Join Kosta and his guest: Diana Mandli, scholar, entrepreneur, founder and former owner of the Bull and Thistle Gastropub.

In this episode: Last week we talked with our friend Mark Dudney about the history of Jackson County and what brought us here today. Gainesboro is having a renaissance and it’s impossible to talk about the future of Jackson County without the woman that helped start it all. When you opened the Bull and Thistle in 2013 did you have any idea this would create a chain reaction that would bring Gainesboro back to life?

Like the rest of the Upper Cumberland, you have growing pains. More business. More restaurants. More people. More opportunities. More questions. For anyone that’s asking - what’s going on in Jackson County? What do you say?

Change is scary. I know that’s the understatement of the year, but it rings through this entire conversation and Jackson County. Change is scary. How do we see the entire Upper Cumberland through the change and decisions we have to make right now?

Find out more about Visiting Jackson County:
https://linktr.ee/ExploreJCTN

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partners at Miss Sallie's Market.

Find out more about Miss Sallie's Market:
https://www.misssallies.com

Join Kosta and his guest: Mark Dudney, Public Historian, Regional Planner, Producer, and Educator.

In this episode:

They say all press is good press. I’m going to ask you later in the episode if you think that’s true, but for now I want to start with the question on everyone’s mind: what do you do when white christian nationalists move in next door? Earlier this month you shared a touching testimonial about how you’re feeling in this moment. As a native of Jackson County you spoke from the heart and for that, we’re all grateful. This is a deeply polarizing and painful time for many Tennesseeans and to put it bluntly, it’s scary to speak up. At what point did you decide there was no other choice? Jackson County isn’t a blank page waiting for a story to be written on, in fact, the Gainesboro area has over a century of rich and diverse history that’s helped shape the Upper Cumberland into what it is today. As a historian, what lessons from the past have prepared Jackson County for today?

Find out more about Visiting Jackson County:
https://linktr.ee/ExploreJCTN

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partners at Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy.

Find out more about Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy:
https://aspirebarberandbeauty.com

Join Kosta and his guest: Mark Farley, Executive Director of UCHRA, UCDD and Core Partner of Empower UC.

In this episode: Many Americans are questioning how well state and federally funded services really work for this country and if the price tag justifies the outcomes. For anyone listening and thinking, this is just more government bloat - what do you say to them?

I want to talk about single parents because I know this is a part of our community you care for deeply. How is UCHRA, UCDD and EmpowerUC working to assist single parents and help to end the cycle of poverty for over 1,600 children in the Upper Cumberland? Why is it so important that we focus on these parents and kids?

The median home sold price in Cookeville for February 2025 was $340,000, with 10% down that’d be about $2,000 a month with current interest rates. The median individual income as of 2023 census data was $30,400 annually. Before tax for all of us bad at math that’s $2,533 per month meaning it’s mathematically impossible for the average single parent in Cookeville to afford a home. What do we need to do to make sure the people who work here can live here?

Find out more about UCHRA:
https://uchra.org/

Find out more about UCDD:

https://ucdd.org/

Find out more about Empower UC:
https://empoweruppercumberland.org/

🗣️ Join Us at the Poverty Alleviation Summit
📆 Tuesday, May 13, 2025
⏱️ 1:00pm - 5pm CT
📍 In Person: 1104 England Dr, Cookeville, TN 38501
🧑🏻‍💻 Online Registration: https://www.thepovertysolution.com/summit

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partners at Miss Sallie's Market.

Find out more about Miss Sallie's Market:
https://www.misssallies.com

Join Kosta and his guest: Karen Rathgeber Hale, Director of Camp Nakanawa. I hope you packed the bug spray, because this week we're going to Camp Nakanawa.

In this episode: Camp Nakanawa is over 100 years old. As we’ve discussed, this is more than a camp, it’s tradition. How do you weigh the importance of preserving cherished rituals versus embracing new ideas, especially in an age of rapid cultural and technological change? Being away from home for the first time is scary. For many young people going to camp is the first time they have true independence. Why is this important? How does Camp Nakanawa help to make the most of this opportunity? We talked about this earlier in the episode you started going to camp in 1974, and you’ve seen it evolve and grow over the past 50 years. What are you glad has stayed the same?

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partners and listeners.

Speak out and help ensure necessary programming is available for generations to come and support WCTE PBS:
https://protectmypublicmedia.org/

Join Kosta and his guest: Matt Brown, Certified Financial Planner, Branch Manager and Generational Wealth Planner at 304 Family Wealth of Raymond James.

