Ed's first guests on radio (week of Feb. 2)

I've been rather busy the past couple of days. (Half of it fulfilling my obligation of going through receipts for the IRS, and it's still not over. Did I really buy that many batteries for tape records?) However, I can at least turn in a quick blog this Friday night to say I have the lineup of the first week of my new radio show, "Talk of the Town," on WJLX, 1240 AM, starting at 2 p.m. Feb. 2.

Monday, Feb. 2: Jasper Mayor Sonny Posey, to talk about events at City Hall, including the future of Sherer Auditorium and dealing with the economic crunch in terms of tax revenue.
Tuesday, Feb. 3: It's the first day of the Legislature, starting at noon. (Gov. Bob Riley should address legislators at 6:30 p.m., which should be televised by Alabama Public Television, going by tradition.) I hope to talk to our local legislators (probably on tape) and possibly other experts, depending on scheduling.
Wednesday, Feb. 4: Linda Lewis of the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County will go over the progress of the Focus Walker County plan and other plans for the chamber. I hope to also ask her about what economic impact she is seeing from retailers in the area and how this could affect the chamber's plans.
Thursday, Feb. 5: Managing Editor James Phillips of the Daily Mountain Eagle will be in to talk about recent news in the area and hopefully give us some insight into the newspaper and what is happening with the newspaper industry.
Friday, Feb. 6: Ezekiel Nichols, who does some economic teaching at the University of Alabama and is a native of the county, will discuss the status of the economy and how President Obama will handle this under his watch, as well as some insights into the local economy.

The following week, Feb. 10, I'll also have some hospice ministers to talk about how one ministers to the dying and how this impacts the ministers themselves. I also know Feb. 12 county engineer David Edgil will discuss projects in the county, and I hope we touch on the status of the closed roads and bridges in the county, as well as improvements at the airport. I should be able to wrap up the second week quickly and get ahead on some other bookings.

Keep in mind that I'll leave room for breaking news when it happens, and we'll have quick summaries of what is going on in national, state and local news, weather, sports, stocks, entertainment, etc., sometimes from our reports and sometimes from the resources of CNN Radio. I also hope to do some commentary as well, as well as attend meetings and events, and maybe bring some sound bites back to the station. It's rather all new to me, but I am excited we can give something the county has needed for some time. I'll certainly welcome your feedback on what you like, and we'll do the best we can. Remember, this starts Feb. 2 and will be Monday through Friday at 2 p.m. on 1240 AM.