Hosted by J.D. Ross | Produced by The Circle of the Panda
There's something about a small town that gets into your heart — the way everyone waves, the sense that people actually mean it when they ask how you're doing. Carolina Small Town Voices is a podcast dedicated to the values that small towns have always carried quietly: community, hospitality, knowing your neighbor's name, and slowing down long enough to actually live.
Starting in Fort Mill, South Carolina — a town navigating the tension between rapid growth and deep roots — host J.D. Ross sits down with business owners, community leaders, longtime families, and newcomers who fell in love with a slower pace of life. Together, they explore what makes a community a community, and what it looks like to protect that.
This is more than a podcast. It's a platform, a movement, and a growing archive of the stories and values that make small-town America worth preserving. The vision is bigger than one town — Carolina Small Town Voices aims to travel across the Carolinas and beyond.
Whether you grew up on Main Street, moved away and carry it with you, or just feel that pull toward something quieter and more connected — this show is for you.
One voice at a time.
What started as an effort to highlight a small town became something much more meaningful. In this closing episode of Season 1 of Carolina Small Town Voices, host and producer J.D. Ross reflects on what happened when the guests began sharing their stories. Without being asked or knowing what the others had said, guest after guest delivered the same simple message: love your neighbor. That message changed the direction of the podcast and revealed something bigger than the original idea. It isn...
1 Sept 2026
Christina Raine: Twisted, Crazy, Beautiful — The Power of Connection
In this episode of Carolina Small Town Voices, JD sits down with singer-songwriter Christina Raine for a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation about music, life, connection, and finding purpose in the unexpected places. Christina shares the story behind her song Twisted, Crazy, Beautiful and why she believes life can be all three things at the same time. She talks about learning to let go of control, betting on herself, trusting God's timing, and discovering that sometimes the best th...
27 Aug 2026
When God Says, “Why Not?” — Christi Halpin and Isaiah 117 House
In this deeply moving episode of Carolina Small Town Voices, JD sits down with Christi Halpin of Isaiah 117 House in York County to hear the story behind a remarkable ministry serving children entering foster care. Isaiah 117 House provides a safe, welcoming home for children on what can be the hardest day of their lives—the day they are removed from everything they know and enter the foster care system. Instead of waiting in an office, hospital, hotel, or other unfamiliar setting, children c...
26 Aug 2026
“Grow Where You’re Planted: Pastor Reed McAteer”
In this episode of Carolina Small Town Voices, JD sits down with Pastor Reed McAteer of Sisk Memorial Baptist Church in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Reed shares his personal journey from growing up in Fort Mill and working in college and professional football to discovering his calling to ministry and ultimately returning home to serve the community where he was raised. Their conversation explores trusting God’s timing, learning to “grow where you’re planted,” and understanding that sometimes t...
21 Aug 2026
The Giving Porch - Mary Ann Thornton
In this episode of Carolina Small Town Voices, JD talks with Mary Ann Thornton, the woman behind The Giving Porch in Fort Mill, South Carolina—a simple but powerful way of connecting people who want to give with people and organizations that have a need. Mary shares how a childhood lesson from her parents—“Because he was our neighbor”—helped shape her lifelong commitment to serving others. She explains how The Giving Porch grew from simply helping neighbors into a community network that now w...
19 Aug 2026
A Family Legacy: Author: Angela Knape
In this episode of Carolina Small Town Voices, JD sits down with author Angela Knape to talk about family, small-town memories, community, and the importance of preserving the stories and values passed down through generations. Angela’s book, Edith Pauline: At Pike’s Place, grew out of memories of growing up near her grandparents’ family farm in northwest Ohio. She shares stories of Sunday dinners, gardens, quilting, cooking for neighbors, church, family traditions, and the simple ways people...
12 Aug 2026
"Roots Give You Meaning": David Ward's 67 Years in Fort Mill
David Ward has spent his entire life in Fort Mill, South Carolina — the same small town where his father served 47 years on the fire department before him. In this conversation, David shares what it means to have real roots: knowing neighbors by name across three and four generations, watching Main Street fade and come back to life, and finding purpose through a lifetime of quiet service. We talk about the legendary Halloween "two-bagger," the Springs Close family's role in preserving Fort Mi...
11 Aug 2026
Loving Your Neighbor — Lorne & Misti James on Faith, Family, and Small Town Life
In this episode of Carolina Small Town Voices, host JD sits down with Lorne and Misti — a husband and wife who have built their lives around community, faith, and service in small town South Carolina. They share what drew them away from the Charlotte area and into a slower, more connected way of life, and why they've chosen to stay even as their town grows. Lorne talks about running a water damage restoration company where the motto "Love Thy Neighbor" is literally written on the side of thei...
10 Aug 2026
Welcome to Carolina Small Town Voices
Host J.D. Ross introduces Carolina Small Town Voices — a podcast about the values that small towns carry quietly: community, hospitality, and connection. Starting in Fort Mill, South Carolina, J.D. shares the vision for a show that celebrates the people and places fighting to hold onto what makes small-town life special. Produced by The Circle of the Panda, this is just the beginning.
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