In this episode: Money is the last taboo topic. We’d rather talk about almost anything than how much money we make or have. That’s helped create a society of people who don’t really understand how money works - or how it could work for them. What do you wish you could tell everyone about their own wealth and financial success? Thinking about the future is intimidating. As someone that works in long-term care, I know firsthand how much we’ll do to not think about the future. But when it comes to retirement, and building wealth especially for Gen-X, Millennials and Gen-Z, what do we need to be doing now? We live in economically uncertain times. Whether it’s tariffs, inflation, interest rates or egg prices, every day brings new excitement. How is this changing the way you’re advising clients and what should we prepare for next?

Legal Disclosures from Raymond James:

Any opinions are those of Matthew Brown and not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization’s initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partners at Volunteer State Community College.

Find out more about Volunteer State Community College:
https://www.volstate.edu/campuses/cookeville

Join Kosta and his guests: Catherine Jackson, Executive Officer of The Home Builders Association of the Upper Cumberland and Katie Hall, General Manager at Cookeville Kitchen Sales.

In this episode: Building a house is like making a cake from scratch - I don’t know how. Let’s start there, because for most of us buying an existing home is confusing enough, what’s it like to build a house? From 2014 to 2024, the median price of a 3-bedroom house in Putnam County has increased over 115%. Buying a home is mathematically impossible for the majority of the Upper Cumberland. How can building more homes help bring down demand and cost? How does building a new home in 2025 compare to buying a similar home at the same price point? Is it comparable or are there other factors we need to consider?

Find out more about The Home Builders Association of the Upper Cumberland:

https://uchba.com/

🏠🔨🛁 UCHBA Home and Garden Show 2025
📆 March 29-30, 2025
⏱️ Saturday, March 29: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM | Sunday, March 30: 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
📍DelMonaco Winery & Vineyards (600 Lance Dr, Baxter, TN 38544)

💵 All Tickets $5

🗣️ https://uchba.com/#/home-show/uchba-home-and-garden-show-2025

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partners at Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy.

Find out more about Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy:
https://aspirebarberandbeauty.com

*Disclaimer/Trigger Warning* This episode may not be appropriate for all ages and audiences as it contains candid conversations about child abuse, child predators, child sex offenders and cyber crime.

Join Kosta and his guests: Lt. Heather Marshall, Public Information Officer and Detective Conor Sparkman from Cookeville Police Department.

In this episode: We say this in every episode, but the Upper Cumberland is changing. We don’t live in the same world we grew up in and maybe that’s the scariest part of all. Kids don’t have to leave their room to find themselves in a dangerous place. In this episode, we’ll talk about how to keep our children safe online and offline, but first, let’s start with what makes the internet a scary place for our kids to be? There’s always a feeling like this could never happen to me. Cybercrime seems like something that happens on shows or movies, but it wouldn’t happen to us. How prevalent is this kind of behavior here in Cookeville and across Tennessee? Do you think most parents are really aware of what their kids are doing online? Do you think most parents are really aware of the dangers they could be facing online?

Find out more about Cookeville Police Department:

https://cookeville-tn.gov/245/Police-Department

Contact Cookeville Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division:
931-520-5384

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
https://www.cybertipline.com

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partners at Miss Sallie's Market.

Find out more about Miss Sallie's Market:
https://www.misssallies.com

Join Kosta and his guest: Tabitha Merritt, Director of Peach Tree Learning Center.

In this episode: For many, homeschool feels like the only answer to an exceedingly difficult question. Where can my child learn where they’re safe, valued, and prepared for more than a standardized test? In your experience, when does a family know the answer is not public school? Over the next decade, education in Tennessee will change. While Education Freedom Scholarships aren’t currently available to homeschooling families, there will be a dramatic shift in where and how all Tennessee students are educated. What do you hope comes of this transition and how could it positively impact the homeschool community? Teaching kids is hard. It’s even harder when you don’t understand what you’re teaching. How does Peach Tree Learning help to bridge the gap between what parents know and what students need to know?

Find out more about Peach Tree Learning Center:
https://www.peachtreelearningcenter.com/

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.

This episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is made possible by our partner Sabrina Brazle, The Realty Firm.

Find out more about Sabrina Brazle:
https://www.sabrinabrazle.com/