Podcasts

Ep. 26 The Ice Cube Incident:
A Conversation with Abigail Pepper
Part II

I don't know what to put here...

The conversation went long and I thought it would be easier to split it up into two one hour episodes.

Et viola!

Ep. 23 Dave Matthews Band Sucks

Wow! Usually I just grab a phrase from the episode to pick the title, but the whole group unanimously agreed...Dave Matthews Band Sucks should be the name of this episode. This week we touch on the Monroe Downtown Economic Development Grants and give an update on the fight against Flock cameras. Finally, during this week's top x list, we ask the question...where does Michelle Ball get her money from?

Ep. 24 This Episode Has Absolutely Nothing to do With How Much Dave Matthews Band Sucks

Homelessness is complicated. So we tried something radical: we talked to someone who actually knows what she’s talking about. This week on Drawing Bigger Circles, we sit down with Melissa McKeown, Executive Director of the Community Shelter of Union County, for a real conversation about homelessness in Union County: who is experiencing it, what is driving it, what the Shelter actually does, and what approaches have been shown to help people move toward stability. It’s an especially important conversation right now. Homelessness has increasingly become a political talking point, and simple, punitive solutions can sound awfully appealing when you don’t have to deal with the complicated reality behind them.

Melissa does.

Ep. 22 Get My Rat Thing On!

With the death of Dolly Parton still hanging heavily in our hearts, we take some time to examine one of they mayor's campaign issues. Is he bringing crime down in Monroe? Every time he leaves the city! One local resident who doesn't own a dictionary gets his 15 minutes of fame...but rejoice as we will never say his name again after this podcast. Finally, in Behind the Kirton this episode, Barb drops some fun trivia knowledge about a beloved icon. A woman who was true to herself, funny, and definitely displayed the kind of heart we should all admire.

Ep. 25 The Ice Cube Incident:
A Conversation with Abigail Pepper
Part I

Abigail entered the race for City Council as an unaffiliated candidate. During the last election that wouldn't be newsworthy, but thanks to a little meddling, it's become harder for unaffiliated candidates to get on the ballot.
But she pulled it off.

Join us as we talk about her campaign, her unique fundraising ideas, and why she'd be an excellent addition to the City Council.

Ep. 21 I'm Blessing Your Heart Over Here

This week on Drawing Bigger Circles, Monroe politics continues its determined effort to make sure we never run out of material. We start with the latest on Gary Anderson, because apparently that story still has chapters left. Then we check in with Mayor Robert Burns, who once again demonstrates that understanding the issue is apparently not a prerequisite for having very strong opinions about it. Next, we turn to Michelle Ball, who recently tossed a political dog whistle into the middle of Facebook and, wouldn't you know it, every dog in town came running. And finally, a historic moment for the show: Barb gets her own segment! We debut the first installment of “Behind the Kirton,” where Barb pulls back the curtain, or Kirton, as the case may be, on whatever has caught her attention this week. Gary. The Mayor. Dog whistles. Barb unleashed. Just another perfectly normal week in Monroe.

Ep. 20 1:22a

We're back! Why does Barb hold a wand the entire episode?

We'll never know...

Join us as we give an update on Gary Anderson, a conversation about the politicians bullying people into voting their way, and the age old question of what is our mayor doing in Anson County at 1:22 a.m.? A sale on tight shirts?

We take our best stab at it as we continue exploring life in Monroe.

Ep. 19 It's Always Neck Day!

While the mayor supposedly dug up the dirt on a scandal, he still didn't miss neck day!

We get into the ridiculousness of another episode of the Burns Show and how much of our tax dollars he's going to waste this time.

Additionally, remember when William Dotson pretended to care about the humane society? His act fell apart last week when he not only voted against raising the outside agency funding cap, but made an impassioned campaign speech (author: unknown) about how much taxpayers don't want their money spent on this stuff. Swing and a miss, Willy Dot!

Ep. 18 We're Only Human

No Agenda, No Sense. We hit record and let the mood take us where we wanted to go. We discuss campaigning strategies (shameless plug for Kevin's latest blog) and why going on a press tour while your wife is laid up is actually disgusting.

Also, another colonoscopy for Barb already? There's only one way to find out if that's true! If there's an issue that you want us to look into and talk about, email us at info@changeformonroe.com and visit our website, changeformonroe.com, to get all the latest rantings and ravings of Kevin.

Ep. 17 No Wrong Answers!

Business in the front, party in the back. Is Barb thinking about getting a mullet? Maybe. But today we just have a fun chat and learn a little more about each other by asking trivial questions that have No Wrong Answers.

Remember, if you have an issue you'd like to discuss, or would like for us to discuss for you, reach out to us at info@changeformonroe.com!

A collection of all things Monroe!

Join us as we talk Monroe with citizens, cover the local political scene, discuss local businesses, and learn about anything someone wants to teach us.

Do you want to see what it's like to Draw a Bigger Circle?

Start here...

Ep. 12 We're Back!

