of being a mom that no one talks about? How does Mom Real Local help to ease those hardships? What’s something you wish you could tell every new mom, or even, every new mom moving to the Upper Cumber...

Join Kosta and his guest: Tom Savage, President of Cookeville-Putnam NAACP, Vice President of Tennessee Conference of the NAACP and Pastor at Greater Faith Church of God in Christ Livingston. 

In this episode: For anyone who doesn’t know, or isn’t exactly sure, what is the NAACP? At the time of this recording, earlier this week, a member of the Upper Cumberland NAACP was arrested while approaching his County Commissione...

Join Kosta and his guest: Steve Chatman, Vice President of Ministry Advancement and Pastoral Care at Rising Above Ministries and Co-Host of the Rising Above Dad’s podcast.

In this episode: In the Upper Cumberland alone there are more than 70,000 individuals living with special needs. Putnam County Schools averages 1 in 5 students has an IEP. This isn’t a fringe demographic, it’s a defined segment of our community. With all...

Join Kosta and his guests: Dr. Kathryn DuBray and Dr. Erin Crouch Mekkaoui, Co-Founders of Anniston Academy, Cookeville’s first therapeutic microschool built for neurodivergent learners.

In this episode: Most schools ask kids to fit the system. You built a system to fit the kids. What happens when a child actually feels seen in a classroom? You both grew up alongside autism: Kathryn as a parent, Erin as a sibling. How has ...

Hey, y'all this is Kosta and today I’m here with my guest: Heather Dye, Entrepreneur, Professional Speaker and Owner of Wigs for Every Woman.

In this episode: You’re a business owner, coach, mentor, community organizer and Mom. You’re the kind of person who turns a setback into an opportunity, and I think that’s the best place to start this episode. After a life-changing diagnosis of Alopecia, you started Wigs for Every Wo...

🌈 Happy Pride Month! Y'all means ALL, and no matter what month it is, we're proud to represent all the people who make our community better when we're together.

Join Kosta and his guest: Bennie Taylor, Community Organizer, former candidate for Tennessee House of Representatives District 42 and dedicated public servant. This month and every month we recognize the LGBTQ+ community in the Upper Cumberland that makes us better...

Join Kosta and his guest: Dr. Justin Murdock, Ecologist, Professor of Biology, and Director of The Water Research Center at Tennessee Technological University. 

In this episode: Let’s start from the top, because if I’m being honest, my knowledge of Tennessee’s wetlands is that I’d assume it’s wet land. In April a bill passed the Tennessee House Legislature 71-21 to remove protections for up to 80% of Tennessee’s w...

Join Kosta and his guest: Aaron Cofer, Community and Event Organizer for Indivisible.

Indivisible Upper Cumberland is a non-partisan, issues-focused grassroots community, promoting civic engagement to hold our elected officials accountable.

In this episode: We have a lot of ground to cover in this episode, but I think there’s one overarching question that sums up most of what we’re here to discuss. Does protesting w...

Join Kosta and his guest: Alex Garcia, Mayor of Monterey, TN.

In this episode: When you were elected as Mayor, one of your greater missions was to be a new voice for Monterey. You wanted to represent Monterey in Putnam County and across the Upper Cumberland. When you think about Monterey, and how you want it to be represented, what does that mean to you? Earlier this year, we found out about the closure of Perdue Farms. Th...

Join Kosta and his guest: Penny Foister, Director of Putnam County 911.

In this episode: I think there’s only one question we can start this episode with: what happens when we call 911? You started as an EMT in 1992 with our favorite County Mayor Mr. Randy Porter. We’d be hard pressed to find someone that knows more about emergency services in Putnam County than you, so I have to ask: what’s the hardest job in emergency se...

Join Kosta and his guest: John Nisbet, Attorney and Founder of The Rogers Project.

In this episode: We’re going to talk about what it really means to have law and order, but first I think there’s a bigger question on everyone’s mind, especially today: is there still justice for all? It’s unfortunate that we have to remind listeners this, but I think we should, representation in a court of law is a fundamental human right in...