Join Kosta and his guest: Mason Harville, Owner of Upper Cumberland Tree Care and Land Management, Vice Chair of Putnam County Young Republicans and Candidate for Cookeville City Council.

In this episode: The next generation of leadership here in Putnam County is making their voices heard. Whether it’s through organizing, running for office or simply showing up for our community, we’re welcoming the freshman class of our next leaders. How does it feel to be part of the change and fresh perspective Cookeville and Putnam County is so desperately seeking right now? You’re running for Cookeville City Council in the 2026 election this August. You’ve taken a more personal approach to campaigning by sharing openly about your faith and political standing. What does being a conservative Christian mean to you in this campaign and what will it mean for you as you serve in office? Serving as a Cookeville City Council member is one of the most demanding and intense local offices in all of Putnam County, it’s also one of the most rewarding. If elected, what do you see as your greatest opportunity to improve the everyday life of voters here in the City of Cookeville?

Find out more about Upper Cumberland Tree Care and Land Management:
https://uppercumberlandtreecare.com/

Find out more about Putnam County Young Republicans:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582624360730

Find out more about Mason Harville for Cookeville City Council:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580063288371

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: Tessa Davis, Sales and Marketing Director and Assistant Tourism Director at Cookeville-Putnam County Visitors Bureau.

In this episode: In 2024, Tennessee set a new record for tourism after generating $31.7 billion in direct visitor spending and welcoming over 147 million travelers. Most of us probably never think about it, but the Upper Cumberland is a tourist destination. How does increased tourism locally and statewide benefit Putnam County? Let’s pretend our cousin is coming into town and they’ve never been to Cookeville or even Tennessee. We call you, because we know exactly who can plan out the perfect day for a visitor to the Upper Cumberland. What’s the agenda? The new Putnam County Convention Center is outstanding. It was long overdue and we’re not done. In addition to the convention center, we’re getting a 64,000-square-foot Expo Center. Will you tell us about both these projects and what it means for tourism?

Find out more about Cookeville-Putnam County Visitors Bureau:
https://www.visitcookevilletn.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 Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy.

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

Join Kosta and his guest: Virginia Fillers, Director of SoulSong at First Presbyterian Church of Cookeville, Board President of Restoring Childhood Initiative and Candidate for Putnam County Commission District 12.

In this episode: Being a parent in 2026 isn’t easy. To be clear, it’s never been easy, but now we get to post it on social media. As someone that’s a parent, the Director of a Montessori Program and serves as the Board President for our Restoring Childhood Initiative, why do you think parenting today is so difficult? What is Montessori? What makes SoulSong different from other pre-kindergarden options here in the Upper Cumberland? Kids need the opportunity to mess up. That’s something we learned from the Restoring Childhood Initiative that’s really hard for modern day parents. How do we let our kids mess up and have real independence without compromising their safety or wellbeing? As we mentioned in the introduction, you’re running for Putnam County Commission in District 12 (Algood). If elected, how will you use your experience as an educator and child advocate to serve your district and Putnam County?

Find out more about SoulSong:
https://www.firstprescookeville.org/soulsong

Find out more about Restoring Childhood Initiative:
https://www.restoringchildhoodputnamcounty.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