A few times a year, I sit in for my pal Flap Jones hosting Not Necessarily Nashville on Little Rock Public Radio’s KUAR 89.1. It always reminds me how good it feels to just play my favorite music on the radio. There are no firm rules about what I play, though I do try to keep it along the lines of what Flap’s incredibly loyal listeners expect: country and Americana mixed with whatever else feels good to me at the moment.
A health concern prompted Rosanne Cash to cancel her annual Sunken Lands Songwriting Circle fundraiser last month, which benefits Johnny Cash’s boyhood home in Dyess, Arkansas. She later released a statement on Sept. 24 saying she was doing better.
“I had a health scare a few weeks ago but with some rest and serious downtime I’m happy to report that all is well,” Cash wrote.
At age 80, Neil Young released his latest album last month, Second Song, and it’s quite good. He’s sounding raspy and as holy as ever. It’s great hearing new material from him.
I’ve also recently been listening to a lot of full albums by Tom T. Hall, which led me to a couple from the 1990s that I’d never heard. From Home Grown, his final studio release, I pulled one song to open the show.
AUDIO: Not Necessarily Nashville, Oct. 10, 2026 on Little Rock Public Radio’s KUAR-FM 89.1.
Not Necessarily Nashville playlist, Oct. 10, 2026
Steve Earle with the Fairfield Four — “Telephone Road” (El Corazón)
Rosanne Cash — “Seventh Avenue” (The Wheel)
Neil Young & the Chrome Hearts — “The Foggy Edge of Time” (Second Song)
Billy Strings — “Leaning on a Travelin’ Song” (Highway Prayers)
B.B. King featuring Willie Nelson — “Night Life” (Deuces Wild)
Mary Gauthier — “Mercy Now” (Mercy Now)
Johnny Cash — “The L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore” (Unearthed)
Bill Withers — “Grandma’s Hands” (Just as I Am)
Jim Mize — “Delta Land” (Release It to the Sky)
The Band — “Atlantic City” (Jericho)
Arkansas secretary of state candidates Democrat Kelly Grappe, Republican Kim Hammer and Libertarian Michael Pakko participate in a debate Thursday, Oct. 15, hosted by Arkansas TV. (Photo courtesy of Arkansas TV)
Arkansas’ three candidates for secretary of state offered competing views on election security, the public’s right to propose ballot measures and voter participation during a debate broadcast Thursday by Arkansas TV.
Republican Kim Hammer defended what he said were election safeguards he supported as a state senator, while Democrat Kelly Grappe criticized restrictions on citizen-led measures. Libertarian Michael Pakko questioned whether some election laws have made it unnecessarily difficult for Arkansans to participate in the political process.
Some of the sharpest exchanges concerned legislation restricting the process of placing citizen-led proposals on the ballot.
“We’re one of only 16 states who have that sacred right for the people to make their own laws, and that right is being attacked,” Grappe said. “Our state motto is Regnant Populus. It means the people rule. And right now, we have legislators led in many ways by my opponent, Senator Hammer, that are trying to restrict the people’s voice when it comes to the ballot initiative process.”
Hammer said his legislation was intended to address problems with signature gathering and protect the state’s Constitution. It required canvassers to provide their home addresses to the state and request photo identification from people signing petitions.
“I think these help address and safeguard the initiative to make it a better process,” Hammer said.
A federal judge ruled the legislation unconstitutional, a decision being appealed by Arkansas’ attorney general to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Hammer expressed confidence the ruling would be overturned.
Pakko argued the restrictions violated constitutional protections and made what was already a hard process even more difficult.
“I know that all the burdens and obstacles that were put in the way by those provisions would really slow down the process, make it more expensive, put it really out of the reach of the hands of ordinary citizens to initiate legislation or constitutional amendments,” Pakko said.
Arkansas’ secretary of state candidates participated in Thursday’s debate at Arkansas TV in Conway. (Photo courtesy of Arkansas TV)
The candidates also disagreed over Issue 1, a proposed constitutional amendment voters will consider next month specifying that only U.S. citizens can vote in Arkansas elections.
Hammer supported the measure, saying it would close potential loopholes and provide stronger constitutional guarantees.
“This brings clarity because one thing has made Arkansas a leader in election security and integrity is that we have observed what has happened in other states,” Hammer said.
Grappe opposed the amendment, arguing that existing laws already prohibit noncitizens from voting.
“I don’t think that this provides any additional security that is necessary right now,” Grappe said. “I know there is concern in making sure only citizens can vote but we are already protected.”
Pakko similarly questioned the need for the amendment.
“I’m really kind of skeptical about its relevance. It is certainly already illegal for noncitizens to vote,” he said, suggesting Republicans were using the measure as “a PR campaign to kind of rouse their base and to get the voters out.”
Another disagreement involved 240 voter registration records that raised questions about eligibility.
Hammer stressed the importance of identifying ineligible voters, saying improper votes could effectively cancel out legitimate ballots. Pakko questioned whether the records actually represented noncitizens or administrative errors, and whether any of those individuals had voted.
Grappe said illegal voting should be prosecuted, but cautioned against improperly removing eligible voters from registration rolls.
The candidates also addressed Arkansas’ low voter registration and turnout rates.
Grappe advocated for allowing online voter registration, noting that 42 states provide it. She said Arkansas’ reliance on paper forms creates unnecessary obstacles, particularly for younger voters.
Pakko also supported modernizing registration but argued that low turnout reflects a lack of competitive elections. With many candidates running unopposed, he said voters often have little incentive to participate.