Primary season is heating up, even if the weather isn't. Join us as we make our thoughts known about who is running and who would be best for Monroe! No cameras again this time. Kevin remembered to hit record, but we still wound up having an equipment malfunction...

Ep. 14 Chicken Parmesan

Is Barb talking about her colonoscopy the best part of the podcast? Probably! Tune in and let us fill you in on what you may have missed.

Ep. 13 Connect the Dots-on!

Anyone else excited that the primary is almost over? Michelle Ball isn't. After her loss, she'll be relegated to the back seats again. Dotson will remain on the council to kiss Burns' ass. But primary season ending means that we can shift our focus to the great stuff happening around Monroe!

Ep. 15 The Small Intestine is Little Fingers Pushing the Poos Along

Is this the episode where we start to act like mature adults? I'll let you read the title of the episode and judge for yourself. This is a no-politics episode! After we had our board meeting, we turned on the microphones, and let the words fly. No planning. No filter. Find out which two hosts know the correct way to hang a roll of toilet paper and much more!

Ep. 16 Absolutely!

Sarcastic people should not be allowed to text each other about serious business!
That and many more life lessons can be learned listening to us rant about the political scene in Monroe.
No talk about the small intestine or colonoscopies. Are we maturing? Definitely not.

Ep. 10 Christian Nationalism Has Nothing to do With Christianity

The mayor of Monroe proudly brags about his given title as a Christian Nationalist. As a Christian Nationalist is as far away from the teachings of Jesus Christ, we couldn't agree more. Listen as we break down why Christian Nationalism is the antithesis of Christianity and why we should all be working hard to stay out of that "look at me" lifestyle the mayor embraces. While the mayor has to pay to be allowed to speak at conferences around North Carolina, Steven and Kevin make asses of themselves for free! Find us on Facebook and subscribe to this channel as we work to make sure the mayor doesn't get another term!

Ep. 8 Oppress Me Harder, Daddy!

The mayor's campaign rally was white a hit...I'm sorry, quite a hit. We touch on that, what we think his next moves are, and why saying "both sides" makes you sound like you're uninformed on a variety of subjects.

Ep. 9 Special Guest: Radical Roots

We were honored to share the previously unfinished attic with Radical Roots and get some insight into Monroe's situation through a different lens. We talk to Parron about the mayor's attacks on him, the death threats that followed from the mayor's followers, and how he deals with these attacks. Overall, it's a long, but fantastic and insightful, conversation about how we can be working together! Find out more about Radical Roots at RadicalRoots.us.

Ep. 11 Hey, Hey, Hey, Goodbye!

While the mayor tucks his tail between his legs and runs away from the 2026 mayoral race, Monroe rejoices! From a ridiculous performance staged as a press conference to invoking the death of a podcaster to explain his cowardice, the mayor's theatrics are downright comical! Join us as we talk about that idiot, the focus for '26, and how Change for Monroe is going to start getting to work repairing the damage done by Mayor Whiny Britches!

Ep. 7 Monroe for Sale?

As our mayor lauds his airport while taking donations from folks in the aviation industry, it's hard to imagine that there's nothing he won't sell us out for. Join us as we talk about the mayor having to pay to have people listen to him speak and the real reasons that companies change logos (spoiler alert: it's not “woke” or whatever the mayor thinks). Recorded right here in Monroe, a place a lot of the mayor's political donors have never been, it's our latest episode of Drawing Bigger Circles. Steven attempts the train metaphor again, and Kevin runs out of Coke. It's a hell of a ride, folks...

Ep. 6 I'm a Rebel, Dottie

Dottie is back! We're joined by former councilwoman Dottie Nash as she breaks down our city's government and the mayor's failings in his role.

We got Dottie.

We got sound.

We got Steven's majestic beard.

Ep. 5 Cooter Stew

The mayor is off traveling the state after solving all of Monroe's problems. Is he campaigning? Is he trying to get the list of sexual predators in the Epstein files released? Nobody knows. But, what we do know is that Steven and Kevin have thoughts about Mayor Coin Flip, talking to former enemies, and trains.

Ep. 4 All Press is Good Press

This time we had some thoughts about getting Coldplayed and whether all press really IS good press.

As times are changing, will the mayor's constant barrage of negative press actually sway anyone away from supporting him?

We have some microphones, so we thought we'd weigh in.

Ep. 3 What List?

We take a minute to discuss a conspiracy mind and how it's handling the cult mentality. After years of clamoring for the Epstein files, will Mayor Coinflip's followers be able to switch mentalities? Will they see through the charade of a political leader that is lacking substance?
Spoiler Alert: No they won't.

Ep. 2 Local Government

Your local government, at the city and county level, have a huge impact on your daily life. More than you'd ever think. We took a quick minute to discuss what our council looks like. It's important to understand this in order to evaluate Mayor Burns' actions and how he doesn't understand his own job.

Ep. 1 HB3 and Partisanship

In our inaugural episode we look at the bill that keeps Mayor Burns in office for another year.

Without input from citizens, or even his fellow City Councilors, the mayor has usurped the basic democratic principles of a fair election. It's on par for how he's governed so far...