Hammer emphasized voter education, advocating year-round outreach rather than concentrating efforts immediately before elections.
Asked whether they could envision refusing to certify an election, Pakko said he could not, although credible allegations of fraud might warrant further examination.
Grappe said withholding certification would require extraordinary circumstances. She proposed creating an election advisory commission involving county election officials and other experts to identify problems and recommend improvements.
Hammer defended Arkansas’ existing safeguards, citing his experience with recounts and the reliability of the state’s election procedures.
The candidates also differed over absentee voting. Grappe criticized changes to ballot deadlines that she said have confused voters, while Hammer defended additional safeguards to prevent abuse. Pakko argued that voting by mail should not automatically be considered a threat to election integrity.
On voting equipment, Hammer supported the state’s existing electronic voting system, noting that voters can review printed selections before casting their ballots. Pakko favored allowing counties greater flexibility, including the option of hand-marked paper ballots. Grappe called for a broader review of election procedures.
The three found common ground on the need to modernize the secretary of state’s business registration services.
Pakko described the office’s technology as outdated, while Grappe said her experience as a business owner demonstrated how difficult the registration process can be. Hammer supported continued modernization and proposed having counselors who could help business owners navigate state requirements.
In closing statements, Hammer emphasized his 16 years in the Legislature and his commitment to election security. His Senate term ends in January.
Grappe, making her first bid for a major elected office, emphasized her experience organizing citizen-led ballot efforts and called for greater trust in Arkansas voters.
Pakko, who has previously sought elected office, urged voters dissatisfied with the two major political parties to consider supporting a Libertarian candidate, rejecting the argument that voting for a third-party candidate is a wasted vote.
Sherry Westbrook wearing her former KZ95 jacket after we met for lunch on Oct. 3, 2026. Photo: Danielle Vinson
For the first time in more than three decades, I saw Sherry Westbrook, who was a mentor to me as I was starting my radio career. And I had something to give her. But first, some background.
While I was in high school in 1989, I met Sherry when she was the nighttime DJ at the short-lived Little Rock rock station KZ95 (KZLR-FM 94.9). At the time, I was working my first radio job at a rundown AM station in Benton and was in awe of the professional Little Rock stations I listened to.
Sherry was 10 years older than me and started letting me join her in the studio while she was on the air. We’d also go out to lunch, and she’d tell me about her experiences in the industry. It meant a lot to have someone established in radio take an interest in my career.
KZ95 aggressively targeted rival rock station Magic 105. The station had jackets with its logo, and each DJ had one with their name embroidered on it. I remembered Sherry’s. After about a year-and-a-half, when it became clear KZ95 wasn’t going to overtake Magic 105, the station changed formats to oldies and became Cool 95, with Sherry moving to middays.
AUDIO: “Your nighttime rocker” Sherry Brooks on KZ95, March 10, 1988. She used a slightly modified version of her last name on the air.
AUDIO: An aircheck of Sherry Brooks on Cool 95 from April 1991. This includes her all request lunch hour and live commercials.
At some point in the early 1990s, she was hired at number one-rated KSSN 96 as music director, and once again I’d go up and join her while she was on the air. I was fascinated seeing how different radio stations operated.
When I created a website about my career in 2002, I included audio from a couple of airchecks that Sherry had given me and wrote about how influential she had been to me.
Sherry Westbrook’s KZ95 jacket.
Fast-forward a few decades to last December. Shelli Poole, a longtime friend of mine who worked with Sherry at KSSN, texted me to say she’d spotted Sherry’s old KZ95 jacket for sale at a flea market in Benton. Years earlier, it had been hanging at a used record store in North Little Rock. How it got from there to the flea market, I have no idea.
Shelli asked if I knew how to get in touch with Sherry. I didn’t. We hsd long since lost contact. But I didn’t want the jacket to disappear, so I asked Shelli to buy it, and I started searching online for Sherry, without any luck.
Then, a few weeks ago, Sherry’s daughter, Danielle Vinson, happened across her mom’s old airchecks on my website and contacted me on Facebook. She knew nothing about the jacket, she was simply reaching out to say hello. We talked by phone, and Saturday, Oct. 3, the three of us met for lunch.
It was a joy talking with Sherry for the first time in so long. And that jacket had been such a random thing to come across. After having it for the past 10 months, I was very happy to finally return it to her.
This is the online home of Michael Hibblen, managing editor of Newsroom Ventures, which publishes six Arkansas newspapers. I've worked as a reporter, editor and manager for newspapers, radio and TV stations for more than three decades, with this website telling the story of my career. Also featured are outside interests I've researched. The views expressed here are my own and might not reflect those of my employers.
Released by Arcadia Publishing in 2017, Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas delves into the history of the railroad, which once had a huge footprint in Arkansas. The book features historic photos and tells the story of the Rock Island, which was shut down in March 1980. READ MORE ABOUT MY BOOK.
Preserving Rock Island Depot at Perry
Since 2017, I've been part of a group working to preserve the former Rock Island Depot at Perry, Arkansas. To keep it from being demolished, we raised money to move the depot to an adjacent lot, still alongside the tracks, which is now owned by the city. The building has since been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and our group has become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. LEARN MORE.
For 13 years, from May 2009 to December 2022, I worked for NPR station KUAR-FM 89.1 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. That included 10 years as News Director while continuing to anchor and report. You can read and hear reports from that time on Little Rock Public Radio's website.
